NML Pickleball Accepts Challenge from Travis Rettenmaier for $100,000 Match
Travis Rettenmaier is a confident man. Travis Rettenmaier is so confident that he was willing to challenge us here at NML Pickleball to play a match against him 2 v. 1. Not only did Travis challenge us to a grudge match, but he also said he would put $100,000 on it. Travis, we officially accept your challenge.
To set the stage, you can see in the above photo that the former tennis pro reposted a screenshot of one of our MLP live blog updates on his Instagram story with the following caption:
“Once again @nmlpickleball showing their lack of knowledge and poor journalism. No mention of 4 straight points to end the match. 100k says I beat these guys 2 on 1. Next time @ me boys. Amateurs. Bets available whenever.”
It is not entirely clear to us what Rettenmaier was so mad about. We think it is, at least, partly because we failed to mention that Travis had dominated a noticeably hampered Adam Stone in the Florida Smash’s Dreambreaker against the Jackrabbits, including winning 4 straight rallies to secure the victory for his team, 24-22. Maybe Travis’ frustration is the culmination of months of reading our lack of knowledge and poor journalism. Who knows!
Regardless of the reason for Rettenmaier’s discontent concerning our quick live blog update, he was bothered enough that he felt it was necessary to call us out by challenging us to a bet that he must have thought two blog boys would never accept. While we did not accept his $100K bet initially, we let him know we were down to accept his 2 v. 1 challenge when we responded on Instagram:
Travis never responded to our Instagram reply. We can only presume the lack of response was due to Kyle Yates taking his lunch money and then some the next day in the quarterfinal Dreambreaker against the Hard Eights. Rettenmaier also probably never thought he would ever have to deal with getting called on his 9-4 off suit all-in bet by a couple of “amateurs”.
Unfortunately for you Travis, this is not a joke. We are 100% serious.
As for the terms of the bet, we can each put $100,000 into escrow until the match is completed. We will fly to wherever is most convenient for you, including to your home courts in St. Petersburg, Florida. We’re flexible to make timing work around your schedule, but we will throw out sometime around Christmas as a starting point. Heck, we could even do it at the MLP draft and live stream it, if you would like. Surely, you’ll have some extra time at the draft considering we already know you’ll be picking yourself again. Let’s make it 3 out of 5 games and, since this came from an MLP related post, we can use MLP rally scoring.
We want to be clear that we are very willing to compromise on the finer details. We just want this match to happen.
How about we conclude the wildest post we have ever written with a question. Did we ever think when we started this blog that we would be accepting a bet to play a pro 2 on 1 for what would amount to the largest prize money in pickleball? Of course not.
But here we are.
Travis, you said to the entire pickleball world that the bet is available whenever. Well, we are ready whenever you are.
Good luck against the biggest loser, figuratively, in Pickleball.
He’s more of a child than 2019 John’s/Yates at the Beer City Open.
I’m speechless! I bet Ignatowich would be all over this with his point of view. Please, James, jump on and tell us what you think. And maybe The Pickleball Studio will now want to interview you and/or It Feels Right.
To protect yourselves, I recommend you get a reputable ref involved on the rules. Some 2 on 1 play it with the single getting 2 serves and some play with the single getting only 1 serve. I’ll be curious what Travis had in mind or if he thought that far ahead.
It does seem like it should be at an MLP event.
We’ll have to fine tune the details but it is looking like we are moving ahead right now!
Let’s go NML!!!! Gritty and Slim we amateurs salute you!!
Let’s go NML!!!! Gritty and Slim we amateurs salute you!!
P.s. if this goes down the way we all hope, Gritty better griddy all over the court after the 3-0 sweep.
I think Gritty needs to do that little hop that Jorja does after winning a rally.
But why stop there. Do something from all the pros:
the in your face fist pump
the stare down
the finger wag
climbing the fence/bleachers
hopping court placards
waving/wishing the ball over
taking 90% of the court from Slim
And Slim can have the demeanor of JW and ignore all the antics.
There’s some fire between us on the courts. Nothing spectacular or flashy, but fired up we can get
Uh…. Heck yes. I fully support this ^^^
umm.. what do y’all do that you have $100k to risk on a Pickleball game?
I think they just know that it is a safe investment.
What are your duprs? Have you ever said your real names? I think you guys have a nice edge if you’re ~4.5s and are underdogs if lower from what I’ve seen from pro singles guys playing two good amateurs.
Gritty is a 5.15 Slim is a 5.09 on DUPR
lol travis is in all sorts of trouble. I think he just assumed to bloggers would be 4.0s at best
two* bloggers. excuse the typo.
Our names are out there. Go to the about section. It’s been a while
I remember when Kyle Yates put up $2000 on an anonymous challenger. He never heard from the guy again.
If TR believes in himself, he’ll put up the Pink Slip on Ownership of The Smash. If NML wins, do they draft themselves ?
We want the best team if we are owners. Period haha!
Nice !! looks like its time for some a## kicking and also good chance to win some beer money ! I would attend this !
For those curious- here is a clip of Slim and Gritty at a tournament earlier this year. They start the match on the far side of the court.
https://youtu.be/7h6U0_W3MeE
Okay, I watched a few minutes of you guys playing. Looks like a heck of a windy day but I can see the skills. Old Travis may have his work cut out for him and he better bring his dry running shoes as the “windshield wiper” drill may be appropriate. I’d advise however holding the match on a somewhat “neutral” court and not in his own backyard so to speak. Also I think 2 out of 3 (to 11) would make more sense. 3 out of 5 and the paramedics (for TR) may need to be standing by. Do I think you you guys will win? Probably. Would I bet money on it? Nope. But I’ll be watching if and when it goes down.
Does Travis have to cover the full court? He’s toast if so. If not, well, that’s a little more dicey! But good luck!
Of course he covers the whole court. That’s the point of the match.
Pingback: APP Tour Hilton Head – Fantasy Draft Preview – NML Pickleball
Love you guys for calling TR on his bluff. Seems like so many of these pickleball “professionals” have such thin skin and/or fragile egos. Why is that? Why do the opinions of a couple of pickleball fans/observers bother them so much? First it was Yates commenting on how y’all had him underrated him. Then Anna Bright and James Ig-nah-toe-itch responded, after winning MLP Newport (and soon thereafter, mind you), by essentially saying “showed you, NML” and then called you guys nerds. Are we in middle school? Now, Rettenmaier’s mouth is writing checks that his @ss cannot cash. Maybe he is rich enough to drop 100 G and not worry about it. If he really values his money, there is no way he will stand behind his offer.
Thanks! We honestly were pretty skeptical TR would agree to this but we were hopeful. Signs are actually pointing in the right direction now so we are optimistic we can make this happen. It will always be an odd phenomenon to us but look at how Kevin Durant responds to fans on Twitter. For as long as there are people who comment on athletes, there will be athletes who care about what is said about them
When is this happening?
Still trying to hammer down a date. We’re doing our best here. We’ll try to give an update when we have one
NML: I’ve seen a lot of questions about this in streaming live chat and posts. Strange the posts haven’t directly asked you. But there’s great interest in this event!
We are doing our best
We are trying to sort out a date still. We’ll provide an update one way or another hopefully soon
Yes, I agree. Way more interested in this event then any “exhibition” or other made up event by the PPA and its ilk.
You guys could set a new precedent for the modern duel – settling grievances on the court with paddles instead of swords or guns.
(“Hamilton” would have been much less sad,,,)
Still waiting for the date! Inquiring minds want to know.
We’ll have an update soon
👍
Pingback: Update on Travis Rettenmaier $100K Bet – NML Pickleball
Travis is a clown – I have had several friends at the Crescent Lake pickleball courts have incidents with him becuase he couldnt stand it when they got points off him (most of them were 4.0’s and 4.5’s) – he’s an old washed up tennis player that can’t let go of the past because he never performed up to his potential because his fragile ego wont let him let go…He holds onto pickleball like a crying baby with a sippy cup. The guy is a serious POS and also an abuser – just talk to his ex wife Amanda!