"I don’t think we realized the impact it was going to have on the rest of the event," UPA CEO Connor Pardoe told The Dink.
With four matches remaining for their team, the Carolina Hogs, Ben and Collin Johns withdrew from Major League Pickleball's second event of the season, held in Columbus, OH, in early May.
The reason, we all know by now, was lighting. Or rather, a lack thereof.
"The levels of light here, by the numbers, are ~1/3 that of professional tennis. There have to be some minimum standards met. I would respect anyone’s choice not play in this," Ben said on X
Erik Tice
MLP said it would review the circumstances before issuing "any potential disciplinary measures."
Those measures just became clear.
Before we get into that, we wanted to better understand how we got here. So we asked United Pickleball Association CEO Connor Pardoe to chat. Here's what he told us.
The Backstory: Permission Granted
The day before the Major League Pickleball event in Columbus, Ben contacted Pardoe. He had concerns about the lighting levels on Championship Court.
Pardoe conveyed he was comfortable with him withdrawing from the event because of a well-documented and longstanding medical condition that impacts his vision in certain settings.
Pardoe wasn't in town, but MLP Commissioner Samin Odhwani was. Ben and Samin were connected via text.
The Hogs lost to the Phoenix Flames the next day, on Thursday afternoon.
On Friday, Ben texted Samin. They met on Championship Court, Ben with some sort of light meter in-hand.
Ben said the court was dark, but that he'd try to play through it.
The Hogs lost to the Atlanta Bouncers later that morning. You've seen the clip; by all accounts, Ben and Collin put in minimal effort. Ben spent noticeable chunks of the match with both hands down by his sides.
After the match, Ben told Samin the lighting levels had been even worse and that he was pulling out of the remainder of the event. Samin gave him the all-clear.
"Some people might say it's preferential treatment for Ben, but I'd like to think we would try to handle the situation the same for everybody," Pardoe told me.
"Ben felt uncomfortable. He was unable to locate the ball, he wasn't able to perform to the best of his ability."
In that moment, Pardoe said, "you want to make sure you give him the benefit of the doubt."
The Moment: A Lack of Communication
Ben was told he could withdraw from MLP Columbus if he felt the lighting conditions were unsafe. He played two matches and made the decision that it was.
In that moment, Pardoe said, the instinct was to be accommodating to one of the tour's most established players.
The bigger picture–what it meant for the Hogs; how the fans would react; what the other ramifications might be–could have been considered more thoughtfully.
"I don't think we realized the impact it was going to have on the rest of the event," said Pardoe.
Pardoe said expectations could have been communicated more effectively once the decision to withdraw was made–both to the Johns brothers themselves, and to the fans.
Ben and Collin weren't explicitly told, for example, that they should stay onsite and support their team–that expectation was left for interpretation and the league was under the impression they would remain in Columbus and root for the Hogs.
"We were very accommodating to them to pull out of the event. Whether we should have or should not have done that, that's something that we're going to learn from at the league level," said Pardoe.
The Fallout: $60,000 Forfeited
The social media backlash in response to the withdrawal was swift. Other pros, league executives and fans alike were incensed–how can the sport's top player bail on his team mid-event? And what will the punishment be?
Many were expecting a fine–potentially a big one. Maybe even a suspension from MLP or PPA events. The reality was something else.
Alex E. Weaver
"Ben Johns and Collin Johns have agreed to forfeit their event payouts for the four matches in which they did not appear," MLP announced Wednesday.
Those payouts, The Dink learned, amounted to $60,000 for Ben and $18,000 for Collin. They played two events, and missed the remaining four. That means Ben Johns is making $15,000 per MLP match.
We now know why the brothers weren't fined in the traditional sense–they were given express permission from the league CEO and commissioner to withdraw if they felt necessary.
The Aftermath: Lingering Questions
Two issues remain unaddressed.
If Ben was given an allowance to withdraw based on a well-documented medical condition, why was Collin permitted the same?
Pardoe conceded that was the wrong call:
"The thing that we did that was wrong, is that we allowed Collin to pull out. But we allowed it. Let's be clear."
And finally, what about the "tanking"? If safety was the concern, how does a wholesale lack of effort during certain stretches of a match compute?
While Pardoe didn't comment directly on the effort levels of the Johns brothers in Columbus, he did make it very clear that any perceived "lack of effort" will be taken seriously going forward.
This is not the first time the Johns brothers have been called out for not trying on the court.
"If maximum effort is not given, we are going to have the right to fine, suspend and even terminate contracts," Pardoe said.
On Wednesday, May 7, a memo was sent to all PPA and MLP players regarding "lack of effort," printed in full below.
In the end, Pardoe is focused on forward progress:
"We're going to continue to grow the professionalism of the sport. And our goal is to get a little bit bigger, a little bit better, a little bit more professional every single week. And you know, we're doing that."
Full Memo: "UPA Player Update"
This memo was sent to all PPA and MLP players on Wednesday, May 7.
To all PPA and MLP Pros:
You owe it to your fans, broadcasters, partners - and most importantly yourselves - to give 100% effort each and every time you step on the court. Instances of “lack of effort” in both PPA and MLP events have occurred and are not isolated incidents. We are nipping this in the bud now so that this does not become a trend or theme. There will be zero tolerance for this behavior.
Each case brought forward of suspected “lack of effort” will be evaluated by Chris Patrick (PPA Tour Deputy Commissioner), Connor Pardoe (PPA Tour CEO) and Samin Odhwani (MLP Commissioner). Repercussions for determined “lack of effort” can include fines, suspensions and termination of contract.
We are all in this together and want the best product for our players, fans, sponsors and media partners. This all starts with the players and we appreciate the leadership qualities you bring to the court and the community. If there is something that we can do better as a tour or league, we encourage you to work directly with us to help find solutions rather than taking issues to social media. We have made tremendous progress over the past few years, and with your continued partnership, we will keep moving forward and improving together.
If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to Connor, Chris or Samin.
Thanks,
PPA/MLP Team
