Only four people have officially engraved the Stanley Cup

Every player from a Stanley Cup-winning team has his name added to the trophy, though the NHL gradually removes older names to keep the trophy from becoming unwieldy.

Each player gets a full celebratory day with the Stanley Cup if their team wins, but not without supervision

During a player's special day, they aren’t just given the Cup and told to return it in 24 hours. Since 1995, it has been accompanied by the Keeper of the Cup.

Hear the stories behind each Super Bowl ring from the past 59 champions

Super Bowl rings are championship jewelry given to players, coaches, and staff to commemorate a title. Over time, they’ve grown dramatically—from the Packers’ 1966 ring with a single half-carat diamond to modern designs featuring nearly 10 carats.

National Hockey League, explained

Founded in 1917, the NHL started with four Canadian teams and now spans 32 franchises across North America. Its iconic Stanley Cup, first awarded in 1893, remains a unique prize, with winners' names hand-engraved each year. The league generates billions in annual revenue, aided by key expansions, lucrative TV deals, and global fan engagement. While player safety and labor disputes have posed challenges, the NHL remains a cornerstone of professional sports, offering an 82-game season culminating in the fiercely contested Stanley Cup Final.

The Lombardi Trophy is handcrafted from sterling silver each year

Made annually by Tiffany & Co., the Lombardi Trophy is hand-formed from sterling silver, taking months of work and dozens of labor hours before final engraving is completed after the Super Bowl.

The 'Original Six' era between 1942 and 1967 is known as NHL's golden age

Shortly after the National Hockey League formed in 1917, the league expanded rapidly for a decade. But as the effects of World War II took their toll on the country, NHL teams were unable to stay afloat. By 1946, only six teams remained. Using historical photos, this video recounts the teams that survived and shows what hockey looked like during the "Original Six" era until it ended in the 1960s.

How the Grammy Awards are made

The Grammy Awards aren’t just trophies—they’re handcrafted works of art. Since 1959, each Grammy has been meticulously made from a custom metal alloy called “grammium.” From its origins to the process behind every award, here’s a look at the craftsmanship behind music’s most prestigious honor.

There are about 1,300 active grandmasters worldwide today

The title of grandmaster, established by FIDE in 1950, is the highest honor in chess. As of 2025, roughly 2,000 players have achieved the permanent title—an elite group representing less than one percent of the world’s competitive chess players. Around 1,300 are active today.

NHL players used to not wear helmets or masks

Until the 1970s, hockey goalies didn't wear masks to protect their faces with any regularity. Instead, they took pucks off their cheeks, foreheads, and mouths, resulting in serious scars. Any player who entered the league after June 1, 1979, was required to wear a helmet, but several players who'd started before then chose to continue playing without one.

'Staunton design' became the universal chess set in 1849

Introduced in London in 1849, Staunton chess pieces featured simple, uniform shapes that made every piece easy to recognize. Endorsed by champion Howard Staunton, the design quickly became the international standard and remains the only style approved for tournament play.

The NHL's first regular season outdoor game was in 2003

Despite being a sport born on frozen ponds, modern professional hockey has held only a few exhibition and college games outside. In 2003, a game between the Edmonton Oilers and the Montreal Canadiens brought players and 57,000 fans together to endure sub-zero temperatures for a piece of history.

The NASCAR championship trophy has evolved for decades

From the Winston Cup’s reign from 1971 to 2003, to the Nextel/Sprint Cup awarded from 2004 to 2016, this NASCAR video shows the evolution to the new Bill France Trophy with every track outlined.

The greatest NHL rivalries

In its over 100 years as a league, the NHL has developed several heated rivalries, from the classic Canadian grudge matches between Toronto and Montreal to the Keystone State nemeses in Philadelphia and Pittsburgh. This list ranks the best and most bitter matchups, often tracing their animosity back decades.

Only 156 players secure a PGA Tour Card each year

Automatic eligibility is granted to past PGA Championship winners, while newcomers must win a PGA-approved tournament, rank in the top 70 of the FedEx Cup standings, or finish in the top 30 of the Korn Ferry Tour finals.

Behind the Ryder Cup, the tournament that features golfers playing for their home countries

Established in 1927, the Ryder Cup is unlike any other tournament. The scoring includes a mix of fourball, foursomes, and singles, with half-points for ties. Explore the rich history of the Ryder Cup in this detailed interactive. Each era of history includes detailed accounts of the match, historic photos, and the final score for each team.

The Pittsburgh Steelers and New England Patriots are tied for the most Super Bowl wins

The Steelers and Patriots each have six wins, while the Cowboys and 49ers are tied for second with five wins. The Patriots have the most appearances with 11, while four teams—the Browns, Lions, Texans, and Jaguars—have never played in a Super Bowl.

The Oscar statuette represents the original 5 branches—producers, directors, writers, actors, and technicians—that comprised the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

Davos hosts the world’s oldest international invitational ice hockey tournament: the Spengler Cup

Founded in 1923, the Spengler Cup is the world’s oldest international ice hockey tournament, held annually in Davos. Created to promote reconciliation after World War I, it remains one of the sport’s most prestigious invitational events.

An exploration of what makes Olympic curling so difficult and strange

The sport is often maligned for its oddity, but this impassioned video argues it's one of the more impressive (and good-natured) sports in the Olympics. Sometimes labeled "chess on ice," curling at the Olympics uses 44-pound, 60-million-year-old granite stones all extracted from the same Scottish island.

The top 10 most unbreakable Winter Olympics records

Some athletes and teams dominate a sport or an era. This video compiles the records least likely to be surpassed (and excludes those that are impossible due to rule changes). From the Dutch sweep of four podiums in speed skating to Eric Heiden's five individual gold medals at Lake Placed in 1980, watch this list of the Games' most enduring feats.

Coca-Cola claims that only two people in the world know the full Coca-Cola formula

They are supposedly two Coca-Cola executives. Over the years, a number of handwritten formulas have surfaced to the public, but Coca-Cola has ruled all of them as inauthentic.

The Spanish flu had a major impact on the 1919 NHL season

Just two years after the National Hockey League was officially formed, its champion was playing the PCHA champion for the Stanley Cup. The series was tied, going into the deciding Game 5, when all but three NHL players fell ill with the Spanish flu. No champion was crowned that year.

One NHL team tosses salmon to its fans

Detroit Red Wings fans have thrown octopuses on the ice since 1952, and fans of other teams have tried their own hand at tossing things in the rink ever since. It's now become a calling card for the Seattle Kraken, whose fans nod to the city's Pike Place Market by tossing salmon onto the ice.

A tragic injury led to the original NHL All-Star Game

The annual NHL All-Star Game is a joyous affair celebrating the best players each season. But its origins came from one of the most terrifying moments in hockey history. In a 1933 game, Maple Leafs wing Ace Bailey was nearly killed on the ice, and the NHL organized a benefit game to raise money for his family.

The Triple Crown, explained

Only 13 horses have ever won the Triple Crown—one of the most elusive titles in American sports. This explainer breaks down how the series works, why it's so difficult to win, and the legendary horses that defied the odds across the Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes, and Belmont Stakes.

10 of the original 14 copies of the Bill of Rights still exist

Clerks produced 13 copies for the states, plus one federal copy. Today, eight states still hold theirs. Georgia's and New York's were likely burned, Pennsylvania's was stolen, and Maryland's whereabouts remain unknown.

The first official World Chess Championship was held in 1886

The inaugural world championship took place across New York, St. Louis and New Orleans in 1886, where Wilhelm Steinitz defeated Johannes Zukertort. Steinitz became the first recognized world champion, establishing the modern era of organized competitive chess.

World Cup athletes use tattoos to convey aspects of their identity—including details of their faith, family, and accomplishments—in the otherwise tightly regulated arena of professional sports.

The Heisman Trophy has honored college football’s top player since 1935

Awarded annually to the most outstanding player in college football, the Heisman Trophy has become iconic for its storied history, memorable acceptance speeches, and the success of many winners who went on to NFL stardom.

The man behind the Preakness' iconic weathervane, which features every winner's name

Since 1988, Lawrence Jones has climbed into Pimlico's cherry picker to paint the Preakness winners' silks on its iconic weathervane—a tradition born in 1909. This America's Best Racing profiles Jones, a retired graphic artist, and how he has to meticulously paint the weathervane—even under challenging conditions. Learn the rich history of the event, and what happened to the weathervane after the 1966 fire.

Relive the best moments from March Madness 2025

Florida won its first national title since 2007, beating Houston 65-63 in a tournament where all four No. 1 seeds reached the Final Four for only the second time in history.

Only 9 directors have won Cannes’ top prize more than once

Cannes’ Palmes d’Or award is one of the highest distinctions in film. The select few who have earned the award more than once include the most iconic names in filmmaking, including Francis Ford Coppola, Billie August, and Emir Kusturica.

There are 32 teams in the NHL

Click a team to see their current record and opponent for the day; read the latest news, including injuries; view the remaining schedule; scan where the team is in the divisional standings; review the current roster; skim all the player and team stats; and watch the latest video highlights.

Hear the story behind 11 iconic Super Bowl photos, told by the photographer who shot them

Sports Illustrated legend Walter Iooss Jr. revisits 11 unforgettable Super Bowl images—including Namath, Montana, and Taylor—explaining how light, access, and timing captured moments that defined the game’s visual history.

EGOT stands for 'Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, Tony,' an informal title for the performers who've won all four awards.

Every world champion in F1 history

Over the last decade, Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton have dominated the podium, and their Red Bull Racing and Mercedes teams have taken every Constructors' Championship since 2010. But which team had the most championships in the 1950s? Who has the most Drivers' Championships in Formula 1's history? This article shows every Drivers' and Constructors' champion since the start of Formula 1 in the 1950s.

The Oscar statue was created in 1927

The statue of the golden knight that Academy Award winners receive (aka the Oscar) might be nearly as recognizable as the winners themselves. Oscar was born when art director Cedric Gibbons sketched him out and handed him over to sculptor George Stanley to bring to life.

The US Olympic hockey team upset the USSR in 1980—later dubbed the 'Miracle on Ice'

At the 1980 Winter Olympics, a team of American college players defeated the heavily favored Soviet hockey team—shocking the world. The victory became a defining moment of Cold War sports rivalry and American national pride.

How the Red Wings supported player Vladimir Konstantinov after a life-changing injury

A few weeks after winning the Stanley Cup in 1997, tragedy struck the Detroit Red Wings when star defenseman Vladimir Konstantinov was paralyzed in a car accident. The team dedicated the next season to him with a patch on their sweaters.

100 moments that shaped baseball history

Published in 2018 by baseball historian Jacob Kornhauser, this list examines the defining moments throughout more than a century of play on the field, from Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Dock Ellis purportedly throwing a no-hitter while on acid to Jackie Robinson breaking the color barrier.

The top 40 athletes of the Title IX era

Published to mark the 40th anniversary of Title IX's passage, this Sports Illustrated article ranks the top 40 athletes whose careers were significantly shaped by the 1972 law. It highlights pioneers who broke barriers and excelled post-Title IX, emphasizing their athletic achievements and cultural influence.

People have tied for Grammy Awards at least 34 times

Because of the Grammys voting structure, it's possible for two artists (or songs or producers, etc.) to receive the same vote totals. What happens then? Two Grammys! It has led to some funny moments, including in 1981, when classical musician Itzhak Perlman tied with … himself, for best classical performance as a soloist.

20 years of NCAA buzzers

The last few beats of the March Madness title game are among the most thrilling in sports. This video compilation collects the final five seconds of every women's championship from the first year of the tournament through 2022. The result is a fascinating document of celebrations, disappointments, and last-ditch efforts. It's also objective proof that basketball's style has evolved considerably over the decades.

Tom Brady has played in and won the most Super Bowls of any NFL player

Appearing in 10 Super Bowls and winning seven—both NFL records—Tom Brady captured championships with two different teams, an unmatched résumé that has led many to regard the former sixth-round pick as the greatest player in league history.

Chess is played by an estimated 600 million people worldwide

Chess remains one of the most popular games in history, with roughly 600 million players across the globe. The game thrives casually in homes, schools, and parks, while also sustaining robust online communities and professional tournaments.

Diamond engagement rings were popularized via an ad campaign

In 1947, an ad agency copywriter wrote the De Beers diamond company's slogan, "a diamond is forever"—and diamond engagement rings became basically required for brides-to-be. This video tells the story of exactly how the ad campaign happened, and why it was so impactful.

Analyzing the PGA Tour's leaderboard

In 2007, the PGA Tour introduced the FedEx Cup, marking the first time men's pro golf had a playoff system. This PGA Tour interactive shows the Cup standings year-to-date, along with video and news updates. Click on a player's name and get a detailed page about their career, including total wins, scorecards from recent matches, and what clubs are in their bag.

Magnus Carlsen became world champion at just 22 years old

Norwegian prodigy Magnus Carlsen won the World Chess Championship in 2013 at age 22, one of the youngest champions in history. He went on to dominate for a decade, peaking at an Elo rating (a modern measure of chess ability) of 2882—the highest ever recorded.

A guide to the 13 Triple Crown winners

Only 13 horses have swept the Triple Crown since 1919—Sir Barton as the first, and Justify the last in 2018. This Blood Horse rundown lists them all, spotlighting Secretariat's 31-length 1973 Belmont and Baffert's dual crowns with American Pharoh in 2015 and Justify in 2018. Unpack the stats and sires behind racing's grueling five-week gauntlet.

See checks signed by US presidents

One bank has made it a point to conserve checks from US presidents. Peruse this gallery of signed checks from Washington, FDR, JFK, Lincoln, and more.