Meet the Fan-ily: Ice Cold Kenny
“Ballers in 5”: Ice Cold Kenny Cracks More than Colds Ones
by Natalie Villanueva
Loudly and proudly proclaiming “Ballers in 5” during their championship run, Ice Cold Kenny has been an essential part of keeping spirits high, ensuring that cheering fans are hydrated, and building the Ballers’ community with his larger-than-life personality and steadfast celebrity-vendor service.
Where else but Raimondi would you have a regular inter-inning segment where fans heft his carrier full of drinks and give their best rendition of his classic call, ICE COOOOOOLD? Who graces the pages of comics and posters as the hero we all need and deserve? Who else could inspire Halloween costumes, with or without his new championship ring?
Holding that Fiber
When the Idaho Falls Chukars defeated the Ballers in Game 1 of the Pioneer League Championship series, Kenny could feel it immediately: something wasn’t clicking. It wasn’t just the loss; it was the need to find the spark that had carried the Ballers this far. He knew it wasn’t about field adjustments but rather the community needing a reminder that the series was far from over.
Doomscrolling, of course, to feel inspired, he was reminded of NFL Hall of Famer Shannon Sharpe and the way he rallied support for the Los Angeles Lakers during their playoff run with a well-known cry, “Lakers in 5.”
“I was like, you know what? I like this,” shares Kenny. “So I just ran with it.”
“I kept telling everybody from Game 3, we’re going to win, keep your hopes up. That’s when things started to change for us, and we won. I went on the field, and I kept holding that fiber.”
A Family Business
Known most famously as Ice Cold Kenny, Kendrick Thompson was inspired by his stepfather, Johnny Williams, a former vendor who set an example of building community through providing savory snacks, drinks, and shared sportsmanship. From beer, kettle corn, cider, crispy potato chips, and sugared churros, Kenny has sold it all.
Kenny says of his youth, “I would go for the games, but sometimes baseball would get boring–so I would just look for my dad, watch him on the stairs, and watch what he did. I’d watch how he interacted with fans.”
Something stuck. At just 20 years old, Kenny’s first gig was a packed house–a sold-out Oakland A’s game back in 2011. He found himself selling churros for $4.50. The experience set the foundation for his career in vending.
Together, Kenny and his father created many memories over the years and have sold together at over 300 sporting events. The passed-down passion has equipped Kenny with the skillset to navigate crowded stadiums, raves, concerts, and bustling Chase Centers.
Kenny and Williams have always had playful banter about who was a better vendor: a back-and-forth tradition that sharpened Kenny’s hustle and strengthened their bond. But after his father retired, the ballpark didn’t feel the same.
Still, one memory stays dear to him.
In a rush, Kenny was juggling orders but moving with ease, all of it coming from the experience, and without his knowing, his father had slipped upstairs and began quietly watching from a section just out of sight. In the middle of a sale, Williams came down, surprising Kenny and saying, “Good job, baby, keep it up,” and gave him a congratulatory slap on the butt.
“I was like, ‘What, Dad? No!’” Kenny recalls, laughing in memory. Then, after asking his father where he’d been, Williams responded, “I've been watching you the whole time upstairs. I love watching you.”
“That right there,” says Kenny, “Just let me know, like, he's always watching me. No matter what. So I always gotta put my big boy shoes on and perform.”
Fast forward: Kenny is now a father of two, passing along the same traditions and watching his daughters enjoy the games.
“All the fans love my kids,” he says. “They call them Baby Ice Cold.”
Sports and Celebrations
Kenny’s a big celebrity at Raimondi, but he’s also familiarized himself with fans from different stadiums.
“When you go to a Giants game, if the team is winning, everybody's happy,” explains Kenny. “When the team is losing, you see people not wanting to buy or not really enjoy the game anymore.”
“When you come to Oakland games, we're always enjoying the game, no matter what. Win, lose, or draw, we don't care; we're having a ball.”
“When you go to the Seattle Seahawks games, those fans are loud, they're friendly, and they're nice.”
As a vendor, selling at different places, Kenny has experienced calm and easygoing environments and the chaotic and hectic, and he shares the joy of embracing different sport cultures, personalities, and spirit.
But he knows where home is. When the B’s won the championship, they made sure everyone vital to the effort got championship rings. Kenny, of course, was one of them.
Fans Turning into Family
Recently losing his sister in a car accident, Kenny's spirits were devastatingly low. After years of going up and down the stairs and above and beyond in countless stands, Ballers fans reminded him that he wasn’t alone in his grief.
“They just kind of stepped up and they were there for me a lot. It opened my eyes,” says Kenny. “It was nothing short of what I hoped. It showed me how deeply this community cares about its people and its workers.”
Kenny’s been with the B’s since the beginning. From the stands, he’s been able to see the team progress and feel the support from its surrounding communities.
“I feel a lot closer to the players. It’s just amazing to watch them grow and see how these fans really care about their city.” Kenny is happy to be along for the ride. “It’s given me new friends. I’ve met so many people that I’ve never thought I would have met in my life.”
From playing catch in the field with staff as a pregame practice, being the undisputed Ballers Knockerball Champion™, or waiting with infectious enthusiasm to dab up each player as they arrive at the gate, Kenny looks forward to creating more content, making memories with his daughters, and seeing where the new season takes us all.
Oh, and inspiring another Halloween costume or two.
Photos and video from Ice Cold Kenny, the Oakland Ballers, and top portrait courtesy Darrell Lavin Photography
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Natalie Villanueva is a writer, a journalist and a student at UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism. A reporter for Oakland North, she finds herself actively engaging with the community of Oakland and Richmond. She's covered stories ranging from Oakland Ballers' fans rallying for a historic win to capturing culture, sports and education within the Bay Area. She's self-published 5 young adult novels and is a proud daughter of first generation Mexican immigrants, raised in the Central Valley. Find her on Nataliereports.org
