we will soon see. in fact, we'll see this weekend because valley fever roller derby will be playing a match downtown @ the exhibit hall. can they pull anything near the 800+ that were at the notown derby match?
now, i have admit i'm a bit skeptical about how this debut match for valley fever is going to go. this isn't me hating on them or anything, this is me, someone who tries to stay fairly connected to what's going on in fresno not having heard much at all. like, zero promos for this match. not on the beehive. not on fresno famous. not on the fresno blogosphere. the only reason i knew about this team is because they had posted some comments on notown roller derby posts on fresno famous. and, i only knew they had a game because someone not affiliated with the team mentioned on famous that there was a match this weekend. and $15? a little steep. i know it's only $5 more than notown matches, and $5 more than what smog city was running, but it's still more expensive to see a team i've never seen, that i don't know anything about.
but i do hope that their match this weekend goes well, and that they bring in some more people to the derby scene.
i've also heard some rumblings about yet a third team in the works. wow, 3 teams? i know fresno & the surrounding area have enough people to support multiple teams, but are there enough people interested in roller derby to support it? i'm not sure.
here's what i would like to see: all these teams are successful and around long enough that they play each other at least once. really, let's get a match going between notown & valley fever.
12 comments:
NOtown will be there supporting our derby sisters for their first bout. We too hope that we can have a NOtown and Valley Fever bout!
Much derby love,
Pookie #49
Director
NOtown Roller Derby
i forgot to put in the original post, but i love that both of these derby teams are doing a lot to help out the city. notown did a canned goods drive for poverello house, valley fever was giving a discount if you gave blood. that's really cool. and smog city did this sort of thing as well.
Well, I'm looking forward to the addition of a band, something that I thought was lacking at the NoTown bout. And paying an extra 5 bucks for that doesn't seem too bad...
I just hope that Fresno realizes that it's okay to have 2 teams (or is it 3?).
Set aside the 'rock star' mentality and actually develop a sense of community, and this thing could turn into something good, not just for Fresno, but for Roller Girls everywhere.
I personally think it's lame that the two teams don't bout each other. 2 local teams, both putting their heart and soul into something they love could only be a good thing right? I'm sure it would set an attendance record.
i didn't mind not having a band at the notown bout, but that's mainly because i think the sound in that building would've made it a mess.
and anonymous one,
you're right, $5 more isn't bad. i'm just a little hesitant to pay $5 more for a product i'm not sure about. i knew what people from smog city were involved with notown, so i was confident that they would be worth the money. i don't know anything about this new team.
i think it can be good, and fresno is big enough to support multiple teams. i think it would be hella cool for them to play each other. and if a third team does get on skates, then mix them in, too.
Just because 2 teams are local doesnt mean that they are equal. No Town is full of seasoned vets. I am pretty sure this is the first or second match for VF. It wouldnt be fun to watch. The competition level isnt even close. Go to the VF event and you will see!
i agree that local doesn't mean equal, the same experience, or anything. i'm just saying it would be cool to see them play each other.
I think anyone that went can now see that the two teams are not even close to equal. What a boring game. After the "so bad its funny" wore off it was just a bore. The highlight was the chick that tripped on the intro. And the big chick that kept knocking down her own teammate. I think there was less than 250 people there. And I heard a couple people say "glad I got my ticket for free". I had to inquire, and a group of 9 were there comped. Makes me wonder how many paying fans were there. I gave em a chance and the FLOPPED! I'll be sticking to NoTown.
thanks for the response back on the derby. i'd love to hear other people's thoughts on the bout, as i wasn't there. i'm not just looking for sniping, but i do want some honest, thoughtful responses.
one last thing, anonymity is allowed, but having a name (and maybe a link of your own if you've got one) does help lend a bit of credibility to your truths.
Anonymity is a cop out. Especially when used to cast stones. There is definitely room for more derby in Fresno, as evidenced by the great turn out. 250? Perphaps "Anonymous" was stuck in the lobby. 500 is a more accurate estimate.
Also, "so bad its funny"? For both teams participating in their first bout they showed great potential. Granted, they do not have the experience of NOtown or Sac Town, etc. To expect a young squad to look like seasoned vets is highly unrealistic.
The rest of your speculation and observations are simply crude attempts at insults. I wonder who is hiding behind the mask of anonymity. Clearly they are more concerned with trashing an entertaining and successful event than supporting a great grassroots sport. Fresno is lucky to have so many options for weekend entertainment.
Anonymous you need some educating regarding derby, and counting for that matter. Feel free to drop me a line. I'm not afraid to leave my name and url.
I would say there was approximately 250 - 300 spectators in attendance. This was the first bout for both teams, and I believe the final score was Valley Fever - 94, Silicon Valley - 140. It is a learning experience, you don't know what to expect during your first game.
Pookie #49
Director
NOtown Roller Derby
Actually, according to ticket records, attendance was more like 700. As far as ticket prices and food/drink prices, Valley Fever wasn't able to control much of that. Convention Center managers were being mobsters. Yes it's true that there's only a few vets on their team and the rest are rookies but you got to give them major kudos for starting this team and following through dispite constant heckling from certain Smog members because a handful of them came from Smog. This is why there was such a homecomming party atmosphere when the time ended. The knowlege that they've been broken in and broken out of the shadows. Sure they didn't win the bout but they won some dignity and acknowlegement that they really do exist and they do matter. Give these chicks some respect for doing what they've done, and they're not done yet!
latest anonymous poster,
you say that "a handful of them came from Smog."
i've seen this claim made elsewhere, but i didn't recognize any of the members being the same. when i, or others, asked for who was also from smog city on valley fever, there was never a reply. so, which members of valley fever were on smog city?
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