Vs.
Annnd we’re back.
Some 700 people have stuck around to see the Tucson Saddletramps and the Rat City All-Stars battle it out for the WFTDA Western Regional title here at the 2007 Dust Devil.
We’re here with live updates:
8:54
There’s a deafening roar from the crowd here before the player introductions.
Rat City has a pretty healthy fan base here and the team is now being introduced as Lady Sovereign’s “Love Me Or Hate Me” blares in the background.
Rat City is dressed in white and there’s at least one player who has her face painted white and black like a skull.
8:56
Saddletramps introductions and this place is rocking.
The Saddletramps came out to Nancy Sinatra’s “Boots Are Made for Walking.”
9:00
2-0 Seattle with 18:41
9:02
6-6 tie with 16:34
The Rat City fans have chants and already have signs prepared complaining about the refs.
9:10
11-10 Tucson with 8 mins to go
Having some tech difficulties so bear with us.
Seattle (Rat City) just had a big run.
9:13
19-11 Seattle with 6 mins
Hoot ‘n Annie just took out like three chairs on the sidelines and kept going. That was amazing.
The Saddletramps are having a hard time getting through Seattle’s defense.
9:17
27-18 Seattle with 2:22
9:18
33-24 Seattle end of first period.
Tombstone Teri and Fisti Cuffs just had big jams going into the break.
Updates may be stalled- my comp is acting up again. Just in time, right? Ugh.
What I can say about the first is it looks like both teams were feeling eachother out.
This one is down to the wire, it literally leaves every jam key.
Rat City is making impacts by skirting through Tucson’s defense and many of Tucson’s jammers seem to be getting stuck behind.
The energy in this place is huge and there’s tension you can feel in your shoulders.
9:34
Rat City has to have one of the most annoying mascots of all time. Some greasy dude in a mechanic’s jumpsuit with tons of silver chains on and his zipper down to his stomach.
9:37
37-24 Seattle with 18:40
9:39
38-34 Seattle with 15 mins
Flo just had a huge jam for the Tramps
9:45
40-38 TUCSON with 11:47
Sloppy Flo just had a ridiculous jam again and Tucson takes the lead. This is craziness here.
9:48
44-38 TUCSON with 10:23
9:50
44-44 TIE with 8:11
9:53
49-48 TUCSON with 4:30
Tucson’s hit some penalties but they’re staying in it here.
Rat City’s Miss Fortune just had a big jam.
9:58
59-58 Seattle with .48 secs
Tucson’s Tombstone Teri just had a huge jam and Rat City’s jammer was sent to the box.
Fisti is up to jam but there’s not much time left in the period.
9:59
59-58 Seattle at end of 2nd.
This is like two boxers not giving an inch, a staring contest with no one blinking, a pitcher’s duel in baseball.
And there’s still one more period to go.
I think I’m starting to go hoarse from screaming so much.
Rat City fans chant “bull shit” for no reason in particular.
It seems like penalties are playing a bigger role in tonight’s game than expected.
So there’s one more period for Fisti Cuffs and Hard Anya as members of the Tucson Saddletramps and Tucson Roller Derby.
One more period for the current incarnation of the Saddletramps, which is as strong a team as its ever been.
One more period that could see Seattle pull off another upset. Rat City has to be feeling tired after the Texas game though. Right?
The Saddletramps are going to have to toughen up on defense, keep finding a way through Seattle’s defense and not give up.
10:18
69-60 Seattle with 16:30
10:24
71-64 Seattle with 11 mins
Seattle’s Miss Fortune has been damn near unstoppable tonight.
10:30
72-70 Seattle with 5:30 mins
Seattle’s Rettig to Rumble just rocked Fisti Cuffs into the Bladeworld boards when she was the lead jammer and Seattle’s jammer was in the penalty box.
Seattle just rocked jammer Tombstone Teri to the floor.
10:36
83-72 Seattle with 2 mins.
Teri’s at the jammer line.
10:41
83-72 FINAL SEATTLE OVER TUCSON
It’s over- Seattle wins the Dust Devil.
So Seattle came in seeded #3 as the blackhorse underdog and ended up taking the Dust Devil by storm.
No one thought it. No one even considered it. They were a Trojan Horse.
UPDATE: OKAY, except for the people in Seattle ;)
Seattle will enter the finals in Austin in September ranked #1 in the West.
Ugh, dude, Ugh.
Who needs a drink?
Tucson will take the #2 seed in the Western finals. They did do a hell of a job though.
Thanks for hanging out this weekend. It was fun.
Normally if I was home right now watching this, I’d turn off the TV.
Since I can’t, turn off you comp for me.
Okay, congrats to Seattle and all its fans. You guys are some die-hards and maybe were the loudest corner here in the whole arena.
Seattle’s getting it’s trophies now. Be sure to meet them at the airport when they land.
Saddletramps and fans, you know I love ya.
Once again, thanks everybody for reading and especially you all in Seattle- Congrats!
— Molly Shipwreck 02/18/2007 10:30 PM #
It’s RETTIG to Rumble.
but otherwise, great job, I’m enjoying this.
— Inspector Parts 02/18/2007 10:37 PM #
— Mrs Cuffs 02/18/2007 10:44 PM #
See you all again at Nationals.
— Inspector Parts 02/18/2007 10:45 PM #
GO RAT CITY!!!
— brass knuckles 02/18/2007 10:46 PM #
— Lorna Boom 02/18/2007 10:48 PM #
That’s just how we roll: incomprehensibly!
Thanks for the live updates. It made it (slightly) easier to stand being stuck in Seattle while my team was kicking ass in a different state.
— Monty 02/18/2007 10:48 PM #
— Cynical Guy 02/18/2007 10:49 PM #
Thanks for the live blogging—Seattle was expecting big things from our team and it helped to take the edge off for those of us stuck in a different city from the action this weekend. :)
— Marci (Rat City Fan) 02/18/2007 10:53 PM #
Kevin- thanks for the updates and color commentary, it was great to get a sense of the game while sitting in Seattle…
— brass knuckles 02/18/2007 10:56 PM #
Thank You Kevin! Your blog rocked.
— Inspector Parts 02/18/2007 10:56 PM #
And thank you Kevin! We could not all be there and we were dying for any details! You rock!
— Dixie Dragstrip 02/19/2007 01:09 AM #
— Katie (Seattle fan) 02/19/2007 01:52 AM #
— Madame Furie 02/19/2007 07:24 AM #
I’m soooo proud of my girls, but if anything comes out of this, it’s got to be the message that roller derby is still anybody’s game! The sport is maturing fast, but if Rat City can do it, anyone can… the pinnacle isn’t out of reach for any league that’s willing to dig in, find the resources they need, and just get going.
Cannot WAIT to see these teams again in Austin at the WFTDA Nationals. Seven months is more than enough time for lots of change, for better or worse, for any of them.
Finally, I’ve got to second Dixie’s thanks to TRD for hosting this shootout. It’s an unbelieveable amount of work for an all-volunteer organization, and once again they pulled it off and made it look smooth. The organization is a total inspiration.
— Hurt Reynolds 02/19/2007 02:37 PM #
Thanks for the AMAZING coverage over the weekend.
Thanks to all the teams that came out and fought the good battle.
Congrats Rat City, and Saddletramps, you ladies are the best ! !
— Dr. Zivana B. Onatopp #68CC 02/20/2007 12:33 PM #
I was just thinking, I wonder if what you were hearing was “For-tune! For-tune!” because, for sure, that got chanted a lot? I can think of only one or maybe two times in that bout when the Rat City contingent was really super furious with a ref call, and even then the disapproval wasn’t all that organized.
Of course this is subject to my memories being hazy after a very long very exciting weekend!
— Hurt Reynolds 02/20/2007 01:49 PM #
— drew blood 02/20/2007 06:14 PM #