Best Championship "Item"

[IrishCanadian25]

Tons of ways to tell people you are or were a champion at some point in your life. Most sports have their own ways of doing it, and there's obviously some overlap. What I'd like to ask is which physical representation of being a "champion" is the coolest?

Championship Ring

In the NFL, NBA, NHL, MLB, College Football, College Basketball, etc., athletes on the championship teams get championship rings. Some wear it around, some display them proudly in their homes in trophy cases, and some put them into safe deposit boxes. The widow owner of the Washington Wizards wore her husband's ring from the 70's title last night then she won the #1 Overall Pick in the NBA draft. You can get creative with the rings, and often times the 1st home game for a championship team is really cool because of the "ring ceremony."

Championship Belt

Pro Wrestling, Pro Boxing, MMA, and other Martial Arts often have a championship belt denote a champion of a division, weight class, promotion, etc. The belt can be worn around the waist, draped over a shoulder, held in the hand, or in the case of John Morrison, stuffed down his pants draped over his junk in case a sniper decides to take out the general and two colonels. Replica title belts have been a hot seller for pro wrestling for 3 decades.

Championship Bracelet

The World Series of Poker gives out a bracelet for each of its championships, whether Omaha, 7-card stud, or the Main Event Texas Hold 'Em itself. While not terribly masculine (which is ok, there are terrific female poker stars out there), it is a neat variation on the title belt. Plus it calls into play the "how many bracelets has _____ won" discussion.

The Green Jacket

The winner of the Masters Golf tournament gets an article of clothing normally they wouldn't voluntarilly purchase - a customer fit blazer the same color as the very fairways they've just dominated. It's so unique, and the ceremony during which the prior year's champion helps the new champion don his new jacket in front of the fireplace in the August Clubhouse is sincerely cool and classy.

The Name on the Stanley Cup

Is there anything cooler than the fact that the NHL Champions ALL get their names engraved on an enormous trophy that has been awarded each year since the late 1880's!? Talk about immortality in sports. Players frequently talk about their "day" with the Stanley Cup, and how cool it is to see some of the names on the teams of years past.

The Yellow Jersey

The Tour de France places a bright, sun-yellow jersey on the cyclist leading the pack, which is really neat, because it "highlights" (quite literally) the top cyclist at that point, both during AND after the event is over.

Medals (thanks Ferbian!)

Would Kurt Angle have gotten as big as he did without winning "the Olympic Gold Medal with a broken freakin' neck!?" Probably not. The Gold, Silver, and Bronze is a massive part of sport lore, and has been since ancient Greece. Fans now-a-days watch the medal counts as much as anything, seeking to find which country is the best at that year's games, and the medal itself is a keepsake for life.

Aside from trophies like the Lombardi trophy, etc, what is your favorite symbol of a champion? What is the coolest way to tell somebody "Hey, I am or I was at one time a professional athletic champion!"?

 

[Ferbian]

My favorite type of championship item actually be kind of torn, I have to admit although that I'm surprised you didn't include medals.

But quite honestly, my favorite is the championship belt, while you may very well not be able to display it every day after you loose it (unless it's the WWE where you get a personally made replica belt, even if it's not anything to brag about compared to the actual belt) I still think it's the better way of displaying it, while it's nothing you can really carry around, I feel that anything that isn't a ring isn't something you can just carry around, and carrying around a ring, it doesn't necessarily scream "championship ring" when you carry it around, as opposed to what any of the other things does, so it's just a personal favorite to the fact that during the time where people actually see you openly display it, the championship belt just looks that much better to me.

 

[Rhonda Rousey's Sports Bra]

My choice would be Lord Stanley. The Stanley Cup is probably the most magnificent looking trophy in all of sports and to get your name engraved on it makes it so much more special. Some players are forgotten even if they win a Championship, with the Stanley Cup you can just look at it at see all the greats of the game's names on it. I think there is nothing cooler than that.

 

[People's Champ]

My choice would be Lord Stanley. The Stanley Cup is probably the most magnificent looking trophy in all of sports and to get your name ingraved on it makes it so much more special. Some players are forgotten even if they win a Championship, with the Stanley Cup you can just look at it at see all the greats of the game's names on it. I think there is nothing cooler than that.

I'm going to have to agree with Blue on this. The Stanley Cup is the best trophy. I mean really look at that thing. And the fact that your name can be engraved on it makes it even greater. You may not be able to walk around with it everyday, but to have your name on the best looking trophy that lasts forever is truely great.

 

[Davi323]

Add me to the Stanley Cup. Unlike with championship rings, trophies, etc, there is only ONE cup. Not only that, but it is considered taboo to touch it at all, unless you win it. Every Super Bowl champion team gets a trophy, and they can be collected. Every Super Bowl winning player gets a ring each time, and they can be collected. Championship belts can be collected, they create new ones. You can collect multiple gold medals. But, there is only ONE Stanley Cup in the entire world, and you don't get to keep it. It is not, and never will be your property. Its so prestigious, you don't play for the Cup, you play to earn the right to carry it for a limited amount of time, and get your name on it...then you have to give it back. Basically, the Stanley Cup is so valuable, you play to rent it for a while, and that's it. But, when you do win the right to rent it, you are holding the same Stanley Cup as Steve Yzerman. Wayne Gretsky, Mario Lemeiux, Gordie Howe, Mark Messier, all the greats. You aren't carrying a replica of the Cup they won, you get to skate around with the actual Cup. The history of the Stanley Cup itself is unparalleled.

 

[TwistofRKO]

The Stanley Cup is by far the best tradition, but as an athlete I'd rather have something I can always see and possess, like a ring.

We'll run with the NFL for this one, and use Super Bowl rings. They are all very unique, being individually designed for each and every champion, and represents a great accomplishment achieved on the biggest stage of them all. Being a Super Bowl champion grants sports immortality, and the ability to touch the Lombardi Trophy as champions would be my biggest sports fantasy, and the ring would allow you to remember the experience.

The Stanley Cup cannot be dissed in the slightest. Again, its the best tradition, but you only see it once a year, you cant take it home with you (more than 1 day). Its a unique and really cool concept, but I'd rather have the physical item that can also remind me of the championship win itself.

 

[Lee]

I think the way that most football (soccer) clubs do it is the best way.

Take the world cup for example, the tradition is that only winners and heads of states are allowed to touch the trophy itself. You know if you've done that it's a good thing. For the likes of FA Cup/Premiership trophy etc you keep the trophy for a year in your trophy cabinet.

Then all the individual players get a nice simple medal, nothing flashy about it at all and in turn it puts it on team performance, rather than the individual.

 

[klunderbunker]

It's probably the wrestling fan in me but I have to go championship belt. I mean seriously, how AWESOME does that look? Take a look at some of these:

Or my favorite:

I mean think about it. How can you not look at that and the person holding it and say DAMN they must be awesome to have something that over the top and ridiculous. I want to hang around them.

How AWESOME do they look? What better way to say how awesome you are than by having something so big and shiny and just over the top that you HAVE to take notice of it. They've used them in boxing for years so why not? Also, who wants to carry about a big ass trophy or a ring? This you can throw around your waist or shoulder or whatever. It just looks cool as hell and is so gawdy that you can't help but notice it. I love it and that's my pick.

 

[Buffalo Dave]

Id say medals. Most presumably the Olympic ones. After watching the Olympics since being little you have to wonder how it feels to get a medal, representing you country. You know its a special feeling accepting one during the medal ceremony and have your national anthem being played right after getting one, knowing you are one of the best in the world in the sport you just competed in.

 

[Davi323]

The Stanley Cup is by far the best tradition, but as an athlete I'd rather have something I can always see and possess, like a ring.

We'll run with the NFL for this one, and use Super Bowl rings. They are all very unique, being individually designed for each and every champion, and represents a great accomplishment achieved on the biggest stage of them all. Being a Super Bowl champion grants sports immortality, and the ability to touch the Lombardi Trophy as champions would be my biggest sports fantasy, and the ring would allow you to remember the experience.

The Stanley Cup cannot be dissed in the slightest. Again, its the best tradition, but you only see it once a year, you cant take it home with you (more than 1 day). Its a unique and really cool concept, but I'd rather have the physical item that can also remind me of the championship win itself.

The problem with Super Bowl rings is that they aren't as valuable to the owners. They get pawned. How can they be the best championship item to get, if the people that get them are willing to get rid of them for a few thousand bucks?

 

[The Brain]

I have to go with the championship ring. The Stanley Cup is certainly unique, but as someone else mentioned, I’d like to have something I could keep. The ring is nice because it is subtle, but can still attract attention. For as cool as a championship belt or a medal may be you would look kind of silly walking around in public wearing it. The green jacket and yellow jersey aren’t exactly for every day wearing. The ring is something you could wear on any random day without looking so over the top. The same can be said for the bracelet, but I think the ring is a little nicer.

I think the million dollar belt would be a cool prize for the world series of poker. If that were the prize it would be my choice. How sweet would that look in a trophy case?

 

[Rhonda Rousey's Sports Bra]

One thing I will say against the Championship rings are that everyone on the team gets one, on a football team there are what like 40 something guys? I saw a guy at Taco Bell one time with a NFC championship ring from a few years back and I didn't even know who he was, even after he told me his name. The reason I'm saying the Stanley Cup is because there is only one. Period. It doesn't get much more special than that, and to have your name engraved on the one and only has to outweight a championship ring.

 

[texans420]

Does everyone seemingly forget that when you win the Stanley Cup, you still get a pretty sweet-looking ring after you win it as well as your day in the sun with it? I've even seen championship rings from guys that won the AHL equivalent in the Calder Cup, those rings are almost as cool as a Stanley Cup ring and you get your name engraved on a plate that goes on that trophy as well.

 

[thepalaceprince]

The stanley cup is the best trophy a champion could earn. The fact that everyone who has ever won the cup gets their name on it is absolutey incredible to me. Plus the fact that their is only one stanley cup and not a bunch of replicas that are given to every team that wins one makes it much more special. Also Ive heard people knock it saying that you have to give the cup back and you dont get to keep it or get anything to show for it well they actually give you a mini stanley cup (or they used to idk if they stil do I just know scottie bowman has a crapload on his mantle) so you do get a keep sake plus I believe everyone who wins the cup gets a championship ring as well. So yea the stanley cup is definately the coolest trophy in sprts