Fanatics to make masks

Fanatics, the sportswear company that is the official jersey supplier of Major League Baseball, will pivot to making masks and gowns in their Pennsylvania factory. The gear will be donated to the fight against the coronavirus that causes COVID-19.

Fanatics is run by Michael Rubin, also a part owner of the Sixers and New Jersey Devils, and who may be feeling the need to do some more good deeds after both teams had to be shamed into paying their hourly staff while their respective leagues are in suspension.

According to a series of tweets, Rubin received calls over the weekend from Governor Tom Wolf and Attorney General Josh Shapiro, requesting any assistance they could provide. Fanatics has since halted production on MLB jerseys, and will begin making 1,000,000 masks and gowns, and immediately distributing them across the region.

The staff working on this project have volunteered to do so, according to Rubin. These may not be the N95 masks that are in such short supply worldwide, but they will inarguably help. Whatever your thoughts are about Rubin and other sports executives, this is an objectively good move, and will no doubt help in some way.

Also, I had no idea until this morning that Fanatics was run by Rubin. The more you know.