Play to win the game, watch to dream the dream

In the words of the great Herman Edwards, "You play to win the game. HELLO! You play. To win. The game!" Now the best part of that now famous post game press conference with the now former New York Jets coach was what he said immediately after. "You don't play it just to play it. That's the great thing about sports! You play to win, and I don't care if you don't have any wins, you go play to win. And you start telling me it doesn't matter? Then retire. Get out. Because it matters."

As I was thinking over this column after being inspired by ESPN the Magazine, I one, for some reason, remembered how many overlooked championship trophies there are in sports, and two, realized that don't have any wins. And that matters. I have no wins, and I am no closer to winning a major athletic achievement award than Pike in UNCG intramurals. (You know, that frat that wears the maroon and yellow jerseys on game days. Yeah, those guys.)

There isn't much I can do about the no wins part, however I can still dream my dream of spending a day with a championship trophy. ESPN the Magazine in its November 16 issue asked fourth graders from Phillips Elementary in Pittsburgh, my hometown, what they would do if they could spend a day with the Stanley Cup.

The date was June 12, 2009. I was at my friends sisters house that lives just outside of downtown, right across the street from the home of Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin. The Penguins were 6.5 seconds away from winning their first Stanley Cup since the 1992-93 season. I can't stop thinking of Pittsburgh winning the Super Bowl and the Cup in the same year. Four seconds pass, Niklas Lindstrom has an open net for Hockeytown. He shoots, and Penguins goalie Marc-Andre Fluery dives across the net for the save. The horn sounds and Fluery is swarmed by ecstatic Penguins. I still have the chills.

After I cool down and realize that I personally still have no wins or athletic successes, I begin to think of how the Penguins will spend their day with the Stanley Cup. Will they throw it in Pittsburgh legend Mario Lemieux's pool again? Probably not, in 1992 it water logged and they had to drain Mario's pool to get it out. The Cup now travels with escorts. Where will it go? Will Evgeni Malkin take it home to Russia? Will Sidney Crosby eat my favorite cereal Frosted Mini Wheat's out of the Cup?

Then I think of something even more intriguing. What would I do with the Stanley Cup if I had it for a day? Certainly eat Frosted Mini Wheat's. Actually, what would I do with any championship trophy for a day? What trophies would I really even want to spend a day with?

It has been a dream of mine to be able to spend a day with a championship trophy, probably because I have never been a champion in anything but obtaining golden sombrero after golden sombrero in little league baseball. (The golden sombrero goes to the player with four or more strikeouts in a baseball game.) Nonetheless, I was always greeted at the bench with a "Good cut kid! Way to swing for the fences!" Unfortunately by the end of every season it turned into, "Matt, your grandparents are here, lets get a hit today."

After my two epiphanies following the Stanley Cup final I first determined the most unique trophies in sports. The trophies I would want to spend a day with. To be honest, they have to be unique. They must be more creative and different than the simple Lombardi Trophy and Larry O'Brien Trophy for the NFL and NBA, respectively. The first four that pop into my mind I still think are four of the best.

The Stanley Cup has the names of every winner engraved on it. History, check. The Green Jacket for the Masters is simplicity at its best. Simplicity, check. The Polka dot jersey is unique in every way. (The Polka dot jersey goes to the winner of the King of the Mountains in the Tour de France. Hell, if I'm classified as the King of the Mountains, I'll wear anything with pride.) Individuality, check.

Teams in college basketball cut down the nets when they win championships. I would like to take lunch one day at work and go shoot hoops in the warehouse with the 2009 Tyler Hansbrough National Champions net around my neck. In game equipment that becomes hardware, check.

The Stanley Cup has history engraved on it everywhere, not to mention hundreds of stories that now will travel with it for years to come. The Green Jacket is snoppy-er than the movie Caddyshack. The Polka-Dot jersey is intriguing as an intermediate cyclist who was captivated by Lance Armstrong's return to the Tour de France this summer. As a college basketball fan, who doesn't dream of cutting down the nets in the Final Four.

After months of thought I have also included two awards for this week that I would like to at least have lunch with. Or on. The Runner up in the Men's Wimbeldon Championship gets a platter. Come on, a platter. Lunch served.

Last, but certainly not least, I thought of a very important trophy for mans best friend. The Westminster Kennel Club gives the owners of Best In Show a silver-plated trophy. You can have the trophy. I want the silver-plated bowl that they give to the canine. And again, lunch served.

What will I do with these awards throughout my imaginary day with them? What other awards will I think of between now and the beginning of the spring semester? That must wait for the future parts of this series, and it matters, because for those Tuesdays, I'm a champion, and lunch will be served.