The best trophy in sports?

[TGWL]

I'm with a lot of people..its the cup for me as well.

[Guest Mr. Potato Head]

Hands down, has to be the Stanley Cup. It's got the whole thing going on where it doesn't look like a trophy unless you know what it is, the shape makes it conducive to holding it over your head, you get your name on it (at least for a few decades), you get to spend a day with it and it's a huge deal whenever it comes to town (at least in Canada), the stories of kids getting baptized in it, it getting dropped into Mario Lemieux's pool and dropkicked into the Rideau Canal...that's what a trophy should be.

[IAceI]

That. It's not massive, but it's big enough to look worthy of something magnificent. It signals the coming together of the best countries in the world from all the FIFA members, the teams that done the best in qualifying in Europe, South America, Asia, Africa, Oceania and North America all come together to see who truly is the best. Not to mention the prestige that should be seen as just playing for your own country, let alone taking them to the World Cup finals, then the final of that tournament and then to actually win it. If I was the captain of a World Cup winning country and I took them there and lifted that - nothing would beat it.

I also love the Champions League, because that is a time when the best players in the world come together who often wouldn't play in the World Cup because perhaps their country isn't good enough as a team. But for me, it's the world cup. Just to signify the ultimate country in the worlds biggest sport. It also looks brilliant, a globe which just signifies all the countries in the world competing for it.

[Cactus Drags]

It's about the trophy, not the competition. The World Cup trophy's kinda dull. It does have its stories admittedly, like the sniffer dog finding it when it was stolen, but otherwise, meh.

[HailtotheYo]

eh, the Heisman for American sports simply for its age/history/etc.

I like the Wimbledon platter as well

[Clawson]

It's easily the Stanley Cup. How many other trophies spend 90% of their time in a public viewing forum where anybody can come by and touch something that so many legends and great players have touched? How many trophies can provide military forces with such a massive morale boost?

Nothing can come close and another reason is it's wacky stories:

The Cup has also been mistreated, misplaced, or otherwise misused on numerous occasions. In 1905, a member of the Ottawa Senators tried to drop kick the Cup across the Rideau Canal. The attempt failed, and the Cup was not retrieved until the next day; luckily the canal was still frozen over.[26] In 1906, weeks after members of the Montreal Wanderers left it at a photographer's studio, officials learned that the photographer's mother was using the Cup to plant geraniums.[26] In 1907, a Kenora Thistles team manager threatened to throw the Cup into the Lake of the Woods in a dispute over the eligibility of two Thistles players.[27]

In 1924, members of the Montreal Canadiens, en route to celebrate their win at owner Leo Dandurand's home, left it by the road after repairing a flat tire. The Cup was recovered exactly where they left it.[26] In 1925, Lynn and Muzz Patrick, the sons of Victoria Cougars manager-coach Lester Patrick, discovered the Cup in the basement of their home, and scratched their names on it with a nail.[28] In 1940, their names were properly engraved on it as members of the champion New York Rangers. They also urinated in the Cup with teammates.[27]

During the 1940–41 NHL season, the mortgage on Madison Square Garden was paid. The management publicly celebrated by burning the mortgage in the Cup. Some fans claimed this act "desecrated" the Cup, leading to the Curse of 1940, which allegedly caused the Rangers to wait 54 years for another win.[29]

In 1957, Maurice "Rocket" Richard chipped both of his front teeth while drinking from the Stanley Cup.

In the Chicago Stadium, in the spring of 1961, the Montreal Canadiens were losing the final game of a Playoff series to the Chicago Blackhawks. A Montreal fan (Ken Kilander) in the stands was upset, so he left his seat, ran down to the front lobby and broke into the glass showcase where the Stanley Cup was on display. He grabbed the Cup, hoisted it over his shoulders and made for the exit before he was arrested. In court, he explained his behaviour to the judge: "Your Honour, I was simply bringing the Cup back to Montreal where it belongs."[30]

In 1962, the Toronto Maple Leafs won the Stanley Cup. During a party after the win, the trophy was dropped in a bonfire and badly damaged. It was repaired at the expense of the team.

In 1964, Red Kelly of the Toronto Maple Leafs posed for a photo with his infant son sitting in the Cup, only to find the child had urinated in it. Kelly was quoted years later as saying it has always since made him laugh to see players drinking out of the Cup.[31]

Clark Gillies of the New York Islanders filled the Cup with dog food and let his dog eat out of it.

The New York Islanders' Bryan Trottier admitted to sleeping with the Cup (as have, apparently, dozens of players).[26]

In 1987, the Edmonton Oilers' Mark Messier took it to his favourite club in his hometown of St. Albert, Alberta, and let fans drink out of it. It wound up slightly bent in various places for unknown reasons. It was repaired at a local automotive shop, and shipped back to the Hockey Hall of Fame.[27]

The 1991 Pittsburgh Penguins and 1993 Montreal Canadiens decided to test its buoyancy by tossing it into Mario Lemieux's and Patrick Roy's respective pools ("The Stanley Cup"—noted then-Canadiens captain Guy Carbonneau—"does not float.").[26] Dominik Hašek had his visit with the Cup cut short for doing the same.[32]

After the parade in their honor in 1994, members of the New York Rangers, including Mike Richter, took the cup to McSorley's Old Ale House, locked the doors, and for 45 minutes allowed the patrons to hoist it above their heads and drink McSorley's Dark and Light out of it. The New York Post reported the next day that the cup was taken back by the league for "repairs" to its base. Later, several New York Rangers took the Cup to Belmont Park, filled it with oats, and let Kentucky Derby winner Go for Gin eat out of it.[26]

The 1999 Dallas Stars' Stanley Cup party was hosted at the house of Stars defenceman Craig Ludwig and Pantera drummer Vinnie Paul. At the party, Stars forward Guy Carbonneau (apparently having forgotten the Cup's lack of buoyancy from his 1993 adventures) allegedly attempted to throw the Cup from the upstairs deck into the house's Crown Royal shaped pool below. The Cup caught the lip of the pool, producing a large dent.[33] Mike Bolt, one of the "Keepers of the Cup" for the NHL, stated that this never happened. "What happened was that one of the players was posing with it next to the pool when someone pushed him into the water, and it went in with him. It was in the water maybe two seconds," Bolt said. "It was a real good party from what I understand." The trophy was dented the previous day, when a player dropped it during a locker room celebration, Bolt said.[34]

In 1999 and 2003, the cup made a trip to Joe Nieuwendyk's alma mater, Cornell University, both times visiting a local college bar.[35] In 2003, Martin Brodeur ate popcorn out of the Cup, and had butter stains and salt damage for the next 8 days before Jamie Langenbrunner cleaned it. In 2003, the Cup was slated to make its first-ever visit to Slovakia with New Jersey Devils' Jiri Bicek, but was left behind in Canada; it was on the next flight out of Toronto.[36] Finally, on August 22, 2004, Walter Neubrand, keeper of the Cup, boarded a plane to Fort St. John, British Columbia, to deliver it to Tampa Bay Lightning head scout Jake Goertzen. However, Air Canada officials at Vancouver International Airport removed it before takeoff because of weight restrictions. The Cup spent the night in the luggage area, 1,200 kilometres (750 miles) away. It was flown to Fort St. John the following day.[18]

In 2007, a photoshoot on the set of the NBC television series Heroes showed actors Milo Ventimiglia and Hayden Panettiere "goofing off" with the cup, including worshiping, walking with, and Hayden licking and kissing the trophy.[37]

On June 7, 2007,, after the Anaheim Ducks won the Cup, captain Scott Niedermayer brought the trophy to the set in Los Angeles of Jim Rome is Burning. While the Cup was on set, the associate producer of JRIB, Travis Rodgers, hoisted and posed with the Cup. The images were then posted on Jim Rome's website,[38] which upset many Canadians, who called Rome's radio show on June 8 to complain that Rodgers had disrespected the Cup. Don Cherry called into the program to defend Rodgers, stating his belief that he did not disrespect the Cup at all.

On June 6, 2008, after the Red Wings' Stanley Cup Parade, the Stanley Cup was pushed off a table at Chris Chelios' Chili Bar in Detroit, Michigan and received a dent, which was later smoothed out.[39] After the 2008 NHL Awards, it was revealed that the damage was more extensive than originally released.[40]

[Blaze09]

You couldn't use another pic...it's too soon man, too soon.

But yeah, the Stanley Cup wins hands down. I will go with a Olympic gold medal second, and the Heisman third.

[IAceI]

It's about the trophy, not the competition. The World Cup trophy's kinda dull. It does have its stories admittedly, like the sniffer dog finding it when it was stolen, but otherwise, meh.

So why are people blethering on about the history of the Ashes and other stuff as well?

Plus I think the trophies quite attractive, as the globe represents all the countries wanting to win it.

[ChrisSteeleAteMyHamster]

It's about the trophy, not the competition. The World Cup trophy's kinda dull. It does have its stories admittedly, like the sniffer dog finding it when it was stolen, but otherwise, meh.

So why are people blethering on about the history of the Ashes and other stuff as well?

Plus I think the trophies quite attractive, as the globe represents all the countries wanting to win it.

Because I made the rules and the rules are that there ARE no rules!

I will blather about the history all I want.

[IAceI]

It's about the trophy, not the competition. The World Cup trophy's kinda dull. It does have its stories admittedly, like the sniffer dog finding it when it was stolen, but otherwise, meh.

So why are people blethering on about the history of the Ashes and other stuff as well?

Plus I think the trophies quite attractive, as the globe represents all the countries wanting to win it.

Because I made the rules and the rules are that there ARE no rules!

I will blather about the history all I want.

The surely the guy should be quoting the people who picked the Ashes urn for picking a 2 inch piece of wood as opposed to a golden trophy?

I'm getting confused myself here >_<

[ChrisSteeleAteMyHamster]

It's about the trophy, not the competition. The World Cup trophy's kinda dull. It does have its stories admittedly, like the sniffer dog finding it when it was stolen, but otherwise, meh.

So why are people blethering on about the history of the Ashes and other stuff as well?

Plus I think the trophies quite attractive, as the globe represents all the countries wanting to win it.

Because I made the rules and the rules are that there ARE no rules!

I will blather about the history all I want.

The surely the guy should be quoting the people who picked the Ashes urn for picking a 2 inch piece of wood as opposed to a golden trophy?

I'm getting confused myself here >_<

Read that sentence again. It made no sense.

[naiwf]

I'm going with the Stanley Cup and I'm not that big of a hockey fan. Second would probably be the Wimbledon trophies, and third would be an Olympic gold medal.

[IAceI]

Then* surely.

He's quoted me for saying its about the trophy, not history behind it when I picked a golden trophy.

Yet people in here have said that a little wooden box thing is the best trophy and no ones bat an eye lid.

[Blaze09]

Then* surely.

He's quoted me for saying its about the trophy, not history behind it when I picked a golden trophy.

Yet people in here have said that a little wooden box thing is the best trophy and no ones bat an eye lid.

The people who haven't bat an eye lid is probably the ones who aren't paying attention to it because it so outlandish, like me

[ChrisSteeleAteMyHamster]

Firstly it's personal opinion and secondly for me the best trophy isn't a big old chunk of glittery Disney. It's a ridiculous, understated little ceramic piece of junk that holds the ashes of a cricket stump or bail from a hundred and thirty years ago.

"Best" does not, for me, mean biggest of shiniest. Of course I'm wrong but this thread was started to offer up different opinions.

[IAceI]

Exactly. Which is why I think the World Cup is the best, despite it not being the biggest nor shinyest. Why not tell the guy who quoted me about it not being about the history as much as it is the best looking when I'm arguing the same point as you?

Edited June 26, 2009 by IAceI

[ChrisSteeleAteMyHamster]

Exactly. Which is why I think the World Cup is the best, despite it not being the biggest nor shinyest. Why not tell the guy who quoted me about it not being about the history as much as it is the best looking when I'm arguing the same point as you?

I wasn't arguing against you. It was you who mentioned the Ashes.

I think the World Cup is great and of course means far more to me personally than the Stanley Cup or the Superbowl cup thing.

[Guest Mr. Potato Head]

I'm sorry our 116-year-old trophy isn't ancient enough for you Hammy

[IAceI]

Exactly. Which is why I think the World Cup is the best, despite it not being the biggest nor shinyest. Why not tell the guy who quoted me about it not being about the history as much as it is the best looking when I'm arguing the same point as you?

I wasn't arguing against you. It was you who mentioned the Ashes.

I think the World Cup is great and of course means far more to me personally than the Stanley Cup or the Superbowl cup thing.

I simply brought up the Ashes because I thought it funny that someone would mention the visual affects of the World Cup, but completely ignore the Ashes - which while historic, isn't much a visual trophy. Is all.

But for the record;

Historic, best story, whatever trophy; World Cup

Visually my favourite; Possibly the Stanley Cup... I mean its fucking huuuge.

[Mr Evil Guy]

The Stanley Cup easy. I don't watch nearly as much hockey and don't follow it until the playoffs, but I've seen it, I've seen Jason Arnott hoist it up on a lake in my hometown, I've touched it at I think the Hockey Hall of Fame, it's just something that's fucking cool.

Edited June 26, 2009 by Mr Evil Guy