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...now that Sarge Phelps has a Sunday Morning
program on KPHX AM 1480 Phoenix <http://www.1480kphx.com/> and the Nova M Radio
Network <http://www.novamradio.com/>,
I'm contributing commentaries to the program, by his request. The one
I'm doing for the show tomorrow morning, the 6th of May, 2007 -- in the
7:00 A.M. hour locally in Phoenix, which translates to 10:00 A.M.
Eastern Time and (IIRC) 1400 Universal Coordinated Time -- reads as
follows:
+ + + + + + + + +
In
my first conversation with Sarge upon his arrival in Phoenix a couple
days back, I told him it was now time for him to check out the AZRD, or
Arizona Roller Derby. Sarge let out with a hearty laugh, but after
hearing this report, I suspect he won't be much longer.
Yes,
Roller Derby is back, and with a vengeance. Only this time it isn't
with some cigar-chewing money man in the back office paying skaters to
choreograph their games badly, as if they were pro wrestlers on a
banked track. No, this time there's over a hundred municipal leagues,
as many as two or three in larger cities like New York, Chicago, Los
Angeles and Minneapolis, of three or more teams, all women, on a flat
skating track, with the skaters themselves controlling the business end
as well as the bouts. To borrow the pro wrestling vernacular, they
aren't kayfabing it any more, they're shooting straight all the way.
One
of those leagues happens to be in Sarge's native municipality of New
Orleans. In the Spring of 2005, The Big Easy Rollergirls began to
organize with an eye towards Mardi Gras of 2006 as a starting date for
their first full season of bouts. They were already practicing and
running drills in Audubon Park that Summer – and then came August 29th
and Hurricane Katrina. Not only were their equipment and potential
facilities heavily damaged, over eighty percent of their membership was
displaced. There was no way that Mardi Gras of 2006 would be their
target date now.
But
then something fascinating began taking place. Skaters from other
cities, including the Arizona Roller Derby in Phoenix – there's another
nudge, Sarge – began sending replacement materials to the Big Easy
Rollergirls, and the league began recruiting all over again. And women
from all walks of life – bankers, lawyers, teachers, architects – began
training with the assistance of Trish The Dish and Ivanna S. Pankin of
the Las Vegas league, the Sin City Rollergirls. The fact that Trish was
still herself in a wheelchair from recent foot surgery didn't prevent
her helping out the New Orleans skaters. Oh, and Ivanna S. Pankin,
before heading to Vegas, founded the Arizona Roller Derby league in
Phoenix. There's ANOTHER nudge, Sarge.
The
way it all shakes out is that the Big Easy Rollergirls have been, in
the last few months, one of the most inspiring and legitimate
grassroots Katrina recovery stories in all of New Orleans. They will be
wrapping up their first home season of bouts with the league's all-star
team going up against the Memphis Roller Derby All-Stars in 13 days, on
Saturday, May the 19th, at Mardi Gras World. That event is
also a benefit for the EMTs from the Slaughter Volunteer Fire
Department, who have themselves been helping out at previous bouts. And
among those previous bouts this season have been benefits for the Arabi
Wrecking Crewe, the organization helping with the clearing, gutting
and/or repairing of homes of New Orleans musicians and their families
displaced by Katrina, as well as New Orleans City Park. If you'll be in
New Orleans on the 19th and want to check out the bout,
point your browser to bigeasyrollergirls.com,
and tell 'em King Daevid sent ya.
And
if you want to check out the nearest flat track roller derby league and
thank them for helping out the Big Easy Rollergirls, just point your
browser to the web site of the Women's Flat Track Derby Association at WFTDA.com.
And
for those of you in Phoenix who'd like to thank your AZRD in person –
yes, Sarge, this means you, too! – just go to Casey At The Bat at 3947
East Union Hills this Saturday, May the 12th, and see the
AZRD All-Star Team, The Tent City Terrors, in a bout against the
all-stars from the Carolina Rollergirls league in Raleigh. On a side
note, I have a Carolina Rollergirls poster on my living room wall,
directly to my left as I'm recording this item. Doors open at 6:30, the
bout starts at 7, and Casey's is an outdoor facility, so be adequately
dressed. Further info is at azrollerderby.com. And
tell them King Daevid sent ya there as well.
Sarge,
next Sunday morning I'm expecting a full report on your visit to the
AZRD bout the previous night. That's an order, Son. I'll see y'all next
Sunday. I'm King Daevid MacKenzie.
...now, if you're not too hung over from the beer that was Saturday Night, tune your Phoenix area radios to AM 1480 or point your media players to the web feeds of KPHX and/or Nova M at the web sites mentioned above at the time mentioned above, and let's make damned good and sure they run the commentary. And if you're in Phoenix or New Orleans and can catch the roller derby bouts mentioned, do that too. And tell them ALL that King Daevid sent y'all...
-- King Daevid MacKenzie. No brag, just fact. http://myspace.com/kingdaevid http://groups.google.ca/group/hateradioboycott "You're only entitled to your informed opinion." HARLAN ELLISON
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