Paul Foertschbeck

DFS player known as Agusta / Club Baseball Coach / Raven season ticket holder / DK DFS Golf / Active Pickleball Player

[Tennessee Football @Vol_Football]

Our Tennessee Home 🦋

#GBO 🍊

[The Grotto 🍀 @TGSTheGrotto]

Trumpets Under The Dome!!! One of the best pre game traditions ever! ☘️ 🎺

[Michael Girdley @girdley]

NEW LONG FORM VIDEO: Why the Pickleball boom is already over

Pickleball is doomed. And I say that as someone who plays three times a week and absolutely loves the game.

Just last month, Apollo, one of the largest private equity firms in the world, invested $225 million in a pickleball-adjacent business. At the same time, one of the major manufacturers of pickleball equipment has lost nearly $14 million since it launched, and one of the biggest franchise companies helping people open pickleball facilities recently stopped selling new franchises.

The crazy thing about pickleball is that the very factors that made it explode in popularity may also be the things that ultimately lead to its decline.

So what happens when America's fastest-growing sport runs headfirst into the realities of business? That's what this video is about.

[Fried Egg Golf @fried_egg_golf]

"The plan from the USGA and host club this week produced a throwback theme, with fewer grandstands, activations, and corporate buildouts than we’ve become accustomed to in these all-important golf tentpole weeks. The grandstands on 18 are atypically small after conversation and negotiation with the club about trying to preserve more of the fescue aesthetic surrounding the finish. On Wednesday, Rory McIlroy, who has seen it all in this boom era of championship golf, noted the presence of fewer structures after he went around on the practice days. It was a positive review — go out on the field and play and let the fans chase where they can.

"This is not to suggest the U.S. Open has suddenly turned into a Walker Cup or U.S. Amateur, with fans following along in the fairways. It is still big business, but the priority has been the golf championship. That comes in contrast to an era when the R&A is choosing venues heavily based on how many thousands of fans can fit, Ryder Cups that can only be played on courses with never-ending fields for non-golf infrastructure and corporate pop-ups, LIV Golf looking for a DJ booth spot, and the Tour trying to appease a stakeholders' puzzle of sponsors, markets, and schedules to make their business work. Expect more on that next week, with new and improved input from a private equity-backed sports conglomerate! The USGA is not innocent or idyllic at all; it’s just that this week has been a noticeable change from recent trends and expansion. The players, like Rory, have noticed, and so have fans (and media). Those fans are not priced out, as has been the case with other majors and many other sporting events or concerts in recent months.

"This deliberate choice, combined with the golf course itself, has created a sort of nirvana for the golf fan this week. You have one of the greatest championship courses in the world. It is breezy and comfortable. There has been sun, fog, lots of wind, and no rain. It is relatively easy to get around, with greens and tees converging and triangulating on a routing across the property that promotes quick jumps and multiple viewing spots across the treeless hills. Whether you’re a player or a fan, getting here can be a challenge, but once you make it, it is as good as it gets."

- @BrendanPorath on Shinnecock Hills as a U.S. Open host

(Photo Courtesy: USGA/Kathryn Riley)

[Barstool Sports @barstoolsports]

The Dutch are fully invading Dallas as we speak

[Shooter McGavin @ShooterMcGavin]

You have to play the ball as it lies. Those are the rules. I didn’t write em.

[MLFootball @MLFootball]

THE TENNESSEE #TITANS SCHEDULE RELEASE VIDEO IS GOLD.

THEY WALKED AROUND NASHVILLE FINDING PEOPLE THAT LOOK LIKE THEIR OPPONENTS PLAYERS AND COACHES TO ANNOUNCE THEIR SCHEDULE.

THIS IS EXTREMELY FUNNY 🤣🤣🤣

[Burt Macklin @BurtMaclin_FBI]

Caught my wife doing laundry and stopped her immediately. I said, “Babe, it’s Mother’s Day. You don’t do chores today. Go sit down and relax; these clothes will still be here tomorrow.”

I’m such a good husband.

[Kent Murphy @KentMurphy]

His grandad left an old bucket of balls at the batting cages they used to visit with this note on them…

I’m not crying, you’re crying 🥺⚾

[Michael McQuaid @McQuaidNFL]

The opening to The Masters on CBS was just unreal:

[FIFA World Cup @FIFAWorldCup]

Start spreading the news...

100 days to go until the #FIFAWorldCup Final 🏆

[Mark the Caddie @caddietales]

This is seriously the most impressive piece of art I've ever seen. Do yourself a favor and watch it to relive last year's Masters and put yourself in the mood for this year's indelible image.

Wow, just wow!

[Rick Golfs @Top100Rick]

What would you pay to attend the Masters?

The Masters has officially surpassed The Super Bowl and World Cup as the most expensive sports ticket.

$2,000 for practice round
$16,000 for Thursday
$8,000 for Sunday.

Why? The Masters has started cracking down on resellers, so the supply is very limited. Resellers have been losing their ticket privileges if caught, so now it’s happening only on true black market channels.

People have wanted Augusta to stop resellers for years.

But there is a downside. Now if you don’t win the lottery, you are screwed. Almost no chance of ever attending. Before you could at least bucket list it and do it once.

Not sure if this is good or bad for the fans, though I get why Augusta is doing it.

[Golf on CBS ⛳ @GolfonCBS]

“You never poke the Bear.”

Tune in for a captivating 40th anniversary reflection of @JackNicklaus' unforgettable 1986 Masters win at age 46 to capture a record-sixth Green Jacket.

“1986” presented in partnership with @Rolex airs Sunday, April 12 at Noon ET on CBS and streaming on Paramount+.