Preamble: While some of us were trundling about on the highways of this province following Derby in our own inimitable fashion, others cast their eyes further and follow Derby while and where they can. Inveterate Derby player and follower Mallory KnoxUOut was captivated by the action on DNN on a Saturday night. Here are her thoughs and words.
YOUR MOM MEN’S DERBY VS ST LOUIS GATEKEEPERS-IN DES MOINES, IOWA (YOUR MOM HOSTING)
Ok so I started writing at halftime…..it was 69-67 not too sure for whom…..but it was such an exciting game I decided to start writing about it in the second half.
It was a hard–hitting, fast-moving game and besides the crazy colors on the floor of the obvious roller rink venue, the most shocking thing was how vocal the crowd was. Calling out what they saw as penalties or their thoughts on better plays. Some yelled encouragement and others profanities!!!
The venue was pretty small, but it was either packed or the best crowd I’ve ever heard at a game.
The teams were very evenly matched with a lot of backwards skating, trapping, and hitting, just like at a women’s game, but the chanting, the screaming the jumping up and down in their seats, this was so different.
Not to mention some crazy drunk guy you can hear in the background maybe 3 rows away from the cameraman. He was screaming at the refs: ” Are your F’n serious?”, “Are you freakin blind?” and my fave: “ I hope they ain’t paying you too much for this!!” Hilarious. The camera picked him up but no one else seemed to be listening to him. I wondered how long until maybe he got ejected and I think the only reason he wasn’t was because no one could hear him over the absolute ROAR of the crowd.
Your Mom Men’s Derby is hosting St. Louis in their hometown of Des Moines, Iowa, the crowd completely loses it when they get the lead in any jam….they also get very angry when they disagree with a ref’s call…
The camera man is cheering for the visiting team St. Louis, so it was an interesting contrast. He is yelling defense into the camera, it is amusing me. No pack, he says, tripping….so funny…does he not realize you cannot hear anything anyone is saying to you when you are out there on the track !! Booing when his team got a bad call they were all so loud and animated…it gave me chills to hear it!!
I could not however hear the real announcers, so I apologize that I am unable to name the names of the players that were on the roster….or the ones who made the most points.!
At 6 minutes left in the second half the score is STLGK 143 and YMMD 103…….it is still anyone’s game….it’s getting crazy exciting…and my computer crashes.
Arghhhhhh!
(This was the awesome floor of the venue!!)
I hurry my ass up to get booted back up and online….back to the end of the game.
I know Your Mom had the lead when it crashed as I had heard the crowd cheering. When I get back on it is 155-111 for STLGK and just a minute to go….not sure how that happened …..
Lots of booing is what I tuned back into and some swearing….Seems men’s derby is some serious business…either that or alcohol made everyone think they were refs!!
There is a final timeout I am unsure who has called it….But YMMD needs a formidable jam in just over a minute and they aren’t likely to get it at this late in the game…but they fought like tigers. Gatekeepers just fought like bigger tigers….
Both teams have the speed, the moves, the fancy footwork, and the big hits, it was a really tight game and it was anyone’s from the get go.
Last lead jam goes to Your Mom’s Men Derby and the crowd once again roars!! They all count down the last seconds on the jam clock….the whole audience….and the final score is 159-116 for the Gatekeepers….with a more than valiant effort from Your Mom.
I was most amazed by the crowd and their input….i could only hear the people around the cameraman, not the official announcers….it was kind of like being right there …thanx DNN.
Men’s derby is on the rise….they play hard and probably party harder!! And I imagine everyone will be winners at the after party…..<3 derby
– Mallory Knox UOut
Midnight Matinee 