PICKLEBALL UNC ALERT

SamO: UNC ALERT That's what my kids say to me whenever I sound like an old guy. Dad, you're so mid low-key cringe. my gosh, UNC ALERT We were all on the same journey and we were kind of evolving in pickleball kind of at the same time and it just everyone was helping everyone else get better and it it united us. What up, what up, what up, pickleheads? I'm super excited. I've got my favorite crew in the house. I got the Fairbrook crew. I've got Clyde over there. Welcome to the show, Clyde. Thank you, Sam. We call him the flying Filipino, Clyde the Glide, C-Capuuuuya What's up, Clyde? I'm glad to be here, Sam. I'm so happy you're here. Alright. Next in the captain's chair, it's dame time. Yeah. Crazy motherfucker over here. We definitely would have been soulmates if we met the same and we were the same age. wait, so you're saying not soulmates? No, you're my spirit animal. Is he a hippopotamus? I'll save that for another episode. And then my guy Rob SLAMboa Yo, second, step into my domain. Let the rocks fall like a hurricane. I'ma break it down, let me screw you quick, gotta see twist. This is the guy who taught me everything I know about pickleball. It's called the Fibonacci, let me screw you real. All right guys, welcome to the show. This is the Fairbook crew. These are my the guys who started with me from the beginning. this is the core of the group. There's a few of us that are not that are not here, but I want to mention them. First, I want to say shout out to my guy in order, Laser Beam Lloyd. He's at home sleeping right now. He's definitely at home sleeping right now. I wanna shout out little Miss Punshine herself, Maggie Pun, the Punisher. Punch em the mouth. Any other ones? PUNtastic You forgot PUNtastic There you go. I wanna shout out the grin, the slim reaper And then I want to shout out two very important people, the Leung family, Kenny and Winnie, who are both coming back from injury. We love you guys. Alright, let's go around the room. Pass me a ball, somebody. I threw them all over to Damian. Give me a give me a give me a real one, So Clyde, this is one of the most special groups that I have of all of our groups. Let's talk to the listeners a little bit about our origin story. You were the one who put us all together first. I think you should go first. It started actually with Scripps Ranch Rec Center. And one or two of us asked if we could start drilling to become better. And we started at Fairbrook and and and it we added to it until it became the core, which is Lloyd, you, Sam Orlansky, Damian, Rob, and me, and that was our core. And we started Tuesday, and then we added Thursday and Sunday and we'd drill sometimes the entire hour and a half, two hours where we were drilling, and then we evolved into games, and then we invited people like Kenny and Winnie and Maggie and Steven and Eric. Eric occasionally. Paige occasionally. But the thing is that our core group is those eight people and a lot of us are busy with jobs but quite a few of us are semi retired and we can spend a lot of time practicing and playing and that's how we started. The the goal was to improve and it evolved into having a much more of a fun games. Rob, what was your first impressions of everybody? First impressions of everybody. Well, the first person I met was Clyde, because he and I started playing at Scripps Ranch Rec Center about the same time. I think he was going there before me. And Clyde and I kind of hit it off and we would play together with some mutual friends. And as he and I continued playing, slowly but surely we incorporated other people into into playing with us. And sometimes we'd go up to Fairbrook. About, I don't know, what was it, six months in, something like that, Damian came up came into the rec center. And I remember Damian wanted to get better, and he started drilling with Lloyd, if I remember correctly. And Damian was super eager. He just wanted to play. That's all he wanted to do was play as much as he can. And at the time, Clyde and I were going to RB on Thursdays or Thursdays. Yeah, Thursdays. And we invited Dame to go with us, and he started coming. And then we'd run into Lloyd there. Yes. And unbeknownst to us, he was Lloyd showed up everywhere we were going. Sometimes we go to Ocean Air and Lloyd would be there. We're just like, wow, Lloyd really gets around. But so eventually we were like You know, we kept playing indoors. Sam came in probably a year into that at at Scripps. And I remember remember when you first came in, you can you would hit everything hard. You thought the whole purpose was just to hit the ball as hard as you could. And so eventually we were like, okay, you know, we were tired of playing to eight, we were tired of waiting around just to get a game in in the indoors. So originally the four of us, Clyde, Dame, Lloyd, and myself started going to Fairbrook. And if one of us was traveling or had to take a day off or something, we'd invite other people. And I think somebody got hurt. I don't remember who it was. And at the time, I think Clyde had suggested that we invite you, Sam. And then we were like, okay, yeah, that's good, because we always need somebody else to rotate in. And now that Grandpa Clyde needs a break every other game, it's good that we have, you know, a lot of people in the group just to rotate through. 'Cause like like Clyde said, some people can't show up 'cause of work or traveling. Yeah, whatever it may be. We got a good group. It's a really good group. But to answer your question, my first impressions was was I th I thought Clyde was a great guy, one of the nicest guys I ever met. Truth. Dame. As well, you know, he just wanted to play. Didn't care where, he was just up for playing. And you were just hysterical. You know, I think you and I would just laugh. I mean, it didn't matter how you played just because we would laugh pretty much the entire time, even from the beginning, when you were just trying to learn what a third shot drop was. You, Rob, were the you were the first person that got that got entered in my phone as pickleball. That's interesting. Yeah, Rob to me Rob to me is the godfather of the rec center and like the the source of where everything starts from. Because Rob was like, you know, just so you know, these people are like they're okay. They're like not that good. Like if you want to get better, like, you know, we could maybe drill or hit the ball. I'd do that with you sometime outside. And I said, Really? Seriously? Like like people practice this? Do you want to tell do you wanna tell the story now? About how you got really, really mad at me and said, Have you ever heard of a third shot drop? I you know, I th I think it was what was it? You maybe two, three months into playing indoors, something like that. Yeah. And Sam and I were playing in the same on on the same team against I don't remember who we were playing against. And every time the ball would come back after a a return of serve, where we would normally do a third shot drop, Sam would just drive the ball or hit it as hard as he could and it come right back to me. He didn't wouldn't know what to do. And eventually after we were down like eight nothing or something like that, I had said to him, like, Have you ever heard of a third shot drop? And he was like, No, what's that No, it it wasn't like that. It was like Have you ever heard of a third shot drop? Yeah, that sounds good like me. And I was like, why are you so mean to me? I don't think Rob I don't think Rob wants to play with me anymore. Naturally. Yeah. All right. Dame yeah, yeah, yeah, I'm here. I'm ready to dispel all these rumors that these guys have been How many times a night do you get up and go to the bathroom? Dame, when did our group become more than pickleball friends? You know, that happened differently for each person here because like when I first met you at the rec center and your two kids coming on while everyone else was going off, that I already had a really good feeling about you and I said, Okay, this guy's gonna wanna play and that's how it happened with you. Like with me and Clyde, it was a little like we became friends going biking. So we got away from pickleball, we'd do some biking together. And Rob and I, we we we did some drilling early on, just us two, when I was trying to learn the game and he was coaching me. I remember meeting you the first time in the rec center. Actually, I don't even think I met you. I think I saw you. I saw we walked into the rec center one day af I think school ended early at twelve thirty and I heard some pop, pop, pop. I had little kids trailing me and I walked into just to see what was going on. And it was you and three other players like sweating your balls off. You had your patented hernia sweatschwitz. And I saw him I saw you and I was just like think this guy's my spirit animal and when I came into the rec center you were the first person that I recognized from that day and one of the first people that came up to me and started chomping it up with me and I'm like man this guy is super fucking cool for an old guy unc Unc UNC ALERT I never realized until he explained his story at the intro of this that that's what an unc was. Mm-hmm. Yeah. So w when did our group start becoming more than friends? When did we start feeling like family? I think pretty early on. I think everyone's real open and We were all on the same journey and we were kind of evolving in pickleball kind of at the same time and it just everyone was helping everyone else get better and it it united us. It is true. I mean, I remember that Rob felt like my pickleball brother and Damian felt like my pickleball unc and when I first started like quote unquote competing These were the first two people that I grav gravitated to, and my cousin Adam. But you know, I I didn't really know anybody else in my own demographic until I found Kenny. obviously. but I played a tournament early on with you. And I remember we just laughed our fucking asses off and tried to bang away. And I played a couple events early on with you, Rob. We played that event. that very competitive event where that little kid earnie'd on me and I had no idea what was happening. But I mean you guys were the guys that I gravitated to as I started to sort of step my game up and started to look behind the corner and see like what the next level looks like. So when that started happening, I think that's when it started to feel like family for me. It's cause you guys were both w not just wanting but willing. and excited to share information and spend time with me. So yeah. All right. Next segment. Each of you guys knows me a little bit differently. I want you guys to sort of tell my story through your eyes. Let's talk about that first event that we did together, Rob. from what I remember about that, it was a a mutual friend of ours event and I think I was looking for somebody to play with because Kevin had contacted me and said, Hey, do you wanna play? And I was like, Yeah, let me see if I can find somebody and nobody really was up for it. And I remember you had been getting better. So I thought, Hey, you know what? Why not? Let's take Sam in, we'll see how we do and go from there. And those guys were really good. they kicked our fucking ass. Yeah. But it was it was great because it was really good exposure for you. And I think my mistake at at that event was trying to get you to play a little differently than you than you were used to playing, if I remember correctly. And I think halfway through I told you, I said, Do you know what? You do you. Just play and I think that's when you actually started playing better. That is true. Well, I mean, it's not like I was gonna develop the third shot drop that night. No, no. But I think that that certainly opened my eyes quite a bit to the differences between playing rec center ball and competitive. I'll I'll never forget that kid. That kid came swooping down the edge on me and did that early. I go, What the fuck year were you born? He was like seventeen. Yeah, right. He was. Yeah. I remember him. And he was a big kid too for seventeen. But I didn't even see it come I I'd never seen it. Yeah. I think you were the first one to throw an ATP too. I said, is that fucking legal? yeah. I remember that. You're saying, can you do that? So funny. All right, throw me the ball, I'm gonna throw it to you. Dame, we played that tourney together early on. Yeah. I mean we've been playing together the whole way. but what stood out early on about my game? you know, what it talk about how I've evolved if I've evolved. you know, early on you were a lot of hard hitting, fast pace, shit talking the whole game long. just being just being you, just having fun out there. And that's one thing that I like about playing with these because it's it's a goofy, fun environment. And I totally dig it. And I feel like when we got to that first tournament, we were watching people warm up and then we went and warmed up and we thought we were badass motherfuckers after we warmed up after us watching some of those other guys warm up, right? And then we get on the court and we find one end real short and you're receiving balls leaning against the fence and then the other side was long. And We played halfway decent. We we we had leads in some games that we lost. And it still got me my duper rating of three four nine. Dude, that's pretty good. You know, I don't know if about you guys, the the only thing I care about when it comes to dupers, I I just want my duper to match my age, right? All right. Coach Clyde. So you and I have have a much different friendship than the rest of these guys. on the court and off the court. one of the special things that I got to experience or that you got to experience with me is sitting along the s the side, the sidelines and being in that coach role. And what I mean by that is serving as inspiration, making sure I'm staying level headed, making sure I'm got the right nutrition, all those things. I did have the awesome experience being able to get to p well with getting to partner with the Grin Reaper, who is one of our favorite people. But just talk about like what you've seen from me in these experiences, and you know, where you think it have room to grow. Well Sam, although we met at the Scripps Ranch Rec Center, it wasn't playing so much pickleball. It was sitting I used to sit on the far side and all of a sudden you came and sat reb beside me 'cause I w I I wanted to rest, but this guy sits besides me beside me and starts talking my ear off. And within that two or three hour session and multiple sessions after that, because we were playing practically every day at the Scripps Ranch Rec Center I think within a week I think I know knew your life story. All of your relatives, Aunt Shelly, your parents, Jasmine. Your older daughter You asked, right? No. It just came out. Your your counseling, the medications you were taking. I just sat there and listened. so it wasn't pickleball, it was your life story. And the difference between then, which you were you were telling me In in certain c I was thinking like this guy's really wounded. But now I think you're a lot stronger mentally as well as physically. I mean I can see abs now. Your legs your your legs are a little bit more defined underneath that hair. That's a blushing. I'm blushing. I'm blushing. So so the difference between then and now, so it's it's been about two and a half years since I've known you is It's almost night and day. You're too nice. not just your pickleball game, but also your your mental strength has improved, your physical strength has improved. Used to gasp at Scripps Ranch Ranch Center. People used to you used to hit the ball hard, run all over the place, and then used to give me time for about five or six breaths. I still do that. Now it's only one or two breaths. So You're too kind. I thought you were gonna talk about how I got better as a pickleball player. You did get better, I'm telling not but pickleball is only it's your mental strength that has improved a lot. That's the nicest thing you could say to me. Okay. I appreciate that. One of my favorite things about this group is that somewhere between the baseline and the kitchen, we're all twenty one again. Damian, describe yourself at twenty one in three words. What was your life like at twenty one? Hold on, hold on. Rebellious Adventurous and forward thinking. So like now? I don't know. What was your life like at twenty-one? I mean, would what would you thought what would you have thought about pickleball? I wasn't doing any sports. I was riding motorcycles and I was Doing a lot of partying in the woods in Colorado, you know, woodsies and I was camping a lot. I was always busy doing stuff outdoors. I didn't play a sport like this. So I I I I would have had no thought about pickleball at that time. Would you think would you have thought it was silly? you know, not as silly as like tennis, because it's faster, it's quicker. There's there's things about it that make it more interesting to me than tennis. What about like what about this group? If we were all 21 again, could you see let's say we were all 21 right now. Could you see this grouping friends? Yeah. Yeah. I mean obviously. Does pickleball make you feel young again? Pickleball makes me feel really old. Really? My body used to be in really good shape and I didn't have an ache or a pain. I was mobile, agile, limber loose. I started playing pickleball and now I'm an old man. Well let me ask you let me ask it to you in a different way. What kind of condition would you be in if you weren't playing pickleball? You know, I was always active and and did a lot of things that r required physical stuff and outdoors and That kind of stuff. So I think I would still be in good shape, but it it would be a different type of shape than pickleball shape. Yeah, that's probably true. That probably is true. Alright, throw the ball to Rob. Yo, check it, step into my dold. Tell me about twenty-one y year old version of Robbie Slamboa. I'm trying to remember. I was living up north. After I finished high school, I was going to school at San Jose State, hated it, joined a fraternity. we wouldn't have been friends. Got on academic probation, you know, that whole story. And I ended up moving back home. transferred to San Diego State. And I was playing a lot of tennis. Something Dame would have thought was silly. But I I don't know that I would have played pickleball at that time. I enjoyed like a little bit more active sports, you know. I was playing basketball, I surf, played tennis with, you know, coworkers and friends and stuff. And was just going to school, partying a little bit. Not as heavy, heavily as I was when I was younger because I didn't want to get on academic probation again. But you know, I don't yeah, I don't think I would have played pickleball back then. What would you have thought of it if you saw it? I probably would have thought, hey, yeah, that's something for old guys. And you s and you saw you saw the photo of me at twenty one, right? Yeah. You saw the sideburns down here? Yeah. Do you think we would have been friends, be honest? Probably not. But Lucky Way In all fairness, who knows? Because you know, I was one of those guys I was wearing my my visor, my my normal visor, I was wearing it backwards and upside down at that age. So anything is possible. Loser UNC ALERT throw a ball at Clyde. Clyde, what were you like at twenty-one? Twenty-one. I was still in college in twenty-one. my it wasn't a fun time for me because my father had just passed and I had taken off one quarter at UCSD. And so that delayed my graduation. And Because my father passed and he was the main breadwinner. all of my thoughts were on graduating as soon as possible, getting a job, contributing income for my family, especially my younger brothers who were still in college. And even though there were a lot of scholarships, there's still expenses that they had to help pay. My sister took two jobs, my other sister was in her PhD program at USC. And so there was demands on money and the insurance was delayed. They delayed it for a good year before they released funds for my father's insurance. And so we had to earn money. I didn't have any thoughts. I was biking a lot at that time. I was Well, that's what I was gonna ask you. It sounds like some tough times. I mean I know how pickleball has gotten us all through kind of difficult situations. What was what was your main outlet? And did you have something like that? My main outlet like for sports and my friends immediately got me back. I had a couple of high school friends that pulled me back. 'Cause I was playing racquetball with them regularly. Mm-hmm. And we had a ping ping t ping pong table at each of our houses and we used to play we used to go to each house and play ping pong. And they were all Filipinos. So we knew each other really well. Our families knew each other really well. We went to the same church. I had known them since junior high school. and they pulled me back in. So sports was actually the thing that kept me mentally sane. So now that we're getting now that we're getting a little bit vulnerable. I mean, since now that we're getting a little bit vulnerable, you know, I mean, th this group, we we've had some some really intense conversations about our lives and about some of the tough things that have been going on. I'll speak on it a little bit myself. I have two teenage daughters. Rob has two teenage daughters. Damian has they they were teenagers and they're no longer. Rob has grown daughters. Rob has grown daughters that went to the same school. Damian has children. Clyde doesn't have children, but he has a lot of wisdom. And there's a lot of times that I show up to the court and I show up with a lot, a lot, a lot of energy. but behind that there's other things going on, right? And I all three of you. have been there for me in in different situations and things that I've gone through. And for me, I mean that's why I love you guys so much. That's why you're here. That's why we're doing an episode on Friends to Family. and this is why pickleball is so special because when we get in the court and we step on the rectangle, all the usual social barriers that we usually encounter in our normal day to day life, they just disappear. You know, and if you think about your twenty one year old self, imagine if you had a group like this during that time and how lucky we are to have it now. Yeah. For our hard times now. All right. everybody grab a couple balls. I'm gonna shout out a question and then just kind of spur the moment, whoever you think fits that category, I want you to th throw the ball at them. Right? And then because some people are listening, say their name. Okay. Right? Because some people aren't gonna know who we threw the ball at. For example. And you can also yell out, you can yell at anybody else, like Lloyd, Kenny, Steven, Stephen, Hubert. So like for example, biggest unc, Lloyd. Get it? Yeah. All right. ready? Most competitive. Lloyd. Lloyd. biggest sandbagger. Steven. Who still thinks they're twenty-one? Dame Who's the biggest chirper? I got cut off. You. Who keeps this group together? Clyde. Clyde. Okay. Who acts the oldest? Clyde. Wait, I forgot I wanted to do buttons for this. Who has the biggest hernia? I don't know, I think Alan might have a bigger hernia. Alan. Alan has two. Okay, okay, okay. Who is the quiet assassin? Steven. Rob. Lloyd. Lloyd. Who is the best dressed? Maggie. Maggie. Maggie. Absolutely. Maggie. I need some balls. Okay, just this room. Just this room. Okay. Who's the most flexible? Rob. All right. Of our group, best looking lob. Lloyd. Lloyd. Yeah, Lloyd. Lloyd. Lob and Lloyd. best looking drives. Sam. You. You got him in the title that's working. most improved Dame Yeah I agree with that. He told it to be biggest assassin. Rob Yeah. I'm not sure what you mean by that. You move me around. The answer is Steve. The answer is Steven. I think Steve it could be s best smile. Steve. I'm gonna go with Sam. Yeah, but I'm not known for my smile. Yeah, you are. You always gotta say that I always laughing. Anyone wanna throw one out? Anyone? Go ahead. Who? I I went through my list. Anyone wanna say one? most talkative. Sam. Your turn. Nicest person. Clyde. Clyde. Clyde. Easily. Although Hubert's a front runner too. Hubert. Hubert's a front runner. Hubert is a front runner. He just doesn't show up enough. Hubert. Yeah. That'd be awesome if he were back in. Best footwork. Ooh. That's a good one. I'm gonna think on this real quickly. It's not me. Kenny. Kenny's wife. Kenny's wife. Yeah. Winnie? Winnie. Yeah. I say Winnie. Winnie is pretty smooth. She is pretty smooth. I've always admired her footwork. Your turn. Your turn. For what? Say something. I need my I need my sound. There we go, there we go. Let's go. It's time to fuck some shit up, y'all. Who wears out the most shoes? that's me. Yeah. Most shoes, most ears. Most mouthpieces. Most glasses. Okay, we're give me a give me a ball. I'm gonna ask different questions. I'm gonna go with you. What's your favorite memory? My favorite memory. Of you know, the topic. I really like some of your Ernie shots. that's not what I I didn't know you were gonna say that. That's amazing. Can I say my favorite memory? Because it's on my mind before I forget. Yeah. So there was this one time at the pickleball court where I had to go to the restroom. So I used the restroom and I'm sitting there and there's another restroom right next to me. And I hear someone go bang, bang, bang, bang, bang. And then I hear just laughter, laughter, laughter from the courts. Continue the story. And then Clyde realized that he was blocking the wrong bathroom door. And he was blocking the bathroom door of a construction worker who was using the bathroom before. Minding his own business. And Rob, you continue the story. And Sam yells from the inside, what the hell is going on out there? And the rest of us are just dying on the court and Clyde's embarrassed because he locked the wrong guy in the bathroom. And now we're all worried about how big this guy is that's coming out of the bathroom pissed off cause some dude's been holding the door shut on him. And that wasn't even on the court. That was a good one. That's the fa that's a favorite memory and funniest story. Yeah. my god, I'm gonna Some of the funniest stuff happens off the court. It's true. Rob, what's something that only this group understands? Enchiladas. Enchiladas. Enchiladas are Ernies. Yeah. Ench enchiladas. Potatoes. Potatoes, paper plates. Say what some of those are. A potato is just a bad shot. No. Yeah. No, it's not. Damian. Well, it's a bad shot, but it's usually something that Comes off your paddle with no power and it's just kind it's like paper plate. Okay timeout with a paper plate. Hold on a second. What the fuck? Clyde, tell everybody what a potato is. Potato is one of the easiest shots and you miss it. Yeah. Okay. You were close. Tell us what a potato is. Potato is what it's funny because I've had a I've been making this joke for three years and no one understands. I guess it's not a tradition. A potato specifically is a miss serve or a missed return. It's an it's like you know, it's like missing a free throw. It's a gimme. Yeah. It's a gimme. Okay. You were you were the closest. You were the closest. So when you mi when you have a potato or you are a potato head, it is not a good thing. If you are making potato casserole, if you are ha making latkes if you are making spuds, hash browns, any other versions? Mashed potatoes fries, those are not good things. Make your serves, people. Canish Yes, Kenish. Rob Yeah. Too busy laughing. Your your sounds are too far away. Yo, second, step into my domain. Let the rocks fold like a hurricane. I'ma break it down. Let me screw you quick. Rob sky is like a magic shrimp. Present. What's something that happens every week in this group that nobody outside this group would believe? I don't think anybody anybody would believe how much we laugh when we all get together. I agree with that. I think we probably laugh on the show hardest You know, if we play for two hours three times a week, we're probably laughing at least half of the time that we're all together. I know. It's crazy. Yeah. It's fun. Yeah. I would say that. People probably wouldn't believe that we're actually all close friends. Given the differences in age. Yeah. Especially across the board, not just in this room. Yeah. I'd agree with that. I would agree with that too. Yeah. Clyde. Yes. Why is pickleball different than other things that you've done. my closest friends were actually my brothers, my family. my sisters who are close to me. I don't I we were moving from duty station naval duty stations and naval to different naval bases around the world and so we leaned on each other and you didn't get too close friends because you would give up if you transferred every two years or a year and a half. And so I thought that would continue into my as I age. In fact I retired early, so I most of the people that I was friendly with were work people and they still worked and I didn't. And I had one or two friends that I biked with and maybe acquaintances in my biking club, but I never thought I would get together with a group like this playing pickleball three times per week. That's awesome. That's awesome. All right, Dame. I want you to finish this sentence. Pickleball gave me a hernia. Living with a hernia. Dun ch dunch. You know what? It gave me something look forward to every day. And like when I stop when I stop doing something, my first thought is where can I pickle now? I like that one. I forgot your song. well, you get it now. Ready? Yes. I'm forgetting everyone's songs. Hey, just ask Rob a question. Rob pickleball gave me. Pickleball gave me it gave me rejuvenation. How about that? Meaning I had kind of gotten into this comfort zone of my everyday life. And when I took it up, and I took it up only because my wife had taken it up with her friends and they needed a fourth. And she said, Hey, we're all taking a lesson. Do you want to take a lesson? I'm like, you know what? I think I I can pick it up on my own. You guys take your lesson, and when you need somebody to come out, I'll come out. And they did. And I picked it up pretty quickly. And it kind of energized me, rejuvenated me, got me, you know, out of my desk chair a couple times a week, back into exercising and working out. And it kind of just Rejuvenated my life. I love this. I love this. Past to Clyde. Clyde. Yes. Pickleball gave me. Gave me an introduction to FOMO. I never knew how that would apply for me. Fear of missing out. And so I am actually addicted to this. And as long as my body can keep up with it up to a certain Whoa, whoa, whoa. Addicted or passionate. Passionate. no, he's addicted. He's addicted. We had this debate on the first episode. It's almost as bad as your Sam, or you will anybody who invites you, you'll come I'm not addicted. I'm not. I'm passionate. I am definitely addicted. Do you want to be kicked off the pod? Sam, you are addicted. We don't use the A word here at the baseline studios. It's a good addiction, actually. It's a great addiction. Coming up on episode four, Sam beats the shit out of Clyde. I'm gonna post I'm gonna post I'm gonna post post the body bag of a lifetime Sam on Clyde here. We have a a recording of that. I I'm gonna post it right here. Right here. But I do love you. I love you, but I'm gonna beat the shit out of you. Pickleball gave me a second chance. a second chance at health. It gave me it gave me a a different level of energy that I didn't know that I had. and like I said in the beginning it gave me friends that I never knew that I would have. And it it's just being inside of a rectangle and popping a ball has taught me so much more in the last three years about life than I could have ever imagined. Dame. What's one thing about our group that you hope never ever ever ever changes? I hope that we can maintain the group. We have a really good group. We have a small group. And I like that core group. And I hope that never changes. Or pass the ball to someone else. Rob Twenty years from now, when you're retiring maybe from pickleball. Okay. Well no, you're probably still be going with the way that you treat your body. Hope so. Twenty years from now, what do you hope that you'll still remember about us? For me, it will be the laughs. I you know, like I said, we we probably laugh half the time that we're together. I mean, even when we're not together, most of us are trying to joke and or trying to joke in our text thread. Maybe sometimes a little too much when we're trying to be serious. But my point is that we have fun whenever we're together, whether that's on the court or off the court. And that's what I want to keep remembering. Thanks, Rob. Pass to Clyde. sorry. Hold on. UNC ALERT. Am I gonna have to change your intro music? You do? Make you feel young again. UNC ALERT I I feel like an episode of Sesame Street is gonna I like Clyde. Yeah. What would you tell somebody who's looking for friendships like the ones that we have? I think actually it's it's hard to find. Friendships like ours isn't that easy. so if you do find it, w it you better hold on to it. And I don't f actually fear that the the end of our our if we stop playing pickleball because I think we'll still stay stay in touch with each other. If even if Rob say moves to Colorado Again I still I think we'd still stay stay in touch with each other. That's true. I mean we're still staying in touch with Kenny. Yeah. Yeah. pass to Dame. Alright. What's one thing that you'd like to say to the people sitting around this table? Where's the closest court? Damian. Dame time. Yes, yes, yes. What are your final thoughts? Stud? Final thoughts. What are your final thoughts, Stud? I think everyone should find a pickleball group and play as much as they can. That's deep as shit. Alright. What are your final thoughts? I want Rob to be in our biking group next year in May. No excuses, Rob. Tune in next May for the biking podcast. We have almost as much fun on that bike ride as we do pickleball. I think you'd you'd have a book. That's your final thought? I believe you. Okay. I believe you. Rob, make it make it count. Step into my domain, let the roads fold like a hurricane. I'ma bring this. Let me let the music hit. So tight is like a magic trick. I heard Fibonacci in there. You're you're a Fibonacci. I got your Fibonacci. Remember that one time I hit the ball so hard that I hit you in the Fibonacci. Edit, edit. my god. Rob. Yes. What's your final thoughts? Final thoughts. I don't have a final thought because as Clyde said, I think this group will go on. The only thing I would say is thank you to each of you for bringing something different to the group and just being a part of it and being a friend. Love it. Love it. All right, let me do my final thoughts. Pickleheads, my final thoughts. You should all be so lucky to have three people in your life like Rob Slamboa, like Clyde Sikapuya, and Dame Time. Gratitude, gratitude, gratitude. I'm one of the luckiest pickleball players that you guys know. For Sam, Dame, Clyde, Rob!