To bet on football, tell the ticket writer the bet number of the team you wish to bet, with the point spread and the amount you wish to wager. The payout, unless stated otherwise, is figured at odds of 10/11.
- You can watch a fair amount of games with an over-the-air antenna, but not all of them. If you're an avid football fan, though, the NFL offers a subscriber service called Game Pass, which is $99.99 in the US and lets you stream NFL games. Seems like a pretty good deal until you look at the details.
- In the world of online gambling, the NFL's Super Bowl is the biggest game in town. No single event in the world attracts more real money betting. But you don't have to wait until the next big game to place a.
- Coach David Shaw said this week that Stanford is treating today's game at the Rose Bowl as its postseason game. Related Articles. Pac-12 basketball: Five coaches on the hot seat entering stretch run.
Electric Football is a tabletopAmerican football game played on a metal vibrating field.
History[edit]
Electric Football's ancestry can be traced back to 1929, when Elmer Sas incorporated Tudor Metal Products in New York City. The company survived the Depression and in the late 1940s, Elmer's son Norman became president of Tudor and invented the game, Electric Football.
Norman Sas based the game on a vibrating car race game that Tudor already made. The early #500 Electric Football models were crude to the modern eye, but were the first tabletop football game which featured actual moving players as they reacted to the vibrations created by the electro-magnet motor under the metal field. Actual passing and kicking was also a unique feature of this first of its kind design.
Electric Football was an immediate hit and became one of the hottest items at Christmas time through the 1960s and 1970s and to date has sold 70 million games. Tudor did so well with the game that other companies also entered the fray; Coleco, Munro and Gotham. Over the coming years, some of Electric Football's greatest innovations would come out of the competition between the companies.
Tudor produced the first all-plastic 3D players and in the 1960s an industrial designer named Lee Payne was showing Norman Sas a new set of player prototypes whose additional realism would change Electric Football forever. Tudor introduced these players on its first large game, the #600 model. Besides figures in five different realistic poses, Payne sold them on the idea of painting the figures using actual NFL uniform colors. He was instrumental in working with the creative services department of the NFL to obtain the NFL license for marketing the NFL uniformed teams.
By now Payne was working directly for Tudor Games as head of Product Development. He began taking the game boards to new heights with more realistic fields and lithographed, crowd scene backgrounds complete with scoreboards. Payne used a softer plastic material to develop the Triple Threat Quarterback (TTQB) that can run, pass, and kick. In 1967 Tudor introduced its new flagship Model 620, complete with an improved metal playing surface, cardboard backdrop scoreboard, NFL-style goal posts and NFL painted teams. This quickly set the standard for Electric Football, making the game even more popular, allowing Tudor Games to be the number one choice when selecting an Electric football game. Later, to make these realistic figures more enjoyable Tudor Games went on to create the 'TTC' or Total Team Control base with its directional dial allowing finer route control and all new capabilities. In 1990 Tudor Games was sold to Miggle Toys and under the direction of Mike Landsman, the game was nurtured, preserved, and made popular again creating another generation of game hobbyists and enthusiasts.
In February, 2012, Landsman handed off operations to new owner, Doug Strohm who renamed the company, Tudor Games. Strohm re-established the NFL license, created new innovations, figures and fields and added products from many of the hobbyist inventors across the country, making Tudor Games a one stop shop for the game. Tudor Games with the help of dedicated Electric Football enthusiasts and an Electric Football non-profit fan association called the Miniature Football Coaches Association, has re-energized the game for new generations of sports fans, game players, hobbyists, and collectors.
The Electric Football hobby today features many local, regional, national and even international leagues and tournaments with hundreds of coaches participating and caps off with a World Championship tournament and convention.
The game[edit]
The game is played on a metal field, which can range in size between 24 inches long by 13 inches wide up to full scale size of 61 inches long by 27.5 inches wide. Detailed, plastic players on bases, which react to the vibration of the field, are placed on the field in formations, just as in real football. When the formations are completed by the offensive coach and the defensive coach, audibles in the form of pivots or motions are made in order to try to gain an advantage. A switch is activated that turns on an electric or battery powered counterbalanced motor which causes the field to vibrate and the players to move around the field.
As mentioned, each player is attached to a base, with 'prongs' or 'brushes', also known as 'cleats', on the underneath of the base. These prongs can be 'coached' prior to the playing of the game by using smooth mouthed pliers which stretch, shape and or flatten the prongs to get them to perform faster, stronger and in an exact route. The base in combination with a specific action figure can then be put in an on field position in the offense or defense that best makes use of the combined attributes.
Special players are used to pass, kick or punt the ball. The ball is a small slit oval piece of felt, rubberized foam or leather. The throwing Quarterback has an extended arm which the ball is placed on. The arm or the entire man can be bent backwards in order to flick the football off the arm to the intended receiver. If the ball touches the receiver figure or its base, it is considered a complete catch. Use of the throwing Quarterback is a difficult skill to master and requires practice to develop. Special players are also used for kicking and punting and have spring legs which when pulled back and released, kick or punt the ball. The original iconic quarterback that comes with the game is capable of passing and kicking and is known as the Triple Threat QB or TTQ.
In 2016, an app called Electric Football Challenge was created. The app serves as a digital scoreboard with configurable timers matching the flow of real football. The app can be enabled to do the passing and kicking in place of the traditional Triple Threat QB/Kicker. It also has a playbook containing over 45 plays and a rules section for the game.
In popular culture[edit]
- Steamroller Studios and Chillingo released their version of the classic game for the iPhone and iPod Touch in September 2009, called 'Super Shock Football'. In January 2010 they also released an 'HD' version for the iPad.
- In the film Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey, the two main characters, in a parody of The Seventh Seal, challenge Death to a series of games in order to escape Hell. One of the games Death loses is electric football.
- In an episode of the animated comedy series The Critic, a clip from a Ken Burns documentary about electric football shows an elderly man saying that 'electric football is a metaphor for America: always shaking, always noisy, never really knowing where it's going' before suddenly changing his mind, saying, 'Wait a minute. America's nothing like electric football. It's just a stupid game that doesn't even work!' and yelling at the cameraman to get out.
- In The Simpsons episode 'Bart Star', while coaching his son's peewee football team, Homer Simpson uses an electric football table, even instructing one player to 'spin around in a circle'. This may be the same set that Homer received for Christmas as a boy, as mentioned in Marge Be Not Proud.
- In Bill Bryson's 'The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid: A Memoir,' the author describes electric football as 'The worst toy of the decade [the 1950s], possibly the worst toy ever built'.[1]
- In the Pinky and the Brain episode 'Brain's Song' (a pun on the film Brian's Song), he broadcasts a tearjerker sports movie to the entire world, using an electric football game as his field, and broadcasts the movie to the entire world to make them emotionally weak and allow him to take over the world. Unfortunately, the vibrations of the game cause him to randomly vibrate when he attempts to take over the world, making him a laughingstock and foiling his plan.
- In the Fringe (TV series) episode 'Safe', Walter demonstrates how a substance can be rearranged to allow a solid figure to pass through it by placing a canister of rice and an action figure on a vibrating football game.
References[edit]
Sources[edit]
- Miniature Football Coaches Association The MFCA is a 501c7 association with the following mission. 'The MFCA mission is to assist the electric football hobbyist by providing an online meeting place for the direct purpose of discussing, promoting and educating the user about the game and hobby of electric football and provide an annual convention which promotes all levels of electric football play and interest. Our motto is: Integrity, Fellowship and Sportsmanship.'
- Miniature Football Coaches Association Forum A forum dedicated to the discussion of all aspects of miniature electric football. This site is made possible by The Miniature Football Coaches Association.
External links[edit]
How to Bet On Sports > How to Bet on the NFL
'Football is a game played with arms, legs, and shoulders but mostly from the neck up'. – Knute Rockne
Introduction
SportsInsights.com's general betting articles discuss the intricacies of sports betting as it pertains to each major U.S. sport. This article will concentrate on how to bet on the NFL. We will try to utilize that 'neck up' part of our bodies to gain an edge on the linesmakers, but first we must know the basics. The NFL is by far the most popular bet of all major American sports, culminating with the most popular game of the year, the Superbowl. This article will shed light on each football wager type including spread, moneyline, totals, parlays/teasers, halftimes, and futures.
Spread Betting
Like many high scoring sports, NFL wagering is dictated by the point spread. The spread, or line, is a type of side bet that equalizes the chance of winning a wager. The line offered for any given team will be accompanied with a – or + symbol to indicate whether a team is a favorite or an underdog. The example below displays the spread from the Sports Insights archives at the time of kickoff:
| Team | Spread at Kickoff | Final Score |
| Indianapolis Colts | -9 (-110) | 23 |
| Tennessee Titans | +9 (-110) | 20 |
Generally, the number next to the spread is '-110'. This is what's known as the juice, vig or odds. The juice is a fraction of the wager taken from the bettor if the bet wins. In this instance, a winning wager of $110 will yield a profit of $100.The example above demonstrates that, although Indianapolis won the contest, Tennessee covered the spread by losing by less than nine points. An important aspect of sports betting is capturing the best line possible. A great way to achieve this is by shopping for the best line.
Moneyline
In the parity driven NFL, the phrase 'any given Sunday' is more prevalent than ever, which is why Moneyline (ML) bets can be very profitable when betting on the underdog. A moneyline wager is one that is placed on either the favorite or the underdog to win straight up. The example below is from Week 10 of the 2010-11 NFL season:
| New York Giants | -600 |
| Dallas Cowboys | +450 |
How To Bet On Football Games And Win
To win $100 dollars wagering on the New York Giants one must lay $600. Whereas, a $100 bet on the Dallas Cowboys earns a profit of $450. Due to the high risk and low reward presented by betting on the NY Giants, bettors may choose to fade, or go against them, and place a smaller wager on the Cowboys. The Cowboys did indeed win this Week 10 shocker at the New Meadowlands by a score of 33-20.
The Spread and Moneyline are contributing factors for Sports Insights' Steam Moves and Smart Money Betting Systems.
Quarter and 1st Half Lines
The majority of bets on any sport are usually on the final outcome of the particular contest. However, for sports like the NFL and NBA, there are 1st quarter and 1st half lines offered as well. The quarter spread is used to determine who will be the winner at the end of the 1st quarter. The same is true for a 1st half line, only the wager ends when the first two quarters are completed. Generally, the 1st half spread will be close to half of the overall spread on the game.
Halftime Lines
There are also in-game bets being placed DURING halftime, to determine the outcome of the second half, known as the halftime, or 2nd half, line. The 2nd half line accounts for what happened in the first half to help determine how the rest of the game will play out.
How To Gamble With Cards
| Team | Halftime Score | Halftime Spread | Final |
| Arizona Cardinals | 13 | +3 (-110) | 27 |
| St. Louis Rams | 17 | -3 (-110) | 24 |
How To Gamble On Football Games Against
For the purposes of a halftime bet, the game essentially restarts at 0 to 0. According to the halftime spread, the Arizona Cardinals are expected to be outscored by the St. Louis Rams by 3 points throughout the entire 2nd half. A halftime bet of $110 dollars on the Arizona Cardinals would lead to a profit of $100, because, not only did the Cardinals beat the spread, they won the game outright. These bets are taken during halftime, leaving a small window for the bets to be placed. You can track halftime odds easily using our Sportsbook Insider live odds software.
Totals or Over/Under
The concept of betting on totals, or Over/Under (O/U), is quite simplistic. The bettor wagers on whether the TOTAL points scored in a game will fall over or under a pre-determined number set by the sportsbook. Much like the point spread, game totals can be swayed by public opinion. The example below, from the SI Archive, shows the opening totals line for Superbowl XLV:
| Team | Total or O/U | Final Score |
| Green Bay Packers | 44.5o (-105) | 31 |
| Pittsburgh Steelers | 44.5u (-115) | 25 |
As you can see above, the combined score for Superbowl XLV was 56, and since this line was offered at reduced juice, a wager on the over at 44.5 of only $105 would yield a profit of $100. This line closed at a high of 46 points at some books, demonstrating how the public, who tend to show a proclivity for high scoring games, can increase an O/U line.
Parlays/Teasers
Parlays are wagers placed in combination with the spread, moneyline, and totals to increase the payout. A parlay is only a winner when ALL individual plays hit. A teaser is the same as parlay, except you put points down in your favor to help the bet come to fruition. For example, if the proposed line is -13 and you have a 6-point teaser, your new line is -7. A teaser may have reduced some of the risks of the parlay, but you still have to hit each individual play and the payout is reduced significantly. Many sportsbooks let you bet up to 15 times for one parlay, and if all wagers are at -110, that's a payout of 16,306.94/1!
How To Bet On Football Games Online
| # of Teams | Payoff |
| 2 | 2.64/1 |
| 3 | 6/1 |
| 4 | 12.28/1 |
| 5 | 24.35/1 |
| 6 | 47.41/1 |
| 7 | 91.42/1 |
| 8 | 175.44/1 |
| 9 | 335.85/1 |
| 10 | 642.08/1 |
| 11 | 1226.70/1 |
| 12 | 2342.79/1 |
| 13 | 4473.51/1 |
| 14 | 8541.25/1 |
| 15 | 16306.94/1 |
Futures
Futures bets are exactly what they sound like, a wager placed on an event that will occur in the future. As you can imagine, the most popular futures bet in the NFL is who will win the Superbowl. In fact, the Team Odds to win it all are released within a week after the previous year's championship. It is not uncommon to see last year's worse team to be 100/1 dogs or worse. Naturally, Futures are not limited to simply who will win the big game. Much like proposition (prop) bets for any particular contest, you can place several futures bets on potential outcomes, from who will win what division to who will win the league's MVP. Futures Odds can be found at nearly any reputable sportsbook, but some have a limited selection of wagers they will actually take.
