Today, I want to talk about trophies, and the whole notion of striving for excellence in general.
The subject is a timely one because the Saskatchewan Roughriders were in the community last Monday with the mug they won last November - the Grey Cup.
Ten players went on a visit of area schools and then did a public autograph signing session at the NationsWEST Field House that was attended by excited fans in the Battlefords.
That was part of a tour that took the Grey Cup to several communities, including WHL games in Saskatoon and Prince Albert as well as to hospitals and Ronald McDonald House.
Now, despite the fact that I have seen more than my fair share of impressive sports trophies over the years, last week was the first time I had ever seen the Grey Cup.
It's an impressive trophy, and quite frankly I was elated just to be in the same room as it. I was pinching myself the whole time and saying "that's the Grey Cup."
But to be quite frank, I did think the thing looked a little beat up.
It's to be expected. This storied trophy has been lost and stolen and has fallen apart many times over the years. Frankly, this trophy has had a far more interesting time than you or I ever had.
Still, it's an impressive sight, though not the most impressive sports trophy I've ever seen. It may be sacrilege to say this in Saskatchewan, but I still always get goosebumps when I see the Stanley Cup.
Whether it's on display at the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto, or at some event somewhere, I always find it a sight to behold.
There's a tradition in the NHL where members of the Stanley Cup-winning team get to take the cup home for a day to share with their family and friends.
Back in 2003, I happened to cover the time New Jersey Devils player Grant Marshall had his day with the Stanley Cup.
He brought the Cup home to Mississauga, Ont. to share with family and friends and they held a big backyard party in Grant's honor, complete with the Stanley Cup. Imagine something like that in the Battlefords. It can happen here.
It was during the interviews with Grant and his family that I heard about the sacrifises that were endured along the way. They included the usual ones about how the parents used to get up early in the morning to drive Grant to games, and travel for miles to watch him play.
Grant's parents had gone through more agony than most. They got the call one night that he had broken his neck after being hit from behind in a junior hockey game.
Family members said his comeback from that injury to achieve his dream of playing in the National Hockey League brought them all closer together.
It goes to show that winning a special sports trophy - whether it is the Stanley Cup, the Grey Cup, the Vince Lombardi Trophy, a World Cup of Soccer or any other award or trophy - is not simply about winning a big game. It is about the hard work, sacrifices and even obstacles along the way.
It is as much about the journey as it is about the end result. And when you win a cup, you can look back at the adversity and sacrifices, for yourself and your family, and say it was all worth it.
That's certainly true for the Roughriders, who can look back at the last few years with the lost Grey Cups, the 13th Man and so on. They can say the adversity made them stronger.
It's something each of us can take away in our own lives. We all have goals and awards that we can go after, whether it is having the top sales in a company, or winning an award for business excellence, or winning an award for humanitarian efforts. We all have our own adversity and obstacles to deal with.
Just last week, folks in our newsroom were trying to figure out our submissions for the Saskatchewan Weekly Newspaper Association Better Newspapers Competition.
If we win there, that's our Grey Cup.
Sometimes we strive for awards out of a desire to be the very best. For others - and I'm thinking about the Citizen of the Year Award in particular - it's more about the journey itself. It's about the selfless act of volunteering and doing good work to better your community.
Those recipients might not seek the award, but it doesn't stop others celebrating it.
Back to the Roughriders' Grey Cup. The excitement and the reaction of fans around here was something to behold, something players with our local Battlefords North Stars SJHL team should take note of.
As you know, they've been winning games lately and the Canalta Cup, not to mention the RBC Cup, is something certainly within their sights.
Hey, we ought to talk about it. It's a tough task, but the first step towards winning a Cup is talking about it and believing you can do it.
There are many lessons the North Stars can take from the Roughriders on what it takes to be a champion, including the hard work, adversity, as well as the rewards once the journey is complete. But the biggest lesson the North Stars can take is that it isn't an impossible dream.
I look forward to the day this spring when the North Stars hold their parade down a jam-packed 101st Street past the RBC Tower, with the RBC Cup.
Why settle for one cup? It's time to go after another one.
