VeeshanVault

I'm going to try this again.
I think this would come down to one or two but I'm curious. please don't mind that I don't know what some of them are officially called.

Heisman trophy. It's the only non professional one on the list besides the Olympics1

I have to vote Stanley Cup.

The history and lore behind the cup far outshadows every other trophy on that list combined.

The Vince Lombardi trophy (ie Superbowl)...
They make a new one every year.
The trophy is awarded to the team owner, not the players.
The team name, logo and game score are engraved on it.
The owner gets to keep it.
The players get a ring.


The Stanley Cup...
There is (technically) only one.
The trophy is awarded to the team.
Every player on the team gets the Cup for a few days to do whatever the fuck they want to do with it.
The cup is engraved with the names of every player.
The team has to give it back.




If you're not familiar with the history of the Cup and all the crazy stories over the years, do yourself a favour and look it up. It's some great reading.

For those unfamiliar with some or all:
The Stanley Cup


Vince Lombardi Trophy


Commissioner's Trophy


The Heisman Trophy


UEFA Trophy


Wimbledon Trophys (womens top, mens bottom)


Master's Green Jacket


Larry O'Brien NBA Championship Trophy


Olympic Gold Medal


Other - Tour de France (trophy/jersey)


Edit: fuck NASCAR

In terms of competition, I would agree with Winnow that Non-professional trophies probably have the best run up to them. I love watching the Wold Junior Hockey Championship each Christmas- Jan 10th or so each year just because it is some of the most exciting hockey played each year. Same goes for the Memorial Cup (the Tier 1 Junior hockey trophy in Canada): these are some of the best kids in the world at that age level playing their hearts out. I see the same appeal in NCAA titles in the US.

In terms of the prestige and history it would be between Wimbledon and the Stanley Cup. As Miir mentioned Lord Stanley's mug has a storied history and the has been in existence longer than any other North American title. Wimbledon... well even non-tennis people like me can appreciate the prestige in winning it: it has a mystique the French Open and US Open et al lack. In the end I like Stanley because I prefer team sports.

Thanks for the pics Noel, it's cool to see them all lined up. I should have added the Tour de France for sure.

I should have added the World Cup in there, a pretty big deal and a big oversight on my part.

Wulf, that's kinda what I was thinking when it came to selecting the golf and tennis award which most exemplifies that sport's top award. I'm just not familiar with the college sport trophies or what they look like to be honest. That’s why I didn’t include them personally but I understand people’s passion about them. However, the Heisman is an iconic trophy which is why I included it. Even if you don’t watch college football, if someone mentions the Heisman, you could probably get a good mental image of what it looks like.

I picked the Stanley Cup. I agree with everything that has been said about it already for my rationale.

What criteria are we judging on? Not aesthetic value, I hope?

I went for Lord Stanley's Cup. It's #1 or #2 in all the categories of tradition, history, team effort, aesthetics... it's a unique trophy that isn't sitting in 10 different peoples' living rooms right now... just the stories of people taking back to their podunk town in canada for a week or having strippers drink champagne out of it... I don't think you can top the cup.

The Heisman is pretty rad too, but, as a former offensive and defensive lineman, it's kind of bullshit that glamour positions get a trophy when not a single Heisman winner could have done it without his team. Plus, it was awarded to Gino Torretta and Eric Crouch, forever sullying its reputation.

Yeah, I have to go with the cup, even though hockey is a sport that's not really on my radar. I have tremendous respect for the sport, the players, the tradition, but I've just never really gotten into it. The cup though is just fantastic for all of the reasons Miir mentioned.

I can't stand the sport, but the Stanley Cup is the coolest trophy by far.

Sylvus wrote:The Heisman is pretty rad too, but, as a former offensive and defensive lineman, it's kind of bullshit that glamour positions get a trophy when not a single Heisman winner could have done it without his team.

Thats the way I felt about the Heisman too (and most individual awards for team sports ): its mostly QBs and RBs that win... who would be nothing without a good line in front of them, making the holes or giving them time to throw the ball. I'll heartily agree its probably one of the most identifiable names in sports trophies though.

What's wrong with the Heisman Trophy going to offensive players?

-Phoenix Suns Fan


I thought we were judging based on aesthetics! Heisman > all of those tin cups, plates, etc!

hmm, I didn't understand the criteria being used in deciding. I picked the Champion's League trophy due to the accomplishment involved in playing the "best of the best" from multiple leagues.

Lord Stanley's Cup wins. Because you drink beer out of it.

I was all set to pick the Stanley Cup, basically for the reasons Miir mentioned. But then I saw olympic gold medal and had to go with that. Say what you want about the olympics, but in my mind "olympic gold medalist" is a designation that's just on a different (and higher) level than any other athletic accomplishment. Maybe it's because of the sense of civic representation that's involved. Doesn't necessarily make sense, but it definitely elicits a different and stronger reaction in me than do any of the others.

BCS trophy

umm, Winnow wins

Bubba Grizz wrote:

ROFL!

Football sucks.

That is all.

bit of a bump but i thought this was a cool part of the NHL website. i knew the cup was busy, but this is nutty schedule and everyone is eating and drinking out of the thing.

http://fans.nhl.com/stanley_cup/home/

The "best" trophy would have to be imo an Olympic Gold medal, or the Footballing World Cup (soccer).

By that I mean purely awesome personal achievement in the Olympics is to me, for some reason, extra special, in a historical and romanticised sense. The same applies for the World Cup trophy, the whole world goes fucking mental every 4 years we have a World Cup, that trophy means more to more people than any other trophy there is.

Although if we are going on which looks the most awesome, that Stanley cup one looks pretty over the top!