Anyone used to have one of those vibrating football games?
Posted by stephancoxmusic@reddit | GenX | View on Reddit | 49 comments

This could only loosely be termed a “game,” since it was basically just a vibrating sheet of metal. I remember playing with mine, but even then, I didn’t really see the point.
Pieces-Of-Eight_@reddit
Those were just awful. Exactly enjoyed for about 10 minutes
400footceiling@reddit
No control. It was more of let’s see what happens. I wasn’t impressed, I’d rather have been playing with my rockem-sockem robots.
Toebeans_Maguire@reddit
Most people didn't realize that the player bases had little bristles underneath. You could bend them in ways to make you're player "probably" run certain routes.
jeffnorris@reddit
They sucked but were so much fun
stephancoxmusic@reddit (OP)
Perfectly put.
PuzzleheadedAbies678@reddit
As all toys in the 70s and 80s did, if they weren't trying to kill you.
slothboy@reddit
there is one 20 feet from where I am currently sitting
MrMcGibblets86@reddit
Fun fact: https://youtu.be/GSCQwKeV08w
Early80sAholeDude@reddit
The best was stopping and mentally preparing to throw a pass. I think I was 3/100 lifetime.
Extension-Elk-1274@reddit
They still sell those things.
zoeybeattheraccoon@reddit
Most annoying game ever. There was no way to control where the players went and nobody ever scored.
claude3rd@reddit
Didn’t Bill and Ted play this against death in “Bogus Jouney”?
grateful_john@reddit
Everyone I knew had one. None of them worked. But we’d haul one out once or twice a year and remind ourselves they sucked.
Formal_Mastodon_5627@reddit
Lost the little foam footballs right away and had to use my dad's bellybutton lint
Brilliant-Deer6118@reddit
I got one for Christmas one year and enjoyed it for about 10 minutes. 15 years later I bought one for my Nephew on Christmas and he enjoyed it for about 10 minutes.
RockSteady65@reddit
With ADHD everything is limited to 10 minutes
hags0333@reddit
Unless you hyper obsess and run full seasons and keep stats, or so I’ve heard
2K84Man@reddit
There is a whole championship for this. https://youtu.be/4fhVeZJAxkM?si=eckpsjPntw96UR5T
TeamShonuff@reddit
Wow. Seems brutally technical. Thank you for sharing that.
soltydog@reddit
Over the course of my life, I’ve had three. One dent and the whole thing is ruined.
pocketdare@reddit
hot take: It was ruined before the dent. It comes ruined
skeeter_333@reddit
Anybody else send the players away to get the jerseys painted on them?
Unfair_League_1937@reddit
Still play it every football Sunday
chikn2d@reddit
Yep. One of the things gifted at Xmas, “played” once, and never touched again.
FredWinterIsComing@reddit
And when little brother stepped on the board all the players converged in the dent...
rahbahboston@reddit
we had one until I accidentally sat on it and dented it
Confident_Peak_6592@reddit
I got one as a hand me down gift. I played it for hours.
11B-E5@reddit
Yes! I had Super Bowl XII with the Cowboys and Broncos. Putting the numbers on the players was more engaging than the game itself.
anthony08619@reddit
Yup. Without a doubt the worse toy I had or ever played with.
Dannyboyrusso@reddit
Yes I did and it sucked. The players would go in circles
EastNice3860@reddit
Buddy of mine had one when we were 9 or 10 years old..He painted 1 players face green...And he was a unstoppable running back..I hated that damn guy..lol
don_teegee@reddit
I still have the same on in the photo. During COVID lockdown I broke it out and tried to play it. Realized why I put it away decades ago.
jazzchamp@reddit
Whaddya mean 'used to'?
wesweslaco@reddit
As a kid in the 1970s, I never understood the point. Also, the electric noise and vibration terrified me.
FormerCollegeDJ@reddit
I had that exact model.
It didn’t even have NFL branding! ☹️😂
SometimesUnkind@reddit
my dad melted the mistake of buying me one of these for christmas one time… he worked a swing shift… the pieces soon went missing under mysterious cercumstances
Ball-Blam-Burglerber@reddit
“Don’t worry, Dad. I can just use pennies and nickels!”
Brocktoon73@reddit
I had a Super Bowl 15 one with the Raiders/Eagles.
match_@reddit
I had a special relationship with the guy that got stuck doing circles in the corner. We bonded.
herbfriendly@reddit
Yeah, but I can’t honestly tell if my memories are of playing that or simply from looking at pictures of me playing w one as a kid.
OpinelNo8@reddit
My science teacher used one to demonstrate seismic activity.
mojowit@reddit
I’m pretty sure this game inspired chaos theory.
RockSteady65@reddit
I got one and it’s too lame to play on a rainy day
Lost_Taste_8181@reddit
My sister always asked to borrow mine but didn’t seem to care about football.
GrandPriapus@reddit
Everyone had one.
Agent564@reddit
A picture you csn hear
stephancoxmusic@reddit (OP)
BRRRRRRERREEEER
SirIll1219@reddit
Yep. It was so lame, but we didn't have an Intellevision yet.
mvcjones@reddit
Oh yes, that was a fun game back in the day.