Derby Review

[morrigirl]

Greg and I went to the roller derby last night. Greg enjoyed it, but I didn't like it as much as I thought I would. In fact, I found the whole thing down right boring.

The game is split into two thirty minute halves, and each half contains an unspecified numbers of Jams. A Jam is a two minute play during which each team's Jammer (point scorer) tries to lap as many members of the opposite team as possible. They receive one point for each member of the opposite team they pass. There's more to it than that, but that's the gist.

Between each Jam the teams rotate players and are given thirty seconds to set up for the next Jam. Changing players every two minutes, sometimes less, kept the game from building any momentum. Just as I was getting excited about what was going on, the Jam would end and thirty seconds of shuffling would commence. Lame.

I also found the scoring system really hinky. I felt it gave an unfair advantage to whichever team was in the lead and prevented the trailing team from catching up. There were times when I was certain that one team or the other had scored, but when I looked at the scoreboard, discovered they hadn't. I had no clue what was going on even with the rule sheet sitting in my lap the whole time.

Finally, I didn't really like the crowd which was made almost entirely of hipsters from Williamsburg. They were all white, tattooed, pierced, and obviously well off. They seemed almost offended they had to sit in cramped, smelly, college court bleachers to watch the game.

While I'm glad we went, and I'm glad Greg had fun, it's not something I'd ever want to do again.

Comments

[greenblackevil.livejournal.com]

Yep. Went to a Derby game once, and all I saw was a bunch of women skating around in a circle occasionally bashing each other. For an hour. LAME.

And I say this with plenty of friends on the derby team. I'm just not a watching-sports kind of guy.

[morrigirl.livejournal.com]

I can watch sports like basketball because it's exciting! There is always something happening. The players are constantly running and jumping, and even though I'm still not entirely clear on the rules, at least I understand how the scoring works.

There was nothing exciting about the roller derby. Like you said, it was women skating around in a circle for an hour. Blah! I can do that on my own, thank you very much!

[greenblackevil.livejournal.com]

Word! All the exciting elements of Derby can be distilled and appreciated in more erudite form at other venues!

... Not that I would know anything about that.

[legman666.livejournal.com]

"like basketball because it's exciting!"

that's the only one i used to watch on a semi-rgular basis. I still didn't know the rules, but at least they kept moving all over the place! Hockey, too. Football and soccer just look boring and confusing. and baseball is SOOOOOOOO SLOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOW.
and golf isn't even a SPORT! it's an ACTIVITY.

[morrigirl.livejournal.com]

I don't watch much basketball these days either. Not because I don't enjoy it, but because the Knicks have sucked for the last ten years. Football was confusing to me, too until Greg explained the rules to me. I've tried to get into hockey and I just can't do it. The rules don't make any sense to me, no matter how many times Greg explains them. And, I agree, baseball is a boring sport. I can only really get into a game if one of the teams is on a winning streak, scoring run after run after run, really building momentum. Oh, and Golf? Yeah, not a sport at all!

[legman666.livejournal.com]

" I've tried to get into hockey and I just can't do it. The rules "

THERE'S RULES???

I thought they just hit the puck until it goes into the goal, and then hit each other.

"Oh, and Golf? Yeah, not a sport at all!"

SO MUCH.

I'll give Tennis a nod as a SPORT. HOWEVER watching people GRUNT at each other and swing a racket is like watching porn without the actual SEX.

gymnastics? a sport.
ice skating? a cross between a sport and a gay pride parade.
curling? A MASSIVE WASTE OF TIME.

[morrigirl.livejournal.com]

curling? A MASSIVE WASTE OF TIME.

Totally. I watched curling for the first time during the last Olympics. I kept thinking "Why does this need to be televised?" Biting my nails is more exciting.

[legman666.livejournal.com]

best sport invented: Womens Beach Volleyball.

"Why does this need to be televised?"

I've never understood why MOST of the olympics needs to be televised. people RUNNING? I can watch people run ANYWHERE if I want.

[morrigirl.livejournal.com]

best sport invented: Womens Beach Volleyball.

Meh. I've never been fond of volleyball. It's like an extended game of catch. Plus, if I want to see boobs flying all over the place all I need to do is stand in front of a mirror and hop.

Olympic runners can run way faster and farther than I can. For me, that's reason enough to watch.

[legman666.livejournal.com]

"Plus, if I want to see boobs flying all over the place all I need to do is stand in front of a mirror and hop."

to me that sounds SEXY!

actually they don't fly all around in volleyball, the uniforms are TIGHT. and so are these chicks bodies!

"Olympic runners can run way faster and farther than I can. For me, that's reason enough to watch. "

people running isn't entertaining unless they're being chased by a guy with a chainsaw!

[morrigirl.livejournal.com]

actually they don't fly all around in volleyball, the uniforms are TIGHT. and so are these chicks bodies!

Maybe that's why I never got into women's volley ball. I prefer my women squishy ;-)

people running isn't entertaining unless they're being chased by a guy with a chainsaw!

I'm afraid I must disagree with you here. That movie bored me to tears. Watching a chick run through the forest screaming at the top of her lungs for an hour and a half is not my idea of entertainment.

[legman666.livejournal.com]

SURELY YOU MEAN THE REMAKE, NOT THE ORIGINAL!!!!!

[morrigirl.livejournal.com]

I've never seen the remake. Just the original. Snoooooze-fest.

[legman666.livejournal.com]

WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAT IT'S A HORROR CLASSIC!! Just under the original Halloween in greatness!

[morrigirl.livejournal.com]

And I like horror movies, I really do. Just not that one.

I should really watch Halloween again. Haven't seen it since my brother made me watch it when I was 8. I have no recollection of it whatsoever.

[legman666.livejournal.com]

"watch Halloween again."

IT'S SO AWESOME!!! and has the BEST MUSICAL SCORE EVER.

Also recommended: Nightmare on Elm Street (1, 3, & 4).
The Fog (original).
the Wicker Man (original).
The Devils Rejects
Descent
The Bride of Frankenstein
Phantasm
Night of the Living Dead
Dawn of the Dead (original AND the remake)

I'll remember more later.

[morrigirl.livejournal.com]

I love the original Elm Street. But 3? Dream Warriors? Seriously?

Senior year of college me and a couple of friends made it our mission to watch the entire Elm Street and Friday the 13th series. Good times, good times.

Descent

Dude, that movie scared me so much I slept with my light on for a MONTH (I was 28 at the time :-/), well exceeding the previous record holder, The Ring, which only made me sleep with my light on for a week.

[legman666.livejournal.com]

"The Ring"

that was good, too! (the original Japanese version).

"But 3? Dream Warriors? Seriously? "

YES!! IT's FUN!!

"Dude, that movie scared me so much I slept with my light on for a MONTH"

BOO! I really think it's going to be considered a CLASSIC, just as Halloween is now!

OH I also like SAW.

[morrigirl.livejournal.com]

I haven't seen the Japanese version, just the American remake. After I saw Audition I decided Japanese horror wasn't really for me.

YES!! IT's FUN!!

I guess, in a hilarious, craptastic, mid-eighties sort of way.

Strangely, I didn't actually like Descent. The ending was a let down for me. Yet, it was obviously good horror because it scared the shit out of me, and I suppose I like it for that reason. That's also the reason I will never ever watch it again for the rest of my life. I won't watch The Ring again either even though I loved it.

And SAW?! You LIKED Saw?! Now there is a movie I regret paying full price to see in the theatre. I thought it was stupid and pointless. It's a good thing I saw it with a guy who was more interested in making out with me and getting his hand up my shirt than actually watching the film. Otherwise the outing would have been a complete waste.

[legman666.livejournal.com]

"Friday the 13th"

THAT one DOES suck.

[legman666.livejournal.com]

" Dream Warriors?"

"WE'RE YOUR DREAM WARRIORS ! MAYBE TONIGHT WE'LL BE GONE!"


YES I like DOKKEN!!!!

[legman666.livejournal.com]

"I had no clue what was going on even with the rule sheet sitting in my lap the whole time. "

this is me with EVERY SINGLE SPORT IN THE UNIVERSE.
"off sides"??? I STILL DON''T KNOW WHAT THAT MEANS, DICKHEAD FOOTBALL COACH!!

"The game is split into two thirty minute halves,"

so it's only an hour long? at least they don't go on too long. baseball not only SEEMS like it goes on forever, it ACTUALLY GOES ON ALL DAY.

"I also found the scoring system really hinky. I felt it gave an unfair advantage to whichever team was in the lead"

probably invented by republicans.

"cramped, smelly, college court bleachers to watch the game."

another reason for me not to go! that'd be bad for my back.

[morrigirl.livejournal.com]

this is me with EVERY SINGLE SPORT IN THE UNIVERSE.

I understand most mainstream sports - basketball, baseball, football - just enough to enjoy watching a game. I really like basketball even though I still struggle with the idea of "traveling." And I've grown to respect baseball and football. My boyfriend is a sports fiend so he had to explain both sports to me early on in our relationship, and now I can watch them without rolling my eyes, and even occasionally get excited about games.

so it's only an hour long?

UGH, if only! No, here's how it worked out: our tickets said the game was going to start at 6:30 PM. Turns out that was the time they started letting people into the athletic complex; the actual GAME didn't start until 8:30 PM! So we basically had to sit in the bleachers for two hours watching the girls warm up on the court. Then there was a half hour of play, followed by a half hour of half-time, followed by the conclusion of the match. We did not leave the damn bleachers until 10:00PM. Talk about bad for the back. Hellish, simply hellish.

[greenblackevil.livejournal.com]

Wtf?? Three and a half hours of that nonsense? I'm glad I showed up late to the one game I DID see!

[legman666.livejournal.com]

"o we basically had to sit in the bleachers for two hours watching the girls warm up on the court."

O.o

sounds like it's WAY more fun for the girls than anyone else! that long in bleachers is a DEAL BREAKER!!