Dave Fleming: The Voice of Pickleball on Haters, Catchphrases, and Growing the Game | S4 E7

In this episode, Dave sits down with Roscoe and Jared to trace his winding path to the pickleball mic — from calling high school sports in Memphis to ball boying and interviewing tennis legends as a teenager, and finally becoming the defining voice of the sport's biggest broadcasts. Dave breaks down his origin story in detail: growing up in a sports-obsessed family, his early TV career, and the chance golf cart conversation with Hank Haney that connected Tom Dundon and Connor Pardoe — a meeting that helped shape the modern PPA. He also shares how he almost missed his own start in broadcasting after years working outside sports media entirely. Dave also opens up about the craft behind the mic: where catchphrases like "snowman," "crooked number," and "floor is lava" actually came from, how he handles online criticism by blocking and moving on, and his predictions for which discipline — mixed doubles or singles — will be the one to break pickleball into the mainstream. Pickleballers Hat: 🧢 https://shop.thekitchenpickle.com/products/pickleballer-snapback?variant=58191198781521 Add us on Instagram: https://instagram.com/pickleballers https://instagram.com/thekitchenpickleball https://instagram.com/roscoebellamy https://instagram.com/jpaulthechef Timestamps: 1:02 — Meet Dave Fleming, The Most Listened-To Man in Pickleball 1:57 — Getting Recognized at Tournaments (And at a Concert) 3:10 — The Chris Collinsworth Comparison 4:18 — His Parents Met at a Copier in Pittsburgh 5:35 — The High School TV Station That Started It All 6:42 — Ball Boying Jimmy Connors, Then Interviewing Him Minutes Later 8:15 — Why Pro Tennis Wasn't in the Cards 9:21 — Choosing Marketing Over Sports Broadcasting in College 10:14 — Writing Periodontal Brochures for Delta Dental 11:01 — Blocking Out Steelers Scores on Championship Sunday 14:26 — Discovering Pickleball at 49 Through a Tennis Friend 16:34 — Meeting Adam Stone and Winning Their First Tournament 18:51 — The Email From Steve Dawson That Changed Everything 21:03 — The Golf Cart Ride That Connected Tom Dundon and Connor Pardoe 22:57 — Building the PPA From a Backyard Pickleball Court 26:28 — Introducing Tom Dundon and Connor Pardoe 29:15 — Finding His Voice as the Voice of Pickleball 31:02 — The Broadcasters Who Shaped His Style 33:20 — How Dave Handles the Haters 35:11 — Navigating Negativity in The Community 43:03 — The Loudest Roar He's Ever Heard on the Mic 44:47 — The Match That Gave Him Chills: Kalamotos vs. Waters/Bright 48:36 — What's Needed to Break Pickleball Into the Mainstream 51:21 — Is There a "Dinking Problem" in Pickleball? 53:25 — Mixed Doubles vs. Singles: Which One Breaks Through? 55:14 — What He Wants His Broadcasting Legacy to Be 56:29 — Breaking Down His Catchphrases: Snowman, Crooked Number, and More 59:07 — The Story Behind "Scratch My Back With a Hacksaw" 1:01:26 — What Dave Wants His Legacy to Be Source: The Kitchen - A Pickleball Community

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