TFW History and Community

## A Brief History

Geoff Lemon and Adam Collins met during the early years of White Line Wireless, broadcasting online radio commentary live from Geoff’s loungeroom in Melbourne. (You can learn more about WLW and other early online commentary in the *Calling The Shots* Disruptors episode.)  Toiling together as gigging cricket journos led to sharing resources, jobs, and the ultimate cricket nerd dynamic that makes the pod what it is. Of particular note is Adam staking a house deposit to buy the rights to broadcast the Pakistan Australia Test Series from the UAE in 2018.

‘The Final Word’ was originally a reference to summaries after a day’s play in a Test, leading eventually to a podcast hosted by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) in 2015.  On July 22, 2022, Geoff Lemon explained on Discord:

> *“It is a source of pride for me that we're the only show without cricket lingo in the title. That sort of thing gets pretty boring pretty quickly.  But the name evolved accidentally. Originally we spent two Aus seasons doing a video after each Test day for the ABC Facebook page – so that was The Final Word on the day's play. Then we started doing an audio pod the day after each match…When we took the show independent we figured the name already had some recognition so we might as well keep it rather than start over. No one at the ABC cared.”*
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You can see some of those early videos on Facebook here and here. With changes at the ABC — the oft told tale of the ABC themselves not realising they were hosting the pod and starting a new one — and a brief Guardian stint, TFW eventually went indie.  What has really cemented its sustainability is the Nerd Pledge, which led to the weekend Story Time episodes exploring cricket history through numbers. These feature the free association that allows Geoff and Adam to unleash their full range of poetry, politics, pop culture, and otherwise omnivorous interests on cricket games, personalities, and pretty much anything else that takes their fancy.

Over the years guest hosts have joined the pod to co-host, assist with Nerd Pledges, or host the Dailies when Geoff and Adam are unable to bilocate. These have included Jeremey Coney, Alex Hartley, Vithushan Ehantharajah, Henry Moeran, Daniel Norcross, Bharat Sundaresen, Natalie Germanos, Matt “Heavy” Roller, Andrew Fidel Fernado, and Izzy Westbury.

## Theme Song (“*Stories*” by Urthboy)

*Stories* has been the theme song since the first non-ABC podcast (*fact check required*) thanks to the TFW relationship with Urthboy, an Australian hip hop artist, MC, and producer. Urthboy often references cricket and released a song memorialising Philip Hughes. Urthboy was interviewed in TFW episode 5:13.

## Nerd Pledges

TFW established a Patreon in 2020, in part to off-set the negative impact that COVID-19 had on freelance sporting journalists and commentators. TFW Patreon had the standard tiered contribution system until a patron (Phillip Meng) pledged $2.22, a reference to Richie Benaud’s iconic pronunciation of 2/22. This unusual contribution started a trend and led to a Patreon ‘reverse quiz’, where Geoff and Adam attempted to solve what Nerd Pledges refer to. The particular combination of statistics and stories that rise in and around cricket pressed some serious nerd buttons, and the Nerd Pledge took off. Clues vary from the obvious, the cryptic, through to indecipherable, and across local, national, international cricket, and everything in between.  These pledges eventually led to the weekend (usually) Story Time shows.

There were early Nerd Pledge 'Quiz' episodes in Series 7 with TMS stat legends Andrew Sampson and his successor Andy Zaltzmann, as well as Jonathan Liew and Daniel Norcross. Geoff started an occasional ‘Statman’ segment that allowed him to wander freely through fields of cricket feats.  The first official Story Time episode was released on the 10th of April 2020 in Series 8, coming after episode 3. The first official Nerd Pledge in that Story Time episode was 2.24, pledged by Abhilash Singh. Early Story Time episodes included some interview replays, but Pledges grew to take over the entire episode.

Somewhere along the way Geoff started introducing the Nerd Pledge segment with an extended holler of the name – this depends on his location, the time of day, and other such variables such as the presence of housemates. Story Time episodes were not christened as such until the episode now labelled Story Time 10, with earlier episodes labelled ‘encore editions’ at the time of release. This episode also explains the various meanings in the name, including the link to the Urthboy theme song, *Stories*.  A particularly exuberant “*Neeeeerd Pleeeeedge*” can be found in Story Time 30 – The bumper 2021 beginning (9th January, 2021). This edition of Story Time also starts with a good explanation and history of Nerd Pledge.

*See also:*  Nerds and Julios

## Sponsors

TFW has had a number of sponsors over the years, and a few of them have proved particularly memorable.

* CBUS / 'Seabus': CBUS (pronounced Seabus) is the Construction and Building Unions Superannuation Fund, an Australian non-profit superannuation (retirement fund) manager. In earlier podcasts this name was very confusing to non-Australian listeners who pictured a literal sea-going bus. Many listeners are still disappointed at the lack of a sea-going bus. CBUS theoretically sponsored a ‘performer of the week’, with winners ranging through current players, DOBs, Nerds and random headline makers. You can hear the ad in the intro here.

* Lords Taverners: affectionately known as the Tavs, they have sponsored the podcast a few times, occasionally for specific fundraising campaigns. Sponsorship in November 2022 focuses on recruiting people for their mailing list. The Tavs work to "create a range of opportunities for young disabled people and those from deprived areas to engage in sport and recreational activities in their local communities" is well worth supporting.

* ZOLEO: far more fun to say than it should be. Geoff and Adam both developed distinctive pronunciations of Z-o-l-e-o or ZOLEO, and this developed over the episodes for which they were a sponsor. ZOLEO gave Geoff and Adam free reign in marketing spiels, which they themselves described as ‘acid jazz’ style takes on the product.

Patreon Trev from Perth penned an ode to ZOLEO (May 2021).

> The Nawab of Pataudi
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> Wants to check his stock portfolio
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> When he’s climbing on Mt Everest
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> He can, he’s got a Zoleo
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> Adam’s ill at Kings Cross statio
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> And thinks he might have polio
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> Can’t get a phone tower signal
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> Who cares, he has a Zoleo
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> Geoff’s blogging on the IPL
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> Wants to speak with Virat Kohlio
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> From a hub in Dera Ismail
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> All good, he’s packed his Zoleo
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> So if you’re clubbing down in Rio
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> And get punched by an ass holio
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> You’ll be ok, despite the pain
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> As long as you’ve packed your Zoleo
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Previous sponsors include Future Talent Sports Cards, SatPhone Shop and Brick Lane Brewing. Brick Lane sponsorship arrangements included a Glenn Maxwell-inspired discount code (*very* strong TFW areas) and a weekly beer giveaway for Story Time.  Woodstock Cricket at one point made a toddler-size bat for Adam’s daughter. This has led to some conjecture about which national cricket team she will eventually represent.

## Discord, #Meetups & TFW XI series

In July 2021, Geoff and Adam launched TFW Discord site for Final Word Nerds (Final Nerds) to connect, chat, and enter the rabbit hole of all things TFW.  The site has swiftly become known as “the nicest corner of the internet” ™ and houses a proliferation of channels dedicated to all the Nerds’ specialist subjects that have emerged (including, but not limited to, TFW-dreams, TFW-pets, On-ya-birthday, and cricket-issues-chat). To access the Discord site, simply become a Nerd or Julio with your Patreon pledge and you can link via Patreon or receive an invite link from Geoff and Adam to join if you get stuck.

One of the most joyous outcomes of the Discord site is #Meetups. Previous strangers connected through their love of “the great game of cricket” ™ and their TFW fandom arranging to meet-up at games, after games, at gigs and random pubs in West Hollywood. So far, #meetups have happened across England, Australia, Netherlands, Pakistan, USA, and Scotland.

## Nerdageddon Combat Listening

Over the northern hemisphere summer of 2023, TFW listeners inaugurated competitive 'Combat Listening' for the Ashes'. The aim of combat listening is to listen to every TFW daily, weekly or archive episode before any new TFW episode is released. Given the possible length of Story Time, there are special rules (see below) for this category - but basically the idea is that you apply the TFW 'can't stop, won't stop' approach to listening to the episodes as released. The next round is the 2023 ICC Men's Cricket World Cup competition, with the updated rules set out below.

### **NERDAGEDDON 2023 ICC Men's Cricket World Cup (The Combat Listening Survival Challenge)**

WHEN IS NERDAGEDDON MCWC23? It will commence the moment the Day 1 Men's World Cup Daily episode is released and will conclude at the moment the first episode after the Daily episode reviewing the Men's World Cup Final is released. Any preview episodes are treated as warm up episodes and should be dealt with accordingly, but will not be attributed Nerdageddon Status.

HOW TO GET STARTED AND BE ON THE TEAM SHEET? If interested, please register your participation by writing “IN” on the Discord Nerdageddon thread anytime between now and before the England/New Zealand match that begins on October 5. All ‘Nerdageddon Ashes 2023’ players are already on the team sheet and can check out any time they like, but never leave.

SPIRIT OF NERDAGEDDON: Everyone starts from a clean slate once the tournament begins. If you are a new(ish) Final Nerd and haven't made it through the hundreds of hours of archives, or have a backlog of Story Time or Calling the Shots eps, these do not count in your 'unlistened' total. You may wish to document the state of your feed at the start of Nerdageddon MCWC23 to assist the umpires.

HOW TO SURVIVE NERDAGEDDON WORLD CUP 2023? Have NO MORE THAN ONE unlistened-to episode on your feed, in line with the Laws as set out below. If you survive to the end of the tournament, you complete the challenge by listening to the Daily episode reviewing the World Cup Final before the next 'regular' episode is released. Your ‘feed’ includes any episodes listed on your podcast catcher of choice, whether or not you have downloaded them.

***LAWS OF PLAY AND DISMISSALS (as at 4/10/2023)***

***Definitions***

*Daily episode*: a shorter form episode released during a particular cricket competition such as the Ashes or a World Cup, usually involving a 30 second summary (which may or may not last 30 seconds)

*Days*: defined as the date according to the time zone in which relevant cricket games take place. For example, in a Cricket World Cup held in India, the date will be defined as per Indian Standard Time, regardless of the time zone of the listener.

*Other episode*: any Final Word podcast episode besides a Daily episode, including but not limited to Story Time, archive, ‘weekly’ or interview episode, but not including sample episodes of other podcasts. Other podcasts are not eligible for any form of Nerdaggedon recognition, and while players will not be penalised for participation in these podcasts they will also not be grounds for special consideration on appeal.

1. DAILY RULE

1. 1. Each Daily show needs to be listened to before the following Day’s play commences (regardless of your time zone) to avoid a dismissal.

1. 2. For the purposes of Rule 1.2 and 2, Daily episodes released on days in which more than one Daily episode is released (for example, a World Cup schedule which includes two games on the same Day) will be treated as one Daily episode. In general such Daily episodes will be numbered as as parts 1 and 2 of the same Daily. Any Other episodes released during the time between two such Daily episodes are treated as occurring subsequent to the end of the second Daily episode for the purposes of Rule 2.

2. NO MORE THAN ONE EPISODE IN YOUR FEED: Once there is MORE THAN ONE episode unlistened to, you’re dismissed. If you are listening to/watching an episode while the next one is released, you’re dismissed unless it is physically impossible for anyone to have completed the first episode (for example, a 30 minute Daily is released at 10am and a Weekly is released at 10.20am, or a Story Time episode is released in the middle of a two-part Daily episode). In this rare and unlikely event, you are required to listen to all relevant episodes immediately and consecutively. You would only be eligible for this exception if you commenced the first episode in the brief window between the two releases. (In the example used, between 10am and 10.20am. If you open your app at 10.25 am and there are already two episodes, you are dismissed).

3. THE YOUTUBE RULE: if you prefer to watch the Daily episodes on YouTube, this counts as 'listening' to an episode and you are free to mark these episodes as listened to on your podcast system of choice. It’s important to note that a “YouTube Only” episode will need to be watched.

4. THE 'JACK RULE' RULE: - you can not artificially increase your podcast listening speed for the competition or individual episode/s. The rules assume listening speed of 1x but in the interests of diversity we welcome speed or slow listeners as well.

5. STORY TIME RULE: if you commence Nerdaggedon with a backlog of ST episodes (noting the Spirit clause above which allows for starting with a generic backlog) you may listen to the next ST episode in your archive (rather than the newest one) to preserve the narrative flow of your ST journey. Players are expected to honour the spirit of Nerdageddon in their play, and in general this rule only applies to Story Time episodes.

6. RESPECT THE PROCESS: following intervention by Geoff Lemon, umpires may dismiss players for referring to the timing of an episode as sneaky (or similar) once it’s released. While the competition is framed as listeners vs hosts, it is a friendly competition and players are asked to remember that releases we may see as 'sneaky' are more likely the result of a 3am recording in a boarding lounge.

7. SCORING: most players choose to post in the Nerdageddon channel as they complete an episode with a green tick emoji. This is optional, though players are expected to self-declare dismissal and may choose to do so with a screenshot and sad emojis. Later in the competition or where episodes are released close together, the umpires may ask players to post their status so that the scorecards can be updated accurately.