Hollywood Dinks and Pickleball’s Big Picture ft. Matt “Mcnasty” Manasse

In this episode of Cracked Paddles, Alex and Kevin sit down with Matt Manasse—coach, broadcaster, and on-air talent at Pickleball TV—for a wide-ranging conversation about the sport’s evolution, media growth, and off-court drama. Matt shares his thoughts on what makes pickleball such an attractive product for sponsors, how he prepares for a day on the job at Pickleball TV, and some of the tour's most compelling behind-the-scenes stories. He also reflects on coaching tennis stars, playing with celebrities, and the coolest places the game has taken him.

Before the interview, the hosts kick off the episode with updates from their own world, including Alex’s new single “Anna Bright” and details from the music video shoot at the Louisville Zoo. They also recap Alex’s recent tournament in San Clemente, introduce a new recurring segment called “Drill of the Week,” and preview the upcoming PPA Challenger event in Rochester.

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All episodes are available in video format on the Cracked Paddles YouTube channel. To watch this episode, click here.

 

Episode Bookmarks:

• 00:00 - Intro 02:05 - AC's Anna Bright Singles and Music Video Release
• 07:27 - AC's San Clemente Doubles Tournament Recap
• 12:12 - Drill of the Week: Kitchen Games
• 15:42 - Listener Question
• 17:43 - Previewing PPA Challenger in Rochester
• 21:24 - Interview with Matt "Pickleball McNasty" Manasse
• 23:56 - What is the best product pickleball has to offer sponsors and investors
• 29:02 - Pickleball's Juiciest Stories
• 32:15 - Celebrity most likely to qualify for a PPA qualifier
• 36:15 - Manasse's new K-Swiss shoe
• 38:07 - Lessons learned from coaching tennis stars
• 44:27 - Coolest pickleball court Matt has played on
• 49:07 - Pathway to grow pickleball