The ads have been placed on buses and in businesses all over Cincinnati, stating simply to fans: “She’s back.” The image of a blonde woman with her hands placed defiantly on her hips drives the point home: Sadistic Sadie (#76) is ready for the 2013 season.
Sadie (Mercedes Williams) was one of the OG members of CRG, and a skater who has become known on a national level for her ferocity on the track as well as her fast thinking.
CRG veteran Mirderher described what it was like to skate with Sadie when the league first began: “It was intimidating. We had just started practicing and she joined a month or two later. We didn’t really know how to skate – she did – and was fast,” Mir recalled. “I was on a different team than her in the first year – the Bloody Sundaes – and I just remember thinking ‘Oh, crap’ every time we went against the Dames of Destruction.”
Having Sadie back on the team after a two-year absence has given a tangible boost to team morale and effort.
“People who were feeling burnt out and thinking about retiring are back on board now,” said Nuk’em. “She’s the epitome of who you want to be as an athlete. [She’s] amazing – funny, a smart aleck, smart, hardworking…I’m super proud to call her my teammate.”
As a coach and as a skater, Sadie’s attitude toward practice and training is straightforward: “You’re going to give everything you have when you’re here at practice. That’s a given. You’re going to support your teammates and you’re not going to be a quitter. I don’t care if you make mistakes, I don’t care if you screw up, but you’re not going to quit. I won’t tolerate quitters.”
That mentality stays with many skaters beyond practice.
“When I work out alone, I act like Sadie’s there,” said Big Ugly. “She’s taken us all to the next level. It really pushes you, because you don’t want to let her down. She taught me to go for it, even if I don’t think I can do it.”
According to coach Quad, “The main thing Sadie brings is leadership. She can make every individual feel special – it’s like a Jedi mind trick. She’s the floor general and makes the team work together; other teams have to pay attention to her.”
Regarding what her role on the track will be now that she’s returned, Sadie quipped: “I just want to rule the world in general. I like to run the score way up to where the other team wants to dig a hole in the track and crawl inside of it. But at the same time, I like to block because I really like to beat the sh%$ out of people; it makes me really happy. But the team has so much potential right now…I’m fine with either position, really.”
“She’s brought back the focus on fierce, tough-nosed, aggressive defense,” said Quad. When asked what differences to watch for this season, he replied: “Our defense will be a lot more relentless. Fans will be seeing some old-school CRG returning.”
For those that have seen the ads, but still don’t know who the “she” pronoun is referring to, Sadie said:
“People should just basically know that I’m back to win games, I’m back to train a team to win games, and to be an athlete that can produce on the floor when I get out there. And that’s what I do. That’s what they’ve got to look forward to.”
She paused, and then continued, laughing, “We’re going to be mean this season. Mean as f#$%. I’m excited.”
-Karli Wood