"Unfiltered With the Rattlesnake" Takes on the Collin Johns and Major League Pickleball Saga

In what's quickly becoming one of our favorite pieces of pickleball content, pickleball pro Travis Rettenmaier posted another episode of "Unfiltered with the Rattlesnake" on Instagram.

He's done a few of these, and each focuses on a hot topic in pickleball.

Of course, no topic is hotter this week than Collin Johns' thoughts on MLP that were leaked on social media.

In case you missed it:

You can catch the entire video from Travis here:

Key points by 'The Rattlesnake'

The main point of emphasis in Travis' remarks had less to do with what Johns said and more about what was missing from it: Gratitude.

Current pros have a responsibility to grow the game

Whether or not Collin's takes and complaints hold merit is less of his focus. Instead, he mentions how every current pickleball pro has a responsibility to build the sport and should be grateful that they "lucked" (his words) into this as a career.

No one could have predicted that pickleball would be where it is right now and the amount of money that's flooded into the sport – and into pro contracts – over the last two years is unfathomable.

It's quite fortunate that Collin and Ben Johns, Travis, and every other pro on the pro circuit happened to come into pickleball as it's exploding worldwide.

"Our job, as the initial pickleball players getting paid, is to build up the game," he says, "to make sure that when people tune in, they're excited to see it."

If you lack effort, you should be fined

In tennis, Travis explains, if you show that you aren't trying, then you're fined and maybe even suspended. This is partly because gambling is so prevalent in tennis, but also because tennis, as a brand, has a reputation to uphold.

In other professional sports, players would be benched or cut if they showed the level of effort showed by the Johns brothers this past weekend in Salt Lake City.

"If you watched MLP this weekend, as a fan that I am, it was hard to watch," he says when discussing the body language and efforts of several pros, including Ben and Collin Johns.

"Watching Ben and Collin Johns tank on national television ... and putting forth that kind of effort was really, really embarrassing."

Rules need to be put in place for pro pickleball

"The rules in tennis are pretty clear cut. You know that if I do X, then the penalty is Y."

Travis goes on to mention that pro pickleball needs to figure out the appropriate response to behavior like this and how to deal with it moving forward.

"The penalty needs to be severe," Travis concludes. "It must be steep, strong, and swift."

Toward the end of the video, Travis sums up his feelings about this whole incident: "It's a f*cking shame man; I'm embarrassed."

Julian Arnold's take on CJ's letter

Another pro, Julian Arnold, also released his take on the matter, sympathizing with Johns for this feelings being released in the first place:

What do you think about this entire situation? Is it overblown? Should Ben and Collin be fined for their obvious lack of care during a nationally broadcasted marquee pro pickleball event?