Like any sport, roller derby has some hardcore fans that make their presence known to the athletes and other fans attending the events. Think about the “Free Throw Guy” at Portland Blazer games or the “Oregon Green Dude” at UO Duck football games. (Sorry, those are the only references I could think of off the top of my head.)
If you’ve ever been to an RCR bout (especially when the Guns N Rollers or Wheels of Justice are playing), you’ve probably seen, or more likely heard, Dr. Snark N. Stein professing his love of roller derby. And by “professing his love” I mean cheering drunkenly, ringing the cowbell, yelling “Haaammmbooonnneee!” and showing “the horns” (i.e. the international sign of rock and roll).
Dr. Snark N. Stein is mostly known in the RCR community for being a GnR super-fan and blogger, and breaking his leg while rollerskating during Gay Skate at Oaks Park in May. He’s one of a handful of non-skating fans that lives and breathes roller derby. Although people call him a super-fan, he really hates the term because it’s hard to define it.
He’s been a fan of roller derby since the very first RCR bout. He says he got hooked because “it looked like the skaters were having so much fun” and because roller derby is generally really awesome. Snark says he likes the DIY and the GAY aspect of roller derby.
“The space that roller derby creates… it doesn’t seem to be ‘queer’ to go to roller derby,” he explains. “No one really stands out, and there aren’t many spaces like that.”
He also enjoys that volunteers and amateur people are a part of it because they want to be.
“It’s just fun,” he adds. “And Rosebuds is the coolest thing ever.”
Snark says that this season of RCR has been very enjoyable because “it’s the first time teams have been evenly matched.” The Betties, who were the 2009 season champs ended up finishing in fourth place this season, and he believes that’s because this season “at any bout, any team could’ve beat any other.”
“We had the best players we’ve ever had,” he says. “Not to discount past players, but the number of good players and the depth on each team have increased.”
Snark says he’s seen improvement across the league. “A lot of people stepped up. Napalm [Beth] killed it this season, and Cher [the Pain] grew so much.”
For next season, Snark says he’d like to see the teams evenly matched again, but he can’t tell if that will happen. In the meantime, he’ll be honing his cowbell-ringing skills to get ready for GnR’s domination next season.
Fun Facts about Dr. Snark N. Stein:
Dr. Snark N. Stein in all his super-fan glory.
1.) Before he sold his soul to the devil and became a Guns N Rollers fan, he originally thought GnR was the “bad team” and he couldn’t be seen rooting for the “bad team” so…
2.) He was originally a Break Neck Betties fan until Paradise Kitty (the very first rollergirl Snark met) told him that the Betties were the “sissy, pretty girls of the league.”
3.) It wasn’t until the 4th season that he became a GnR fan because they were “plucky and gay and never won.”
4.) He doesn’t understand the whole GnR “butt rock” theme, mostly because he doesn’t really dig the whole American 80s rock band thing. He listens to The Cure and Depeche Mode.
5.) His original idea for a derby name was Great White Snark…
6.)He doesn’t really watch other sports, and he didn’t even before he became a derby fan. But he says, “Live sports are fun, but TV sports suck.”
7.) But that doesn’t matter because the name Dr. Snark N. Stein hasn’t really stuck. “Shove [Me Tender] says it’s because I haven’t owned it,” he says.
8.) He doesn’t have a favorite skater, but he is a fan of Blood Clottia in her leopard unitard.
9.) His alcoholic beverage of choice is “Jim Beam and Coke, Jack Daniels, Makers Mark, or PBR.”
10.) His favorite way to watch a roller derby bout is sitting on the floor, trackside, and kinda drunk.
Dr. Snark N. Stein is one of many dedicated fans of roller derby. If you think he sounds cool you should come to the next bout and meet all the other super-fans!
I wish I were more like him.
love it! love ya, snark!