Riley Green, the famous country singer, had plenty to say about pickleball when he participated in a recent interview on a well-known podcast. The country music site whiskeyriff.com had some interesting things to say about our favorite sport when they reported Green’s comment on their site a few days ago. The way they introduced the story to their readers was also intriguing and was a great indication of how pickleball is finding its way into all corners of American society.
The first two paragraphs ran along the lines of:
If you aren’t familiar with the sport, pickleball is a combination of tennis but played on a court half the size and with a wiffle ball. The quick-paced game focuses on angulated shots and quick back and forth between single players or doubles partners.
The game is gaining huge popularity among the older demographic but has recently exploded among younger crowds due to its social angle. Bars and restaurants acting as watering holes for after-game drinking sessions could be a good reason for that. Amateur pickleballers love to play their game and then down a few cold ones afterward!
So, there you go. That’s how some of America views the pickleball fraternity!
Green voiced the opinion when he recently appeared on the Barstool Sport’s Bussin’ With The Boys podcast hosted by former pro-football players Taylor Lewan and Will Compton. Green has a strong sporting background, being a former college footballer of some standing playing as quarterback for Jacksonville State University in the Division 1 FCS. The FCS is the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision (formerly called the Division I-AA). It is one of the highest levels of college football in the U.S., second only to the Football Bowl Subdivision.
Besides his primary occupation as a successful country singer, recently touring with Luke Combs, Green is also very into hunting. Still, he was keen to express an opinion on the sport everyone seems to have been discussing lately.
He spoke at length about his frustrations with sports that allowed someone with inferior physical prowess to dominate and beat him. It wasn’t just pickleball that he targeted; he also used ping pong and pool as other examples of sports that required brains over brawn. Green stated he preferred sports that allowed him to use his physical attributes to give him an advantage.
The Boy @RileyGreenMusic is bussin' today!!
— Bussin' With The Boys (@BussinWTB) March 3, 2020
• Alabama boy
• Country star
• Big time hunter
• Toured w/@BradPaisley & @JonPardi
• Hit single "I Wish Grandpas Never Died"
⬇️ Drop your questions asap! ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/3pQCcj4yzA
He states in a clip from the podcast that has since gone viral: “Here’s my problem with pickleball. It’s the same problem I have with like ping pong or pool, for that matter. It’s such a game that like if you play it, you can be really good at it. I don’t like games that somebody less athletic than me can beat me in [sic]”.
He went on to say that he hated how a nerdy-looking guy could beat him in a sport like pickleball and that his height and physical condition had no bearing on the outcome of the game. At 6’4” and built like the proverbial brick shithouse, you can understand why he prefers sports that depend more on power, size, and speed than positioning and guile.
Green’s most recent recording is his collaboration with Justin Moore on the song, Everybody Get Along.
Pickleball can’t be for everyone, but it’s still been the fastest-growing in the U.S. over the last three years. Despite its reputation as a silver-generation pastime, nearly 30% of players are aged between 18 and 34. A recent survey put the number of pickleball courts in the United States at an astonishing 10,320.
