Serving up the latest pickleball news and headlines!
Pickler The Newsroom is back and covering the highlights from August 8, 2022 to August 22, 2022:
- Pickleball is soaring, surging, taking over, and becoming more than just a pastime, according to the latest headlines. The sport is on major broadcast networks (as it just had its first appearance on CBS), featuring the “most electrifying man in sports” in Tyson McGuffin (as dubbed by Barstool Sports), inspiring weddings, and “saving” people like Brené Brown, who notes that pickleball is the only place where she is “not thinking about research or work or carpool.” As ESPN’s SportsCenter put it on its latest feature, we are “One Nation, Under Pickleball” (see below).
- But, we are not the only nation loving the game… England is ready for “a spot of pickleball” according to the Daily Mail. Maybe we can have some Team USA versus Team England/GB match-ups, with some Alex Morgan inspired celebrations…
- Circling back to the SportsCenter feature, ESPN looked back at the roots of the game, while also highlighting the future of the sport. Even if you know the origin story of pickleball, this feature is certainly worth a watch. (I even learned something—Did you know one of the founders, Bill Bell, was a spy?! Interesting backstory…)
- Fox News also put a spotlight on one of the founders, Joel Pritchard.
- Fast forward to the present, the sport is having an influx of interest from entrepreneurs in all aspects of the sport, including media (like Pickler) and three pro pickleball leagues. One of the leagues, Major League Pickleball, has even hinted at an expansion. Who is getting into one of the most exciting events in the game? Maybe former news anchor, Katie Couric? Or, maybe Serena Williams will “relish” making an investment with her new focus on venture capital (does “relish” mean pickleball in the quote below)? If any new MLP investors need help, we are here for you!
- The New York Times hinted that tennis players could share their love and courts with pickleball. If it doesn’t work out, the City of Louisville may be on to something by turning vacant lots in the downtown area into pickleball courts. Talk about getting feet on the streets!
- The Pickleball Hall of Fame announced its Inductee Class of 2022, which includes:
- Pat Kane – A player that won over 288 medals between 1991 and 2019, including the first money prize at the national tournament in 2002.
- Larry Moon – A 16-time senior national champion, including triple crown titles in 2016 and 2017.
- Wes Gabrielson – An 11-time national champion, including the triple crown in 2013.
- Norm Davis – A charter member of the board of USA Pickleball (serving 10 years), who advanced USA Pickleball’s training and grant programs.
- Lastly, we have heard this story before, but one pickleball player had a heart attack on the courts. The story ends well with a full recovery, but we encourage everyone out there to learn CPR, which should be performed at the same tempo as the song, “Ah… Ah… Ah… Ah… Stayin’ Alive… Stayin’ Alive!”
