There is an article concerning the Bombers - T-Birds
game on the NRDL web site at:
http://www.nationalrollerderbyleague.com/TBirdsVSBombers.htm

Originally I was going to address a response to the
author - DerbyDog - but then I figured I would once
again stick my foot in my mouth and cross post it to
all the Derby message groups I belong to. So here it
goes:

DerbyDog:

I just wanted to both compliment and criticize your
Bombers - T-Birds article on the NRDL web page at:
http://www.nationalrollerderbyleague.com/TBirdsVSBombers.htm

You obviously put a lot of thought into it, but at the
same time it turned out sounding more like a
"wrestling" piece than Roller Derby.

I, like many fans, want desperately for a return to
good hard skating - without fights and yelling matches
and suspicious looking sudden come-from-behind wins
for the home team. If fans want that -- they have
wrestling to turn to -- it's not needed in Roller
Derby. I've never enjoyed it and never will. It's a
total turn off to what could be a great sport.

While - to my knowledge - you aren't associated with
either the Bombers or T-Birds organizations, by
writing such articles about "bitter rivals for years,"
"this match-up could very well be one of the largest
Roller Derby turn-outs of all time," "tons of public
interest," etc... It just sounds like more of the
"wrestling-hype" build-up that the sport doesn't need
and damages any credibility these teams might have.

These teams as they exist now haven't even been around
for years and it's my understanding the crowd was less
than a thousand. I would rather have read a report on
how hard the teams tried to skate a good game despite
the handicaps they faced - lack of training time,
being older and out of shape, and for some - only
limited experience on the banked track.

I really don't care how old the skaters are. I'm
getting up there in years too. And if sometimes the
skating isn't too good because of inexperience - well,
all rookies and young players in any sport make
mistakes. That's not the real point here. I admire the
heck out of these men and women for trying.

I applaud the Bombers and T-Birds, as well as Lou
Sanchez's efforts to get a Las Vegas team rolling. If
done right, there could be a great rivalry built
between these teams and leagues. But it's looking more
and more as if they are just going to head down the
same old path and never gain any respect as a true
sport. To me, that's such a disappointment - because
it could be so much more.

Dan, Harold (the only name I can find on the T-Birds
web page) and Lou...I urge you to wake up and answer
the fans call to skate a more athletic and legit
looking game. We don't need fights, chairs to the
head, and other nonsense. Leave all that back in the
70s - when the Seltzer-owned Roller Derby died - give
the fans of the 21st century something they can call
their own - a legit banked track sport.

Sure there will be growing pains, but in the end it
will all be worth it.

Joe B.





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