Welcome back, pickleball enthusiasts! Today, we are diving into a very special episode of People of Pickleball featuring the dynamic Paul Bamundo, the Chief Executive Officer of the National Pickleball League (NPL). As the mastermind behind the league’s incredible growth and success, Bamundo brings a wealth of experience from his previous stints at the NBA, IMG, and Subway, among other prominent organizations. In his conversation with Mike “Sleeves” Sliwa, we get a glimpse into the exciting second season of the NPL and the upcoming championship weekend.

Enter the World of Pickleball

Paul Bamundo’s journey into the world of pickleball is as intriguing as the game itself. Although familiar with pickleball for several years, it was his local tennis club in Connecticut that first introduced him to the sport. Known for his prowess in a variety of racquet sports, Bamundo quickly became captivated by pickleball’s unique charm and explosive growth.

A serendipitous text during a Jackson Browne concert set the wheels in motion for Bamundo’s eventual role as CEO of the NPL. In true “undercover boss” style, he visited the Glendale championship last year, blending into the vibrant pickleball community and witnessing firsthand the league’s potential.

Season Two Unveiled

As the NPL enters its second season, Bamundo proudly reflects on the expansion from 6 to 12 teams. The league has simultaneously fostered a strong sense of camaraderie and fierce competition among players, drawing parallels to his experiences in the Ivy League. Importantly, the NPL remains committed to gender equality by ensuring an equal division between men’s and women’s rosters, with equal weight given to all players’ efforts.

The impact of pickleball’s growth is undeniable. With new venues and an ever-expanding fanbase, Bamundo envisions a future with East and West divisions and thrilling playoff tournaments, possibly growing even bigger with more teams in the pipeline. Despite the current logistical challenges, the NPL’s innovative approach has laid a strong foundation for future success in professional pickleball.

The Championship and Beyond

Excitement is mounting as the Championship Weekend looms on the horizon. Hosted at the acclaimed Pickle Lodge in Cincinnati, this year’s event promises to deliver unforgettable matches with live-streamed games and CBS coverage, showcasing the exhilarating skill and talent of the players.

Bamundo anticipates that the competitive spirit, skillful plays, and engaging personalities of NPL stars will captivate both new fans and seasoned pickleball enthusiasts alike. As these players bring their impressive athletic and professional backgrounds to the court, they add a distinct layer of depth to the league, drawing more eyes and amassing a devoted following.

A Sport of Community and Passion

At its core, Bamundo emphasizes that pickleball is about fostering healthy competition and building a tight-knit community. Whether it’s the players or the fans, those involved in the NPL quickly find themselves drawn into a supportive, energetic environment unlike any other.

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The episode concludes with an invitation to join the NPL family, either in person at the Championship Weekend or by following the live events online. It’s a thrilling time for pickleball, and with leaders like Paul Bamundo steering the ship, there’s no limit to where this sport can go.

Stay tuned for more insights, and be sure to follow the National Pickleball League’s exciting journey towards a brighter, bigger future in the world of sports!

Paul Bamundo

http://nplpickleball.com

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Aram Goudsouzian, University of Memphis

In the summer of 1967, Martin Luther King Jr. introduced the keynote speaker for the 10th-anniversary convention banquet of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. Their guest, he said, was his “soul brother.”

“He has carved for himself an imperishable niche in the annals of our nation’s history,” King told the audience of 2,000 delegates. “I consider him a friend. I consider him a great friend of humanity.”

That man was Sidney Poitier.

Poitier, who died at 94 on Jan. 7, 2022, broke the mold of what a Black actor could be in Hollywood. Before the 1950s, Black movie characters generally reflected racist stereotypes such as lazy servants and beefy mammies. Then came Poitier, the only Black man to consistently win leading roles in major films from the late 1950s through the late 1960s. Like King, Poitier projected ideals of respectability and integrity. He attracted not only the loyalty of African Americans, but also the goodwill of white liberals.

In my biography of him, titled “Sidney Poitier: Man, Actor, Icon,” I sought to capture his whole life, including his incredible rags-to-riches arc, his sizzling vitality on screen, his personal triumphs and foibles and his quest to live up to the values set forth by his Bahamian parents. But the most fascinating aspect of Poitier’s career, to me, was his political and racial symbolism. In many ways, his screen life intertwined with that of the civil rights movement – and King himself.

An age of protests

In three separate columns in 1957, 1961 and 1962, a New York Daily News columnist named Dorothy Masters marveled that Poitier had the warmth and charisma of a minister. Poitier lent his name and resources to King’s causes, and he participated in demonstrations such as the 1957 Prayer Pilgrimage and the 1963 March on Washington. In this era of sit-ins, Freedom Rides and mass marches, activists engaged in nonviolent sacrifice not only to highlight racist oppression, but also to win broader sympathy for the cause of civil rights.

In that same vein, Poitier deliberately chose to portray characters who radiated goodness. They had decent values and helped white characters, and they often sacrificed themselves. He earned his first star billing in 1958, in “The Defiant Ones,” in which he played an escaped prisoner handcuffed to a racist played by Tony Curtis. At the end, with the chain unbound, Poitier jumps off a train to stick with his new white friend. Writer James Baldwin reported seeing the film on Broadway, where white audiences clapped with reassurance, their racial guilt alleviated. When he saw it again in Harlem, members of the predominantly Black audience yelled “Get back on the train, you fool!”

King won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964. In that same year, Poitier won the Oscar for Best Actor for “Lilies of the Field,” in which he played Homer Smith, a traveling handyman who builds a chapel for German nuns out of the goodness of his heart. The sweet, low-budget movie was a surprise hit. In its own way, like the horrifying footage of water hoses and police dogs attacking civil rights activists, it fostered swelling support for racial integration.

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A better man

By the time of the actor’s Southern Christian Leadership Conference speech, both King and Poitier seemed to have a slipping grip on the American public. Bloody and destructive riots plagued the nation’s cities, reflecting the enduring discontent of many poor African Americans. The swelling calls for “Black Power” challenged the ideals of nonviolence and racial brotherhood – ideals associated with both King and Poitier.

When Poitier stepped to the lectern that evening, he lamented the “greed, selfishness, indifference to the suffering of others, corruption of our value system, and a moral deterioration that has already scarred our souls irrevocably.” “On my bad days,” he said, “I am guilty of suspecting that there is a national death wish.”

By the late 1960s, both King and Poitier had reached a crossroads. Federal legislation was dismantling Jim Crow in the South, but African Americans still suffered from limited opportunity. King prescribed a “revolution of values,” denounced the Vietnam War, and launched a Poor People’s Campaign. Poitier, in his 1967 speech for the SCLC, said that King, by adhering to his convictions for social justice and human dignity, “has made a better man of me.”

Exceptional characters

Poitier tried to adhere to his own convictions. As long as he was the only Black leading man, he insisted on playing the same kind of hero. But in the era of Black Power, had Poitier’s saintly hero become another stereotype? His rage was repressed, his sexuality stifled. A Black critic, writing in The New York Times, asked “Why Does White America Love Sidney Poitier So?”

That critic had a point: As Poitier himself knew, his films created too-perfect characters. Although the films allowed white audiences to appreciate a Black man, they also implied that racial equality depends on such exceptional characters, stripped of any racial baggage. From late 1967 into early 1968, three of Poitier’s movies owned the top spot at the box office, and a poll ranked him the most bankable star in Hollywood.

Each film provided a hero who soothed the liberal center. His mannered schoolteacher in “To Sir, With Love” tames a class of teenage ruffians in London’s East End. His razor-sharp detective in “In the Heat of the Night” helps a crotchety white Southern sheriff solve a murder. His world-renowned doctor in “Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner” marries a white woman, but only after winning the blessing of her parents.

“I try to make movies about the dignity, nobility, the magnificence of human life,” he insisted. Audiences flocked to his films, in part, because he transcended racial division and social despair – even as more African Americans, baby boomers and film critics tired of the old-fashioned do-gooder spirit of these movies.

Intertwined lives

And then, the lives of Martin Luther King Jr. and Sidney Poitier intersected one final time. After King’s assassination on April 4, 1968, Poitier was a stand-in for the ideal that King embodied. When he presented at the Academy Awards, Poitier won a massive ovation. “In the Heat of the Night” and “Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner” captured most of the major awards. Hollywood again dealt with the nation’s racial upheaval through Poitier movies.

But after King’s violent murder, the Poitier icon no longer captured the national mood. In the 1970s, a generation of “Blaxploitation” films featured violent, sexually charged heroes. They were a reaction against the image of a Black leading man associated with Poitier. Although his career evolved, Poitier was no longer a superstar, and he no longer bore the burden of representing the Black freedom movement. Yet for a generation, he had served as popular culture’s preeminent expression of the ideals of Martin Luther King.

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Aram Goudsouzian, Bizot Family Professor of History, University of Memphis

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

The Bridge is a section of the STM Daily News Blog meant for diversity, offering real news stories about bona fide community efforts to perpetuate a greater good. The purpose of The Bridge is to connect the divides that separate us, fostering understanding and empathy among different groups. By highlighting positive initiatives and inspirational actions, The Bridge aims to create a sense of unity and shared purpose. This section brings to light stories of individuals and organizations working tirelessly to promote inclusivity, equality, and mutual respect. Through these narratives, readers are encouraged to appreciate the richness of diverse perspectives and to participate actively in building stronger, more cohesive communities.

https://stmdailynews.com/the-bridge

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If you’ve ever been curious about what happens when teenage angst meets architectural ingenuity, look no further than the 1974 made-for-TV gem, Bad Ronald. Or as I like to call it, Weirdo in the Wall. This film is a delightful concoction of horror, comedy, and a generous sprinkle of nostalgia that will leave you wondering how we survived the ’70s without a full-time psychologist on speed dial.

Plot Summary: The Rise and Fall of Ronald Willoughby

Meet Ronald Willoughby (Scott Jacoby), your average socially awkward teen who just wants to fit in. Spoiler alert: he doesn’t. After a disastrous attempt to woo the girl next door (who, let’s be honest, could have used a lesson in kindness), Ronald accidentally becomes a headline in a tragic newspaper article when he gets into a scuffle with a pint-sized brat on a bicycle. In a moment of Hulk-like rage, he inadvertently causes the child’s untimely demise. Oops.

Now, instead of grounding him for life, his doting mother (Kim Hunter ) decides to take drastic measures. She removes the door to their second bathroom (because who needs two bathrooms, right?) and seals it up behind wallpaper, turning it into Ronald’s very own secret lair. The kid’s got a toolkit and a flair for construction, so he transforms this “bathroom” into a full-fledged hideout. Who knew the walls of suburban homes could house such dark creativity?

Location, Location, Location!

Shot in a charming Victorian house that screams “I have secrets,” Bad Ronald takes full advantage of its single-location setup. You’ve got your classic early 1900’s architecture, a basement that’s straight out of a horror flick, and a backyard pool party scene that serves as a stark contrast to the psychological turmoil bubbling beneath the surface. The film’s backdrop is almost a character in itself, and you can’t help but wonder if they filmed this in a neighbor’s yard. (Hey, if you’re going to terrorize kids, at least do it with style!)

A Time Capsule of 1974

This film is a delightful snapshot of the early ’70s, a time when Ronald Reagan was running the show in California (yes, I’m pretty sure he was the governor back then) and the world was still reeling from the shenanigans of Richard Nixon. It’s fascinating to see how societal norms and family dynamics from that era play out in this bizarre narrative. You can almost hear the distant echoes of bell-bottoms and disco balls as Ronald navigates his tragic teenage years.

Creepy Comedy Gold

Let’s not forget the humor! The film manages to blend horror and unintentional comedy in a way that makes you chuckle even while you cringe. The awkwardness of Ronald’s interactions, the cluelessness of adults around him, and the sheer absurdity of his situation lend a comedic touch that keeps you entertained. It’s like a tragic comedy where the punchline is hidden behind layers of wallpaper and misplaced parental guidance.

Final Thoughts

Bad Ronald may not have won any Oscars, but it certainly holds a special place in the hearts of those who appreciate a good dose of vintage horror with a side of unintentional comedy. It’s a film that reminds us of the weirdness of adolescence and the lengths we go to escape our problems—like hiding in the walls of your house. So, the next time you’re feeling nostalgic for the days of yore, give this little gem a watch. Just remember, if you hear noises coming from the walls, it might be time to call a contractor… or a therapist.

In the end, Bad Ronald serves as a quirky reminder that sometimes, the most bizarre tales come from the most ordinary of places. And who knows? You might just find yourself rooting for the “bad” kid who’s really just misunderstood. 50 years later, this film still knows how to leave you both amused and slightly horrified—just like any good horror story should!

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Check out the movie details on IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0071186/

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