In another step forward for mainstream recognition of Roller Derby, ESPN’s SportsCenter handed Sunday’s Outside the Lines segment over to the burgeoning sport. The piece featured interviews with women from Austin’s own Lonestar Rollergirls, including Honey Homicide of the Rhinestone Cowgirls and Chola of the Putas del Fuego. But what’s important was that it wasn’t just about Austin. The package featured leagues from St. Paul, Phoenix, Cincinnati, and New Orleans (the more hardcore fans may notice former Chronicle intern and current Big Easy Rollergirls ref Meredith Barnhill, aka Vargas Grrl, at the 4.28 mark on the countdown). The biggest credit that the Lonestar Rollergirls and the Texas Rollergirls can get these days is that the sport has got so big that it’s far beyond being “just an Austin thing.”

This article appears in May 16 • 2008.

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The Chronicle's first Culture Desk editor, Richard has reported on Austin's growing film production and appreciation scene for over a decade. A graduate of the universities of York, Stirling, and UT-Austin, a Rotten Tomatoes certified critic, and eight-time Best of Austin winner, he's currently at work on two books and a play.