PicklePod

Federico Staksrud Has One Job: Take Down the St. Louis Shock

PicklePod

Show Notes

MLP Chicago is in the books and the playoff picture is getting brutal. Zane and Nico break down whether the Dallas Flash are actually contenders or just riding a soft schedule, argue about whether Dream Breaker power is overrated after JW Johnson's demolition of Chris Haworth, and recap Zane's week with the Chicago Slice — including Christian Alshon's first pitch at Wrigley Field and the blue card moment that swung a Dream Breaker.

Then Federico Staksrud joins the pod fresh off his blockbuster trade from the Orlando Squeeze to the New Jersey 5s, breaking down how the deal actually went down, whether pickleball needs real free agency, and his (very confident) opinion on bucket hats.

Plus: Nico's hybrid pickleball debut at PickleCon, the Texas vs. Kansas City BBQ debate, a brutally honest review of the Dink movie, and a full draft of the greatest sports movies of all time.

👕 Check out the new performance apparel line from Six Zero: https://bit.ly/3T9NaDM

💊 Marek Health → https://www.marekhealth.com | Code: THEDINK for 10% off

📩 Subscribe to our free newsletter for everything that matters in pickleball: https://subscribe.thedinkpickleball.com

#Pickleball #PickleballPodcast #mlp #ppa

------------------

Like the ep? Do us a favor: subscribe to our channel and leave a review on Apple or Spotify

-Follow us on IG : https://www.instagram.com/thedinkpickleball/

-Join the Pro Pickleball Talk Discord → https://discord.gg/ZCqXrxhgsv

-For everything else we do, visit https://linktr.ee/dinkfam

-Read more about Zane and subscribe to his newsletter at https://zanenavratilpickleball.com/

-Follow Zane on IG @zanenavratilpickleball

------------------

0:00 Intro

4:30 Dallas Flash: overhyped, GM of the Year, and is Brooklyn in trouble?

15:34 Zane's MLP Chicago recap: Wrigley Field, Alshon's first pitch, and the paddle-brand fantasy draft

25:04 Chicago Slice's playoff push and the blue card moment

38:07 Nico's hybrid pickleball debut at PickleCon

46:02 Reviewing The Dink movie — Zane and Nico do not agree

Federico Staksrud

55:53 Fed joins the pod

1:05:06 Should we just have a 7-game series?

1:15:35 Heroes of villains game Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

More from PicklePod

Oct 20, 2026

Pickleball is getting louder, messier, and more interesting—and this week’s conversation proves it. Zane Navratil and Nico break down the latest pro pickleball stories, from tournament scheduling chaos in Australia and Hong Kong to first-time gold medalists, the rise of Elliott Shupp, and the debate over what belongs on center court.

Oct 13, 2026

The biggest indoor pickleball business story of the year collides with a wild Chicago recap, and the debate around Annalee Waters, Ben Johns, and the future of pro pickleball gets surprisingly deep fast. If you want the sharpest takes on the PPA Chicago chaos, the Pickler bankruptcy, and the next wave of stars, this is the episode.

Oct 6, 2026

Anna Bright joins Zane and Nico after her gold-medal run in Las Vegas to explain the moment everyone was talking about: challenging a ball at 10-0 with a double pickle on the line.

Sep 30, 2026

Zane Navratil is a PPA gold medalist again—and Nico Acevedo nearly turned a grueling tournament run into a championship of his own. Zane shares what made PPA Barcelona feel like a throwback, while Nico joins the conversation to unpack his breakout performance alongside Yuta Funemizu.

Sep 22, 2026

One of the wildest pickleball Sundays in a long time just got even crazier. A 15 seed nearly hijacks men’s doubles, a bird literally crashes the singles final, and the new PPA format changes are already reshaping who gets rewarded, who gets punished, and who might be gaming the system.

See all episodes →