Jerry Seltzer

Jerry Seltzer (born June 3, 1932) (also known as "The Commissioner" or just "Commish") was the second and final owner of the original Roller Derby league. The league and the sport of roller derby were created in 1935 in Chicago by Leo Seltzer, Jerry's father. Jerry assumed ownership of the league in 1959 and ran it until its demise in 1973. At one time the league was broadcast on 120 television stations in the United States and Canada, and filled Madison Square Garden, the Oakland Coliseum (34,000, 1971) and Chicago White Sox Park (50,114, Sept 15, 1972).

In 1959, Seltzer moved the operation to the San Francisco Bay Area and established the most fabled team in the history of the sport, the longtime champion San Francisco Bay Bombers. Stars included Charlie O'Connell, Joanie Weston, and Ann Calvello.

In 1970, Seltzer attempted to buy the struggling Oakland Seals National Hockey League (NHL) team. Although he put in a better offer and had a more detailed plan for reviving the franchise, and had investors from 4 of the major franchises in the American Football League, a majority of NHL owners (the "old establishment", not the younger owners or from newer teams) voted to sell the team to Charlie O. Finley, the flamboyant owner of Major League Baseball's Oakland A's. Finley had little luck convincing Bay Area residents that the Seals were a worthwhile attraction, and the team pulled up stakes in 1976, moving to Cleveland, Ohio and later amalgamating with the Minnesota North Stars (now the Dallas Stars).

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