My best Nerf story also concerns the Nerf Hoop, David. When my school took the 8th grade trip to Washington, DC back in 1980, one of my roomies brought along his Nerf Hoop. That thing should have been contraband! Suffice it to say that a very nice painting ended up on the floor, and I'm sure some bed springs were broken as well. Four thirteen-year old boys, unsupervised with a Nerf Hoop. There will be blood...
We had a wonderful Samoyed-German Shepherd mix named Rex who loved, I should say LOVED, nerf footballs. But when he got ahold of them, they only lasted a matter of minutes, because he would chew them to pieces! We'd throw them for him and he'd chase them down, but he'd gnaw and gnash on them so hard, the dang things would just disintegrate. After buying a couple for them and realizing that it was not a cost effective toy, we relegated them to Christmas gifts and special occasions. But man was it fun to see that dog romp around with the football in his mouth. He didn't sit down and chew it apart -he just played so hard with it, the spongy ball couldn't take it!
I also have some swell memories of snowy winter days taking the Nerf football over to the local school yard and playing some tackle football. We'd bundle up in so many layers it was like a bunch of marshmallows running around. Great stuff!
True, Osvaldo -- and no one should assume that those spongy darts won't put an eye out! My nephews got a Nerf gun last Christmas that was so big I thought Rob Liefeld must have designed it. That thing went off unexpectedly and scattered the family.
Seriously -- that gun could be used on Jackass for some of their stunts!!
Karen, your story about Rex reminds me of my current dog, Zita, who rips any so-called "chew toys" (regardless of whether they're made of rubber, plastic or that spongy Nerf-like material) to shreds in a matter of minutes. We finally found a type of toy made out of some kind of industrial-strength rubber (seriously, it's like car tire quality) that takes her a few months to finally tear apart.
I love Nerf footballs, but I also see the Nerf company as helping to "wussify" kids for the last 30 or so years. I threw a REAL leather football to my 8 year old nephew, and he was scared of it, and cried that it "hurt" (and, no, I didn't throw it hard).
But Nerf probably has saved alot of broken fingers, and windows/windshields too.
Hey Edo, do you ever give Zita tennis balls? Rex used to peel the covering off of those! Had to get it away from him for fear he might actually swallow it. Then he'd just gnaw on the rubber ball, until he'd chew it in half, at which point it became uninteresting to him. He was a sweet dog but I hate to think what those jaws could have done to a bad guy!
Osvaldo, now that you mention it, it is kind of odd that so many Nerf toys are guns. I think that started well after my time. I guess the thinking is, it's OK to throw things at each other, as long as you can't actually hurt one another. The Super Soakers also became popular around the same time, didn't they? It's sort of a "candy-ass" aggression, which feeds right into Starfoxxx's comment. I mean, when we used toys guns on each other, that stuff hurt! It was all hard plastic and such. I won't even talk about lawn darts, chemistry sets, and wood burning kits.
Oh yeah, I forgot that Nerf footballs could be dangerous, if they were full of water/liquid, those footballs were like sponges if you left them out in the rain for a week or two.
I have memories of getting hit in the face with a disgusting wet Nerf football. Nostalgic.
Oh, Starfoxxx, I know exactly what you're talking about and yes -- that's pretty gross!
Tough night on the tube, kids! Watching a 30 for 30 on the Sugar Ray Leonard/Roberto Duran fights. The Dodgers and Cards are playing, and the PBS Superhero show is on. I absolutely despise reality TV, but a guy from our church is a contestant on The Voice this season, so I have to check in with that. Thank goodness for DVRs!
Karen, re: tennis balls. Yes, she does (or did - we don't bother giving them to her any more) pretty much the same thing Rex did - also in a matter of minutes.
And Doug, I share your contempt for reality TV, starting with the misnomer 'reality.' In essence, all of them are just rather elaborate game shows.
Nerf balls are soft and squishy and you can play with them in the house.
ReplyDeleteUhhm, I really can't think of anything else to say about Nerf.
I only had the basketball product shown, which was fairly fun..
ReplyDeleteOn their downslide, even the PreFab Four hawked 'em early on:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a-3eLL4LVt0
My best Nerf story also concerns the Nerf Hoop, David. When my school took the 8th grade trip to Washington, DC back in 1980, one of my roomies brought along his Nerf Hoop. That thing should have been contraband! Suffice it to say that a very nice painting ended up on the floor, and I'm sure some bed springs were broken as well. Four thirteen-year old boys, unsupervised with a Nerf Hoop. There will be blood...
ReplyDeleteDoug
I had the basketball, football & soccer ball. I enjoyed Nerf stuff, but I wouldn't want to herd it.
ReplyDeleteWe had a wonderful Samoyed-German Shepherd mix named Rex who loved, I should say LOVED, nerf footballs. But when he got ahold of them, they only lasted a matter of minutes, because he would chew them to pieces! We'd throw them for him and he'd chase them down, but he'd gnaw and gnash on them so hard, the dang things would just disintegrate. After buying a couple for them and realizing that it was not a cost effective toy, we relegated them to Christmas gifts and special occasions. But man was it fun to see that dog romp around with the football in his mouth. He didn't sit down and chew it apart -he just played so hard with it, the spongy ball couldn't take it!
ReplyDeleteI also have some swell memories of snowy winter days taking the Nerf football over to the local school yard and playing some tackle football. We'd bundle up in so many layers it was like a bunch of marshmallows running around. Great stuff!
ReplyDeleteDoug
"Nerf Balls" was recently the final Jeopardy answer. I guess Nerf began in 1969.
ReplyDeleteIt is weird to me that these days most Nerf products seem to be guns/weapons.
True, Osvaldo -- and no one should assume that those spongy darts won't put an eye out! My nephews got a Nerf gun last Christmas that was so big I thought Rob Liefeld must have designed it. That thing went off unexpectedly and scattered the family.
ReplyDeleteSeriously -- that gun could be used on Jackass for some of their stunts!!
Doug
Karen, your story about Rex reminds me of my current dog, Zita, who rips any so-called "chew toys" (regardless of whether they're made of rubber, plastic or that spongy Nerf-like material) to shreds in a matter of minutes.
ReplyDeleteWe finally found a type of toy made out of some kind of industrial-strength rubber (seriously, it's like car tire quality) that takes her a few months to finally tear apart.
I love Nerf footballs, but I also see the Nerf company as helping to "wussify" kids for the last 30 or so years. I threw a REAL leather football to my 8 year old nephew, and he was scared of it, and cried that it "hurt" (and, no, I didn't throw it hard).
ReplyDeleteBut Nerf probably has saved alot of broken fingers, and windows/windshields too.
starfoxxx
Hey Edo, do you ever give Zita tennis balls? Rex used to peel the covering off of those! Had to get it away from him for fear he might actually swallow it. Then he'd just gnaw on the rubber ball, until he'd chew it in half, at which point it became uninteresting to him. He was a sweet dog but I hate to think what those jaws could have done to a bad guy!
ReplyDeleteOsvaldo, now that you mention it, it is kind of odd that so many Nerf toys are guns. I think that started well after my time. I guess the thinking is, it's OK to throw things at each other, as long as you can't actually hurt one another. The Super Soakers also became popular around the same time, didn't they? It's sort of a "candy-ass" aggression, which feeds right into Starfoxxx's comment. I mean, when we used toys guns on each other, that stuff hurt! It was all hard plastic and such. I won't even talk about lawn darts, chemistry sets, and wood burning kits.
Oh yeah, I forgot that Nerf footballs could be dangerous, if they were full of water/liquid, those footballs were like sponges if you left them out in the rain for a week or two.
ReplyDeleteI have memories of getting hit in the face with a disgusting wet Nerf football. Nostalgic.
starfoxxx
Oh, Starfoxxx, I know exactly what you're talking about and yes -- that's pretty gross!
ReplyDeleteTough night on the tube, kids! Watching a 30 for 30 on the Sugar Ray Leonard/Roberto Duran fights. The Dodgers and Cards are playing, and the PBS Superhero show is on. I absolutely despise reality TV, but a guy from our church is a contestant on The Voice this season, so I have to check in with that. Thank goodness for DVRs!
Doug
Karen, re: tennis balls. Yes, she does (or did - we don't bother giving them to her any more) pretty much the same thing Rex did - also in a matter of minutes.
ReplyDeleteAnd Doug, I share your contempt for reality TV, starting with the misnomer 'reality.' In essence, all of them are just rather elaborate game shows.
Nerf shmerf!
ReplyDeleteI want to talk about Super Balls!
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