There’s a ridiculously outsized joy to getting on the Jumbotron. It’s because at that moment, the Jumbotron gods have decided you capture the mood of the game or the spirit of the day. Or maybe it’s because you just look adorable standing there with your kid on your shoulders. Regardless, you’ve been chosen. When was the last time you were picked out of a crowd of 50,000 people for being special?
But you can’t just sit back and hope that it happens. Fortune favours the bold. When it comes to the Jumbotron, fortune favours the superfan. “Usually cheering is what we’re looking for. We’re looking for people who support us,” says Marnie Starkman, director of game entertainment and promotions for the Toronto Blue Jays. “Wear your Blue Jays clothes and if you have a fun sign, great. But otherwise it’s cheer and have a good time.”
Follow that logic and get yourself a giant foam finger, team jersey, face paint and other popular elements of superfandom to score an appearance on the big screen. Also, consider wearing your dancing shoes. Starkman says they’re not necessarily looking for people grooving, but anecdotal evidence based on years of watching sports suggests that doing a silly dance gives you a 110-per-cent chance of finding yourself on the Jumbotron. And if your moonwalk isn’t up to snuff, simply have as much fun as you can out there. It’s a good philosophy for the Jumbotron – and the rest of your summer. “To be honest, we just put people who are having a good time on the board,” Starkman says.