Mike Arcata (Philadelphia Phoenix) Spikes Non-Goal, Creates Turnover

In the first half of the Saturday's AUDL game between Philadelphia Phoenix and New York Empire, Mike Arcata caught the disc at the end zone cone and dropped spiked the disc. One problem: he was not in the end zone. Just like last week, the play resulted in a turnover!

"You hate to see that."
Mike Arcata (Philadelphia) catches & drop spikes a disc near but not in the end zone. Turnover! #AUDL
[via Fantom] pic.twitter.com/Y4yLc7MeY1

— Sludge Ultimate (@sludgebrown) May 5, 2017

[h/t NY Empire]

Philly thinks they're in, clap spikes, not in. LOL.

— New York Empire (@empireultimate) April 29, 2017

Philadelphia Phoenix Phacts

The Philadelphia Phoenix, who start their 2017 AUDL season on Saturday, have had a tough run in their last three AUDL seasons.

Here are some facts about the Philadelphia Phoenix:
The Philadelphia Phoenix currently have a 15-game losing streak dating back to the 2015 season.

In their last 37 games versus current AUDL East teams, the Philadelphia Phoenix are (0-37).

Philadelphia Phoenix have never posted a win against Montreal (0-8), New York (0-11 RS, 0-1 PS), Toronto (0-9) or Ottawa (0-5). [Season 2013 thru 2016]

In 2016, the Philadelphia AUDL team went winless.

The last regular season win for Philadelphia Phoenix was on July 12, 2015 versus Rochester Dragons.

The last regular season win for Philadelphia Phoenix against a current AUDL East team happened in their inaugural season on June 29, 2013 vs D.C. Breeze.

Since 2014, Philadelphia Phoenix have won only 3 games in their last 42 games (3 AUDL seasons). All 3 wins were against Rochester Dragons, (2-1) in 2014 and (1-1) in 2015.

In the past 3 AUDL seasons, the Phoenix are (3-39); that's a dismal .071 winning %.

Philadelphia Phoenix Record (Win-Loss) by AUDL Season

2013: (9-7)

4 wins vs DC Breeze

3 wins vs New Jersey Hammerheads

2 wins vs Rochester

2014: (2-12)

Both wins vs Rochester

2015: (1-13)

Only win vs Rochester

2016: (0-14)

When asked about goals or expectations for the team in the AUDL 2017 season, former DC Breeze player and newly signed Philadelphia Phoenix player Nicky Spiva replied: "I don't have specific outcome goals/expectations. Hoping to have fun and play well as a team - hopefully we will win some games."

AUDL Team Owner Jim Gerencser Talks About Semi-Pro Ultimate

Podcast Episode 139 of Going Deep with Aaron Watson talks with Jim Gerencser, owner of AUDL 2016 Champions Dallas Roughnecks (AUDL), minority owner of the Philadelphia Phoenix, the founder of E.R.I.C., plus supporter of many other ultimate-related projects.

Here are some podcast highlights:
[17:50]  Gerencser claims to be the #3 guy in in spending money on ultimate.

[21:00] ERIC Tour reaching (introducing ultimate to) 40,000 youths.

Dallas Roughnecks Roster
Kurt Gibson stayed at Jim's house...and gave him a "little break" on his rent.
Beau Kittredge is part-owner of the Dallas AUDL team.

Baseball compared to ultimate
Jim Gerencser: "Baseball is boring as fuck! Excuse my language. Holy shit!"

Goals for the Philadelphia Phoenix
[23:52] Support the build up of the team.
Get their social media going.
Try to put together a team to win the east next year (2017).
Not aimed to smush [Spinners]. "I think they're going away with us trying to do that."

Major League Ultimate vs American Ultimate Disc League
MLU: Great league for what they are doing....but it's B-level players. They still have a great product. Some things are better than what the AUDL does.

Jim referred to MLU as "more like a timeshare." He preferred owning a business, so he bought an AUDL franchise instead.

>Listen to the entire GDwAW podcast.

Philadelphia Phoenix (0-14)

With their 8-goal loss on Saturday versus Montreal, the Philadelphia Phoenix became the fourth franchise - and the first East Division team -  in American Ultimate Disc League history to go winless in the regular season. The Philadelphia AUDL team joins the Cincinnati Revolution as the other AUDL team to have lost all their games in the 2016 season.

Sunday's loss was also the Philadelphia's 15th loss in a row going back to the 2015 season. Philadelphia's last win was against the Rochester Dragons on July 12, 2015. The Phoenix end their 3rd consecutive losing season with a -168 point differential.

Philadelphia Phoenix (0-10)

With their most recent loss to Rochester, the Philadelphia Phoenix have now lost 10 consecutive games. This losing streak encompasses their entire American Ultimate Disc League 2015 season, so far.

The Phoenix are highly projected to win at least 1 game this season. The same projections indicate there's ~10% chance that they go winless (0-14).

The renaming scheduled games for this AUDL team from Philadelphia are against DC Breeze, Rochester Dragons, and New York Empire (2).

Philadelphia Phoenix has vowed to keep their twitter avatar as a egg (0) until the team wins a game.

[images by SLUDGE]

Winless Teams in AUDL 2014 Season

Nathan Jesson published his offseason questions for the American Ultimate Disc League. Seven questions for the league as they move into their 4th season.

One stat of winless teams in each AUDL division jumped out:
In the West Division, Salt Lake City Lions went winless (0-14).
In the Midwest Division, Detroit Mechanix also went winless (0-14).
In the East Division, Rochester Dragons and Philadelphia Phoenix went a combined 0-22 against the rest of the division.

Data Source via Skyd

RELATED: AUDL 2014 season snapshots.

Phoenix visit Diego Garcia

What an appropriate way to salute the troops by the Philadelphia AUDL team!

Phoenix players Danny Bjorkman, Sam Esser, David Hampson, William Hoehne, Sam Morgan, Chris Schulze, Steve Rosso, Kyle Wolf, and accompanied by Steve Lienert (Head Coach) traveled to the South Pacific in conjunction with the Armed Forces Entertainment tour to spread and showcase the game of Ultimate.

Follow the Phoenix's journey nearly 10,000 miles away from Philadelphia to U.S. Navy Naval Support Facility (NSF) Diego Garcia via Facebook.

UPDATE (11/13): Phoenix made the front page of the Diego Garcia News!

image via

HC Leinert: "If ultimate brings you guys a little piece of home, then it was all worth it."

AUDL Jersey Fire Distinguisher

Match the AUDL team with this fiery flamed jersey.

AUDL jersey with flames 

A) Philadelphia Phoenix
B) San Francisco FlameThrowers
C) Chicago Wildfire
D) None of the Above

+++++++++++++++++++++++

Review: Philadelphia Phoenix (AUDL)

Part of the series critiquing the professional Ultimate team logos and nicknames.

Team: Philadelphia Phoenix

Web: http://phlphoenix.com/ // twitter: @PHLPhoenix

Representation: City // League: AUDL

Disc within logo?: No. // Ultimate element in team name?: No.

Background: The current Women's Football League in Philly (Firebirds) were once known as "Phoenix". Phoenix is also an Arizona city, an online University, a band, and a mythical sacred firebird. Aptly-named in the mythology symbolism of "rebirth", this Phoenix team replaces the original Philly AUDL team which departed in 2012.

First impression(s): A team with 2 cities in their name is kinda awkward. The design styles - phoenix (Ed Hardy); skyline (retro 70's) - are somewhat mismatched, but somehow work. This logo has much improved since first launched!

Initial PHL Phoenix logo

Eli's Eval: The designer of the Windy City Wildfire logo needs to look no further than the Philly Phoenix logo to see beautifully rendered flames. And these aren't just flames trailing a disc, they form a freaking Phoenix! This is the most artistic design so far. A proud phoenix built of vector-based flames. The rendering is crisp enough that you could print this without the gradients and probably in black and white and it would still hold up.

The type looks like a custom Hydro74 font called "Ocelot Piss", arced below a silhouetted skyline. On the main homepage they have a red stroke around the bright yellow type which is unnecessary. There are red knockouts in the "E" in Phoenix &/or around the "P" in phoenix that are inconsistent across their merchandise and website. I can't imagine these were meant to be here, but points off for inconsistency and poor execution.

In spite of a few small problems, this is among the best of the bunch. Though the phoenix shape as a silhouette loses some definition at smaller sizes. And it is original, as far as I can tell.

:Eli's Grades:
Grade: A
On Logo: A
On Typography: B+

Thoughts on this AUDL's team name & logo?