Viva Las Rat City Rollergirls

There isn't much in the way of quality sports in Seattle, in my opinion. The Mariners are marginal, the Seahawks are spotty, and the Sonics... well, they're owned by another city and even though I love basketball the best, I can hardly support their gold-brickin' ways. Alas, Seattle now has a team (or should I say four teams) that have brought a new face to the city's spectator crowd - The Rat City Rollergirls. Roller derby has been around for a few decades, but until recently, seemed like a dead sport. The best part about these teams is that they are all local chicks with big attitudes and they don't even get paid! They roll because they were born to do it and people really love them. It's a grassroots sport and when I see them jam, I feel proud to be a part of it, even if it's just to root for my favorite team (which happens to be the DLF).

The Rat City Rollergirls are comprised of four teams: The Derby Liberation Front (DLF), The Throttle Rockets, Grave Danger, and The Sockit Wenches. Honestly, I love 'em all, but one can't just show up and holler for all the teams. I pick the DLF because I like their theme, they represent my ethics (sponsored by Seattle Biodiesel) and they have my favorite player, Burnett Down (she is trained to kill a man with her bare hands!) Respect! I am forever grateful to these *ahem* ladies for bringing us a sport we can sink our teeth into and for keepin' it real for the common folk. Plus, I am delighted by their uniforms!

On Saturday, March 31st, they had their second bout: Grave Danger vs. The Throttle Rockets. It was a close game, but The Throttle Rockets opened up and took the lead in the last couple of jams. I kept wondering "where is Femme Fatale?" She always seems to rack up the points for GD when she's jammin'. She's really fun to watch and I missed the presence of my second fave rollergirl.

In an exhibition match, the Sockit Wenches rolled against Munecas Muertas from Albuquerque, NM. It must have been hard to be the away team when the home team has such a huge fan base. Nonetheless, they did their best, which wasn't nearly good enough to shut down the Wenches. Better luck next time.