Love Playing Pickleball? Charlotte Is A Good City For It

As a kid, I took tennis lessons and played a bit. My dad was a massive player, and one of my older brothers played in junior tennis tournaments around the Southeast. Now, after having shoulder surgery and numerous knee surgeries, I doubt my tennis game would be great. Although I think I could possibly play Pickleball. The sport is becoming incredibly popular, especially in Charlotte. It's one of the fastest growing sports in the nation.

Here in Charlotte a new spot called Rally in LoSo offers inside and outdoor Pickleball courts, a bar, cafe, and more. According to Lawn Love, Charlotte is the 8th best city for Pickleball lovers. The Lawn Love study is coming out just before National Pickleball Day which is August 8. There's also a Pickleball reality show in the works.

Charlotte is 8th overall in the Lawn Love study and here's the breakdown for our city:

To come up with their rankings, they compared the 200 biggest U.S. cities based on three categories;  access to pickleball courts and tournaments, the size of the pickleball community, and local interest in the sport, among 11 total metrics. There were other North Carolina cities in the poll, but the closest to Charlotte was Raleigh, and they came in 48th.

Phil and I have talked about learning to play Pickleball. We think it'd be a funny video, especially since I am extremely clumsy. Although I do think I'd get the hang of it kinda quickly. Since the court area is smaller than a tennis court, there's less running!

Check out the entire Pickleball study here and if you're an instructor or proficient player, let us know! You can teach Phil and I!

Baseball is back and the 2023 season is full of changes across the Major Leagues. There's the new pitch clock to speed games up. Teams can't do the full-on infield shift anymore. The bases are bigger now, too. And then there's the food.

Good Morning America scoped out some of the new MLB stadium offerings for 2023. I don't need a robot ump to tell me that ballpark food has been taken to a whole new level. I've picked out six of my favorites below. But be warned! After you "grand slam" some of these monster menu items down, you may have to "home run" to the restroom.

No food is more iconic at the ballpark than a hot dog. At Chicago's Guaranteed Rate Field, White Sox fans are living the high life with the new "Champagne of Dogs." It's a half-pound Vienna beef foot-long wiener topped with champagne Vidalia relish and habanero mustard hanging over the ends of a brioche bun. Go big or go home!

This north-of-the-border hot dog may not be the biggest in the baseball, but it just might be the tastiest. Toronto's Rogers Centre has combined a Canadian classic with the all-American frankfurter to create the "Poutine Hot Dog." Blue Jays fans are sure to pounce on these hash brown potato, cheese curd, and gravy-smothered beauties.

Moving on to burgers, the Atlanta Braves must have had breakfast on their minds when they decided to serve this behemoth at the ballpark. "The Cleanup Burger" is actually four grilled all-beef patties, topped with golden hash brown potatoes, hickory smoked bacon, cheese, and a sunny side-up fried egg, served on a buttermilk Belgian waffle with maple syrup. Clean up is exactly what you'll have to do after eating this!

You know what they say; everything's bigger in Texas! The Rangers have put a beefy new spin on their infamous 2-foot-long hot dog. "The Boomstick Burger" boasts a 2-foot Nolan Ryan beef patty topped with Texas Chili Company Chili, Rico's Nacho Cheese and Jalapenos, and crisp onion rings, all piled onto a fresh-baked brioche bun. It sells for a whopping $34.99 at Globe Life Field, but it's meant to feed four fans.

When I think of Miami, I picture golden sunshine, swaying palm trees, and delectable Cuban food. So it's only fitting that the Marlins would serve something called the "Cubano Gigante" at LoanDepot Park. It's 34 inches long, weighs 2.5 pounds, and will feed 4 to 8 hungry fans. This maxed-out Cuban sandwich starts with mojo-marinated pork that's roasted for 12 hours. Then it's layered with sweet ham, mustard, Swiss cheese, pickles, and a special sauce on locally-sourced Cuban bread.

While MLB games might be shorter this year thanks to the new pitch clock, there's always time for dessert! Sundae Donuts has whipped up the new "Donut Popcorn Milkshake" for Mets fans at Citi Field. The shake features an entire popcorn-topped glazed donut perched on a sprinkle-coated cup. You can actually swap out the popcorn for Oreo crumbles if you're worried about not getting enough sugar.