Tank McNamara by Bill Hinds for October 31, 2022

I’m telling ya’s – Pickleball is for all the Baby Boomers who used to play handball in the 60s and 70s, then paddleball and tennis in the 80s’ and 90’s, then golf in the early ‘oughts. Pickball too will run it’s course in time, and Tank will be talking about Pro Shuffleboard!

There actually is something called the American Cornhole League. According to organization’s website, though there are about 55,000 members, fewer than 250 members of the ACL actually win any appreciable money, from $5,000 to $25,000 a season, with a (very) few top individuals making up to $60,000 in a good season. The league’s income derives mostly from sponsorships, notably ESPN.

Rule #1 in investing: Don’t invest in anything you don’t actually understand. I have a hard time imagining Buck having the first clue about Pickleball – who plays it, just how popular it actually is, who would be interested enough to buy tickets or to sponsor, etc. To me, sounds like the same type of “investment” as betting on a game in a sportsbook.

Baseball has a designated hitter and starts with a runner at second in extra innings. Coming up: batting off tees.

How do you play pickleball? Seriously? It sounds just like regular ping pong.

Other professional leagues: curling, badminton, and bowling.

To each his own, of course, but those are not for me.

That guy in Jacksonville who took his helmet off at the wrong time will go down in hostory along with “Butt Fumble” and Jim(WroNG WAY)Marshall

If you come up with a sport they have a pro-league for it, and you can end up on the Ocho ESPN 8.

I think the next big sport will be Pro Wiffleball.

Although someone should revive Pro Tiddly Winks or Pro Hide and Seek, the last time I saw them was on Monty Pythons Flying Circus

About 10 years ago, my landlord was talking up pickleball. I went to one of his league’s Saturday events.

At almost 50, I was the youngest person there by about 35 years. It seemed like everyone in Honolulu who had outlived their doctor was celebrating by starting to play pickleball. At that point, I wouldn’t have bet even $1 that the sport itself would even survive this long (because of demographics), let alone start getting large-scale attention like a mention in Tank McNamara.

Before the pandemic we used to have little dining out groups in our geezer village. During one dinner a guy said he was interested in trying pickleball, but every time he drove by the courts he saw an ambulance parked there.

Pickleball is very easy to learn. You can walk on the court and have a good time. But people who’ve been sedentary for decades can get hurt because they’re not used to moving, especially backwards.

If this were the Wrexham scenario, it would be Tank making the call.

Pickleball and monkey pox are two things that need a name change if they are to be taken seriously.

My $0.02 worth, hopefully their manners will improve, as compared to the group that invades our local park; terrible is an understatement.