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Spills & thrills

M.J. STONE

From Friday's Globe and Mail

Latest comment posted at 3:23 PM EDT 23/11/07

Don't let their retro-style skates and short skirts fool you. On the rink these roller derby vixens will trash talk and bodycheck their way to the finish. It's fast, rough and dirty - and it's bringing spectators to their feet ...Read the full article

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  1. JawBone Hamilton from Canada writes: I love old-school roller derby! Grew up watching Paul 'The Bear' Rupert, Diane Severson, and Skinny Minnie Miller. What a hoot every Saturday afternoon.

    And then there was nasty dude from Chicago... what was his name? Charlie something. He was one mean mother!

    Bring it on! Better than wrassling!
  2. Bill Needle from Canada writes: It's amazing how this phoney baloney entertainment keeps coming back like a dose of the clap. I guess it must appeal to the great unwashed. Amazing how some people can find this sort of thing appealing. I guess they must all still have some entertainment $$ left after paying for 'wrestling', monster trucks, and Rolling Stones concerts.
  3. Larry Hill from Canada writes: The only surprise to me --- Pabst Blue Ribbon is a big seller in Montreal???
  4. Kevin Desmoulin from TO, Canada writes: Yes Roller Derby is Back, A good sport I remembering playing it in the skating rink when I was young, Oh ya everyone who think it is a fake sport, You try to get by 4 people who are trying to block you. Not easy
    Well My friends were not faking it.
  5. Dorian Grey from Regina, Canada writes: Oh, great !! A sport that combines Pro Wrestling with NASCAR with a bit of T&A. I would go just to observe the people watching the Roller Derby.
  6. JawBone Hamilton from Canada writes: I am one of the great unwashed and don't mind paying a few bucks for this kind of rockem sockem entertainment.

    Better than paying $100 to watch the Leafs lose.

    Better than paying $15 to watch some dumb movie (which we also know is fake).

    Better than watching golf on tv (yawn)

    Okay, maybe not quite as much fun as getting loaded and watching kids play t-ball.....
  7. Susie Q from Canada writes: ha... wish it was on rollerblades and not old-school rollerskates. I'd try out in a second!
  8. Michael L from Canada writes: Hey Jawbone,
    Just a quick question - do you get loaded and watch kids play t-bill at the same time or were you referring to two different activivites?
  9. Jennifer Prosser from Canada writes: Wow, freedom of speech truly does allow some individuals to showcase their ignorance!

    If you haven't had an an opportunity to see this sport in person, I strongly recommend that you Google roller derby in your city. Leagues have been establishing themselves across Canada, and there may be a league near you.

    Flat Track Roller Derby is an amazing sport- fast-paced, full of strategy and a demonstration of athletic prowess.

    This incarnation of roller derby is centered around sport. Roller Derby players train hard, and play hard. Bouts are not scripted in any way- and if a fight breaks out, it certainly was not planned.
  10. Clive Gingell from Ottawa, Canada writes: What goes around......I remember watching 'Kansas City Bomber' starring Raquel Welch, when it came out in 1972.

    'Action Packed' B- movie. (OK, make that a D ).
  11. Clive Gingell from Ottawa, Canada writes: And here it is:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mg6vhg2dFN0
  12. Mr. Justice from Canada writes: The real thing was Joanie Weston of the Bay Bombers (San Francisco):
    http://www.ktvu.com/station/1854287/detail.html
  13. Michael Enright from Toronto, Canada writes: I went to a game in the Toronto league - fantastic. Very tough ladies.

    Bay $treet Bruisers all the way.

    www.torontorollerderby.com/
  14. Jennifer Prosser from Canada writes: Aww, Bill Needle, do you have issues with women who are stronger and tougher than you?

    At least your ignorant opinions are posted publicly. I assure you that Roller Derby players are well educated. I happen to be one of them.

    You may be surprised to learn that none of us do this for a living; most leagues are not for profits run by the members.

    To suggest that athleticism can be determined by girth is laughable- or perhaps you also believe that football players are not athletes either. There are roles for athletes of all sizes in derby, just like in football.

    Thanks for providing me with some amusement, and enjoy the pictures in the article of the derby girls. Something tells me this is the closest you've gotten to the female form in a long time!
  15. H K from Winnipeg, Canada writes: I'm still trying to figure out how they got 'The King's Prostitutes' out of 'Les Filles du Roi'. More accurately, this expression refers to 'The King's Daughters' a group of unmarried women sent to the new world by the King of France to become brides of male settlers.

    Oh, and has Bill Needle been confusing Maxim models posing in cheerleader outfits with professional female athletes again?
    Gotta stop watching nothing but football, my friend.
  16. Trash N Smash MTLRD from Montreal, Canada writes: Answer to Bill Needle's comment:

    Just because roller derby is a women dominated sport, dosen't mean that we don't train or play hard like men . Like in any sports, we follow rules and have to train. So what if I'm a big girl! I practice 3 to 4 times per week. It gets/keeps me in shape,and mostly,I'm having fun. That's what it's all about!

    If you look at hockey or football, they have big players that play defense, and that's exactly what I am,a blocker,defense for my team.

    Even If you think only bozo's would play this sport, you should know that most players have gratuated from college or university. We have lawyers,personal trainers,daycare workers,teachers,nurses... All kinds of free,independent women that like to gather,relax, have fun and just get rid of daily stress that they deal with.

    You may disagree with this sport,I'm not trying to make you change your mind,but I know for a fact that what ever size a player is,she puts all her heart in training,organizing,promoting and time into something she believes in. This is not fake,this is our reality.
  17. Kevin Desmoulin from TO, Canada writes: I challenge you to a roller derby match these Fine Ladies of the Roller Derby. Go Get him Jenn, he always going out of bounds.
  18. R Swift from Canada writes: Bill Needle turns his nose up at Roller Derby, and instead he gets his jollies riling people up with his comments.

    I've never seen Roller Derby but I love Demolition Derby. It's kinda like the chariot race in Ben Hur, but without the horses
  19. Bill Needle from Canada writes: R Swift from Canada writes: Bill Needle turns his nose up at Roller Derby, and instead he gets his jollies riling people up with his comments.

    It's my job; it's what I do.
  20. Bill Needle from Canada writes: Trash N Smash MTLRD from Montreal, Canada writes: This is not fake,this is our reality.

    Do you moonlight as the tooth fairy too?
  21. Die Nasty from Montreal QC, Canada writes: In response to this article's english interpretation's of the the team names. 'The King's Daughters' is the correct translation of 'Les Filles du Roi' and 'The Delinquent's' is the correct tanslation of 'La Racaille' not the 'Dirt' like it says. Most teams have a play on words approach, which goes for the teams players as well. I'll speak for myself when I say I'm a scrabble nerd!

    And on another note... why are we wasting our time responding to idiots who feel the need(le) to insult people they have no control over?
    Who cares what this fart thinks... clearly he hasn't been laid in while or he is suffering from some sexual disfunctions.... otherwise why would he be so unhappy? poor billy boy.

    Cheers to all the strong brave women out there who are happily getting their rocks off and enjoying life how it should be enjoyed! Play hard and girls. You all rule!!!

    And if you haven't seen a good canadian derby game, come on down, you will have a blast! Bring your kids and the whole family!!! Fun is the name of the game!

    Your Truly
    DieNasty
    number 72
    Les du Roi
  22. William Clarke from Toronto, Canada writes: Bill Needle from Canada writes: It's amazing how this phoney baloney entertainment keeps coming back like a dose of the clap

    Bill, having watched both it's nothing like the 70's era WWF format .... this is a real sport with limited commercial focus but a lot of very involved people training and playing hard.

    Go to a game and have some fun or failing that, watch a Bout on the Net.

    try the Toronto 2007 Championship match at

    http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-8339169704669693047

    Tell me how many fights you see :)

    Look at how much fun the crowd and the players are having

    Regards,

    William.
  23. Die Nasty from Montreal QC, Canada writes: Please, don't use rollerblades as an excuse not to try it. You might actually have fun if you do try it. No excuses necessary.
  24. carol c from Canada writes: It's my job; it's what I do.'

    You're fired. Now go do something productive.
  25. Hugh May from Khon Kaen, Thailand writes: My favourite from the past was 'Psycho Ronnie'. You just had to love the name.
  26. Malcolm Bromley from Victoria, Canada writes: Diane 'the Blonde Bombshell' Severson, and Paul 'the Bear' Rupert !!! Duhhh - I just got it - after all these decades - Rupert the Bear (as in England's animated comic character). Oh, how we used to love seeing these two captains of the 'Canadian All-Stars' whup the American teams that came up to Canada. We used to catch it on TV in the '70's and see it live in Ottawa. Of course, way back then, in my misguided youth, we attended the mayhem in an 'altered' state of consciousness to put the action into 'slow motion.' We could even see them verbally planning their drama when they were bunched-up (wasn't that called a 'jam'?) rounding the track, and then there was the inevitable nastiness ... uh, oh - here he comes - out of the dressing room all bandaged up. He's angry now! He's going after the bad_ss on the other team - oh, Paul Rupert's got him in a bear hug - it's over now! and the Canadian all-stars are piling up the points in the last seconds - there it is - it's over, and the All-stars win by one point!!! ... Oh yeah! And if you got in the way of 'the Blond Bombshell', she'd take you out and over the railing with her elbow - a 'gorgeous' Gordie Howe!!! We loved it! And Skinny Minnie Miller - built like a broomstick with rubbery elastic legs that enabled her to weave around the opposition to score mega-points. I think the guy's scoring equivalent was Frankie - and there was an attractive brunette named Debbie who was a rookie and was usually worked over pretty well so that she had to be rescued. What ever happened to these people - I never really thought that they were Canadian as was PR-ed in the intros, and figured that they were the meanies who broke all of the rules when they were the visitors in other cities. Yeah, it was all staged - but what a hoot!!! Where on the west coast is this happening again - in Vancouver? Could somebody post a contact so that the next time I'm in Van. I can check it out?! Hmmm ... over here in Victoria we have the 'Raging Grannies'!
  27. Orest Zarowsky from Toronto, Canada writes: What I want is the version in Rollerball. The original version, not that really bad recent remake. Now that's a 'real' sport.
  28. True North from Canada writes: Awesome!! Hit'em hard ladies!
  29. GlynnMhor of Skywall from Canada writes: H K from Winnipeg, Canada writes: "Les Filles du Roi". More accurately, this expression refers to "The King's Daughters" a group of unmarried women sent to the new world by the King of France to become brides of male settlers."

    And many, if not most, of them were rounded up from among Paris street hookers on the assumption that, unlike most french women who flatly refused to marry some grubby settlers in a far off and disreputable land, they wouldn't be too picky as to with whom they had sex.
  30. C S from Vancouver, Canada writes: Malcolm,

    Vancouver has a GREAT, very strong roller derby team of its own:
    www.terminalcityrollergirls.com

    Meanwhile, Victoria ALSO has a great league:
    www.deadcityrollergirls.com

    There is also a Fraser Valley team and a Langley team.

    If you want to check out a VERY well established team out here on the coast, cross the border and check out the Rat City Rollergirls in Seattle - or make the trip down and see the Rose City Rollergirls in Portland (and give my regards to Goody Two Skates!).

    Support your local roller girls, folks...these ladies work really hard, aren't faking anything, put on a brilliant show, and are providing opportunites for women of all sizes and althetic abilities to play a team sport and get active.
  31. C S from Vancouver, Canada writes: Let me correct my last post: Vancouver has a roller derby LEAGUE - with four teams, and in the spring, they'll start up Season 2.

    I also forgot to mention, CONGRATS MTLRD!!!! You ladies are so amazing. Lots of love from Vancouver!

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