 | This article needs additional citations for verification. (December 2008) |
Roller Games was the name of a sports entertainment spectacle created in the early 1960s in Los Angeles, California[1] as a rival to the Jerry Seltzer-owned Roller Derby league, which had enjoyed a monopoly on the sport of roller derby — and its name — since its inception in 1935. Roller Games provided a mostly televised, increasingly theatrical version of the sport.[1] Roller Games and its flagship team, the Los Angeles Thunderbirds (T-Birds) has endured several boom and bust cycles, including a roller derby attendance record in 1972, a major reorganization in 1975, appearances on ESPN in 1986, a TV series called RollerGames in 1989–1990 (and its corresponding arcade game by Konami and its video game for the Nintendo Entertainment System; there was also a pinball machine based on the show), and a small number of untelevised exhibition matches in 1987, 1988, 1990, 1993, and the early and mid-2000s.[1]
- ^ a b c "History of the LA T-Birds". Archived from the original on September 28, 2007. Retrieved 2008-12-15. — This source is detailed but not neutral; better sources are needed for all of its claims.