# Why are owners given the trophy first in American Sports **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [January 18, 2015, 1:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-owners-given-the-trophy-first-in-american-sports/710158 "2015-01-18T13:01:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![AK84](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85e7bf/32.png) [@AK84](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AK84)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2015, 1:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-owners-given-the-trophy-first-in-american-sports/710158/1 "2015-01-18T13:01:33Z")
I think except the NHL, all trophy presentations are done so the owner of the winning team gets his hand on the trophy first. Why is that? Pretty much everywhere else it is the captain\* of the winning team. How did that tradition develop? ---
**Author:** ![justmeetee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/898d66/32.png) [@justmeetee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/justmeetee)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2015, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-owners-given-the-trophy-first-in-american-sports/710158/2 "2015-01-20T21:30:40Z")
Well he did pay for it. ---
**Author:** ![AK84](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85e7bf/32.png) [@AK84](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AK84)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2015, 4:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-owners-given-the-trophy-first-in-american-sports/710158/3 "2015-01-23T04:07:15Z")
> [@justmeetee](#): > > Well he did pay for it. Was he on the pitch? ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2015, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-owners-given-the-trophy-first-in-american-sports/710158/4 "2015-01-23T15:27:23Z")
You’re missing the point. He (it’s usually a he) paid for it. That is the answer. The owners own the league. The commissioner works for the owners. They’re the bosses and they want the glory. The NHL is noteworthy in that it traditionally hands the Cup to the captain of the winning team, but that tradition goes back a long way and it’d be a PR disaster to change it. But for the most part the league is run for the benefit of the owners, so they get the trophies. ---
**Author:** ![Ravenman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ravenman/32/2929_2.png) [@Ravenman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ravenman)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2015, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-owners-given-the-trophy-first-in-american-sports/710158/5 "2015-01-23T15:35:57Z")
Why do movie producers get the Oscar for Best Picture? I think it really is the same answer. They are the ultimate bosses of the endeavor. ---
**Author:** ![That\_Don\_Guy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/that_don_guy/32/538_2.png) [@That\_Don\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/That_Don_Guy)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2015, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-owners-given-the-trophy-first-in-american-sports/710158/6 "2015-01-23T16:30:23Z")
Keep in mind that, unlike most trophies, the Commissioner’s (baseball), Vince Lombardi (NFL), and Larry O’Brien (NBA) Trophies aren’t “one thing”; there’s a new one each year, unlike the FIFA World Cup or England’s FA Cup. The owner gets to keep the trophy, so that’s probably why they are the ones shown to receive it. Also, the trophies themselves aren’t as prestigious; not that many people could tell you what the World Series championship trophy even looks like. ---
**Author:** ![AK84](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85e7bf/32.png) [@AK84](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AK84)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2015, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-owners-given-the-trophy-first-in-american-sports/710158/7 "2015-01-23T16:47:54Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > You’re missing the point. He (it’s usually a he) paid for it. That is the answer. > > The owners own the league. The commissioner works for the owners. They’re the bosses and they want the glory. > > The NHL is noteworthy in that it traditionally hands the Cup to the captain of the winning team, but that tradition goes back a long way and it’d be a PR disaster to change it. But for the most part the league is run for the benefit of the owners, so they get the trophies. Soccer teams are often paid for by owners as well. Cricket and rugby clubs too. They all have a tradition that the Captain gets the trophy. I do wonder why the tradition of the owners arose. Its interesting. As for NHL, is it the Canadian influence? Who receives the Grey Cup (thats what its called right?) in Canadian Football. ---
**Author:** ![Jackknifed\_Juggernaut](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9de053/32.png) [@Jackknifed\_Juggernaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackknifed_Juggernaut)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2015, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-owners-given-the-trophy-first-in-american-sports/710158/8 "2015-01-23T19:02:53Z")
> [@AK84](#): > > Soccer teams are often paid for by owners as well. Cricket and rugby clubs too. They all have a tradition that the Captain gets the trophy… The Captain gets to _keep_ the trophy? In the case of American sports, it’s the ring that’s the thing. Plus, the owner typically handles the trophy just for the interview. It then gets handed from manager/coach to players so they all get to hold it. Plus, not all teams even have a captain while others have multiple captains. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2015, 3:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-owners-given-the-trophy-first-in-american-sports/710158/9 "2015-01-24T03:04:44Z")
The Grey Cup is indeed presented to the team captain, so maybe it is a Canadian thing. ---
**Author:** ![AK84](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85e7bf/32.png) [@AK84](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AK84)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2015, 5:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-owners-given-the-trophy-first-in-american-sports/710158/10 "2015-01-24T05:42:35Z")
> [@Jackknifed\_Juggernaut](#): > > The Captain gets to _keep_ the trophy? In the case of American sports, it’s the ring that’s the thing. Plus, the owner typically handles the trophy just for the interview. It then gets handed from manager/coach to players so they all get to hold it. Plus, not all teams even have a captain while others have multiple captains. No. He gets the trophy first. Typically the presentation goes like; losing team goes up first to receive their medals led by their Captain. Then the winning team is led by a senior player. The captain receives his medal last and is presented with the trophy. Maybe this is a British derived tradition, whilst owners is an American one?