The real cup, which goes to the winner of the National Hockey League playoffs, is silver, just under 3 feet tall and dates from 1893, although the original hardware was retired in 1969. If you can't make it to the game, there's no reason the cup can't grace your sports bar, fireplace mantel or car dashboard. I've seen more in the last five years than I've ever seen. My guess is that when the league started marketing the whole 'Cup Crazy' theme, that got the buzz going. It's a buzz that may be unique in big-time sports.
Nobody wears fool's-gold medals to the Olympics.
In other sports, they're just playing for the money and the title. They even make the trophy presentations in the locker room - to the owner. But in hockey, they bring it out right onto the ice for a victory lap. You all share in it and you raise it high. That's the moment the guys play for - not the cash.