If you spent any time on social media this weekend, you probably saw a content creator or a media personality at Fanatics Fest talking about how awesome it was – and it was – but some may have gone a bit too far by saying this is the end of The National or that if Fanatics wanted, they could end The National tomorrow.
The problem is they don’t want to do that. They’ve even said so, publicly, numerous times.
How Fanatics Views Fanatics Fest
Lance Fensterman is the CEO of Fanatics Events and has joined the Sports Cards Nonsense podcast a few times over the years to discuss Fanatics Fest. One thing Lance has pointed out was that they don’t see The National as “competition.”
Fensterman, who is in charge of the event, said “it’s really fun to think about like all the different sort of corners of sports fandom and culture that we get to play with and hopefully, hopefully create like countless really cool moments depending on whatever you’re a fan of.”
Fanatics Fest is more like Sports Comic Con than it is The National. While cards are readily available, the sports are the stars of the show. Having the FIFA World Cup Final Press Conference and a LeBron James podcast taping isn’t what you would normally see at a card show. Sports are the point; the collecting is the next step.
How Fanatics Views The National
In his last appearance, Fensterman discussed the timing of Fanatics Fest this year in relation to The National and why the timing this year will not be the norm.
“This was really a one-off in that it was FIFA. We don’t want to be close to The National. I love those guys. I know the guys that run it. They’re great guys. It’s a great show. Like, we are not, you know, we are not competing with them, nor do we want to compete with them. This was like a pure opportunity to be with FIFA. Starting next year, we’ll move back to our June dates where we were last year.” Fensterman continued about future plans for Fanatics Fest.
“So we’ll be back post-Father’s Day, the weekend after Father’s Day in June. And the aim is that’s where we’ll live, and we will live there in perpetuity, which will always give, you know, a solid five-ish six, depending on The National’s dates, weeks apart from them. So there’s some good spacing.”
Now, for most people that would end the debate. Alas, we can’t all be so lucky on social media.
How The National Views Fanatics Fest
Speaking of Sports Cards Nonsense, they were joined by Joe Drelich, Brian Coppola, and Jim Ryan from The National to preview the show. The first part of the interview, released today, discussed the very topic of The National and Fanatics Fest.
“You know, and on the converse with Fanatics Fest, and I do want to touch on that for a second, The National, you know, and Jim, Brian and myself, we’re we’re we’re we’re proud of what they’re doing. Like we feel no competition, animosity, or anything. Like we think what they’re doing is fantastic for the space. And making it so they have the ability and they have a really big microphone and a really big reach. And they’re doing a fantastic job of bringing new people into that space. And those people are gonna, a certain percentage of those people are gonna end up in our space in our world. And they’re gonna experience the hobby on two different levels.” Joe Drelich said.
“At Fanatics Fest, they are going to get an amazing show – Tom Brady’s walking by you andDavid Ortiz is walking by you and you know CM Punk is walking by you and then they they can translate that stuff into the cardboard piece of it if if they’re collectors and they can come to our space and geek out for five days and and find all that cool stuff. It could be a two-dollar item, but it could just be the right person that they like, and they’re into. You’re gonna find it at the National.”
Why the Two Shows Not Only Co-Exist, but Need Each Other
Fanatics Fest and The National can easily co-exist, and in a world where they aren’t separated by two weeks, I think cooler heads would have been leading the charge on social media. I had friends ask what it was like at Fanatics Fest, and I described it as a monument to sports. If you are a sports fan, you would enjoy it.
I can also see how card collectors may not think it is necessarily a card show. Cards are always part of the conversation, but not quite the highlight. There is a reason it is Fanatics Fest and not Topps Fest. Stephen A. Smith is broadcasting his SiriusXM show while all the local New York City sports stations are broadcasting live as well. All of the local New York teams have showcases for fans. Meanwhile, FIFA had a massive setup as well. Same with the Champions League, MLS, WWE had multiple, and many others. Even Call of Duty had a monster setup.
This is all to say that there is way more than just cards at Fanatics Fest. Which is why shows like The National will not go out of business. The two don’t just co-exist; they complement each other.
Fanatics Fest brings sports fans in and welcomes them with open arms to any and all sports they could care about, and also has some cards along the way. It’s an Intro to Collecting, or Collecting 101 if it were a college course. Meanwhile, The National is a graduate-level course for collecting. You’re a seasoned vet who cares deeply about collecting.
It’s fascinating that neither show views the other as competition, and both view the other as a necessary part of the hobby. I guess the lesson should be, as always, social media is not real life.
Add us as a preferredBRENDAN DARR
Brendan has worked for various platforms, including The Washington Post, SB Nation, NBC Sports Washington, and more, covering everything from college basketball to fantasy football and betting. An avid collector as a kid, he got back into collecting in 2021 and is a dedicated soccer, football, and basketball collector.
