JBLM Bettie Brigade Turns Up Heat In Derby Bout

The power of the halftime pep talk could be found in the turn-around the Joint Base Lewis-McChord Bettie Brigade had in its roller derby bout with the Toxic 253 Saturday night in University Place.

The bout did not disappoint either -- in action or in drama. The Bettie Brigade’s Team Bravo had a slow start to the tune of a 130-30 score at halftime. The official score often conflicts with the scoreboard because the action happens quickly.

But the lopsided match didn’t last.

“The first half was dominated by Toxics, and Betties made a big comeback I think mostly in the second half of the second half,” Toxic announcer Alicia Manley Lawver said. “I know it was a 100-plus-point score gap after the first half, and first half of the second it still was pretty lopsided, but then they started to close it at the end.

"We were getting sent to the penalty box more, and a few girls did penalty out of the game. So there were a couple one-jammer opportunities to rack up the points right at the end.”

The final score was 187-132, with the Toxics holding onto their early edge long enough to thwart a Betties charge.

But few fans actually come for the score. They come for the action in much the same way people watch NASCAR racing. They want to see crashes.

And unlike professional wrestling, the hits hurt.

The action is fast.

The falls violent, and the rink solid.

Make no mistake: roller derby is fun, but the skaters take it seriously. And unlike televised wrestling, these games are real.

“Roller derby is pretty painful,” said organizer Shauna Fossum. “The pain is not from hair-pulling or face punches but the hits are real. There are tons of injuries, and there have been horrible bruises that last for days.

"I got kicked in the shin a month ago and the knot is just now starting to go down.”