Here in Canada, when it comes to sporting trophies, we are a country that goes for The Cup more than anything else.
Up here, we cherish The Stanley Cup, revere The Allan Cup, and even go all out ( at times ) for such items as The Mann Cup (which is not an item of male protective clothing ) and The Minto Cup.
Then, of course, there's the venerable Grey Cup.
Cups. It's what we're all about.
In the USA, not so much. There's all those football bowls, such as The Rose Bowl, Cotton Bowl, Sugar Bowl and on and on and so forth. There's The Super Bowl, but is it really shaped like a bowl? We don't know. And we'd get our crack research team on it but they got stuck behind a snow mobile rally when they went to visit that snow shoe sale, so they're of no use to us right now.
What about The World Series? Is there actually a World Series trophy? And does it look like a bowl or a cup? Basketball? Not even on our radar.
But one sporting cup Canadians have a special regard for, in certain parts of the nation at least, is the afore-mentioned Mann Cup., which is the big kahuna for indoor lacrosse players. Lacrosse itself is a storied game with an exciting history, and there are plenty of on-line sites that will give you greater insights into the game.
But, here, according to one source, is the Mann Cup story:
The Mann Cup is the trophy awarded to the senior men's lacrosse champions of Canada. The championship series is played between the Western Lacrosse Association champion and the Major Series Lacrosse champion.[1] The trophy is one of the most valuable trophies in all of sports, made of solid gold and valued at $60,000.[2]
It was donated in 1910 by Sir Donald Mann;[3] prior to then, the Minto Cup was the senior amateur championship trophy. The Mann Cup was originally a challenge trophy, but in 1925 the champion New Westminster Salmonbellies ( see map) turned the trophy over to the Canadian Lacrosse Association who instituted a national playoff system. The challenges and championships for the Mann Cup were played by the rules of traditional field lacrosse until 1932, when box lacrosse was adopted by the Canadian Lacrosse Association. The first indoor Mann Cup was played at Maple Leaf Gardens in Toronto in October 1932.
Mostly, the Mann Cup playoffs involve teams from British Columbia and Ontario, as these are the only two provinces where boxla, or indoor lacrosse, seems to hold a prominent sporting position. Box lacrosse, or indoor lacrosse, is played in the summer months in rinks which have had their winter hockey ice removed for the summer.
Many historians date its origin as far back as one thousand years ago. Most experts say the name " lacrosse" comes from the French word for " the cross" as the usual lacrosse stick looks somewhat like a cross. However, the Ojibwa word for the ball used in the game was " pagaadowewin" which resulted in Aboriginals naming the game "baggataway" after the ball and Europeans naming it after the stick used in the sport. ( see video)
No matter. The sport is a rough and tumble affair that sometimes makes hockey look like a walk in the park, but those who play it play it for fun. And for keeps.
The 2011 Mann Cup was claimed by the Brampton Excelsiors from Ontario, with the Peterborough Lakers, also from Ontario, winning in 2012.
So, while NFL players think about The Super Bowl, those in Canada who play lacrosse have their minds on The Mann Cup. And now you know.
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