*Update* As of Wednesday morning San Francisco has taken the lead by about 400 points. Today is the last day of the contest so make sure the use the #HatsOffCIN hash tag in your tweets!

If you follow me on Twitter, then you already know that my other passions are news, politics, and sports. Politically, I’m a lefty on just about everything, but I find that distinction less important than any debate itself; I’m interested in making my own judgments based on the best facts available. It’s my ardent belief that folks who simply parrot the talking points of their cable news network-of-choice are just adding the background noise and preventing meaningful discourse. Most media pundits do it too, and if you made me list things that were gumming up the political process in this country, that would rank close to the top. You’ll likely see me address things like that on occasion as well.

Ask a Cincinnati sports fan to describe their fandom in a single word, and you’ll likely get “frustration”, or another F-word closely related to it, as an answer better than 50% of the time. It’s not that I don’t share that frustration; I most certainly do. As I write this, I’m watching the Reds’ season end with the most humble of whimpers, and I’ll comment on that sort of thing from time to time. However, I also like to remind the pessimists that Cincy is also home to the Cincinnati Cyclones, a team that has captured one more national championship than both of their major league Cincinnati counterparts combined since they were founded in 1990. It’s not all bad, and I’ll likely chime in on that from time to time as well.

That’s me and what I typically like to write about in a nutshell. I’d like to thank Loki for this opportunity to comment at length regarding our fair city, and I’m looking forward to doing just that. Cheers!

As it says in my bio, I am a life-long Cincinnatian who moved Downtown 3 years ago. I have lived in various places in the Tri-State region, but Downtown is my favorite area of residence. I love the growth I have seen Downtown (and OTR) and look forward to more progress being made in the region. Whenever I tell someone I live Downtown I get a wide range of reactions and questions, so I will have many posts about city life.

If you follow me on Twitter, you know I am a big sports fan. Of course being a Cincinnatian most of my sports fandom has been filled with disappointment. “Wait til next year” is a common reality that a Bengals and Reds fan faces. Along with watching sports, I try to stay active. One of the most shocking developments in my life is I have become a runner. When I attended the best high school in Cincinnati (Walnut Hills, and I will fiercely argue with you if you disagree!) I could barely finish the mile in gym class. Fast forward to 2011 where I completed my first marathon and now consider a 5k a short run.

I studied Radio/TV at Northern Kentucky University, but lately I have discovered a passion for photography. I have a lot to learn and am by no means a professional, but taking the camera out and taking photos of the various sites in town and the country has become one of my favorite hobbies. Of course I still do have a love for TV and motion pictures. I do enjoy a lazy day on the couch watching a marathon of my favorite shows and movies.

One of my favorite subjects to take photos of is my dog Dexter. My girlfriend and I adopted Dexter the Pug from the SCPA in January and he has become a very welcomed addition to our household. Dexter had a rough life before we adopted him, he was a stray and almost died at the SPCA with a severe case of kennel cough. Luckily he survived and we arrived to rescue him! After this experience we highly recommend adopting from the SPCA if you are looking for a pet.

Food, downtown, sports, digital media and my dog Dexter, that basically sums up who Clint Spaeth is.

It was Scout Night at the Gardens, and Boy and Girl Scouts from all over the Cincinnati area came to learn what derby was all about.  Before the bouts started all the Rollergirls came out to put on an exhibition for everyone in attendance.  The kids all loved it.  And, not only did our Rollergirls spend about 30-45 minutes doing some demo jams for everyone, but after that they had a meet-and-greet for all the kids.  They signed autographs and answered all the questions that the scouts had.  This should show you what kind of family-friendly atmosphere we have.

Photo by Angie Livesay

Scout night was also the scene for my first derby injury.  At halftime of the Silent Lambs’ game I was in a race with a few boy and girl scouts-  one lap around the track for all the marbles.  Needless to say, I cheated.  I jumped the starting gun to get a 5 second lead on those scouts, when from out of no where, June with a Cleaver come barreling at me!  To give you an idea, June MIGHT weight 115 lbs….MIGHT. I, on the other hand, weight more than that. (By a small bit…or a lot).  She hit me so hard that I flew off my feet and landed hard on my caboose.  Apparently, I caught myself funny, and may or may not have broken my hand/finger.  Time will tell.

As for the games themselves, the Cincinnati teams made out with a clean sweep.  The Silent Lambs beat up on  the Chicago Shade Brigade 140-45, and the Black Sheep skated all over the Chicago Outfit 141-86.  Some of the stand-outs for the Lambs were Blocker; The Librarian, Maime, Nik Jagger and Penni Pusha. And, Jammers;  Bex Pistol, Pistol Whippin’ Wendy, Bombtrack and Polly Rocket.  The PTP-ers (Prime Time Players…Thank you Dick Vitale) for the Sheep were Dr. McDerby and Trauma for stepping into the Jammer position for the two Sheep jammers who weren’t in the game, Hannah Ouchocinco and K. Lethal.  Well done ladies!

Another Saturday in the books, a couple more wins for Cincinnati and another blab-fest from a Sheep.  Thanks for taking the time to read the nonsense I write.  Hopefully, you enjoy it.  And, hopefully the folks here at CincyVoices will keep me on! Make sure you become of fan of Wooly Bully on Facebook and Follow him on Twitter!  So…until next time, this is your ole’ pal, Wooly Bully, saying…”See ya at the Gardens!

-Scott Livesay, the ma-Scott

Photo by Angie Livesay

I’m back, and better than ever!

Two big things have happened since the last time I wrote. First off, I was unveiled in the Cincinnati Reds Opening Day Parade. It was my first time in costume for the Cincinnati Rollergirls, and I had an amazing time.  This was my first chance to be in the opening day parade, and being a lifelong baseball fan, it couldn’t have been a bigger honor for me.

And, now for the second big things…My first Rollergirl bout! It was their 2^nd home bout of the season, and their 5^th game overall. Going in to this bout they were 3-1. While losing their first home bout, they went down to Florida and swept 3 games in a weekend tournament!

I started the evening off with a little bit of tailgating with some good friends (One of which decided it would be funny to bring lamb kabobs) And, I visited with some other fans in the parking lot.

I made it back inside in time to see that Sadistic Sadie brought me a razor scooter to ride around on! So, I took that for a spin, and fell off a few times. Then, it was time for the Silent Lambs game to start.

I’m not exactly sure how I’m going to write this section yet. When I watched my first bout back in March I was able to sit and watch the game. I was able to see what happened to whom, and how everything in the game unfolded. This time around I didn’t see much of the games. I spent the entire time in costume, and it’s hard enough to see what’s right in front of me let alone going on in the game. So, here goes nothing!

The Silent Lambs faced off against the St. Louis St. Lunachix. The Lambs were coming off their opening win of the season, but couldn’t handle the veteran experience of the St. Louis team.  But, good things came out of this game for Cincinnati. Saturday was the first game for Hop Devil, who looks to have a great future in derby! Polly Rocket came back from an injury, and Wheezy and The Librarian continued to be awesome as always. Unfortunately, the final score ended up being St. Louis 89- Cincinnati 39.

The Black Sheep took on the ARRG All-Stars (Arch Rival Roller Girls from St. Louis).  The home team kicked some butt in this bout.  The final score was Cincinnati 134- AARG All Stars 68. But, the real story of this game was Jammer, Hannah Ouchocino.  Who, at a point in the game, went down to the floor and sustained two broken fingers and a cut to the chin (that required stitches).   She then came back and finished the game.  I have to tell you, had I fallen and broken two fingers there’s no way I would have continued the game in costume. I would have found my mom who was at the Gardens and hung out with her for the rest of the night and let her baby me!

This biggest excitement of the night for me was halftime of the Black Sheep bout. The floor cleared out, and I decided to wander out to the middle of the floor. I didn’t really have any idea what to do, but I really wanted to be the center of attention. So, I stood in the middle of the Cincinnati Gardens and took a bow in all directions. Then, proceeded to rouse a crowd of over 3,000 people! I’ve honestly never been in front of that many people, and the rush was completely exhilarating! To have all those people cheering for me…needless to say, I’m a little bit more conceited than I was before. And, before, I already knew I was AWESOME!

Saturday was more fun than I could have ever expected, and I cannot wait for May 8^th, which is the next home game. So, make sure you get your tickets now!  I know I’ll be there, so look for me! I’ll be the one who looks like a giant sheep!

-Scott Livesay, the ma-Scott

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!

So, that brings us to the Cincinnati Roller Girls. My new home has team, trust me we checked before moving up here, and they kick ass in a big way. As a matter of fact I gather from the neighbors that the prior owner of our house in Northside was a Rollergirl, fancy that? Check out their intro produced by locally based Plum St. Studios:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pjWEDWU6-jQ

It’s not your father’s roller derby. The Rollergirls I know are some of the toughest, most empowered and confident ladies I know. Its got a lot more gutsy feminism to it than lurid memories of Roller Derby’s history from the 50′s through the 70′s might suggest.

Metromix has a nice little piece about the CRG, in which they talk to some of the rookies:

Sarah Lima and Alison Fields used to be friends who called each other by their real names and ate a lot less food. Then came a 2009 roller derby movie directed by Drew Barrymore.

Blame “Whip It.”

This is how Lima and Fields, both in the same doctoral program at the University of Cincinnati, ended up here, inside a warehouse in Blue Ash, lacing up their rollerskates and strapping on helmets and getting ready to subject their bodies to yet another grueling Cincinnati Rollergirls practice. It’s how they came to call each other Bombtrack and Hop Devil and double their daily calorie intake and shrug off injuries that would make most people cry.

Good stuff, check out the whole piece. Especially if you are not familiar with the 21st Century incarnation of Roller Derby. This adrenaline fuelled sports trend has done nothing but grow exploding to over 400 teams nationally (of which the Cincy Rollergirls are #15, baby!).

So get out there and show these lovely ladies some support! The 2010 home schedule is :

March 27 vs. San Diego | April 17 vs. Arch Rival | May 8 vs. Chicago Outfit

May 29 vs. North Star | June 19 vs. Brewcity Bruisers

Go Fan their Facebook Page, follow them on twitter, feast your eyes on their YouTube Channel, friend them onMySpace, or just sample the kinetic delights of their main website! Tell your friends! Represent!

Can’t make it to the season opener? Don’t despair! Watch the action online with live streaming video, follow along with a text boutcast,  submit your comments and questions about the games and more.  As Derby News Network says, it ain’t at all like being there – but it’s close!

To watch the game online and participate in the boutcast, go to Derby News Network

Also, only in the ‘Nati do the Rollergirls Chicken Dance. See for yourself:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f30y1gDJHa4

As a recent transplant I have yet to see this chicken dance firsthand, but I’ve heard stories. Oh, the stories I have heard…

-Loki, Founder and Curator of CincyVoices

I’m sitting in Cincinnati watching the snow pile up outside. It feels perfectly appropriate since the Saints are going to their first SuperBowl in history. Satan is skating to work through a frozen hell-scape today! The excitement gripping New Orleans is so intense I can physically feel it up here in Cincy, and I can’t stand football!

It’s hard to get across what things are like back in NOLA to many of the people up here. This is not a slam, not at all! There is a lot of genuine support for the Saints even here right next to Colts territory. There is just no frame of reference for my new neighbors as far as both what this means to the Crescent City and just how outlandishly we embrace the attendant revelry, especially after the past four and a half years since New Orleans was 80% destroyed by the levee failure that followed Hurricane Katrina. After hosting 9 SuperBowls the Saints finally get to play their first one! It’s a moment that crosses all socioeconomic boundaries, all ethnicity, all political divides. There are only black and gold people in the city now no matter what shade their complexion may be.

Rachel Maddow did a great show last night from down in the French Quarter and some of the scenes she showed illustrate exactly how wonderful and crazy things are right now. Check it out! [The Rachel Maddeux Sheaux]

There, that should help those not in or of New Orleans to understand. But why am I posting this on CincyVoices and on HumidCity you ask? Because I will always be a New Orleanian, just as I will always try to embrace and be a part of my new home here in Cincy. Of course it doesn’t hurt to have an outpost of “Who Dat” in “Who Dey” land. (BTW, I hate to break it my Cincy people, but Who Dat predates Who Dey by a long, long time. Since the 1800s in fact. )

So this is a heads up for all of you in both cities: tomorrow we will be sharing some absurdity with all of you. As has been documented, I have a long standing “bet that will never have to get paid” about the Saints. One which I now have to pay up on. I’ll be watching the game tomorrow, my first willing football game, and I will be doing so in a Saints cheerleader outfit. Not only that, but thanks to my colleague Bastlynn who found it online, I will be doing so in an authentic cheerleader’s uniform worn by a real Saints cheerleader in the 1970s. Yes it will be blogged.

For the amusement of our readers in both cities I’ll be cross-posting it to both HumidCity and CincyVoices so that eveyone can get  a good laugh. I’d like to invite our New Orleans WhoDats to leave us some comments in the Cincy Site and vice versa. There are lots of great people in each scene and I think the discussions that could ignite would be a blast!

One last thing. Since it is Carnival season right now I’d also like to mention a Carnival oriented event I stumbled across up here in Cincy called Krewe. Yes, they spelled it right. These folks do a Mardi Gras party that is a fund raiser for local charities, I’ve meet one of the organizers and I’ve got a lot of respect for what they’re doing and how they’re going about it. If you’re reading this in Cincy check it out, it’s a good party for a good cause. If you’re reading this in New Orleans throw em a few words of support. [Krewe by the Bacchanalian Society]

Bringing a little New Orleans to Northside Cincy-  Who Dat!

This post is mirrored on HumidCity.

-Loki, CincyVoices/HumidCity Founder

You see, this year the Saints are finally going to the Superbowl. I can already hear Satan skating to work. Not only that, but I have to wear a Saints cheerleader outfit and blog it during the game. It’s one of those “so long a shot you know it will NEVER happen” bets, and now for many of us that hail from the Crescent City “never” has arrived.  On our sister site back in New Orleans, HumidCity, one of our bloggers observes:

Apparently a lot of bets are being paid off this year with the Saints first appearance in the Superbowl. From cash to expensive bottles of alcohol to cross-dressing, the Bet That Will Never Be Paid has turned into a very profitable wager for the Faithful. Perennially a 100-1 dog, (or worse,) the odds at the start of the 2009 season for the Saints to get to the Big Dance were between 10-1 and  4-1. And it was a great bet for 43 years. If the Saints made it, you got paid; if they didn’t, you didn’t lose anything. You can’t find better odds than that! Even people who don’t like sports got sucked into the action – case in point: our own Loki.

Indeed. I’ve never had any great liking of sports in general, but even I made one of those bets. The full story is available here on HumidCity. Take a moment and give it the once over so you’ve got the proper background. I’ll wait here.

In the meantime here is the part that effects us here in Cincinnati. I will be watching the Superbowl for the first time ever, and I will be doing so while wearing a Saints cheerleaders uniform. Not only that, but one worn by a real Saints cheerleader back in the 1970s.  I will be taking a cue from Buddy D. this next Sunday, and raising a toast to New Orleanians everywhere. Our day has finally come! Yes, it will be blogged both here and on HumidCity.

While Who Dey is the cheer you’ll hear from CincyVoices, the Bengals aren’t in the running and all our energy is going  into a good solid New Orleans style WHO DAT!

Another  Cincy / NOLA synchronicity is the addition of a Cincy born blogger to the ranks of HumidCity.  Jack “Monkeyboy” Ware, a voice much missed in the NOLA blogosphere since he retired from NOLA Metroblogging, has turned out to be a Clifton boy, something I was completely unaware of.  So now we have a Cincy boy on HumidCity, and I’m the New Orleans boy on CincyVoices. I’m amused by that. [View Jack Ware's Bio Here, 5th one down]

-Loki, CincyVoices/HumidCity Founder and Temporary Saints Cheerleader