Super Bowl trophy on display at Whitby sports store Saturday

One of the most coveted trophies in sports will be on this side of the border Saturday when the Vince Lombardi Trophy – awarded to the Super Bowl football champions – will be on display at Team Town Sports in Whitby.

The seven-pound, sterling silver trophy will be at the nearly brand-new 28,000 sq. ft. store (Team Town Sports took over a former Bed Bath & Beyond location on Victoria Street in south Whitby in March) from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday.

Customers will get a chance to get up close and personal with the iconic trophy, named in honour of legendary Green Bay Packers coach Vince Lombardi, whose teams ruled the 1960s in football and won the first two Super Bowls.

The event is a must-attend for any sports fan looking to experience a piece of NFL history and snap some photos to show off to friends.

Fred Lecoq, the Chief Marketing Officer for Team Town Sports parent company Sporting Life Group, said the “starting point” for the event was Team Town Sports being an official NFL merchandiser, noting the trophy will be making other Canadian appearance, beginning Thursday.

Lecoq said discussions about which store would get the honour (the Calgary-based chain also has a location in Mississauga) came down to the customer base in Whitby.

“Whitby has all the right demographics,” he said. “It’s very active in sports and they love football.”

Designed by Tiffany & Co., the trophy was first awarded to Green Bay on January 15, 1967 and renamed the Vince Lombardi Trophy after the coach’s death in 1970.

Unlike other championship trophies such as the Stanley Cup and Grey Cup, a new Vince Lombardi Trophy is cast every year, and the winning team maintains permanent possession of it, apart from Super Bowl V, which remained in Baltimore after the Colts left for Indianapolis in 1984.

The Vince Lombardi Trophy stands 22 inches tall and depicts a football in a kicking position on a three concave sided stand. The current holders of the trophy are the Kansas City Chiefs, who won their second straight title and third trophy in five years February 11.

Kansas City was also on the losing end of that first championship against Green Bay in 1967.

Team Town Sports in Whitby