Jesse Cole and Savannah Banana's Want a BILLION FANS!

Jesse Cole and Savannah Banana's getting right what Jerry Jones and the Dallas Cowboys have lost site of. Fans First!

Savannah Bananas owner Jesse Cole pumps up the crowd as they sing during Banana Fest on Saturday February 25, 2023 at Historic Grayson Stadium. / Richard Burkhart/Savannah Morning News / USA TODAY NETWORK

Unless you are currently reading this from beneath an actual rock, I am fairly certain you have at least heard the highlights regarding the drama with “America’s Team” in Texas this week. The cliffs notes version is that the most valuable sports franchise in the solar system parted ways with the most dynamic defensive player since Deion decided to do what most tv networks do and combine the starred helmet in Dallas with the phrase “Prime Time”. This is the result of what seems to be the two most difficult reasons for a loyal fan base to swallow, ego and money. Ego from the most elite millionaire Cowboy and on the other side a man who is generally considered the most business savvy NFL team owner in the history of the sport. Ultimately it left Micah Parsons boarding a private jet to the soon to be frozen tundra of Green Bay, trading in the silver and blue for yellow and green, removing a star and replacing it with a G.

This could have all been avoided in a couple of different ways and like most relationships that come to an end there is some fault to be found on both sides. At any point in time Jerry Jones could have saved the fan base from this new reality as he could have done an about face, done what is right and eaten a little bit of crow. I know that phrase is a cliché, but I think Jer Bear probably sees the cliché of eating crow more appetizing than his private chef serving up a dish of obsidian fowl for him to pair with his favorite bottle of wine.

How did they get here and how did this come to pass? Well at the end of the day it doesn’t matter to the people footing the bill on this debacle. The season ticket holders and Dallas die hards who have invested in pictures, autographs, t shirts and jerseys of their favorite player, the fans who plan autumn and winter Sundays around seeing number 11 wreak havoc in cities like Philly, DC and New York when away from home. These are the folks that are most affected, and it is clear their thoughts, feelings and fears were never considered by ownership. At a time when the sports world is so anxiously waiting the return of football this week the fans in “Big D” are feeling like they took a big “L” just before the start of their season. The Cowboys most famous fan may end up with this seasons Dallas anthem as I imagine hearing Post Malone’s “I Fall Apart” sadly playing in AT&T Stadium parking lots in Arlington.

Everyone can all agree, this is not ideal. Loyal followers would love it to be different. What can you do as a fan? Well, you can examine sports allegiances and investments and find something that always leaves you feeling great. For this I give you Jesse Cole and The Savannah Bananas. Jesse saw a market deficiency in baseball and nine years ago was able to purchase the Bananas for $1.8 million and through hard work, sacrifice and a ton of personal risk he now heads up a brand that ramped up to three million dollars in revenue in 2023 alone. It has continued to grow rapidly to the point where insiders estimate that they will exceed thirty million dollars in revenue this year, marking a 900% increase in just the last two years. How has he done this? He has done this with the exact opposite thinking that the business titan in Dallas has maintained.

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A post shared by Jesse Cole (@yellowtuxjesse)

At the core of all Banana business is a concept known as Fans First. Sure, it may sound cheesy at face value, but the concept works as the continued growth of the brand and business seems to only be increasing in velocity and now, they are going to add two additional teams to the Banana League and further expand dates and cities for 2026. The idea is simple, maximize fan experience at a real value to them where they become raving fans that will always support the brand.

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A post shared by Jesse Cole (@yellowtuxjesse)

This past week Jesse took to Instagram to share a response to a question concerning his legacy and his Banana Ball business. He expressed his values are not based in property, profits, or power – his focus is on prioritizing people. People in the stands, people on the field and the people who support both. His most important quote was “I don’t want to create a billion-dollar brand, I want to create a billion fans.” . At first I immediately thought of the famous Dunder Mifflin Regional Manager quote “I want to be married and have one hundred kids so I can have one hundred friends, and no one can say no to being my friend” and as I clearly mean that joking when your fans feel like family the money will take care of itself as the support remains. As I have chronicled in previous articles the chances they have taken have all been for the customer benefit when you look at all inclusive tickets at the home ballpark, no taxes or ticket fees and lottery style ticket offerings.

At the end of the day Emily and Jesse Cole put everything on the line to chase this dream. The couple started “Bananas Foster” a nonprofit dedicated to Bringing Families Together, as they are a foster family and have adopted two children of their own and that is where the value is for them. It is in Family and expansion of family, not in the celebrity but the celebration. When most barons of business teach their organization catchy terms like “The Customer is always right” Jesse Cole is out there saying regardless of who is right the customer will always be IMPORTANT!

To learn more about the Savannah Bananas and Bananas Foster click that highlighted link!

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