8" Joe Namath

[J.B.]

The helmet itself is just...too cheap looking. In an era where McFarlane Sportspicks have authentic detail, something that looks like a gumball machine prize, while possessing vintage charm, just comes off as cheap, even if it is a nod to a vintage toy. Mego should be balancing nostalgia and innovation. At least in my opinion. If they want to move forward, they should work on likenesses, and accuracy. Kitschy charm will only get them so far when there's stuff like NECA on the pegs.

Like you said earlier, it is a nod to the original. This is the original. Namath rocked a Schutt cowcatcher facemask, which Mego almost got right, except missing one vertical bar on the facemask.

If New Mego wanted to, they could have gone with the original 2 bar Action Jackson Football Helmet design, which came with a chin strap and is even nicer than the NFL Action Team Mates.

But they didn't want to. They didn't even want to fix the missing vertical bar from the original facemask because they wanted it to be an 8" version of the original; flaws and all. So back to what you were saying: It doesn't look very cheap nor terrible; it looks like what they wanted it to look like: an 8" version of a larger vintage figure.

[TrekStar]

If anyone has Classic Tv Toys Bobby Brady, that would go well with Joe Namath.

The helmet is blank, maybe because they no longer have the rights using the Jets name?

It looks pretty much like the old gumball machine helmets.

[TrekStar]

Cool! I hope the Sports line also includes Howard Cosell and Ali.

Howard Cosell with yellow Monday night football announcers jacket.

[Hedji]

What are these "Sports" of which you speak? And more importantly, why do I want this figure?

[Brue]

Will we be seeing outfits a la Action Jackson for Joe like the ones on the card he is holding in the interview?

[Brue]

Never heard of him

I don't watch football. I don't care about it --but how do you not know him? He was on TV, talked about t school. He even had a Mego action figure!
If you were born in the 20th century, it would have been hard to not hear of him.

Maybe you are a lot younger AND don't watch football.

[EmergencyIan]

Fair enough, but the Team Mates helmet wouldn't have fit this head. Using a Big Jim helmet and pads as prototypes might have been useful, I've not compared the fit but they look good.

Oh, overall, I think the 8” Joe looks terrific! But, the helmet does look like the ones I used to get from those vending machines all those years ago. I realize that Mego couldn’t use the same helmet as worn my the Team Mate figures (though I don’t think the size is too far off). I just meant that they could have done a better tooling of their helmet when you compare it to the same type of helmets that come with the Team Mates. They aren’t elaborate, by any stretch of the imagination, but they do fit the figures well and look great on them. That’s all I’m saying that Mego would have been better off shooting for. However, as I said earlier, if this is a one off football figure, which I’d bet is the case, I’m fine with the current helmet. The figure is very good, overall, as far as I can tell.

- Ian

[boss]

I like this figure a lot. I hope the Ali is as well done. I’d love to see a Pele, too

[PNGwynne]

It's nice that they finally did real socks. Way better than the painted on ones.

I agree!

[Werewolf]

It's nice that they finally did real socks. Way better than the painted on ones.

[PNGwynne]

Even if they just tooled the helmet to be very similar to the ones that came with the old NFL Action Team Mates, that would be a huge improvement. In saying that, I’m not really concerned with this specifically, unless, by some miracle, Mego does decide (or is able to) to revive the old NFL Team Mates line.

- Ian

Fair enough, but the Team Mates helmet wouldn't have fit this head. Using a Big Jim helmet and pads as prototypes might have been useful, I've not compared the fit but they look good.

[MysteryWho]

I'm a football fan and I would love more football players, but Ali will be great also. I had the original Ali figure as a kid and I remember it fondly. Up with the sports, ease back on the sitcoms.

[Brue]

He looks great! Well outfitted/accessorized.

Love the card/bubble.

I had thought the upcoming Ali that was leaked would be 14". This leads me to think he'll be 8. (Maybe the size is known and I just missed it.)

[palitoy]

Cool! I hope the Sports line also includes Howard Cosell and Ali.

Ali was confirmed by Marty months ago. It's happening.

[ObiSeanMEGObi]

Cool! I hope the Sports line also includes Howard Cosell and Ali.