In September of 1969, the New York Jets were holding their practices on the grounds of the Rikers Island prison, which sits in the East River near La Guardia Airport. The Jets were practicing at the prison because the New York Mets were making their improbable run to the World Series. Both teams shared Shea Stadium, and the Jets also held their in-season practices there. So the Jets were now doing their part to be good neighbors and keep the stadium field as pristine as possible.
The prisoners at Rikers Island were allowed to watch the practices, and were enjoying their up-close-and-personal view of Joe Namath and the Super Bowl champion Jets. And Joe wanted to give the prisoners a chance to do more than just spectate his pinpoint passing.
Although Tudor was the originator of electric football, they were not the only company to make electric football games. The Gotham Pressed Steel Corporation of the Bronx had been competing with Tudor since 1954. And in 1969 Gotham even landed a personal endorsement deal with Joe Namath. For the fall of 1969 Gotham was making a Joe Namath Electric Football Game, complete with a special metal Joe Namath quarterback figure.
In a promotional event that was surely masterminded by Gotham president Eddie Gluck, Namath donated a number of his personally endorsed electric football games to the prison. Supposedly Namath was showing his appreciation for the Jets being able to use the prison field. But it didn’t hurt that Namath’s generosity was written up in a nationally syndicated column by Leonard Lyons.*
Warden Buono reportedly didn’t miss a beat, thanking Namath for his generosity:
“That’s nice, Joe. The boys here haven’t got any place to go at night.”
There was no word on how quickly the prisoners put together an NFL team order to Brooklyn…
The Unforgettable Buzz will detail how Eddie Gluck and Gotham shaped the direction of electric football despite being outsold by Tudor. It’s a story not to be missed.
Earl
* “The Lyon’s Den,” page 35, The San Mateo Times, September 24, 1969.
