Norman Sas’ grandson Jamie Jones Jr. (2nd from left), and daughter Wendy Jones (3rd from left) with Tudor Games President Doug Strohm at Toy Fair 2018.

Sas Family 2018 Toy Fair Visit To Tudor Games

In life there are moments, and then there are Moments. And one of my all-time Electric Football moments took place several weeks ago at Toy Fair.

That’s when the Sas family came to New York City to visit the 2018 Tudor Games Toy Fair booth. Norman Sas, as most of you know, invented Electric Football. He was also president of Tudor from 1948-1988, overseeing the rise of the game from his Brooklyn office. He was responsible for Tudor’s groundbreaking licensing agreement with the NFL in 1967, a sports marketing landmark that put the NFL on our living room floors. Without Norman Sas, there is no Electric Football.

So to have his daughter Wendy, son-in-law Jamie, grandson Jamie Jr., and granddaughter Tori visit the Tudor Games booth…it’s a morning I’ll never forget. To be standing there talking about Electric Football with the people who are a direct lineage to Norman and Toy Fair’s past…my emotions took me completely by surprise.

Talking With The Toy Hall Of Fame

And the Sas family was there for a purpose, as current Tudor Games President Doug Strohm had arranged a meeting with Christopher Bensch of the Strong National Museum of Play, the organization that oversees the Toy Hall of Fame. With the help of Electric Football’s “first family,” Mr. Bensch was introduced to the game’s rich history and its very vibrant status in 2018. In return Mr. Bensh helped us understand what kind of things the Toy Hall of Fame looks for when considering a toy for Hall of Fame honors.

What we learned from Mr. Bensch was this – Electric Football does check off many of the boxes that Hall of Fame electors are looking for. Longevity, high profile (think NFL), cultural impact…these are all things that Electric Football has going for it. And it’s possible that Tudor Games’ upcoming 90th anniversary – yes, the company has been around 90 years – can team up with Electric Football’s upcoming 70th anniversary to get the electors to take notice of the game we all love.

Tudor Games President Doug Strohm talking with Wendy Jones (Sas) about the the 2018 Electric Football line.

There will much more about the Toy Hall of Fame in the coming weeks. In the meantime, watching Doug show Wendy the current Tudor Games Electric Football line – Tudor’s past and present converging before my eyes – was a moving experience. And to hear Wendy say she thought that Norman would be proud…talk about words getting caught in your throat.

It was a moment that I was grateful to witness. I think 2018 is shaping up to be quite the year for Electric Football!!

Earl