Electric Football History The Unforgettable Buzz - Page 2 of 19

Electric Football Timeline 1967 – Tudor Takes the NFL

Posted on November 8, 2019 by Earl

Electric Football 1967 Tudor NFL 620 game

Tudor Takes the NFL License

Electric Football’s place in American culture changed forever in 1967. The year is a dividing line for how the game is viewed, with the event dividing the pre-1967 and post-1967 periods being Tudor unseating Gotham as the NFL’s Electric Football licensee.

Electric Football 1967 Sears Tudor NFL 613 game

Behind the scenes in 1966 Norman Sas had been working to convince the NFL that Tudor should be the Electric Football licensee. They were the bigger company, they sold more games, and they had better product distribution. All true – but the NFL wanted something more.

Electric Football The Unforgettable Buzz Tudor NFL 510 Colts Packers

The new NFL No. 510 in the 1967 Tudor sales catalog.

Norman Sas and Lee Payne came up with the “extra” bargaining chip in the form of individual NFL and AFL teams that would not only come in Tudor’s new games, they would be available by mail directly from Tudor’s Brooklyn factory.

Electric Football 1967 Tudor NFL teams

Tudor also created three beautiful NFL games, including one NFL game exclusively for Sears, where both Gotham and Tudor would be vying for Electric Football buyers.

Electric Football 1967 Tudor Sears Ward Christmas

Tudor had clearly gotten the upper hand in the Electric Football world. Not only had they landed the NFL, they were in the Sears Christmas catalog for the first time ever.

Earl & Roddy

To learn more about Electric Football, please check out The Unforgettable Buzz, Electric Football Wishbook, and Full Color Electric Football!

Electric Football Timeline 1966 – Tudor’s Accordion Game

Posted on November 5, 2019 by Earl

Electric Football 1966 Ward Tudor 600 accordion game

Tudor’s Answer to the Big Bowl

Tudor and Ward took on the Big Bowl challenge. Lee Payne got to work and designed a bowl-like grandstand for a special Ward-exclusive Electric Football game. The game was the 1966 Sports Classic “accordion” No. 600 model.

Electric Football Tudor accordion 600 game in the Montgomery Ward Christmas Catalog

This put the Tudor and Ward in a head-to-head Christmas shopping season battle with Sears and Gotham.

Electric Football 1966 Sears and the Gotham Big Bowl

Electric Football 1966 Sears newspaper ad

The year of 1966 also proved to be a busy one for professional football, as the NFL and AFL agree to merge into a single league starting in 1970.

The two leagues also agreed to play an annual championship game starting with the 1966 season. This “super bowl,” as it would come be called, would end up being a legendary event for both professional and Electric Football.

Earl and Roddy

To learn more about Electric Football, please check out The Unforgettable Buzz, Electric Football Wishbook, and Full Color Electric Football!

Electric Football Timeline 1965 – Gotham’s Big Bowl

Posted on November 1, 2019 by Earl

1965 Gotham NFL Big Bowl Electric Football game

Gotham’s 1965 NFL Big Bowl game resembled Shea Stadium.

The Gotham Big Bowl

Gotham and Sears unveil the most extravagant Electric Football game ever made – the Gotham NFL Big Bowl.

The game has an elaborate double-deck grandstand that stretches 2/3 of the way around the playing field. And its dozens of cardboard pieces will frustrate Santa and kids all through the Christmas holiday.

But once assembled, the Big Bowl is an amazing piece of toy creativity. Clearly inspired by the multi-purpose sports stadiums being built in cities throughout the U.S.

Electric Football 1965 Sears Christmas Catalog with the Gotham Big Bowl

Tudor Caught By Surprise

The Big Bowl catches Tudor by surprise in 1965. And they have nothing to rival Gotham’s new supersize game. But Tudor still gets top-billing at Ward, and in many other Christmas catalogs like the First Company, Western Auto, and True Value.

Electric Football in 1965 Tudor

Tudor has to go back to the drawing board in 1965 to catch up with Gotham’s innovation.

Earl & Roddy

To learn more about Electric Football, please check out The Unforgettable Buzz, Electric Football Wishbook, and Full Color Electric Football!

Electric Football Timeline 1964 – Here Comes the Fab 5

Posted on October 29, 2019 by Earl

Electric Football timeline overview Tudor 1964

The Fab 5

Norman Sas was a Toy Manufacturers Association vice president in 1964. And that year Tudor redesigned their legendary No. 500 model and also their 3-D Electric Football players. The No. 500 became more colorful game, including a cardboard grandstand with a scoreboard.

Electric Football Tudor No. 500 game in 1964

Lee Payne’s redesigned players were molded in one single piece of polyethylene, being scaled and detailed much more realistically. In addition, they were just about unbreakable. A fifth “tackle” figure was added, giving Tudor players in 5 different poses. The Fab 5 was born.

Electric Football 1964 Tudor Fab 5 players

Tudor’s all new Fab 5 set of players.

Both Sears and Ward were giving Electric Football lots of space in their Christmas Catalogs. And not only space, but also brilliant full color.

Electric Football 1964 Sears Christmas catalog

Electric Football 1964 Montgomery Ward Christmas catalog

Electric Football was for sale everywhere. It was a true Christmas morning staple.

Earl & Roddy

To learn more about Electric Football, please check out The Unforgettable Buzz, Electric Football Wishbook, and Full Color Electric Football!

Electric Football Timeline 1963 – A Size War Erupts

Posted on October 25, 2019 by Earl

Electric Football overview 1963 Tudor Gotham

Tudor and Gotham War of Words

Tudor’s new Sculpt-Action players are so successful that Gotham “borrows” from Tudor and makes their own 3-D Electric Football players. The two companies have a public “War of Words” in the toy trade publication Playthings over each company’s Electric Football features. Tudor claims the high ground for realism.

1963 Tudor and Gotham have an Electric Football war of words in Playthings

Both Sears and Ward recognize the growing popularity of Electric Football. The retailers are pleasantly surprised by the strong sales generated by the oversized games with double-digit price tags. These “flagship” games – the No. 600 for Tudor, and the G-1500 for Gotham – are given prominent Christmas catalog placement. Ward gives Tudor’s games the top 1/3 of page 418. Sears gives its Gotham Electric Football games the entire top half of page 100.

Sears also uses Gotham extensively in its Christmas advertising.

Electric Football 1963 Sears Christmas advertising

Electric Football grew by leaps and bounds in 1963. It was another banner year for toys. There seemed to be no limit where Electric Football could go!

Earl & Roddy

To learn more about Electric Football, please check out The Unforgettable Buzz, Electric Football Wishbook, and Full Color Electric Football!

Electric Football Timeline 1962 – Tudor Goes 3-D

Posted on October 22, 2019 by Earl

Electric Football overview 1962 Tudor No. 600 Gotham NFL G-1500

Tudor vs Gotham

The Electric Football competition between Tudor and Gotham is truly “on.” After Gotham unveiled the NFL G-1500, Tudor responds by creating the first ever 3-D Electric Football players.

Electric Football Tudor 3-D Players in 1962 and Tudor No. 600 game

These are pages from our Full Color Electric Football book.

The players were designed by Lee Payne, who also created an Electric Football game for Tudor that equaled the size of the G-1500. This new Tudor game was called the Sports Classic No. 600 model, and appeared in the 1962 Ward and GMC Christmas catalogs.

1962 GMC Christmas catalog with the Tudor No. 600 Electric Football game.

1962 Christmas General Merchandise Catalog with the new Tudor No. 600 model.

Sears put the Gotham NFL G-1500 at the top of a full-color Christmas catalog page. This cements Electric Football’s status as a featured toy.

There are more Electric Football choices in 1962 than in any previous year. And this trend will only continue.

Earl & Roddy

For more information about Electric Football check out The Unforgettable Buzz, The Electric Football Wishbook, and Full Color Electric Football!

Electric Football Timeline 1961 – Gotham Gets The NFL

Posted on October 18, 2019 by Earl

1961 Gotham NFL Electric Football Game

Gotham Gets The NFL License

Gotham markets the NFL G-1500, the first-ever NFL licensed Electric Football game. This makes Electric Football one of NFL’s earliest licensees. At 36” long the G-1500 is by far the largest Electric Football game ever made. It also came with an elaborate four piece metal grandstand. Sears features the G-1500 in its 1961 Christmas catalog, and uses the game in its newspaper ads all through the Christmas shopping season.

Electric Football's first ever NFL licensed game - the Gotham NFL G-1500

Gotham’s NFL G-1500 included paper uniforms and NFL flags for each team.

As Sears Christmas ad with Gotham's NFL G-1500

Tudor was left behind in 1961, still only having the smaller Tru-Action No. 500 model for sale. Tudor tried to counter Gotham’s NFL by going with the AFL, specifically New York Titan’s QB Al Dorow. Dorow was featured in a nationally advertised Tudor campaign that appeared in Sports Illustrated, Boys’ Life, and the New York Times Magazine.

Tudor Electric Football in 1961

But Tudor President Norman Sas knew that this wasn’t enough. Things would have to be different in 1962.

Earl & Roddy

For more information about Electric Football check out The Unforgettable Buzz, The Electric Football Wishbook, and Full Color Electric Football!

Electric Football Timeline 1960 – A New Decade Begins

Posted on October 15, 2019 by Earl

Tudor Electric Football in 1960

Electric Football Is a Top Toy

A new decade begins with Electric Football having a prominent place in the toy world. This even includes a “Top Toy” designation! Tudor’s game is available at retailers around the country. This includes pharmacies, auto parts, and farm supply stores.

Electric Football in the 1960 Tudor Metal Products Sales catalog

Tudor Electric Football is advertised as a top toy

Gotham is also widely available in toy stores. This includes the world’s biggest “toy store,” which in 1960 is the Sears Christmas catalog.

Gotham Electric Football in the 1960 Sears Christmas Catalog

Gotham Electric Football games are also being sold by Montgomery Ward in 1960. The Gotham G-880 game gets another color page in the 1960 Christmas catalog.

Gotham Electric Football in 1960 in Montgomery Ward

At the same time, the NFL is trying to develop a marketing program for the league. The league’s new marketing arm is called NFL Enterprises. And in 1960 it is actively looking for items license for the NFL brand.

Earl & Roddy

For more information about Electric Football check out The Unforgettable Buzz, The Electric Football Wishbook, and Full Color Electric Football!

Electric Football Timeline 1959 – A Decade of Electric Football

Posted on October 11, 2019 by Earl

1956 Tudor Electric Football Sales catalog page

The Tudor Tru-Action No. 500 in the 1959 Tudor sales catalog

A Decade of Electric Football

1959 marked 10 years of Electric Football. The first decade of the game had been a success for Norman Sas and Tudor. Even with Gotham standing on the opposing sideline for the last 6 years.

Tudor Electric Football as a Prestige Toy in 1959 (bottom right corner).

Both companies had loyal retailers, with Gotham having the prestige of being in the Sears Christmas catalog.

Electric Football in the 1959 Sears Christmas catalog

Gotham Electric Football in Sears in 1959.

Arthur's Toy Store Electric Football 1959

The question for Tudor and Gotham was a simple one. How much more successful could Electric Football get?

Earl & Roddy

For more information about Electric Football check out The Unforgettable Buzz, The Electric Football Wishbook, and Full Color Electric Football!

Electric Football Timeline 1958 – Significant Football Events

Posted on October 8, 2019 by Earl

Electric Football 1958 Timeline spread

Electric Football Goes Color

Montgomery Ward puts Electric Football on a color page. Because color printing was an expensive process in 1958, Ward would have deliberated long and hard about what toys should be presented in color. It’s significant that Ward deemed Electric Football to be one of those toys.

Electric Football Timeline - 1958 Montgomery Ward Christmas catalog

Unfortunately for Tudor, the game is a Gotham G-880. But it was an important step for Electric Football. It was becoming a “featured toy.”

Tudor Electric Football 1958 sales catalog

1958 Tudor Sales Catalog

Also, just a few day after Christmas a very significant NFL Championship game was played in Yankee Stadium. The Colts dramatic 23-17 sudden death win over the Giants – often called “The Greatest Game Ever Played” – changed the way the NFL was viewed around the country. It helped that an estimated 45 million people watched the game on NBC.

Full Color Electric Football 1958 NFL Championship game Greatest games chapter

The Greatest Games Chapter from Full Color Electric Football. The game is a 1961 Gotham NFL G-1500 model. The players are 1967 Tudor Big Men.

The year 1958 set both football and Electric Football on a different path. Forever.

Earl & Roddy

For more information about Electric Football check out The Unforgettable Buzz, The Electric Football Wishbook, and Full Color Electric Football!

Electric Football Timeline 1957 – The Game Continues to Grow

Posted on October 4, 2019 by Earl

1957 Tudor Electric Football timeline

Electric Football can be found in all major Christmas catalogs and is prominently featured in newspaper articles and advertisements.

And football is also showing up more on television sets throughout the U.S.

1957 Electric Football ads

Electric Football continues to grow and have exposure at Christmas time in toy advertisements.

Earl & Roddy

For more information about Electric Football check out The Unforgettable Buzz, The Electric Football Wishbook, and Full Color Electric Football!

Electric Football Timeline 1956 – Tudor and Gotham Compete

Posted on October 1, 2019 by Earl

1956 Electric Football Tudor and Gotham

Tudor and Gotham Compete For Sales

Tudor and Gotham continue their Electric Football competition as NFL pro football becomes more popular in American culture, thanks in large part to television.

1956 Tudor ELectric Football ad

1956 Tudor ad

Gotham Being Sold by Sears and Montgomery Ward at Christmas

1956 Gotham Electric Football in Sears Christmas Catalog

Gotham G-940 Electric Football in the 1956 Sears Christmas Catalog

Gotham Electric Football in a Montgomery Ward Christmas ad.

Tudor still had the upper hand in Electric Football sales. But Gotham’s strong presence in Sears and Ward certainly gave Tudor President Norman Sas something to think about.

Earl & Roddy

For more information about Electric Football check out The Unforgettable Buzz, The Electric Football Wishbook, and Full Color Electric Football!

Electric Football Timeline 1955 – Tudor Goes on Offense

Posted on September 27, 2019 by Earl

Electric Football 1955 Tudor No. 500 game

Tudor Goes On Offense

Tudor responds to Gotham’s Electric Football challenge by creating a brand new set of Electric Football players. And Tudor’s No. 500 gets a Toy Guidance Council seal of approval, being part of a toy preview in the Washington Post.

1955 Tudor Electric Football sales catalog page

Tudor Electric Football in the Washington Post

Gotham Goes Big

Gotham comes out with a second Electric Football model called the G-940 Electro-Magnetic Football game. It has two metal grandstands, home and away scoreboards, and becomes the first Electric Football game ever to appear in the Sears Christmas Catalog.

1955 Gotham G-940 Electric Football Game

1955 Christmas Catalogs and ads for Electric Football

There was no question that 1955 would be the most interesting year yet in Electric Football.

Earl & Roddy

For more information about Electric Football check out The Unforgettable Buzz, The Electric Football Wishbook, and Full Color Electric Football!

Electric Football Timeline 1954 – A Challenger Steps on the Field

Posted on September 25, 2019 by Earl

A Toy Fair Surprise in 1954

Tudor Electric Football did so well in the early 1950s that Norman Sas found a surprise at the 1954 New York City Toy Fair. That surprise was another company making an Electric Football game.

1954 Gotham Pressed Steel New Electric Football game
Norman was well aware of the Gotham Pressed Steel Corp., a Bronx-based toy company. Gotham had been making sports action games longer than Tudor – and their vice president was a former Tudor employee.

The 1954 Gotham G-880 All-Star Electric Football Game.

Gotham’s new game was called the All-Star Electric Football game. And Montgomery Ward was going to sell during the 1954 Christmas shopping season.

1954 Tudor electric football on display in an Ohio toy store

1954: Tudor Electric Football games on display in a toy store.

Tudor’s Electric Football games were still more widely available than Gotham’s. But the Electric Football landscaped had changed. Norman new there were significant challenges ahead in the toy world.

Earl & Roddy

For more information about Electric Football check out The Unforgettable Buzz, The Electric Football Wishbook, and Full Color Electric Football!

Electric Football Timeline 1953 – Tudor’s Success Continues

Posted on September 23, 2019 by Earl

The popularity of Tudor Electric Football continued to grow in 1953. Tens of thousands of the games were sold during the holiday season. And most of them would be buzzing under the tree on Christmas morning.

Norman Sas should have had plenty to smile about in 1953. But the success of the year was overshadowed by the unexpected death of Joe Tonole in November. The company would have to move forward without Tonole’s expertise and genial personality.

Earl & Roddy

For more information about Electric Football check out The Unforgettable Buzz, The Electric Football Wishbook, and Full Color Electric Football!

Electric Football Timeline 1951 – A Christmas Morning Classic

Posted on September 18, 2019 by Earl

Tudor Electric Football In 1951

Christmas Lists Including Electric Football In 1951

Tudor’s Electric Football success continues. The game is featured in newspaper ads throughout the Christmas shopping season, and the range of stores that sell the Tru-Action line of electric games – Electric Football, Horse Racing, and Baseball – also continues to grow.

Box of early 1950s Tudor Electric Football game

1951 Tudor Electric Football Page In Playthings

Tudor has another profitable year in 1951. Norman Sas and Joe Tonole look ahead to a bright 1952.

For more information about Electric Football check out The Unforgettable Buzz, The Electric Football Wishbook, and Full Color Electric Football!

Electric Football Timeline 1950 – Tudor Has A Winner

Posted on September 16, 2019 by Earl

1950 Tudor Electric Football

The Sensation of 1949

Norman Sas and Joe Tonole went back to Toy Fair in 1950 promoting Tudor Electric Football as “The Sensation of 1949.” Which it absolutley was. There was no other sporting toy, other than Tudor’s own Horse Race Game, that had pieces that moved around a gameboard all by themselves.

Tudor electric football 1950 NFL games metal products norman sas

A Tudor Electric Football sales flyer from 1950.

New Electric Games

Electric Football was so successful that Tudor added a Baseball game to their lineup, which can be seen in the bottom photo of the 1950 Tudor Metal Products Showroom. That showroom was in the International Toy Center building at 200 Fifth Avenue. And it was showroom No. 551.

Chapter 3 of the Electric Football History Book The Unforgettable Buzz

Chapter 3 opening spread of The Unforgettable Buzz

1950 Tudor Electric Football Newspaper Ad

Electric Football again proved popular during the Christmas season, with many retailers offering the game as a “Lay-Away” item. The buzz of the game continued to grow in 1950.

Earl & Roddy

You can find more information about Electric Football in The Unforgettable Buzz, The Electric Football Wishbook, and Full Color Electric Football!

Electric Football Timeline 1949 – Tudor’s Tru-Action No. 500

Posted on September 13, 2019 by Earl

Electric Football 1949 Tudor Tru-Action No. 500 Game

A New Game for Tudor

The Norman Sas and Joe Tonole partnership turned out to be a good one.

So good that in 1949, with Joe Tonole’s expert help, Norman Sas debuted the Tudor Tru-Action Electric Football No. 500 game at the New York City Toy Fair. The Fair took place in March, and by the fall, Sas and Tonole Tudor had the game on sale throughout the country. Even with ads for the innovative new sports concept in the New York Times.

1949 Toy Trade publication Playthings featuring Tudor Electric Football

1949 Tudor Metal Products ad in the toy trade magazine Playthings

1949 Tudor No. 500 newspaper advertisement.

Sales of Electric Football were so strong during the Christmas shopping season the stores advertised the restocking their Electric Football supply after Christmas.

The game was off to an excellent start!

Earl & Roddy

You can find more information about Electric Football in The Unforgettable Buzz, The Electric Football Wishbook, and Full Color Electric Football!

ELectric Football Book The Unforgettable Buzz order now button

Electric Football Timeline 1948 – Tudor’s Pregame Warmup

Posted on September 10, 2019 by Earl

Electric Football History Starting in 1948

A Company in Crisis

Tudor Metal Products struggled in the years after WWII.

Electric Football History Tudor Brooklyn Factory

At 1946 view of Tudor’s Brooklyn factory on Johnson Street.

They weren’t alone in their struggles. Many companies experienced problems in these post-war years as the economy “reconverted” from war production back into a civilian-based production.

Throughout the country there were housing shortages, raw material shortages, and runaway inflation. And on top of these challenges, the two men running Tudor Metal Products, Elmer Sas and Gene Levay, did not share a joint vision of the company’s future.

By the start of 1948, Tudor was on the verge of liquidation.

A Daring Plan

Then Tudor’s accountant came up with a solution. Norman Sas, who was just 23-years-old, would take over from his father and become president of Tudor. His vice-president and treasurer would be Joe Tonole, a toy industry-veteran who was more than twice Norman’s age.

1948 Tudor Metal Products Norman Sas

Nobody knew whether this partnership “unique” would work. But it was the only was for Tudor to move forward in 1948. And in reality, it was the only way for the company to survive.

Earl & Roddy

There’s much more information about Tudor’s early days in The Unforgettable Buzz!

Get Ready For The Electric Football Timeline!

Posted on September 6, 2019 by Earl

The Unforgettable Buzz unveils the Electric Football timeline in 2019

Happy 70th Anniversary Electric Football!

2019 is an extraordinary year, at least in terms of football.

First, the NFL is celebrating its 100th anniversary.

And of equal significance – at least we think so – Tudor Electric Football is celebrating its 70th anniversary.

That’s right, Electric Football, the game Tudor President Norman Sas invented, turns 70 in 2019.
That’s really a quite remarkable landmark. Because there were more than a few times through the years when it looked like Electric Football was all washed up. At least from a commercial point of view.

That’s really a quite remarkable landmark. Because there were more than a few times through the years when it looked like Electric Football was all washed up. At least from a commercial point of view.

Electric Football 1971 Coleco Command Control and Munro

Electric Football Will Never Die

Of course, for most of us, as long as we have a functioning game and some NFL teams, Electric Football will never die. But that we can still find the game in stores and online 70 years later, that’s pretty special. And something that Electric Football inventor Norman Sas would have likely found surprising.

Get Ready For The Electric Football Timeline!

So in honor of this landmark, we’re cranking up an Electric Football Timeline throughout the fall and right up until Christmas. We’ll be going year-by-year for the most part, covering the highlights (or lowlights) of a specific year. Yeah, that’s a lot of Electric Football history. And we’re going to be putting up TONS of content and images through the fall. More images than we’ve ever posted before. By far!

So stay tuned and keep checking back to the website! There’s going to be tons of info online the coming weeks and months!

Earl & Roddy