The first official NFL electric football game – the majestic Gotham G-1500
Electric football and the NFL first came together on the Gotham G-1500 model in 1961. It was a groundbreaking game on many levels. It really was, in modern terminology, a game-changer, and set the stage for all that came after it, including Tudor’s miniature NFL.
Gotham’s sideline grandstand, complete with a players’ bench and NFL shield.
The story of how Gotham beat Tudor to the NFL is explored in great detail in The Unforgettable Buzz. In a surprising sequence of events, Norman Sas’ business judgement lets him down. But without that letdown, the Tudor NFL line that we know and love may have never come into existence.
Here are the electric football “firsts” from the Gotham NFL G-1500:
- First officially licensed NFL electric football game.
- First “big” electric football at 36″ long.
- First game with a sideline grandstand.
- First player “uniforms.”
- First electric football game to be shown in full color in the Sears Christmas Book
With all of these firsts, the game made a huge impact in the world of electric football. It set the course for all that was to come over the next decade. Without the Gotham G-1500, we might not still be talking about electric football in 2013.
Earl & Roddy