The Bronx has 60 Minutes to Turn It All Around Against Defending Champs

 By Thomas Gerbasi

The blessing and the curse of the Gotham Girls Roller Derby league home season will be on full display this Saturday when the defending champion Brooklyn Bombshells face the Bronx Gridlock at John Jay College in Manhattan.

The blessing? In a three-game season, any team can salvage everything with one key victory. In the case of the Gridlock, who have not won a game since May of 2014, a win over the Bombshells erases that past and puts them in contention for the championship game in August. It’s a fact not lost on the cabbies.

As for Brooklyn, who conversely have not lost since July of 2014, a defeat this weekend puts them at 1-1 and all of a sudden it’s a race to see who competes for the Golden Skate trophy this summer. That’s the curse.

But no matter which side of the equation you’re on, there’s a bout to be played, and the veterans of the Gridlock have made it clear to their newcomers that they need to play this one like it’s for all the marbles. Because it may very well be.

“I think they all realize how important it is (to win) and I think in our practices the other teams are noticing that we’re really working together,” said Bronx vet Davey Blockit. “Hopefully, they’re scared of us and we can prove it on Saturday that we’ll be the team to beat. If we’re not playing in the championship game at the end of the season, that’s our own fault because we have really amazing skaters on our team. We probably have the most skill on our team collectively, so if we can just figure out how to work together on the track during a high-pressure situation like a close game, then there’s no reason we can’t win by at least 50 points.”

PHOTO: DAVID DYTE

The Gridlock are a team whose record doesn’t reflect their talent level. Even their season opening loss to the Queens of Pain on April 9 was closer than the 200-159 score would indicate, making it a positive start to the season, even if that doesn’t show up in the win column.

"We had a lot of new players in the draft, and that was our first chance to see how well we worked together,” Davey said. “This was our first test, and we didn’t skate too bad. It was a close game for the most part. I felt like looking at the stats, we should have won. We had some things we did wrong that I felt cost us the game as far as strategy and when to call it and how to manipulate the clock, but we really worked with our jammers to stay out of the penalty box. We only had 10 jammer penalties the whole game, which sounds like a lot, but not compared to 20 in previous games, and we cut down our penalties as a whole as a team, which is good. Plus, we’re working on a new wall that none of the other teams are doing and I felt like that was working well. So there were a lot of positives that came out of it.”

As for the Bombshells, they kept their winning streak going against the Manhattan Mayhem in March, eking out a 161-158 nod in another classic battle between the two rivals. It was the type of grueling bout that reminded the ladies in blue that when you’re the champions, everyone will be bringing their “A” game when the whistle blows.

“It was obviously a very challenging game, but Brooklyn is great about staying strong mentally and staying really focused, and our leadership has been wonderful about keeping the team held together,” said Bombshell veteran D.A.R.Y.L. “So that was good test for our team and it was a great stepping stone. Because it was so difficult, it forces us to not just walk into anything like it’s going to be super easy. We know that every game is going to be challenging, so it’s good for us to have that under our belt moving forward.”

A former member of the Mayhem, D.A.R.Y.L. returned to the league this year and was drafted onto the Bombshells, which provided its own set of challenges as she played against several players who she shared the track with for two seasons. But with that done for the moment, it should be smooth skating this Saturday and beyond.

“Personally, I think that it’s easier for me to play any team that isn’t my old home team,” she laughs. “The last game was definitely the most mentally challenging game I’ve ever had. So I think anything other than that is a little easier for sure. But with that said, as a team we always approach it as it’s going to be a challenge regardless, and we need to give it our all, no matter what. So we need to be as prepared as we can to withstand the penalties or any other things that get thrown at us and really play our best game.”

PHOTO: DAVID DYTE

And D.A.R.Y.L. and her teammates have kept a collective eye on the Gridlock, so if the Bronx hopes to catch Brooklyn napping, that’s probably not going to happen.

“We get to skate with the other members of the team, whether it’s on travel teams or league skills night,” she said. “So we see what each individual skater is like on any given practice night. But it’s always good to keep an eye out for what the team looks like together, and at least half of any team is watching the other team’s game and keeping an eye on what they’re looking like. This year they do look really strong and they do have a good fighting chance to do well this season.”

As long as it’s not at the Bombshells’ expense. The Gridlock take an opposing view, and they’re gearing up to not just end Brooklyn’s winning streak, but to start their own. And that would be a pretty impressive feather in the helmet of this yellow and black-clad crew.

“It would mean that all of our hard work finally paid off,” said Davey.

Tickets for Saturday's bout available here.

Queens Shows They’re Ready for the Future…and Present…with win over Gridlock

By Thomas Gerbasi

PHOTO: DAVID DYTE

Winless since May of 2014, the Bronx Gridlock pulled out all the stops in search of victory against the Queens of Pain on April 9 at John Jay College in New York City. From fast packs to star passes and everything in between, the cabbies battled for the win, only to see Queens break open a close game in the second half and come out on top, 200-159.

“We wanted it so bad,” said Gridlock MVP Big Banger, who logged a team-high 61 points. We felt strong in practice, we practiced all the situations that we could think of - we practiced star passes, power jam offense and defense, when Queens would do this and when Queens would do that. We were really ready, and I think we did awesome. I'm really proud of how we did.”

There was no shame in their effort, with seven first-half lead changes keeping fans on the edge of their seats and the Bronx in prime position to pull off the upset over their opponents, who have appeared in the last three GGRD championship games, winning one title. 

But it seemed like every time the Gridlock would pull ahead, Queens All-Star ShortStop would toe the jammer line, and with moves that made her look like Allen Iverson on skates, she would weave through the pack and put up monster numbers. The result was a game high 96 points for the Australia native. And while veteran superstar Suzy Hotrod and team MVP Puss ‘n Glutes still led the way for the team, the emergence of ShortStop and players like Kitty Roadkill, Chopstick Murphy and Livvie Smalls let the league know that despite retirements and the usual league turnover, Queens is still a top gun ready to make a title run once more.

“I think one of Queens' strengths is that we took this crop of new girls and we said that they'd fit in as a part of the team from Day One and they did,” said Glutes. “Honestly, I've never felt a stronger bond in this group. Having Scars return, and having Alli and Bollocks and Lynx there on the bench just makes it feel like old Queens. We're just doing the same old thing but with a whole new crop.”

PHOTO: DAVID DYTE

A back-and-forth battle between Suzy and Banger at the end of the half resulted in a jam that produced 34 combined points, but it was Queens going into the locker room with a 16-point advantage, 100-84. The Gridlock would cut that lead to 12 on the first jam of the second half, but that’s as close as they would get, as Queens steadily kept the pressure on, capitalized on mistakes, and pulled away down the stretch. Yet despite the final score, this was no cakewalk for Queens.

“It's no fun to play a game that isn't hard, and Bronx is an incredible team,” said Glutes. “They have so many new skaters and so many old skaters that really work their asses off, and they played an incredibly strong and powerful game. They have size, they have strength, they have speed and power and we were working from Day One to be able to counter that and we hope that we're able to continue streaking through the rest of the season in the same way.”

It wasn’t a win for the Gridlock, but it was something to build on as they await their May 7 meeting with the defending champion Brooklyn Bombshells at John Jay. “I feel we did great at holding some of their really strong jammers a lot of the time,” Banger said. “We knew going into it that Shortstop is phenomenal and Suzy Hotrod is phenomenal and that we would be going against them a lot and we exhausted them. They hated being behind our walls a lot of that time, and we're really proud about that and it's a good step to build off of.”

PHOTO: DAVID DYTE

So what should Gotham fans expect on May 7? 

“A win by at least...some points,” she said. “More than one. (Laughs) We're gonna win.”

BRONX vs. QUEENS STATS

                           1         2        F

Bronx     84   75 159                                           

Queens     100    100 200

Bronx MVP – Big Banger

Queens MVP – Puss ‘n Glutes

Leading Bronx Scorers

Big Banger – 61 points (12 jams)

Kate Sera Sera – 39 points (9 jams)

Legs // Cite – 36 points (9 jams)

Leading Bronx Blockers

Fast and Luce – 23 jams (-24)

Caf Fiend – 22 jams (-16)

Cherry Napalm – 21 jams (+5)

Leading Queens Scorers

ShortStop – 96 points (15 jams)

Suzy Hotrod – 68 points (14 jams)

Kitty Roadkill – 19 points (4 jams)

Leading Queens Blockers

Puss ‘n Glutes – 24 jams (+52)

Chopstick Murphy – 21 jams (+8)

Livvie Smalls – 17 jams (+3)

Bronx Penalties

Minutes in Box: 35 Jammer Box Trips: 10

Queens Penalties

Minutes in Box: 36 Jammer Box Trips: 10

After Epic Opening Weekend, it’s Queens and the Bronx’ Turn on Saturday

By Thomas Gerbasi

Queens’ #124, Nail Diamond, knew it instantly. “The first game I saw of Gotham was Brooklyn vs. Queens, and the second Queens came out, I wanted to skate for them.”

Nail Diamond, Queens of Pain. Photo: Jean Schwarzwalder

She’s not alone. Plenty of newcomers to roller derby sat in the bleachers around New York City and Brooklyn, saw the black-clad Queens of Pain and said, ‘oh yeah, that’s my team.’ The same thing went for those who watched the Bronx Gridlock race around their foes during their glory years in the Gotham Girls Roller Derby league.

How glorious were those years? From 2005 to 2010, no other team won a home team title other than Queens or the Bronx. Six titles, divided evenly among squads that were the best of the best in a league widely considered to be the gold standard for flat track roller derby. Six years later, things may have changed for both teams and the sport, but memories of those days are never too far away. 

“We’re lucky to still have Speed (McQueen), because she tells us stories of the good ol’ days, and the history’s really important,” said Bronx captain Cherry Napalm. “We look at the championship banners and see all the yellow that was up there, and we get really excited and we want to make that happen again.”

Photo: David Dyte

“You can feel the experience in the words of the veterans, which is pretty amazing,” added Nail. “So it doesn’t feel like the glory days have ever left.”

But while respecting the history of the sport is essential, there is also the business of the present and the future. For both teams, the present is a Saturday bout at John Jay College Gym in New York City. The future? Hopefully a return to the championship circle.

“We need to remind everyone that we still run the place,” said Nail, whose squad won the 2013 title and was in the championship game the past two years as well. “There’s no question of us being bosses.”

And if Queens is to get over the hump and raise another championship banner, there can be no resting on their past laurels. “There’s definitely a power to the history and a power to how the sport has evolved, but as a skater on the track, all you think about is that jam, and when that jam’s over, it’s done and it’s the next jam,” Nail said. “Everything is that two minutes that you have and how you’re going to use them.”

Photo: David Dyte

The Gridlock, despite a rough few years in which injuries, skater turnover and plain ol’ bad luck left them with a winless 2015 campaign and 1-2 records in 2014 and 2013, have packed plenty of action into those two-minute jams, making them fan favorites along the way. Maybe even more telling is that while the cabbies’ early championship years saw them as a brutally efficient machine on the track, in recent times, they’ve been a gritty, never say die unit that has put hearts in throats as they battle against seemingly insurmountable odds. Will it be more of the same in 2016 or back to the Bronx machine of old?

“I guess we’re more of the heart in your mouth type of team,” Cherry laughs, “but this season we’re definitely more focused on playing our game and playing together. So we’re not an unfeeling machine, but we’re trying to be a kickass machine.”

To get there, Bronx will send five skaters to the track that weren’t on the team last year, while Queens presents six new members of their squad, even though Queens’ Erin Watershow and the Bronx’ Bunny McBones will be familiar to Gotham fans.  It may seem like a lot for each team to handle for the season opener, but according to Nail and Cherry, everything is coming together at precisely the right time. 

“It feels like old hat,” said Nail, pointing out that a recent team viewing of Pee-wee’s Big Holiday was quite the off the track bonding experience. “Most of the skaters have all skated for years before Queens, so it’s not a lot of teaching things. Everything fits really well. It’s very magical in a way.”

“We feel really strong,” adds Cherry. “We were lucky that all the skaters we drafted were either in the league before or were on Diamond District last year, so they’re all pretty accustomed to how Gotham does things. They just have to learn the Bronx strategies for the season. So I feel like we’re working together really well. It’s a great team dynamic this year, and I’m really excited for this weekend.”

Cherry Napalm, Bronx Gridlock. Photo: Jean Schwarzwalder

The Bronx and Queens do have a tough act to follow after the GGRD home season opener last month, which ended in a 161-158 win for Brooklyn over Manhattan, but you get the impression that these former dominant champions are up to the challenge.

“We definitely feed off the energy of the crowd, so if the crowd’s pumped up and cheering for us, it definitely helps us,” said Cherry, who hopes her squad wins the crowd and the game.

As for Queens, Nail believes that when all is said and done, winning is not about being perfect. “We’re a very rock and roll team,” she said. “So for me, it’s the same way as playing in a band. If you miss a note, figure it out, get back to where you’re supposed to be, and put on the show. Never say die.”

Brooklyn Roars Back to Beat Mayhem, Producing Another Instant Classic

By Thomas Gerbasi

photo: david dyte

Last Saturday at John Jay College in New York City, it was just another ho-hum chapter in the rivalry between the Brooklyn Bombshells and Manhattan Mayhem. You know the drill – put two of the best teams in the Gotham Girls Roller Derby league together for 60 minutes and watch them slug it out until one squad emerges with a nail biter of a victory.

This time, it was Brooklyn getting the nod, 161-158, and with the typical New York sarcasm out of the way, it was another instant classic and a fitting follow up to the teams’ last two meetings, which were decided by a combined six points.

“It's enough to give a person a heart attack,” said Brooklyn MVP Lady Fingers. “Player and patron alike.  I think these games consistently go down to the wire because we're very evenly matched.  Manhattan has a deep jamming roster and some incredibly skilled blockers; not to mention their powerful offensive strategies.  They play in a way that really shocks other teams from the start.  Either you absorb that shock and keep playing your game or you play their game. Brooklyn has the amazing ability of staying calm through the chaos.  It allows us to continue to play our game, our way.  We just stayed the course, battened down the hatches and kept sailing to a win.”

“I think these two teams don't ever give up,” adds Manhattan MVP Bruzin Brody. “The score doesn't dictate performance; they are both bringing one hundred percent, one hundred percent of the time, which makes for an exciting bout.” Yet while all the GGRD home team games are tightly contested, Brooklyn and Manhattan make a habit out of it, and to have a bout like this opening the 2016 home season campaign was a great omen for the rest of the season. 

photo: david dyte

For most of this bout though, it did look like Manhattan was going to take the victory and a substantial one at that, as they put the Bombshells on the ropes early thanks to a 24-9 start. And once they extended that lead to 39-19, Brooklyn – who were missing co-captain and GGRD All-Star Sexy Slaydie due to injury – had to find other options to get back in the bout.

They found them, with former Manhattan jammer D.A.R.Y.L. (28 points) and All-Star scoring machine Miss Tea Maven (a game high 91 points) pulling Brooklyn to within two points by the tenth jam of the game. Manhattan wouldn’t relinquish that lead, as the All-Star trio of Violet Knockout, Roxy Dallas and returning captain Bonita Apple Bomb opened the door for Brody (63 points) to lap the pack and keep the Mayhem in control heading into halftime, with the inmates heading into the locker room with an 87-73 advantage.

The nip and tuck action continued in the early stages of the second half, but slowly, cracks began to form for Manhattan as the penalties piled up. “As far as a difference maker,” Brody said, “I think too much time in the box didn't help us. Myself included. That is something we can remedy.” 

On this night though, it was going to be an issue, with Roxy, Full Metal Jackie and Spork Chop all fouling out. Add in nine jammer trips to the penalty box in the second half to Brooklyn’s three, and the stage was set for the Bombshells to make their move, one aided by a mindset that allowed them to focus on the game and not the scoreboard.

“Brooklyn has worked for many seasons to really improve not only our physical game, but our mental game,” Fingers said. “We have some key players on our team that help us accomplish this, and it's where some of our vets really shine. Animal, Evil, Schnitt, Slaydie, and so many more, are stalwarts of our team.  They remind everyone to stay calm both on the bench and the track, shake off whatever happened and be prepared to do your best in the next jam, because every new jam is an opportunity to continue your hard work, make up for a slip up and be a better partner. But most importantly, it's a chance to improve and learn from your mistakes.  We try to stay positive, which helps us in those key last minutes where anything can happen.”

And it did happen.

With Brody, J-Rod and Em Dash putting Manhattan up 145-103, it looked like it was time for Brooklyn to pack up and concede defeat, but after slowly chipping away, the Bombshells got a 15-point jam out of Maven and a 10-point jam out of D.A.R.Y.L., and the lead was chopped to 14 points. Twelve more points out of Maven over the next two jams made it 158-156 for Manhattan with 33 seconds to go, and with Brooklyn getting a power jam and Maven taking the lead jammer slot, her five-point run was enough to give her team the victory. 

photo: david dyte

Of course, that begs the question, is this just an appetizer for a rematch for the GGRD championship in August?

“Sure, but I'm also not counting anyone else out,” said Brody. “Each team has their own strengths. I don't know who we'll meet up with in August, but I do know I believe in Mayhem and know we'll be there, ready for whoever shows up.”

“I definitely think we could be seeing Manhattan again,” adds Fingers. “They're aggressive and determined and the final point differential was only three points.  The last time we saw them it was five points.  But the first game of the season is kind of a blessing in disguise.  It gives each team an idea of what to improve on for their next game, where their opponent is weakest and the time to put in some serious work.  I have no doubt that we'll both be going back to the drawing board a little to prepare for a second encounter.”  

photo: gotham girls roller derby instagram

BROOKLYN vs. MANHATTAN STATS

                           1         2        F

Brooklyn     73   88 161                                           

Manhattan      87       71 158

Brooklyn MVP – Lady Fingers

Manhattan MVP – Bruzin Brody

Leading Brooklyn Scorers

Miss Tea Maven – 91 points (22 jams)

D.A.R.Y.L. – 28 points (14 jams)

Hela Skelter – 27 points (7 jams)

Leading Brooklyn Blockers

Papierschnitt – 22 jams (-4)

Sissi Fist-a-Lot – 19 jams (+2)

Tail Gunner Flo – 19 jams (-3)

Leading Manhattan Scorers

Bruzin Brody – 63 points (17 jams)

J-Rod – 41 points (13 jams)

Em Dash – 34 points (8 jams)

Leading Manhattan Blockers

Violet Knockout – 28 jams (-38)

Sunshine Skate – 26 jams (+10)

Bonita Apple Bomb – 26 jams (+1)

Brooklyn Penalties

Minutes in Box: 35 Jammer Box Trips: 8

Manhattan Penalties

Minutes in Box: 61 Jammer Box Trips: 17

Stats compiled via Rinxter

Just Like Old Times: Bombshells and Mayhem Prepare to Go Toe to Toe in Season Opener

By Thomas Gerbasi

When looking at the history between the Brooklyn Bombshells and the Manhattan Mayhem, one that has seen the two teams trade Gotham Girls Roller Derby home team titles over all but one of the last five years, while engaging in bouts over the previous two seasons that have been decided by a combined six points, it’s safe to say that when the blue and orange clash this Saturday at John Jay College gym in NYC, it’s going to be a fight.

Brooklyn’s Tail Gunner Flo disagrees.

“I wouldn’t say it’s a fight,” she said. “It’s a bloodbath. For every second of that game.”

If that doesn’t get derby fans amped up for the 2016 season opener, nothing will. But it’s not just hyperbole from the six-year veteran, who – along with her teammates and the Manhattan squad – have the bumps and bruises to show for it. Simply put, in a league where every home game is a pitched battle, Brooklyn and Manhattan have taken it to a new level in terms of intensity, with last season’s 153-148 nail biter just the most recent example.

“That particular game was really hard-fought against Brooklyn,” said Mayhem newcomer Miss US Slay, who has a unique perspective on the rivalry, first as a spectator and now as a participant. “I know it was really tight, there were injuries and ejections for Mayhem.” 

Mayhem captain Bonita Apple Bomb was lost for the season, ROCKS! hit the sidelines as well, and star jammer Bruzin’ Brody was ejected. But with Brooklyn holding a commanding 130-97 second half lead, the shorthanded Mayhem crew roared back, eventually taking a 148-137 advantage. But they would not score again, with the Bombshells regaining the lead and holding on to it for good en route to an unbeaten season and their second league championship. There’s no time to bask in the glory, though.

“We have to look at this as 0-0,” Flo said. “We’re not going in as undefeated champions, but we’re going in with the intention of winning this game. I think our ability to stay calm, keep your head on straight and not get rattled will be an absolute advantage. Manhattan has an uncanny ability to rattle the cages. They create a lot of chaos, they’re loud, and that’s their thing.”

They also have a core group of veterans that has been through the wars together, and with newcomers Slay and Kid Vicious added to the mix seamlessly, they will once again be a strong contender for 2016 title honors.

“Even though it is so early in the season, joining Mayhem, which is a team that’s already so cohesive, it feels like we’re gelling really well as a team,” Slay said. “So it’s really encouraging and exciting to go into the game already feeling that way. Mayhem is really fun and together on and off the track. That was immediately apparent for me as soon as I joined the team. This team enjoys playing together and also spending time with each other, and if you get to know people and have a good rapport with them off the track, then that’s something that can translate to game play, and one of the amazing things about Mayhem is that everyone is a real leader in their own right.”

Miss US Slay jams for Suburbia Roller Derby, before joining Gotham for the 2016 season. Photo Rick Odell.

The ladies in orange also have their share of GGRD All-Stars, with Bonita, Roxy Dallas, Cork Rebel and Violet Knockout all taking the track for the five-time world champions. They have some counterparts in blue though, with Sexy Slaydie and Miss Tea Maven both donning the black jersey for the renowned road team. 

Yet the beauty of Brooklyn vs. Manhattan, a rivalry that is deadlocked at 4-4 since 2008, is that it’s not about the All-Stars on both teams or having the most talented squad; it’s about so much more, with the stage set for either a perennial All-Star or the 15th person on the roster to step up and make a statement.

“I don’t think it’s going to come down to who has the better level of skill, who has a better jammer or better offense and defense,” Flo said. “We’re all from the same league, we all represent Gotham, we’re all trained in a specific way of how to skate, and I think that’s what makes our home team games so good. The level of skill, energy and commitment that we have as a league to one another and to getting better and always improving.”

Tailgunner Flo jams for Brooklyn. Photo Sean Hale.

And when two teams are evenly matched, the winner is usually decided by whoever does the little things right.

“We’ve been trying to work on engaging really tight and controlling the walls right from that first whistle,” Slay said. “So it’s a matter of taking it one jam at a time and kicking things off right from the start. It (the rivalry) is a lot to live up to, but we’re ready for it. Bonita is back, we’ve already been gelling really well as a team and our jammers are also multi-faceted. We have such an impressive mix of strength and agility, and I know the team is totally up for the challenge.”

“Derby is a very intense sport, and it’s crazy,” Flo adds. “You have people racing through the pack, you have people playing offense and defense at the same time or switching from offense to defense or defense to offense in seconds, based on where the pack is moving or where the jammer is. And one thing that Brooklyn does really, really well is that we have this uncanny ability to find peace in the chaos. We know, going into this game, it’s gonna be a fight, it’s gonna be physical, and it’s gonna be really hard.”

So what happens on Saturday?

“The way that we practice, we’re ready to play an intense game and turn the intensity up every single time,” Slay said. “We can only get better and gel even more. So we think it’s going to be a really good year.”

“It’s gonna come down to simple things, but at the end of the day, there’s gonna be one winner and one loser,” Flo said. “And the winner’s going to be Brooklyn and the loser is going to be Manhattan.”

Let the games begin.

Tickets available here