Everything Matters When GGRD Hits Coney Island This Saturday

By Thomas Gerbasi

When it comes to the Gotham Girls Roller Derby league home season and the two teams that will play for the Golden Skate trophy next month, Coney Island is where all the fun happens this Saturday, and how appropriate is that? Next to the Cyclone, Wonder Wheel and all the other rides and attractions, the premier skaters in the sport will battle it out before what is expected to be a packed house at Abe Stark Arena in Brooklyn.

And while the annual doubleheader always delivers thrills and high-level derby, this time around, it’s a race between the four home teams that can produce any number of outcomes when it comes to the title picture.

The Queens of Pain have continued to be the juggernaut they’ve been for years, yet while they’ve been the bridesmaids several times recently, they are determined to be the bride and win their first GGRD title in five years in 2018. At 2-0, they’ve secured their spot in the August 25th title game at John Jay College, because even with a loss to Brooklyn and a win by the Bronx, their June win over the Gridlock breaks that three-way tie.

PHOTO SEAN HALE

But that’s where things get interesting among the other three squads.

The resurgent Gridlock sit at 1-1 heading into their matchup with Manhattan, and a win over the Mayhem, coupled with a loss by Brooklyn, will set up a championship rematch with Queens next month.

And though the Mayhem have struggled thus far this season, the winless squad could salvage everything should they defeat the Gridlock and watch Brooklyn fall to Queens. That would produce a three-way tie for the final spot in the championship game, with the other half of the title bout matchup being determined by overall point differential.

PHOTO SEAN HALE

As for the defending champions getting a home game in Brooklyn, the Bombshells bounced back from a season opening loss to the Bronx in March to win a nail biter over Manhattan in May. And while defeating Queens is a big task, in their last meeting in 2017, Brooklyn earned their third league title with a 162-158 victory.

In short, all bets are off in Coney Island this weekend, and each game matters. So when the dust settles, we’ll have two teams in the championship game, two in August 4th’s third-place contest, and a lot of happy derby fans on the boardwalk.

Tickets for tomorrow's double header are available here.  

Queens and Bronx Go Back to the Future This Saturday

By Thomas Gerbasi

Once upon a time in the Gotham Girls Roller Derby league, there were two teams and everybody else.

PHOTO MANISH GOSALIA

From the first league title bout in 2005 until 2010, six champions were crowned. Three Golden Skate trophies went to the Bronx Gridlock and three went to the Queens of Pain.

Queens was a juggernaut with a brutally effective pack that opened lanes for Suzy Hotrod and Hyper Lynx while also shutting down opposing jammers. The Bronx were like a well-oiled machine, rarely making mistakes on the track as Bonnie Thunders piled up the points.

Brooklyn and Manhattan wouldn’t get into the act until 2011 and 2012, respectively, and in the last five years, those squads have won four of the five GGRD league titles.

PHOTO DAVID DYTE

But on Saturday at John Jay College in NYC, it may be a case of the league going back to the future, as Queens and the Bronx put their unbeaten 2018 records on the line in a bout that may very well be a championship game preview.

Having the ladies in black in the title race is never a surprise, as they are perennial contenders to be the last team standing, with their consistency and well-rounded attack always something to pay attention to.

But seeing the Gridlock in this spot has been a surprise considering the hard times they’ve gone through in previous seasons. Remember, this is a team that went through a three-year losing streak before snapping that last season, yet in their first bout of 2018, a 185-136 win over the defending champion Bombshells, was an eye opener and perhaps the start of their first championship season since 2010.

Eight years is a long time, but Queens’ five-year wait for a championship may feel even longer considering that they’ve come so close so many times over the last few years. But with the core from the glory years (Suzy, Lynx, Ana Bollocks) still delivering the goods and setting the stage for the newer members of the roster to do their thing on the track, Queens is still a top contender, which was evident in their one-sided 191-98 win over Manhattan in April.

So is it Queens’ experience and consistency or the Bronx’ size and hunger that gets it done in NYC this weekend? They’ve got 60 minutes to figure it out. Just like the good ‘ol days.

Tickets for tomorrow’s game are available here.  

GGRD Statement On Sexual Harassment & Assault

Gotham Girls Roller Derby strives to create an environment where our skaters, officials and volunteers can thrive on and off the track. We aim to foster a community where everyone in our league can bring their full selves to the sport and feel safe, heard and empowered.

In recent months, the #MeToo movement has highlighted the stories of survivors of sexual harassment and assault. The movement has inspired a national dialogue, conversations and precipitated action from Hollywood, the media, politics, and across other industries. Roller derby is far from immune from this abuse, and we recognize how vital it is to uplift the voices of survivors in our own community.

To create change within our own spaces, we know we must proactively create policies where folks can report incidents and trust that they will be believed and that appropriate action will be taken. As such, we are reviewing and updating our own reporting policies to ensure that there is no tolerance for abusive behavior and that there is a clear path for those who come forward.

Gotham is not just a community of people who love roller derby. We are also a community of survivors and allies ourselves. We stand with folks across the sport who are survivors of sexual abuse both inside and outside of derby. Today, we affirm our commitment to cultivating an environment that meets the needs of everyone in our league, and resonates not just in our own athletic community but the community at large.

Championship Intensity in May, as Brooklyn and Manhattan Look to Keep Title Dreams Alive

By Thomas Gerbasi

The names change, as they do every year, but when the Brooklyn Bombshells and Manhattan Mayhem take the track, the result is almost always something special, and those expectations are still there for Saturday’s matchup at John Jay College in NYC.

Yet while both teams have always delivered on bout night, this year, the two squads enter with a little more urgency after losing their season openers. The defending champion Bombshells were on the wrong end of a 185-136 score against the Bronx Gridlock on March 17, and Mayhem dropped a 191-98 nod to the Queens of Pain.

PHOTO DAVID DYTE

In most sports, we could call that an easily rectifiable slow start to 2018. In the Gotham Roller Derby league home season, in which each team only gets three games to earn a spot in the championship bout, one loss makes the next game a must win. Two losses and you’re thinking about next year.

So there should be championship game-level intensity on the track this weekend, with the winner staying in the hunt for the Golden Skate trophy, and the atmosphere at John Jay should match that intensity.

But who wins?

Penalties are always a vicious determinant of which team emerges victorious when the whistle blows, and that goes for all roller derby games. Mayhem were particularly hurt by ten jammer box trips against Queens, with a reasonable 30-point halftime deficit turning into an insurmountable one thanks to a 57-0 run by Queens to kick off the second half.

Manhattan is also still getting used to the loss of veteran Em Dash and the defensive 1-2 punch of Roxy Dallas and Violet Knockout.But with five GGRD All-Stars on the track (Bonita Apple Bomb, Giles, Brawleen Lidz, Cork Rebel, Lumiknoxity, Spork Chop), including the team’s co-captain Bonita, as well as Cork and Giles, both of whom had excellent performances in the opener, their ability to get back in championship form should come sooner rather than later.

That should also be the case for Brooklyn, a team that has always found a way to fight back from adversity, thanks to a veteran core of Papierschnitt, Raggedy Animal and Lady Fingers, all of whom have battled together for the Bombshells for several years. And when you add one of the game’s greatest blockers – Donna Matrix – and one of its premier jammers – All-Star Miss Tea Maven – as well as two more All-Stars in D.A.R.Y.L. and Space Invader, this once again becomes one of the most evenly matched bouts you will find in a league that has celebrated its parity.

But if you need a little more proof for how close Saturday’s bout between the two teams who have each won three GGRD league titles will be, consider the history, where Brooklyn has won four of six bouts since 2013, with the total margin of victory being 32 points. Total. That’s an average winning advantage of 5.3 points.

Sure, numbers don’t always tell the whole story, but when it comes to Brooklyn and Manhattan they say all that needs to be said. In other words, find a ticket and get to John Jay on Saturday night. 

Tickets for Saturday available here.

Queens Looks Sharp in Season Opening Win over Mayhem

By Thomas Gerbasi / additional reporting by Hewlett Smackard

A dominant 2017 season for the Queens of Pain ended with a four-point overtime loss to the Brooklyn Bombshells in the Gotham Girls Roller Derby championship game. Eight months later, any lingering effects from the defeat were extinguished in the space of 60 minutes at John Jay College last Saturday, as the ladies in black broke open a close game with a second-half surge that saw them soar past the Manhattan Mayhem, 191-98.

PHOTO MANISH GOSALIA  

"I think what happened was that the team really came together,” said Queens captain Livvie Smalls. “I really feel like this was a team win; we ran all of our skaters tonight and everyone contributed.”

It was the boost Queens needed, especially after losing the likes of Shortstop and Puss ‘n Glutes in the off-season. But with newcomers such as Stephinity and Beyond stepping up, the team appears to be right on target for another championship run in 2018.

"We drafted some really fantastic skaters like Stephinity and Beyond,” said Livvie.“It's hard to fill the tiny but mighty shoes of Shortstop, but she looked amazing tonight. Beast [Beauty Andie Beast] looked amazing. Suzy (Hotrod) obviously is amazing and I think the jammer crew as a group really stepped up to fill those shoes. And then we still have Puss on the bench,so that calm presence with all of that experience is still with us.”

PHOTO MANISH GOSALIA

Manhattan also had its share of turnover, with Roxy Dallas, Violet Knockout and Em Dash all missing from the track, but the Mayhem defense still held strong in the first half, staying within striking distance of Queens. Seven jammer box trips in the opening 30 minutes didn’t help Manhattan’s cause, though.

"They had some penalty trouble and I think that with any team that has to play down, it's very hard to keep yourself as cool and composed as when you're ahead,” said Queens MVP Suzy. “It's a lot easier to be cool and composed when you're not fighting to get back. So we were really fortunate to begin the second half ahead - 30 points in derby is not really anything. But then we had a really good trajectory. They lost a player (when Giles fouled out) and that's really hard to recover from mentally.”

Up 79-49, Queens blitzed Manhattan to begin the second half, reeling off 57 unanswered points to put the game out of reach.

PHOTO MANISH GOSALIA 

“Queens played very cohesive and it was just a little chaotic for Mayhem,” said Manhattan MVP Cork Rebel. “Something Mayhem can take away from this game is to basically try to play a calmer game, have more communication -- we have great cohesiveness during practice. I think it was just a very weird thing. It didn't feel like us, basically.”

On May 5, Mayhem faces Brooklyn, while Queens’ second trip to the track will be against the Bronx on June 9.

PHOTO DAVID DYTE

QUEENS vs. MANHATTAN STATS

12F

Queens79112191

Manhattan494998

Queens MVP – Suzy Hotrod

Manhattan MVP – Cork Rebel

Leading Queens Scorers

Beauty Andie Beast – 80 points (15 jams)

Suzy Hotrod – 63 points (16 jams)

Stephinity and Beyond – 33 points (12 jams)

Leading Queens Blockers

Livvie Smalls – 22 jams (+54)

Nail Diamond – 21 jams (+82)

Kitty Roadkill – 20 jams (+8)

Low Maim – 20 jams (-10)

Leading Manhattan Scorers

Giles – 38 points (13 jams)

Cork Rebel – 28 points (6 jams)

Kid Vicious – 19 points (12 jams)

Leading Manhattan Blockers

Spork Chop – 25 jams (-60)

Bonita Apple Bomb – 24 jams (-67)

Knightmare – 21 jams (+5)

Queens Penalties

Minutes in Box: 28 Jammer Box Trips: 4

Manhattan Penalties

Minutes in Box: 39 Jammer Box Trips: 10

Stats compiled via Rinxter