Eli Manning helps tackle fiscal literacy in video game
Eli Manning has some coaching tips for kids, but they have nothing to do with throwing the perfect spiral.
Instead, the New York Giants quarterback is encouraging young people to learn about finance by helping promote a new version of a trivia-based video game from Visa called “Financial Football 3.0.”
Manning doesn’t appear in the game itself, but his participation, and that of his rookie teammate running back Saquon Barkley, is part of a longstanding NFL partnership with the global payments company. The app, which I got to play alongside Manning, is available as a free download for Android, iOS, Windows and Mac.
Players choose a favorite NFL team and try to move the ball down the field, or stop the other team from doing so, by correctly answering a series of multiple choice or true/false financial questions. The topics include budgeting, identity theft, debt, credit, financial institutions and life events.
You can select from 42 offensive plays, including running and passing options, and when the other team has the ball, choose a defensive alignment as well. The reality, though, is that you don’t really have to understand much about football since the point is more about getting the score on finance.
It’s possible to play solo or you can go head to head against a friend, choosing among three levels of question difficulty: Rookie (ages 11-14), Pro (14-18) and Hall of Fame (18-plus). There are some 2,000 questions in all, in both English and Spanish. Samples:
❚ “If fraud is suspected, the IRS can ask you for documentation related to your tax return – 1) For up to 20 years, 2) Indefinitely, 3) For up to 3 years, 4) For up to 5 years.
Or this:
❚ True or false: “An overdraft fee is what you pay when your credit card payment is late.”
(See below for answers.)
You must answer questions within a designated time lest you get flagged for delay of game. Get a question wrong, and your quarterback may get sacked or intercepted. “It’s tough. I definitely miss a few,” Manning joked just before we teamed up to play his Giants vs. the New York Jets.
Visa is also working with schools; there are links in the game where educators can find learning modules to download. The game is a companion to “Financial Soccer,” which Visa says is available in 43 countries and 17 languages. And though Financial Football itself isn’t new, this is the first time it has been updated in eight years.
Note: The answer to the IRS/fraud question is No. 2, “Indefinitely.” The answer to the overdraft question is “false.”