I will keep it short.
Yes there are 1628 Leagues in the world.
And yes the growth has been phenomenal over the past 10 years.
But the impact never really hit me until I saw players and fans from 15 nations during the phenomenal coverage of the Men’s World Cup from Birmingham,England. And my friend and cohort at Brown Paper Tickets Bob “Noxious” (Randy Hughes) announced the final game.
The other sports should enjoy such love and sportsmanship. Skaters patting opponents while on a jam. Amazing moments you will never forget:
Japan and Argentina being adopted as home teams by the entire crowd; Japan brand new to this type of game (My good friend Hiroshi Koizumi is the father of Roller Derby in Japan); Argentina with just 8 players and astonishing everyone with their play; maybe the loudest cheer of the tourney when Scotland got 10 points against the US powerhouse in the final jams.
And on and on: the Argentinian player proposes to his girl friend and the crowd cheering and tearing (I did).
And the winning US team, coached by my Derby wife, the incomparable Val Capone; tell her Roller Derby needs her anywhere in the world and she is there. And so many of my “friends” on the squad, from three members of Rollerjam (which could have been so good if not so phony) to Tony Muse who represents the Roller Derby Skate Company Elite skates, finally getting back to the game that meant so much to them; and my father started that company!
And my father, Leo Seltzer, who died in 1978 believing his beloved game which he fully intended to bring back as a legitimate contest was gone forever.
And me, the almost unwilling heir to the family business, whose videos from the 70s inspired April Ritzenhaler and others to bring it back to life in 2003.
I am so sorry I didn’t make it to Birmingham; but nobody will keep me from the women’s World Cup in Dallas this December. After all I write a column for Blood and Thunder magazine who is sponsoring this event, and I know Robin will put me on the credential list; and even if she wouldn’t, I will be at the Fair Park Arena where we used to skate.
My god, this is a worldwide sensation…..just how would you feel?
I would feel great that the game had progressed sho far. I believe the game is just a blink of an eye away from greatness.
Great post, good feels. Nobody should forget the contribution of the Seltzers to the game. If you are derby, and you don’t know our history, your understanding of the game you love is not complete. Thanks Leo and Jerry.
I hope you feel the same way about the world cup in December.
Why wouldn’t I?
Just checking 🙂 I’m very protective of all the ladieeez! It was a mind-blowing weekend, can’t see why the girls can’t deliver the same in Dalls!
Roller Derby today encompasses men and women, juniors and over 40s (3400 of them) and I support them all……and I will be at the women’s World Cup in December.
Just to nit pick. Scotland got 40 points against the boys from team USA with a 19 point power jam.
sorry, didn’t see that…..I think the point was the crowd was excited bout their scoring. oh, and I hate powerjams.
It was an amazing weekend. SO happy I was there for the duration. This was played to ‘old rules’ so when all future bouts are payed to 30 second penalties, a different game will play out I’m sure, but my word, the Men’s World Cup was EPIC!!!!! Thank you so much for this incredible sport which has changed so many lives 🙂