Good day, picklers.

Here’s what’s on the docket today:

• Pickle Talk: COULD ASIANS TAKE OVER PICKLEBALL? MLP FOUNDER SAY “YES,SIR”

• Hot Topic: FREE SPEECH VS. RETIREE PICKLEBALL COMMUNITY. DING, DING, DING. 🛎️

• Bite-sized: Gabby Thomas pickleball fashion & MLP NYC recap

• Golden Pickle: The Golden Bachelorette sizes up her men with a game of pickleball

PICKLE TALK

COULD ASIANS TAKE OVER PICKLEBALL? MLP FOUNDER SAY “YES,SIR”

Step 3 steps the right ALW and Ben Johns.

Future GOATS are getting ready to tend the pastures and retire your status as the best in the world. And your MLP founder Steve Kuhn is flashing the warning signs now! ⚠️

In case you didn’t know…🤔

Mr. Steve Kuhn, the founder of Major League Pickleball came out and admitted a belief that may or may not sit well with the dominant American players like Ben Johns and ALW (or any US pickleball player in fact).

☝🏾 The admission: Asian players will eventually come the best pickleball players in the world.

But, before you jump the gun and request Ben Johns slap Steven across the face with his branded and sponsor JOOLA Ben Johns Perseus CFS 16 Pickleball Paddle, Steve has some really good points.

Alright man…SPILL the 🍵 if you dare. 

OKAY. First off, the rise of pickleball is growing rapidly in countries like Vietnam and Japan and here in the states, a Vietnamese player by the name of Quang Dong reached top 10 status very quickly.

Another point…

Did you know that table tennis was originally an ENGLISH SPORT?! That’s right. And the Asians took it, ran with it, and are winning table tennis GOLD basically every Olympic game.

Steve is so convinced that he has now partnered with Bay Pickle to bring pickleball to Hong Kong and open its first ever indoor pickleball club, praying that it works and with lucky, already planning for venues in Kowloon, Tseung Kwan O, and Ma On Shan by the end of 2024.

That’s a lot of pickleball expansion in just a few short months if you ask me. But if anyone can do it, Mr. Kuhns can.

✌🏼Another admission sprouted from his lips and may hit the tennis lovers hard: He predicts that pickleball will grow faster in Asia than in the USA, eventually surpassing tennis in popularity across the continent.

Here’s something to think about. The economies of scale and reach of pickleball is far better than tennis. Hong Kong is crowded and limited in space. So building more pickleball courts compared to large tennis courts makes MORE sense in the long term.

And Kuhn agrees with that sentiment. 👍🏼

He stresses the sport’s economic appeal for investors, noting that converting tennis courts to pickleball courts can generate six times the revenue due to higher player density…

When it comes to 💸.

And in terms of getting more people out there to actually exercise and have fun, yeah, pickleball also wins in that scenario.

Final note, someone needs to warn these USA players because if it were up to the Asians, paddle sport dominance is an absolute must and time and time again…

They prove it to be oh-so true.

SOCIAL HOT TOPIC

FREE SPEECH VS. RETIREE PICKLEBALL COMMUNITY. DING, DING, DING. 🛎️

I’ve said it once, and I’ve said it again: you couldn’t pay me any amount of money to live in California. As matter of fact, the only thing I’d be able to afford with it is a crumbling hut for 1 MIL. Not thanks.

Here’s the story. 👇🏾

Political tensions have boiled over in, you guessed it, a retirement community in California called the Rossmoor Retirement Community.

GET THIS. A recent FISTFIGHT on the pickleball court (over none other than GOP nominee Donald Trump) has set off a chain reaction of restrictions that has left many residents fuming and reeling.

(THIS is what they pay $400 in HOA for each month?! HA.)

The new rules are causing controversy. (1st Amendment believers are NOT going to like this)

Residents are saying goodbye to public demonstrations and political commentary in the local Rossmoor News—it’s all part of an “effort” to maintain peace in the wake of that explosive court incident.

Yup. That’s also known as CENSORSHIP, people. You tell ‘em RFK!

☝🏾 Here’s the kicker: many residents are pushing back against these changes, labeling them “infantilizing.” They argue that silencing seniors who’ve been politically active in movements like Civil Rights is not just controlling; it’s downright counterproductive.

SHH. There’s even more.

Opposers believe that these restrictions are doing more harm than good, only setting gasoline to the fires of political tension rather than douse them.

What is this? Communist North Korea?

The pickleball fight wasn’t the only thing causing problems either.

The backdrop of California’s ongoing insurance crisis is another piece of this puzzle. With fire coverage becoming harder to secure, realtors are worried that visible political unrest—like demonstrations—could scare away potential buyers.

Realtors argue that this climate of control and suppression may actually complicate things further, pushing away both residents and prospective homeowners alike.

(Um, yes…because it censorship and taking away basic human rights of speech.)

Looks like it’s time to pack and move out of Cali, folks. Your millions will serve you much better in, say, Indiana? And why not do it in fashiiooonn. 😉

BITE-SIZED PICKLE

 🥇Olympic gold medalist Gabby Thomas has taken up pickleball, showcasing her athleticism while turning heads in a stylish all-white miniskirt and sports bra.

When she’s not training or playing, Thomas splits her time between modeling, attending events like New York Fashion Week, and working in the healthcare industry with degrees in neurobiology and public health.

Literally, what can’t she do?

Whether on the track or the pickleball court, Thomas continues to impress with her versatility in life and success and maybe, she can join us on the pro pickleball courts one day.

Invite, SENT! 💌

🥈 MLP meets CityPickle NYC. Here were the TOP moments in case you missed them👇🏾

This past week…Major League Pickleball hosted a showcase event at CityPickle at Wollman Rink, with matches taking place against the backdrop of the New York City skyline.

The event featured top Premier and Challenger teams competing as the season progresses toward the playoffs.

Alright, so who were the standouts this time around?

New Jersey’s Premier team dominated the weekend, jumping from 4th to 1st place in the standings with undefeated performances by key players like ALW and Ben Johns.

No surprise there.

In the Challenger League, Miami surged to 1st place, while Brooklyn plummeted from 1st to 6th after going winless in five matches.

I guess playing on your home turf doesn’t always give you the advantage. 🙄

Player Rankings and Struggles: ALW and Ben Johns were the top-ranked Premier players, going 10-0 and 9-1 respectively, while Miami’s Eva Radzikowska led the Challenger player rankings. Struggles were evident for Utah’s Premier women and Frisco’s Challenger team, where players like John Cincola went 0-10 over the weekend.

🥉An off-duty sheriff’s deputy and his dog were trapped by a persistent coyote inside a fenced pickleball court in Lincoln, Nebraska. It’s anyone’s worst nightmare.

So what happened? The coyote circled the area until animal control was called…

But fortunately, the hungry beast got tired of waiting for its meal before authorities arrived on the scene.

My question: What the heck were you thinking walking alone at 2:15 IN THE MORNING?

Leash your dogs, people. And thank goodness those fences are good for something. AM I RIGHT?

GOLDEN PICKLE, ANYONE?

1/ Is it possible to play pickleball with kitchen gadgets? This week, the Friday Pickleball cohort challenged a pro pickleball player to play a few games with the one and only gadget that will burn your steaks to a crisp and ensure your eggs stick: The frying pan. See it how it all pans out, won’t you?

2/ The Golden Bachelorette has officially kicked off its season. Similar to The Golden Bachelor, the lady under the spot light, Joan Vassos, is looking golden in her dress while facing 24 single gents looking for love once again in their golden years. Only for Joan, she requires a game of pickleball to size up her options.

3/ It’s the airplane, armrest dilemma, but in pickleball. Pickleball pro Catherine Parenteau joined Selkirk TV to answer the age old, hotly debated question: Who the heck covers the middle of the pickleball court?