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?

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.

This entry was posted on Monday, March 15th, 2010 at 3:28 am and is filed under Bouts. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.