With the SWBL being formed in 2003, for over half of our entire lives, this game has been a part of the very fiber of our beings. This coming year, I will be entering my 18th year of my competitive wiffleball career (missed one season in 2011), a number that continues to boggle my mind as we get closer and closer to our 20th Anniversary season. Throughout the history of the SWBL, many things have changed. We have refined our rulebook through many eras, the biggest being evolving from a full summer long season, to the now weekend style league that we have borne into the world! While there have not been many constants throughout our history, there is one that has stuck out in my mind as maybe one of the most important traditions for our league.
Since 2003, the SWBL has always been synonymous with Freeze Pops. In fact, what could be more nostalgic than swinging the yellow bat and chowing down on this famous frozen treat? If you have not had a Freeze Pop from the Skibbe fridge in the shed, have you actually ever played in our league? Now to this article. I am not only the Commissioner of the league, but have played in the league for one year more than the next longest tenured player. In addition, while I have purchased almost all of the freeze pops for the league, I have also eaten my fair share throughout the years. With all of this said I feel like I am the best person to bring to you the definitive ranking of Freeze Pops that you can enjoy on Memorial Day, SWBL Weekend.
First, to get our bearings, let’s take a look into the mind of 2003, Freshmen in high school, Commissioner Skibbe, with some rankings of the past, a sort of preseason rankings if you will…
2003 Freeze Pop Pre-Rankings:
1. Blue
2. Red
3. Purple
4. Pink
5. Green
6. Orange
Now let’s see how the rankings have shaken up in the past almost two decades! For this we will go from worst to first…
2021 Ultimate Freeze Pop Rankings:
6. Pink – Down two spots in the power rankings, pink falls to the bottom of the freezer for me. I am so happy other people like this color because, to me, this one has the most boring flavor out of the six. You look at the other pink candies and how all of them are so delicious but when it comes to freeze pops, this flavor leaves something to be desired. I actually think this color doesn’t have the worst “taste”, but it’s just the most mild out of the six, and the company needs to bolster it if they want to move up in my power rankings.
5. Purple – First let’s start with this…does anyone else find themselves using the colors to name the other five, but for this color, you say the flavor? Growing up, this grape staple flavor might have been a top three favorite, but it almost fell all the way to the bottom for me. When your taste buds mature in the realm of freeze pops, you start to realize grape’s flavor is definitely the worst, but also the most dynamic. This unique grape flavor was saved from being last for me because it at least wakes up your taste buds, unlike pink.
4. Orange – Up two spots in my power rankings, Orange is the second biggest surprise for me. The only color that is also the flavor, I have grown to really enjoy a good orange on a hot day. This color could very well be the most refreshing of the six. In most candies, orange is the worst color out of them all. Skittles, starburst, airhead bites, and more, orange is always the worst. But, when it comes to freeze pops, this color never deserves to be at the bottom, and actually along with another color, for some reason the consistency with the ice, freezes the best and texturally feels nice on your teeth.
3. Blue – This will be the biggest debate when this article is released. Blue is widely known as one of the favorites throughout the freeze pop world, and I will say that my top three are all so close in ranking that they really could be 1A, 1B, and 1C. Blue is so good, but I feel like it is always the first color gone so I never truly get a chance to enjoy it. When you have a blue one, it just brings you back to your childhood. Along with orange, the texture is a huge bonus with the blue. When a blue slightly melts, it has the creamiest texture that melts in your mouth.
2. Red – Jumping over blue in my rankings after these many years, red has an incredible flavor with a nostalgic feel. The flavor pops on your taste buds and is one of those colors that when you enjoy it, people can tell because it ends up all over your lips and mouth. While red and blue both have incredible flavors, I truly believe red has a stronger flavor than blue, which is why it barely sneaks by the fan favorite on my power rankings.
1. Green – Yes, you heard it here, I was surprised myself, but as a mature wiffleball playing, freeze pop eating adult, my taste buds know best that green is the peak of the mountaintop when it comes to this ranking. Refreshing on a warm day, dynamic taste, a sweet lime flavor, and maybe best of all, a color that gets a bottom three rep, so there is always plenty to enjoy until Monday of Memorial Day Weekend. In many flavored green items, whether it be sour green apple or a sour lime flavor, these freeze pops have found the perfect lime recipe that fills your taste buds with the perfect amount of sweetness to balance a great tasting, refreshing palate delicacy that this color can bring to this notorious shade.
Many will not agree, but as I have mentioned, your tastes simply have not matured as mine have. This wiffle body was built on freeze pops, and I can personally guarantee I have spent more money on this nostalgic treat than any wiffler in the world, so I am right.
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