My message to Jesse Cole for the start of the 2026 Banana Ball season
Let's use the 2026 technology investment to not just improve the show experience but also the game mechanics, fix the fan interaction rules and finally offer custom jerseys.
On Wednesday, Jesse Cole released a 26-minute video which we could consider as an “annual report” for Banana Ball/Fans First Entertainment (FFE). This video discussed the achievements of the franchise, including the numbers. It also highlighted the failures. It was the most transparency that I have ever seen come from a sports league, including the roller derby leagues that I cover in Arizona and in the DMV area (trust me, derby has a long way to go in the fans first experience and that’s what I am trying to promote).
With that, here is the comment that I posted on that video and is what I would love to see happen in the 2026 season (even though I recognize that many things have already been planned out, but if there’s one thing Banana Ball is known for, it’s trying new things in the middle of the season). I would seriously love to see FFE give these ideas some serious consideration:
Jesse.. This was fantastic. I have always appreciated the transparency of Fans First Entertainment. I embrace the experimentation and even encourage it, even if it leads to failures. In sports and entertainment, you have to experiment and take risks and if something works, you improve it, if it doesn’t work, you evaluate why and if it possible to improve it, you improve it.
Here are a couple of things I would like to see in the 2026 season:
During challenges, show the audio interaction between the crew chief umpire and the replay center as well as show the slow motion videos that they are reviewing. I am hoping with the broadcast technology investment, this is going to mean more camera angles that will not only entertain the fans, but will also improve the ability to provide more accurate resolution to challenges. I would also like to see the crew chief mic’d up to give the outcome of the challenge and open a new avenue for the umpires in this game to show off their talent. The NHL has Wes McCauley. There is room in Banana Ball for this same caliber of umpire talent.
Allow a fan challenge to be reinstated if the call is overturned. This is a reward to the fans for being on the ball.
Fan outs should allow for “bobbled” balls as long as the ball does not touch another person or another object that is not attached to the person (such as a glove). Under the current fan out rule, a fan successfully achieving a tip drill could be considered a bobbled ball. Trick plays by fans should be encouraged in places where it can be done safely (such as in the berm).
Merch: I think Banana Ball needs to go to the next level and finally offer customized name and number (official) jerseys to fans. This is a great gift for kids aspiring to be the next Banana Ball player and for those die hard fans who want to feel closer to the Banana Ball family. Myself, I would want to custom order a Clowns jersey for the 2026. I totally support the message that FFE wants to deliver with the Clowns and I want to show my fandom in a way that is very personal. During the 2025 season, I have seen many Facebook ads from companies selling counterfeit Bananas jerseys that offered custom name and number. I think there is a market for this and this is something I would pay extra for.
I am looking forward to this season, following all six teams and writing on them and giving analysis at Michi-chan Sports. Back in 2008, I had demonstrated that there is a place for independent media covering modern flat track roller derby and with all of the home teams and the championship format of Banana Ball, there are a lot of parallels between what I used to cover in 2008 (and still do to this day) and what Banana Ball is doing, especially this year with the BBCL. The only way this sport is going to be recognized as a serious sport is for people to write and talk about it. The Bananas Breakdown Podcast is an excellent example of independent media and honestly, they are a much stronger force in Banana Ball than Michi-chan Sports and I am OK with that. I cover multiple sports (with a prime focus on flat and banked track roller derby), but as my slogan reads, “Because other sports need love too..”, I do expand Michi-chan’s Derby Love to also include Banana Love. I don’t have the same resources and bandwidth as the podcast does and that’s because I am not dedicated to Banana Ball as the exclusive thing I cover, but we need to encourage more independent media as well as mainstream media to not just cover the human interest and “show” aspects of Banana Ball, but also the mechanics of the game play. Please do what you can to encourage, embrace and provide support to independent media such as the Banana Ball Breakdown and Michi-chan Sports as well as others who want to take the time to report on this great sport. My door is always open.
Now, fans first on three... One, two, three.. FANS FIRST!