The Super Bowl Trophy Began As A Sketch On A Cocktail Napkin
Tiffany's design chief drew the Super Bowl trophy on a cocktail napkin at lunch with Pete Rozelle. He knew nothing about football.
Commissioner Pete Rozelle wanted a first-class trophy for the first AFL-NFL Championship Game. The Pro Football Hall of Fame says he met over lunch with Oscar Riedener, the design chief at Tiffany & Company, a native of Switzerland who knew nothing about football. Riedener drew the design on a cocktail napkin.
The date
Accounts differ on when the lunch happened. NFL.com puts it in 1967, and some other accounts say 1966. Sources also spell the designer's name two ways, Riedener and Riedner.
The trophy
The Hall of Fame describes a sterling silver trophy weighing 107.3 ounces. The winning team keeps it for good.
The name
Vince Lombardi, whose Green Bay Packers won the first two Super Bowls, died in September 1970. The trophy was renamed in his memory, and the Baltimore Colts received the first Vince Lombardi Trophy after Super Bowl V.
Quick answers
- Who designed the Lombardi Trophy?
- Oscar Riedener, the design chief at Tiffany & Company, who drew it on a cocktail napkin.
- Why is the Super Bowl trophy named after Vince Lombardi?
- It was renamed in his memory after he died in September 1970. His Packers won the first two Super Bowls.
- Does the winning team keep the Lombardi Trophy?
- Yes. The Hall of Fame says the winning team receives permanent possession of it.
Sources
- Pro Football Hall of Fame, Vince Lombardi Trophy
- NFL.com, The making of the Vince Lombardi Trophy
- Wikipedia, Vince Lombardi Trophy
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