Is Pickleball the Next Big Thing? Drew Brees Thinks So

There is a new sport that is trending on the Internet and in the lives of thousands if not tens or hundreds of thousands of people. That sport is Pickleball. If you're not familiar with Pickleball then it's clear you haven't been involved in a school day's PE class or checked out "what's trending" on the Internet.

Do you remember when Drew Brees was teasing about his next moves after his short-lived TV career?

Yeah, there was Louisiana's favorite quarterback joking about Pickle ball, or was he?

As it turns out, maybe Drew was hinting less about football and more about the ball game with the funny name. First things first, how about an explainer on exactly what the heck is Pickleball.

How "hot" is Pickleball these days?

Well on the Thursday (07/21) edition of Good Morning Acadiana reporter Taylor Toole spent the morning with some Acadiana Pickleball fans and everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves. Taylor even showed she has the makings of a very good player. Okay, I'll be honest Taylor, you weren't that good but I bet you can get better the more you play. And full disclosure, you could probably whip my backside in Pickleball.

So, what does this have to do with Drew Brees the soon-to-be-Hall-of-Fame former quarterback of the New Orleans Saints? This is what it has to do with Drew.

Drew is now an owner in the world of Major League Pickleball. Wow!

Who knew there was Major League Pickleball? I was today years old when I learned about it but having Drew Brees join the league as a spokesperson and owner suddenly gives the sport a lot more credibility.

If you'd like to hear Drew talk about his "new sport" you can do that right here on the Mad Drops Pickle Ball Club website.  I guess the sky is the limit when it comes to Pickleball now.

The reason for the rise in popularity of the sport seems to be how easy it is to get into. It's not as strenuous as tennis. It provides a fun way to exercise. The equipment doesn't appear to be that expensive either.

I think the only barrier to Pickleball exploding across South Louisiana is the availability of courts. There are courts in Broussard at the Sports Complex, and Thomas Park in Lafayette has some courts as do parks in Crowley and Eunice. Even Lake Charles and Monroe have some courts available. 

Amazon has Pickleball sets including balls and paddles available for about $70.00. Now if you want the net and everything like that you'd spend about $250 at the online retailer's site.

It's like Whiffle Ball, meets Tennis while dating Ping Pong and Badminton. Yeah, I think that covers it. All we need now is one of the sports networks to pick up coverage of the action. Pickleball could be the next Australian Rules Football, remember when ESPN used to show that all the time?

This seems like an amazing opportunity to grow a new sport, get some exercise, and use the phrase Pickleball in public all at the same time. You go Drew. We'll see you at Walk-Ons after the match.

I wonder what foods go best for watching Pickleball? Perhaps we could learn from the NFL on that one.