NEW SHOW FEATURE: We are now LIVE streaming our shows. Want to join us live? Just click this link every Friday at 3pm ET / 12pm PT.
In this episode, we sit down with Dr. Tim Naddy — CPA, educator, entrepreneur, author-in-the-making — who serves as Vice President of Finance for the Savannah Bananas, a team that’s rewriting the rulebook on sports entertainment.
Tim walks us through how a seemingly wild concept (a baseball team with full-on live-show energy) becomes a serious business by blending financial discipline with big ideas. He unpacks the “diamond and dugout” finance model, the decision to keep merchandise separate from operations, and how the organization turned unlimited food and fan-first pricing into measurable growth.
SHOW NOTES
Segment one
Who and WHAT are the Savannah Bananas? https://thesavannahbananas.com/about_us/
Ed was reminded of The King and His Court / Eddie Feigner when he was first introduced to the Savannah Bananas https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eddie_Feigner
The Banana Ball Championship League is an exhibition league for professional players that was founded by the Savannah Bananas in 2022. The league currently has 6 teams. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Banana_Ball
The Savannah Bananas are decidedly NOT like the Harlem Globetrotters. In fact, the only thing that is fixed for Banana Ball is everything. EXCEPT the actual athletic competition. The game play is legitimate and the outcome is unknown.
Segment two
Tim Naddy started his career at PWC. Now he is with the Savannah Bananas. That’s practically the same thing, right???
“How the Savannah Bananas’ Dr. Tim Naddy Starts His Day” https://www.cfo.com/news/the-6-am-cfo-how-the-savannah-bananas-dr-tim-naddy-starts-his-day/712873/
Oh yeah, and Tim teaches a managerial accounting class at an art school. More specifically, he is a Professor at the Savannah College of Art and Design. Go Bees!
Hot tip: Keep an eye out for Dr. Tim Naddy’s book. Expect to start hearing about it in March of next year. Mark your calendar!
“Our team is cross-trained in what I call the diamond and dugout areas of our business. Diamond is baseball, and dugout is everything else, like game operations and food and beverage.” —Dr. Tim Naddy from the article at this link https://www.cfo.com/news/savannah-bananas-tim-naddy-jesse-cole-jared-orton-finanically-preparing-for-their-2025-season/743813/
Segment three
In case you missed this during the show… Yes, Savannah Bananas home games include all-you-can-eat food and drinks with the price of admission. The included items are typically hot dogs, hamburgers, chicken sandwiches, popcorn, chips, cookies, soda, and water. https://thesavannahbananas.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/The-savannah-bananas.pdf
Confused about Banana Ball rules? The league has you covered with a great video. More here: https://bananaball.com/rules/
“Prices do not come from your cost but prices justify the expenditure of your costs.” —Ed Kless on The Soul of Enterprise
You can get Savannah Bananas tickets through the official Banana Ball Ticket Lottery https://thesavannahbananas.com/tickets/
Have you ever learned a new word and seen it everywhere? This phenomenon is known as the Baader-Meinhof phenomenon or the frequency illusion https://www.sciencealert.com/you-know-how-when-you-learn-a-new-word-you-see-it-everywhere-here-s-why
Segment four
All you can eat food at Savannah Banana home games was not necessarily something that was planned. But what do you think fans do with the extra dollars? Many of them buy merch. Plus, their kids are well fed instead of grumpy. For Tim it’s all about putting a GREAT experience in front of the fans. “The affordability is part of the reason why we resonate so deeply…” —Dr. Tim Naddy
YES! Dr. Tim Naddy did it today. I didn’t think he would but it absolutely made my day. What did he do? He quoted Arrested Development with “There’s always money in the banana stand.”
A big THANK YOU to Dr. Tim Naddy for joining us today. There is no cost to join the ticket lottery to see the Savannah Bananas. Here is the link: https://thesavannahbananas.com/tickets/
Bonus Content is Available As Well
Did you know that each week after our live show, Ron and Ed take to the microphone for a bonus show? Typically, this bonus show is an extension of the live show topic (sometimes even with the same guest) and a few other pieces of news, current events, or things that have caught our attention.
Click the “FANATIC” image to learn more about pricing and member benefits.