Having seen precisely 1.5 men's roller derby games, I now consider myself an expert on the subject. Several aspects of the sport stand out in my mind:
In general, the male players I have observed are less skilled skaters than the more common female variety. There are exceptions of course. The Quadfather's Wildstyle being a notable example. However, it seems someone forgot to teach them crossovers and the all important "fall smart, fall small" rule. Overall, there seem to be far more serious injuries in a men's game compared to a women's.
The game seems to be less about strategy, like adjusting the pack's speed during a power jam. The male skaters skate fast all the time which gives the game a more old-school feel.
More players take turns jamming. While the Bomb Quads and Quadfathers rely on a few core jammers, they rotate in blockers more often.
Finally, as Flocci pointed out to our favorite post-derby waitress last night, the men don't look quite as good in fishnets.
Looking forward to over-analyzing our next scheduled men's game on September 24: Burlington Bomb Quads vs Mass Maelstrom.
...Johnny Bash
