The newly re-designed Grey Cup Trophy

[Robbie]

For the third time in its 110-year history, the chalice that is emblematic of Canadian football supremacy has a shiny new base.

The change was prompted by a simple reality: the base that has supported the original Cup since 1987 has run out of room for the plaques that list the names of Grey Cup champions.

On the new base, the panels bearing the names of Grey Cup champions are still mounted in vertical columns, but those are now made up of individual plaques. The champions’ names on those plaques are darkened so they are easier to see.

Starting next year, a plaque from the past will be removed each year to make room for a new one honouring the newest champion. A plaque listing the names of the 2020 Grey Cup champions, for example, will replace the 1909 plaque.

The plaques that are removed from the base will remain on permanent display at the Hall of Fame. In addition, the entire barrel-shaped base that has been in use since 1987 will remain on display at the Hall, attached to a replica of the original chalice.




I wonder if the smaller base makes it harder to hold vertically and must hold it horizontally like how the Stanley Cup is usually held.

And also, more than a few times the top of the cup has broken off in half in the Grey Cup celebrations. I wonder if the newly design trophy also reinforced the two halves so that won't break into two again.

[B.C.FAN]

This is sacrilege. The league’s biggest asset is its history. Removing the plaques from the earliest winners, beginning in 1909, destroys a bit of that history each year. The Grey Cup trophy Is light. It would be easy to add another row of plaques every 10 years to add the names of new Cup winners without removing a small piece of the league’s proud history every year.

[CardiacKid]

This is sacrilege. The league’s biggest asset is its history. Removing the plaques from the earliest winners, beginning in 1909, destroys a bit of that history each year. The Grey Cup trophy Is light. It would be easy to add another row of plaques every 10 years to add the names of new Cup winners without removing a small piece of the league’s proud history every year.

It certainly seems hypocritical for the CFL to rely on highlighting its age (the venerable CFL vs. the young NFL) but at the same time, remove the reminders of that early age from its most recognizable symbol (other than the logo).

Not sure there was truly a need?!?!. The CFL has to embrace its lineage and history to help safeguard its legitimacy and therefore its future.

My two-bits....

[Robbie]

Removing the plaques from the earliest winners, beginning in 1909, destroys a bit of that history each year. The Grey Cup trophy Is light. It would be easy to add another row of plaques every 10 years to add the names of new Cup winners without removing a small piece of the league’s proud history every year.

I think there has to be a limit in increasing the size of the trophy. At least the plaques are still kept and displayed in the hall of fame museum, just like that of the Stanley Cup, where one can always go and visit if they choose to give their respects on the winners. By the time that the inscription on the ring is removed from the trophy and placed in the hall of fame, it's fair to say that the particular person may have moved on.

I'm never heard of any opposition from any extended family of Neil Joseph "Piffles" Taylor (March 29, 1895 – 1946):

When the league decided to retire the trophy named in memory of him and place it in hall of fame permanently.

In any case, I'm entirely sure that the CFL and NHL will not follow suit and do what their America-counterparts do in the NFL, NBA, MLB, and most recently MLS with their championship trophies by allowing the winning team to keep it permanently and creating a new trophy for each season.

[Toppy Vann]

I don't like the idea of removing plaques as BC Fan says - it's removing history.

[KnowItAll]

This is sacrilege. The league’s biggest asset is its history. Removing the plaques from the earliest winners, beginning in 1909, destroys a bit of that history each year. The Grey Cup trophy Is light. It would be easy to add another row of plaques every 10 years to add the names of new Cup winners without removing a small piece of the league’s proud history every year.

Robby posts
"The plaques that are removed from the base will remain on permanent display at the Hall of Fame. In addition, the entire barrel-shaped base that has been in use since 1987 will remain on display at the Hall, attached to a replica of the original chalice."

if this is true then no history is lost or destroyed. It simply is not all on the cup. As long as it all is in the Hall of Fame then it works for me.

[Hambone]

This is sacrilege. The league’s biggest asset is its history. Removing the plaques from the earliest winners, beginning in 1909, destroys a bit of that history each year. The Grey Cup trophy Is light. It would be easy to add another row of plaques every 10 years to add the names of new Cup winners without removing a small piece of the league’s proud history every year.

While I've held the Cup in my hands as my avatar shows I can't say that I looked that closely at the time to see if all teams and rosters were listed. CFL is finding out the same thing the NHL did years ago. There is only so much room on those goblets. Either remove plaques or bands to make room for more or let it grow to the point where it's too unwieldly to hoist and celebrate with. The Stanley Cup also grew over time. The bowl is the same, although the original bowl is stored permanently in the HHOF, but the base grew and changed until 1958. It remains the same size today with the wide bottom portion containing 5 bands with 13 teams per band. Once a band is full the top band is removed to be displayed at the HHOF, the bottom 4 move up a notch and a new band is added to the bottom. I don't know if it was the last band removed or the next one to be removed that will mean that names like Howe and Richard are no longer on the Cup. My math tells me if they hadn't been doing that there would now be 8 bands instead of 5 and they'd need to be adding a 9th band in 5 or 6 years. Chara would probably be the only guy with the wingspan to hoist it over his head and the height to drink out of it without needing to stand on a stool.

[BC 1988]

For practical purposes, I'm fine with going with the new version. It doesn't look overly different from the Base 3 version--maintains the real "Cup" quality. I've seen how the removed rings from the Stanley Cup are preserved in the Hockey Hall Of Fame and that works well.

[Robbie]

In light of the fact that the Grey Cup trophy has been re-designed, I tried to get some pictures of the 1986 Grey Cup - the last time the Grey Cup had the smaller base 2. Now for comparison purposes, the base 1 and base 2 makes the trophy relatively small for a championship trophy. Were any of you at the 1986 Grey Cup?

For the 1986 Hamilton Tiger-Cats team picture, I'm surprised to see a dog where the Grey Cup trophy should be:
http://www.htcaa.ca/ph/allTimeTeams/1986TC.jpg

And then looking at all the pre-1987 Grey Cup pictures, one thing I've noticed was that during the base 2 era (and likely base 1), holding the trophy by one or both of its handles was much more common.


But after the new base 3 in 1987, holding the trophy by its handles became less common and if it is held, and it's usually just touched but not lifted as the base will still be on a table. One time as part of the Geroy Simon promotion in Langley in early 2006 when I had my picture taken with the Cup and Simon, I was allowed to touch its two handles but when I lifted the trophy by one inch a trophy ambassador immediately told me not to do that. I suppose this is the reason why the post-1987 trophy has snapped into two so many times now. The large base is simply too heavy and if held by the handles, it will loosen the attachment. So while the actual breakage of the trophy wasn't because of lifting it by its handles, no doubt it contributed to its wear and tear and allowed the connection to loosen.

[Hambone]

In light of the fact that the Grey Cup trophy has been re-designed, I tried to get some pictures of the 1986 Grey Cup - the last time the Grey Cup had the smaller base 2. Now for comparison purposes, the base 1 and base 2 makes the trophy relatively small for a championship trophy. Were any of you at the 1986 Grey Cup?

Every one starting with 1983.

But after the new base 3 in 1987, holding the trophy by its handles became less common and if it is held, and it's usually just touched but not lifted as the base will still be on a table. One time as part of the Geroy Simon promotion in Langley in early 2006 when I had my picture taken with the Cup and Simon, I was allowed to touch its two handles but when I lifted the trophy by one inch a trophy ambassador immediately told me not to do that. I suppose this is the reason why the post-1987 trophy has snapped into two so many times now. The large base is simply too heavy and if held by the handles, it will loosen the attachment. So while the actual breakage of the trophy wasn't because of lifting it by its handles, no doubt it contributed to its wear and tear and allowed the connection to loosen.

My avatar picture was from early 2007 after the GC win in Winnipeg when Kelly Bates if I recall accidentally '"disassembled" it during the presentation. Scott Ackles and a player whose name escapes me right now were touring it around the northern part of the province. They were hosting/promoting it at Pine Centre Mall in PG. A good buddy of mine Dave Mah was a photographer from the PG Citizen back then. He was scheduled to take some shots for an article for the paper and had myself and Rick Brown come by for some shots for the article as he knew both of us had about 25 Grey Cups under our belts. I can't remember exactly but the pic on the front page the next day had Rick and I on either side of the Cup holding it up and high-fiving each other. When Dave asked if he could take some more shots for myself with me holding the Cup the ambassador told me OK but when picking it up off the table hold it firmly at the bottom and support the top with my other hand...….sort of like holding a baby and supporting its head.

[Spud387]

they have to start removing plaques eventually. did you expect it to grown in size indefinitely? The NHL does this already, it just makes sense.

[Toppy Vann]

they have to start removing plaques eventually. did you expect it to grown in size indefinitely? The NHL does this already, it just makes sense.

Hahah... In a word YES!!!

Find a way to keep the integrity of the cup with all winners and all that history on it.

Even Thomas Edison had to have a group of top minded thinkers to envision how to make that first electric light bulb.

It can be achieved.

[B.C.FAN]

Two more rings would accommodate another 20 years of winners without significantly altering the looks and feel of the Cup.

A compromise that could save space and maintain the historical significance of the Cup would be to add the team names of the early winners when removing the plaques containing the individual player names, so the Cup always reflects its history from 1909.

[cromartie]

It was the most beautiful trophy in sports before, and it still is after the redesign.

I'm not really bothered by the plaque removal. You can only make a trophy so large before you have to rotate those outs. 90 or so years is good enough, I think.

Plus, the room in which the removed plaques from the Stanley Cup resides (an old BMO bank vault) at the HHOF is really nice and it gives those teams justice.