It is, of course, the ESPN Game Station I mentioned previously. Here it is in its basketball/baseball/football configuration; the long black chute catches and returns the balls to you, even when you miss (well, most of the time, anyway):
The directions were fantastic, with clear photographs, and the parts were nicely packaged. One of the best things was the way the fasteners (screws, locking bolts, etc) were attached to tabs that kept them neat and separate until you needed them.
These were take-no-prisoners directions; they warned right off the bat that it would take between 2.5 and 5 hours to assemble this thing, and that it should be assembled in the room it was going to live in. Yeah, it's big. They also recommend using a power screwdriver -- we have two, out in the garage, that haven't been charged in years. Oh, well: it did take me 5 hours or more, probably, because I took my time with it. When you're feeling slightly dense it's always a good idea to go slow, making sure the parts and the pictures match exactly.
After the first couple of hours I realized I was working in silence for no reason, so I got DH's boombox and worked along to new U2 (How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb) and old Rush (Hold Your Fire)... and finished by supper time. No real blisters, sore thumbs, and some shoulder tweaks are all I'm dealing with now.
The kids love it. Heck, I love it. What's not to like? The day flew.
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