Fun on Friday: The Great Trophy Debate – Stanley Cup v. FIFA

The World Cup kicked off this week. The international soccer tournament is the most-watched sporting event in the world. Over the next several weeks, teams from 32 countries will compete for the coveted FIFA World Cup Trophy.

Speaking of trophies, have you seen any of the footage of Alexander Ovechkin and his Washington Capital teammates partying with the Stanley Cup? It has been – as some might say – off the chain.

Since winning the Cup with a victory over the upstart Las Vegas Golden Knights, the Caps’ captain and his teammates have basically gone on a multi-day bender with the Stanley Cup in tow.

After the game five Capitals’ victory, the iconic trophy partied with the players until the wee hours of the morning at a Las Vegas nightclub. Ovie used it as a keg stand at a Washington Nationals baseball game. There’s a video of the Cup swimming in a fountain. And that’s just what we’ve seen. No telling what’s gone on behind closed doors.

So the Cup made it out to Georgetown (via @tonyandjoes): https://t.co/VEYQkhgVQ8 pic.twitter.com/l6GuaWHbAc

— Alex Prewitt (@alex_prewitt) June 9, 2018

Did you know the Stanley Cup has a guardian? Phil Pritchard serves as “Keeper if the Cup.” He and his cohort travel everywhere with the trophy to make sure it stays safe. After watching the Caps’ captain over the last few days, I almost think the NHL needs to hire a “Keeper of Ovechkin.” You know, somebody to look out for him and make sure he doesn’t get broken.

The Stanley Cup is arguably the most famous trophy in sports, but it’s not the most valuable – at least not in monetary terms. That honor goes to the FIFA World Cup Trophy.

As you are certainly aware if you happen to live outside of the US, the World Cup tournament kicked off this week in Russia. For the majority of you readers in the states, this may be the first you’ve heard of it. But trust me, it’s a big deal. So I’m told.

Anyway, the trophy is formed from solid 18-karat gold with a weight of over 11 pounds. The melt value of the gold itself comes in at over $100,000, but the estimated value of the trophy is over $20 million. So, you’re not going to see the winners of World Cup swimming in a fountain with the trophy. The team will get a bronze replica.

The modern FIFA World Cup Trophy is worth significantly more than the original. Prior to 1974, the World Cup winner received the Jules Rimet Trophy, formed out of gold-plated silver. So, FIFA definitely upped its game. Ironically, somebody stole the Jules Rimet Trophy in 1983. Authorities think the thieves probably melted it down.

Maybe FIFA needs its own Phil Pritchard.

At the risk of offending people, I’m going to emphatically declare that the Stanley Cup is greater than the FIFA World Cup trophy. Yeah, sure, the FIFA trophy is more valuable because its made of gold. But the Stanley Cup is no slouch in the value department. The Cup itself is pure silver and the rest of the trophy is formed out of a silver/nickel mix. I haven’t been able to pin down an exact value, but the number seems to run in the $600,000 range.

So, yeah – if it’s pure monetary value, the FIFA trophy wins hands-down. But the intangibles – that’s where Lord Stanley’s Cup shines.

In the first place, I’m sorry, but the FIFA trophy is ugly. They say it represents two figures holding up the world. OK. I guess. But to me, it looks like an ice sculpture of two figures holding up the world that somebody left in the sun for an hour or so. Seriously, I don’t really see it. Two figures? Nah. It looks like melted candy in gold foil.

On the other hand, the Stanley Cup is – well – a cup. It looks like a cup. And it functions as a cup. You can drink out of it. You can’t drink out of the FIFA trophy. If you pour beer onto the FIFA World Cup Trophy, all you have is a wet, melted ice sculpture.

Heck, you can even take a picture of a baby in the Stanley Cup. Yes. It’s been done. And hey, that’s cool.

Duncan Keith's son was born during the series vs. Minnesota. The younger Keith took a quick ride in the Cup today. pic.twitter.com/ChldPKhu0N

— NBC Sports (@NBCSports) June 25, 2013

Here’s another thing, if you win the Stanley Cup, you get your name carved onto it. There are no names on the FIFA World Cup Trophy. If you win the World Cup, your name will fade into the dusty cellar of history. But win the Stanley Cup and you’re immortalized forever. Nobody will ever forget Erwin Murph Chamberlain won the 1946 Cup with the Montreal Canadians. It’s carved right there on the trophy. Look at the FIFA trophy and tell me who won the 1946 World Cup. Ha! You can’t do it. (Yeah, I cheated. There was no 1946 World Cup. But there was a Stanley Cup, further proving my point.)

Finally  – here’s the clincher. Hockey is just a better sport. Then again, I might be biased. I am a hockey player. Fight me.

Anyway, it’s clear which trophy is better, but it’s not about their respective metals. In fact, there are good reasons to invest in both silver and gold. Our SchiffGold precious metals specialists can tell you more about that. Just call 1-888-GOLD-160 today. Some of the guys might even take your side if you’re a soccer fan!

Fun on Friday is a weekly SchiffGold feature. We dig up some of the off-the-wall and off-beat stories relating to precious metals and share them with you – with tongue firmly planted in cheek. Click here to read other posts in this series.

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