Our Trophy Is Better Than Yours

Photo by Me

Everyone else was focused on the Super Bowl this evening. And I can't lie, I had the game on the tv. Today's main sporting event was the Lightning hosting the St. Louis Blues this afternoon. I made sure to get there early as the Stanley Cup was in front of the arena for three hours before puck drop. The Cup was in town last season, but you couldn't get anywhere near it. The last time I got to touch it was 2004 before Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals. Not only did I touch it then, I gave it a big kiss. Today, we were able to get really close and I got a bunch of great pictures. It is an absolutely stunning trophy.

My bias really started to come out while watching the presentation of the Lombardi trophy after Green Bay became Super Bowl Champs. The Stanley Cup is the best trophy in sports. Not just because part of the trophy is over 100 years old. Not because it's made of sterling silver. Because of what it means and because of how hard it is to win it. And when your team does win it, every person gets 24 hours with it. Every single member of that team gets their name engraved on it. As Marty St. Louis and Tim Taylor said after the Lightning won, that team walks together forever on the Stanley Cup. For all to see.

The Stanley Cup is also a guaranteed way to make a tough hockey player verklempt and speechless. THAT is how much it means.