City Cast Philly
📗 The Phillie Phanatic’s origin story
July 22, 2024 · — Asha Prihar
Good Monday morning! I don’t know about you, but with the busy news cycle these past few weeks, I’m feeling like lifetimes have passed since the beginning of July.
On a very related note: Pennsylvania is always in the spotlight during presidential election years. But now that President Joe Biden has officially dropped out of the race and endorsed VP Kamala Harris for the job, there could be even more eyes on our state, since Gov. Josh Shapiro is reportedly in the running for the second spot on the Democratic presidential ticket.
That’s enough national news for now. Keep scrolling to stay on top of the city's top headlines — and for a little bit of Phanatic content that’ll help you start the week on a positive note.
What's CITY Talking About?
Mass Shooting with Many ‘Unanswered Questions’
Early Sunday morning, three men lost their lives and six other people were injured at a gathering of more than 100 people in West Philly, according to police. Investigators believe there were “multiple shooters,” but they’re not sure how many. As of yesterday evening, no arrests had been made. [NBC10]
Safety Advocates Gather To Remember Traffic Victims
A few hundred people gathered Sunday morning to call for infrastructure changes and to commemorate cyclists and pedestrians killed by vehicles. The vigil happened less than 12 hours after the two latest pedestrian deaths in Philly: a man in Frankford and a 22-month-old girl in Feltonville. [Inquirer 🔒]
Microsoft Outage Impacts Philly
The City of Philadelphia, Philadelphia International Airport, the Philly courts system, and Penn Medicine were among those affected by Friday’s mass IT outage. Crews had to work through the weekend to bring city employees’ computers back online. Emergency services in the city, however, weren’t impacted. [WHYY]
Cruise Line Coming to Philly
Cruises will return to the Port of Philadelphia in 2026, when Norwegian Cruise Line will begin to offer summertime trips to Bermuda and fall trips to Canada and New England. [PhillyVoice]
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What To Do
Monday, July 22
- 💰 Financial Help and Credit Repair Chat | 2–3 p.m. | Free | Parkway Central Library
- 🧘 Meditations in the Garden | 3:15–4 p.m. | Free | Bartram’s Garden
- ✍️ Roxborough Writing Club | 5:30–6:45 p.m. | Free | Roxborough
Tuesday, July 23
- 🐟 Creek Life Exploration | 1:30–3 p.m. | Free | Andorra
- 🚌 Bridging Blocks: Transforming Public Transit | 4:30–6:30 p.m. | Free | West Philly
- 🪴 Kokedama Workshop | 6–7:30 p.m. | $40 | South Street
Wednesday, July 24
- 🚚 Summer Night Market | 5–10 p.m. | Pay As You Go | Northern Liberties
- 🐦 Discover Mussels, Birds & Networking | 5:30–7:30 p.m. | $15 | Fairmount Park
- 🌳 “As You Like It” in the Park (First Performance) | 7 p.m. | Free | Clark Park
- 🎪 “Hamlet” by New York Circus Project (First Performance) | 8 p.m. | $49 | Old City
Today on City Cast
The Phillie Phanatic from the get-go was that kind of in your face, take-no-prisoners kind of mascot. You know, ball of energy, way too big for the costume, way too big for the stadium, just barreling through and saying you’re not gonna stop me. … And that’s kind of the energy of the city.
The Phillie Phanatic’s Origin Story
The Phillies are number one in the MLB right now. The real question, though: How did their mascot — a giant, flightless bird from the Galápagos — end up becoming number one in our hearts?
We’re revisiting a conversation City Cast Philly podcast host Trenae Nuri had last year with AJ Mass, editor and writer at ESPN and author of “Yes, It’s Hot in Here,” about his experience as a mascot for the New York Mets and how the Phanatic became a model for future mascots to follow.
Enjoy your Monday!
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