The SBP Archives - Your less than frequent dose of SBP!

Big, gaudy, championship rings. Even the minor leagues of pro sports are getting in on the act.

I had originally thought that rings issued to players of minor league teams for winning their respective championship (in this case, the AHL Calder cup) would be covered in cubic zirconias as opposed to the diamonds of their Stanley Cup counterparts. But no expense is spared and they to are rewarded with genuine precious stones. It shines brightly and is a portable reminder of a time many athletes will never experience in their careers. In Binghamton history, for example, about 35 years have gone by without a single championship for their small town. Winning a championship is something that, hopefully, the players won't take for granted.

Of course, I probably wouldn't have bothered posting these pictures if that weren't earned by the Ottawa Senators farms team in Binghamton (the one pictured here belongs to playoff MVP goaltender Robin Lehner). All we have to do now is sub the word "Calder" for "Stanley", change "Binghamton" to "Ottawa", maybe make the diamonds somewhat larger and perhaps throw in some rubies to show off the mainly red colour the Senators are known for.

No problem!

Back to back wrestling posts. Ah, what can you do? This pic is from thedeadwrestlersociety.com, where an artist pays tributes to wrestlers of the past who have now passed on. No hidden messages to be found: Some died young, some lived a long life. The above pic of Randy "Macho Man" Savage was my favourite of the lot. Just captures his essence perfectly.

He is indeed missed.