If Valley residents have learned anything about sports in recent years, it is that they are inherently unfair.
Some players who are unquestionably deserving of hoisting a championship trophy, such as Cardinals star receiver Larry Fitzgerald or Coyotes captain Shane Doan, may never get to do so as a player. Other athletes who are -- well, let's just say less deserving -- often win multiple titles during their careers.
Enter Michael Floyd, the former Cardinals receiver who was released by the team in early December after being arrested on suspicion of extreme DUI and was reportedly "unapologetic" about it.
Upon his release, Floyd was quickly claimed by the New England Patriots -- and wouldn't you know it? Those Patriots will face the Atlanta Falcons in Super Bowl LI in just over a week.
God is good
— MichaelFloyd (@MichaelMFloyd) January 23, 2017
So, while Floyd has been with New England for just over a month and didn't even play in last week's AFC Championship Game, he'll still get himself a Super Bowl ring if Tom Brady leads the Pats to yet another Super Bowl title.
Right?
Well... probably, although it's not quite as cut and dry as you might think.
According to James Brady at SB Nation, there are no set rules as to who gets a ring and who doesn't, "but generally you can expect every player on the 53-man roster, the entire coaching staff and the front office to earn rings."
Each NFL team is allowed to have just 53 players on its active roster, but just 46 of those players are allowed to take the field on game day. As a result, each team provides a list of seven inactive players hours before each game.
Floyd played in the Patriots' previous playoff game vs. the Texans, and he caught one pass for nine yards. That's why it was a bit of a surprise that he was listed as inactive for the AFC Championship Game vs. the Steelers.
#Patriots inactives: pic.twitter.com/6l7T5Q6M6I
— New England Patriots (@Patriots) January 22, 2017
Nonetheless, Floyd remains one of those 53 players on the Patriots' roster, which suggests that, even if Floyd is once again listed as inactive for the Super Bowl, he'll still get himself a ring.
Yes, the Patriots could make an exception with Floyd, and no one would feel sorry for him. After all, he's spent very little time with the team, and while the NFL pays for 150 Super Bowl rings per team, each ring costs as much as $7,000.
Floyd is set to become a free agent after the Super Bowl, and there's a good chance the Patriots aren't planning to re-sign him -- and as James Brady notes, "a whole lot of people are involved in the running of a professional football team."
Could the Patriots decide to be stingy and give one of those 150 rings to a member of the coaching staff or management instead rather than the embattled fifth-year pro? Again, it's possible, but probably farfetched.
Also, consider this: the team that loses the Super Bowl is also awarded a set of rings.
"Commonly referred to as the AFC or NFC Championship Ring, it's smaller and contains less bling than the winning ring," according to sports-rings.com. These rings are less commonly worn, which is why you probably haven't seen Fitzgerald wearing a "2008 NFC Champions" ring.
So, precedent suggests Floyd will indeed get himself the ring that Fitzgerald still longs for if the Patriots are victorious in next week's Super Bowl. In any event, there's a good chance Floyd has convinced a number of Birdgang members to hop on the Falcons bandwagon for the next couple weeks.
