I Won the Lottery… But Not the One You Think!

Nope, I didn’t buy a ticket. But somehow, I still beat the odds—odds of over 2.5 million to 1.

I won the Savannah Bananas ticket lottery!

If you’ve never heard of the Savannah Bananas, you’re in for a treat. This isn’t your typical baseball team. The Bananas have completely flipped the script on America’s pastime, blending baseball with circus-style entertainment and a fans-first philosophy that’s turning heads across the country. (Seriously, if you haven’t seen them yet—Google them. You will smile.)

What makes this even more fascinating to me is the business behind the bananas—literally. Jesse Cole and his wife Emily are the founders of Fans First Entertainment, the company that owns all four teams in their league. Jesse, always seen in a bright yellow tuxedo, draws his inspiration from Walt Disney and P.T. Barnum. And it shows.

Their model is built around one simple but revolutionary question:
“What can we do to create the most fun and unforgettable experience for our fans?”

Here are just a few of the ways Banana Ball changes the game:

• Two-hour time limit – At 1 hour and 50 minutes, the current inning is played out and then the game ends. No dragging it out to nine.
• Trick catches – Catches behind the back or as part of a flip? They’re tracked like RBIs or wins.
• No added fees – Ticket prices are all-in. No service fees, no taxes tacked on.
• All-inclusive concessions – In Savannah, your ticket covers your food and drinks.
• Foul balls caught by fans = outs – Yes, the crowd is in the game.
• Upper deck excitement – Even fans in the “cheap seats” get love, with extra staff making sure the energy reaches every corner.

And Jesse is relentless in improving. He’s constantly listening to feedback, tweaking the fan experience, and asking, “What’s next?”

So… what does this have to do with Visual ERP? Well, not directly—but from a business perspective, there’s a lot to learn. Jesse is proof that when you focus on your audience and dare to be different, incredible things can happen.

Just look at the results:

• They’re selling out stadiums—60,000+ seats at football venues and even Fenway Park in Boston.
• Their waitlist? Over 2.5 million people long.
• Jesse’s speaking fee? Between $100K–$125K per engagement. And companies are lining up to hear him.

If you’re curious, you can check them out at thesavannahbananas.com (fair warning: you’ll probably fall down a YouTube rabbit hole).

We’ll be sharing some photos after the game—we can’t wait to see it all in person. I have no doubt it will be one of the most fun nights ever.

Banana Ball, here we come!

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