The Men's Roller Derby Association (MRDA) is the international governing body of men's flat track roller derby. The deal fell through when, according to Seltzer, General Motors, fuming over an NCAA decision preventing them from sponsoring the broadcast of University of Notre Dame football games, lost interest in televising any sports at all. Russ "Rosie" Baker - Hall of Fame 1960. . Frank Frazier California, Central Division. Powers remembered that Atkinson would skate for other teams if one of their skaters were injured. Joe Evans Connie Beal Mitch Donock A tragic fiery bus crash in 1937 nearly put an early stop to roller derby. Betty McTague Whether you have never laced up skates or you're a retired speed skater, Satellites has a place for you! [95] The show began broadcasting in January 2006, but was not picked up for a second season due to unsatisfactory ratings. Stars on this team eventually included Charlie O'Connell, Joanie Weston, and Ann Calvello. Jerry Hickson The Roller Derby Hall of Fame was founded in 1952, by the editors of the Roller Derby Newspaper. Softer wheels have a better grip and give you a smoother ride on a rough surface The woman. Harriet "Babe" Topel (2013) Kim Becker Joyce Ray He was. New skaters who wish to try out for a league. Don Rixman Tommy Letts Jerry Seltzer the owner of Roller Derby died a few years ago and was a smart business person filming live TV skating most of the old derby shows in B&W and sending them all over the world on film from kinescope or 16mm film to hundreds of TV stations. Jim Cook National Skating Derby, Inc. was founded in 1960 by former Roller Derby skater Herb Roberts along with its flagship team, the Los Angeles Thunderbirds (often referred to as The L.A. T-Birds). Bill Comming Armando "Marty" Martinez The revival then began in earnest, with over 50 similar all-female leagues in existence by late 2005, more than 80 by February 2006, and more than 135 by mid-August 2006. Annis Jensen (2015) - Hall of Fame 1960 Despite strong funding and four seasons of broadcasts on The Nashville Network (TNN, now known as Spike TV), the venture never became a "live" attraction. Twenty years later, he trained a new generation of skaters in Orlando, Florida to compete in Roller Jam, TNNs roller derby revival, which only lasted for two years, 1998-2000. He left the staff in 2009 to teach elementary school and returned to the staff in 2015. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Someone To Go Around Being Annoying With Crossword Clue, Her friends plan to host a memorial roller derby when pandemic restrictions are lifted. He was big, gruff and friendly, unless . Mike Adame Taft Waters Al Goodson Joe Kleats Roller Derby Roller Star Women's Quad Skate - White/Mint. We have a small quick announcement (finally) pertaining to returning to roller derby in person! To prevent this from happening, players often become visibly enraged and perform dastardly acts that involve the throwing of a tantrum, a fist or a folding chair at an opponent, or otherwise behaving like a professional wrestler in tights. Roller Games also encompassed the Canadian National Roller League (CNRL) and Japanese National Roller League (JNRL). News. Founders formed four teams, and staged their first public match in Austin in mid-2002. George Adams. Joyce Young Skaters trained constantly and traveled to games by train. John Britton In the late 1940's, Roller Derby became televised. We both loved skating so much, said his widow Dru Atkinson in a recent phone interview. People who have not skated in 20 years. Antoinette Toni Isabelle, better known in the roller derby world as Toni Rockalicous, was in the back seat of a Nissan sedan that had pulled to the side of the freeway near Fallbrook so the driver could set up a blue tooth music connection. The math is a bit fuzzy, given that there are a lot of possible paths, but according to this thread on Reddit, 27 laps is vanishingly close to a mile. Get Unstuck, Re-centered, Focused and Back on Track. Those recovering from an injury. Bill Driggers Her granddaughter, Sharilee Cantal, confirmed the death. admin 2022-02-16T21:22:12-08:00. Bobby Campbell 1948. A more theatrical imitation called Roller Games was started in 1961 in Los Angeles featuring retired Roller Derby skaters who chose not to make the move to San Francisco. Emerald City Roller Derby - Emerald City Roller Derby. [75][76], In 1962, Jerry, in partnership with his uncle Oscar Seltzer (who had founded the Roller Derby Skate Corporation in 1936), created the Dixie Devils, a "home" team for the Southern United States cities of Nashville, Atlanta, Jacksonville and Orlando. Denver Roller Derby is made up of over 100 people, each doing their part to support the league. Mary "Millie" Cooper Deby Thompson Roller Speedway ceased operations in 1952. Roller skating at this time was considered an upper class activity, complete with men in tuxedos and women in formal dresses. Alice "Fuzzy" Buchek (2013) Lydia Rodriguez Press alt + / to open this menu. Hall of Fame 2004, Bernice Abar (March 30, 2017) The Bay Bombers, formed in 1954, became the team of choice, and the rest is history. This roller derby was young with skaters ages starting at 15 years old and peaking at just 26. The Warriors also skated games at the Philadelphia Spectrum and in surrounding cities. Julie Patrick (2014) - Hall of Fame 2004 Remedios Caseros Para La Cistitis Bicarbonato Y Vinagre, Jim Kilmartin (2016) Adjusts up to 4 sizes at the push of a button. As fierce as she had ever been, Murray continued skating . [98] MRDA member leagues play using the rules of Flat-Track Roller Derby originally designed by the WFTDA.[99]. Bob Hein - Hall of Fame 2010 Northwest Indiana's professional roller derby team is recruiting new members. In a show of commitment, Seltzer invoked the rule to suspend star skater Midge "Toughie" Brasuhn, much to her chagrin, for allegedly shoving another skater into the track's outer railing, even though the play had been faked by the other skater. And you don't even need to skate. Our members work together to support one another in order to create a fun and strong community which welcomes skaters of all levels. The 62-year-old pilot was rushed to the hospital for facial surgery and a 50-year-old woman passenger in the plane was also treated for lacerations to the neck. Carol Ann Caldwell Abel Gonzalez Box 4666, Ventura, CA 93007 Request a Quote: comelec district 5 quezon city CSDA Santa Barbara County Chapter's General Contractor of the Year 2014! [42][43], At 8:30 P.M. on November 29, 1948, Roller Derby debuted on New York television, beginning a 13-week run on the CBS-TV network, broadcasting at a time well before television was in widespread use. Earlene Brown I do remember those old Roller Derby TV shows, mostly because my brother was a really big fan of them & watched them all the time. [28], Following the first event's success, Seltzer took the Transcontinental Roller Derby on the road, holding similar races throughout the U.S. with a portable track that reportedly cost $20,000. Georgeanna Kemp Chuck Davis THAT WITH TODAY'S SORROW Charlie O'Connell (2015) - Hall of Fame 1967 Attend a derby bout and it's unlikely you'll see any player sporting a "1" on their jersey. Roller Derby thrived in Northern California in the 1960s and 70s. Betty Jo Harris Julie Atkinson (2016) Patch Mayors are trusted local users who help moderate the Patch platform by promoting good local stories and flagging unwanted content. [citation needed] While discussing the article with regular patrons at Ricketts, a restaurant in Chicago's Near North Side, Seltzer was challenged to invent a sport incorporating roller skating. He hoped to become a jockey, but his weight reached 115 pounds (52 kg), and he turned his attention to roller skating. [65] A handful of independent TV stations continued to broadcast games, but the loss of network broadcasting caused fan interest to plummet. Some notable Thunderbirds who have not yet been inducted include Danny Reilly, Gwen Miller, Harold Jackson, Sally Vega, Greg Robertson and Sam Washington, to name just a few. [3][4] Two deaths resulted from the six-day race: both the winner, William Donovan, and skater Joseph Cohen died shortly after the race was completed. Joanie Hill (Saunders) Bill Cummings Bob Joseph (2015) Summer Art Camp is Open for Registration! Myrna Vandenberg (2014) Ruth Hill So the minimum speed one has to average just to g. Office Of Angela Scott Used, In the mid 70s, Atkinson trained and mentored young new skaters. People credit the start of competitive roller derby to Leo Seltzer. Eddie Poore $5.00 Cover Halloween Party! [70] Realizing he had stumbled onto a promotional formula, he began syndicating videotapes of games to more independent TV stations, and followed up broadcasts with personal appearances of the Derby in each city. For the first time, skaters were required to wear helmets, and, at the behest of KTVU television announcer Walt Harris, he made the game more TV-friendly by making jammers' helmets easier to spot. In a 2007 interview with this writer, Atkinson explained why he felt good about the move. Some of the IRDL star skaters were recruited to skate for Roller Games' International Skating Conference (ISC), which quickly eliminated all Derby teams except for the Chiefs to again focus on the Los Angeles Thunderbirds. Cal Stephens She. Owned by Bill Griffiths, Sr. and Jerry Hill, Roller Games was the only viable rival organization to the original Roller Derby and actually consisted of several separate leagues, including the (U.S.) National Roller Derby (NRD), soon renamed to National Roller League (NRL) since the "Roller Derby" trademark was aggressively protected by the Seltzer organization. Johnnie Wrice Gerry Murray (September 30, 1920 - August 9, 2019) was an American roller derby skater. Alberta Sarvis (2015) Initial teams, each consisting of seven men and seven women, were the New York Enforcers, the California Quakes, the Florida Sundogs, the Nevada Hot Dice, the Texas Rustlers and the Illinois Riot (Original names of the latter three teams were the Las Vegas High Rollers, Texas Twisters, and Illinois Inferno. Dee Maresca The public loved it, and demanded more. Sherry Jackson Chicago Women's Rink Roller Skates. "I've always heard you shouldn't . Emily Thomas [48][56] The NRDL consisted of six teams: the New York Chiefs, the Brooklyn Red Devils, the Jersey Jolters, the Philadelphia Panthers, the Washington-Baltimore Jets, and the Chicago Westerners. They are still trying to solve the crime. My friend the big blonde Roller Derby star with the San Francisco Bay Bombers 'Jerry Cattell' has moved on today to the big rink in the heavens. Roller derby is played by approximately 1,250 amateur leagues worldwide, mostly in the United States.. Game play consists of a series of short scrimmages (jams) in which both teams designate a jammer (who uniquely wears a star on the helmet) and four blockers to skate counter-clockwise around a track. He added two more teams, the Northeast Braves and Southern Jolters (later renamed the Southern Stars), and renamed the Chiefs as the New York Dynamite and, eventually, the Eastern Express. Al Stewart We have plenty of people that fill support roles and are considered full members of the team." [28] Teams were disqualified if both members were off the track during skating times. [45] Skater salaries were about $200 to $260 a week,[49] established by a players' association. Kenny Brien Roller derby events, rankings, rules, news, and more! [66], In 1960, KTVU switched to the visually and technically superior videotape format for recording games for broadcast. Libby Hoover Sam Marchese (2013) RollerGames, created in 1989 by two television producers, David Sams and Michael Miller, and Roller Games owner Bill Griffiths, Sr., was a U.S. television show that presented a theatrical version of the sport of roller derby for a national audience. Margaret Brady (2016) Erma Caldwell Gail Fund (2013) Roller Speedway was a modified version of the sport and normally featured two teams, representing Europe (the "home" team) and USA. Jan Dorigo (2013) If you watched The Roller Game of the Week Sundays on Philadelphias WKBS Channel 48 or WPHL Channel 17, you might remember one of the Warriors top skaters and general managers, Buddy Atkinson, Jr. Last month he died of cancer. WFTDA Member Community Roller derby is a roller skating contact sport played by two teams of fifteen members. Don Leite Roller DerbyRoller Derby is a team sport of fast, furious, and often violent action that first appeared in the mid-1930s. RDE Quad Skates RDE Inline Skates . Doug Monte Hall of Fame 2004, Ralph ValladaresNovember 13, 1998 roller derby skaters who have died. Team names typically pay homage to memorable Roller Derby and Roller Games teams of the past. Mickey Roberts In 2009, some roller derby athletes began using their real names, rather than stage names, in competition. [74] A league split later that year resulted in the formation of another league, the Eastern Skating Derby (ESD), which lasted until mid-1964 and skated only in New York, sometimes at the same venues as the ASD. The team evolved into one of the most iconic roller racing teams. The views expressed here are the author's own. A skater from the Stockholm Roller Derby (C) leads players from the Kallio Rolling Rainbow during their women's flat track roller derby bout in Huddinge, Sweden on June 11, 2011. . Debbie Cho The Warriors skated in Philadelphia from 1967 to 1976 and then again for several months in 1981. Gloria "Miffie" Mifsud Jack "Toddy" Geffinger (2016) - Hall of Fame 2005 This article is about 16 of the most well-known roller skaters around the globe. [35] With all three factions on the track at the same time, two teams frequently banded together to rout the third. Jeanette Costa (2016) Two of his three children, Sean and Ali competed in roller derby.". The games take place on a banked oval track, where two squads of five men or five womenthe sexes do not usually compete against each otherskate around the track, with each team sending out "jammers" in front of the pack. Louise Brower [24] Appearances at the Pan Pacific Auditorium in Los Angeles, California attracted celebrities such as W.C. Fields, Mickey Rooney, Eddie Cantor, George Burns, Gracie Allen, Jack Benny, Milton Berle, Cary Grant and Eleanor Powell.[21][33]. Lipshultz shut down the league after its last game at Madison Square Garden on December 12, 1987. Ffxiv Dun Scaith Shadowcourt Handmaiden. Before 2003 roller derby teams were coed. He was wild. In Roller Games and Roller Derby, the terms red shirts and white shirts were used instead of good guys and bad guys. Related Products. [68], In 1958, weary of Roller Derby's off-air struggle by this time, crowds at San Francisco's Cow Palace had dwindled to two hundred or less Leo transferred Roller Derby to his son Jerry. Mr. O'Connell, the fearsome leader of the famed San Francisco Bay Bombers and a 1967 inductee into the Roller Derby Hall of Fame, died Feb. 9 in Oakdale (Stanislaus County) at the age of 79.. Just as many are channeling the 70s, many traditional roller derby athletes are moving back to the streets to stay on wheels at a safe distance. My parents (Buddy Atkinson Sr. and Bobbie Johnstone) skated for the Philadelphia Panthers, said Atkinson. He talked about how even the hint of a move could throw an opponent off balance. IF TEARDROPS WERE ROSES [77] Ronnie Robinson, son of boxer Sugar Ray Robinson, was designated the team's star player. Bogash's journey began after his mother, and he attended the . Herb Elk Sixteen teams dropped out due to injuries or exhaustion, but nine teams finished, and the winning team, Clarice Martin and Bernie McKay, held the lead for the last 11 days of the event. Al Alison. Ralphie Valladares, longtime roller derby legend who skated and coached for the Los Angeles Thunderbirds, has died of cancer, it was announced Saturday. Visiting teams were always the villains and were the red shirts, while the home teams were always the heroic white shirts. When the Warriors moved from Honolulu to Philadelphia in the fall of 1967, Atkinson was confident that they would fill arenas. [36] By 1939, the organization had four pairs of teams touring the country at the same time, always billed as the home team versus either New York or Chicago. She is quite possibly the Barry Bonds of Roller Derby. . She was 76. Sid Cohen League Skater, Felicia Radakar aka "Lefty Lucy" shared, "Pacific Roller Derby was started in 2008. Many skaters from Roller Derby were in the IRSL, and some of the team names were the same as in Roller Derby. Russ "Rosie" Baker - Hall of Fame 1960 Some sources give co-credit for the idea to Leo's brother Oscar. Arthur "Buddy" Atkinson, Sr - Hall of Fame 1965. [70] To his surprise, Jerry Seltzer received three hundred letters asking for Roller Derby to come to Portland, so he obliged and the Derby made an appearance before 9,000 fans. Roller Derby, was built like a refrigerator with a head and did not take kindly to opponents who had the foolish notion of slipping past him. Elmer "Elbows" Anderson - Hall of Fame 2004 It was a reunion of the greatest skaters in Roller Derby's history. He also did the same thing with TV wrestling. Leo Reherman (2016) The San Fernando Valley Roller Derby allows women as young as 18 to play. Joel "Doc" Rabin Elmer "Elbows" Anderson - Hall of Fame 2004. Judy Sowinkski - Hall of Fame 2004 Roller derby has come a long way since Raquel Welch knocked women off the track with a well-timed hit from a well-shaped hip in the 1972 movie, "Kansas City Bomber." There is a lot of hitting, pushing, elbowing, and tripping in this finesse competition. Jim Terrigno Hall of Fame 1956, Ann CalvelloMarch 14, 2006 [29] Although Seltzer's spectacle had elements of originality, a U.S. District Court, ruling against Seltzer when he sued a competitor in 1938, found that the marathon roller race concept had long been in the public domain, so Seltzer couldn't claim copyright violation. Being on the team with Buddy was wonderful, said Dru Atkinson. He retired in 1967, soon thought better of it and kept skating until 1978. T-Bird History. Florence "Flo" Lang [70] Several years later, UHF TV stations, mostly independent and desperate to compete with older, network-dominated VHF counterparts, snatched up broadcasting rights for their areas. The accident occurred near Salem, Illinois, as the bus was en route from St. Louis to Cincinnati for another performance. The growing popularity of roller skating in the United States led to the formation of organized endurance races as early as 1884, when skater Victor W. Clough skated 100 miles over the course of nearly ten hours in Geneseo, Illinois. [21] Seltzer held his first commercial walkathon in 1931 in Denver, Colorado, then held 22 more, grossing $2 million[22] before retiring, citing that the events had become "vulgar."[23][24]. Junior roller derby leagues associated with this revival also emerged and play under modified adult derby rules. Fine & Decorative Arts Auction | Jewelry | Artwork | Furniture | Silver. Dick Lane Dave Arndt. Hall of Fame 2010, Dave PoundMay 5, 2000 For those who haven't seen the movie "Whip It," roller derby works like this: four women . In August 1983, a fire destroyed the Philadelphia Arena. Lena McBride Roller Derby was established August 13, 1935, at the Chicago Coliseum and Leo Seltzer was the man behind it. Isabelle was killed Saturday while she and her friends were on their way to a roller derby event in the San Fernando Valley. Bay Bombers in 1957 and kept skating until 1978. Some of the notable skaters that spent the majority of their Roller Derby career in Los Angeles include: Danny Reilly, George Copeland, John Hall, Shirley Hardman, Gwen Miller, Honey Sanchez, Terri Lynch, Roberta Mitchell, Sally Vega, Richard Brown, Larry Lewis, Greg Robertson, Judy Sowinski, Julie Patrick, Liz Hernandez, Roger Schroeder, (former Team standings were indicated by multicolored lights tracking their imaginary progress on a large map of the United States. Game play consists of a series of short matchups ("jams") in which both teams designate a scoring player (the "jammer") who scores points by lapping members of the opposing team. Russ Schalk Eddie Williams Lou Donovan The 1950 film The Fireball, starring Mickey Rooney, was based on the life of one of the league's stars, Eddie Poore, who skated under the name Eddie Cazar. The 1985 IRSL matches have been shown twice on ESPN Classic's sports comedy show Cheap Seats, as ESPN retains the right to air those matches. Some former Roller Derby stars found new fame in the Roller Games, and a handful of skaters simply went back and forth between the two organizations. All banked track . Ralph Valladares (July 31, 1936 - November 13, 1998), often known as Ralphie Valladares, was a roller derby skater and coach.. Born in Guatemala, Valladares moved to Los Angeles with his family when he was twelve years old. Sowinski began her roller derby career in 1959 with the San Francisco Bay Bombers, where she was Rookie-of-the-Year in 1960. KTVU FOX 2. Although the sport was a big part of his life, as it had been for his parents and uncle (Tommie Atkinson), his wife and three children were most important to him. Gene Vizena Nygra Bill Sappington Nardone remembered that Atkinson was not the typical white shirt skater. Pick your favorite color, lace them up and hit the sidewalk, rink, ramp, or park. According to Powers, Atkinson skated for the San Francisco Bay Bombers in the summer of 71, when their key star Charlie O'Connell was injured. Born in New York City on May 7, 1935, O'Connell first discovered the sport because his grandmother was a fan. LOMBARD, Ill. (WLS) -- Roller rinks were once a huge draw for kids and adults alike in most towns, but now they are disappearing from the landscape much in the same way as drive-in movie theaters . The two opposing teams of skaters form a pack, which . It was a derivative of walkathons and teams were comprised of a man and a woman. Terri Lynch (2015) - Hall of Fame 2006 One member from each team wears a beanie called a "jammer cap" and accrues points by passing opposing team members. [81][82][83], At this point, the Bay Bombers home-team concept was duplicated with the New York Chiefs representing the Eastern U.S. and the Pioneers based in Chicago (but really everything west of Pennsylvania). We're so excited to have two of our BRDL skaters representing the The Gender Ending Story at this years roller derby Pride Cup! Alohalinda Villanueva Johnny Rosasco - Hall of Fame 1952 In 1979, one of the league owners, former San Francisco television producer Dave Lipschultz, bought and restructured it. The NRD/NRL consisted of the Northern Hawks (sometimes billed as the Chicago Hawks), New York Bombers, Texas Outlaws, Detroit Devils, Los Angeles Thunderbirds (nicknamed "T-Birds"), and Philadelphia Warriors (sometimes billed as the Eastern Warriors). Monthly homeless count: Fewer living in Downtown, Crash near police headquarters, driver shoots self, New weekly farmers market opens in Cardiff, Dierks Bentleys Gravel & Gold tour coming to San, Vehicle pursuit prompts lane closures on SR-76, SD animal sanctuary rescues cougar orphanedin car, 2 critically injured in head-on collision, Best deals of Presidents Day weekend 2023, Forgot about Valentines Day? Isabelle was killed Saturday while she and her friends were on their way to a roller derby event in the San Fernando Valley. Retired skaters who want to ease back in. [36] A more sporting variety followed, with just two teams being named after Indian tribes. Refusing the entries of all except skilled roller skaters", "Local skaters in long grind. FROM DOWN HERE,TOWARD HEAVEN Roberto "El Fabuloso" Juarez Cultural historian Paul Fussell, perhaps editorializing, attributed the collapse of the sport to the declining economic class of its fan base in its final years; fans were ultimately unable to support the sponsors that had been keeping the sport on television.[87]. Terminal City Rollergirls from Vancouver, British Columbia, appeared before an audience of 4500 on March 4, 2006 to participate in a game of "Last Woman Standing" ("Blood and Thunder") against the Rat City Rollergirls at the Everett Events Center in Everett, Washington. The Thunderbirds quickly became one . Bob Sumsky (March 28, 2017) Dave Arizmendez. He started a program encouraging the formation of junior Roller Derby leagues for children (although it's not clear whether any actually formed), he sought to add more teams nationwide (although it didn't happen until 1954), and he got the players to agree to a "no railing" rule. The South Shore Roller Derby wants you. Lipschultz wanted to make it more like professional wrestling in an attempt to win over a fickle TV audience, but the players had different ideas. Gerry MurrayDes Moines - Gerry Murray, the legendary star of Roller Derby, died August 9, 2019. In the 1930s, he created the Transcontinental Roller Derby. [84][85] However, within two years, Roller Games' wrestling/circus-like approach[86] doomed that organization; many Roller Derby skaters quit and fans deserted the arenas. [59], Between 1949 and 1951, Seltzer's organization grossed $2.5 million,[60][61] bolstered by Madison Square Garden appearances in 1950 and 1951 that set five-day records of 77,000 and 82,000, respectively. Aubrey Willis This, too, was short-lived. Gene Vizena - Hall of Fame 2005 With great sadness, the National Roller Derby Hall of Fame announces the sudden death of legendary star, CHARLIE O'CONNELL. And, for those who think that roller . Mr. OConnell is survived by his wife, former Roller Derby star Judy Maguire, and by three children. Lou Sanchez, pictured here with the 1961 Texas Outlaws (back row, second from the left), was a professional roller derby skater from El Paso. Perfect for young skaters! Jefferson County Tn Noise Ordinance, It was introduced to a wider audience with the release in 2009 of the feature film Whip It, which . [citation needed] Jotting his ideas onto a tablecloth, he decided to combine then-popular six-day bicycle races[24] and roller skating. I'm sorry for your loss. Sports league. William Ellison Share: Skip to the end of the images gallery . People who want to learn to referee. She left Roller Derby in 1961 for National Skating Derby (or Roller Games) and skated with the Los Angeles Thunderbirds, New York Bombers, and the Philadelphia Warriors from 1961 until the early 1980s. Roger Schroeder [23][24] By early 1936, Seltzer had selected a group of teams who competed in Chicago, Miami, Louisville, and Detroit. . Connie Bernal WHO WENT BEFORE ME, SO WHEN YOU CRY TEARDROPS "We might soccer-mom on the side, but we skate derby," she said. The Bay Bombers, formed in 1954, became the team of choice, and the rest is history. The Westerners played in Chicago, but also in Columbus, Ohio and Miami, Florida. Mark D'Amato TO WALK UP,SOME DAY, WHEN I REACH THE TOP Cons. Pete Madden Joe Fuoti (2014) title of "Queen of Mean" as a player, died of lung cancer Wednesday, July. Otto Bongo Chronicle staff writer Steve Rubenstein first joined The Chronicle reporting staff in 1976. As before, most of the attention was centered on the Bay Bombers.