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. And if you know another person Hotbird Nation who might enjoy reading these, please help spread the word! 

 

I know it's been awhile, and there's been a whole lot happening since last we spoke, so let's get right to it. We'll pick up where we left off, with Jeff, Christina, and I heading out to Minneapolis for the owner's meetings in early October. We got to toss the disc around on the field of TCO Stadium, the Minnesota Vikings practice facility and site of 2023 Championship Weekend. It is a spectacular stadium, and we're hoping the Hotbirds send us all out there in 2023 (even if they don't, let's crash the party, eh?). 

 

The Owner's Meetings were a lot of fun and an opportunity to learn about what other teams are doing and what works best all over the country (and Canada!) We got to meet the league's new marketing gurus, Ryan and Alexia, and are really excited to see what they do to help the league and the sport grow in 2023. 

 

From there we went into GM interview mode. We had something like 24 candidates apply for the GM position, and to be honest we were surprised and kind of flattered by how qualified the candidates were. We did Zoom interviews, we did in-person interviews, we called references, we dug into the deepest corners of the resumes, folks when I tell you that Christina is THOROUGH you best believe me. In the end, we got not only an amazing candidate but an amazing team: Matt Shade became our GM (meet him below) and Tim Brubaker became our Data and Logistics Manager. We just added jet fuel to this Bird*. 

 

Speaking of jets, one of my favorite TED Talks came back up in my Youtube queue (qeuau? queu? cue? Ugh, I hate this word) a few days ago, and I listened to it for like the 10th time. It's author Simon Sinek talking about how the “why” is more important than the “what”. (It's well worth a listen). In it, he talks about the Wright Brothers**, a pair of high school dropouts who, against all odds, created a functional aircraft. And they achieved it not because of what they were doing, but because of why.  

 

"Orville and Wilbur were driven by a cause, a purpose, a belief. They believed if they could figure out this flying machine, it would change the course of the world."

 

We're not quite trying to change the course of the world, but we do want to change the course of the sports world by making OUR flying machine a larger part of it! WHY do we want to do that? For each of us, I think that answer's different. For me personally, it's the combination of chasing a childhood dream (being involved in pro sports), being an entertainer and striving to put on a great show, and the chance to expand this incredible sport into areas it's never previously been. We also have an opportunity (and a responsibility) to expand the sport beyond its largely collegiate confines and utilize it as a tool for inclusion and opportunity here in the city. I've coached youth basketball for many years, and I understand the massive impact team sports can have on a community, on a neighborhood and ultimately on a city. As our organization grows larger and better organized, I assure you that there are big plans (via the Pass the Disc program) to expand the sport far beyond where it is now. After a somewhat hectic year in our front office (3 different GMs in 2022!), the dust has settled, and we're in a great place to expand our mission in 2023. 

 

Finally, while I think we all have different “whys” (you can read Matt's below), we're driving for many of the same goals: everybody in our front office wants to put on great events, to put a winner on the field, and to expand and grow the sport. And quite frankly, we can't achieve any of those things without YOU. If you have any suggestions of ways we can put on better events, or of how to grow the sport, please don't hesitate to reach out by responding to this email. As for the winner on the field, well few things help that more than having a major home field advantage. So we'll be counting on you in 2023 to help us grow Hotbird Nation. Let's “figure out this flying machine” together! 

 

*Did someone say “adding jet fuel to a Phoenix?” I just recently found out about this happening this Saturday night. It was too late for us to join this year, but I am determined to make us a part of it in 2023. 

 

**if you want to learn more about Orville and Wilbur's incredible story, this podcast episode of History That Doesn't Suck is awesome. 

 

***should we sell bowler hats with “Hotbird Nation” written on them, as modeled by Orville above?  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

VOLUME 6.