BCLions.com Staff
Vancouver — The BC Lions Football Club proudly presented its 2011 Grey Cup rings to players and staff this evening at the River Rock Hotel and Casino in Richmond. The special night marks the culmination of months of design work involving the Lions and Jostens.
» Photos: 2011 BC Lions Grey Cup Rings
“In the truest sense of the word, the 2011 championship was a team win and tonight is our opportunity to acknowledge the efforts of our coaches, players and staff,” said Lions president and CEO Dennis Skulsky. “Our owner, Senator David Braley is very grateful for the hard work of our entire organization and his ongoing dedication to the BC Lions arms us with the tools necessary to achieve greatness.”
Each championship-sized ring is cast in 10kt white gold and weighs in at an astounding 76 grams. Carefully decorated with approximately 180 diamonds for a total weight of 2.5 carats, the club’s sixth CFL championship was marked by the largest ring in its history.
The bezel or top is flanked by the words Grey Cup Champions and the centre features the club’s primary logo complete with a diamond cluster for the Lions head set on top of the Grey Cup trophy. The top of the ring alone features almost 175 stones for a spectacular lifelong keepsake.
Each recipient’s name and number (or position) is featured on one shoulder of the ring as well as an intricate replication of BC Place with the Coastal Mountains in the background. Depicting the stadium was especially important to the club as it represents the role of the fans in team’s title run last year.
The other shoulder reads Pride Of All BC which surrounds the six Grey Cup trophies the Lions have claimed since their first championship in 1964. Each trophy is topped off with a round brilliant-cut diamond representing the rich history of success the franchise has had in British Columbia. The bottom also displays the club’s original orange paw logo.
To cap the historical finish to the 2011 season which saw the Lions bounce back from an 0-5 start to win the 99th Grey Cup at home, the inside of each ring has been inscribed with the words: Believe, Achieve, Make History.
