News Story - Idaho State Journal

tflagstad@journalnet.com

Athletes talk about them all the time.

The pieces of jewelry seemingly mean more to those who play sports competitively than anything else. They're the reason athletes hang around at the end of their careers when they don't have one because, ultimately, people judge the greats by how many titles they've won.

His from the 1981 Idaho State football national championship team made Mike Machurek stand tall in NFL locker rooms because he had one while others didn't.

Championship rings carry

a lot of meaning.

''For guys who play in sports, it's something that means something,'' said Cincinnati Bengals coach Marvin Lewis. ''It's a sense of accomplishment, and it's a thing that separates them from everyone else.''

Members of three Idaho State teams will receive that grand prize in the coming months based on successes of last season. Bengals women's basketball players and women's track and field athletes will have to wait to wear their rings, but, on Saturday, the players on last season's Big Sky championship soccer team will pick up their rings at halftime of the Idaho State football opener at Holt Arena.

''It's going to be a lot of fun,'' said senior Jill Christofferson. ''I wouldn't be surprised if I'm a little shaky because I've never gotten this great of an award. I'm really excited for it.''

No doubt about it, athletes cherish their rings. But why? What makes them so special?

''It's just something that's well known in athletics, that when you win a championship you get a ring to remember it,'' said Machurek, quarterback of the 1981 Bengals national title team. ''Even from the time you're a little kid you know that a ring represents a championship.''

Talk to those who have won a ring, and they give pretty similar answers about the meaning behind the mini-trophy designed for their fingers.

A ring symbolizes the dedication and commitment it takes to win a title, and it's a tangible reminder of the sacrifices and successes of a championship run.

''It represents so much. It represents the season, the battles, the preseason, the past seasons, the new coaching staff,'' said Idaho State senior Natalie Graham, who will pick up her ring with the rest of her soccer teammates. ''It represents our unity as a team and obviously our championship and success.''

Years after a title-winning season, the ring remains as a common link between teammates, even if they haven't spoken since their playing days. It's a symbol that immediately declares their membership in the small fraternity that is an athletic team.

''Most everybody from the '81 championship team still has their rings and wear them religiously when we have get-togethers,'' Machurek said.

Finally, the ring simply serves as validation - evidence that the ring's bearer is a champion.

''It certifies you as a winner,'' said Dee Brown, a free agent NBA point guard who last played for the Jazz. ''That's why people play - for that success, to get a ring.''

While Brown has never won a title, he came close in college, when his Illinois squad lost to North Carolina in the 2005 NCAA men's basketball championship game.

If he does indeed get the jewelry, Brown will have a decision to make: Does he wear the bulky bling or lock it away for safekeeping?

That answer varies.

''It sits in a safe at home; that's it,'' Lewis said of the ring he won while defensive coordinator with the 2000 NFL champion Baltimore Ravens. ''A lot of people wear them, but I'm not a jewelry person like that.''

Natalie Doma will pick up a ring to commemorate her Bengals' 2007 Big Sky women's basketball tournament win, but she already owns one conference title ring from the 2005-06 regular-season championship team. She's not afraid to wear hers in moderation.

''I wear it for special occasions,'' Doma said, ''but otherwise I keep it in the box. I don't want to lose it.''

The standout post player and all-time leading scorer in Idaho State history knows the feeling the women on the soccer team will feel Saturday. Doma and her teammates received the same treatment when they picked up their rings last year.

''It was pretty fun,'' she said. ''Just having a football crowd there, you know? We don't get crowds that big for basketball games.''

While the 2006 version of the Bengals soccer team takes center stage on the Holt Arena turf, 10 newcomers on the 2007 squad will have to sit in the stands and watch their comrades soak up the glory from the thousands of fans in attendance.

Seeing, but not participating in the moment, can only help the current Idaho State team, Christofferson said.

''It's a huge boost for us. The freshmen definitely want to get a taste of that and see what it's like because they don't get to walk out on the field with us,'' she said. ''The upperclassmen want to add to the collection.''

After all, the number of rings athletes own directly correlates to how big of winners they are.

By Tim Flagstad

This document was originally published online on Friday, September 07, 2007

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