Emily Cole is a co-founder and co-owner of the Savannah Bananas. (Photo by Savannah Bananas)
Holiday greetings to you and yours from your old pal Doug here at The Sports Fan Project.
With both Christmas and New Year’s holidays in 2025 falling on my traditional publication day (Thursday), I’ve decided to give myself – and YOU – a gift (well, technically a re-gift😉 by reaching back into the archives for a pair of episodes that might have flown under the radar when they first published. Fear not, however, we’ll have a special “Conversations with Sports Fans End of the Year Cavalcade of Stars” episode out on December 29th.
Up first is Emily Cole the co-founder and co-owner of the Savannah Bananas. While her yellow tuxedoed husband, Jesse, is seemingly always in the spotlight, Emily – like my wife, at least – is doing much of the work behind the scenes to help make the Bananas’ organization – which expands by two touring teams this season Loco Beach Coconuts and Indianapolis Stars – keep humming along.
I was blessed to have the opportunity for Emily to join me on Conversations just about a year ago and she was fantastic. She shared her early life growing up with older brothers and how sports fandom was not a choice, her early years working for Minor League Baseball franchises, how she and Jesse first crossed paths, and the birth of the Bananas. Also, apropos for the holiday season, Emily discusses the Bananas Foster 501c3 arm of the organization that helps spread the word about the importance of becoming a foster parent.
I hope you enjoy hearing from Emily either for the first time or again as she shares her story of both being a fan and now keeping the fans first.