By Kim Hone-McMahan
Beacon Journal staff writer
The gals wore ripped fishnet stockings, short-shorts and helmets — quite a contrast to the dudes adorned in all black, right down to their dress shoes.
During the recent home opener of the Rubber City Rollergirls, snazzy dressers Craig ”Mad Dog” Madrin and Blazin’ Bobby Jennings were in typical form — professional, proud and poised. As the bout announcers, their bellowing voices bounced off the walls of Akron’s John S. Knight Center with colorful commentary.
While a sport that has team members with names such as Mae B. Hazardous, Damsel of Destruction and Punisher Pixie is designed to be entertaining, many don’t realize how much work it takes to get into shape to compete. These are not the same women who starred decades ago in televised bouts in which actors performed outlandish antics for the camera. Madrin and Jennings insist that the Rubber City Rollergirls (RCRG) are athletes.
”If we treated this sport like a joke, then the 1,000 who come to watch would treat it like a joke, too,” said Madrin, who, along with Jennings, volunteer their announcing talents to the team. ”When I talk about taking it seriously I mean as opposed to a tractor pull or a professional wrestling event where a guy in a unitard comes out and starts beating up some guy. That is acting. It’s not serious. These ladies are competing. They work their butts off.”
When they’re not on the track, the 40 women, who are 19 to 44 years old, are working jobs that range from teachers to stay-at-home moms.
”I am just so proud of them,” added Madrin, who is also match announcer for the University of Akron volleyball team and works as a multimedia account executive at the Beacon Journal.
Madrin, 32, graduated in 2003 with a degree in computer science from Ohio University. As he approached 30, he decided his then-IT (information technology) job simply wasn’t fitting his personalty, so he enrolled in classes at the Ohio Center for Broadcasting, where he met Jennings.
Rubber City Renegade skaters form a pack to block a Bleading Heartland Rollergirls skater from advancing and scoring points. (Michael Chritton/Akron Beacon Journal)
”I had always been a fan of talk radio, namely Bill O’Reilly. After listening to him, I started to get more involved in reading and learning about the media and that is what I wanted to do,” said Madrin, who is in his third year of announcing the derby.
But landing a good-paying job as an announcer or hosting a talk radio show isn’t easy, especially for a guy who would like to stay in the area.
”There’s a feeling about Akron right now,” said Madrin, a bachelor from Cuyahoga Falls. ”I think what the city is doing is a major accomplishment. I
think the atmosphere in this town is exciting right now and I want to remain a part of it.”
A bar and an ego
There’s an amusing difference of opinion exactly how Madrin got involved with the Rubber City Rollergirls.
Apparently Madrin was at Johnny Malloy’s in Akron in late February 2009 when some of the skaters were there promoting the derby. Madrin maintains that he had heard that the girls might be part of the crowd that night, but only knew about roller derby from old TV programs — so he wasn’t too keen on meeting any of the members. Luckily for Mad Dog, fate took control.
”I will tell you that Eighty-SixHer [otherwise known as Tracy Soulsby] approached me and started asking me about my broadcasting activities up to that point. And with a smile . . . I told her all about what I had done and that I would be more than happy to lend my assistance. But I’m sure she will tell you a different story,” he said, laughing.
The way Soulsby tells it, Madrin was sitting at the bar when she asked if he was involved in radio.
”He looked at me out of the corner of his eye, down his nose, and said very nonchalantly ‘yeah’, then tilted his head back and took a drink of his beer. You really had to see it to get the full effect. He may as well have been flicking a piece of lint off of his sleeve,” Soulsby explained.
”I thought ‘Whoa, this guy has an ego.’ Well, the longer we talked the more it became clear that he was a recent graduate of the Ohio School for Broadcasting, and his ‘radio’ experience had been as an intern with a radio station. By the end of the night he was arm wrestling one of our derby girls. . . . ”
When co-announcer Alan Gerstein moved out of town after a year of commentating the derby, Madrin found himself in need of a side-kick. A buddy told him that he thought Bobby Jennings of Elyria would be up for the gig.
”I couldn’t believe it. This guy is so talented. I wouldn’t have picked anybody else that we graduated with over him,” Madrin said during a practice session for the Rollergirls. ”That’s about as mushy as I’m going to get.”
”Yeah, I’m tearing up over here,” joked Jennings, a member of Laborers Local 310 in Cleveland, who started commentating with Madrin at the beginning of the 2010 season.
The fact that they are both quick-witted helps when announcing. When things are moving fast, it seems they even know what the other is going to say before they open their mouths.
”Compared to other announcers I’ve seen . . . they are some of the best. If not the best,” said Soulsby. ”A good announcer makes it seem natural and effortless — although they put in a lot of preparation behind the scenes. They complement and enhance the experience, which is what Craig and Bobby do.”
Madrin had been tagged with the name ”Mad Dog” since he was a kid, but Jennings had to pick a name for his announcer alter ego. Knowing it would likely irritate his pal, he came up with the name ”Beautiful Bobby.”
Madrin, as expected, objected.
”I am not going to introduce you as my beautiful co-host,” Madrin told Jennings. ”No way.”
Confident commentators
During the doubleheader home-season opener in which the Rubber City Rollergirls were being badly beaten, Mad Dog and Blazin’ Bobby continued to sing the skaters’ praises. They declared the RCRG would continue to fight Indiana’s Bleeding Heartland Rollergirls until the last second.
At the conclusion of the first bout featuring the ”B” team, otherwise known as the Rubber City Renegades, the score was a dismal 243 to 65. The men maintained that the ”A” team, or the A.K. Rowdy Rollers, would enter the track seeking revenge. Though they put up a fight, the bout ended with the Bleeding Heartland Rollergirls overpowering the home team with a score of 276 to 44.
Still, that didn’t dampen the announcers’ enthusiasm. Madrin, in fact, took his support for the team to his Facebook page.
”It wasn’t pretty, but don’t lose faith,” he wrote. ”This team is stacked with talent and once they find their rhythm, I’m confident they’ll be a force in this sport.”
Dreamin’
If dreams were reality, both Madrin and Jennings would be radio talk show hosts raking in the big bucks. But as a married father, Jennings, 33, said he has to be more cautious about accepting a low-paying job now that he’s a family guy.
”I am blessed to have a good-paying job that affords my family great benefits and a decent standard of living. Unfortunately, in broadcast media as a whole, the pay is abysmal,” explained Jennings. ”If I were actually getting paid for a gig like this and I was giving it a full-time commitment my family would starve. I’ll be honest, getting exposure from my commentary for RCRG would be great, but it truly isn’t at the forefront of my thoughts. I really just do this because it’s my passion.
”Since I was a little kid, being a sportscaster has been my dream,” he added. ”And though I’m almost certain I’ll never make enough money to live on it, it’s a great opportunity to do something I truly love.”
Of course, if someone would offer him a decent salary with benefits and a microphone he would jump at the chance. As would his bachelor buddy, Mad Dog.
”If I ever become the most famous broadcaster on the planet,” Madrin said, grinning, ”I will always tell everybody that Akron and the Rubber City Rollergirls was my big break.”
The Rubber City Rollergirls are split into two teams.
Bouts for the A.K. Rowdy Rollers, or Rowdies, begin at 7 p.m. and feature the most elite talent. The Rubber City Renegades, with bouts beginning at 5 p.m., feature the league’s up-and-coming skaters.
Schedule
The upcoming bouts will be held at the John S. Knight Center, 77 E. Mill St., Akron:
• May 7: Renegades vs. Ohio Rollergirls, Rowdies vs. Gem City Roller Girls.
• June 11: Renegades vs. Lansing Mitten Mavens, Rowdies vs. Queen City Roller Girls.
• July 16: Renegades vs. Detroit Derby Girls, Rowdies vs. Lansing Derby Vixens.
• Aug. 13: Renegades vs. Harrisburg Area Roller Derby, Rowdies vs. Burning River Rollergirls.
• Sept. 17: Renegades vs. Black-N-Bluegrass Rollergirls, Rowdies vs. Black-N-Bluegrass Rollergirls.
Tickets
To purchase advance tickets, which are $9, $5 for children 12 and under, call 800-838-3006 or visit http://www.rubbercityrollergirls.com. Tickets at the door are $13, $6 for children 12 and under. Parking is free.
Information
To learn more about the Rubber City Rollergirls, including how to become a skater, visit http://www.rubbercityrollergirls.com.
Kim Hone-McMahan can be reached at 330-996-3742 or kmcmahan@thebeaconjournal.com.
Nice story, and congrats! I was there at the very, VERY beginning, and it’s nice to see everyone finally getting the recognition they deserve. Good luck this season!