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. If you enjoy this email, pass it along. If you you were sent this email but aren't already signed up, be sure to sign up here. I'm a sucker for old sports articles. So when I stumbled across a book titled “Best Sports Stories 1964” at a thrift store a week or two ago, I had no choice but to plunk down the $4 that was required for purchase*. Lots of good stuff in there about all of the heroes of the day, from Stan Musial to Sonny Liston to Bill Russell. There was also an article I came across written by Dallas Times-Herald sportswriter William Sherrod that I found particularly amusing. It was about the Yankees, whose unrivaled success had become an American nuisance. “They're the handsome young guy in the penthouse who inherited a zillion, married Angie Dickenson, and keeps a yacht in the Bahamas. They're the smart aleck who made 17 straight passes at the Las Vegas table after you threw boxcars for your last skin. They're the ex-Marine with the 36 inch waist who can do 12 chin-ups at the age of 40. They're the Joneses whose lawn is greener than yours and whose kids make straight As.” I couldn't help but laugh, because here we are all almost 60 years later, and in ultimate circles, Mr. Sherrod could just as well be discussing another New York team, the Empire. They are, without question, the most consistently great team in the AUDL these past few years. They are 38-3 over the past three seasons, and come into tonight's game leading the AUDL in points scored, points allowed, and completion percentage. They also commit the fewest turnovers per game. They are a joy to watch play, precision and beauty in motion, a Swiss watch on a Brazilian model. They are also in every sense a Dream Team, one that has a knack for grabbing some of the best players off of the competition, assembling an absurd collection of talent while at the same time weakening their opponents. The team's superstars were mostly the stars on other teams until being lured to Big Apple: Ben Jagt and Ryan Osgar were once teammates on the Minnesota Wind Chill, Jack Williams was a star on Raleigh, Marques Brownlee was one of the best players on the 2017 Phoenix. They won the 2019 AUDL Championship, then last year made it to the AUDL finals before being shocked by Carolina in the finals (a game in which I must admit I was unabashedly cheering for Carolina). Angry at their loss, they went out and grabbed Antoine Davis, a superstar for Atlanta. The collection of talent they have is insane, infuriating, and if we're being honest, impressive as hell. They're the team you love to hate. The Heat with LeBron and Wade. The Belichick and Brady Patriots. And yes, the New York Yankees of pretty much every decade. And so the matchup tonight is basically every Hollywood writer's dream. The cold, mechanical team of celebrated superstars from the Center of the Universe against the gritty collection of scrappers from Philly. Apollo Creed vs Rocky. The 1980 Soviet hockey team against the US college boys. Hell, Nick Foles vs Tom Brady. The elements are all there. As Coach Herb Brooks said before those US college boys took on the mighty Soviets, “Great moments come from great opportunities.” And tonight we have a great opportunity. To end the undefeated streak of a team of superstars from a city we love to root against ALMOST as much as we love to cheer for Philly. So be there tonight when we burn down their yacht in the Bahamas and take their zillions. Buy your tickets now! - I probably would have bought it anyway, but the subtitle, A Thrilling Panorama of the 1963 Sports Year was the icing on the cake. You put the term “Thrilling Panorama" on the cover of your book, and I'm probably going to buy it.
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Have you ever been to the Hop Sing Laundromat on 10th and Race? It's a crown jewel of Philadelphia, consistently named one of the best cocktail bars in America. The decorations are eclectic, the drinks fantastic, the owner Le is, well, a “character” in the trust sense of the word. He calls Hop Sing the best North Korean cocktail bar in the world. He strictly forbids photos being taken in the bar. There's no sign for the place, just a large steel door. He posts the hate mail and bad reviews he gets on his social media. In short, he does things differently. I was talking to him a few years ago, and he said, “You know what I REALLY wanted to do? I wanted to create this bar just the way it is, and not tell anybody. Just create this incredible bar and wait for one person to stumble across it by accident, a wrong address or something, and let them in to discover it. Wouldn't that have been amazing, John?” It brought to mind a book we had read to us in 6th grade, The Secret Garden. The math teacher, Mr. Gordon, would come in and read it to us each day. I can see it, as if it were yesterday, him sitting on the stool reading that book about a girl getting a key and unlocking a new world. I wasn't at the DC game. I was down in Virginia visiting my family, watching on AUDL.tv, annoyed because we got screwed by the weather yet again. But then I got different messages sent to me from Adam and Christina. “This crowd is ELECTRIC tonight.” Then I saw some video. Wow. It didn't look like an ultimate frisbee game. It looked like a college football game. And it got me thinking about Le and the Hop Sing Laundromat and the Secret Garden, and what it must be like to come to your first Pheonix game. To open that door, and walk into the jungle. It was Joe DiMaggio (here we go with those damn Yankees again) who was once asked why he hustled on plays after the game was out of reach and responded, “Because there’s always some kid who may be seeing me for the first time. I owe him my best.” A bit saccharine sweet perhaps, but I appreciate the sentiment. There has been no question about the Hotbirds giving the fans their best this season. Or our Gameday team, working through friggin' thunderstorms, heat, and tactical challenges that we won't mention now but we'll save for the tell-all book someday. Or the fans, so many of them sticking around after a thunderstorm to cheer like maniacs a few weeks ago, so many who will be there screaming their heads off tonight in the heat. It's easy to get caught up in the minutiae of the day-to-day, but it's important to also take a step back and realize that tonight, somebody is going to walk into our secret garden, into our bar without a sign, for the first time. And because of the work our team has put in, because of the work our Gameday staff has put in, and because of the energy our fans put out, they're going to experience something close to magic. And that's pretty freaking cool.
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Dang, this New York game has me all up in my feelings. Enough of the sentimental stuff, let's talk turkey. Here's 5 things you should know moving forward. - With their win in Toronto last week, the Hotbirds secured their first playoff spot since 2013. Matt Esser (above) is the only current member of the 2013 team on this year's roster. We'll talk to him this week on the Broad Street Backhand about what it's like to be headed to the playoffs, and how this year's team defied the odds. Be sure to like and subscribe so that you're alerted as soon as it comes out.
- Gatekeeper Media is our sponsor tonight, and they've been creating incredible video coverage for us this year. If you missed it, check out this recap of our win over Toronto and this hype video for tonight's game.
- July 30th is our final home game, and that will be Fan Appreciation Night. We've got lots of surprises in store for that game, lots of giveaways, and lots of fun. You can purchase tickets to that one here.
- Speaking of playoffs, that game will be held August 13th at Carlini Field in DC. There is talk of a party bus heading down. Tickets have not gone on sale yet, but will be soon. Be sure to follow us on Instagram to get updates.
- Go Hotbirds. Talk to y'all again before the playoff game!
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