Philly Sports Jabronis
Report From Philadelphia Soul
ALLENTOWN, PA – With the Wells Fargo Center undergoing renovations for the Democratic National Convention, the Philadelphia Soul will host their Saturday, July 9 game at PPL Center in Allentown, PA. Kickoff for the game is set for 6 p.m.
The Philadelphia Soul, Philly’s winningest professional sports team since their inaugural year in 2004, will host the Cleveland Gladiators in the first Arena Football League (AFL) game in the Lehigh Valley. The Soul has a high profile ownership group led by former Eagles quarterback and current ESPN analyst Ron Jaworski. Other ownership group members of the Soul include Super Bowl champion coach Dick Vermeil and Super Bowl winning players Marques Colston of the New Orleans Saints and Jahri Evans, a 6-time Pro-Bowler and current NFL free agent, both of whom reside in the Philadelphia area during the NFL offseason.
The Soul have won four division championships, three conference championships and one ArenaBowl Championship in their ten seasons in the AFL and have the highest winning percentage of any professional sports team in Philadelphia during that time. The Cleveland Gladiators are owned by Dan Gilbert who also owns the Cleveland Cavaliers of the NBA. They are a conference rival of the Soul and were the 2014 American Conference Champions.
“The PPL Center is an absolutely incredible venue, and the Lehigh Valley is an awesome sports town, and we are honored to have the opportunity to play there this season,” said Ron Jaworski. “We are excited to not only expand the Soul fan base into the Lehigh Valley, but to grow the sport of indoor football overall and support the Lehigh Valley Steelhawks of the AIF, the main indoor football tenant of the PPL Center.”
The Lehigh Valley Steelhawks have the exclusive rights to indoor football at the PPL Center, but waived their exclusivity in order to bring the Philadelphia Soul to Allentown.
“We’ve always had a tremendous relationship with the Soul organization,” said Steelhawks GM Mike Clark. “The opportunity to work in partnership with the Soul and bring the highest level of indoor football to the Lehigh Valley and promote the sport of indoor football in this area was a no-brainer for us.”
The Soul have called the Wells Fargo Center, also managed by Spectra by Comcast Spectacor, home since their inaugural year in 2004. With PPL Center in the Spectra family, it was a natural fit for an alternate venue.
“The Philadelphia Soul put on an amazing entertainment experience that the people in the Lehigh Valley are going to love,” said Spectra’s Gunnar Fox, General Manager of PPL Center. “It is non-stop action that is great for football fans and families alike, and we’re thrilled to host them at PPL Center.”
After the Soul game, there will be a very special exhibition game featuring Wounded Warriors Amputee Football Team vs. NFL & local celebrities. The Wounded Warrior Amputee Football Team’s (WWAFT) mission is to raise awareness and support for our wounded warriors and their families. The team is made up of service members who have served and are now using a prosthetic device to engage in everyday life activities. By showcasing the team on the football field, the WWAFT seeks to inspire and highlight the perseverance of our service members (both active and former) who continue to face life’s challenges without excuses. This game will begin immediately following the conclusion of the Soul game and will last approximately 45 minutes.
“I can guarantee that if you come to the PPL Center on July 9, it will be an emotional experience you will never forget,” said Soul owner Ron Jaworski. “The guys on that team are the definition of “Hero” and we appreciate the star power the NFL alumni and the media will provide to continue to raise awareness for our heroes that have been wounded in battle.”
Tickets start at $10 and go on sale to the general public on Friday, February 19 at 10am. Get your game tickets at www.pplcenter.com. Group tickets, special Steelhawks-Soul combo packages and VIP packages that include signed footballs by the Soul celebrity owners can be purchased by going to www.PhiladelphiaSoul.com. All tickets to the Soul game include access to watch the WWAFT awareness game.
