Draft:San Francisco Bay Bombers

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  • Comment: It's actually too detailed - keep it on the team specifically, and remove prose like "known as America's home team" in the first sentence. SportingFlyer T·C 19:15, 15 August 2023 (UTC)

The San Francisco Bay Bombers are known as "America's Home Team." They are a roller derby team created in 1954.[1] by Leo Seltzer as a part of the National Roller Derby League (NRDL). Through the years, the Bay Bombers grew in popularity, selling out arenas all over the country. The team's most notable skaters were Joan Weston, Charlie O'Connell, and Ann Calvello. After the Seltzer's ended the family business of derby in 1973, David Lipschultz took over the responsibility as promoter, creating the International Roller Skating League (IRSL) and manager of the Bay Bombers.

History[edit]

The Bomber's history begun in 1954, but the roller derby set the stage long before they made their appearance on TVs. Through many years of highs and lows, the Bay Bombers managed to win the hearts of audiences, quickly becoming the number one team for fans all across America. Their home was the Bay Area in California, at the Kezar Pavilion. From 1950s to now, the Bay Bombers witnessed through the rise and fall of televised roller derby.[2]

Roller Derby on Television[edit]

In 1948, roller derby debuted on television on CBS-TV network. The following year, the CBS contract with roller derby expired. Following its expiration, broadcasting of roller derby bouts was taken over by ABC. In 1949, the network aired roller derby 14 hours a week for the whole year in an attempt to satisfy the sport's large audience[3]. ABC aired three and a half games a week and wanted to expand to air every day of the year. Despite Seltzer's request for more restrictive programming, ABC refused to cut back[4]. This decision lead to an overexposure of the sport and audiences dwindled, leading to the termination of their contract in 1951. Seltzer then attempted to shift Derby to NBC, where it would air Friday nights and Sunday afternoons under a General Motors sponsorship. General Motors became upset with television and NCAA negotiations, losing its interest in Derby[4].

By the time the Bay Bombers hit television in 1954, audiences were down to approximately 2,000 people[3], with only a few independent stations broadcasting games. Eventually, audiences diminished and Leo Seltzer lost interest in the enterprise. Roller Derby then returned to its roots of performing in a stadium live, without television, and the Bay Bomber grew in popularity.

Jerry Seltzer Takes Over[edit]

In 1958, Leo Seltzer handed Derby down to his son, Jerry. At this time, the Derby was performing at the San Francisco Cow Palace to significantly smaller crowds. In a last-ditch attempt to revive Derby, Jerry Seltzer signed a deal with local station, KTVU, to broadcast matches. In an attempt to legitimize Derby, it was also rebranded it as a sport, rather than as a marathon race[5]. The San Francisco Bay Bomber's first game back on TV aired on July 12th, 1958[6].

In 1969, the Oakland team secured a one-hour weekly show, syndicated to 78 stations in the US and Canada, with the potential to air in Japan[7]. In the decade that followed, Seltzer expanded Roller Derby to 130 stations, all airing Bomber games. The team was coined, "America's first professional home team"[8]. Due to their popularity, and in order to increase profits, the team split into two, the Brown Unit and the Orange Unit. These teams were equals, aside from their names: one named the San Francisco Bay Bombers and the other, the Oakland Bay Bombers.[9]

In 1972, Jerry Seltzer sold the San Francisco Bay Bombers to a Texas combine who wanted to move the team to the southwest. In response to selling the team Seltzer is quoted, "you might say we had to destroy the Bombers to save them." His decision was made due to Roller Derby's increased size which made it difficult to focus on the single team[8]. After the split, Derby's fan base changed. Old Bomber players played on different teams and fans had no loyalty to the new Bombers. Fans now cheered for individual players and their loyalties would switch from jam to jam.

The team returned to the Bay later that year. The southwest combine claimed they had difficulties setting up sufficient playing dates in the area.[10] In truth, the new owners had insufficient finances. The Bombers were back with Charlie O'Connell, but Joan Weston stayed on the Pioneers to bring profits to the team. What followed was a decrease in profits, which led to budget cuts and underpaid skaters. Star players such as O'Connell and Weston were paid $50,000 per year, new skaters received $5,000, and veterans who were not star players received $10,000. As a result, the skaters went on strike for two days. Jerry confessed to the players about the lack of funds. Some skaters left the team and others returned to Derby, but the organization continued to suffer. [11]

The oil crisis of 1973 impacted the team's mode of transportation and the fans'. With increased limitations, cancelled games, and fast-closing arenas, Roller Derby struggled to garner support. On December 7th, 1973 after a game in Binghamton, NY, Jerry Seltzer announced that "Roller Derby, as we know it, [would] cease to exist".[12]

From Roller Derby to Roller Games and beyond[edit]

In 1974, the International Roller Derby league was disbanded. A new organization based in Los Angeles formed in its place, the International Skating Conference (previously named National Skating Derby). Along with it, the Bombers, the Pioneers, and the Thunderbirds combined into one team called the Thunderbirds[13]. With Roller Derby disbanded, a new sports entertainment spectacle was born, Roller Games. To fans, the game was the same, but Roller Games was advertised for higher scores and increased violence.[14] With Roller Derby out of the way, the new Games added 45 TV stations to its preexisting 80. However, many of the TV stations that previously aired Derby, refused to air Games claiming it as too violent. In response, Games once again altered its rules to decrease the dramatics and the violence[15]. However, this plan couldn't undo the new reputation the sport gained due to Roller Games.

In 1975, Scott Howard, a Los Angeles-based entrepreneur, resurrected the Bay Bombers for his new enterprise, World Skating Derby. His version of the sport, compared to Roller Games, would be less of a "circus on wheels" and more of a sport. Their comeback season started on January 24th, 1975 in San Jose against the Chicago Pioneers.[16] This attempt to revitalize the game didn't last long. Many other attempts followed but none compared to the success of the original Roller Derby.

At last, in 1977, after a three year hiatus, Roller Derby made yet another comeback. This time, the revival was started by the skaters themselves.[17] The league included the San Francisco Bay Bombers, the Midwest Pioneers, the Brooklyn Red Devils, and the Manhattan Chiefs. The league was led by David Lipschultz, a television producer at channel 20[18]

While derby received limited ratings through the 70s and most of the 80s, roller derby refused to meet its end. Joan Weston made considerable efforts to keep it alive by starting a school to teach new skaters how to fall, hit, jump, and how to score. She believed that this school was necessary to keeping the sport alive and connected to its roots[19]. However, critics did not like this new version of derby, longing for the old days. Some claim that wrestling started to overshadow roller derby due to their similar theatrics[20]. While roller derby made a brief comeback in 1999 with RollerJam, ultimately, roller derby met its end on television.

Present Day[edit]

Currently, the team continues to play and train new skaters in San Francisco. Their goals are to teach new skaters about banked track Roller Derby and eventually set it back to its original days.[21]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Home | San Francisco Bay Bombers". San Francisco Bay Bo. Retrieved 2021-04-09.
  2. ^ Deford, Frank (1971). Five Strides on the Banked Track. Canada: Little, Brown and Company; Sports Illustrated. pp. 6–7. ISBN 978-0316179201.
  3. ^ a b Setlowe, Rick (May 21, 1969). "Local TV-Radio & Syndication: Roller Derby Gives Girls a Tumble; Up From Floor to Big Wheel on TV". Variety (Archive: 1905-2000). ProQuest 1014851456. Retrieved May 6, 2021.
  4. ^ a b Deford, Frank (1971). Five Strides on the Banked Track: The Life and Times of the Roller Derby. Canada: Little, Brown and Company, Sports Illustrated. pp. 100–102. ISBN 978-0316179201.
  5. ^ "Roller Derby to Open Here". Oakland Tribune. May 22, 1960.
  6. ^ Abbe, James (June 20, 1958). "Billy Graham to Discuss Crusade on TV Tomorrow". Oakland Tribune.
  7. ^ Deford, Frank (March 3, 1969). "The Roller Derby. Five Strides of the Banked Track". Sports Illustrated, Vol. 30, no. 9, p. 54.
  8. ^ a b "Bay Bombers Sold: $1 Million". The San Francisco Examiner. Jan 11, 1972.
  9. ^ Deford, Frank (1971). Five Strides on the Banked Track. Canada: Sports Illustrated, Little Brown and Company. pp. 35–36. ISBN 978-0316179201.
  10. ^ "Bay Bombers Back Home After Short Stay in Texas". Oakland Tribune. May 24, 1972.
  11. ^ Coppage, Keith (1999). Roller Derby to RollerJam. California: Squarebooks. pp. 87–89. ISBN 0-916290-80-8.
  12. ^ Coppage, Keith (1999). Roller Derby to RollerJam. California: Squarebooks. p. 94. ISBN 0-916290-80-8.
  13. ^ "Roller Derby is No More; Skaters Join New League". The Sacramento Bee. January 11, 1974.
  14. ^ "Call It Game or Derby: it rolls and it's tough". The Berkeley Gazette. May 14, 1974.
  15. ^ "Mayhem on Wheels". The Berkeley Gazette. May 14, 1974.
  16. ^ Finch, Phil (February 11, 1975). "Instant nostalgia: Bombers are back". The San Francisco Examiner.
  17. ^ Twombly, Wells (April 25, 1977). "Return of roller derby". The San Francisco Examiner.
  18. ^ "Roller Derby". Nostalgia Central. Retrieved May 6, 2021.
  19. ^ Petrillo, Lisa (October 18, 1987). "Roller Derby Future in Doubt: Veteran Superstars Struggle for Sport's Survival". The Daily Oklahoman.
  20. ^ Haraldsen, Tom (April 13, 1988). "Foul Lines: Roller Derby not what it used to be". Davis County Clipped.
  21. ^ "San Francisco Bay Bombers". San Francisco Bay Bombers. Retrieved May 6, 2021.
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