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Fanatics Fest NYC allows fans to engage, interact with big sports stars
Card and memorabilia shows typically don’t give collectors the chance to interact with athletes beyond just a few words before getting an autograph or snapping a selfie.
Fanatics Fest NYC wasn’t just the chance to see sports heroes on cards or in an autograph pavilion, but also offered the opportunity to hear from—and even rub shoulders with—some of the biggest names in the game.
“It’s great being with you guys,” Tom Brady told a cheering crowd at the start of the three-day event. “It’s the fans that keep all this going for us athletes.”
In return, the crowd of 2,500—many of them donning New England Patriot jerseys—cheered in approval.
“It’s very cool what Fanatics has done as a celebration of you guys,” Brady added. “It’s great to bring a lot of great athletes together in a lot of hobbies you guys are involved in.”
Like Comic Con, Fanatics Fest NYC was the place for exclusive content, announcements and even cosplaying. It gave a large number of athletes and celebrities the chance to engage with the hobby in a way that we’ve never seen before during a card and memorabilia show.
Mike Tyson, who did photo-ops with fans, was one of the event headliners. A regular signer at shows, the 58-year-old Tyson was back promoting a fight for the first time in two decades ahead of his bout against YouTuber Jake Paul slated for November.
Before the weigh-in (which took place during Fanatics Fest), Paul, a card collector, was spotted over the weekend dressed as Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce and buying a Caitlin Clark card for $14,000. He wasn’t alone.
Many athletes and entertainers freely walked the floor, mingled with collectors and even ripped packs.
Charlotte Hornets forward Grant Williams, a Pokemon collector, walked the floor and even was lucky enough to pull a Luka Doncic Gold Rookie Patch Auto card from a box he purchased for $10,500 on the first day of the show from dealer Mojobreak. The card goes for $100,000.
Peyton Manning purchased a C.J. Stroud rookie card and later took part in a 2022 National Treasures box break live onstage with Blez Sports Cards.
Rapper Travis Scott debuted his Topps Chrome Cosmic x Cactus Jack trading cards and participated in a panel discussion alongside Fanatics CEO Michael Rubin that was moderated by NFL Hall of Famer-turned-TV host Michael Strahan. Travis ended the talk by putting on an impromptu concert for those in attendance.
During another panel, legendary filmmaker Spike Lee, presented current New York Knicks stars Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart with an item from his private collection—one of the nets from Game 7 of the 1970 NBA Finals against the Los Angeles Lakers, the game that secured the first of two championships in franchise history.
“Let’s go! Let’s get another ring,” he said.
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Gymnast and influencer Livvy Dunne and comedian Druski raced to a photo finish at the NFL’s 40-yard dash activation. The sprint drew the attention of a large crowd as the two put on a show for the fans. Dunne later dressed up as her boyfriend—Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Paul Skenes—and even donned a mustache.
Former New York Yankees catcher Joe Girardi, a three-time World Series champion as a player and one as a manager, drew a long line as he signed autographs at the CGC booth. He said getting so many athletes and fans under one roof created a wonderful experience for everyone.
“It’s great. There are so many great fans out there, no matter what team you root for,” he said. “It’s just nice to be part of something and when you come to events like this, you get to do that.”
Girardi said he collects Yankees memorabilia, “especially from the winning years” when he won the World Series as a player in 1996, ’98 and ’99. The collection included trading cards and game-used bats and gloves.
“I’ve always been a big collector,” he added. “I was fortunate enough to have been a part of some great teams.”
Dante Hall, a Kansas City Chiefs and St. Louis Rams wide receiver, appeared at the NFL booth to the joy of many who met him.
The former football star said he has held on to memorabilia from his playing days and could not wait to attend the event himself after watching video clips on social media.
“I think the concept is great,” he said. “I think this is amazing. Only Michael Rubin could pull this off.”
Former Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter also made an appearance. In 2022, Jeter helped start the Arena Club, an online sports card marketplace, with entrepreneur Brian Lee. He attended Fanatics Fest to promote the hobby venture, reminisce about his playing days and talk about leadership.
Jeter appeared on a panel alongside his former rival David Ortiz, the former Boston Red Sox DH. During their joint appearance on stage, Big Papi admitted to being a Yankees fan growing up in the Dominican Republic.
Jeter and Ortiz joked with one another about the Red Sox legend wanting to play for the Bronx Bombers. ESPN analyst Ryan Clark, who moderated the talk, began the conversation by asking Ortiz what it felt like to “find your place in Boston and really become one of the icons of that city.”
“Before you go, tell them who you really wanted to play for,” said Jeter, a five-time World Series champion.
As a member of the Red Sox, Ortiz played a leading role in ending the team’s 86-year World Series championship drought in 2004, as well as winning championships in 2007 and 2013.
“One of my first pieces of memorabilia,” Ortiz admitted, “was a Don Mattingly baseball bat. True story. I’m from the Dominican Republic. Growing up it was all about the Yankees, you know.”
After all, Ortiz added, the Yankees are “the team that have the most [MLB] championships of all.”
Clemente Lisi
