EARL SHORES and RODDY GARCIA have been chasing the story of electric football for almost two decades.  They have authored numerous articles about the game for publications ranging from the Beckett Football Monthly to Toy Shop, and have been interviewed by print and video media on both the national and local level.  (The Chicago Sun-Times called them the “country’s foremost collectors of electric football games.”) During Mr. Shores’ long and accomplished writing career he has covered the International Toy Fair in New York City, and written about sports and toys for Sports Illustrated, Highlights for Children, the Washington Post, the Philadelphia Inquirer, the Chicago Tribune, Toy Shop, and Sports Collector’s Digest.  He also spent time as a Contributing Writer for Eastern Surf Magazine.Mr. Garcia established himself in the late 1980’s as one of the country’s premier toy collectors through his efforts establishing GI Joe as a serious collectible.  Through his decades as a collector he has developed a Wikipedia-like knowledge of toys, comic books, and guitars.

After meeting in 1994, Shores and Garcia developed a remarkable friendship based on their love of toys, the Bud Grant-era Vikings, and the Beatles.  (Both wives claim that the pair are actually long-lost brothers.)  They have been lucky enough to share many experiences, including finally meeting the creator of electric football, Norman Sas.

Selected articles…

Articles written by the authors of “The Unforgettable Buzz”

Electric Football

Shores, E. (2003), “History of Tudor Games” Miggle Toys, Inc. {click here to view}

Shores, E. & Garcia, R. (1999), “Joe Namath Electric Football” Toy Trader, Vol. 7, No. 1, January, pp 58-60.

Shores, E. & Garcia, R. (1997), “The Tudor Sports Class Model 600” Toy Trader, Vol. 5, Issue 11, November, pp 108-111.

Shores, E. & Garcia, R. (1997), “Electric Packer-phernalia” Sports Collectors Digest, Vol 24, No. 39, September, pp 120-122 AND Toy Shop, Vol. 10, No. 121, October, pp 159-161.

Shores, E. & Garcia, R. (1996), “Good Vibrations” Becket Football Card Monthly, Issue #80, November, pp 12-16.

Shores, E. (1996), “Tudor Electric Games put Sports in the Spotlight” Sports Collectors Digest, Vol 23, No. 44, November, pp 146-148 AND Toy Shop, Vol. 9, No. 21, October, pp 152-154.

Shores, E. & Garcia, R. (1996), “Gotham’s Goal Line Stand” Toy Shop, Vol. 9, No. 7, March, pp 130-133.

Shores, E. (1995), “Tudor TruAction Model #500” Toy Trader, Vol. 3, Issue 9, September, pp 60-63.

Shores, E. (1994), “First and goal:  The 1960s phenomenon of electric football games, where you always ran and never passed,” Collecting Toys, Vol. 2, No. 5, October, pp 52-55.

 

Toys

Shores, E. (1999), “Toy Fair” Toy Trader, Vol. 7, Issue 5, May, pp 58-60.

Shores, E. (1999), “Johnny Hero, the Overlooked All-American” Toy Trader, Vol. 7, Issue 2, February, pp 68-69.

Shores E. (1997), “Toy Story:  Multisport star Johnny Hero was the granddaddy of today’s sports action figures” Sports Illustrated, November 03.  {click here to view}

(see below for additional articles by Earl Shores on other topics)

 

Articles citing the authors of “The Unforgettable Buzz”

Burton, R. (2001), “I have seen the future of sports, and it’s sitting on a sofa” Sports Business Journal, Vol. 3, No. 49, March 26-April 1, 38.  {click here to view}

Devlin, F. (1999), “Half-century-old Game High On Sales Scoreboard Again” The Morning Call, January 14. {click here to view}

Kaltenbach, C. (1999), “The Buzz Bowl” The Baltimore Sun, Collections, January 23. {click here to view}

Tuttle, D. (1997), “Good Vibrations” Gridiron magazine, Fall, pp 48-50.

Hunt, M. (1996), “Electrifying return:  Baby boomers’ football game makes a comeback” Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Sports, January 22.

Kurson, R. (1996), “Charged Up:  Football Game Makes Return” Chicago Sun-Times, January 17.

Carlozo, L. (1996), “Punt, Pass And Vibrate: Nearly Forced Off The120-volt Playing Field Forever, Electric Football Buzzes Its Way back Into The Game”  Chicago Tribune, Feature, January 24. {click here to view}

Sadler, R. (1996), “Columbia’s Shores finds a kick in electric football”  The Baltimore Sun, Sports, January 07. {click here to view}

Westbrooks, B. (1994). “G.I. JOE still marching on/Old soldier at 30 is alive, well and prized by collectors” Houston Chronicle, Houston, July 13. {click here to view}

 

Articles written by Earl Shores  – other topics

Shores, E. (2005), “A Quitter’s Story:  Cape Hatteras made me do it” Surfline, Travel: TripWire.  {click here to view}

Shores, E. (1998), “Costa Rica’s Wild Golfing Greens” Washington Flyer Magazine & Travel Guide, Vol. 10, No. 2, November/December pp 20-23.

Shores, E. (1998), “Fishing The Outer Banks: North Carolina Coast Reels In Amateurs And Pros Alike” Chicago Tribune, Travel, June 21.  {click here to view}  (Also printed in the Orlando Sentinel, May 17.)

Shores, E. (1998), “Goodbye, Mr. Spud” Fitness Swimmer, February/March p. 80.

Shores, E. (1997), “Surf City … Michigan?” Sun Sentinel, July 20. {click here to view}

Shores, E. (1997), “Riding the Waves … in Michigan!” Chicago Tribune, Travel, July 06. {click here to view}

Shores, E. (1996), “Ocean City ‘Surfmen'” Historic Traveler, Vol. 2, No. 6, July, pp 17-19.

Shores, E. (1996), “The Perfect Wave” Highlights for Children,  Vol. 51, No. 5, May, pp 18-19.