The toughest sport I've ever done

When you're at a 4 year institution of higher learning, intramural sports are usually considered the beer leagues, the leagues that you play in to have fun with friends, but they just don't matter.

Today we're going to talk about the exception to that rule, The Little 500 at Indiana University.

Yes, we've talked about it before.  I don't care.  It was the pinnacle of my athletic experience, and I will talk about it until my dying day.  I am proud of that shizz, because it is tough.

 


 How tough, you ask?  Tough enough that after going to a Roller Derby match on Saturday night, my first one ever, I told Ammon how disappointed I was.  How the sport just didn't seem as tough as I thought it would be.

He laughed, and asked if I expected that it would be like hockey on roller skates.  To which I replied that after jumping on and off of a moving bicycle while another person is doing just the opposite of you, many things seem less "tough" or "scary".

This was the best example of an exchange, filmed at the 2011 race.  That's real life, guys.  Do you realize those bikes weigh 9 pounds or so?  Have you ever tried to keep a 9 pound bike steady while you fling yourself over the top?  It's flipping hard.

I tried to find some other crash videos, but the problem with Little 500 videos is that the people are too drunk usually to adequately document anything worth watching.  Suffice it to say that when 10 or 15 people go down all at once like dominoes, it's a big deal.

After that Saturday night Roller Derby match, I've been debating getting involved, perhaps in the fall after things start to settle down a little.  It's a hard decision for me.  It's another sport where the people cheering you on are drinking heavily.

ANYONE think we were sober for our senior year Little 500?  Yeah, no.  After training for 2 years, and not drinking a drop of alcohol for 2 spring semesters in a row, we went out in style.

It's another sport where you go fast in a circle, and falling is liable to hurt a little.

These girls have on so many pads it isn't even funny.

And I would have to wear my short shorts again.

My body's too bootylicious, baby.

What do you guys think?  Ever seen roller derby in action?  Anyone ever been to the Little 500, or any bike races at all?  I need some advice, people.  Some serious, "let's participate in inherently brutal sports" type advice.  Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaand go.