PHILADELPHIA, PA - The Philadelphia Phoenix, the local men’s pro ultimate disc team, aren’t going to the playoffs this year, but they will be making history.
“As far as I can tell,” says team Fun Czar Johnny Goodtimes, “We’re the first team in American sports doing a Tomato Pie Night.”
Tomato pie was brought to the Philadelphia area at the turn of the 20th century by Italian immigrants and the first slices sold at Iannelli’s Bakery in 1910. Soon after, in the early 1930s, the Scalea sisters started selling their version of the pie in Germantown. In the 1970s, that business relocated to Rhawnhurst and became Gaeta’s Italian Bakery, which has since become legendary in Northeast Philly. Now Gaeta’s is the presenting sponsor of Saturday night’s Tomato Pie game between the team affectionately known as “The Hotbirds” and the Toronto Rush at the James Ramp Complex.
“A professional sports team playing in Northeast Philadelphia at our alma mater Father Judge’s home field? We had to be part of it!” says Gaeta’s co-owner Bryan Kane.
Instead of the somewhat cliche “Dollar Dog Night”, it will be “Dollar Tomato Pie Night”, with slices of Gaeta’s famous pies for just a buck. Adding to the festivities is a tomato pie eating contest at halftime, and Gaeta’s giveaways all night long. “We’re a Philly team, with a roster of mostly Philly guys,” says Goodtimes, “So we’re thrilled to be collaborating with a local brand as iconic as Gaeta’s. We’re going to have a lot of fun, while also celebrating one of the many culinary treats that make Philly so unique.”
As for the game itself, the 5-6 Hotbirds will be taking on the 5-5 Toronto Rush, who they knocked off earlier this season in the Great White North. The Phoenix will be looking to end their season on a winning note.
And for Gaeta’s? Kane proclaims, “We want to show the city and country that we have the best tomato pie and it’s made right here in Northeast Philadelphia.”
Gates open at the James Ramp Complex at 6 p.m., with opening pull at 7 p.m. The fun starts with the free JAG-ONE ultimate frisbee youth clinic and continues throughout the event with bouncy inflatables for the kids, beer from local brewery Moss Mill, and high flying action on the field.
To get your tickets - head to our team store!
About the Philadelphia Phoenix
The Philadelphia Phoenix is a professional ultimate team and member of the American Ultimate Disc League (AUDL); the premier professional ultimate league in North America, with 24 teams across the United States and Canada. The Philadelphia franchise was founded in 2013. For more information about the 2023 Philadelphia Phoenix, visit https://theaudl.com/phoenix.
