Tommy Yore sits down for a chat at the 2024 TKO in Lexington Kentucky. From the mental game to dominating the sport of foosball, Tommy proves why he is a class act.
[00:00:00] The following is a presentation of Foosball Radio.
[00:00:12] And here we are back again already.
[00:00:15] You were just on with Sammy Dejan, now Sammy and I have come back with none other than
[00:00:20] Tommy York, Tommy York Jr from Florida but no, no he's now living in Albany New York
[00:00:26] and we're much richer for it.
[00:00:30] Having you in our midst but Tommy, TKO, it's almost over so give us a quick look back
[00:00:42] what happened for you this weekend how to go.
[00:00:45] For me, it went pretty well.
[00:00:50] I would say that I didn't accomplish everything I wanted to.
[00:00:57] I would say that I didn't play as well as I think I should have, especially in doubles.
[00:01:05] But I definitely learned a lot about where I need to be mentally and in my matches.
[00:01:14] Yeah, it was this whole weekend was just a huge grind for me.
[00:01:19] Every match was close especially in doubles and singles as well.
[00:01:22] It was really cool to have the open singles final the way they did but where they shut
[00:01:30] off all their matches and they had the news crew there.
[00:01:33] That was cool.
[00:01:34] That was cool to be a part of that.
[00:01:35] We were just talking to Sam who was playing Ryan just before you and to have that kind
[00:01:42] of crowd.
[00:01:44] How do you feel when there's a bunch of people cheering and making noise?
[00:01:49] How does that affect you?
[00:01:53] It shouldn't.
[00:01:54] It can a little bit.
[00:01:58] For me, it was a good experience to be in that moment for sure.
[00:02:07] It didn't affect me but it bothered me a little bit but I learned what I needed to do.
[00:02:18] It went on in that moment.
[00:02:20] So it was a really good experience.
[00:02:22] That Ryan Moore match in fact, that just seemed surreal in some ways.
[00:02:29] You had some really great moments in the match but his two row got lit up.
[00:02:35] Wow.
[00:02:36] Yeah, his two bar is the best.
[00:02:38] The best in the world right now for sure.
[00:02:43] He's very smart and he knows how to work all his options.
[00:02:48] He's very patient and every time he gets a ball on the two bar, he doesn't waste shots.
[00:02:57] So every time you have to be ready and he's really good at punishing mistakes.
[00:03:04] That's the reason why he has the reason why he sports so well on me.
[00:03:09] He would realize I like lit up.
[00:03:13] I like lit up and I wasn't fully engaged and he took advantage of it.
[00:03:20] So yeah, it's very impressive.
[00:03:22] Yeah.
[00:03:23] One time of course was considered one of the best in the world as you are now.
[00:03:29] And then when Sam and I were talking about it we were sharing the fact that, you know
[00:03:34] back in the day when he first played Ryan, what were you like 10, 11 years old.
[00:03:40] And there's a lot of learning that goes on in that period of time.
[00:03:44] So next time you meet Ryan on the table, what's going to be different?
[00:03:47] I'm going to have to think about that.
[00:03:52] I don't really have anything specific right now.
[00:03:55] I'm definitely have to consider it.
[00:03:58] To be honest, I wasn't expecting him to be here this weekend.
[00:04:00] Yeah.
[00:04:01] That caught me off guard a little bit.
[00:04:03] Sure.
[00:04:04] Now, let's talk about Open Doubles.
[00:04:06] It was Open Doubles is different deal.
[00:04:10] Yeah, yeah.
[00:04:11] It was very surprising that Ryan lost to Dewey and Shannon.
[00:04:17] Yes.
[00:04:18] Obviously Dewey and Shannon are great players but it still surprised me that they lost because
[00:04:25] Paul's been playing so great right now.
[00:04:29] Right.
[00:04:30] Yeah, Ryan and Ryan, I knew Ryan was going to get a block.
[00:04:33] Gonna block Dewey, a decent amount I would think but I didn't watch the match.
[00:04:37] I think Dewey played really well.
[00:04:39] Okay, I got you.
[00:04:41] So you're expecting that you would have been facing Ryan in the finals.
[00:04:45] Yes, yes.
[00:04:46] You know?
[00:04:47] We were playing on table one, they were playing on table two and when we saw we won,
[00:04:50] I was like, oh that changes things.
[00:04:51] Yeah.
[00:04:52] I was like, holy cow.
[00:04:53] All right.
[00:04:54] Because I fully expected to play the finals but Dewey's beast.
[00:04:59] Yeah, although those guys are charged up many and they like to yell a lot.
[00:05:04] Yeah, yeah, yeah.
[00:05:06] Shannon, Shannon's get, I knew Shannon was going to get fired up.
[00:05:10] Honestly, I thought Shannon was going to get more fired up.
[00:05:12] I felt like he seemed more tame than I thought he was going to be in the finals.
[00:05:17] Well, you know, in fact the matter is you had probably one of the best goalies in the world
[00:05:21] right now in the pit.
[00:05:22] First arrow for sure.
[00:05:23] I mean you got Eric who's just, well, he's a legend.
[00:05:27] Oh, yeah.
[00:05:28] He has the top three goalie right now.
[00:05:31] Yeah.
[00:05:32] Oh, yeah.
[00:05:33] He's, he especially, this snake shot defense is top three.
[00:05:38] It's on Canny.
[00:05:39] Yeah.
[00:05:40] Yeah, he is very intelligent with his defense and he's also really quick to beat the fans.
[00:05:48] People don't know how quick Eric is.
[00:05:52] Like there's so many times where you shoot a shot and you think it's there but then he reacts
[00:05:56] to it and blocks it.
[00:05:57] Okay.
[00:05:58] He's tough.
[00:06:00] So we got Sammy with us here.
[00:06:02] Sammy, what do you want to say about having Tommy in our midst?
[00:06:09] What would you like to say?
[00:06:11] I definitely think it proves like that.
[00:06:17] Oh, then we got a turn.
[00:06:18] Your microphone on.
[00:06:19] That helps.
[00:06:20] Got your microphone on now.
[00:06:21] Oh, yeah, it wasn't on.
[00:06:22] It definitely improves like the play level in our area.
[00:06:27] Yeah.
[00:06:28] Definitely helps because obviously it's not a big area for football.
[00:06:32] That's what you have in this smash down.
[00:06:35] Up until recently anyway, things are improving.
[00:06:39] What exactly would you like to learn from Tommy?
[00:06:45] I really do not know.
[00:06:49] There's not much to learn from.
[00:06:51] Our games are similar.
[00:06:53] They're similar but different.
[00:06:55] Okay.
[00:06:56] Well, we know that Tommy's taken a lot of cues from people like Tony Scraderman.
[00:07:01] Would that be similar for you?
[00:07:05] I like the goalie on defense.
[00:07:07] I have taken a little inspiration from now.
[00:07:10] Okay.
[00:07:11] Cool.
[00:07:12] Like with the post-up defense.
[00:07:14] So we have a smash down coming up March 30th.
[00:07:17] Would you guys play together?
[00:07:21] Now I'm playing with you.
[00:07:22] Oh, that's right.
[00:07:23] I'm playing with you.
[00:07:24] Never mind.
[00:07:25] Never mind.
[00:07:26] Never mind.
[00:07:28] That was...
[00:07:29] We actually...
[00:07:30] It was a lot of fun then.
[00:07:31] Yeah.
[00:07:32] We played the smash down back in the last episode of the smash down.
[00:07:36] And man, that was...
[00:07:38] We played against you guys.
[00:07:40] You and Kevin Hescott.
[00:07:41] Oh man.
[00:07:42] I mean, there's nothing quite like that feeling of being in the intense match but anyway,
[00:07:50] I'm a rookie.
[00:07:51] What can I tell you?
[00:07:52] So, okay.
[00:07:53] Tommy, your turn.
[00:07:55] What do you want to tell Sammy about improving?
[00:07:59] He needs to get more fire.
[00:08:03] He's too...
[00:08:04] Yeah, he's too...
[00:08:07] Well, the thing is...
[00:08:11] I think that he's been good at.
[00:08:14] He stays at like one level the whole time.
[00:08:16] Like he's very...
[00:08:17] Unemotional.
[00:08:18] He's very unemotional, which is good.
[00:08:21] But you need to be willing to have that where you have that fire, have that aggressiveness.
[00:08:28] And I think he's...
[00:08:30] And the thing is when I play against me, he plays like that.
[00:08:37] And I'm like...
[00:08:38] Like I say, if you just plays against everybody else, he plays against me.
[00:08:42] He wins so much more.
[00:08:44] Right.
[00:08:46] And the other thing is he...
[00:08:48] I'm noticing he loses to people he should have lost to.
[00:08:52] Okay.
[00:08:53] And like, I don't know.
[00:08:54] I'm probably going to talk to him about that.
[00:08:56] He's too good for that.
[00:08:59] Well, it's not.
[00:09:01] We were just having the conversation in our last broadcast with Sammy about the fact
[00:09:05] that he was 13 when he turned pro and so was Billy.
[00:09:09] That's like the youngest age of a pro.
[00:09:13] And he always about to turn pro master.
[00:09:15] And we're not sure when Billy turned pro master.
[00:09:18] 18?
[00:09:19] Probably.
[00:09:20] 18-19?
[00:09:21] I don't know, I don't know honestly.
[00:09:22] Yeah.
[00:09:23] So we got to find out that statistic.
[00:09:25] But if Sammy were to do that again, you know, and become, let's say, master this next year.
[00:09:30] Well, being 16, that would be maybe break the record.
[00:09:33] Who knows?
[00:09:34] You're not decked.
[00:09:35] Are you...
[00:09:36] You're not that close-er...
[00:09:37] Are you...
[00:09:38] How many points do you have?
[00:09:40] I have like 32 hundred and singles and 38.
[00:09:43] Okay, so you have 1200 to go.
[00:09:45] Which isn't bad?
[00:09:47] Yeah, for sure.
[00:09:48] Not bad.
[00:09:49] Yeah, I think he's...
[00:09:50] I think Sam will be...
[00:09:52] I think he's going to start consistently beating masters.
[00:09:55] Like, I think...
[00:09:56] Not that I do.
[00:09:57] Yeah, I think he's going to...
[00:09:58] I think he's going to beat most people.
[00:10:01] I really do.
[00:10:02] And uh...
[00:10:04] Yeah, he's...
[00:10:05] Yeah, cheering for him.
[00:10:07] Yeah, awesome, man.
[00:10:08] So, I got to ask you the other question too is because this weekend was championship format.
[00:10:13] So, how do you feel about that?
[00:10:15] I mean, like...
[00:10:17] I was in the finals of all the main events.
[00:10:19] So obviously I'm going to be a little scared.
[00:10:22] Yeah, I'll be.
[00:10:23] But like, for me, I like it a lot.
[00:10:26] Because...
[00:10:28] I lost two of them, but I still like it.
[00:10:30] I play every match like a single elimination.
[00:10:34] It doesn't matter.
[00:10:35] Like, it doesn't matter.
[00:10:36] Right.
[00:10:37] I never think...
[00:10:39] Oh, I have the losers bracket to play for.
[00:10:41] You know?
[00:10:42] I've never thought like that.
[00:10:44] So it's like...
[00:10:45] The way I've had it in my head this weekend is like, I don't care.
[00:10:48] I don't care what the format is.
[00:10:49] It could be two out of three.
[00:10:51] What could be racist?
[00:10:52] I don't care.
[00:10:53] I'm just going to play the same way.
[00:10:54] Gotcha.
[00:10:55] But overall, I think it's good.
[00:10:58] Well, it's more predictable for the timing of the matches.
[00:11:02] Right?
[00:11:03] I think it's good to have a huge crowd of people because they're ready to watch the finals.
[00:11:07] And the finals are in a specific time.
[00:11:09] Everybody's there.
[00:11:10] We've got to be fired up to watch.
[00:11:11] Yeah, singles...
[00:11:12] That's why they were able to do singles.
[00:11:14] And the other thing that Mary's been doing that's really, really good is she like plans out each events.
[00:11:21] She like sets the time for like each winner's bracket round.
[00:11:25] Right.
[00:11:26] So like on the chart, it will say like match at two o'clock.
[00:11:29] And then all the matches are playing...
[00:11:31] That is awesome.
[00:11:32] Yeah.
[00:11:33] Like I told her that.
[00:11:34] That is the way to go.
[00:11:35] She says she's going to keep doing it, so...
[00:11:36] Nice.
[00:11:37] Yeah.
[00:11:38] Well, you know until you try new things, you don't know.
[00:11:39] Yeah.
[00:11:40] You know how people are going to react.
[00:11:41] I mean, some people are sort of like, I don't know, man, they're kind of like coming through the losers' bracket.
[00:11:45] But I mean, how many people can say they actually can do that on a consistent basis?
[00:11:49] Yeah.
[00:11:50] Right?
[00:11:51] So...
[00:11:52] And hey, sometimes upsets happen.
[00:11:54] It happens in every sport.
[00:11:56] So you get into a match or a game and you think there's an underdog and then underdog wins.
[00:12:01] Yeah.
[00:12:02] What happens?
[00:12:03] You know, so it's the reality of the sport and if, hey, if you don't like that, well maybe you're trying to have a sport, I don't know.
[00:12:10] Yeah.
[00:12:11] And like the thing...
[00:12:13] The issue with the...
[00:12:14] Well, okay, the good thing about the double elimination, the way they've always done it, is that the best player has the best chance of winning.
[00:12:22] Right.
[00:12:23] Because like how many times is Tony, Ryan or whoever lost a match or whatever and they came back and doubled it?
[00:12:30] Yeah.
[00:12:31] So you're gonna get the best player winning most of the time but...
[00:12:38] Sometimes there could be just a dark horse in the race man that's only a kid.
[00:12:42] Yeah, you gotta know where.
[00:12:43] And it makes it more...
[00:12:46] But like the thing that's weird about it is like let's say you win the winners' bracket.
[00:12:49] It's like, okay I'm gonna have to play against that person again, you know?
[00:12:52] Yeah.
[00:12:53] And yeah, I think this is the way to go for sure overall.
[00:12:59] Cool.
[00:13:00] Yeah, that's good to hear.
[00:13:01] Now we're always looking for innovation, new ideas changing the sport, not necessarily for the second change but things that are positive but also productive and everybody can benefit from it.
[00:13:15] There are other formats out there, by the way in your home state they're now doing what's called the Florida State Tour.
[00:13:23] Yeah.
[00:13:24] Are you gonna go back for that?
[00:13:25] Probably not.
[00:13:26] Okay.
[00:13:27] I'm probably not to be honest like I don't know, I need to figure out what tournaments I'm going to.
[00:13:32] Sure.
[00:13:33] I may.
[00:13:34] I mean the money they have for that rum, the swamp was good.
[00:13:37] Right.
[00:13:38] The only thing that deters me from that tournament is the fact that it's like you go there with your partner and then after you've the rounds you draw a random partner.
[00:13:47] Right, you have to play in the one of they call it the Swiss system.
[00:13:51] Yeah.
[00:13:52] And it's like if I want to buy a flight to go all the way down there, I mean like you have the opportunity to win $2,300 but it's like
[00:14:01] do I do I want to go that far and then get a beginner player?
[00:14:05] Right, right, right.
[00:14:06] Understood.
[00:14:07] Well hey you play with beginners once in a while and do pretty well.
[00:14:13] Now it's I got to say that the innovation of course Florida is exhibiting and there's other places around the country, money ball in Oregon.
[00:14:22] I mean they're doing different stuff.
[00:14:24] Yeah.
[00:14:25] So you know fingers crossed that we see a variety and they're all successful but who knows what to wait and see.
[00:14:32] So what's what's the one tournament you know you're going to next?
[00:14:36] Vegas.
[00:14:37] Vegas, yeah.
[00:14:38] Yeah, so yeah.
[00:14:40] And do you have a partner for that yet?
[00:14:42] Yeah, I'm playing with Ryan Moore.
[00:14:44] Ryan!
[00:14:45] Wow, seriously.
[00:14:46] Yeah.
[00:14:47] And Sammy, you're going to Vegas?
[00:14:49] He's still in the air but.
[00:14:50] Okay.
[00:14:51] Probably yes.
[00:14:52] Who do you think you play with?
[00:14:53] I really do not know yet.
[00:14:56] Okay, yeah, yeah.
[00:14:58] No commitment is a commitment.
[00:15:00] That's cool.
[00:15:01] But yeah, I wish you both luck.
[00:15:03] You know the classic man that's a big deal.
[00:15:06] Yeah, I'm excited for it because I haven't been I played the whole of him classic twice.
[00:15:12] That's it?
[00:15:13] I've only played twice and I haven't been since 2019.
[00:15:18] So let's project into the future here.
[00:15:20] We got 2026 on the World Cup coming up.
[00:15:23] I have a feeling that maybe one or both of you guys may end up on the team.
[00:15:30] How do you think that'll go?
[00:15:32] It's going to be very interesting.
[00:15:35] There's like six or seven people that are 100% going to be on the team and that kind of leaves two spots.
[00:15:43] Okay.
[00:15:44] And it's going to be really interesting.
[00:15:48] I think to be honest for me, I want to see Sam go play juniors and win that.
[00:15:55] Yeah, yeah.
[00:15:56] That's what I would like to see.
[00:15:58] Yeah, yeah.
[00:15:59] I mean, doing it on the world scale.
[00:16:01] Yeah, for sure.
[00:16:02] Yeah, that would be awesome.
[00:16:03] And yeah.
[00:16:04] What America?
[00:16:05] The gold medal.
[00:16:07] The thing is Jacob is going to be interesting.
[00:16:10] It's going to depend on how much you guys win in the next year or what happens with that.
[00:16:18] But it would be really, it would be so cool to see Jacob and Sam play in junior doubles.
[00:16:25] That'd be awesome.
[00:16:26] Yep.
[00:16:27] Unstoppable.
[00:16:28] Yeah, it would be like, it's really cool that we have all these like newer players coming out because like in Europe they have a lot more juniors.
[00:16:39] They have a lot more depth.
[00:16:41] Right.
[00:16:42] They have way more players that are at a higher level compared to us.
[00:16:46] Like they're and they have more players in general so that makes sense.
[00:16:49] Bigger pool.
[00:16:50] Yeah, but it's cool that we still have like we have Jacob, Sam, Evan McGregor also.
[00:17:01] And it's like it's good that we have people that are younger generation actually like being really good.
[00:17:11] Oh yeah, yeah, it's awesome.
[00:17:12] Yeah, it's a lot of its second generation, but that's okay.
[00:17:15] You know what we'll take it?
[00:17:16] Yeah.
[00:17:17] Yeah, Kudos to Eric Volkos and how he's raising you know Jacob and Maya.
[00:17:25] And Maya has become fierce competitors as well all of a sudden.
[00:17:28] Yeah.
[00:17:29] She did well this weekend.
[00:17:31] And I, you know when you think about that everybody who's well you're 25.
[00:17:36] Yeah, so everybody who's 25 and under that's playing right now there's some amazing talent.
[00:17:42] Yeah, a block of players that we haven't seen the likes of in a long time.
[00:17:46] Yeah, yeah, yeah because for me like well like I kind of quit playing when Jacob started playing when Jacob started playing.
[00:17:52] Okay, getting good.
[00:17:53] So like I've only been like two or three of the tournaments that he's been at and actually like like a really good player.
[00:18:00] It's like so yeah it's good.
[00:18:04] Hope we get some more to yeah.
[00:18:06] Well fingers crossed with that but I think Fuzball is here to stay.
[00:18:09] And to anybody who thinks that Fuzball is falling off the edge of the planet and he happened to him.
[00:18:14] We're sticking with this and this is because of you guys and your talent.
[00:18:19] It's just amazing.
[00:18:20] Thank you so much both of you for playing this weekend.
[00:18:24] Just putting on a great show.
[00:18:26] You know that's what it's all about.
[00:18:28] It's entertaining.
[00:18:29] It's emotional.
[00:18:31] I found myself yelling for both you guys yesterday.
[00:18:36] And I had to apologize to Ryan after his match with Sammy because I said man.
[00:18:41] I don't know if you heard me but I was cheering for Sam pretty loud.
[00:18:44] I get it.
[00:18:45] It's cool.
[00:18:46] Yeah no problem.
[00:18:47] But that is something we need more and we need more cheering.
[00:18:50] Oh yeah absolutely.
[00:18:52] Well guys thanks so much for making this a great episode.
[00:18:55] We're coming back tonight around 9 o'clock for Fuzball live with Randy Raposo.
[00:19:00] In the meantime we're going to be talking to other people but you guys.
[00:19:03] You're like the score of the day.
[00:19:06] We got both you dudes at the same time so again Tommy your and of course Sammy Dishon.
[00:19:12] Making the scene here on Fuzball Radio on the road and again we'll be back tonight at 9 o'clock
[00:19:19] around 9 o'clock for Fuzball Radio.
[00:19:22] I'm Tom Robinson thanks for tuning in.
[00:19:24] This has been a presentation of Fuzball Radio all rights reserved.
[00:19:28] Our sincere thanks to all our Patreon supporters.
[00:19:32] Fuzball Radio on the road.