The following newsletter solely contains the personal thoughts of Phoenix part-owner Johnny Goodtimes and does not necessarily reflect the views of the Phoenix organization or the AUDL. 

 

Matt Esser was on the Phoenix way back in 2013 when they made the playoffs. But in the four subsequent seasons he played on the team (2017-2021), let's be real: the Phoenix got their butts kicked on the regular.  

 

But Esser never brought any negativity, never failed to cheer the guys up when they were down, never failed to get the crew laughing. And that's not always easy to do when the team's going 3-9 or 4-8 each year.

 

Fast forward to May 20th, 2022. With the team FINALLY seeming to turn a corner after almost a decade of futility, FINALLY starting to gain some respect around the league, coming off a huge win against Montreal the night before, we against Ottawa and come out flat. Down 8-5 early, looking sluggish, tired on the back half of a back-to-back. And despite the fellas looking the best they've looked since 2013, a loss and we drop to 1-4 and are for all intents and purposes out of the playoff hunt.  You know, the same old Phoenix.

 

And that, right then, was when the team's wily old vet got the #Hotbirds back in the game with a Herculean effort and a spectacular snag by somehow keeping a foot inbounds. That's when those of us watching at the bar felt a little twinge of magic you sometimes get while watching a sporting event, a little voice in your head that says, "I think the momentum just shifted. I think we're winning this game."

 

I'm not going to lie, I didn't hear that voice at all when we fell behind in games last year LOL. But I heard it on that Saturday night. Right then. When Mr. Hotbird himself, trying to make it to the playoffs for the first time since 2013, went all out to make a spectacular catch in the back of the end zone.

 

The team seemed to pick it up after that. The sluggishness disappeared, and we were within one by the half. In the second half,  the "Human Highlight Reel" G-Mart went full-on Beast Mode and we came back and won the game.

 

It takes a spark to light a 🔥. If you ask me, that catch was the spark. And now that the fire's started, it ain't going out. Boston's about to get burnt by it tonight.

We can't wait to see everybody tonight in South Philly. It's going to be, if you'll pardon the expression, lit.

 

 

Our theme for tonight is “Beach Party”, and our vendor lineup is AWESOME. We've talked in the past right here about “mission”, and you know that we're on one. So pretty cool that our three food and drink vendors tonight are all female. Malikah Crosby runs Jammin J's, Janell Savoy runs Fun'nel Cakes and More, and Tess Hart is the co-owner of Triple Bottom Brewing. You can read more about that lineup, and why Christina is so excited about it, here. 

 

What else do we have happening tonight? A lot. We had My Best Birthday provide inflatables at the Home Opener and my kid literally spent 3 straight hours playing over there. My wife didn't know what to do with herself with all of that free time on her hands. 

 

Beyond the Bars wasn't able to play tonight (they'll be back June 17th) BUT we were able to do something cool with our beach theme. We've got Philly drummer Emily Roane playing the steel drums pregame, from 5-5:45. 

 

We also have some really fun beach games. Limbo of course. But also Flamingo races and a couples beach ball race. This is gonna be a flat out party. If you haven't already, get your tickets now. Doors are at 5, game starts at 6, and the weather looks AMAZING. Let's get it! 

 

And if for some ungodly reason you can't make it out tonight, be sure to tune into our Instagram so Adam can show you around. He'll be going live at various intervals during tonight's game. 
 

 

Gatekeeper Media has thus far mostly done an amazing job of doing disc golf videos, and has built quite a following. Furthermore, they're based in Philly. So when their CEO Derek reached out and said he was interested in collabing on some ultimate stuff with the Phoenix, I was thrilled. This is an org that puts out quality content. So a few months ago, G-Mart, James, and I met up with their crew at Sedgely (I have to look up the name EVERY time because there's also an Edgely in Fairmount for ultimate and I'm always scared I'll confuse the two and tick off disc-nerd nation😂😂). The three of us walked the course, talking about the AUDL, about the Phoenix, and about their friendship. It's a really, really cool way to meet two of your favorite #Hotbirds. I highly recommend it. Click the box above to check it out. 

 

 

Gatekeeper also did an amazing highlight video of our home game vs. Montreal. We had coach Roger mic'd up throughout the game. It was of course a heartbreaker, but as you'll see in the video, Roger does a great job of keeping the guys focused on getting back in the playoff hunt. That they were able to rebound and win two straight in Canada the next weekend is a reminder that these ain't your grandpa's Hotbirds. Click the box above to watch the vid.

 

 

Did ya know that we have an official team podcast, and that you can subscribe to it on spotify? Well it's a fact, Jack. Adam, former Hotbird great Kenny Wells, and myself host it about every two weeks. Our latest eiditon was of course our most joyous yet, as we celebrated the big Canada weekend and also previewed our matchup against Boston. You can tune in here, and be sure to subscribe as well! We've got a great team and have a lot of fun talking about the Birds. Click the box above to go to our spotify page.