| New Nate Rockers | |
|---|---|
| |
| GBL Team | |
| Sport | Bladeball |
| League | Greatian Bladeball League |
| Division | Northern League (NL) North |
| Kreasi Cups | 16 (1948, 1950, 1959, 1964, 1967, 1969, 1970, 1974, 1980, 1989, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2010) |
| Pennants | 24 (1947, 1948, 1950, 1952, 1959, 1960, 1964, 1967, 1969, 1970, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1980, 1989, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2010, 2012, 2020, 2024) |
| Founded | 1947 |
| Home City | New Nate, DTS |
| Home Arena | Rockers Arena |
| Abbreviation | NNR |
The New Nate Rockers are a Greatian professional Bladeball team based in New Nate, Derettas. They compete in the Greatian Bladeball League (GBL) as a member of the Northern League North (NL North) division. The Rockers are one of two GBL clubs to occupy New Nate, with the other being the New Nate Ninjas.
One of the Original Six teams, the Rockers are the most successful franchise in the GBL and in Bladeball history. They have won 16 Kreasi Cups as of 2024, with 24 Pennants in total. A large percentage of the league's Hall of Famers played for the Rockers at some point in their career, or played for them their entire career, making the Rockers the most storied franchise in league history.
History
Early Days
The New Nate Rockers are one of the six founding teams of the original GBL, created by Kreasi Kornblatt and James Hardie (the former of whom the championship trophy is named for). The Rockers began play in the inaugural GBL season of 1947, alongside the Foye Rivers, Esposito Roadkill, Cristoforo Bridgegappers, Assange Deadbolts, and Chris Capitals.
The Rockers immediately reached the first ever Kreasi Cup Finals in 1947, by finishing with a 3-2 record, when they faced off against the 4-1 Foye Rivers (until 1958, there were only six teams and five weeks in the regular season, and the two teams with the best record would win the Pennant, advancing to the Finals). The Rockers would ultimately be defeated in the Finals two games to one (it was a best of three until 1971).
The future was bright for the Rockers, however, as they would reach the Finals again in 1948, and win it over their eventual-rival Esposito Roadkill, to clinch their first Kreasi Cup in franchise history. The Original Six period lasted from 1947 until the first expansion in 1958, when four teams were added. Until that point, the Rockers were the second-most successful franchise with two Cups (1948 and 1950), while the Roadkill had three Cups (1953, 1954, 1955).
Roadkill Rivalry
New Nate would establish their dominance in the 1960s, however, winning three Cups in 1964, 1967, and 1969, and overtaking the Roadkill for the most Cups. The core carried over into the 1970s, at which point the Roadkill began to emerge as contenders, and this period saw the evolution of the classic Rockers-Roadkill rivalry, which has become the biggest in the sport (akin to Yankees-Red Sox).
The Rockers and Roadkill met each other in the Finals three times in the early 1970s, with the Roadkill winning two of the three (1973 and 1975) while the Rockers beat them in 1974. The two also met several times in the first round of the playoffs, as a round was added before the Finals by this point.
Dynasty Years
By 1980, the Rockers had already won nine Kreasi Cups, by far the most of any other team, but their dominance was not finished. While the Rockers would struggle for the most part throughout the 1980s, they would bookend the decade with Cups (1980 and 1989) and another in 1996.
However, the 2000s saw the Rockers emerge as a dynasty, the biggest dynasty in Bladeball history. Led by a core of future Hall of Fame players, New Nate would win four straight Cups between 2000 and 2003, marking the first time in league history that a team had four-peated (the Roadkill had three-peated in the 1950s). The Rockers would add their most recent title in 2010, their record 16th Kreasi Cup.
Present Day
The Rockers have managed to reach the playoffs every year since they last won the Cup in 2010 (aside from 2013 and 2023). They have reached the Finals three times (2012, 2020, and 2024), but lost all three of those series to the Roadkill, Altrolete Stackers, and Foye Rivers, respectively. Their current Cup drought of 15 years is the longest in franchise history.
Logo and Uniforms
The Rockers feature a navy blue and white color scheme, with light blue accents. Their logo consists of two interlocking 'N' letters, representing New Nate. This logo has been unchanged since 1947, though prior to 1975 the letters were a bit thicker, and were thinned down to the current size.
As for the uniforms, the Rockers wear navy and aqua blue jerseys at home, with light blue accents. Their away uniforms are white in color, and feature navy blue accents. Both uniforms feature the Rockers logo on the front, and player numbers on the sleeves and back; however, neither jersey features a name on the back, along with the Roadkill and Rivers.
Home Venue
The Rockers have played their home games at Rockers Arena, in the New Nate borough of Johnacious, since 1947. It is the oldest arena in the GBL. However, construction on the larger and more modern Rockers Stadium began in 2022, in the New Nate borough of Grayson, and is due to complete by 2026. The Rockers will play their final season at the historic Rockers Arena in 2025, before moving to the new stadium for the 2026 season.
Trivia
- The Rockers have 16 Kreasi Cups, the most of any team (second-most is the Esposito Roadkill, with 11).
- The Rockers have 24 Pennants (how many times they've been to the Finals), also by far the most of any team.
- Consequently, the Rockers have lost eight Finals, tied with the Assange Deadbolts for the most in GBL history.
- The Rockers have won the Kreasi Cup at least once in every decade of the GBL's existence, except for the 2020s (though that decade is still ongoing).
- As mentioned, the Rockers are just one of three teams to not feature player names on the backs of the jerseys, alongside the Roadkill and Rivers. They do feature player numbers, though, as every team does.