Ed Thorp Memorial Trophy
| Ed Thorp Memorial Trophy | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Awarded for | NFL Championship |
| Location |
Main trophy: Unknown Replica trophies: Various cities, though several are missing |
| Country | United States |
| Presented by | National Football League |
| First awarded | 1934 |
| Last awarded | 1969 |
| Currently held by | (Unknown) |
| Most awards | Green Bay Packers (8) |
The Ed Thorp Memorial Trophy was the trophy awarded to the champions of the National Football League (NFL) from 1934 through 1969. The trophy was named after Ed Thorp, a noted referee, rules expert, sporting goods dealer, and friend to many of the early NFL owners. Thorp died in June 1934, and a large, traveling trophy was made later that year. It was to be passed along from champion to champion each season with each championship team's name inscribed on it.
Unlike the modern day Lombardi trophies, the Ed Thorp Memorial Trophy did not become the possession of the winning team, but instead spent a year with the winning team before being passed on to the next year’s champion, much like the Grey Cup in the Canadian Football League or the Stanley Cup in the National Hockey League. In addition to their year with the Ed Thorp Memorial Trophy, though, teams were also awarded a smaller replica of the trophy, which they were allowed to keep.
After a team won the title during a season, the NFL would put its name on the nameplate. However, after the 1951 season, the trophy ran out of room on the nameplate. What the league did next to accommodate teams' needs for trophies and what it did with the other trophy is unknown. Some believe the league bought a new traveling trophy to present to teams. Some believe the league started to present permanent trophies to the winners after this, while others argue that they were always presenting permanent trophies. If there is a new trophy, where it is, and what happened to the new one remains a mystery.
A prevailing theory is that the Minnesota Vikings, who were the last to win the Trophy in 1969, somehow lost it when the league switched over to the Lombardi Trophy the following year. The Vikings after winning the Thorp Trophy went on to face the American Football League champion the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFL-NFL World Championship Game (which is more commonly referred to as Super Bowl IV). The spirit of Ed Thorp is also rumoured to have cursed the Vikings, since they lost the trophy that was named in his honor. To date, the team has lost four Super Bowls.
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