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Archive for March, 2010

March 29th, 2010 | Posted in Bouts, Charity, Recap

ST. LUNACHIX FALL IN EVANSVILLE

DEFEAT TO DOLLS RESULTS IN FRANCHISE’S FIRST “L”

by The Grand Poobah

(EVANSVILLE, IN) All good streaks must inevitably come to an end.

For the St. Lunachix - ARRG’s developmental team - that end came on Saturday night as the St. Louis contingent fell to the Dynamite Dolls 121-74 at the Evansville Coliseum in front of a sold-out crowd.

The loss for the St. Lunachix, who were 5-0 in 2009, was the first-ever in franchise history, which began organized play in 2008.

The Dolls, the all-star team of Demolition City Roller Derby, jumped out to an overwhelming start to take a 68-24 halftime lead. Evansville outscored the Chix 53-50 in the second half to improve to 3-0 on the season.

The St. Lunachix (0-1) return to action on Saturday, April 17 against the Silent Lambs, the developmental team of the Cincinnati Rollergirls. The St.Louis/Cincy doubleheader, which features the Chix vs. Lambs in the undercard and the ARRG All-Stars vs. the CRG Black Sheep in the main event, will take place at the historic Cincinnati Gardens. april-bout

ARRG/ZOMBIE SQUAD TEAM UP FOR BLOOD DRIVE SATURDAY

Here in ARRG Nation, we love our fans!

And from time-to-time, we like to do our best to give back to the community that’s been so generous to us, such as fundraising for local non-profits like Youth In Need, Heat Up-St. Louis and Make-A-Wish.

This weekend, the ladies are participating in another public event that helps the community.

The Arch Rival Roller Girls, along with the St. Louis chapter of the Zombie Squad, are conducting a blood drive in St. Louis this Saturday.

Here’s the details:

DATE: Saturday, April 3

TIME: 11 AM - 4 PM

WHERE: Police Association Hall, 3710 Hampton Ave., St. Louis, MO

For those of you who have donated blood, you are well familiar with the set-up and procedures for donation.

But here’s some temptation in order for you to come out to the ZS/ARRG blood drive…

Free BBQ and Zombie movies!

There….I’ve convinced you.

The good folks of the Zombie Squad are providing complimentary refreshments, including BBQ, at no cost to donors.

And if that wasn’t enough to get you into the true spirit of the proceedings, zombie movies will play throughout the drive!

Now if this didn’t provide enough encouragement to you to show up, then let’s get to the specifics of why it’s important for you to donate blood…it’s because most people don’t.

According to the American Red Cross, only 38% of people in America are eligible to donate blood. And out of that 38%, only 8% actually do. That amounts to only three out of every 100 people.

With low numbers like that, every donation is crucial. Come out and support this important cause!

ARRG 2010 STATISTICAL LEADERS (through three bouts)

POINTS

Starry Starry Fight (Stunt Devils) 119
Artemischief (Stunt Devils) 78
The Educator (Smashinistas) 64
Punches Pileup (Smashinistas) 45
Black Market Baby (M-80s) 39
Joanie Rollmoan (M-80s) 38
Enya Nightmare (M-80s) 29
Morgan LaFaetal (Stunt Devils) 29
Downtown Dallis (Smashinistas) 28
South City Shiner (Stunt Devils) 22

Poobah’s take: Starry’s 77-point performance against the M-80s in bout one was the major contributing factor for her league scoring lead. But Artemischief, last year’s league scoring champion, can make up ground quickly with two Stunts’ bouts remaining. Nice Smashie one-two punch by Educator and Pileup, both scores a result of personal bests. BMB has the early lead for ARRG Rookie of the Year due to impressive scoring. Nightmare’s tally is a result of only one bout - expect this to rise dramatically. Rollmoan, LaFaetal and Dallis are also newcomers to the rankings. Shiner, shut out in bout one, could quietly jump up as the season progresses.

LEADS JAMS

Starry Starry Fight (Stunt Devils) 17
The Educator (Smashinistas) 14
Punches Pileup (Smashinistas) 11
Artemischief (Stunt Devils) 11
Nikki Vixxen (M-80s) 10

Poobah’s take: It should be noted that stats like these are the result of the hard work of the blockers and pivots, who lay down the foundation for scoring opportunities to happen. Starry - if you asked her - would give credit to pivot Mayor Francis Slayer, blockers Grave Danger and Deathica Steele, and a host of other Stunts for the opportunity to collect lead jammer status. Educator was quick out of the gates in bout three and posted ten lead jams.

MINOR PENALTIES

Ana Warpath (M-80s) 28
Jack U Up (M-80s) 21
Black Market Baby (M-80s) 16
Grave Danger (Stunt Devils) 16
Domme E. Nation (Stunt Devils) 15

Poobah’s take: This category can be somewhat misleading. It is not an indicator of undiscipline play, but a mere reflection of the physical nature of the sport. As a whole, minor penalties have dropped significantly for the league in 2010.

(Statistics courtesy of ARRG - Thank you to the ARRG skating and non-skating officals for their continued contributions to the league - which consists of some pretty thorough number crunching on a regular basis.)

COMING UP NEXT MONDAY IN THE NEWS SECTION: The Stunt Devils look to clinch a championship bout berth in a re-match with the M-80s. However, the firecrackers on quads have new skaters to bring to the dance - including ANOTHER UNRETIRED ARRG ALL-STAR WHICH COULD POTENTIALLY TURN THE LEAGUE UPSIDE DOWN. Hells LaBelle brings you a bout preview!

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The Grand Poobah and Hells LaBelle are bout announcers for the 2010 season of the Arch Rival Roller Girls. Check back in this section on Mondays for the latest in ARRG news, information and chocolate bunnies.

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March 21st, 2010 | Posted in Bouts, Recap

STUNT DEVILS WIN BY 47 OVER SMASHIES

120-73 WIN GIVES DEFENDING CHAMPS STANDINGS LEAD

by The Grand Poobah

(ST. LOUIS, MO) It was not that long ago in ARRG’s history that the Stunt Devils were a team that was always looking in from the outside - a franchise that always had the talent, but for some reason never had the breaks that would give them the chance to be in control of the ARRG chain of command.

Those days are now long behind them.

Thanks to the double-powered attack of jammers Starry Starry Fight and Artemischief, the defending ARRG champions upended the Smashinistas 120-73 in interleague play in front of 1,000-plus Saturday night at the All-Amercian Sports Mall.

The win resulted in a 2-0 record for the ladies in purple - and placement at the top of the ARRG standings three interleague bouts into the 2010 season.

“We’ve never been in this position before,’ said Stunt co-captain Mayor Francis Slayer. “We’re stacked….we’re really lucky.”

Some might disagree with Slayer about the “luck” part - this team is skilled.

And to their credit, the Smashinistas on Saturday night were prepared for that at the bout’s onset - which made for tight scoring early.

Following a bout-opening 5-point jam by the Stunts’ Starry Starry Fight, Smashinistas’ jammer The Educator collected a nine-pointer to give the women in cammo a 10-5 lead three minutes into the half.

Both teams traded points - and hits - for the next seven minutes. The end result was a tight 22-21 Stunt advantage with under 20:00 remaining in the opening frame.

Then it was time for the league’s leader in scoring to take over.

Starry’s triple grand slam delivered a huge blow to the psyche to the Smashies. The 15-point jam gave the Stunt Devils the evening’s first commanding lead, a 37-21 advantage with 18:15 remaining in the first half.

“The Stunts have a history of starting off slow, but coming up big in the end,” said Stunt Devil jammer Artemischief about the blow-for-blow scoring early on.

And in order for the Stunts to deliver “big” as the first half progressed, it meant that the purple jammers would have to turn on the jets…which is exactly what happened.

The Stunt Devils would go on a 26-9 run in the first half’s final six minutes. Starry’s 8-point jam followed by Artemischief’s 14-pointer resulted in a 74-34 halftime lead for the defending league champions.

During the halftime break, the Smashinistas figured that they needed to revert back their original blueprint - control the pack, control the pacing, control the scoring - and the rest will take care of itself.

“We felt that the worst was over,” said Smashie jammer The Educator of the 40-point halftime deficit. “We felt we only have to get better from there.”

And they did…much better.

The pretty princesses took control of the bout in the early stages of the second half. A 23-9 run by the ladies in cammo cut the gap to 83-57 midway through the final frame.

But then another layer of a potent Stunt offense seized opportunity and shifted the momentum back to the defending champs. South City Shiner - who had been held to one lead jam in the first half - sprinted to the front of the pack en route to a double grand slam. The 10-pointer with 12:45 remaining gave the Stunt Devils a 93-59 lead.

The precision pace would continue down the stretch as the Stunts outscored the Smashies 27-14 in the bout’s final ten minutes to pick up their second win, and sole possession of first place in the league standings.

Starry Starry Fight’s 41-point effort for the Stunt Devils was reciprocated by The Educator’s 41-point output for the Smashinistas, who drop to 0-2.

Anchored by the impressive scoring tally by the defending champs - their second triple-digit outing in 2010 - the jammers in purple assessed the team’s performance as complete.

“Things went really well for us,” said Artmischief, who added 39 points for the Stunts. “We had good jammer rotation, everybody produced and all our blockers were really on it. It’s all you could really ask for.”

And for the veteran jammer, it clearly crystallizes the dominance of the 2010 Stunt Devils - who are no longer on the outside looking in.

“The Stunts did prove that - as a team - they could win more than once,” she said.

The defending league champion returns to ARRG Interleague play on Saturday, April 10 to battle the M-80s (1-1) at the All-American Sports Mall (11133 Lindbergh Business Court, St. Louis, MO.) box-score-march-bout

IN POOBAH’S CORNER: SATURDAY NOTES

It goes without saying, but Saturday was an epic night for the league - and for roller derby in general in St. Louis.

The sold-out crowd who attended our double-header proves that this sport, without a shadow of a doubt, provides the very best in alternative athletics in the Gateway City.

On behalf of ARRG, the Gatekeepers and the folks who support this sport with unconditional love, I want to thank each and every one of you for attending Saturday’s bouts. Your passion and commitment to what we love to do means so much to us.

Your patience in our late start - which allowed the overflow capacity to enjoy both bouts - was much appreciated.

In short, we are humbled by your support.

- A good portion of this success was supported by the continuing help of the various media outlets who send the message of ARRG to the masses - including St. Louis Magazine, stltoday.com, KTVI-TV, The Riverfront Times, 106.5 FM The Arch, The St. Louis Beacon, nextstopstl.org, KCFV 89.5 FM and many others. Thank you for your continued support.

- I will admit, I had a good feeling that the Gatekeepers would get the duke in their franchise opener - see next article after the ARRG standings graphic - but little would I have expected that the way that they did it would be so overwhelming. These men have done an excellent job in preparation and they should be proud of their accomplishments. Best of luck to them as the season progresses - they’ll do the city proud, I guarantee it.

- Thanks again to the Twin City Derby Girls of the Champaign/Urbana, Illinois area for attending the bout and lending support. A few members of the newly-formed league even stuck around and practiced with ARRG skaters the following morning. Trust me ladies, the hard work’s gonna pay off down the road.

- Another big raffle was held, which helped ARRG’s ongoing work this season to Youth In Need to raise awareness in the local non-for-profit. Your continued support is pushing us closer to our goal of $3,500 for the season. Expect more big raffles as the season progresses.

- Much thanks to my derby broadcast partner Joanie Rollmoan, who did a solid double dip of duty, as well as Mr. Macabre, who drove the four-hour trip from Indy to provide commentary for the Gatekeepers/Race City bout. Their help provided much relief to a man whose voice was slowly but surely trailing off as the night progressed.

standings-after-three

GATEKEEPERS DEBUT WITH WIN

Prior to Saturday’s ARRG match-up, the St. Louis Gatekeepers - the area’s first men’s flat track roller derby squad - posted a dominating 125-17 win over the Race City Rebels of Indianapolis, IN.

It didn’t take long for the locals - in their inaugural debut - to send a message to the nation’s developing men’s roller derby leagues. A fast start out of the gates propelled the mean, green machine to a 55-11 halftime lead.

Multi-point jams by Magnum P.I.M.P., Bony Hawk, Batwing and Short Knocks paced the Gatekeepers - who outscored the Indy contingent 70-6 in the second half - to the team’s first win in franchise history.

Magnum led the Gatekeepers in scoring with 34 points, followed by Knocks’ 28. Magnum picked up the MVP Award for the bout for St. Louis while blocker Big N’ Plenty - who did a solid job against tough competition - collected the MVP hardware for Race City.

The Gatekeepers (1-0) return to action in the upcoming six-team “Spring Roll Tournament” held on May 8-9 in Ft. Wayne, IN.

ST. LUNACHIX TRAVEL TO INDIANA THIS SATURDAY

The future of ARRG heads to the Hoosier State this weekend to face the best from Evansville.

The St. Lunachix - ARRG’s developmental team - battle the Dynamite Dolls of the Demolition City Roller Derby league this Saturday, March 27 at the historical Evansville Coliseum (300 Court St., Evansville, IN).

The Chix/Dolls clash is part of a two-bout doubleheader that features Evansville’s Destruction Dames vs. the Southern Illinois Rollergirls on the undercard. Doors open at 5:30 pm. Bouts begin at 6:30 pm.

This is one of those few match-ups where a developmental team (ARRG) meets an All-Star team (DCRD).

And this Evansville team is one not to be taken lightly.

The Dynamite Dolls launched their 2010 campaign with two quick wins in February. After beating the Tragic City Rollers (Birmingham, AL) at home 121-66 on February 20, the Dolls bested the Derby City Rollergirls (Louisville, KY) the following week 156-75 to start the season unbeaten.

Dynamite Dolls' Godjilla

The key to the Dolls’ attack is Godjilla, who last month celebrated the start of her third year of active competition…with a massive quad-stomping. Crowned “Best Jammer” in 2009 by DCRD, the crowd favorite notched 61 points against Birmingham, followed by a 50-point outburst against Louisville.

The power jammer has picked up just about every award imaginable, including honors last season for “Offensive Performance of the Year” and “Most Dedicated to the League.”

But don’t be fooled - the Dolls are not one-dimensional. Also watch out for Lillith of the Valley, 2009’s “Rollergirl of the Year.” The blonde bomber’s 56-point output against Birmingham shows that she can pack a punch offensively if Godjilla is held at bay.

But if there was ever a team to accept the challenge from an impressive outfit, it would be the St. Lunachix - who in their entire history of play have never lost a bout.

You read that right….have never lost a bout…

Have never lost a bout…

…ever.

The St. Lunachix finished 2009 with a perfect 5-0 record, outscoring their opponents 653-302.

And although a few key members of that undefeated squad were acquired by the ARRG All-Stars, the St. Lunachix reloaded with an impressive crop of newcomers, as well as a few ARRG league veterans.

At presstime, here’s the The St. Lunachix roster for the match-up vs. the Dynamite Dolls (listed alphabetically): Ana Warpath, Beatn-chix Kiddo, Beretta Michaels, Black Market Baby, Chokehold Chanel No. 5, Deathica Steele, Ginny Beastly, Jean Slay, Miss Lippy, Morgan La Faetal, Polka Dot YrEyeout, The Seige, Suri OKiller and SueShe. Alternates, such as Cookies N.Creme, Jezebelle and Whip Scream, are also eligible for play.

I don’t know about you, but if I lived in another city that had developmental derby, I’d be envious of this line-up!

A travel tip from Archie as you head towards the tri-state: Click on the picture of WFIE-TV Weekend Meteorologist (and avid rollerblader!) Chad Sewich for your “14 First Alert” weather forecast.

Using the stagenames of “The Grand Poobah” and “Hells LaBelle,” Wink Funklebean and Flip Van Landingham are bout announcers for the 2010 season of the Arch Rival Roller Girls. Check the news section every Monday for the latest ARRG news and information.

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March 15th, 2010 | Posted in Bouts

SMASHINISTAS VS. STUNT DEVILS THIS SATURDAY

BOUT THREE OF THE 2010 SEASON PIVOTAL FOR BOTH

by the Grand Poobah

For both teams battling at the All-American this Saturday, the long wait is finally over…and there’s high stakes involved.

ARRG defending champions the Stunt Devils (1-0) face the Smashinistas (0-1) in interleague action this Saturday in bout three of the 2010 season.

With the M-80s (1-1) idle this month, a Stunts’ win will give them a commanding lead in the league standings. Conversely, a Smashie win throws the league into a three-way tie.

The ladies clad in purple return this Saturday after a two-month layoff from bout-day action. The Stunts, as a collective whole, have not touched the surface of the All-American since January 6.

One Stunt Devil who is eager to get back onto the flat track is blocker/pivot Miss Lippy, who was unable to skate in the 2010 opener due to a conflicting schedule.

“It killed me to have to miss our first bout against the M-80s,” said Lippy. “But my team still came out on top.”

Smarty McFly

Indeed they did.

The Stunts struck early and handled the M-80s 140-88 back in January’s bout. This effort was done with another important piece of the purple puzzle missing - 2009 ARRG Rookie of the Year Smarty McFly, who missed bout one due to physician’s orders. The intimidating jammer joins an already impressive group that dons the stars at that particular position - including league scoring leader Starry Starry Fight, Artemischief and South City Shiner.

“Just wait until you see what we can do now that Smarty and I are back on the roster.” said Lippy.

Also hungry for victory are the Smashinistas, who last month almost pulled off the last-minute comeback against the M-80s. The 87-71 setback on February 6 might have hurt the overall record, but those who watched that bout at the All-American saw a team that impressively found its wheels in the second half.

It is the modus operandi of the Smashies to not let a slow start be a part of Saturday’s agenda.

“Our rookies have been officially ’seasoned’ from their first home game and they are aching to get back on the track,” said Smashinistas co-captain Punches Pileup.

The Educator

Pileup, who scored 31 against the M-80s, will get assistance from jammers The Educator and Downtown Dallis, who respectively scored 21 and 14 in the February bout.

But the focal point of shutting down the Stunt offense if they get lead jammer status will rest on the shoulders of Smashie co-captain Eil Wallop, Jezebelle and SueShe, who each logged track time of over 40% in last month’s bout.

Both teams in their first bouts were comparable in trips to the penalty box. A team that gets flustered early and finds their members “taking a seat” for :60 stretches will find themselves with a quick deficit…and in this league, one can’t afford to play catch-up.

This announcer could expand this column with more number crunching. I could look at the statistics and analyze, theorize, scrutinize and inevitably anatomize.

But I’ll leave the sabermetrics to the baseball writers - this is derby, darn it.

Long story short…two teams want that “W” - which one wants it more?

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IN POOBAH’S CORNER: WEEKLY ARRG NOTES

by The Grand Poobah

ARRG ALL-STARS UPENDED BY ATLANTA

South City Shiner holds the ARRG MVP award from Saturday's bout. Photo credit: Bob Dunnell

(ATLANTA, GA) There was no “Southern hospitality” to be found on the track this weekend as the ARRG All-Stars were defeated by the Dirty South Derby Girls 116-79 in WFTDA-sanctioned action Saturday night at the Yaraab Shrine Center.

DSDG, now 4-0 in 2010, took a 67-31 lead into the halftime break. The best of the Atlanta Rollergirls outscored the locals 49-48 in the second half to record their sixth consecutive WFTDA win.

ARRG jammer South City Shiner was selected by DSDG as the MVP for St. Louis (1-2) who return to WFTDA action on Saturday, April 17 as they travel to Ohio to face the Black Sheep of the Cincinnati Rollergirls.

ARRG PARTICIPATES IN ST. PATTY’S PARADE

(ST. LOUIS, MO) The ladies of ARRG participated in the annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade in downtown St. Louis Saturday afternoon. As most derby lovers are already aware, the ladies on quads (and in this case, decked in green) are always active in community events. Expect to see (and meet) the skaters at more local functions as the season progresses. We’ll keep you up-to-date on appearances in the news section. Remember, here in ARRG Nation, we love our fans!

ARRG MEMBERS TRAVEL TO YOUTH IN NEED

(ST. LOUIS, MO) Skaters recently visited the local offices of Youth In Need, ARRG’s sponsored charity for 2010. The non-profit organization provides residential homes, homeless street outreach, early childhood education, counseling and support groups, teen parent services and foster care management for children of all ages and their families.

Every year in our fundraising efforts, ARRG sets a goal to achieve. This year our goal is $3,500 - and thanks to you, we’re almost a third of the way there!

Here’s how you can help out! At home bouts this season at the All-American Sports Mall, ARRG will set-up a special raffle table located at the main entrance (you’ll see it to your left when you enter through the doors).

ARRG will be selling raffle tickets for prize baskets. Prizes in these raffle baskets include ARRG merchandise, gift certificates to local businesses and other assorted goodies. The cost of these raffle tickets are $1 each or $5 for six tickets. You’ll also see ARRG staff selling these raffle tickets in the audience during the evening, with a drawing to take place at halftime of the ARRG bout.

Remember, we can’t hit our goal without the support of you, a member of the ARRG-loving public. Be sure to look for the special raffle table on this Saturday as soon as you walk in!

GATEKEEPERS LAUNCH PRIOR TO SATURDAY’S ARRG BOUT

Why the earlier start on March 20 at the All-American? On a historical night, two men’s derby teams - one local, one from Indiana - will make their inaugural debuts.

Prior to the Smashie/Stunts match-up, the St. Louis Gatekeepers - the area’s first men’s flat track roller derby team - will battle the Race City Rebels of Indianapolis. Start time for this 40-minute exhibition bout is 7 PM.

After four months of active recruitment and non-stop practices, the sentinels of the short track are primed to show that men’s derby is alive and kicking in the Gateway City.

Unaffiliated with ARRG, the Gatekeepers represent the growing interest in organized men’s flat track derby leagues across the nation. Those who have witnessed their practices (including some from ARRG Nation) will testify that there’s a lot of unseen talent that will surprise the All-American audience.

The Race City Rebels faced The Flint City Derby Girls of Michigan in an exhibition last week to prepare for this Saturday’s bout. This match-up could provide a bit of foreshadowing as both franchises will compete later this spring at the six-team “Spring Roll Tournament,” to be held May 8-9 in Ft. Wayne, IN.

Since you already plan on being there for the ARRG match-up, then you might as well show up early and support the Gatekeepers! First off, you’ll have a good chance to get a better seat for the main event. And more importantly, it’ll show St. Louis that the derby-lovin’ public can support two local leagues!

When not fighting over the last plate of corned beef and cabbage, Hells LaBelle and The Grand Poobah are bout announcers for the 2010 season of the Arch Rival Roller Girls. Check back in this section on Mondays for the latest ARRG news, information and Irish dessert recipes.

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March 7th, 2010 | Posted in Bouts

ARRG ALL-STARS VS. ATLANTA THIS SATURDAY!

LOCALS TRAVEL TO BATTLE “CLOVER CUP 2010″ CHAMPS

by the Grand Poobah

This Saturday, the best on quads from St. Louis embark on their second journey of the season to battle against one of the legacy teams of the WFTDA.

Atlanta's Dirty South Derby Girls

ARRG (1-1) faces The Dirty South Derby Girls (3-0) in the 2010 Atlanta Rollergirls’ home opener this Saturday, March 13 at the Yaarab Shrine Center (400 Ponce De Leon Ave., Atlanta, GA).

ARRG’s bout with DSDG begins at 5 PM (EST), followed by an Atlanta Rollergirls interleague match-up between The Apocalypstix and The Sake Tuyas.

(Poobah’s note for those travelling: Tickets are $15 for each separate game or $25 for both. Games have been known to sell out, so you might want to have an advanced ticket purchased. Check THIS LINK from the Atlanta Rollergirls’ website for more information on tickets, venue location, parking and “adult beverage” policies.)

After mixed results in February, the pink and black attack’s travel to the Peach State attempts to push their 2010 record above the .500 mark. After an 80-point victory over Memphis on February 13, ARRG stumbled against Milwaukee the following weekend in a 120-64 loss.

And even with the misstep against “Milwaukee’s Best,” there were plenty of positives to be found for the ARRG skaters.

“It was a great second game for several of our newer travel team players, to introduce them to game play in that Top 25 ranking level,” said ARRG All-Star co-captain South City Shiner. “We’re really looking to continue strengething our pack work for the Atlanta game, and using our loss to Milwaukee as a learning experience.”

Unfortunately for ARRG, this is a tough week to build a little momentum, for Atlanta has already hit the 2010 season running with a tournament clean sweep.

One of ten national teams to participate in the inaugural season of the Women’s Flat Track Derby Association, DSDG captured the championship at this past weekend’s five-team Clover Cup in Dallas, TX.

Atlanta started the weekend with an opening round beating of No Coast (Lincoln, NE) 225-58. Back-to-back wins over Dallas, 134-70 in the semis and 123-96 in the finals, gave DSDG the championship in the round-robin tournament.

Clover Cup MVP from DSDG

With domination like that, it’s hard to pick one facet of DSDG’s game to zero in on. Atlanta is paced offensively by veteran jammer The Merchant of Menace, whose commanding presence resulted in picking up the MVP at the Clover Cup. Also look for additional scoring punch by fellow jammer Wheelin Jennings.

So far in 2010, Enya Nightmare has been the go-to jammer for the ARRG All-Stars. After picking up the MVP for the Memphis bout, the skater that dons the “triple-Z’s” scored a team-high 25 points against Brew City. Right behind her comes the double attack of Starry Starry Fight and Artemischief, who look to regain their scoring punch after being held at bay by Milwaukee.

But without a doubt, this bout will be determined upon the battle “down in the trenches,” as Eli Wallop, Grave Danger, Joanie Rollmoan and a slew of other ARRG blockers look to outmuscle the competition. Remember on the surface, a team cannot score at will if they don’t possess the lead jammer. This means that the first :10 of every jam is of utmost importance as pack positioning leads to a scoring opportunity.

“We’ve been working on our offensive pack work the past few weeks in addition to trying out some tighter defensive plays,” said Shiner, cautiously. “I don’t want to say too much more than that!”

ARRG Nation is nervous - there’s high stakes in this bout. And we’ve seen the pretty (a ruthless aggressor in Memphis) and the not-so-pretty (the sluggish start against Brew City) so far in 2010.

Such polar opposites…which ARRG team will show up in Hotlanta?

“We’ve been paying attention to Atlanta’s past games and (we) are NOT taking this game lightly,” said Shiner. “They are close in rankings with us and I think it will be a good match up!”

A travel tip from Archie for those of you who will this weekend - to paraphrase the B-52s - “travel down the Atlanta highway, looking for the derby getaway”: click on the picture of WSB-TV Chief Meteorologist (and avid stargazer) Glenn Burns for the latest Atlanta weather updates.

When not figuring out how to get a red-eye from St. Louis to Atlanta, The Grand Poobah and Hells LaBelle are bout announcers for the 2010 season of the Arch Rival Roller Girls. Check back in this section on Mondays for the latest in ARRG news and information.

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