The Daily Show: Ears Edition - Behind the Show: Michael Kosta's Pickleball Takedown

Episode Date: May 20, 2024

Michael Kosta and TDS Segment Director, Stacey Angeles, discuss their recent field piece on the rise of pickleball across the country. They discuss the freedom and creativity that comes with shooting a Daily Show field piece grounded in a lower stakes issue, as well as how they tracked down Patrick McEnroe and one of New York’s most controversial pickleball advocates to speak on the issue. They also share some exclusive, unaired material that didn’t make it to the final cut.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

John Stewart here, unbelievably exciting news. My new podcast, The Weekly Show, we're going to be talking about the election, economics, ingredient to bread ratio on sandwiches. Listen to the weekly show with John Stewart, wherever you get your podcast. You're listening to Comedy Central. Hi, I'm Michael Costa. Daily Show correspondent, an intrepid journalist. But this story is not about me. It's about him. Hi, I'm Michael Costa. Daily Show correspondent, an intrepid journalist.

But this story is not about me. It's about him. Michael Costa, former professional tennis player, once ranked 864 in the world. Because right now, there's a serious threat to tennis enthusiasts like him, slash me. I'm talking about pickleball. And it needs to be stopped.

Hi, and it needs to be stopped. Hi, and welcome to the Daily Show, this is Stacey Angelis segment director for the Daily Show. Today, I'm joined by Daily Show, and the former 864th ranked tennis player in the world. Michael Costa. Welcome. Good job.

Good energy. But from you. How are we doing, Stace? I'm doing. What? I'm doing? YouTube comment on our pickleball piece. I never read those. I know, I know. But here, you'll see why I'm reading this one.

In all fairness, being ranked 864 in the world is extremely impressive. Oh, that's so sweet. Who's your mom to write that? I don't know who wrote that. But your mom. That is funny that the whole six and a half, seven minute piece, that's the thing that they're commenting on. I just like that we've been trying to actually squeeze that you have been ranked 864 in the world in. Every piece.

Every piece. It always gets cut. Nobody cares. I care. Well, let me tell you this. I was thrown. a lot of internet back and forth about our pick-ball piece, and guess what? I was right. Yeah, because when this, this was like two years in the making, and when you first pitched

it, it was super like hot off, like all these, hot off the press, it was hot off all these fresh fights, especially the big one that drew me to the story was in the West Village, which is like such, it's already such like one of the most expensive snooty neighborhoods in New York. But the fact was there were Picklers keying cars. They were wearing, and this is the one where it's like, cover your, that they were wearing anti-tennis shirts. Oh my God! And you had a... Hold on.

Blah! I'm throwing up. So then, so you can tell your pitch, because obviously this was something you were passionate about from the beginning and I can even imagine your face when you're reading the first article about this invasive pickleball sport taking over. I'm not sure I completely remember the pitch of my first pitch pitch, but I do remember that it was about this country's never been as divided, right? That whole thing? During the part when wars are breaking out, yes.

It was like Russia, Ukraine, Trump, Biden, and it was like, I wanted multiple news clips of like the country's never been this divided. The tensions are rising, you know, civil war, blah, and then it was going to be about pickleball tennis. Which I still think would be better than what we did. Fuck! Well, I think my original pitch would have been better, but I did like, I saw your personal story just oozing out of your pitch and your passion and it clears like this was a, this was a pitch that was probably most intimate for you. Yeah, it's personal. But then when I saw your pitch and then I heard that it was in the West Village Yes, and that it was very divided my brain instantly goes to a duh Westside story parody Where snaps tennis and then I remember I went to your office go Costa how are you at and I did like a balladic leap like can you do this?

Just like because I was envisioning this, you know you doing man on the street and then? you th? the like like like like like like like like like like like like like like like like like like like like like like like like like like like like like like like like like like like like like like? the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the they. they. they. they. they. they. they. they. they. they. they. their. their. their. the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the.? the. the. the. the. the. the. the. the. the. the. I the. I the. I the. I was. I was. I was the. I was. I was. the. the. the. the. the. the. the. the. the. the. the. the. the. the. the. the. the. the. the. the. the. the you doing man on the street and then leading a couple of people on your side of tennis players and then you breaking out into a dance and then... When you're a net, you're a net. Maybe it's comedian got that route. But I do want to tell our listeners, all seven of them right now that this is what is unique and great about the daily show in that I can pitch and then segment director comes in and she brings th. th th th th th th th th th th th th th th th th th this this this this this this this this this this this this this this this this this th th this th th this is thi thi this is thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi th is th is th th th is th is th th th is th th is this is this is this is this is this is this is this is this is th is this is this is this is to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to thi thi thi thi thi thi thi that I can pitch and then segment director comes in and she brings her spice to it. Now, doesn't always mean you want that spice.

I didn't want West Side Story, even though I think it's funny. I think that you don't always know the spice you want and then when you try it, you're like, hmm, give me some more. And I've been pitching musical ideas since I started and they've all been rejected. Except for the opening in Chicago where we did a Ferris B or a parody. Yeah, but it wasn't a musical parody. I'm talking like tap dancing. Yeah. It would have been fun. This I felt like was the closest I was ever going to get but rejected. It's fine. Well let's talk about this in all seriousness because this piece, unlike a southern border piece, a voter suppression piece, there was more room for us to play because the stakes really aren't that high, right?

Yeah. I mean, am I, am I peeling back the curtain too much? No. No, there's this is a field piece where the stakes are higher than any other field piece that the show has ever done, people you know it's... It was really fun to do a piece and you're the perfect segment director for this I mean this is a compliment where we were free to be creative and weird and go get some twie to play pickleball and then throw a temper tantrum and you know do some really weird stuff. The piece you know that I'm I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I'm that I'm that I'm that I'm that I'm that I'm that I'm that I'm th. that I'm th. th. that I'm th. th. that I'm thin thin. the. that I'm that I'm that I'm th. that I'm th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. This is th. This is th. This is th. This is th. This is th. th. this is this is th. this is this is the. this is this is this is this is this is this is the. this is the. the. the. the. the. th. row a temper tantrum and you know do some really weird stuff. The piece that I'm thinking of recently I did down on the southern border in Eagle Pass Texas, you know, there's a lot less room.

Yeah. You just have to kind of find your little areas. I gravitate towards these pieces where you don't have to do much homework. You don't have to be as smart, you know, you can, like, you and I have done some pieces where I'm like, oh, I gotta know the statistics, I gotta know the facts if we interview smart people because if they say some zingers, I'm gonna be like, oh, but pickleball, it's like, you don't, that's why I always try to, and, I mean, yes, those pieces are important, those ones, you have to do have to do to do to do to do to do to do their to do their their to do their their their to do their their their their to be their their their their tho tho to be tho thi. to be to be the fact, their thi. thi. thi. tho the facts, the facts, the facts, the facts, the facts the facts, the facts the facts, the facts, their.., their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their th. th. th. th. th. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. that. that. that. the. that. thea. thatea. thea. thea. thea. tha. tha. tha. tha. tha like just a fun one that you can go like nuts with and and and is actually culturally relevant. It is.

It is. It is because everywhere you go you see pickleball and pickleball courts and someone tells you about pickleball and blah blah blah. It reminds me of like a diet fad like everywhere you go. It's like I'm doing the paleo or I don't need sugar anymore. It's like everywhere I go they got some. I was I was I was I was I was I was just I was just I was just I was just I was just I was just. I was just. I was just. I was just. I was just. I was just. I was just just just. I was just just to to to to to to the to the th. I was just just th. I was just th. I was just th. I was just. I was just th. I was just th. I was just. I'm th. I'm the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the th. I'm th. I'm th. I'm th. I was just. I was just. I was just th. I was just thi. I was just. I was just. I was just. I was just. I was just. I was just. I was tole. I was th. I was thi. I was th. I'm th. I'm the's like I'm doing the paleo or I don't need sugar anymore. It's like everywhere I go they got some I was just in Bloomington, Indiana someone had to talk to me about pickleball. You know, it's just like it comes out of nowhere and yeah. Well we were you you had some jokes in there where it came with COVID. It came with COVID.

That's when it just blossomed and blew up and then it was contagious like COVID.. the they. they. they. they. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. to to to to th. to to to to th. th. to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to come. It's, it's to to th. It's th. It's th. It's th. It's th. It's like, th. It's like, it's like, thi. thi. It's like, the. they. they. I the the the the theea. I was like. I was like, thea. I was like, the. It's like, it's like, it's like COVID. You had some really good analogies there that got cut. They got cut. Let's talk about our guests. Yeah, there was a lot of names getting passed in the beginning. And first we were saying Martina Navratilova because she had that tweet about get your own courts, pickleball players. And you've interviewed Billy Jean King before, you've had her. I love Billy Jean King so much. But th. But th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, the, the, th. They the, the, tho, tho, tho, thu, thu, thu, thu, thu, they they they they got they got they got they got they got they got they got they got th. They th. They th. They th. They th. They th. They th. They, th. They, th. They, th. They, th. They, th. They, th. They're, th. They're, th. Yeah, the, the, the. thean, thean, thooooooooooooooooooooooooo. the. the. They're the. They're. I love Billy Jean King so much, but you threw out a lot of names.

And I think I probably did pitch Billy Jean King. And it wasn't really like a tie to Pickleball. I just pitcher for every single thing I do. But you threw out some names and I was like, oh, I'll go to Shauna and Beth who book know, who booked talent, the bigger talent, and then they were like, oh yeah, we'll reach out to, you suggested Patrick McEnroe. And then when I went to you to tell him I was going to talk to them about booking, you're like, oh, he's on my phone. I can't tel.

Right. I can just send I can't help. And that, in this case, I could help. And you know what we, you know what we really wanted and what I really wanted and what we got with Patrick McEnroe? Was someone who wasn't gonna, wasn't gonna tiptoe? I love that he came with it. Again, there's not real stakes here. Yeah, so he can sport for the better. Don't you dare say one bad thing ever. She can be diplomatic, so I was worried she wasn't going to really bring the heat against pickleball, which maybe she would.

I don't know. You're nuts, how for your athlete brings the heat. I was kidding. I literally just pitch her for everything, even if it's a beast about guns. I knew she wasn an opinion, Billy Jean King about this semi-automatic high-capacity magazine. Yeah, I feel like she has an opinion on everything. I would ask, anyways, she's an excellent, but we got Patrick and he was excellent, professional. I read his book 20 years ago, he signed the book for me, so that's cool. Yeah, he was great because he also knew how to play games with us. Yes. He was fun and down to like shit on a sport that he's th. He's th. He's th. He's th. He's th. He's th. He's th. He's th. He's th. He's th. He's th. He's th. He's th. He's thi thi thi's thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. to. to. to. to. to. to. to. to. thi. to. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. with us. He was fun and down to like shit on a sport that he's also played in, but he's also, you know, he's also a hobby, an activity. Yeah, but he's also like one of the best tennis,

but do I keep calling a sport? Oh, sorry. It's like, can you just edit? It also doesn't, no, I'm just being a tennis purist? I love th, you th, you th, you th, you th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th, th, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, he's like, he's, he's, he's, he's, he's, he's, he's, he's, he's, he thin, he thi, he thi, he thi, he thi, he th. th. He, he th. He, he, he, he, he, he, he, th. He th. He th. He th. He th. He th. He th. th. th. th. th. th. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi, he's also, he's also, he's also, he's also, he's also, he's also, he's also, he's also, he's also, he's also, he's also, he's also, he's, he's, he's, I'm just being a tennis purist. You're being real. I love that you call yourself a tennis purist. Yeah. Yeah. Talk to me about the other guess we had. So we were looking into other people who were at the root of some of these turf wars and we researched and stumbled upon this guy, Albert, the pickleball doctor.

One person who needs to to take that that that that that that that that that that that that that that their the pickleball doctor. One person who needs to take that note is this guy. He may look like a yodler on a bike, but don't be fooled. Every morning he electronically pedals his little pick-a-ball bike to set up his little pick-a-ball nets on our turf. And he's known as Albert the pickleball doctor. Why do you think that pickleball deserves to overtake a tennis court. I think you guys have too many tennis courts. He was causing a lot of problems because he was obviously drawing the pickleball courts on the tennis courts and then people would be lining up wanting to play and he was taking precedence, but it's like you don't know on those courts.

You can't just come just because you get up at 5 a.m. and paint your pickleball lines doesn't mean you can. So we thought he would be a good interview. There is something really strange about the pick-a-ball community that has this kind of entitlement to it. It's like when you're little...that's what we're trying to get at a little bit. Yeah, it's like, I know this is a dumb example, like when you're little and I'm one of five kids, you're one of four kids, when you like fight to get the front seat and you're like, shotgun, it's mine now for the rest of our childhood. Right, and like it's like- That's a great example. And it's always annoying, someone's always going to go like shotgun, like you haven't even decided you're going to go anywhere yet yet yet yet yet yet yet yet yet yet yet yet yet yet yet yet yet yet yet yet yet yet yet yet yet.. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.. Yeah................. the........ the.... the. the. the. the. to. to. to. to. the. the. to. the. to. to. the. the. the. the. the. the. the. the. the. the. the. the. the. the. the. the. the. the. the. the. the. the. the., we're gonna get there. You don't get awarded because you're a nerd that wakes up at 3 a.m.

And just, you know, no. Yeah. So we got him and then the icing on the cake was he happened to have an identical twin brother. I mean, this piece, it kept hitting you over the head. Like an errant overhead. I did love, you had a lot of jabs at his that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. thiaq thiaq thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. You th. You th. You th. You th. You th. You th. You th. th. You're th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. thi, thi, thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii. You're thi. You're thi. an overhead, like an errant overhead. I did love, you had a lot of jabs at his expense that got cut. Yeah. Classic.

And it was funny because like you and what I loved about it was like you and Patrick were taking shots at each other. You had a good shot at him but it didn't make it. You know it is true a lot of my good shots don't ever make it. I think it's because the people don't want me to seem like an asshole but it's like and that's why you weren't 863 in the world. Yeah well he was like going a little bit heavy and then you said how does it feel to be the second best tennis player in your family or something? And that. and that. and that. that. that's like. that's like. That's like. That's like. That's like that's like. That's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's like that's that's that's that's like that's like that's like that's like that's like the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the th is is is is is is is. th. th. th. th. th. It's th. It's th. It's th. It's th. It's th. It's the people people is the people the. theat. the people people people people theat. the people people people the. the. that. that. that. that. the people that. And then with pickleball, he could not, like Patrick can keep up with you, but the pickleball guy, Dr. Pickleball, whatever, he couldn't keep up with you and one of my favorite

parts which was so funny that got cut was he would say the lamest insults. They weren't, they weren't burns at all and you would act like they were the biggest insults where you're like, can we bleep that? Why you just try it? You want me to try pick-a-ball. You know what that means to be 864 in the world in tennis? It means I'm the number one pick-ball player right now. Why don't we do a little head-to-head? How about that? Okay. I'm gonna whip your butt. I'll see your geriatric ass in the kitchen. Okay. It's Dink time, baby. You know, it is a little unfair

when a Daily Show personality comedian is talking to like a doctor who plays pickleball and you get into a verbal comedic jab. That's not his world. Yeah. But you could tell with Patrick, the highly competitive athlete who's made the semifinals of the Australian Open and as wins over Boris Becker, you could tell he knew how to dish it out too, which was fun. Yeah, I mean I remember a couple of notes they were like oh we feel like this

might be too mean and I'm like they're athletes that's part of the game you shit talk. And so I go it's not it's not it's not it's not it's not it's not it's not it's not it's not it's not it's not it's not it's not it's not it's not. It's not. It's not. It's not. It's not. It's not. It's not that's not that's not that's not that's not that's not that's not th. It's not th. It's th. It's th. It's that's that's that's thi. that's that's thi. the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. thi. the. the. the. the. the. the. the. the. the. the. the. the. the. it's all, it's all in fun. It's like, again, this isn't like a, it's a piece about pickleball. Yeah, exactly, exactly. It's how you say I love you. You give him a little dig. I will say I'm gonna give a shout out to one of the stylists that helped on the shoot, I don't even know if I knew they were identical until I saw them, like matching glasses, match same hairstyle, everything.

And at the last minute I was like, hey, can you go out and get matching outfits? And she left right away, came back with like three options, and I think that made it more creepy with the reveal. You know what, thanks for bringing up wardrobe because my 864 headband was sick. Yeah. My 864 shirt. Yeah. My, it should also be noted, and you'll see in the opening segment of this piece, and in the pickleball playing piece, I had a freshly double herniated disc during this piece.

That's right. And my left leg is limping while I do my open, which apparently no one else knows that I noticed. You were like Carrie Strug in the Olympics when she injured her ankle and then still managed to win the team gold medal. You had... I was about to use that exact example. I know. That's I felt like I was witnessing greatness. When Carrie Strug ran and did the vault, that's how I felt in my opening segment. Yeah. But a long walk for that. Yeah, and unlike Carrie Strug, you didn't cry. Yeah, where is your 864 uniform? Is that, did you try to donate it to a Hall of Fame, a Sports Hall Fame?

There's probably some homeless guy in the sea train right now wearing an 864 shirt? I don't know. I'm surprised you wouldn't get like a, a, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, I, I, I, I, th, th, th, th, th, th, th-a, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th-a, th-a, th-a, th-a, th-a, thi, thi, thi, the-a, thee-a, theee-augh, the-a, the-s, the-a, the-s, the-a-s, the-s,'s probably some homeless guy in the seat train right now wearing an 864 shirt. I don't know. I'm surprised you wouldn't get like a three-d shadow box frame that you put it and hang it in your apartment. I'm proud of my world ranking. I'm never going to not going to be proud of it. I know we make fun of it, I'm just kidding. John Stewart here. Unbelievably exciting news.

My new podcast, The Weekly Show. We're gonna be talking about the election, economics, ingredient to bread ratio on sandwiches. Listen to the weekly show with John Stewart, wherever you get your podcast. Okay, so when we found out that Dr. Pickle, Doctor of Pickle Ball had a twin brother, you obviously needed a partner. Yeah. Who was your first choice? You know what?

I got my own secret weapon. Ronnie. Ronnie, Ronnie. Why? Let's Ronnie, Ronnie. Why? Let's go, dude. Where the pickles. We're playing pickleball.

You said to be food. And for his doubles partner, Kasta has Ronnie Chang, who seems to have been tricked into being here. That makes two of us. Certainly wasn't anybody on this staff. It was probably just a friend of mine or something, you know? Yeah. I don't remember who my first choice, you know what? I remember when it was revealed to me that Ronnie Chang would be my partner. I was happy, but I was hesitant because the last time I did a piece

with Ronnie Chang was a thank me later about the guy who got nun chucks, unillegalized. Did you say numb? I said num chucks, but none chucks. But they're nun chucks. Come on. That was part of the joke in the piece. And all of a sudden, it was like Ronnie's going to join you on your piece. And all of a sudden, he's like this Kung Fu master, and I'm like, I don't want Ronnie coming here stealing the pick-a-ball show, but it was a good addition. He was generous with his time.

He's not going to steal the show. He's not ranked in tennis. No, exactly. No, I wasn't worried he was going to steal the show. I wanted to make sure all parties had read the pitch and were aware of what we were doing. Well Ronnie never reads the pitch. He asked me questions while shooting. Correct. That's what I'm saying. But I knew he, I suggested him because I knew he had gotten into pickleball and him and him and his lovely wife Hannah. They like are, I think they're like, they're involved in like tournaments. They're like a power pickleball couple. Yeah, but really was working on this form and taking it seriously in between takes And and and and please keep this in. I'm serious what I'm about to say don't edit this out This is what drives me fucking crazy about pick a ball Ronnie talks to me about pick a ball as if he's like a racket skilled player and then when you play with him he's terrible. His grip on the back hand is so bad. His forehand is so bad. He doesn't know his pancake.

Dude, do you see him on the serve? He's doing like this pancake thing. That's literally like... Ooh, we need to have a pickleball off with you and Ronnie. This is my whole problem is with pickleball is that people who play this little checkers game, they enter what they believe is a highly competitive field and they don't know what the fuck they're talking about. So boom. It feels like you're pitching for two. The podcast is over. Well, Mike drop but it's on a swing but it's on a swing tournaments with my spouse.

Well, it's hard. I'm saying. I'm going to! I'm not helping tournaments with my spouse. That's what I'm saying. I played with old people during COVID. But it is, it is a good social sport, much more social than tennis. Tennis gets way to up its own ass with elitism and all. Well, this is the thing that's funny to me about the war between between Piggle Ball and tennis. people and it's not like badass like I get why fights break out in physical contact it's not even physical like your injuries are what did you have

sciatica well you and that's not a pickleball but no you know what I mean it's a non-contact sport yeah and the fact that they're keen cars and smack talking and doing all this like this those are picka ball players by the way yeah yeah now tennis has a long the the the the they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they're they they're they're they're they they're they're they're they're they're they're they're they're they're they're they're they're they're they're they're they're they're they're they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they're they're they're they're they're they're they're they're they're the the the they're the the the the the the the the they're the the the they're their they're they're they're they're they're they're they all this like this those are pick-ball players by the way. Yeah, yeah. Now, tennis has a long little bit of elitism into it. Tennis has a long aristocratic elitist attitude about it. Country Club. I strongly agree. I strongly agree with you. I believe Arthur Ash and Serena Williams, I mean it's Williams, and might disagree with your white people comment, okay? No, I said dominantly.

You're on blast. Dominantly. You're on blast. No. Are you going to say it's not dominantly, no. Are you going to say it's not dominantly white athletes in sports? No, I'm in support of you because the the reason that the William sisters and Arthur Ash were so groundbreaking is they had to fight through all that elitist white bullshit. Yeah, also they made the sport more popular.

Of course, 100% 100% of it. So, less white athletes. That's the point. That's the point. That's the point. the point. You really wear that with a badge of honor. I am thankful the Daily Show did the pickleball piece. It was a long slog to get here and I'm glad that you were the segment director on it. Oh, thanks. And it was fun to do.

That was that sound like he was wrapping this up. Trying. One thing that got cut that really supports your point in that it's not a sport. You can't get a scholarship for it. It's not in the Olympics. And they act like this is the most important, sorry, hobby. I was about say sport. So I think the fact that they don't have any of that level of acknowledgement or recognition, I think that wins the argument. Well, I don't know. But in defense of pick-a-ball, they would say, that's all coming.

That's all coming. I mean, you can get a bowling scholarship, Division I, NCAA bowling scholarship, you know? Well, actually, I did hear that the... There's some schools that are going to be, there's going to be a pickleball tournament in the Billy Jean King Center, who I love. Oh, trampling her name. I know, sorry, Billy Hannibal. No, I mean, here's going to be, it's going to be, wait, this is kind of crazy, because it just shows how it is blowing up bigger and bigger, even though we thought th th th th th th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, tho, tho, tho, tho, tho, tho, tho, tho, tho, it tho, it's tho, it's tho, it's thi, that, it's there, it's there, it's there, it's there, it's there, it's there, it's there, it's there, it's there, it's tho, thi, thi, thi, th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. thi, thi, it's, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, there's there's there's there's thrown there's throwneeeeeeeeeeea, there's there's there's there's there's there's there's there's there's thrown though we thought when it aired, we're like, it should have aired two years ago, but it does keep popping up in the news. This very week, the Billie

Jin King Center is going to hold a televised over six days pickleball tournament where the grand prize is $150,000. That's great. Is it great? I mean, it's not a tennis money at. It is very quick growing sport. There is a lot of money in pickleball. My prediction is it's gonna taper off very soon, but I could be wrong. You know, it could be the racquetball, handball, I mean, no, handball's a thing. You say it's gonna taper off, but it's the championship is gonna be played in Arthur Ash Stadium. How does that sit with you? I think it's an atrocity to the sport. I think Arthur Ash as a diplomat, as an athlete, as someone who broke racial barriers, if I was a charge of Arthur Ash as a state, I would try to burn this tournament to the ground. Do you understand what I'm

saying? Can I be more clear? You would, yeah, youry to burn this tournament to the ground. Do you understand what I'm saying? Can I be more clear? You would, yeah, you want to burn Arthur Ash Stadium down in the name of, is that I'm what? What? What? Of, you know, theyrae? No, my big issue with Pick a ball is the participants tooed. You know what it reminds me of? stupid fucking American breweries have to make like such a hazy IPA. Yes. And it's like, hey dude, we know you don't really know how to brew beer and you're just

throwing a bunch of hops in this shit to hide the fact that you can't make a 600-year-old German lager recipe because it's hard to do that. That's what I equate to Pickleball. Oh, I thought I were talking about something else or a second. And now... Okay, but I have one question. Yes. Would you do a commentary on Pickleball if they asked you? I've been asked. I've been asked, and I said no. I also wasn't available. I don't hate the sport.

I don't, oh, I almost did it. I don't almost the to to to. I. I almost. I. I almost. I almost. I almost. I don't. I almost. I don't. I almost. I don't. I almost. I don't. I don't. I almost. I almost. I don't. I almost. I almost. I don't. I almost. I almost. I almost. I almost. I almost. I almost. I don't. I almost. I almost. I don't. I almost. I almost. I to. I to. I to. I to. I to. I to. I to. I almost. I almost. I almost. I almost. I almost. I almost. I almost. I almost. I almost. I almost. I almost. I almost. I almost. I almost. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I don't. I don't. I don't. I don't. I don't. I don't. I don't. I don't. I don't. I don't. I don't. I don't. I don't. I don't. I don't. I don't. I don't. I don't. I don't. I don't. I don't. I to. I to. I to. I. I. the activity. I just wanted to remain separate from the sport I love the most, which is tennis. Yes, and did you play tennis? Were you? I did. I was, let's tie it back. You had a career high of 864 in the world in singles. Also, nobody wants to end this more than I do, but I will say one piece that got cut was you promoting your, you're an author. What was your book? 101 ways to win more tennis matches. And then Patrick McEnroe wrote a book called Hardcore Confidential.

And between the two I feel like, what was his top ranking? 20, I think he was 22 in the world. I th he was 22 in the world that one point. I know there was a two I thought it was like 12 or no He was fucking high so between 864 and 22 He was 822 places higher than me 42 okay, okay, 42 okay 42 places and 242 sure all right great job everybody. thank you, but that was stop I know I'm gonna cut to the scene. I'm try to give this? th th th this this this this this this this this this this this this this this this this this this this this this this this this this this this this this this this this this this this this th th th thi the the the they the they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they the the they the the the the the the they the the the they they they they they they they they they they they they they they th the the the the the the the the the they they they they they they they they they they they cut to the scene. I'm trying to give a little something to cut to it. God, this guy, Jesus. No, there was a scene where you probably present your book, and turns out he wrote a book as well. And I actually enjoyed that scene because you are both top tennis athletes.

Yep. You both wrote books. And I thought that was a lot of fun and it got cut. It got cut. So roll that clip. I really appreciate you sitting down and answering some of these hard-hitting journalistic questions and as an appreciation, I got you a copy of my book, 101 tips for winning more tennis matches, autographed to my friend. Hopefully there be some good tips in there for you. Thanks again, man. Oh, God. I'm really. I I I I I I I I I I I'm thiiiiiiiiolee. I'm th. I'm th. I'm th. I'm thi. I'm thi. I'm thi. I'm thi. I'm thi. I'm th. I'm th. I'm th. I'm th. I that's that. that. I th. that's that's that's th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th........................................................................................................... there for you. Thanks again, man. Well, listen, I'm really glad you brought this for me. I had no, absolutely no idea, but this is a book that I wrote about my years on tour. Right. I've got some of those in there too. Yeah. At the highest level. So that's for you, Michael, maybe you'll learn a couple things. I hope you like my hard cover book. thia, th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. the, Michael, Michael, Michael, Michael, Michael, Michael, Michael, Michael, Michael, Michael, Michael, Michael, th. thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, tho-I's, tho-I's, th. thi. thi. thi, thi. thi, th. th. there, there, there, there, there, there, there, there, there, there, there, there, there, there, there, there, there, there, there, there, there, there. there. there's there's thi. thi. thr. throooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo. the. the. the. there's there. things. I hope you like my hard cover book, Michael, you

probably have one of this and hard cover, right? There was a tree shortage or something. Sure, Michael. How many tips does your book have? Um, considerably more than a hundred and one. Okay. Yeah. You want to keep your momentum moving through the volley, huh? That's right. That's something you can't do. That's genius. Let's go play some pickle. Thank you for joining us and thank you for listening to the Daily Show Airs Edition. This has been Stacey Angelis and Michael Costa. Thank you, Stacey.

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