The Chicago Cubs have received their World Series rings, and they're absolutely stunning. Frankly, you wouldn't have expected anything less from a team that waited 108 years to win one. They went all out, putting 108 diamonds in them (for each year of the drought) and distributing 1,908 (the year of their last championship) to people at all levels of the organization, from those at the very top to the guy who operates the manual scoreboard in center field. They even had a contest where fans were able to receive authentic, genuine World Series rings.
In fact, the team has taken it a step further with some employees who aren't exactly in the same tax bracket as Jon Lester or Kris Bryant. They're going to pick up the tab for the taxes that come with such an expensive gift. In exchange, those lower-level employees have to sign an agreement that they won't sell their ring, and if they choose to do so, the club can buy it back for $1.
While most employees willingly signed this document, some people aren't too happy with this stipulation. One Cubs executive said that he thinks it's unfair that if an employee "needs to put food on the table," they should be able to sell their ring and use the money. (Although, considering how generous they were with the amount of rings that were distributed, I'm sure the Ricketts family would figure something out for those employees in those desperate financial situations.)
However, this seems like a fairly reasonable request. In fact, it's similar to the one they make you sign if you win an Oscar or the Heisman Trophy or basically any major award other than an Olympic medal. Basically, the Cubs are saying, "We gave you this gift. Don't take advantage of our generosity by turning around and selling it for your own personal gain."
I'm on the team's side here. For a number of reasons. For starters, why would anyone want to sell their World Series ring? Especially a lower-level employee. Everyone knows that the players and executives get rings. But the owners aren't required to give them to anyone. Shouldn't the fact that they value your role in the organization, however small, mean something? It's their way of saying "we couldn't have done it without you." That should mean something.
It's also worth noting here that these rings usually have the person's name on them, so there's a significant drop off in value from Anthony Rizzo's ring to some random dude who works in ticketing's ring. I'm sure there are still people who wouldn't care and would just want the Cubs World Series ring, but I wouldn't want something that was obviously intended for someone else. But that's just me.
Yes, these rings would generate quite a price on the open market. That, I think, is part of the team's rationale, too. They don't want to devalue the rings. And making them available to the highest bidder would do just that. They would also lose most of their meaning. Instead of being a reminder of the Cubs team that finally broke the drought, they would become nothing more than a rare sports collectible. These dealers have no sentimentality. They just see them as something valuable that they can make money off of.
That's exactly what the Cubs don't want. There are literally millions of Cubs fans around the world who'd kill to have the rarest of all prizes--a Cubs World Series ring. You get one, then you turn around and sell it to a memorabilia dealer? That either means you don't get it or you're just greedy. That World Series ring should be special to all 1,908 people who received one. If you don't think it's that special, you shouldn't have one.
And there's nothing that says employees can't sell their rings. The Cubs are simply trying to discourage it. If the team chooses not to buy the ring back, the employee can sell it, although the same stipulations will apply to any future owners. They also granted an exception for employees who want to pass their ring on to a family member.
Now, I'm sure most of the negative reaction coming from this is simply because it was made public. And because it's the Cubs, so people know the rings will be expensive. Some collectors have estimated that one from a team employee could go for $50,000, while one from a prominent player could fetch as much as $250,000.
But you know what? This isn't that uncommon, so it's really unfair to criticize the Cubs for trying to protect their investment. Especially when they were so generous. To so many people. All they're asking in return is that they don't take advantage of that generosity. Is that really so much to ask? I don't think so.
Besides, if Cubs fans want a World Series ring so bad, they can still get one. Jostens is selling a fan version for $10,800. And you know what, that version's probably going to look exactly the same and is a lot cheaper than buying one of the real ones in an auction. Let the people who've earned the rings keep theirs. You can still get one. You just have to go online.
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