The No. 38 Cincinnati Rollergirls will open their 2014 home season at the Cincinnati Gardens on Saturday, March 8 with a double-header against the No. 52 Brandywine Roller Girls of Downingtown, PA. Tank has a preview.

Click here to watch a livestream of the game starting at 6 p.m. ET Saturday, March 8.
Like many people, I have been watching the new series True Detective on HBO starring one of my personal favorite actors, Woody Harrelson as Det. Martin “Marty” Hart and Academy Award Winner Matthew McConaughey as Det. Rustin “Rust” Cohle. During the fifth episode of the series, Cohle states that time is a flat circle, the same moments, the same events, happening over and over again.
As the sands of the hourglass slowly fall, we are in fact just a short time away from another Cincinnati Rollergirls’ home season opener. While that is an event that will repeat over and over again in the years to come, I am not so sure that we will ever see a home opener again like the one we are about to experience on March 8.
In their first sanctioned game of the season at their practice space last month, Cincinnati was rocked by Demolition City, 256-66. In the weeks following the game, meetings were held that resulted in five veterans – June with a Cleaver, K. Lethal, Karma Krash, Ruff’n the Passer and Sadistic Sadie – all deciding to leave CRG due to philosophical differences of opinions about the direction of the team.
CRG was already in a transition state before those departures, as other skaters had headed north to play with the Ohio Roller Girls (Sk8 Crime, Hop Devil, Garden of Beatin’ and Pistol Whippin’ Wendy) or west to Naptown (Penn Tupanga). Bombtrack also traded in her skates for a clipboard as a member of CRG’s coaching staff. Because of these departures, this Cincinnati team is starting a new chapter, with emerging, younger skaters who are learning how to play the modern game.
This team is now focusing on fundamentals, lowering their penalty count and working together as a unit. This strategy should pay off in the long haul, but it might not in the short run. This Saturday the two-jammer Black Sheep rotation of last year is gone, with K. Lethal exiting the team and Wheezy listed as an alternate in this one, having recently returned from a leave of absence. The Sheep are passing the star around right now, giving multiple jammers a try. It will be interesting to see who will emerge in this game as the new go-to point scorers and whether Cincinnati can find their new jammer rotation.
With the uncertainty of who will or won’t be jamming for the Sheep, the pack players are going to need to work together in this game and veteran players are going to need to step up and be leaders on the track. Both Buckhead Betty and Hannah Barbaric are out for this game due to injuries, which puts even more pressure on blockers such as candyKICKass!, Nuk’em and Sailor Scary. All three have looked very promising in the first game of the season with both Candy and Scary directing traffic and Nuk’em has really stepped up her game in terms of skating backwards to control jammers. The Sheep roster also includes several new faces, including a few skaters who recently moved up from the Violent Lambs – Annie Tomical, Big Ugly and Ruthless Chris – and Lexington transfers Anne Bones and Sprint Julep.
The Violent Lambs game is also very intriguing to me, since many of the old Lambs have moved up to the Sheep, new roster spots have opened for younger players. There is a lot of developing jammer talent here as Hot Slice, I Caramba!, Imma Tattooher and Tru D Vicious can all rock the star. I am excited to see Imma returning to the squad, and Tru D continues to improve with each and every game; she’s definitely a player to watch this season. Keep an eye out for Mama Crass in the pack, as the recent transfer loves to target opposing jammers.
Finally, the first player to move up from the Cincinnati Junior Rollergirls to the Cincinnati Rollergirls will make her debut in this game. Skunna Hurt, the daughter of veteran Juwana Hurt, is an 18-year-old high school senior, but don’t let her age fool you. She is very talented player, one of the top players on the junior squad, and has a lot of potential.
Both the Sheep and Lambs are taking on the Brandywine Roller Girls from suburban Philadelphia. Brandywine is looking to come in to cause the upset and establish themselves as a team to watch in 2014. On the other hand, both the Sheep and the Lambs are looking to start the season with wins, which would be a big boost psychologically for both teams.
On Sunday, the Sheep will tangle with the Nashville Rollergirls in a closed game. I am keeping my fingers crossed that time is not a flat circle, but instead is just a countdown to two Cincinnati Rollergirls victories and a well-deserved after-party at MadTree Brewing.
-Tank
For ticket information, click here.

Cincinnati Violent Lambs vs. Brandywine Brawlers

Cincinnati Violent Lambs: Chainsaw 80 // Cincy Psych-O 99 // Hot Slice 71 // I, Caramba! 23 // Imma Tattooher 81 // Jennocide 14 // Mama Crass 26 // Obie Haive 31 // Poppy Chulo 27 // Railroad 6 // Roxx Solid 74 // Skunna Hurt 69 // Susie Shinsplinski 51 // Tru D Vicious 19 // Alternates: Iona Pare 8 // Cleavage Browns 77
Brandywine Brawlers: A Moral 42 // Ballerinka Barbie 728 // Crash Bansheekoot 121 // DonT BeA Baby 64 // Hustle Lynn 33 // Jacquelyn Heat 54 // Jen Hex 8675 // Merry DeathStar 1138 // Rontonamo Bay 3 // Sin Ickle 1542 // Starbucks 20 // Thresher 23 // Ultra Shearer 11 // VALociraptor 2320 // Alternates: Drop Pop N Lock 34 // Fear N Loathin 357

Cincinnati Black Sheep vs. Brandywine Belligerents

Black Sheep: Anne Bones 77 // Annie Tomical 91 // Big Ugly 72 // candyKICKass 32 // Cherry Choke 0 // Jungle Lacy 83 // Kitten Kicker 30 // La Bruja 66 // Mirderher 44 // Nuk’em 86 // Ruthless Chris 5 // Sailor Scary 92 // Sista Shovechild 2 // Sprint Julep 9 // Alternate: Wheezy 43
Brandywine Belligerents: Anya Alnight 247 // Buenos D. A$$ 138 // Cutthroat KC 757 // DeckHerH8r 789 // Dirty Rox-Tini 6 // Merry Deathstar 1138 // Not Knotty 273 // Party CrashHer 619 // Rapid ArrhythMia 101 // Skinny Guinea 9 // Verve K9

Cincinnati Black Sheep vs. Nashville Music City Brawl Stars (closed game Sunday)

Black Sheep: Anne Bones 77 // Annie Tomical 91 // Big Ugly 72 // candyKICKass 32 // Cherry Choke 0 // Jungle Lacy 83 // Kitten Kicker 30 // La Bruja 66 // Mirderher 44 // Nuk’em 86 // Ruthless Chris 5 // Sailor Scary 92 // Sista Shovechild 2 // Sprint Julep 9 // Alternate: Wheezy 43
Nashville Music City Brawl Stars: Ann T Histamine 0TC // Chelsea Dagger 9 // Dani Doom 77 // Electra Cal 220V // Electric Boogaloo 1976 // Four-Leaf Roller 318 // Hippy-Ki-Yay 1969 // Incredible Hull 718 // Lady Fury 5FT3 // Morgan Grinder 757 // Phantom Power 48V // Stella Live DV8 // Union Jack-U-Up 10 // Zip Drive 8GB // Alternates: Big Banger 137 // Cole Hearted 027 // Ginger Juke 71 // Kim “Bash” Allen 69