Immediately after the Super Bowl, a debate has erupted over a long-standing tradition. Two-time champion Kyle Van Noy questioned why team owners are the first to receive the Lombardi Trophy, sparking a wave of support from fans who believe the players have earned that right.

"I still think players should touch the trophy first in my opinion!"

Since Super Bowl XXX (1996), the Vince Lombardi Trophy presentation takes place on a stage built on the field immediately after the game ends.

The NFL Commissioner hands the trophy to the team representatives, not the players. The winning team’s owner is the person who receives the trophy first from the Commissioner. After that, ownership typically passes it to the head coach, quarterback, or MVPs, etc.

Kyle Van Noy does not want that to happen, and fans have come massively in his support. A fan wrote, "Why do we have an owner we have never heard of touching it first and giving an interview. Doesn’t make any sense. Should have been one of the defensive beasts!"

And who would know that experience better than Noy? He won two Super Bowls. First one in 2017, the famous comeback vs. the Atlanta Falcons, and then another in 2019 with the Pats again defeating the Los Angeles Rams.

And both times, the owner was the first to touch the trophy. It's only fair for him to voice it out, and the fans are completely in support.

Fans Angry At NFL Owners Following Kyle Van Noy Statement

A fan rained down on the NFL owners, saying, "Yea the owners and gm didnt play one down," and another followed the same lines with, "You’re correct. They’ve worked their whole lives for this moment. They should get the honor." Hard to debate these points.

While the owners take care of the logistics, it is the players who are putting their bodies on the line and giving their all to win the Super Bowl. "Was just thinking this. When did they get away from someone walking with it between the players?" read another comment.

Earlier, it was common for a legend or former player to walk the Lombardi Trophy onto the field through the team so players could reach out and touch it on their way to the stage. One fan used European football as an example.

"Soccer in Europe and around the world hand it to the captain first. Then it goes to all the players to lift. Not the coach or the owner." Even in the NHL, the league Commissioner presents the Stanley Cup directly to the captain of the winning team on the ice.

What do you think, should the players touch the trophy first, or should things continue as they are? Let us know in the comments.

Read more at the Cleveland Browns Community!

Written by

Reyansh Dubey

Edited by

Siddharth Shirwadkar