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REAL OR FAKE? Nike signs 82-year-old Ethel Jenkins to $12 million pickleball endorsement deal

REAL OR FAKE? Nike signs 82-year-old Ethel Jenkins to $12 million pickleball endorsement deal

PLUS: Steve Harvey judges pickleball dispute + Pickleball-inspired gyms are now a thing

Good day, picklers.

Riddle me this:

In the city where the wind loves to blow,
By a lake where great towers grow,
With deep-dish delights and a bean that gleams,
What city is this, where dreams take wing?

Can you guess where we are this week?

Ah. That’s right. We are in the windy city of Chicago, playing at Big City Pickle: Fulton Market.

The goal wasn’t to challenge the Chi-town winds, but man…it put up a dang good fight.

Wind: 1.
Me: 0

While I rest, let’s get into some pickle talk, shall we?

Here’s what’s on the docket today:

Pickle Talk:FAKE NEWS…Nike signs 82-year-old Ethel Jenkins to $12 million pickleball endorsement deal
Bite-sized: Pickleball deal closer, sound barrier is not enough, Steve Harvey judges pickleball
Golden Pickle:The much-anticipated Proton Paddles with Nanotac surface have hit the market. Are you charging up to get one?

Let’s start off with a visually stunning banger, shall we? 😵‍💫

A study shows that the younger generation has a 40% increased likelihood of developing anger issues during teenage development.

Well, I’m glad this kid is using the pickleball courts as an outlet.

RIP to his opponents 💀

Let’s get into some PICKLE TALK

FAKE NEWS: NIKE SIGNS 82-YEAR-OLD ETHEL JENKINS TO $12 MILLION PICKLEBALL ENDORSEMENT DEAL

Eye wide. Disbelief. In awe.

While researching some great topics to grace the top of the Pickle Talk newsletter this week, I have to admit: there was not a lot that caught my attention.

More of the same old, same old. Just another day in the life of media, am I right?

That was until I came across this the headline: Nike Signs 82-Year-Old Ethel Jenkins To $12 Million Pickleball Endorsement Deal.

Source: babylonebee

First thought being that this was a breakthrough. A civilian from a retiree community name Ethel Jenkins claimed pickleball stardom over night. WOW.

But my excitement and confusion waned immediately discovering the outlet that produced this article: The Babylon Bee.

In case you aren’t well educated in the world of satire news, The Babylon Bee is “the definitive source of fake news you can trust.”

Be that as it may, it is a hilarious read that I frequent quite often.

Some of their recent headlines might make you cringe and chuckle at the same time and its wicked funny:

Oh No! Piece of Ear Shot Off Trump Begins To Grow Into Second Trump
Harvard Announces New Dean Kanye West
Walmart Now Requires All Shoppers to Wear Pants

In the featured pickleball article, The Babylon Bee makes its claim so convincing, stating that “a spokesman for Nike has just confirmed that the athletic apparel giant has finished signing a $12 million pickleball endorsement deal with Ethel Jenkins, an 82-year-old New York and Florida snowbird.”

The fake Jenkins comments as well, joking that with the endorsement money, she will not “be able to pay for that hip replacement now.”

The article concludes with a hilarious wrap up, stating that with her new found interest in Shuffleboard, Ethel’s pickleball career was cut short.

This was too funny not to share with you this week!

PICKLEBALL MEETS FITNESS CLUBS

It’s like this: I see this troll all over the internet and suddenly, news about pickleball-inspired gyms suddenly pop up out of no where.

Is it pure coincidence or is this guy some sort of marketing wizard?

All jokes aside, if you, like me, hate the traditional cardio exercises such as running and biking, then, like me, you have found solace in the the most cardio forward sport of all time:

Pickleball.

And lucky for us, 2 guys, Baghigh Acuna & Jorge Guerrero, have decided to turn dreams into a convenient reality, replacing cardio machines and stair masters with “phygital” pickleball fitness gear IN THE GYM.

photo: Playkout

They call it Playkout, a novel gym concept where weight training group workouts and custom-designed pickleball stations are at the center of getting fit.

How it works? Simply put, its pickleball simulators indoors. Think…indoor golf where players swings balls into large tarp-like screens. But for pickleball.

Located in Uptown Texas, this gamified-workout facility has tested over 300 playtesters, claiming a 15% increase in burned calories compared to traditional fitness studios.

Playkout current offerings include simulator booking credits as well as packages and memberships.

Thought I was done? Not so fast.

In more pickleball/fitness news, the gym we all know, Crunch Fitness, has partnered up with Break the Love to offer members access to “Pickleballers,” a circuit-based fitness class for the summer of 2024.

What’s the deal? Well, according to the announcement, the 8-week class is targeted towards pickleball players aiming to improve strength and agility.

The sad news being it’s only offered at 6 Crunch gyms in NY, NJ, and LA.

So if you are in those areas, check it out!

If not, let’s just hope it’s so popular that this becomes a permanent thing in Crunch Fitness locations all over the US. Fingers crossed?

BITE-SIZED PICKLES

1/ CLOSE THE DEAL: Pickleball is increasingly becoming the go-to sport for corporate events, saving time and money while being more inclusive and easier to play than golf. Corporate bookings at pickleball clubs across the U.S. rose in June, with Ace Pickleball Club experiencing a surge in event requests and Pickleballerz seeing bookings triple since 2021. Life Time health club is fielding 10 to 20 corporate booking inquiries per week, more than five times last year’s volume. Companies find better returns on investment with pickleball, as two hours on the court cost $80 compared to $600-$700 for golf, and events are shorter, allowing more time for work and engagement.

2/ STILL ANNOYING: The ongoing dispute between pickleball players and neighbors in Braintree continues despite efforts to mitigate noise. The town collaborated with the Braintree Pickleball Club, which has about 700 members, to install a $20,000 sound barrier, reducing noise by 50%, according to Sound Seal's Aaron Duncan. However, residents like Michael Megley argue that the barrier is insufficient, covering only one end of the eight-set courts, and complain about the constant noise disrupting their daily lives. Mayor Erin Joyce is seeking feedback on the barrier and exploring additional solutions to balance the enjoyment of the courts with neighborhood peace.

3/STEVE HARVEY JUDGES: Pickleball makes it to reality court show TV. On season 2, episode 17 of ‘Judge Steve Harvey’, it features Harvey hearing out the plantiff and defendant trying to resolve an issue about pickleball. The pickleball pair go as far as playing a match in the court room to show Harvey the game and try to win the case. You can watch ‘Judge Steve Harvey’ Tuesdays 9/8c on ABC or stream it on Hulu. Who will you side with?

4/ COURT CONTROVERSY: During the second round qualifying match between Florida Smash and California Black Bears, a ball in question prompted protest from both sides. The Bears won the mixed doubles game, and Smash owner/player Travis Rettenmaier made his point clear on social media about the situation: “We’re still in a scenario where players are making the decisions. They are making the calls, and then conferring with the ref. At some point, this needs to go away. The ref—or the technology—has to make the call because, otherwise, you’re gonna have those that feel they have the option to manipulate the rules and cheat.”

GOLDENPICKLE, ANYONE?

🏆After losing the Quarter Finals at Wimbledon, Taylor Fritz decided to chill out playing pickleball with YouTube Star, David Dobrik.

🏆 The much-anticipated Proton Paddles with Nanotac surface have hit the market. Are you charging up to get one?

🏆 DID YOU WATCH? Advil Targeted Relief MLP Mid-Season Tournament: New Jersey 5s vs DC Pickleball Team

🏆 Is it time for #1 Ben Johns to drop his brother and doubles partner Collin Johns? Here’s why.

ICYMI…A Pickle Talk Rewind

No pickle left unturned 🥳

AND BOOM!

Just like that, another edition of The Pickle Talk has concluded.

Thanks for sticking around for another edition and hey, if you’ve enjoyed this Pickle Talk…

Go ahead and share it with a friend or 3. There’s really no reason to gatekeep great content 😉

Thanks for reading!

Until next time, picklers.