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I’ve covered a lot of sporting events over the years, but let me tell you something…
Fanatics Fest isn’t an event. It’s controlled chaos with championship trophies, Hall of Famers, trading cards worth more than my first car, and enough celebrities to make Times Square jealous.
This was my first Fanatics Fest in the three years it’s been around, and after spending both Friday and Saturday inside the Javits Center, I finally understand what all the hype was about.
And yes…
The hype wasn’t lying.
I walked in thinking I was covering a sports convention.
I walked out feeling like I had survived the Super Bowl, WrestleMania, NBA Finals, Comic-Con and Black Friday at Costco… all happening at the exact same time.
If sports fans ever wondered what heaven looks like…
Apparently it has really long autograph lines.
Friday: The Adventure Begins
Friday was all business… well, as much business as you can have while surrounded by people carrying trading cards in briefcases that looked like they contained the nuclear launch codes.
I was there with my PR manager Nithin and my producer Speedy, and from the moment we walked through the doors, it was sensory overload.
Everywhere you looked there was another superstar.
You’d turn your head…
“Oh look, there’s a champion.”
Turn again…
“Another champion.”
Five seconds later…
“Wait… wasn’t that guy just on TV?”
The amount of star power in one building was absolutely ridiculous.
Saturday: Enter Team Social Path… and Absolute Mayhem
Saturday somehow topped Friday.
I was joined by my new team, Social Path, and if Friday was exciting…
Saturday looked like New York had collectively decided to call in sick just to attend Fanatics Fest.
The building was packed.
No…
PACKED.
At one point I honestly think more people were inside the Javits Center than at rush hour on the Long Island Expressway.
Only difference?
Nobody was honking.
Well… maybe a few Knicks fans.
The NBA Champion Knicks Stole the Show
Let’s be honest.
This is New York.
When the 2026 NBA Champion New York Knicks walked through carrying the Larry O’Brien Trophy…
It was over.
People came from every direction like someone had announced free pizza.
Jalen Brunson—even wearing a cast after wrist surgery—was tossing T-shirts into the crowd like Oprah handing out cars.
“You get a shirt! You get a shirt! Everybody gets a shirt!”
Karl-Anthony Towns…
Josh Hart…
Miles “Deuce” McBride…
The crowd absolutely lost its mind.
I’ve seen New Yorkers excited before.
This was different.
This was Christmas morning mixed with winning the lottery.
The Interviews That Made the Weekend
One of the best parts of Fanatics Fest wasn’t just seeing all the stars.
It was talking to them.
Over the two days I had the opportunity to interview incredible people including:
- Gayle King
- Austin Ekeler
- WBO Lightweight Champion Abdullah Mason
- and many more athletes, personalities and celebrities from across the sports world.
Every conversation had a different story.
Every interview reminded me why I love doing this.
And honestly…
The athletes were fantastic.
Friendly.
Relaxed.
Funny.
You could tell many of them were genuinely enjoying interacting with fans instead of just rushing from one appearance to another.
The Fans Were the Real MVPs
Here’s what really stood out to me.
The fans.
These weren’t casual observers.
These were die-hard sports fanatics.
People flew in from all over the country.
Some waited hours for autographs.
Others spent the weekend hunting down rare cards like Indiana Jones searching for hidden treasure.
One guy looked happier pulling a limited-edition rookie card than most people look holding their newborn child.
I’m not judging.
Okay…
Maybe a little.
Trading Cards… Worth More Than Houses
I knew trading cards were popular.
I had no idea some of these things were worth enough to require their own security detail.
Glass cases.
Security guards.
Crowds staring at pieces of cardboard like they were viewing the Mona Lisa.
Meanwhile, I was wondering…
“If I accidentally sneeze near one of these cards, do I owe somebody $500,000?”
Some collectors were buying.
Some were selling.
Others were negotiating deals that sounded like NBA trade deadlines.
“I’ll give you two Mahomes rookies and a signed Ohtani.”
“No deal.”
“I’ll throw in my first-born.”
“Now we’re talking.”
There Was Literally Something for Everyone
Sports cards.
Autographs.
Gaming.
Interactive experiences.
WWE attractions where fans jumped off the top rope.
Basketball challenges.
Football drills.
Memorabilia museums.
Live content creators.
Entrepreneurs like Gary Vaynerchuk connecting with fans.
Every ten feet there was something new grabbing your attention.
I honestly don’t think it’s possible to see everything in one weekend.
Trust me…
I tried.
The Biggest Surprise?
I expected famous athletes.
What surprised me was how many of the biggest names in sports were actually walking around interacting with people.
NFL stars.
NBA champions.
Boxers.
Wrestlers.
Olympians.
Media personalities.
Legends.
Current stars.
Future stars.
It felt like every major sport decided to hold a family reunion… and somehow everyone showed up.
My Final Take
I’ve covered sports for a long time.
I’ve been to games.
Press conferences.
Championship celebrations.
But Fanatics Fest is something completely different.
It’s a celebration of sports culture.
It’s where collectors, athletes, kids, celebrities and lifelong fans all become one big sports family.
Was it crowded?
Absolutely.
Was it loud?
You better believe it.
Was it chaotic?
Without question.
Would I do it again?
Not even a hesitation.
I’d be there before they unlocked the doors.
To everyone who stopped by to say hello…
Thank you.
To everyone I interviewed…
Thank you.
To my PR manager Nithin, producer Speedy, and my incredible new team at Social Path, thank you for making my first Fanatics Fest one I’ll never forget.
And to Fanatics…
Congratulations.
You somehow managed to fit what felt like the entire sports universe into one building.
Now if you’ll excuse me…
I’m going to rest my feet, organize the hundreds of photos I took, and convince myself I really didn’t need that six-figure trading card.
Although…
Give me one more year…
I might just come back with a briefcase.
Twitter: @ErrolMarks34
LinkedIn: Errol Marks
Instagram: @rollothamouth34
www.omahasteaks.com/NYSSportsLoudMouth
or go to our website at worldwidesportsradio.com and click on the Omaha Steaks Logo!
My name is Errol Marks and I’d like to tell you why I believe I can be a major asset to your station. I’m from a small town in Long Island, NY and from a very young age I’ve always had a love for sports talk radio. Growing up, I would listen religiously to shows like Mike and the Mad Dog, Mike and Mike, and Imus in the Morning and studied what made those shows so great. I’ve made it my goal to be as influential as the hosts I grew up listening to, and with my knowledge of all major sports, enthusiastic and fearless personality, and my preparation skills, I know I can get to that level. This is an art and a medium that I’m passionate about and one that I feel can never be replaced.
What makes my story so unique goes beyond my 10+ years of experience in sports media. In addition to over ten years of creating and hosting sports talk radio shows, I created the World Wide Sports Radio Network - one of the first ever digital sports radio networks - in 2012. Since the network began, we have had some of the best content in digital sports media. We have six quality shows on our network covering all sports and sports betting. I’m currently hosting New York’s Sports Loud Mouth, and you can find that show and the rest of our great shows at https://worldwidesportsradio.com/.
Our network’s content and listenership has grown significantly year to year and, in the past year, we’ve achieved 3.6 million minutes listened on our audio stream, over 29k followers on tik tok, 500k viewed on YouTube, 1.7 million downloads on Apple Podcasts, and 906,917 plays on Spotify. While we are enjoying a continued increase in growth, I feel that we can take this to a new level and a new audience with your help.
My goal since the day I started is to become the greatest and most recognizable sports radio show host in the country. I can guarantee that nobody in this industry currently has my passion, personality or ability to shape the future of sports broadcasting and entertainment like I do. If given the opportunity, I hope to further share my story and many talents with you and your station.
Twitter: @ErrolMarks34
LinkedIn: Errol Marks
Instagram: @rollothamouth34
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