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By Ray Glier
The Pickleball phenomenon sparked a gold rush. Excess was bound to come for the game.
Rodney Grubbs convinced investors his business selling Pickleball merchandise was a big-time money maker. He had every bell and whistle connected to a big-time enterprise. Authorities are now seeking answers around an estimated $47 million of investments that have allegedly gone missing.
There is a Facebook page dedicated to the trouble around these investments.
Many people in the PB community know about this train wreck, but the hijinks is not confined to Pickleball. It is widespread in sports and people take advantage of the money train, good and bad.
Major League Baseball, the NBA, and college basketball are coming face-to-face with the perils of gambling, among other things. It's an epidemic: living rent-free, or stealing, not working.
Here is another accounting of Pickleball's scandal.
Pickleball's purpose has been skewed by money, just like other sports that reach a pinnacle.
A long-time player told me this:
"The magic of pickleball is more about the joy of playing. Money and the pursuit of money are the harsh reality of pickleball today."
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