Spinning in his grave, in little tight circles

[Luigi59]

Norman Sas dies at 87; inventor of quirky tabletop toy called Electric Football

Well before 'Madden NFL' video games, there was Electric Football. A switch is flicked, the gridiron vibrates and the players move — often wildly in every direction.

Surely you remember it: Metal playing field. Two teams of 11 plastic football players, each standing on a rectangular base with prongs on the bottom and a knob on the side. At the beginning of each play, the human "coach" sets the players in the desired position and puts the football in the hands of one. A switch is flicked, the gridiron vibrates and the players move — often wildly in every direction. Occasionally the player with the ball "runs" to daylight.

Norman Sas invented Electric Football in 1948 and introduced it a year later. But it wasn't until 1967, when he signed a deal with NFL Properties, the pro football league's product licensing division, that the plastic players represented actual NFL teams and Electric Football really took off.

Sas, 87, who died June 28 at his home in Vero Beach, Fla., after a stroke, was "one of the real innovators of toy land," said Chris Byrne, content director of timetoplaymag.com, a toy review website.

Each year, the players colors would change to reflect the last Super Bowl teams. I think my first version had the Cowboys in blue and the (Baltimore) Colts in white (Super Bowl V 1971).

Of course, the little felt football would always fall out (FUMBLE!), and the big white QB/kicker guy never could hit the open man.

 

[Bullet]

Used to LOVE this game as a kid!

If I remember right, the "players" had some tiny plastic tabs on the bottom that you had to get "juuuuust right" to make it move in a straight line or curve in a certain direction, maybe. Off by a fraction of a millimeter, and it when into the "spin myself into the ground" mode...

Best part of the game. Driving the dog nuts with the buzzing noise so he would jump onto the board. Mom LOVED that (he says sarcastically).

Surprised they never made a video game version of THIS game (they did for Army men), I'd get it in a heart-beat!

 

[Jcleppe]

You realize we are showing our age right?

I had one of these as a kid too, I actually found one at a thrift store when my kids were younger, it was unopened. I was surprised that my kids had just as much fun trying to get the players to move in the right directions. Of course the noise drove my wife nuts, which spurred us to play it even more.

Ended up giving it to the neighbor kids, a week later we saw the neighbor and she thanked us for continued load buzzing sound that now was in her house, made me smile a bit.

 

[rkrosnar]

Spinning in his grave...

I have one, too. Still Play to day.

RGK