“You play to win the game,” Herm Edwards, the former NFL coach, once philosophized. In sports, the ring is the thing – and if not that then a medal, cup or some other decorative keepsake imbued with the history and prestige of a championship. Fans spend years emotionally investing in shiny baubles they’ll probably never commune with beyond a fleeting glimpse at a victory parade or civic rally, even as these trophy quests shape their lives and identities. But in the end, bragging rights are the best they can hope for; the hardware itself remains out of reach.
“You’re so used to seeing that moment of winning and holding up the trophy or medal,” said Vikki Tobak, an author and cultural critic. “You realize that they really are just proxies for this road to becoming great and being excellent at what you do – and that is something we as human beings understand fully across all things and genres.”
