Chronicles of the Blade is a Craab based movement devoted to Street Hockey and Motorball. This movement derives its name from the fact that both these sports are played on in-line skates or, as they are commonly known, "Roller Blades." Street Hockey is much like Ice Hockey except that it is played on asphalt or concrete, making it more accessible than its icy counterpart. The majority of our games are played in the parking lot of Emerson Elementary, found on the northeast corner of University and Westwood, in Mesa. Motorball is a sport of our own contriving, inspired by the sporting event, of the same name, found within the pages of Yukito Kishiro's post-apocalyptic cyberpunk saga Battle Angel Alita. It is a high contact race where teams fight for control of the Motorball while completing circuits around a track. The majority of our Motorball events are held on the Wheelchair Course located on the Mesa Community College campus, which is found on the southeast corner of Southern and Dobson, in Mesa.

Thursday, December 24, 2009

A CRAAB Christmas Hockey Carol

December 22nd 2009, 2100 hours, Beverly Building.

It had rained all day, at one point had even hailed. The unprecedented number of players from all over CRAABdom who were answering affirmatively to the last minute call to arms made the probability of canceling due to inclement weather sting like a raptor kick to the nervous system. However, when I drove by the court at 8 PM it had not been raining for a couple of hours, and though the court was drenched, the water wasn't pooling and that meant we could play. Hockey was on!

Team Marley, Marley & Scrooge were as good as their word, showing up 30 minutes before any other CRAAB players. The wager this time? The winning team would receive a life altering vision on Christmas Eve night . . . and the losers would receive crippling self-doubt and rusty blades.

Because CRAAB outnumbered Team Marley, Marley, & Scrooge by four players, we had to divide up into three teams and rotate in.

I would give a play by play description of the sopping wet Hockey that went down between CRAAB and Team Marley, Marley & Scrooge but, in the spirit of the season, I'll refrain. Instead I will simply say that we lost and Team Marley, Marley & Scrooge left the court that rainy winter night whooping their battle cry and boasting how big the turkeys they will buy for their employees will be . . . once they have their change of heart.

Though the crushing blow of defeat stung like an inclement weather canceled hockey game, it was undeniable that a general feeling of goodwill for our fellow man was palpable in the air . . . which incidentally feels exactly like playing a great game of Hockey.

God bless us, every one!

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