The Pickle Talk
Posts
The final (*kinda short*) breakdown: MLP vs. PPA

The final (kinda short) breakdown: MLP vs. PPA

PLUS: Life Time gym's pickleball ONLY club & A pickleball reality show is coming to your screen

Welcome back, Kitcheners.

Read time: 4 min

Did ya hear? The big leagues got into a bit of a tiff last week and, uh... let’s just say, A LOT went down in the span of a couple days. Don’t worry, though; I’ve simplified the deets for ya in a short and sweet breakdown so we can finally put the story to rest.

In other news, a pickleball reality show (yes…we’ve gone so mainstream that people want to see us fighttt) is coming to your screen soon. The cast? REVEALED.

TODAY’S MENU

Daily Scoop: The final breakdown: MLP vs. PPA
News Stash: Life Time gym’s pickleball-only club. Breaking down the pickleball numbers, retail edition. Welcome to the pickleball reality show.
Sizzling Skills: Mastering the roll volley & warm-up like the pros
Kitchen Talk: Long Beach builds MORE courts to decrease pickleball noise. Ya or Nay to AliExpress paddles?

DAILY SCOOP

The final breakdown: MLP vs. PPA

The Uneasy PPA-MLP Alliance

The Professional Pickleball Association (PPA), founded by Connor Pardoe in 2018, rapidly became the dominant pro tour by signing top players to exclusive contracts.

Meanwhile, MLP founder Steve Kuhn took a team-league approach with celebrity owners. The two coexisted uneasily until a November truce to jointly promote events and sign stars.

BUT… Pardoe sensed trouble when MLP execs suddenly went silent.

What ended up happening…

MLB blindsided PPA by offering dozens of elite players multi-year deals with huge money, perks, and guarantees.

Some stars were offered around $1 million annually. The gag was players had only 24 hours to decide.

The timing suggested MLP laid stealthy groundwork in advance, language framed it as responding to player salary feedback.

Chaotic Scene at the Kansas City Open

Pardoe urgently flew to the PPA tourney to keep players.

The lounge was surreal, with top competitors urgently phoning agents about MLP's substantial deals. Pardoe and his team desperately negotiated to match or beat the offers before the players departed.

Who MLP Poached...And Who They Didn't

MLP scored Tyson McGuffin, Riley Newman, and other top stars who felt more aligned with Kuhn's vision.

But PPA retained Ben Johns, Anna Leigh Waters, and loyalists who preferred the tour format. Both leagues took big financial hits to retain or poach players during the frenzied bidding war.

Why the drama?Personality clashes between billionaire owners Dundon and Kuhn suggest different philosophies.

Disagreements over rally scoring, team vs. individual play, and player salaries led to previous conflict before a temporary compromise pact. Accusations have flown over who's at fault for the collapsed alliance.

The Aftermath: An Uncertain Path Ahead

PPA threatened its own competing team league, but dropped the idea during negotiations.

Now, anything seems possible again - two parallel tours? One dominant force? No one knows pickleball's direction now, but with tons of money in the sport, the power struggle is likely just beginning.

NEWS STASH

Life Time gym announces 1st pickleball-only club

Happenings: Life Time, the nation's largest health club operator, is opening its first stand-alone pickleball facility in Chanhassen, MN in early 2024, featuring 8 indoor and 7 outdoor courts.

Looking forward: With nearly 600 courts nationwide and over 250,000 Minnesota players this year, Life Time plans to have 1,000+ courts by the end of 2023.

Life Time's full-scale pivot into pickleball provides dedicated infrastructure and programming to serve enthusiastic players amid the sport's meteoric rise.

Pickleball in numbers…retail edition

The Numbers: Pickleball's explosive popularity is fueling a massive retail boom.

Americans have spent over $1 billion on gear since 2020 as retailers expand offerings to meet demand.
Participation jumped 85.7% in 2022, with 4.8 million players.
Running stores now stock specialized pickleball shoes, a category up 12% to $44 million in sales.
Paddle sales hit $285 million in 2022, surpassing tennis gear. Even Franklin Sports expanded beyond baseball into pickleball as its fastest growing line.
The sport's lifestyle component also drives apparel, with athletic brands like Lululemon selling $340 million in moisture-wicking dresses and skirts that go from court to streetwear.
As participation increased 158.6% over 3 years, retailers have tripled shelf space, selling 3.9 million paddles in 2022 versus just 1.1 million in 2020.

With pickleball gaining steam globally, the retail frenzy is expected to continue as brands tailor products to the sport's exploding participant base and evolving fashion trends.

Yes, a pickleball reality show is here.

Happenings: Pickleball Paddle Battle is an upcoming reality competition featuring 16 top pro players handpicked to compete for life-changing prizes. (click Happenings to see the cast.)

The deets: The elite roster of men and women will face off in intense matches, displaying exceptional skills and determination. At stake are pro sponsorship deals, ownership of Pickleball Kingdom franchises, and the crowning of the King and Queen of Pickleball.

What you’ll get: Creator Ace Rodrigues promises heartfelt stories and thrilling gameplay as contestants pursue the multi-million dollar rewards. With delirious fans and high-drama, Pickleball Paddle Battle aims to showcase the sport's remarkable talent while delivering an exhilarating viewing experience when it premieres later this year.