Peyton Manning Pushing Subway Pickleball Club | Westword
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Peyton Manning Promoting New Pickleball Club Sandwich from Subway

We took #18's advice and tried #19, which tasted...like a ham sandwich
Subway's new Pickleball Club is a ham sandwich with extra steps.
Subway's new Pickleball Club is a ham sandwich with extra steps. Catie Cheshire
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Broncos legend Peyton Manning has joined the expanding ranks of people talking about the fast-growing sport of pickleball — though in this case, he's simply promoting a new Subway sandwich rather than getting in on the game.

Last year, Subway began revamping its offerings with the Subway Series, which highlights refreshed ingredients and simplifies the ordering system. Now diners can simply give the number of the sandwich they want instead of going through every ingredient individually as the sandwich is made.

On May 1, Subway introduced two new additions to the Subway Series: the Teriyaki Blitz and the Pickleball Club. The Pickleball Club's number is 19; Manning's number with the Broncos was 18.

"Named for one of America's fastest-growing sports, this toasted sub is piled with thin-sliced Black Forest ham, crisp bacon and American cheese on our Artisan Italian bread, plus finished with a brand-new honey mustard sauce only featured on this sub," says a Subway announcement.

It's not as spicy as the status of the sport in metro Denver, however, where Centennial has placed a moratorium on court construction near homes and the City of Denver has shut down play at Congress Park over noise complaints.

In the ad, pitchman Manning — who also pushes Bush's Beans and Papa John's Pizza — converses with the disembodied voice of Charles Barkley, who asks, "Who knew the Subway Series could get even better?"

"Me," answers Manning, holding up a foot-long Pickleball Club.

Is the Pickleball Club truly a winner? Westword snagged a 19 at a downtown Subway on May 22; according to the employee who served up the sandwich, it was the first Pickleball Club he's made all month.

In contrast, the sport is in high demand, and so are other pickleball-related food concepts, with Camp Pickle, Chicken N Pickle and 3rd Shot Pickleball all coming to the metro area over the next few years.

Will the Pickleball Club still be around? It tasted...like a Subway sandwich. The honey mustard added a nice sweetness to counterbalance the bacon, and the pickles lent some texture. Other than that, it was a fancy ham sandwich that wasn't really reminiscent of pickleball, which is boisterous, active...and wildly popular.
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