Michael Rubin talks Fanatics Fest, MLB jersey fixes with Boomer & Jerry

Fanatics CEO Michael Rubin joined Boomer and Gio in studio on Wednesday to talk about the upcoming Fanatics Fest event, and also addressed the response to harsh criticism regarding the MLB uniforms that were ripped by several players and fans to start the season.

“Any time a player or fan doesn’t like something, as an industry, we’ve lost,” Rubin said. “The great thing was, Nike really wanted to innovate. Not everything they go to innovate, or we go to innovate, works the way you want it to. The great thing is, when the fans spoke and the players spoke, we listened, and we’re going back to all the old lettering, old numbering, and old tailored pants.

“If you get it wrong, you say ‘Hey, we screwed up,’ and you go and fix it.”

Now, Rubin and Fanatics will be in charge of the NHL sweaters in the upcoming season, and he is confident that the initial response will be much different this time around.

“We’re really good listeners. What we heard about the hockey sweater was that people loved what they had, but there were a few things they wanted to make better,” Rubin said. “We basically took the existing jersey, listened closely to the players and the fans, and then made a slightly better version of it. The reaction has been 10 out of 10.”

Fanatics Fest takes place in August in New York City, and will include appearances and autograph/photo op availability from countless New York sports icons, including Carmelo Anthony, Jalen Brunson, Josh Hart, Eli Manning, Andy Pettitte, Hideki Matsui, Mike Richter, and many more. Tickets go on sale Wednesday, July 17 at noon.