There could be tears.
Yes, it’s a big week for the defending Super Bowl champions. After visiting the White House today, they’ll receive their Super Bowl rings on Friday night.
Setting aside for now the philosophical question of whether the obsession with the Lombardi Trophy and the jewelry that goes to every player on the team who wins it encroaches on golden calf territory, the rings reflect the ultimate NFL accomplishment.
Unfortunately, it happens four months after the team reaches the top of the mountain, and three months after the team has begun to disband. Safety Bernard Pollard has said he won’t be present. Safety Ed Reed and linebacker Ray Lewis presumably will be there, since they’ll join the team for the trip to D.C. As to cornerback Cary Williams, attendance isn’t “mandatory,” so there’s a chance he would be doing something more pressing, like getting a jump start on winterizing his attic.
Receiver Anquan Boldin, who skipped the White House visit to participate in 49ers OTAs, could in theory attend the ring ceremony. We’re told that, indeed, some of the players who couldn’t make it to Washington will show up on Friday night.
We realize that it takes time to build a golden calf, but it would be nice if the team could celebrate the achievement as a team, before the team no longer is truly a team.
UPDATE 1:48 p.m. ET: A prior version of this item said the ring ceremony is tonight. I wrongly assumed based on prior comments from Bernard Pollard that both events would happen the same day, and I didn’t read the press release from the team carefully enough to see the two-day gap. Further proving correct those who love to tell me on Twitter, “Your [sic] an idiot.”