Flip-It

 

 

Flip-It has its origins in my fourth grade class, 1974. One rainy afternoon while we were waiting for our bus numbers to be called, I think it was me with Michael Logan, Stephen Pfingst, and maybe Charlie Connolly and a few others, who started messing around with an eraser, betting on which side it would fall, heads or tails. I decided to make an actual game of it. Since, at the time, I was a complete sports nut, I began by making cards for the AL and NL teams, then added the ABA since I loved the NY Nets, and then, to be equitable, I let the NBA in. More leagues followed: the NFL, the NHL, the WHA (World Hockey Association), and even the NASL (North American Soccer League) and the WTT (World Team Tennis)! I passed on the CFL (Canadian Football League). I couldn't see dealing with a league that had one team called The Rough Riders, and another team called The Roughriders. I had my principles, after all. Along with the profusion of professional leagues, I decided to develop my own league, with my own team names--the AmeriCana League.

Flip-It, as I was calling it by now, was an all-consuming passion. Other kids were actually playing these sports, but I was on the floor in the den for hours on end in mere simulated play. (Okay, that's not true, I was very active in sports back then, especially with my friends Jamie Overmeyer (whiffle ball) and Robert Kirby (basketball); I usually lost.)

For my twelfth birthday, Robert Kirby bought me a handsome hardbound notebook for Flip-It record-keeping purposes: "The Official 1975 Flip-It Record Book". By this time, Robert had dabbled in the game, but Jamie was a full-on convert. The game itself was kind of dumb, but it nonetheless generated a lot of excitement for a couple of twelve year olds. I present here the AmeriCana League...in full color!

 

AMERICANA LEAGUE

(established 1974, when I was 11)

 

EASTERN CONFERENCE 
WESTERN CONFERENCE
ATLANTIC
LAKES
HEARTLAND
PACIFIC

 

Long Island

long island sound

 

Montreal

mountreal mounties

 

Kentucky

kentucky blue grass

 

Portland

portland loggers

 

Halifax

halifax halibut

 

Pennsylvania

pennsylvania keystones

 

Minnesota

minnesota miners

 

San Diego

san diego sandpipers

 

New York

new york times

 

Buffalo

buffalo stampede

 

Virginia

virginia settlers

 

Utah

utah salties

 

Boston

boston massacres

 

Detroit

detroit drivers

 

St. Louis

st. louis arches

 

Regina

regina rockies

 

flip it

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