Down & Derby: With the ma-Scott

Mar 30, 2010 by Loki

Hey folks,

My name is Scott Livesay. I’m a born and raised Cincinnatian, brought on this year to be the official mascot of the Cincinnati Rollergirls. I can’t reveal what the mascot will look like, but I will be shown off during the Cincinnati Reds opening day parade. And, you can bet, I’ll rock the house during the second CRG bout on April 17th.

I was asked to cover the first bout from the point of view of a mascot. Sadly, the costume wasn’t quite finished, and my back wasn’t quite cooperating. So, I was just another spectator. Also, I had never been to see roller derby before, and I had no idea what to expect.  Before the first half of the first game was over…I was a fan.

First of all, the crowd was amazing. There were over 3,000 people in the stands. According to rollergirl, Nik Jagger, the biggest crowed they’d had before this bout was around 1,800 people. Well done, Cincinnati! The fans were rabid! They also helped me learn what the hell was going on. I didn’t know the rules- I honestly didn’t  know what the point of derby was.  But, with the boos, the cheers and the OHHHHH’s when someone was knocked to the ground…I slowly figured it all out.

The first bout was won by the Cincy Silent Lambs in a ROMP 112- 30 over the Circle City Socialites. With huge points by Jammer, MissPrint, and insane blocking by The Librarian the ladies from Circle City didn’t stand a chance.  Sadly, with .04 seconds left on the clock, Shirley “Carl” Temptya went down hard. She was almost immediately carried out on a stretcher. I heard early this morning that she broke her leg in two places. I wish nothing but the best to her on a speedy recovery.

After being so excited during this bout I couldn’t wait to watch the Black Sheep.  I’d heard about Sadistic Sadie but nothing I’d heard could prepare me for what she could do. She is the captain of the team and she’s just plain EVIL! She would cut in front of the other team’s jammer and just toy with her. When she was finished, she’d put on a burst of speed and cut through the walls created by the blockers and put points on the board. At one point I watched her pass up a blocker and then turn around and taunt her…that’s officially what I love about derby!

I can’t talk about the first bout and not talk about Hannah Oucho-Cinco. Like her namesake, Chad Ocho-Cinco, Hannah created a “Who Blocked Oucho-Cinco” list of blockers from all the teams our Derby girls will face this year.  She’s set out to prove that there’s not another girl in the country that can stop her from scoring.  It’s the characters these women create, the personas they take on, that make Roller Derby truly a sport to love.

In the end the Cincy Girls couldn’t pull out a win and the San Diego Derby Dolls won the bout 129-108. But, I, along with about 3,000 other people were on the edges of our seats till the end.

This column might be a little different for the rest of the bouts this year.  I plan on being in full costume running amok through the Cincinnati Gardens for the rest of the season. But, I promise I’ll give you some behind the scenes in-depth derby coverage!  Look forward to some personal interviews with girls from the team and fans. And, stay tuned to learn more about me…your very own Cincinnati Rollergirls Mascot!

-Scott Livesay,  the ma-Scott!