Another coverage question: Roller derby

If there is a predetermined winner, then it does not belong in sports.

But, if it is real, how many people are going to the matches?

If they are getting 200-300 people out for these things, I would run it.

 

I agree Roller Derby is pretty big.. We have several teams ... I have no idea what kind of crowd turnout they draw, though I do NOT think it's very large (still a hell of a lot more than Legion baseball, here anyway).
Aside from ESPN, I can't think of one daily paper that has included this into their sports section. It's been features.
I'm not saying it doesn't belong, I'm just saying...

If it were me, I'd start out with a feature story and go from there.

 

Do they skate year round? What night of the week do the matches usually take place?

This might be the type of thing that lends itself to online where you send a photog who shoots 25-30 shots once a week, place them online and run the results in agate. Or you can accept their photo submissions.

I don't think they are looking for a 15-inch gamer every week.

 

Do you cover roller derby if the women are all 6s or do they need to be at least 7s to merit a story?

 

Ask freq. He's the expert at when to call off the jam.

 

Do the competitors use real names or goofy nicknames on the roster?

 

Rosters?

 

Here's how the Olympia, Wash. newspaper handles coverage of their local league, the Oly Rollers. Oly has made it to the national finals the last three years. Coverage looks like a lot of photo galleries, the occasional feature and some agate/brief stuff:
http://www.theolympian.com/search_results?skin=300&aff=1100&q=%22roller+derby%22&x=0&y=0

Here's now the Denver Post covered the 2011 national championships in Denver (watch the video for the answer to the "is it real" questions):
http://www.denverpost.com/breakingnews/ci_19333228?IADID

And this picture is from the Rat City (Seattle) Roller Girls 2011 season opener. They had more than 7,000 people in the Key Arena. That's more than the Sonics were drawing, I think.

 

I wish I could skate.

 

The Sonics averaged more than 13,000 a game.

 

Well, it's more than the Sonics were drawing at the time.

 

That looks just about right as far as coverage goes.

This must be very hard to shoot (possibly from poor light in the facilities) because I was hoping for better art.