On Friday night, August 15th, 2025, I found myself melting in the Chicago heat at Rate Field—what I still affectionately call Comiskey Park—for a sold-out Savannah Bananas game. What unfolded wasn’t just baseball. It was a masterclass in customer experience, and it left me thinking deeply about how we show up for our clients at boberdoo and Assumed.
🍌 A Brief History of Banana Ball
Founded in 2016 in Savannah, Georgia, the Savannah Bananas began as a collegiate summer league team. But under the leadership of Jesse Cole—yes, the guy in the yellow tux—they evolved into something far more radical: a barnstorming entertainment troupe that just happens to play baseball. Their version of the game, called Banana Ball, is fast-paced, rule-bending, and joyfully chaotic. Think Harlem Globetrotters meets Field of Dreams, with dance breaks and stilts.
Cole’s company, Fans First Entertainment, lives by its name. His philosophy is simple but powerful: “If you take care of the customer, the money will follow.” That’s not just a slogan—it’s the backbone of every decision they make.
🎟️ The Experience Starts Before the First Pitch
From the moment I bought my ticket, I knew this wasn’t your typical ballgame. The Bananas built their own ticketing platform—FansFirstTickets.com—to eliminate the friction and fees that plague platforms like Ticketmaster and StubHub. No service charges. No taxes. No hidden costs. Just a clean, joyful transaction.
And the show started long before the gates opened. Four hours before first pitch, the parking lot was alive with music, dancing, autograph sessions, and banana-themed antics. The “Man-nanas” cheer squad cut ribbons, players signed hats, and fans sprinted to snag selfies. It was immersive, inclusive, and electric.
Inside the stadium, every moment was choreographed for delight. Players danced between innings. Coaches performed skits. Even the umpires got in on the fun. With over 40,000 fans in attendance, you’d expect chaos at the concessions—but lines were under five minutes. Why? Because everyone was glued to the show. Unlike traditional baseball, there were no lulls. No one wanted to miss a moment.
💡 The Business of Experience
Here’s the kicker: the Bananas don’t sell ads (but they did have beer!). Jesse Cole believes fans don’t want to be bombarded with sponsorships. Instead, they monetize through merchandise, ticket sales, and unforgettable experiences. And it works. They’ve sold out every game since their inception and built a waitlist of over 2 million fans.
This isn’t baseball. It’s entertainment. And it’s a blueprint for how any business—yes, even software companies—can thrive by putting people first.
🛠️ What Banana Ball Means for boberdoo and Assumed
At boberdoo, we build software that powers lead distribution and compliance. At Assumed, we’re reimagining cybersecurity education and data protection. But no matter the product, we’re in the business of experience, just like Banana Ball.
The Bananas reminded me that every touchpoint matters. From onboarding to UI design to support tickets, we have the opportunity to delight. We can eliminate friction. We can surprise and engage. We can make our clients feel like they’re part of something special—not just users of a tool.
Whether it’s a dashboard or a data seeding checklist, the experience should be intuitive, joyful, and memorable. That’s how you build loyalty. That’s how you grow.
🔐 A CISO’s Perspective
Of course, I wouldn’t be me if I didn’t mention security. As a CISO, I noticed a few areas where the Bananas could tighten things up—like adding email verification for ticket transfers or enabling MFA for account logins. These are low-lift improvements that could protect fans without compromising the experience.
But I also respect their calculated risk. They’ve chosen to prioritize joy and simplicity over rigid controls. And while I’d love to see more attention to privacy and security, I absolutely admire their commitment to fans first. Cheers to Banana Ball!
🥁 Final Thoughts on Banana Ball
I went bananas in Chicago—and I came back inspired. The Savannah Bananas prove that when you obsess over the customer experience, everything else falls into place. Revenue. Loyalty. Buzz. Impact.
At boberdoo and Assumed, we have that same opportunity. Let’s build software that feels like a show. Let’s make compliance feel like a celebration. Let’s go bananas—for our clients.
Click here to see Chicago at night (it was all yellow):
