Thursday, June 28, 2012

Buzz Off

Norman Sas, who set the bar very, very low for electronic sports games, has died at the age of 87. In 1948, Sas invented Electric Football, a low-tech migraine-inducing game that captured the imagination of a nation hamstrung by Lincoln Logs, Tinkertoys, Yo-yos, Hula Hoops and Pogo Sticks. Sas’ game consisted of a metal field with 2 teams of 11 players. Hand the ball to one of them. Flip the motor that starts the field vibrating with the mellifluousness of a fluorescent bulb with a faulty ballast. Thrill as the players move about the field with no discernible purpose, evoking the gridiron performance of the 2008 Detroit Lions. Delight as half of them fall over immediately while the rest spin in position, like the opening scene of Saving Private Ryan. Quite possibly the worst game ever invented, Electric Football took off among an unsuspecting populace in 1967 after signing a licensing agreement with the NFL, Pete Rozelle’s greatest regret as commissioner after playing the weekend after John F. Kennedy’s assassination.

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