Tonight: Electric Football, Tigers, Lions and Sparty!

For lots of boys in the late-1960s thru the 1970s, an electric football game under the Christmas tree was as indelible a memory as anything in childhood.

On tonight's show, we talk about EF with author Earl Shores, who co-wrote "The Unforgettable Buzz" with Roddy Garcia. The book is an exhaustive history of EF and Tudor Games, which was the first game company to market and distribute electric football, starting over 60 years ago.

Earl spends a fascinating 40 minutes with us, regaling us with stories about the game's beginnings, its heyday and its state right now as a collector's item. Check out their Facebook page, Like it, and be amazed with photos and other goodies throughout every week.

After Earl, we get into the Tigers' off-season, especially the trade of Doug Fister and the prospects of the team improving in left field. Then, sadly, it's some Lions talk, as we dissect the travesty in the snow in Philadelphia. Finally, we talk a little Sparty football and MSU's big win over Ohio State in the B1G Championship Game.

All that, plus "Whose Birthday Is It?" (at stake: home improvement by Belvedere) and "Jerk of the Week"!

It all starts at 7:00pm ET HERE!!

Book giveaway for the December 9 show! "The Unforgettable Buzz," a history of Electric Football and Tudor Games

It was one of the best childhood memories for sports fans around the USA: finding an electric football game under the Christmas tree!

On our December 9 show, our guest will be author Earl Shores, who along with Roddy Garcia has penned "The Unforgettable Buzz," a detailed and exhaustive look at the history of Electric Football and Tudor Games.

To help celebrate the game and the upcoming holidays, we are asking that you submit a question for Earl re: electric football. If we use the question on the air, you will be placed in a drawing to win a copy of Earl and Roddy's book!

Your chances to win are pretty good if we use your question, as we plan on only asking 3-4 listener questions. So submit away!

E-mail your question (one per person please) to thekneejerks at gmail dot com. All questions received through Friday, December 6 will be considered. Please include your name and mailing address.

Good luck!

Tonight: Sean MacDonald, the "Traveling Fan"

We have a special treat for you tonight.

Sean MacDonald, who is affiliated with our good friend Paul Swaney's Stadium Journey website, is joining us to discuss a very cool endeavor he is undertaking.

Sean is trying to attend a football game in each of the NFL's 32 stadiums this season. That's 32 stadiums, 17 weeks---or about two games per week!

We caught up with Sean, literally, as he relaxed (briefly) in his Green Bay hotel room, in town to watch the Packers-Bears Monday night game.

Sean tells us how he got the idea for the trip, how he planned it, the logistics, and some quirky things that have happened to him so far. It's an interesting half hour!

After Sean, Adam Biggers joins us for another edition of "Adam Rants." Mr. Biggers weighs in on the U-M/MSU football game, and his take isn't pretty for U-M fans!

No Lions game this week, so Eno and Big Al spend the rest of the show talking more Michigan-Michigan State and the Tigers---namely the new manager, Brad Ausmus, and the start of the free agent season. It looks like the team's bullpen is in for a major overhaul, and what will the Tigers do about second base? Infante? Cano? Perez?

All this, plus "Whose Birthday Is It?" (at stake: a case of Stroh's Bock Beer) and "Jerk of the Week"!

It all starts at 7pm ET HERE.

Tonight: After 2 weeks off, we welcome Coach Ray Scott!

We're back, after a two-week hiatus!

It's almost hoops time, NBA style!

The Pistons open their 2013-14 season at home against the Washington Wizards on Wednesday, so what better time to preview the season than now, and who better to do that with, than former Pistons player and coach---and Friend of the Knee Jerks---Ray Scott?

Coach Scott watches his team, circa 1973

Coach joins us for a rousing 40-minute discussion on the state of the Pistons, including his assessment of GM Joe Dumars' off-season moves (hint: Coach is a big fan). We go over it all, from the make-up of the roster to players who might be on the outside looking in, to new coach Mo Cheeks and to whether Coach feels like the Pistons are a playoff team.

We also get into the development of Andre Drummond, the signing of Josh Smith, and bringing back aging guard Chauncey Billups, and Coach's ideas for how the Pistons should best use him.

After our Pistons talk, Eno and Big Al talk Tigers and their meltdown in the ALCS. What happened? And how much blame should be heaped on Prince Fielder? Big Al thinks the criticism of Fielder was over the top, and Eno explains why it was.

The Tigers are looking for a new manager and the guys talk about that as well!

Then it's on to the Lions' thrilling 31-30 win over Dallas on Sunday, which adds to exciting Lions wins over the Cowboys dating back to the 12-man FG win of 1981; the Monday Night thriller of 1994; and the comeback in Dallas in 2011.

Of course, there's "Whose Birthday Is It?" (prize: a mood ring) and "Jerk of the Week."

It all starts at 7:00pm ET HERE!

Tonight! NHL roundtable with B/R writers!

Oh, what a show we have planned for you this week!

The NHL season is about to start (yay, no strike!), and to celebrate that fact, the Jerks are joined by three hockey writers from Bleacher Report for a roundtable.

Matt Hutter (Detroit), Matt Clouden (Buffalo) and Ryan Szporer (Montreal) will discuss the Red Wings' move to the Eastern Conference, and to the Atlantic Division. They'll tell us whether they think it's a good move for the teams they cover, and whether it's a good move for the NHL as a whole.

Then each writer will preview their respective teams, as well as handicapping the Atlantic Division this year. Does anyone have Detroit as a favorite to win the division? Listen and find out!

After the hockey talk, Eno and Big Al discuss the Lions' big win against the Bears on Sunday. What were the keys? How dominant was the D-line? How big is the Reggie Bush Factor? Is the secondary better than what was thought before the season?

Then, it's on to the AL Central Champion Tigers. Eno is nervous about the playoffs, and Big Al tries to talk him down from the ledge!

All that and more! "Whose Birthday Is It?" (at stake: a $50 gift certificate to Twin Pines) and "Jerk of the Week"!

It all starts at 7:00 p.m. ET HERE.

Tonight! Tabletop sports game designer Tim Plum!

Sorry for lack of a blog update last week!

Tonight the Jerks are joined by Tim Plum of PT Sports Games, who will discuss his line of football, hockey and basketball games and the state of the sports board game business.

If you grew up playing games like Strat-O-Matic, APBA and Avalon Hill's Statis-Pro games, chances are you still play various and sundry other tabletop sports games, or have a curiosity about what the state of the business is like.

Tim will clue us in, from how he turned an interest into an enterprise, and whether cards and dice can compete, in a niche sort of way, with video games and the Internet.

After Tim's segment, Eno and Big Al talk Lions, specifically their 27-20 win in Washington on Sunday. Also on the docket are the Tigers as they close in on their third straight AL Central crown, another scare ofr Michigan football, MSU's woes, and the Dodgers' notorious swim in Arizona.

All that and more, including "Whose Birthday Is It?" (at stake: a handsome set of Funk & Wagnalls encyclopedias) and Jerk of the Week! It all starts at 7:00pm ET HERE.

Tonight: Adam Rants, and the Lions are OLD!! Plus, how about those Tigers?

Adam Biggers is, depending on where he falls on the depth chart on any given week, our Fourth or Fifth Jerk. Regardless, he is with us tonight for a college football-drenched edition of "Adam Rants"!

Adam, from Bleacher Report, will talk at length about U-M and MSU's opening week wins. Adam is satisfied with Michigan's performance, but not so much with the Spartans'.

Adam also touches on "Johnny Football," aka Johnny Manziel of Texas A&M, and why Adam thinks that the kid is getting some bad advice, or isn't following the good advice that he is getting.

After Adam, the Jerks talk pro football, and how the Lions are now, officially, the oldest team in the NFL in terms of average player age. Eno says that is a bi-product of poor drafting and having to sign veteran free agents late in training camp.

The Jerks also discuss the recent settlement by the NFL of a class action lawsuit regarding how the league handled concussions back in the day with former players. It was a $765 million payout, but the league's annual revenue is $9 billion, so did the NFL get off cheap? The guys think so.

Finally, it's Tigers talk, as the Jerks handicap the AL Central race, discuss September call-ups and wonder why Andy Dirks has become the fans' new whipping boy. The boys also touch on the firing of Toledo Mud Hens manager Phil Nevin.

All that and more, including "Jerk of the Week" and "Whose Birthday Is It?" (at stake: a year's supply of Boboli pizza dough!). It all starts at 7:00pm ET HERE.