Top Sports Trophies and LA Wants Tacos!

What is in a trophy?  What makes professional athletes bust their tails 364 days a year to savor in the one moment when they receive that illustrious trophy that they have worked so hard for?  There are certain trophies in American sports lore that go above and beyond the prestige afforded to any normal championship.  Some men would give testiculars for the chance to hold up, wear, or drink out of these trophies while other men are frowned upon and their legacies tarnished because they never won them.  The bottom line is that an event can go from important to legendary with the addition of a meaningful prize.  So without further ado, I give you the top 5 sports trophies of all time.  

5. Heisman Trophy - College Football

The race for the Heisman Trophy has become a little ridiculous.  We are forced to listen to every ESPN college football analyst break down the Heisman Trophy race from the first to the last week of the season.  Nonetheless, there is no trophy as recognizable as the one given to the most outstanding player in college football.  Players have made a living on being the recipient of this trophy alone.  Hell, Desmond Howard is still hounded by people asking him to emulate his famous pose that he broke out against Ohio State.  During the 2009 Michigan Spring Game, Desmond walked across the north end zone and was promptly bombarded by each passing section with chants of "Do the pose! Do the pose!"  When he was introduced to the whole stadium, the chant could be heard from all sections.  The only thing holding this trophy back from being higher is how commercialized the whole process has gotten.  Also, the award has gone from being Most Outstanding Player to Most Outstanding QB on a BCS Team.

Most Famous Recipient: Desmond Howard, Michigan.  

Most Famous Non-Recipient: Peyton Manning, Tennessee

4. Stanley Cup Championship - NHL 

The Stanley Cup is nearly as recognizable as the Heisman Trophy.  In Canada and some of the bigger U.S. hockey cities (Detroit, Boston), the Stanley Cup may be as important as any trophy in the world.  There is something special about a bunch of rugged hockey players with full playoff beards passing around a huge trophy, taking turns drinking their preferred alcoholic beverage out of the biggest wide-mouthed can in the universe.  The fact that each player gets to take The Cup (or a replica) to any destination they wish adds something unique to this trophy.  I could only imagine a famous hockey player taking the Cup back to his hometown in Canada.  The heroes reception would be out of this world.  

Most Famous Recipient: Ray Bourque

Most Famous Non-Recipient: Marcel Dionne

3. Super Bowl Ring - NFL

It is only fitting that the biggest sport in the USA would have an entry on this list.  While some people might point to the Vince Lombardi Trophy as the one that players strive after, I would go with the Super Bowl ring.  The Lombardi Trophy just does not have the visibility that the ring does.  Some players have multiple rings, and they make sure to wear each and every one of them.  There is something special about the grueling NFL season, culminated with a sudden death playoff.  One bad game can break your season faster Willis McGahee's leg in the 2002 Fiesta Bowl.  There is no other sport out there like it.  Every major sport in America employs the series format, while the NFL is alone in the "play well or die" format.  There is something unique and special about the over sized ring on the giant hand of an offensive lineman.

Most Famous Recipient: Joe Montana

Most Famous Non-Recipient: Dan Marino

2. Green Jacket - The Masters - Golf

The golf world can thank Tiger Woods for this one.  With Tiger storming onto the scene, golf has grown by leaps and bounds in the mainstream public eye.  No tournament had more to do with this than The Masters.  It was here that Tiger first exerted his dominance on the rest of the field, showing everyone that he was a force to be reckoned with.  While Tiger made it famous, many other names laid the groundwork and tradition for this trophy.  Names like Bobby Jones, Ben Hogan, Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer, and Ben Crenshaw paved the way for Tiger to take this one into the stratosphere.  

Most Famous Recipient: Tiger Woods

Most Famous Non-Recipient: Greg Norman

1. WWF Championship - Professional Wrestling

Call me a wrestling elite, but I think there is no bigger feat than saying you were the WWF Heavyweight Champion.  Guys like Hulk Hogan, Bret Hart, Shawn Michaels, The Undertaker, Stone Cold Steve Austin, and The Rock made wearing this belt seem like the biggest thing ever.  Now with the brand split and subsequent two world champions, the value of this has gone down a little bit.  That does not take away the legacy that was built when the WWE was the WWF.  I would have given anything to have been announced as the "NEWWWWWWWWWWWW WORLD WRESTLING FEDERATION CHAMPION" by Howard Finkel.  There is also something special about wearing that belt around your waist as you come out to a huge ovation at the main event of Wrestlemania.  When you wear that belt around your waist, you know that you are the best in the world.  Unless you are Yokozuna.

Most Famous Recipient: Hulk Hogan

Most Famous Non-Recipient: Rowdy Roddy Piper

Any other additions? Feel free to chime in on the comments section.  The participation has been lackluster as of late.  As you know, participation makes a blog.

One other special shout out to the fans of the Los Angeles Lakers.  For anyone that didn't see, the Lakers fans went into a frenzy during Game One of their series versus the Utah Jazz.  It was not for a big Kobe Bryant dunk or a timely Trevor Ariza 3 pointer; instead, it was for tacos.  The Lakers had a promotion going that promised each fan some tacos if the Lakers held the Jazz under 100 points.  At 98 with under a minute to play,the fans took to chanting We Want Tacos as loud as they could.  Jeff Van Gundy was appalled at this, and did his best "Mr. Belding is disappointed in his students" speech.  I thought it was pretty funny, if a little stupid.  The whole thing isn't on YouTube (yet), but keep on the lookout for this as the NBA playoffs progress.  No word on whether the Lakers will give away some chimichangas to see how creative their fans can be with the chants.  

Never Run The Toss Sweep

Coach Deuce