Recruiting Tales

[Reginald Rutledge]

Three interesting scenarios happen this week for me concerning electric football. I always take a step back when something like this happen because it lets you know, with a little hard work, "they will come".

Scenario 1
I am in a nice restaurant eating with my family. Most MFers would be too shamed to show their "wares" in public. It's not appropriate you may think. However, I am pretty confident I can catch an eye when I have my "toys" out. Imagine, a grown man eating in a fancy restaurant looking at the likes of Joe Montana, Sammy Baugh, Chuck Foreman, and Reggie White. Three tables over, a gentleman and his wife are eating their meal. He turns his head in my direction and proceeds to hope up from his table and come towards me. Then he ask me, "Sir, what are you doing"? I respond, "Checking out some of my craftmanship on some figurines I am creating". He says, I remember a game called...

And I say, "Let me guess-electric football". We continue on when another gentleman notice what I am doing. Then he cecomes involved in the conversation. My wife, Rose is one of those coaches wives who probably knows more about it than I do. She takes over the conversation. By the end of the hour long discussion at this "high toned" restaurant, these two "potential" coaches set up an appointment to come see what I do.

Another scenario happened just about 1 hour ago. I am at the box company. The office manager had saw the name "Footballfigures.com" and thought, "What is that about?" He introduces himself to me and ask do you make football figures. I quickly noticed, "White guy, 37 years old, wallet has a big Tampa Bay insignia, ESPN credit card, and had been waiting for me to come into through their company doors to grille me about FF.COM". Forty-five minutes later, I drafted a guy who is ready to come into the league, seems to be a good guy and family man, and instantly bonded like we were best of friends. Not only that but promises to give FF.COM wholesale prices on everything from here on out. I show him FF.COM site and he says right away, "Any league that plays in stadiums and have players that look like this, I want to be in NOW! Sign me up!" So of course, he starts his trek into the MF world this weekend by scrimmaging.

Scenario 3-The website! For many years, I knew I could do a website. I just did not have time. But I decided to go with the design of the NFL because I wanted to show all that we do in the game. Everything from having a game day studio to having blimps fly over stadiums are things that I do. But when some guys saw the website, it hooked them! I have had two out-of-towners write expressing interest in the Road Warrior package within the last 3 hours.

So what I am saying is spend the time and don't be ashamed of your game. Some of us will only stand up and discuss the hobby if there are nuimbers. We will not stand alone. Try to do that, stand alone and recruit guys to be apart of the game of miniature foolball!

Reg

[rjackson]

.....why must you share your secrets? I have told you before that if you build it they will come and they are definitely coming. RJ is coming, Big Lock is coming, Jimbo is coming and a whole host of us!! I love telling people about my love for this game and the passion that I have behind it!!

[mantaraydre]

I think a great rcruiting scenario would be to have a coupie of guys set up a field and scrimmage outside of a football stadium (during tailgating). You watch the crowd come over and see whats going on ! Especially if there was a stadium set up ! I know i would come over out of sheer curiousity !!!


MANTARAY- DRE

[Reginald Rutledge]

Beenutt had expressed an interest in going to the Cowboys game that Sunday night. Well, one thing I am thinking about doing is tailgating at the game and setting up Texas Stadium or the new stadium with the two teams who are playing that night actually play each other. That's something I've done in the past and it definitely brings everyone over there! One night, I think we had about 100 guys watching us play at Texas Stadium and even taking bets on the game.

That's how I recruited a couple of guys in the league. The stadium is a recruiting bonanza for me. When you can confidently play in a stadium, guys looking in are just truly amazed to the realism.

Reg

[Michigan Joe]

I'm planning on bringing all my best miniature football stuff out to my fantasy football draft that we do at a bar right before the season starts. We've got about 24 people in the league (both friends and aquiantances from my work). I'm sure I'll draw some interest from that group!
Joe

[beenutt]

Reg,

Joel and I will be driving to Dallas. We just got our tickets to the Cowboys/Giants game today! So, if you want to set up a display at the game, we will be glad to help out!

beenutt

[Raven maniac]

Reg over the weekend I was in the office finishing paper work. When I started to watch some of the shots you placed on your site. So as the guys are coming in to pass in equipment they asked is that Electric Football. I said NO! This is "MF". They asked what's the difference? Then I showed the Raiders vs. Cowboys segments and they noticed the different figures and playing styles. Then you know the next question was... Where can I get those figures from. So as we continued to watch they asked was there any leagues around to play "MF". I opened this site and now I have some scrimmages set up for this weekend. So Reg make some more video's! Excellent recruiting tools.

Darrian

[Ray F]

I have a few tales as well WRT game exposure outside the norm. Last week while exiting a highly classified facility near Washington DC, I went through an exit security inspection of the contents in my briefcase to make sure I wasn’t departing with any classified or sensitive documents. Inside my briefcase were a few Electric Football score sheets, labeled ‘Electric Football’ at the top. The security guard noticed the title and asked if the score sheets were related to the old “buzzing game.” I told him yes, he then explained how he always had trouble with the TTQB. He then asked if the game was still being played, I responded yes, with a great many rule changes for playability and strategy.

Story 2: A few years ago Raiderman attended a Redskins game with me when Oakland was in town. At my Tailgate outside the stadium we set-up a separate table with a 620 Superbowl 5 game on it, so we could play Redskins VS Raiders in the parking lot. There was foot traffic and cars stopping by.

Ray F.

[Coach K-LO]

Uncle Reggie, we all don't do things like you do in the great state of Texas [where everything is large ] but I do some of my recruiting when I am at the Stadium (FedEx Field - home of the Redskins) on the subway, in my office where I have figures lined up from time to time.

Skins play Steelers this weekend where I know there will be a whole lot of "visitors" in the house. I plan on having my jewelry (championship ring, MF figures on ropes, in glass cases (specials) for sell etc.

It is just a marvel to see the twinkle in guys eyes when they realize that 1- the game still is working and striving; 2 - there are so many more who particapte around the country...........

if I could tailgate, trust me, I would always have a game going before and after the real thing!

K-LO

[Reginald Rutledge]

Keep them coming! Everybody has his own way of recruiting others into the game. I just think we've got to do it "one recruit at a time". One small step for football, one big step for miniature football.

Keep doing what yah do to get people pumped up about the game.

Reg