PLENTY ON THE HORIZON FOR NEW CALENDAR YEAR!
by the Grand Poobah, ARRG co-bout announcer
Last week in the ARRG Newscenter, we reflected on the busy year that the league went through in 2011. For those of you who missed it, you can click on THIS LINK RIGHT HERE. Suffice to say, there was plenty that kept the league busy the past twelve months. Between on-and-off track activities, ARRG did not have an offseason in 2011.
And that’s a good thing, because ARRG is a well-oiled machine as it begins 2012. And once again, the potential calendar is packed. For every month up until August, there’s at least one home event scheduled for the league that either features local or travel team action. The travel squads - all three of them - are still in the process of scheduling away bouts that will supplement the schedule.
ARRG’s charity committee is putting together its yearly list of community outreach efforts. Members of the league are evaluating and assessing the progression of the young unrostered talent who hope to take to the flat track on a full-time basis in the future. The brain trusts of each local squad are drawing up its next set of blueprints.
There’s no rest for the weary. 2012 will be a year of perpetual activity for ARRG.
So as the league kicks off twelve months of counter-clockwise mayhem, here are some of the things that I look forward to in the upcoming year…
I look forward to the next set of bouts on Saturday, January 14 at Midwest Sport Hockey. All four teams are jockeying for the post-season push. And after last month’s double-dip, I’m still having a hard time projecting an overall favorite to win it all for the local championships in April.
Squads have exceeded early expectations. I look forward to seeing the Stunt Devils attempt to finish the regular season undefeated and I look forward to seeing the Smashinistas counterpoint that missive. I look forward to seeing the M-80s continue the high-power output displayed through two bouts this season and I look forward to seeing Rebel Skate Alliance attempt to throw a monkey wrench into the matter due to its improved play. If anything, I look forward to the unexpected in two weeks because that’s the only thing I can expect.
Speaking of which, I look forward to the local championships on Saturday, April 28 at the Chaifetz Arena in St. Louis. Undoubtedly, this is the most important event in the seven-year history of the league, both emotionally and financially. It’s the biggest barn the league has ever skated at, so the rent is obviously higher than normal. But it has always been an ultimate dream of the league to showcase its sport in the heart of St. Louis City in a high-end venue. A calculated risk was necessary to make the dream become a reality. It was a risk that ARRG was willing to take.
And expectations are high for the turnout. Of course, there will be strong representation from the ARRG faithful who come to every local bout. I also envision those who might have not followed the locals in recent years to get themselves re-acquainted with the league. I expect a collective of skaters from visiting leagues to show their support. I expect those who thought Ballwin was too far of a drive to witness ARRG to finally cave in. And I look forward to those first-timers to ARRG and show them what they’ve been missing out on.
I look forward to a competitive selection of home bouts for the ARRG All-Stars in 2011. There are some familiar foes in the mix. The home schedule - which already has North Central rivals Madison, Bleeding Heartland and Chicago Outfit chiseled in stone - will feature doubleheader bouts with the Saint Lunachix. The interleague bouts are always fun - the home audience is no longer split, as everyone cheers on the locals.
Speaking of which, I look forward to Saturday, July 14, when the ARRG All-Stars host the Chicago Outfit Syndicate. In 2011, these two squads played each other four times in the span of five months, each finishing 2-2 with total point differential of 40 points - a ten-per-bout average. In the process, rankings were swapped, streaks were stopped and the overall drama was high.
After the Outfit bumped ARRG for fifth place at the WFTDA North Central Region playoff, I was surprised that both squads didn’t immediately grab a bunch of orange cones, head to the parking lot and play another game because a split wouldn’t suffice. Regardless of results from a national online poll that held as much weight as a high school’s “Most Popular Senior” ballot, ARRG vs. Outfit WAS derby’s “best rivalry of 2011.”
I look forward to seeing return trips to places that ARRG has travelled to before, such as Milwaukee, Cincinnati, Nashville and Memphis, and to show how this league has progressed since the last time it visited.
I look forward to the development of the Saint Lunachix - who continue to prove that the term “b-team” is somewhat of a misnomer - and the ARRG Rookie Rivals, the hard-working collective of unrostered skaters that contains “the chosen ones” that will be selected at the next league draft.
Now for more personalized observations:
I’m looking forward to the mad chase for ARRG’s 2012 Rookie of the Year. I have seen some solid candidates make a strong early push so far. RSA’s Pink Diamond and Oregon Betrayal and the M-80s’ Rhino-Might are the top three of my list right now. But I know that there are some very talented “rookies” that are going to continue their progression in the months ahead and push these three and - more importantly - contribute to the further development of their respective rosters.
After seeing her last month in 100% of the jams played (39 of 39), I look forward to seeing Stunt Devil blocker Mayor Francis Slayer take a breather, if that’s possible. Her pace is super-human. In fact, I’m pretty much convinced that Slayer may actually be a cyborg in disguise.
I look forward to seeing the M-80s’ EnYa Nightmare fend off the challenges of the Stunt Devils’ Artemischief and the Smashinistas’ Downtown Dallis for the regular season scoring title. Once again, one cannot place safe money on any one of those three specifically for the margin is too close. I also look forward to the continued progression of points collected by RSA’s Stabby McCutcha, the M-80s’ Munchausen by Foxy and the Smashies’ Boom Boom Pow, who each have had breakthrough seasons in the scoring column thus far. And I look forward to seeing the Stunts’ trio of Mighty Mighty Boston, Morgan LaFaetal and South City Shiner strike when unexpected.
Speaking of aforementioned Artemischief, I look forward to her providing more late-bout dramatics in 2012. She pulled off not one - but two - last jam come-from-behind bout winners in 2011. If there was someone to “don the star” in pressure situations, she would arguably get the first call.
I look forward to hard shots delivered by Smashies’ blocker Eli Wallop, the tactical positioning of the M-80s’ May Require Stitches, the derby smarts displayed by RSA’s Chewblocka, the soul-crushes of the Stunts’ Grave Danger, the ninja-like move sets of the M-80s’ Siege, the improved play of RSA’s Ginny Beastley and the controlled aggression of the Smashies’ Shimmy Hoffa. Say what you will about jamming, but no one controls the outcome of a bout more so than a blocker.
I look forward to seeing ARRG’s “silent assassins” continue to skate solid bouts while underneath the radar. These are skaters that put forth consistent efforts - bout in, bout out - with minimal fanfare but tremendous results. In this category, I would place the Smashies’ The Educator, RSA’s Party Foul, the M-80s’ Science Friction and the Stunt Devils’ Deathica Steele.
I look forward to after parties, the annual trivia night, parade marches, radio/tv appearances, newspaper articles, the inevitable return of RSA’s Smarty McFly, merchandise wrangling, online postings, Beaster Bunny’s “helmet ears,” Jeerleader routines, Mr. McWheely’s photos, raffle ticket drawings, demonstration bouts, “Guerilla Uncaged” articles and every other thing that ARRG does on and off the flat-track.
Overall, I look forward to a lot. And I have no doubt in my mind that ARRG will deliver. The league continues to raise the bar higher and higher with each passing year. 2012 will be no exception.
And of course, I look forward to you being a part of it.
NEXT WEEK IN THE ARRG NEWSCENTER: The final regular season doubleheader approaches as the Stunt Devils battle the Smashinisitas while the M-80s tangle with Rebel Skate Alliance. There’s plenty on the line in this one as the results determine the seedings for the upcoming post-season. We’ll preview both bouts!
The Grand Poobah and Magilla Guerilla are bout co-announcers for the Arch Rival Roller Girls. Check back in this section on Mondays for the latest in ARRG news and information.
