Lee Payne’s electric football Ice Bowl prototype. Designed in 1968, Tudor never put the game into production.

Electric football and the NFL have created some memorable pairings. Today it’s fitting that we show off a game that was an “almost.” It was designed, but never but into production. But, oh, what a game it would have been…

It was 45 years ago today that the Packers defeated the Cowboys in one of the most legendary games ever played in professional football history. The Ice Bowl, as the game became known, was frozen into legend when quarterback Bart Starr followed guard Jerry Kramer into the end zone with 16 seconds left in the game to give the Packers a 21-17 victory.

In 1968 Lee Payne created a Tudor Ice Bowl prototype (pictured above), complete with “frozen” end zones. It’s a beautiful game and likely would have sold well – and been quite a collectible in 2012. But it was never put into production. Tudor produced the Sears Super Bowl game instead, which took a lot design features from the Ice Bowl prototype.

Thanks for all your support 2012. Much, much more to come in 2013.

Earl & Roddy