T-Bird History
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). NSD was acquired by Bill Griffiths and Jerry Hill in late 1961. The first games being skated in 1961. The Thunderbirds quickly became one of the most popular and well-known teams in the history of banked track skating (Roller Derby).
Within just a few years, the T-Birds popularity rivaled that of the other major sports teams in Los Angeles; the Dodgers, Rams, and Lakers. The red, white and blue T-Bird uniform and the stars that wore it are etched in the mind of Los Angeles sports fans forever.
Television and Dick Lane
During much of the 1960’s and 70’s, T-Bird games were broadcast in prime time by KTLA in Los Angeles and also shown in many other markets in the United States as well as internationally. Sunday night T-Bird games were one of the highest rated TV programs in the Los Angeles market for many years.
The voice of the T-Birds was Dick Lane, who coined the phrase “whoa Nellie” which has been used since by others such as Keith Jackson. Lane started his Roller Derby broadcasting career in 1951 and then joined KTLA and the T-Birds in the 60’s. Lane was often assisted in the press box and the infield by Bill “Hoppy” Haupt. Many “Los Angelinos” place Lane alongside Vin Scully, Chick Hearn, and Dick Enberg as one of the greatest announcers in this early history of Los Angeles sports. Lane retired in 1972 and died in 1982 and will forever be missed.
Home of the Thunderbirds: The Olympic Auditorium
The home of the T-Birds was the 9000 seat Olympic Auditorium, which was routinely sold-out for T-Bird home games. The auditorium was built in 1924 for the 1932 Olympics. Throughout the 1930s, 1940s, and 1950s it was home to some of the biggest boxing, wrestling, and roller derby events and has become somewhat of a landmark for boxing (and Roller Derby) history. Witnessing an event at the Olympic in the 1960’s was unlike any other sports experience. Every seat was close to the action and because of the acoustics of the building, the crowd noise was quite possibly more intense than any auditorium in the country.
T-Bird games often created a unique fan frenzy and occasionally pandemonium. For playoff and championship games, the Olympic was often not large enough so the team would hold these games as such venues as the Fabulous Forum (home of the NBA Lakers) or the L.A. Sports Arena. Over the years the T-Birds have skated at many of the largest arenas in the United States, including the venerable Madison Square Gardens. In 1972 the T-Birds set the all-time single-game attendance record for Roller Derby as 51,000 fans jammed into White Sox Park in Chicago to see the T-Birds in action.
Bay City Bombers of rival “Roller Derby” league
Two Giant Leagues, Two Legendary Teams
There have been numerous Roller derby leagues over the years but only two that gained national prominence; “Roller Derby” and “Roller Games“. The Los Angeles Thunderbirds were the dominant and most popular team in Roller Games and the Bay City Bombers were the flagship team in Roller Derby. Unfortunately, the two leagues did not get along well and never hosted a “grand championship” that pitted the champions from each league against each other. Occasionally, the T-Birds and Bay Bombers did skate head to head in exhibition games, and these rare events were highly anticipated by fans of both teams.
Sadly, in 1972, the league that was founded in 1935 and started it all (Roller Derby) closed its doors. Many of these Roller Derby skaters had skated full-time for years and had few options for livelihood. T-Bird owner Bill Griffiths accepted a large number of the Roller Derby skaters into Roller Games. Not surprisingly, the skaters from the two leagues did not get along well.
Both leagues had always had extremely talented, competitive skaters, but in the 1970’s Roller Games began to focus more and more on theatrics and entertainment. This was frustrating and unacceptable to many of Jerry Seltzer’s former Roller Derby skaters and many observers believe this may have been the cause of the demise of Roller Games in 1975.
Mr. T-Bird, Ralphie Valladares
During the heyday of the Thunderbirds, many of the teams biggest stars became household names in Southern California and known throughout the country. Undoubtedly the most popular T-Bird over the years was little Ralphie Valladares, who skated with the T-Birds for over 30 years. Ralphie was on the first squad in 1961 and skated in the final game of the Bill Griffiths era in 1993. He is the team’s all-time scorer and holds many other T-Bird and Roller Games records, including; most game skated and most years skated.
Thunderbird Stars
Besides Ralphie, the T-Birds have been the home of a long list of legendary, Hall of Fame skaters. 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 Olympian) Earlean Brown, Sam Washington, Billy Marshall, Carmen Thompson, Jim Terrigno, Ronnie Rains, Harold Jackson, Frankie Macedo, Patsy Delgato, Colleen Murrell, Debbie Heldon, John Johnson, Mike Flaningam, Darrell Davis and many more.
Other Roller Derby stars that did short stints in a T-Bird uniform include Charlie O’Connell (the Bay Bombers all-time men’s skater), Joanie Weston (the Bay Bombers all-time female skater), Ann Calvelo (legend), Ronnie Robinson (son of boxer Sugar Ray Robinson), among others.
Marion “Red” Smartt was the first coach of the team and guided them through much of the 1960’s. Other notable coaches and captains included John Hall, Ralphie Valladares, and Terri Lynch.
View pictorial tributes to skaters in the official National Roller Derby Hall of Fame here.
Ralphie Valadares Ralphie Valladares in action
Roller Derby star Danny Reilly
Brothers and Sisters
Along the way, the T-Birds have had several siblings duos and one trio. In the 1960’s, Danny & Jerry Reilly skated on strong T-Bird teams. The Kruse twins, Carolyn & Carol, spend time with the team in the late 60’s and early 70’s. In the late 1980’s sisters, Jennifer & Kristine Van Galder teamed up for a RollerGames revival.
Leon, Bernie & Harold Jackson each skated as a T-Bird. Leon skated in the 60’s and early 70’s, Bernie for one season in 1974 while Harold did brief stints with the T-Birds in the 70’s and 80’s. Harold eventually became one of the sports biggest stars, spending many years with the Chicago Hawks. Bernie was an active skater as late as 2007! All of the Jackson brothers were Roller Games All-Stars at one time or another during their careers.
Roller Derby star Harold Jackson
The 1960’s – Glory Days
LA’s new team rapidly gained a large, loyal following which became larger every year. Coach Marion “Red” Smartt lead the team to several championships as the T-Birds dominated. The skating on both men’s and women’s teams was fierce and fans were treated to Roller Games at it’s best. Almost all the games were carried on television.
During the 1960’s Roller Games experienced rapid growth and established teams in Baltimore, Cleveland, Philadelphia, Florida, Hawaii, Canada, Mexico, Australia, and Japan.
National Skating Derby (NSD) changed its name to National Roller League (NRL) and eventually encompassed four separate leagues in four countries: NRL was the parent company for Roller Games in the United States; Canadian Roller Games (in partnership with Norman Olson) in Canada Japanese Roller Games in Japan and Australian Roller Games in Australia. In addition to the Thunderbirds, NRL teams in the USA included The New York Bombers, Philadelphia Warriors, Detroit Devils, Northern Hawks, Texas Outlaws and Brooklyn Red Devils.
This was by far the most successful decade for Roller Games although its popularity peaked in 1972.
1967 Thunderbirds
The Early 1970’s – Massive Popularity!
Sold out Comiskey Park, 1972
In the early 70’s, the T-Birds soared to new heights as fans packed arenas in Los Angeles and across the country. The movie Kansas City Bomber, starring Rachel Welch increased the popularity of the sport greatly. Many T-Birds were hired to skate in the movie. In 1972 a rare inner league game between the T-Birds and Midwest Pioneers drew a record crowd of 52,000 to Chicago’s Comiskey Park.
In 1973 Jerry Seltzer shut down Roller Derby and sold the promotional rights to Bill Griffiths. Roller Games absorbed many Roller Derby skaters when that original league folded. Griffiths disbanded Roller Derby’s IRDL and his own NRL and formed the International Skating Conference (ISC). Teams in the ISC included the L.A. T-Birds, the Eastern Warriors, and several international teams: Team Canada, the Tokyo Bombers, and the Latin Libertadores. Within two years, Roller Games also shut down operations (for a short time) due to financial difficulties and other problems.
The Mid 1970’s – Comeback Years
With the determined hard work of many skaters, especially John Hall and Ralph Valladares, the T-Birds fielded a team in 1975 and began rebuilding. John and Ralphie opened a T-Bird training facility in Pico Rivera (the T-Bird Rollerdrome) and thus began a new era for the T-Birds, Roller Games and the sport of Roller Derby.
1972 Hit Movie, Kansas City Bomber
Gone were the lucrative TV contracts and prime-time broadcasts, and player salaries were cut drastically. Some skaters bowed out and into retirement, while others pushed on. Many had to take second jobs to make ends meet. Games were broadcast on Channel 52, a small UHF station based in Corona, California and not always in prime time. Instead of skating several times per week, the T-Birds now usually only skated once a week and did much less travel. Despite the challenges, training was intense and the quality of skating was still quite high.
Jerry Hill headed up the Philadelphia-based team, the Warriors, whose games were broadcast on WKBS Channel 48 with announcer Elmer Anderson, a Roller Derby hall of fame member. While
the T-Birds remained popular in Southern California, the Warriors captured the hearts of fans in Philly and became the powerhouse of the East.
New T-Bird stars emerged from the wreckage such as Harold Jackson, Donna Young, Debbie Heldon while some younger veterans took their skating to new levels, most notably “Skinny Minnie” Gwen Miller & Sam Washington. Superstars Danny Reilly, Ralphie Valladares, and Ronnie Rains stayed in the mix and provided the team with marquee star power carried over from the 60’s.
The Late 1970’s – Green & Gold
This new era for the T-Birds brought new uniforms and a drastic change of team colors. In 1978 the team dropped the traditional red, white and blue for brand new green and gold uniforms.
Fan favorite “Skinny Minnie” Gwen Miller
By the late 1970’s, the T-Birds were featured on television in the name of Roller Superstars. Although the team was no longer selling out the newly named Grand Olympic, crowds were building steadily. In 1978, the Chicago Hawks, lead by former T-Bird Harold Jackson and his brother Bernie, went undefeated during the regular season, crushing the T-Birds in most of these games. The Hawks faced the T-Birds in a highly anticipated championship series which drew the largest crowds in several years to the Olympic as the T-Bird faithful witnessed their heroes defeat the Hawks in a series that went the full seven games. The re-built T-Birds carried this success into the 1979 season as they now routinely packed the lower section of the Olympic Auditorium and skated to sold-out crowds at venues such as the San Diego Sports Arena.
During the late 1970’s, the faithful fans at the Grand Olympic gravitated to a new hero, “Skinny Minnie” Gwen Miller. Gwen’s skating talent and agility along with her longtime loyalty to the T-Birds endeared her to the fans. She was the unofficial Queen of RollerGames during this period. The very special connection that Skinny Minnie had with the fans was often overlooked and underplayed by management as the team began to focus attention on “model type” women skaters whose ability was often in question. Throughout the 1970’s, Roller Games was the only league operating and kept banked track skating alive.
The Early 1980’s – The Comeback Validated
The momentum that was building in the late 70’s continued into the early 80’s. The T-Birds went “down under” to Australia for the first time in many years to the delight of Aussie fans. In 1980 the team packed arenas throughout Mexico on a tour that included several sell-outs at the 30,000 seat “Copper Dome” in Mexico City.
The closing of the T-Bird training facility in 1985 may have been the single biggest blow to the organization in its history. After that year skaters did not have a regular facility to train at. Talent slowly began to diminish and by the mid 80’s many veteran stars retired and there were few talented newcomers to replace them. Many former reserve or “pack” skaters became featured performers but just did not have the skills to attract fans. Mr. T-Bird, Ralphie Valladares, was forced to continue skating as he turned 50 in 1986.
The Mid 1980’s – ESPN
Even so, the T-Birds and Roller Games were still the only recognizable league in the country and as such was picked up by ESPN for the 1986 season. Games were televised nationally by the sports giant network and packed arena tours followed. The ESPN games were held in Las Vegas at the Showboat Casino. It seemed the T-Birds were back! Unfortunately, there were financial disagreements with ESPN and the two sides parted. Not long afterward, Bill Griffiths shut down operations again. He retained rights to the names and held occasional matches in 1987 and 1988.
The Late 1980’s – Rock n’ RollerGames
It appeared to be the end of an amazing era. But, not surprisingly, Mr. Griffiths had one more trick up his sleeve. In 1989, two television producers David Sams and Mike Miller, worked with Griffiths to produce RollerGames, a U.S. television show that presented an even more theatrical variant of the sport for a national audience. It featured a steeply banked figure-eight track, an alligator pit and a number of skaters who had been in the Roller Games league, as well as younger participants. It was broadcast for one season (1989–1990) before its distributor, Quintex Media, went bankrupt. The show actually had relatively good ratings and might well have continued if not for the fall of Quintex. The demise of this show put the nail in the T-Birds coffin. Or did it?
Sell Out Crowd in San Diego
Roller Games Magazine, January 1990
The 1990’s – The End?
In the 1990’s ESPN broadcast classic Roller Games matches, mostly as filler for their 24-hour network. Must of the material aired was from the seasons of 1979 to 1980.
The league was revived as Roller Games International from 1990 to 1993. In 1990 the T-Birds skated two games in Alberta, Canada (Edmonton and Calgary). In 1991 & 1992 the team was idle for the first time in its existence. On February 6th, 1993, Griffiths and the T-Birds took one last gasp of air, hosting the teams final game of the 1990’s (and Griffith’s era) in Auburn Hills, Michigan (Detroit). With over 10,000 fans looking on, the T-Birds skated against the RGI All-Stars at Pontiac Arena.
The crowd went wild, the T-Birds were victorious and it was a grand exit for Ralphie and the team. But was it really the end? T-Birds fans were left with only hopes and prayers. The team and the league were silent for the remainder of the 1990’s and despite another attempt with a new owner in the next decade, this game was the end of an era. And sadly, on November 13th, 1998, at the age of 62, the heart and soul of the Los Angeles Thunderbirds died. May Ralphie Valladares rest in peace.
The organization remained dormant for the rest of the 1990s, although the six teams from RollerGames still performed for the public in the Super Roller Dome.
The 2000’s – Failed Comebacks
In the year 2000, Bill Griffiths Jr revived the T-Birds and Roller Games International, with little success. Former skater Lou Sanchez used the T-Bird name to host games in 2003. In 2005, Robert Sedillo leased the rights to use the T-Bird name. One game was skated in 1985 with the T-Bird girls team skating against an up & coming new all-girls Roller Derby team loaded with young, well-trained skaters. The T-Bird girls team had not skated (or trained) for years and was pieced together with older, out of shape veterans far removed from their prime. The result was a lopsided victory for the opponent and an embarrassing wake up call for the once glorious T-Birds.
The following year, the full team (men and women) skated on July 26th, 2006 at Kezar Stadium in San Francisco against the revamped Bay Bombers. The two teams were made up of mostly very old skaters and a few rookies. Like many of the games of the past 20 years, it would have been better billed as an “old-timers” game. The Bombers defeated the T-Birds 81-79.
In 2007, the T-Bird skaters were trained under the guidance of Harold and Bernie Jackson and held a few games at the Pomona Fairgrounds.
Robert Sedillo died suddenly and unexpectedly in late 2009 and non-payment of his name rights fees resulted in the name being returned to Bill Griffiths who subsequently sold those rights to former Roller Games star Stephanie Garcia. Currently, another comeback attempt is underway, headed by Garcia.
Los Angeles Thunderbirds 2007
Today’s Roller Derby Revival
The past few years have seen a grassroots revival of the sport, especially among women. There are over 100 all-female leagues operating in the United States and the number is growing. The sudden growth in 2006 is attributed to the exposure the sport achieved from the Rollergirls reality television show, depicting portions of the lives of real skaters from the Austin-based banked-track league TXRD Lonestar Rollergirls. The show began broadcasting in January 2006 but was not picked up for a second season due to unsatisfactory ratings.
The renowned T-Birds are the team that kept the sport of Roller Derby alive from the 1970’s through the 90’s. Many of today’s young participants only exposure to Roller Derby was T-Birds action from the 1980’s on the ESPN run in 86′ or the TNT figure eight spectacle of 1989 and 1990. While this may not have been the “glory years” of the T-Birds, it was enough to inspire legions of new fans who are now turning into new skaters.
Former T-Bird skaters have become trainers for many of the new leagues and there just aren’t enough of them to go around. Does this celebrated RollerGames team have another comeback in store? Stay tuned!
About the Author
Scott Stephens skated under the name “James Scott” with Roller Games from 1978 to 1981. Today Scott stays busy managing his musical group, Liquid Blue.
“Roller Derby was anything but conventional.
It was dark, violent and underground.
It was non-conformist; hip and authentic.
It welcomed all races, genders and sexual orientations.
It was a “people’s sport” with low salaries and admission fees; revered by the inner city working classes.
It was Rock & Roll, Funk, Goth and Punk combined and often edgier than all of them.
It was a traveling circus; a dysfunctional but happy band of gypsies including some of the most colorful characters the sports world has ever seen.
This is why I love it!”
-Scott Stephens
About the Site
My goal in creating and hosting this site is to pay tribute to the great skaters that gave their blood, sweat, and tears to Roller Games. There are so many misconceptions about this particular Roller Derby league (Roller Games) on the internet and elsewhere that I felt a need to author an accurate, concise history of Roller Games. I’m also cautiously hopeful that there might be a Roller Games revival and I feel this site could be a marketing showpiece for whoever leads that charge in the future.
Throughout the site, you’ll hear the terms “Roller Derby” and “Roller Games”. To clarify, Roller Derby is the generic name of the entire sport and also the name of its original league. Roller Games refers specifically to the rival league created in Los Angeles in 1960.
The Thunderbirds fan web page is dedicated to classic roller derby from the golden age of the sport. This is defined as professional (athletes are paid), banked track skating, featuring both women and men on quad roller skaters. The classic version of the Thunderbirds was active from 1960 to 1993, with the “golden age” being the period from 1961 to 1974.
This site was created for skaters and fans to enjoy and there is absolutely no monetary motivation in its creation. I have authored a full-length book covering the story of Roller Games from its inception until its untimely end in 1993, entitled “Rolling Thunder.” Any net profits from this book will be donated to charity.
I am extremely busy with both my musical group, Liquid Blue, and several other ventures including Ocean Blue International Properties and Planet Blue Publishing. My band has performed 100 to 200 shows per year for the past 25 years and traveled to 125 countries thus far. It was challenging to find the time to produce this tribute site and it had been on hold since 2007. It was finally completed four years later in 2011. Almost all of the photos you see on this site have been contributed by others (skaters; fans, etc.). The book, which was conceived of in the mid-1990s, was put on the shelf until 2018 due to my schedule.
The administrators and editors of this page do not claim ownership of any materials posted here, including images, videos, etc. We do not seek any monetary gain. We simply hope this page brings back memories and joy to those who loved Roller Games and the T-Birds. We felt it was essential to preserve this history.
The T-Birds Place in History
From a historical perspective, Roller Games and its flagship team, the Los Angeles Thunderbirds made a huge impact on the sport of Roller Derby, 2nd only to Leo and Jerry Seltzers original “Roller Derby”. There has been little written or documented about Roller Games and this site was created partly due to this lack of information on the web. There has been a much well-deserved focus on Roller Derby but unfortunately, there has been an effort to thwart any recognition for the rival T-Birds.
This site is not about the owners or the politics of the sport. It is for the skaters. Leo Seltzer deserves credit for the creation of this amazing sport which continues today. His son Jerry also deserves a multitude of thanks from all who have participated or enjoyed a Roller Derby match. But for those of us who grew up in or around Southern California, we must thank Bill Griffiths for bringing the sport into our homes in the 60s, 70s, and 80s.
Many of us were inspired to learn to Roller Skate after watching the T-Bird in action either on TV or at the Olympic Auditorium. For the skaters who still harbor resentment towards this rival league and its more theatrical version of the sport; let it go; life is too short. There were mistakes made along the way by parties on both sides. And yes, this sport probably could have been as big as the NHL or even bigger and it wouldn’t surprise me it happens soon with one of the new leagues.
Don’t Walk; Roll!
To this day I still bring my skates to every city my band performs in (over 500) and I have rolled around in over 100 countries. I believe we should encourage skating as a method or option of transportation for short distances. And we should start children at a young age. I keep a pair of skates at my office and skate to lunch daily. Most restaurants allow me inside without a problem. In foreign countries, I’m almost never asked to take my skates off. Awesome! I’ve always believed quad skates are far superior to in-lines for both street and Derby skating. Their maneuverability is the main reason. Teach your kids to skate on quads; trust me.
The Great, Underappreciated, Ground-Breaking Sport
At its best Roller Derby was fast, exciting, hard-hitting, and truly one of the most spectacular sports the world has ever witnessed.
At its worst it was too theatrical (fake); slow and lethargic and sometimes highlighted physical beauty over pure talent. Pathetic (at times) would be an appropriate term.
If anything, Roller Derby truly stood apart from other sports for being inclusive of both men and women and treating them as equals, long before anyone else. It’s acceptance of all races and sexual orientations were also extraordinary. This was genuinely a sport of the people. All people of every social status. Please read the final section of the history page for more on this sentiment.
Gratitude
I want to thank my good friend and former coach, John Hall for helping me get the facts straight on in the history section. Special thanks to Phil Berrier of the Roller Derby Hall of Fame for his wonderful skater tributes. I also owe a debt of gratitude to the founder of Roller Games, Mr. Bill Griffiths who gave me the chance to be part this amazing show. And thank you to all the skaters who have personally contacted me and said “thanks”.
The New ERA
Finally, a few words directed at today’s up and coming leagues and skaters: The sport of Roller Derby can become whatever you make of it. Study both the highlights and mistakes of the past. Dig deep in your research and you’ll find both Roller Derby and Roller Games accomplished amazing things without major sponsors and today’s marketing machine.
The San Francisco Bay Bombers and Los Angeles Thunderbirds routinely drew crowds of 5000 to 20,000 across the country and did this consistently for many years. The skaters made their living in Roller Derby doing what they loved. Market your sport to the hip; the inner cities and those who find alternative and underground sports interesting. Train hard and keep it real but also don’t be afraid of spicing it up, just a bit, with some creative entertainment aspects. Just don’t go overboard and never solely rely on this to attract your fan base. Every major sport adds some spice to flavor their product but I also understand that you are struggling to overcome public perceptions at a time when these spices became grossly overused.
Coed/Banked Track
I believe you’ll be stronger if and when you also feature male squads and then once again you’ll be the only sport with both sexes on the same teams. This does not have to diminish the role of women and never did in the past. And while the flat-track game is more economical, eventually for the sport to get to previous or greater heights, a banked track will be necessary.
The two aforementioned leagues were probably within inches of taking it to the next level but didn’t get there for various reasons. But still to this day, no team or league has ever come close to the fan support that Roller Derby and Roller Games became accustomed to. I hope this fact will someday change and wish you all the best.
If you’re interested in connecting with the current Thunderbirds organization, visit https://www.facebook.com/golatbirdsgo/ for more information about possible upcoming games. This current version of the team is competing in exciting flat-track women’s roller derby and managed by former T-Bird star Stephanie Garcia.
Scott
1980 Thunderbirds (Scott is #7)