There's something about these Tampa Bay sports teams and somewhat careless treatment of their league's respective championship trophies. If Tom Brady haphazardly tossing the Lombardi Trophy after the Buccaneers' Super Bowl LV victory around wasn't enough for you...
...then perhaps the Lightning putting an actual dent in the Stanley Cup, one that will require some repairs to be made, is enough for you to shake your head. The Stanley Cup even warned Tom Brady that it was too heavy to throw via social media, but it turns out the trophy was warning the wrong person.
Listen to sports talk now on Audacy and shop the latest NHL team gear
Rest assured, it's not the Stanley Cup — that one is in the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto — but that's the "Presentation Cup," and it's not like it hasn't taken a beating before. ESPN's Jeff Darlington pointed that tidbit out for all the NHL fans who were worrying about the well-being of the trophy, acknowledging moments like when the trophy was "badly damaged in a bonfire," or in 2008 when it was dented after getting pushed off a table.
It's not like the team damaged it before they were able to have fun with it, though. It looks like the boat parade was a fun-filled event, and the Lightning shared several images and videos of the festivities on social media before selectively choosing not to post anything about the damage to the cup.
LISTEN on the Audacy App
Sign Up and Follow Audacy Sports
Facebook | Twitter | Instagram