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In a time, not so long ago, let's say about 3 months ago. There was an AZRD team called The Bruisers. This was not the same Bruisers team of today but a totally different team. With skaters like team captain TNTia, Mink Stole, Chi Chi Roni, Nacho Girlfriend and others, this Bruiser team kicked ass.

Then came tough times for AZRD. The Bruisers felt they were not getting the opportunities to skate. Some in derby tried to blame it on league management while others resorted to finger pointing and name calling. Maybe the release of the AZDD schedule with each team bouting 4 times in regulation or Tucson's awesome double header schedule where each team bouts 6 times may have been a factor. Maybe it was the ever-falling rankings of the Tent City Terrors (AZRD's travel team).

The Bruisers then go and form a Limited Liability Company (LLC), Arizona Bruisers, LLC. It appeared that they did this so they can put on their own events to promote the team, the league and derby in general without AZRD being financially liable if something was to go wrong. Now, AZRD had a different take on the situation. While the Bruisers explained to AZRD leadership about why they formed the LLC, the league felt that the LLC was a conflict of interest and ordered the three skaters who formed the LLC to dissolve it or otherwise face being kicked off the league.

The three skaters stood their ground and refused to dissolve the LLC and AZRD eventually terminated their memberships. The remainder of the Bruiser team as well as a couple of skaters from other teams followed the new Arizona Bruisers.

When I talked to various members of the Arizona Bruisers, they felt that the resulting split was a good thing since it would allow the team to be able to be ran by the entire team of skaters as a collective unlike the other leagues including one who has a partial male ownership (but still within the WFTDA guidelines).

The new Arizona Bruisers were now larger than life. They were perceived as a breath of fresh air for the Phoenix derby scene, which has been drowning in drama no matter where you go. They took on a new logo and an overall new image. Don N., who was successful in promoting a couple of sold-out AZRD bouts and is a wizard with video and graphic arts came over to the team along with his wife who is one of the skaters on the team. The Bruisers eventually release an impressive bouting schedule for 2008. Their focus was to become a world class travel team.

As the Arizona Bruisers, they played scrimmages against Tucson Roller Derby's Copper Queens and a squad from Duke City Derby. They lose to Duke City but reach a tie against the Queens.

Of course, AZRD was not happy with this Bruiser team. Not necessarily because they are a new league/team in town but because the newly formed team uses the name "Bruisers". AZRD eventually brought in the Brewcity Bruisers into the issue to try to get the "Bruisers" name back exclusively to them. The Arizona Bruiser team had done the wise thing and register the Bruisers name with the State of Arizona.

With a bout in early February, AZRD felt the show must go on. So they created a new team called the Bruisers. This team consisted of Ivanna S. Pankin and Trish The Dish who recently came to AZRD from Sin City Rollergirls after moving to Tucson and re-opening Sin City Skates there. The rest of the team consisted of skaters from the Brawlarinas and Surly Gurlies who were both fresh off of a bout from two weeks earlier. AZRD's new Bruisers (whom some were secretly referring to as "Bru-2") had generic white shirts with the classic tape crosses over the nipple area. This was a take on their classic uniforms prior to the change to the red shirt look. This Bruiser team will play again later this month. A good friend of mine Chesty Molesty will be playing and from what I have heard, there will still be several subs. If you go to AZRD, support this new Bruiser team. These girls need all of your support.

Now, in late February, intersting things started to happen. My attempts to reach people on the Arizona Bruisers team were going unanswered. Then on their MySpace profile, the name Bruisers was taken off and replaced with (I think it was) "La De Da". Eventually the name was changed to Phoenix City Rollers. Whomever was running the PCR profile would eventually make the profile private, de-friend people and put on a status message stating that the Phoenix City Rollers was "not your friends". Very strange if you ask me.

Then I hear of a few things including a fight for a domain name, two of the three skaters either dropped off the LLC or overall quit the team. Also, there were allegations of male involvement in league decisions as well as other inproprities, which I feel are too private to even discuss here.

Bottom line, just after becoming the Phoenix City Rollers, the team pretty much buckles at the core.

We now hear that the remaining skater on the LLC has now joined Arizona Derby Dames. Thus putting the final nail in the coffin (no pun intended to the Coffin Draggers) of the Phoenix City Rollers.

Some may ask who is to blame for the fall of the PCR. Some may blame those who dropped off the team, some may blame those involved in specific incidents, some may blame AZRD and while understandable, some of you may even blame Michi-chan for the fall of the PCR. I think that the original concept of the Arizona Bruisers/PCR was very well intended by the founders but I think that the politics around trying to gain power in the team was probably the thing that caused the team to implode.

As far as the LLC goes, I supported the decision for the Bruisers to form their own company for their own internal team business. I feel that it is a good idea to allow individual teams to have a level of autonomy in the league where they can make their own decisions. It is normal for local professional sports teams to form their own LLCs.

Good luck to all of the skaters including those who have decided to leave the derby life as a result of this. I support you, I still love you all.

Rest in peace: Phoenix City Rollers (11/30/2007 - 3/13/2008).

=m