What makes a great Savannah Bananas bit? We asked their emcee, Rowan grad Matt Graifer.

The Savannah Bananas are known for their hilarious stunts, and of course, dancing. But behind the scenes, there’s a huge team of people working to make each Bananas show its own unique experience as they travel across the country.

Before they took the stage in front of 45,000 at Citizens Bank Park on Saturday, Bananas host Matt Graifer — also known as ‘The Young Professor,’ though he claims to be neither young nor a professor anymore — brought The Inquirer inside the planning of a Savannah Bananas bit.

The process starts with an ideas meeting. Their home park in Savannah only seats 5,000, and doesn’t have a large video board, so they prioritize bits that are visible for everyone physically sitting in the park. At Citizens Bank, they have the luxury of a massive video board, allowing the Bananas more flexibility to go into the stands and on the concourse for gags, or add fun graphics to enhance the joke.

“Obviously, at a place like this, it’s such a big game, 45,000 people,” Graifer told The Inquirer. “It’s our first time in Philly. One of the things we wanted to focus on was Philly, Philly-based promo. So what do we know about it? Having lived in the area for a few years when I was in college, I think that gave me some insight. We use that as a way to draw some new ideas. We try to do that for most cities, and we also just try to draw from what’s in popular culture and what we think is going to get reactions in general.”

The worst thing a Bananas bit can earn? Apathy. Sometimes, the team will build out bits specifically to get booed — Graifer said there were a few of those in store for Philadelphia, including one involving Santa Claus (I’m sure you can guess what they’re spoofing). But booing engages the crowd just as much as loud cheers do.

“If the crowd reacts and does nothing, it’s terrible,” Graifer said. “...We try to tap into things that people can easily recognize, that they can root for, that they can care about, and they can react accordingly. That’s what makes a successful bit.”

As the host, Graifer plays a critical role in each bit, setting the stage for the audience to meet the moment. But he didn’t start his career planning to do anything like what he’s doing now. In fact, ‘The Young Professor’ was, for seven years, an actual exercise science professor at Keiser University in Jacksonville, after graduating from Rowan University in 2008.

To earn extra money, Graifer started hosting trivia nights at local bars and restaurants.

» READ MORE: Havertown’s Mike Tollin hopes to make the Savannah Bananas the next Ted Lasso

“People were always asking me if I was an announcer or worked in sports because they thought my voice sounded like I should,” Graifer said. “And I got tired of telling them no, and started working in sports.”

He worked in wrestling, MMA, NASCAR, and minor league baseball before starting with the Savannah Bananas. Now, instead of focusing on in-game sponsorships, his focus is all on fans’ entertainment.

The best bit the Bananas have ever done? In Graifer’s opinion, it was a Little Red Riding Hood bit from 2023 in Milwaukee.

“She starts running around the bases trying to make her way home, to home plate, and then all of a sudden, the big bad wolf comes blowing out of centerfield, sprinting hard at her in this scary wolf costume, and the fans noticed it. You just heard this reaction of [fear and anticipation] as he gets closer. It was one of the most interesting fan reactions we got ever, and it was just super fun.”

The Savannah Bananas often bring out a special guest on the road to take part in their bits and engage with the crowd. Graifer didn’t spoil who the guest would be Saturday, but he did share which of the Philly’s iconic mascots would make the best Banana.

“The Phanatic would fit well with the bananas,” Graifer said. “But I think Gritty is much more of a Party Animal.”