Dave Fleming to suit up for the Palm Beach Royals this weekend at the MLP Champions Series!

We also discuss matchups, predictions, power rankings, upcoming matches, the LA Xtreme reality show, and Palm Beach Pete's pick of the week.

Takeaways

• Event number two matchups and predictions
• Insight into the LA Xtreme reality show and the impact of Palm Beach Pete's pick of the week.

Join us for a recap of the first MLP Champions Series event in Chicago, where we discuss the top teams and biggest surprises.

Also, we had a bonus interview with Dr. Nicole Pitts from the Austin Ignite Prime team, which went 4-0 and won the weekend.

Takeaways

• Houston Hammers' dominant victory
• Technical issues with streaming and recommendations for improvement Pickleball championship experience and team victories
• Balancing professional life and training
• Upcoming events and facilities
• Rookie performances and lineup experiments

Chapters

• 00:00 Recap of the Chicago Event
• 08:41 Houston Hammers' Victory
• 10:35 Suncoast Pelicans' Performance
• 12:07 Indy Drivers' Success
• 13:02 Expansion Teams' Debut
• 14:34 Detroit Disruptors' Surprising Performance
• 17:13 Technical Difficulties and Recommendations
• 21:13 Nicole's Pickleball Championship Experience
• 22:09 Team Victories and Player Performances
• 25:24 Balancing Professional Life and Training
• 26:13 Upcoming Pickleball Events and Facilities
• 33:25 Rookie Performances and Lineup Experiments

The episode features a discussion about the upcoming Major League Pickleball Champions Series, including the preseason power rankings and team analysis. The hosts also engage in a conversation with a guest about the league and its players. The conversation covers topics such as player compensation, notable champions, amateur players, and the rise of Palm Beach Pete as a social media personality. It also delves into the league's expansion, events, and predictions for upcoming matches.

Takeaways

• Preseason power rankings provide insight into the competitive landscape of the Major League Pickleball Champions Series.
• The league features a mix of experienced players and newcomers, creating an exciting and competitive environment. Player compensation is based on a pool of money distributed as prize money at each event.
• The league features a mix of amateur and professional players, with a diverse range of backgrounds and skill levels.

Chapters

• 00:00 Introduction to the Champions Table
• 01:16 Preseason Power Rankings and Team Analysis
• 07:15 Discussion of Suncoast Pelicans and Team Strengths
• 18:00 Guest Introduction and League Discussion
• 20:41 Player Compensation and Notable Champions
• 22:34 Amateur Players and League Expansion
• 26:21 Palm Beach Pete's Social Media Rise
• 28:54 League Events and Predictions

The conversation covers the preseason power rankings of the MLP Champions Series, discussing the top three teams and their players. It also delves into the potential of an MLP champions all-star team and the format of the team battles. The conversation provides insights into the strengths and potential weaknesses of each team, as well as the impact of new players and strategic pairings.

Takeaways

• Preseason power rankings play a significant role in assessing the potential of teams in the MLP Champions Series.
• The addition of new players and strategic pairings can significantly impact a team's performance in the league.
• The format of team battles and the point system for scoring adds a new dimension to the MLP Champions Series.

Chapters

• 00:00 Preseason Power Rankings
• 03:09 MLP Champions All-Star Team
• 12:25 Team Analysis: Seattle Tsunami
• 18:42 Team Analysis: Oklahoma City Punishers
• 29:13 Team Analysis: Atlantic City Aces

This conversation with SoCal Hard 8's owner Tim Parks covers the business aspects of pickleball and the merger of Major League Pickleball (MLP) and Professional Pickleball Association (PPA). It delves into the strategic and financial considerations of running a professional pickleball league and the impact of the merger on the sport's future. The conversation delves into the unsolved questions of pickleball, particularly the experiment with mixed doubles and the debate about the top-heavy nature of the sport. It also explores the comparison of pickleball to other sports, the business side of pickleball, and the importance of competitive balance in the league.

Takeaways

• Pickleball as a Business
• The Merger of MLP and PPA Pickleball's unsolved questions
• The importance of team valuations

Chapters

• 00:00 The Business of Pickleball
• 02:39 The Merger of MLP and PPA
• 26:30 The Experiment with Mixed Doubles
• 27:37 The Top-Heavy Nature of Pickleball
• 29:03 Comparing Pickleball to Other Sports
• 36:02 The Business Side of Pickleball
• 50:19 Competitive Balance in the League

The conversation with Lee Whitwell covers rising competition in senior pro pickleball, the format and experience of MLP vs. APP events, transitioning to MLP Champions Series, Lee's background and multilingual abilities, building a fan base for Major League Pickleball, growing pains and rule changes in MLP, Phoenix Firebirds and team strategy, expectations for the Phoenix Firebirds, the relevance of senior pro pickleball, and preparations for the upcoming event.

Takeaways

• Rising competition in senior pro pickleball
• The format and experience of MLP vs. APP events

Chapters

• 00:00 Introducing Lee Whitwell
• 03:34 Rising Competition in Senior Pro Pickleball
• 05:30 The Format and Experience of MLP vs. APP Events
• 07:17 Transitioning to MLP Champions Series
• 09:12 Lee's Background and Multilingual Abilities
• 14:50 Building a Fan Base for Major League Pickleball
• 16:04 Growing Pains and Rule Changes in MLP
• 18:34 Phoenix Firebirds and Team Strategy
• 24:07 Expectations for the Phoenix Firebirds
• 28:08 The Relevance of Senior Pro Pickleball
• 30:15 Preparations for the Upcoming Event

The conversation covers Daniel Gold's transition from playing tennis at Wimbledon to becoming the GM of the Las Vegas headliners in the Major League Pickleball Champions Series. It also delves into the process of building an expansion team, player selection, and team dynamics. The conversation covers the team selection process, mental adjustment in the league, preseason power rankings, analysis of new players and team dynamics, and upcoming matches and league dynamics.

Takeaways

• Wimbledon Experience
• Transition from Tennis to Pickleball Team selection process
• Mental adjustment in the league

Chapters

• 00:00 From Wimbledon to Pickleball
• 09:57 Building an Expansion Team
• 19:54 Player Selection and Team Dynamics
• 28:19 Mental Adjustment in the League
• 51:28 Discussion on New Players and Team Dynamics
• 57:25 Upcoming Matches and League Dynamics

The conversation with Tommy Ho covered his remarkable athletic journey from tennis to pickleball, including his early tennis career, training under Rick Macci, memorable matches, transition to pickleball, return to the Major League Pickleball (MLP), playing for the hometown team, pressure and mental toughness, team dynamics, rankings, and regulatory changes. The discussion provided insights into Tommy Ho's experiences and expectations for the upcoming season in the MLP.

Takeaways

• Remarkable athletic journey
• Transition from tennis to pickleball

Chapters

• 00:00 Introduction and Special Guest
• 07:09 Transition to Pickleball
• 19:38 Draft and Team Dynamics
• 34:20 Team Rankings and Expectations
• 42:05 Regulatory Changes

Join us on The Champions Table as we sit down with Ryan Harwood, co-owner and General Manager of the Major League Pickleball (MLP) franchise, the New Jersey Fives. We dive deep into what it takes to build a professional sports team, the high-stakes world of MLP drafts, and how to manage superstar talent like Anna Leigh Waters.

In this episode, we cover:

• The MLP Experience: Ryan breaks down his unique, high-energy approach on the sidelines and why he believes it helps his team perform under pressure [06:32], [07:26].
• Draft Strategy & Anna Leigh Waters: The story behind drafting Anna Leigh Waters, the challenges of the auction draft, and what it’s like managing a franchise cornerstone [16:48], [18:21], [24:00].
• Building a Fanbase: Ryan discusses the organic growth of the Fives' fanbase and the importance of fan engagement in growing the sport [21:08].
• Tournament Recap: We recap the recent action in Cincinnati, including the rise of senior pro talent and key takeaways from the field [00:08], [02:02].
• Power Rankings: We continue our deep dive into the 2026 preseason power rankings, breaking down the Kansas City Stingers (#13) [35:36], the Los Angeles Extreme (#12) [40:36], and the defending champions, the Coachella Valley Scorpions (#11) [46:00].
  

Whether you're a die-hard pickleball fan or just getting into the sport, this episode provides an insider look at the growth, strategy, and business of Major League Pickleball.

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#Pickleball #MLP #TheChampionsTable #NewJerseyFives #ProPickleball #SportsManagement

Jeff and Shay discuss the #15 and #14 teams in the Major League Pickleball Champions Series pre-season power rankings. Special guest Toki Yamasato adds some Latin flavor to the podcast as she talks about her dangerous Detroit Disruptors team.