Trophies are awarded to teams and individuals who have achieved the highest level of excellence in their sport. Whether it’s at your local high school or in one of the many professional sporting stadiums around the world, there’s sure to be an award display case, prominently placed, to show off those trophies. Even for professional athletes with six-figure salaries or more, trophies are a great source of pride. Throughout the years, some of the trophies awarded in professional sports have become iconic and signify the ultimate achievement in that sport. When these trophies are won, they will be displayed front and center in the winner’s award display case.
The Vince Lombardi Trophy
The ultimate achievement in American professional football is winning the Superbowl. The coveted reward for this achievement is the Vince Lombardi Trophy. Lombardi, an American football player and coach, was best known as the head coach of the Green Bay Packers in the 1960s. Originally known as the World Professional Football Championship Trophy, it was first awarded to the Packers in 1967. The trophy was renamed by the league in 1970, in honor of Lombardi, who passed away that year.
Unlike some professional sporting trophies that are passed on from team to team each year, a new Vince Lombardi Trophy is made every year and the winning team maintains permanent possession of that trophy. The sterling silver trophy was originally designed by NFL commissioner Pete Roselle and Oscar Riedner, vice president of Tiffany & Co and is still produced by the company. Some football teams such as the New England Patriots and the Pittsburgh Steelers proudly display multiple Vince Lombardi Trophies in their award display cases.
The Commissioner’s Trophy
Among the most iconic awards in professional sports is the Commissioner’s Trophy. It is awarded to the winner of the US World series each year by the MLB commissioner. It was first awarded to the St. Louis Cardinals in 1967. Prior to that, World Series winners did not receive a trophy. Recent trophy designs trophy feature 30 gold-plated flags, one for each Major League team.
The flags tower above a silver baseball adorned with latitude and longitude lines, symbolizing the world which features 24-karat vermeil stitching. With earlier designs, the two teams participating in the World Series were simply represented by two press pins set on the base of the trophy. Although it was first awarded in 1967, it wasn’t named until 1985. It is the only trophy of those awarded to the four major professional sports in North America, not to be named after a specific person.
The Stanley Cup
The first hockey championship series was played in 1894 in Montreal, Canada, and the prize was Lord Stanley’s Cup. The Stanley Cup was the creation of Sir Frederick Arthur Stanley and has become one of the most iconic trophies in sports. Stanley was the Lord of Preston and the 16th Earl of Derby. He became an ice hockey fan after watching a game at the Montreal Winter Carnival in 1889 and then donated a lavish trophy to the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association. Originally called the Dominion Hockey Challenge Cup, the trophy was first awarded in 1893.
Since 1926, the National Hockey League has awarded the Stanley Cup has every year except for 2005, due to the NHL strike. The original trophy was retired in 1962 and replaced by a single trophy, which is passed from reigning championship team to the new championship team every year. The name of each player and front office employee of the winning team is engraved on the cup and they are each given 24 hours with it. During that time they can take the Cup anywhere, accompanied by full-time escorts provided by the Hockey Hall of Fame.
Larry O’Brien NBA Championship Trophy
The original trophy was called the Walter A. Brown Trophy and was awarded from 1947 to 1976. In 1977 the trophy was redesigned and in 1984 it was renamed the Larry O’Brien Trophy. O’Brien served as the NBA commissioner from 1975 to 1984. The original trophy displayed at the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. The current trophy features a basketball over a hoop. Manufactured by Tiffany & Co, it stands two feet tall and is made of 15.5 pounds of sterling silver and vermeil with a 24 karat gold overlay.
Like the Vince Lombardi Trophy, the championship team maintains permanent possession of the trophy. The year and the names of the winning team members are engraved on the trophies which typically reside in an award display case in the winning team’s arena. Although it is not as famous as those awards previously mentioned, it is a source of pride and coveted by the NBA teams.
What’s in Your Award Display Case?
These are just a few of the sports iconic awards. Others include the America’s Cup Trophy, the FIFA World Cup Trophy, the Wimbledon Trophy and more. Awards are a symbol of hard work, dedication, and success. Trophies are timeless reminders of those victories but they are not exclusive to professional athletes. Amateur athletes who achieve the highest level of competition that exists in their chosen sport are also awarded medals and trophies. It is equally important for them to display their awards. If your searching for the right way to show off your awards, Medal Awards Rack has the solution. Our trophy display collection was built with competitors and champions in mind. It will display your proudest moments, which is something all of us deserve to do. Visit our shop today to find the perfect trophy display to show off your awards.