Jerry Seltzer

There is a great facebook page:  Derby over 40….so the other day some idiot (male) all of a sudden blasts me for every crime known to man except pedophilia with the Grand Canyon.

His point (I thnk) was stay the F… out of our Roller Derby today, you old jerk, has been, etc (pick your own word). I of course responded twice as violently, which I later removed from the site and apologized for this non-appropriate comment there.

I guess some people do not like that I pretty much express my opinion, and if they think I hate modern derby they are so wrong;  it is just I will always say what I feel that I think (note: my opinion) makes the game better, and certainly more appealing to the fans and skaters.

Someone I really respect posted on one of the well-read sites that his league (he is an NSO) was told by a sponsor that they may pull out next season if the games are as boring as the one last Saturday.  OK, that is a matter of choice.

And yesterday there was posted the new changes of the WFTDA rules (by the skaters, for the skaters,by the 5-person rules committee).  On cursory reading I do not think they made the game any more fan friendly or encourage actual skating by the players who pay to skate and mostly want to play a more participatory game.  And unless I am wrong, clockwise skating is legal.

Look, I don’t get credentialed by WFTDA any more (actually, that wouldn’t make any difference), so this might just increase my unpopularity with some, but for crissakes, can I say you are destroying the game I love right before my eyes.

When I say I love what LA Derby Dolls have  done to simplify the game or that Donna at One World is doing, or that USARS and MADE are providing a game that is far simpler than the 70 or so pages of rules that have fans and skaters confused (I have no idea what most of the penalties are called for, which would not be meaningful except it can cost teams victories). And they seem to be presenting an attraction that has skaters standing around while a jammer speeds around the track unimpeded.

And the rules encourage teams to pile on meaningless points so that the “rankings” can be higher; what kind of sportsmanship is that?

Hey, USARS does not have that many leagues.  If I were a league that knew they weren’t going to make it to the championships for years, I would quickly contact USARS now to get in their tournament this year, skate what I think is a more-engaging game, and be on a major TV live stream, and maybe skate against the Number 2 team in the world, The Oly Rolllers in a fast paced game!

Wake up, WFTDA, I became a big fan of modern Derby because of Val and the Windy City Rollers in 2005 and today I go to the Resurrection, Sonoma County, BAD  and Sacramento games whenever I can – you can verify that with the leagues if you want -but hate to see the fans decreasing in so many areas because of the “loopholes”, penalties, whatever.

You are not skating to please me or anyone else except yourself.   If you feel there is any truth in the above, then think about it.  Maybe I will see you in Tulsa for the USARS championship; you will see me at Rollercon and also in Milwaukee.

Dammit, I love Roller Derby, it is in my DNA.  Please get an anti-rule committee and make the game fun to watch.  And if you think I am wrong, that is fine too…..we can all express what we feel.