The Champions Table

Palm Beach Pete got it completely wrong, and Houston Hammers' Linda Sheldon has a message to set the record straight! Later in the show, we’re joined by Danielle Rios from the Austin Ignite. She shares unofficial MLP Champions Series stats, how her tech background fueled an AI revolution for her team, and why everyone is sleeping on the Austin Ignite as they charge into the playoffs from a project...

Welcome to Episode 21 of The Champions Table Podcast ! In this episode, Shay Coker and Jeff McKnight sit down with Columbus Sliders superfan Nick Nicastro (known on X as @DonNiccolo) to dive into his viral open letter to Major League Pickleball (MLP). What started as a casual Twitter comment caught the attention of MLP general managers and top executives, sparking a huge conversation across the pi...

Joy Leising and Susannah Barr of Seattle Tsunami Prime are chasing the first Prime title in MLP Champions Series history. Plus our picks for APP Columbus and PPA Las Vegas. On this episode of The Champions Table, Shay Coker and Jeff McKnight sit down with Joy Leising and Susannah Barr, who play together on Seattle Tsunami Prime in the 40+ division of the MLP Champions Series. They talk about: What...

Who are the best teams in the MLP Champions Series right now? Jeff and Shay break down the latest results, performances, and surprises as they put together their ultimate MLP Champions Series power ranking . Who moved up? Who fell back? And which teams could be poised to make a run? Watch the latest episode of The Champions Table and let us know where you agree — or disagree — with our rankings. W...

The Seattle Tsunami are rising to the top of the regular season standings with only one regular season event to go. GM James Main joins us to discuss how his team is peaking at the right time of the year.

It's hard enough to play with your husband or wife in recreational play. Imagine taking it to the highest level at Major League Pickleball Champions Series! Angela and Neil Simon became the first husband/wife duo to play Line 1 together in the 4 year history of the league. We discuss their experience playing for the OKC Punishers and their incredible 7-1 records. Jeff and Shay also discuss the Reg...

In this week's podcast, we talk with John Hedberg, star of the OKC Punishers, who is in Vietnam to represent the USA at the Pickleball World Cup. Jeff and Shay also discuss the MLP Finals from Central Park and give a brief outlook of the upcoming MLP Champions Series matches this week in Austin and Phoenix.

Jeff and Shay discuss the recent APP tournament in Detroit and talk with Heather Waters about her experience in the MLP Champions Series.

On this episode of The Champions Table , we sit down with Rick Witsken —Co-Founder of the MLP Champions Series Pickleball, top-ranked senior pro, and standout player for the Indy Drivers! Rick pulls back the curtain on the rapid growth of 50+ professional pickleball, sharing his strategic vision for the MLP Champions Series, how city-based franchises are building regional legacies, and why the lev...

The Champions Table is back! This week we recap Event #2 of the MLP Champions Series in Dallas. Top teams, top performers, personal experiences, and much more! While we focus on the Premier Division, we also mentioned the Prime and Masters Divisions and the leaders in each. Make sure to follow our pages on the major social media platforms.

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...

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. I...

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...

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...

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 o...

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...

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 T...

Episode #4: Inside the New Jersey Fives with GM Ryan Harwood 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 ep...

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.

The conversation covers a range of topics related to professional pickleball, including player feedback, team rankings, ball selection, and the acquisition of pickleball teams. It also delves into the introduction of Zach Hunter and his involvement in Major League Pickleball, as well as the acquisition of the Boca Surge and the NPL alliance. The discussion provides insights into the dynamics of pr...

The conversation covers the rebranding of the league to Major League Pickleball Champion Series, the introduction of new and returning players, and the impact of player transfers on the league dynamics. It also discusses the league expansion, season start, and the merger of teams within the league. The conversation covers the significant player movements and team lineup changes in the Major League...