The Unmade Podcast - Special: Tommyball Moment of the Decade

Episode Date: December 29, 2019

Brady interviews "Tommyball Legend" Tim Hein about the top 10 moments of the decade. See our Patreon Page to vote in the poll - https://www.patreon.com/posts/32694953 and for a free-for-Patrons Tommyball ringtone - https://www.patreon.com/posts/32695160 Join the discussion of this episode on our subreddit - https://redd.it/eh76o8 GET YOUR TOMMYBALL MERCH - https://teespring.com/stores/tommyball USEFUL LINKS Tommyball was 'born' in this episode of the Unmade Podcast - https://www.unmade.fm/episodes/episode4 Our First Tommyball Special - https://www.unmade.fm/episodes/special-tommyball Our Second Tommyball Special - Forever Tommyball - https://www.unmade.fm/episodes/special-forever-tommyball Loy Yang Power Station - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loy_Yang_Power_Station Klimionok You Beauty ringtone available to Patron supporters - https://www.patreon.com/posts/32695160 Tom Hanks - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Hanks

Well hello everyone as 2019 comes to a close we're here at the Tommy Ball League Christmas party. I've just come over here into a corner so we can record a quick podcast for the end of the season and we're going to talk to you about the nominations for the Sofa Shop Moment of the Decade because I've just got the shortlist and I've pulled aside, well, a Tommy Ball legend to discuss these moments of the decade. He's a man you all know. He's one of the greats of the game,

both as a player and a commentator. He's the man that put the T and the M in Tommy Ball. In fact, he did legally try to have the name of the game changed to Timmy Bowl, but as we know, that was unsuccessful. It's Tim Hine. Tim, how are you? I'm well, Brady, and good evening to you and good evening to everybody. I mean, we've come to the end of another fantastic decade of Tommy Bowl. We're going to get into the 2020 season very soon. Before we talk about these moments of the decade that people are going to get to vote on, let me ask you, what are you up to for New Year? Will you be watching the traditional New Year's Eve game? Well, people will be aware of the legendary status of the Tim Hine New Year's Eve party that I've been throwing.

Usually it's people that come from all over and want to get the hot tickets to get in there. And I get Matt Damon to handle those tickets. But he kind of made a bit of a mistake last year. And so things got a little bit out of whack. And so this year I'll be going to the game and sitting in the Tim Hine Legends stand corporate box. And it's a fantastic corporate box. As you know, it's just been recently decked out with new sofa chairs. And we're very... From, of course, your personal sponsor, The Sofa Shop.

The Sofa Shop is your only stop. Well, you've brought them up there. I didn't know if I was allowed to mention The Sofa Shop more than nine times, it says here. So I'm very pleased to say folks that join me will be sitting very comfortably in uh lovely sofas and watching the game um with the sofa shop by berkowitz you're allowed back in that corporate box are you after that incident uh in march yes i mean being a person banned from their own corporate box is the sort of thing that my lawyers pointed out was highly unusual.

And yet it was upheld. But that's run its course. And I'll be pleased to be back in there with my fans. All right, then. Well, let's get into the sofa shop Tommy Ball moment of the decade. I've got a list here of perhaps 10 items, depending on how many make it through the edit. Now, of course, Tim has not seen this list.

No one has seen this list except for myself. So some of these incidents may be hazy in your memory, Tim. I don't know, but I'm sure with a bit of gentle prodding, some of them will come back to you. Shall we give it a go? I'll certainly remember the ones I'm in. Right. Well, that's good because the first one on the list is one you're in because the first item on the list here is, of course,

the legendary Traralgon Titans open-top bus tour through the streets of Traralgon and related areas in rural Victoria following their narrow Super Cup win in 2010. It was scenes of unbridled joy for the people of Victoria. I know you were on the coaching staff of the team and you were on the bus itself for that tour. That was before you fell out with the Trajan Titans coaching staff the following season. But going back to those happier times, can you tell me a bit about what it was like to

be on that bus? What was the atmosphere like? What was that tour like? And can you fill me in a little bit on what happened afterwards, of course? Well, it was electric. I mean, people talk about the Beatles coming to town back in the 1960s, and this was similar. Obviously, not as many people were out with the Beatles,

but we had an enormous amount of people turn out. It was very exciting. The bus driver, though, was probably the only complaint that I had. He took us down and around and through Turalgon. Probably wasn't necessary to go all the way out to Luoyang Power Station and around the open-cut mine, but still people lined up and were very excited to see the team. Of course, though, those photographs of the bus with the power station

in the background became one of the iconic images of the decade, though, those photographs of the bus with the power station in the background became like one of the iconic images of the decade, even, I would say. And it's become a mural now. They've actually painted it on the power station, which is kind of strange, a mural of a power station painted onto a power station, but the bus is central. And that's exciting. So people can look at a power station, see this incredible mural of a power station and a bus and you know yours truly on the bus did you get a chance to hold the trophy because traditionally sort of coaching staff aren't supposed to touch the tommy ball trophy i've been advised not to answer that question as it may incriminate me right but uh seeing as we're off the record tonight yes i held the trophy it was um quite a special moment for the trophy

two legends coming together i i know on the anniversary of that tour you often go back and visit the power station and can be seen on a on the scenic lookout they're just weeping that's right it's a it's it's where i go it's it's my place in the world to go and to rejuvenate to go back out there and um it's your fortress of solitude just just to be i mean you just need somewhere i've been getting into meditation lately and what better place to meditate than um uh on an open cut coal field it's just perfectly blissfully quiet and and that's what i need and that's what the great minds need and i that's certainly what i need let's go to our next item on the list here this was january 14 2012 a date that few people will forget because that was the day that john klimanok scored his miraculous goal of the century

tim of course you were commentating for that magical moment and it's become one of the most replayed moments in the history of the sport i know people often ask you to re-record bits of that commentary for their mobile phone tones and things like that. Can you tell me what was going through your mind when Klimanok scored that goal? And maybe even recite some of the commentary for us. It was. It's a pretty legendary moment. I mean, people talk about these great moments in commentary, but it really, I think, stands above and beyond. I mean, people don't realise what a great goal, and I have to give all the admiration and all the respect that's due

to Climanoff for being able to play along with such great commentary at the time. He gets it, he moves across, and then suddenly, Climanoff, you beauty and people people have that as their ringtones now they put it um on their phones they and it's become one of those really classic great moments who would have thought to say you beauty other than of course you that's right clemenock you beauty it's really one of the great moments in Tommy Ball history. And it's one of those moments, unusually,

and I'm sure he wouldn't mind me saying this, where the commentary becomes more legendary even than the play that inspired it. And so often now those best of clips that will get played, sometimes they'll just play the commentary and won't show the footage. Yeah. I mean, some people say that's not fair, but you just hear it and it's just it elevates it it takes it to another level it's one of the great moments in tommy ball commentating i know obviously you have it as your ringtone on your phone but i'm sure tim won't say that i'm talking out of turn here to point out

because i have been to his house he also has it as his doorbell chime in fact not only does it play in his house he has speakers so that it reverberates through the street whenever someone rings his doorbell. That's right. And why wouldn't he? That's right. Well, the next item on the list is, I mean, it's a sad moment for the sport.

It's a recent moment. And that was the unexpected passing of Hall of Fame legendary player. Of course, one of your great rivals on the field, it has to be said that is Fred Dickerson who died in mysterious circumstances following a dinner party just back in September it really shocked the sport of course there was a state funeral held as a result which of course at the request of Dickerson in his will and the family you were not invited to but I know you watched it on television uh can you tell us give us a few reflections on on his passing well I have to say Dickerson is

probably the second greatest player ever to play the game and I know people will say I'm giving him too much of a rap there but I think that's true and that's what I wanted to say at the funeral and what I put out in my the funeral and what I put out in my press release and what I've been telling most people that I see around about and but look it was sad for the Tommy Ball community bittersweet perhaps for some people because it does make things a little bit clearer when we come to the living legends list that comes out each year. But I'd have to say my condolences go out to the family of Fred. But again, like I say, I come back to the living legends that's on next week and it's certainly going to make things clearer there. A lot of people thought perhaps it was not the best day for you to release your autobiography, My Lives, on the day of his funeral.

But you went ahead with that. What was the thinking there? Well, the new edition of My Lives is a very exciting edition. And I think, I mean, you can't stop the world just because the second best player in Tommy Ball history passes away. The new edition, by the way, is a very exciting edition. It's got a whole new section in it. My life's a life in Tommy Ball and Tommy Ball commentating and post-Tommy Ball philanthropic activities.

And that new section is just superb. I mean, it's just really outstanding and and some of um the cover price of that book is going towards uh some of those philanthropic activities what are some of those sort of charitable causes that you are pouring your considerable fortune into well i there's obviously the tim hein wing of the tommy ball museum which is still incomplete and and and the money is going to be going directly to that, allowing little children from all over the country to come together and see what a great player I am. I was.

I am. Fred Dickerson was as the second best player. So just to clarify, by buying your book, people are actually contributing to building your wing of a museum about yourself. Personally contributing. I mean, they'll walk through and they'll see their own fingerprints and they'll think, I helped build this. Wow. What a legacy for them.

Okay. Next, we have 2016 Rio. We saw the first appearance ever of Tommy Ball at the Olympics. Of course, as expected, gold went to Samoa and silver went to Russia we had a surprise for the bronze with Vatican City picking up the bronze and of course after negotiations with the IOC we had a new medal cast for fourth place just for Tommy Ball the plaster of Paris medal and that was taken by South Africa. Tim what were your thoughts on seeing Tommy Ball at the Olympics did it enhance the sport or did it diminish the sport? Well, it obviously enhanced the Olympics. That's what it

did. I mean, when you've got the greatest game and then you put it into an arena like the Olympics, which is so tired and stayed, it's able to take, I mean, it was like yeast in the dough of the Olympics, elevating it, helping it to flourish to a new level. I think it was, I mean, it's just another week for Tommy Ball, but for the Olympics. I mean, the Olympics are now known all over the world because of Tommy Ball. It's obviously, as a retired player, you didn't get to ever play in the Olympics, but it's often debated what country you would have represented because of obvious questions around where you were born and your paternity. What country would you have represented because of obvious questions around where you were born and your paternity. What country would you have represented the Olympics, do you believe,

if you had ever been given that choice? It is difficult. I mean, one of the things about being, you know, sort of known as the Tommy Ball princess is that people feel connected to me all over the world, don't they? I mean, it's hard. And some people you think of people are beyond nations i think of people like um oprah you know just living in the stratosphere and um and and i think i'm very much um in in in that sort of stratosphere so it's hard to say i mean obviously there would have been um you know a bidding war an auction um for my services and um and i would have been interested to see exactly which nation was the most uh passionate um about me because i wouldn't want to play for the money but i i'm just thinking if a nation wants me and is going to pay me to play for them

then i want to see how much money they're willing to pay and so that's just a bit of a measurement i would have been happy to play for any nation that was, you know, that won the auction. That's how deep your loyalty runs, you're willing to play for anyone. Oh, it is. It is. It is. And, I mean, all this money will go into charity, of course.

It will all go to the Tim Hine wing of the Tommy Ball Museum. And, you know, so no one needs to worry about or investigate. I mean, there doesn't need to be any investigation into this whatsoever. No, certainly not. Of course, you could have played for two nations and we would have had the unique situation where you could have won both gold and silver in the same event. Actually, that is a very good idea. Hang on. I'm just, hang on a sec.

I'm just writing. Barry! Barry! Look into two countries. Two countries. Sorry about that. All right, let's go to the next item. This is 2015 now, the year before,

and of course we saw the debut and the introduction of Tommy Ball's first fully robotic player, the Tommy Bot, who played on the defensive wing for the Wellington Willy Walkers. Many people oppose the introduction of artificial intelligence on the Tommyball field, but I mean, now it has become quite common. Most teams will field three to four robots per game. I mean, you had a lot to say about this at the time. It's been a few years now. What are your thoughts, Tim? Well, I come back to the living legends. I mean,

the living legends list that comes out every year, you know, I mean, are these robots alive? Are they eligible? Surely they're not eligible, particularly now they're doing so well. Surely I'm going to find that they're not eligible for the Living Legends list. And, yeah, so I'm cautious about this. It doesn't seem like it's real Tommyball. Well, that's fair enough. That's fair enough.

Let's go to another innovation in the sport that has made it onto our list. And this, of course, is the introduction of the new shortened form of the game, which is played in the summer months. Of course, I'm talking about Beach Tommyball. Players all wear bikinis. Games are limited to three days so they're more TV friendly. And to encourage more children to watch the games have become somewhat more violent. Tim, and to encourage more children to watch the games have become somewhat more violent. Tim, beach volleyball. I know you were the face of the advertising campaign for the tournament, which makes you somewhat biased, I guess.

But do you want to give us a few words on beach Tommyball? I mean, it's been a huge success. Well, this is one of those variations in the game, the innovations that I really love. I mean, people talk about 2020, Tommyball 2020, but with 20 chickens on the field beforehand. Well, that's the sort of innovation I'm excited to see, and Beach Tommyball is another one. And this makes me just want to live my career all over again. If I could do it all over again and play Beach Tommyball,

I think that's just about all I'd do. It's a fantastic, particularly with the increased violence. It really is exciting. And, I mean, violence on the beach. It's great for the kids. It's great for the kids. It is. It is.

And we're seeing numbers of kids getting involved. Weapon sales are up as well. And that's exciting. You can even just tell by the fact there's more fighting in the schoolyard now. That's right. That's right. I mean, teachers are reporting that. And, I mean, that warms the heart when you hear that

and hear the way that Tommy Ball is reaching down to a new generation. And I think it's that kind of, I mean, this is where I think the robots won't be able to adapt when they come. I mean, sure, they'll be fine on the rhombus, but once they get out there on the beach, they won't be able to play the game in the same way.

And so you really need to be, you're going to need to go to that extra level of violence to be able to play on the beach. Do you worry that the popularity of beach Tommyball is going to affect your normal, you know, rhombus-based games? Ooh, that's a good thought. I mean, there's no rhombus-shaped beaches, are there? So it's... Except Rhombus shaped beaches are there so it's except rhombus

beach in uh ivory coast oh right rhombus beach yes of course um i i it could it could it could i don't know but i i i'm not so worried about that i mean i think people will want to see it play on the sand and um yeah anyway i can't think of anything funny there, man. Well, that sounds like a good point to go to something that is incredibly serious and that was the players' industrial action in 2018. Of course, the players were demanding a greater share of Tommy Ball trading card profits. Tommy Ball trading cards, of course, is huge business.

The players felt as though they were not getting their fair share and this saw them refuse to pose for tommy ball card photos until the issue was resolved the league of course went ahead and released cards with stunt doubles standing in for the players the whole matter went to court it ended up being sorted out by an independent arbitration commission this was this was uh unprecedented there were some big names on that on that commission that was deciding the issue of course you were nominated to the commission uh the duchess of cambridge kate middleton volunteered her time lovely lady and most

importantly perhaps two-time oscar winner tom hanks and i believe it was tom hanks himself who finalized that deal between the league the the players' union and Topps Trading Cards. Tim, you had a front seat to this incredible negotiation and this historic turning point in the sport. Can you give us some insight into what was going on in these negotiations and how did Tom Hanks finally resolve things? Oh, look, this was, I mean, this was a low point in the decade. It's, I mean, it's in the list because it's significant,

but it was a low and a sad time. And, I mean, I'm still of the opinion things would have gone a lot better if Tom Hanks had been just a little bit nicer. I mean, because, I mean, you get that guy and he plays hardball. I mean, he was so hard. The Duchess and I. He was cracking skulls. He was cracking skulls. He was cracking skulls.

And the Duchess and I were doing a fantastic job taking negotiations to the point of almost reaching agreement. And then Hanks would swoop in and would ruin everything through sheer arrogance. Sheer arrogance. And so, look, really the negotiations, it was all resolved in the end, despite Hanks. I know he got to make the announcement because he's Tom Hanks,

but it was really despite his sheer arrogance. One of the good things that came out of it, of course, are the new novelty cards that have been released, which are like novelty checks. So you can buy trading cards literally that stand about eight feet tall. And I've got several of those that I'm signing and selling, and you can buy those on my website, baggagegreen.com.au. There are fewer happier moments than seeing kids in the schoolyards with their

eight foot long trading cards, like saying, oh, I'll swap you that Tim Hine for a Jason Lassie. That's right. That's exactly right. That's exactly right. These trading cards, I mean, they're the latest thing. I mean, teachers don't like them because kids are forever pulling them out in class. But I mean, I say, if you're going to put them in with the casino chips inside your your pencil case then let them do it let them get on with it i mean and having eight foot high trading cards really resulted in some incredible redesigns of school bags as well it did that's right yeah all right so this year also saw another big business moment we saw the sofa shop signing on as league sponsor for another 15 years assuring the league of financial security of course following that news that was announced

just days later that berkowitz furniture was taking over the sofa shops adelaide stores a lot of people have said perhaps uh the sofa shops commitment to these big league sponsorships maybe saw them take their eye off the ball and the their core business of actually selling sofas but that's another story i know you obviously have a lot of links with the sofa shop so we might not get a completely unvarnished uh perspective on this but great for the league perhaps not so good for the lounge rooms of adelaide well sofa shop really is the only shop for the sofas you need and um and your only stop for the sofa you need. And I don't just, I'm not just saying that because they're paying me. I really believe it.

But what you've seen coming together now with the Berkowitz connection is something that I think that the US Congress is going to be looking into. Now you have really this dynasty growing even larger. It's a marvellous company. It also has been supporting some quite significant philanthropic activities, not least the Tim Hine wing of the Tommy Ball Museum. And, I mean, you walk through a museum and you're looking around, you want to sit down on something from the sofa shop.

So that's exciting. And I don't know what else to say except thank you for their support of tommy ball uh and their support of me personally they are really the only shop for the sofa that you need don't you do a thing until you've seen the sofa shop no indeed don't you do a thing until you see the Now next we had finally, the time was up and we had confirmation that Tim Hine, the man I'm speaking to right now, will not be inducted into the Tommy Bowl Hall of Fame. There was a vote from the Tommy Bowl Executive Committee. It was decided by a narrow margin, but one of the game's most colourful characters will not be receiving the honour. but one of the game's most colourful characters will not be receiving the honour and I believe the casting vote was put by Commissioner Shields himself. How do you feel about this? Well, I'm sorry if I'm a bit emotional

but I mean this is just ridiculous. I mean, really. I believe you had an outburst at Commissioner Shields in the corridor afterwards. Some people say that the Hall of Fame perhaps isn't as significant as it once was. I mean, many people have talked about the fact that it should be renamed the Tim Hine Tommy Ball Hall of Fame,

despite me not actually being in the Hall of Fame. But I guess I'd support that, and they can contact my agent to talk about that if they want to. But, I mean, I was really quite... I mean, I'm still quite emotional about that, to be honest. Perhaps too emotional. But you can read about my thoughts in my lives. My life in Tommy Ball and Tommy Ball commentating and post-Tommy Ball related. You know, you all know it by now, people.

And, of course, if you get tim to sign your copy he'll be willing to add a few extra words about how he feels about commissioner shields as well let's get back onto the field for our final our final moment of the decade and of course this is the famous unbreakable tie of 2013 this was the marion molers versus the Bakewell Tarts. The game ended 12,317 do wacky points each. A week of extra time was played, which remained scoreless, which is amazing considering how many points were scored in the game. In keeping with tradition, a best of five series of games of Scrabble was played by the two coaches.

But that deciding game in that series was also tied when Coach Signeri used his final move from the rack to play the word jacket on a triple word score. So we then went to rock, paper, scissors. But the captains also, they still remained deadlocked after both playing rock for 141 consecutive hands each. At that point, the umpires decided to declare the game an actual tie uh the league was not happy about that but it accepted the result but since then the league has taken up

tim's own suggestion for how ties should be broken in a tommy ball game tim do you want to tell us about it where did you get the idea for this new way of breaking ties and can you explain how it works? Well, look, it's like all my good ideas. I got it when I was standing quietly out on the Tarelgan Open Cut having some meditation time. Go on. Yeah. And looking up at the mural of the power station, on the power station,

And looking up at the mural of the power station, on the power station, and I thought perhaps it could be a shop-off. A shop? A shop-off, that's right. Like supermarket sweep. That's right. So people, that's it. Let's go with that. So people get given a trolley and...

Yes. The entire team, in fact, is given a trolley. That's right. Sorry. Yes, yes. I was just talking about my original idea. But that's right. I've developed it since then.

And what they do is they need to run through a department store and get as many things as possible into the trolley worth as much as possible. And then they all come back and you add them all up. And whoever's got the most stuff in their trolley is declared the final winner. That's it. Yeah. That's a great idea. And of course, what happens?

What if both amounts, like what if both have the same amount of money's worth of stuff? Oh, then we flip a coin. Right. All right. Well, there you go, people. There are 10 amazing moments this decade in Tommy Bowl. There will be a public vote, no doubt, to decide which was the moment of the decade. Tim, thank you so much for running through them with us.

If you want to find out more about Tim, you can go to any of his websites. Banky Green, apparently. TimHine.ninja, as always. Any other websites you've got on the go at the moment? No. No, not that you're willing to talk about. Keep an eye on bookstores for Tim's autobiography, My Lives, A Life in Tommyball and Tommyball Commentary and Tommyball Philanthropic Activities. Is that right?

Post Tommyball. Yes. You've got to get this right. You've got to type it in right. Post Tommyball Philanthropic Activities. Put that into Amazon and it'll come up. Yeah. You get just one word wrong

and one of Tim's other autobiographies will come up. So, you know, one of his older ones. So, you want to make sure you get the right one. You don't want to get stuck with the seventh edition. No. The new edition really is great and is worth getting. Yeah, no, it's definitely. They've fixed a lot of spelling mistakes in the latest one.

So, it's worth your time. Our thanks to The Sofa Shop for supporting the Tommy Ball moment of the decade. Don't you do a thing until you see The Sofa Shop for supporting the Tommy Ball moment of the decade. Don't you do a thing until you see The Sofa Shop. Remember, you can match both your sofa and your curtains. And not many shops that sell sofas offer you that service. No. That's not to be sneezed at. It really isn't.

It's really quite clever. I've never stopped and thought about it. Genius. Genius. Genius. A bit matchy-matchy, though. A little bit sounder music, you know. But anyway. Yeah.

But that's the way it goes at the Safer Show. Match your curtains and your children's clothes, too. That's right. It's very sounder music. All right. Well, thank you very much, everyone. We're going to get back to the party, and we look forward to seeing you in 2020 for another exciting decade of Tommyball magic.

It's always a pleasure to speak to you, Brady. Thank you so much for calling me over. All the best with you and your podcast and your commentary career. Thank you. Well, that means a lot to me. Thank you. by the way tim uh you're looking very sharp tonight I'm going to be a little bit more serious flamboyant stylist designing the uniforms and particularly the capes on the new uniforms but he's moved into suits and and i think um i look fabulous clement up you beauty