Bout #1: Betties Blow Out GnR

In the first full-length bout of the 2011 season (and a replay of last season’s consolation bout), the Break Neck Betties defeated the Guns N Rollers 209-73. If you attended the season opener at the Memorial Coliseum on January 15th, you may be thinking that the Guns N Rollers got annihilated yet again.

While the score of last Saturday’s bout may reflect a serious ass-whooping, there were some significant changes from the last time GnR played at the season opener. The most obvious changes are in the lineup: GnR lost Mora Manipulator (she moved out of state) and (officially) acquired Guts & Bolts as well as Supa Sixpack and Scald Eagle.

Before I report on the specifics from the bout, here’s some information that will be crucial to the understanding of how the bout played out.

1.) The three new GnR skaters are a result of the special draft that was held on Jan. 20th as requested by GnR because they had only 14 skaters on the team roster instead of the usual 20 skaters.

2.) Guts & Bolts skated for GnR in the season opener, but wasn’t officially on the team. I believe she was allowed to skate with GnR because they were so short on skaters, but I’m not 100% sure on the details of all that.

3.) Scald Eagle was initially drafted to the Betties on Dec. 16th. According to RCR policy, any drafted player has 30 days to refuse her draft offer and remain on Fresh Meat in the hopes of making a different team during the next draft.* It’s rumored that Scald Eagle made it clear to the home teams that she wanted to be drafted to GnR, but the Betties, who had the number one draft pick, couldn’t pass up such a talented player. Ultimately, Scald ended up refusing the offer before her 30-day window was up, and GnR gained a very talented new skater while the Betties not only lost Scald, but they lost the opportunity to draft a player that would be more likely to stay with the team (i.e. one who didn’t outright declare she wanted to be on a specific team that wasn’t the Betties).

Now that you’ve got a bit of the background, here’s what happened at Saturday’s bout:

In the first two jams, GnR managed to earn the lead jam but earned no points. In fact, the Betties held GnR scoreless until the 9th jam when Havana Good Time scored four points to get the butt-rockers on the board against the Betties’ 33 points.

In jam #8, Scald Eagle lined up on the jam line for the third time that night. She also got lead jam for the second time. With her long stride, speed and ability to juke around even the most skilled skater, you’d think she’d be able to get lead jam every time AND lap the pack five times over before the opposing jammer could even make her initial pass. Insane athletic ability, however, is not the only factor in scoring points for roller derby. How your blockers move in the pack as well as how the opposing blockers play also contribute to that.

The Betties played pretty amazing pack defense that night. And GnR…well, they weren’t totally awful, but it’s obvious that many of the new skaters are still learning the mechanics of pack play and what to do in certain jam situations (i.e. when the opposing blockers trap one of your blockers in the back of the pack). There were some highlights in GnR’s pack play, such as occasionally trapping one of the Betties blockers and delivering some kick-ass hits (ahem! did you SEE Havana Good Time hitting some of those Betties?!)

GnR skaters fight for position with Shove Me Tender, unaware of the incoming Betties jammer. (Photo by Lisa Burke)

There was also some less than desirable play action going on. GnR blockers seemed unaware of the opposing jammer at times, and they had a hell of a time maintaining an effective wall to prevent the Betties jammer from passing. There were also several instances when the GnR blockers didn’t hold the inside line, allowing the Betties jammer to easily get through the pack.

Some of the GnR jammers seemed to have a hard time keeping track of their minor penalties. Both Punchkin and Scald Eagle lined up to jam at one point and they both had three minor penalties, resulting in both of them going to the penalty box for their respective jams after committing their fourth minor penalties. Toward the end of the bout, however, Scald paid more attention to her accrued minor penalties, poodling in some circumstances to voluntarily go to the box and clear her minor penalties before lining up for the next jam.

The Betties weren’t without their fair share of missed plays. I saw several missed hits and a few instances of unawareness in the pack. As someone who is partial to the Guns N Rollers**, however, I was more aware of what they were doing and not doing. I’ll try my best in the future to be more balanced in my observations.

All this information may give the illusion that the Guns N Rollers simply don’t have the talent to compete with the Break Neck Betties. This, my friends, is entirely untrue. Yes, GnR is a bit inexperienced with all the new skaters on the team. Yes, they got beat by 136 points. But here are some things that might not have been apparent to the untrained derby eye:

The Betties played a brilliant strategic game. There. I said it.

It’s true, though. They know how Scald Eagle skates. She skated with the Betties until she made her decision to decline their draft offer. They used that knowledge to their advantage–why wouldn’t they?

Scald Eagle (right) takes on Leet Speaking Missile in the last jam of Saturday night's bout. (Photo by Lisa Burke)

The Betties consciously decided to speed up the pack whenever Scald earned lead jammer, and even when she didn’t. This strategic move was beneficial in two ways: 1) it made it more difficult for Scald to catch up to the Betties blockers, which therefore made it more difficult to score points 2) it made it easier for the Betties jammer to score points because the GnR blockers couldn’t keep up with the Betties blockers and lagged in the back of the pack.

The Betties also made strategic moves to call off jams while the GnR jammer was still in the box, and one time I even saw Frisky Sour call off the jam while Scald was still in the box serving her time after she poodled to clear her penalties before she lined up for the next jam.

The jammer rotation for the Betties even changed. The usual jammers Soulfearic Acid, Joyride, Domesticated Violence, Shove Me Tender, and Push La Tush all had their fair share lining up on the PBR jammer line, but the Betties made sure to keep their jammers fresh by including a variety of skaters in the jam rotation. Giv’er No Quarter, FranCheckYa, Frisky Sour, Northern Lights Out, Lethal Lolita, The Princess Snide, Barbahella, The Mad Splatter and Leet Speaking Missile all jammed against GnR. In fact, the only rostered skaters who didn’t jam were MaRollin’ Monroe, Slim Sheety, and Dee Dee Monic.

What it comes down to is this. The Betties had GnR’s number. They had a pretty good idea of how they would play, especially with their newest lethal weapon, Scald Eagle. Perhaps there is some lingering hostility between the Betties and Scald Eagle since she chose to don neon pink and animal print instead of the red and black/white checkered print? Perhaps they were simply just playing a smart, strategic game to show they are not planning on playing for third place again this year.

All I know is this: the Guns N Rollers never gave up. They played with all their heart for the entire bout. They got back up when they got their asses knocked to the ground…even when they tripped over their own skates. But how can you not love a group of skaters that are dedicated to learning the game and bettering their skills? It takes courage and strength to go out there and skate against teams that are more experienced than you. I personally find it very inspiring. I hope fans aren’t discouraged by the scores of the GnR bouts. Plus everyone loves an underdog, right?

Catch the next home team bout on Saturday, Feb. 5th when the High Rollers take on the Heartless Heathers at the Hangar. But before that, check out the Wheels of Justice in their season opener against Detroit on Friday, Feb. 4th at the Hangar.

XOXO,

Alicia

*There are many reasons for doing this, but the most common one is that a skater feels she meshes better with one team more than the others (Speed Bump gives a more detailed explanation in the comments section of the special draft blog post).

**I AM indeed partial to GnR. Mostly because I love their theme more than any of the other home team themes (I’m a product of the 80s, enjoy classic 80s rock, and like to wear black and tattered denim…it is what it is). BUT I love watching all the home teams play because they are all very talented. I popped my derby cherry last May during the Rat vs. Rose sibling rivalry bout at the Expo, so I learned about derby by watching WOJ and AoA kick ass over the summer. I grew to love players from all the home teams, so it’s hard to be devout to only one home team because of its rostered skaters.