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This weekend, Jordan Spieth won The Masters in a rout. He made Augusta National look like a pitch-and-putt course. For his efforts he was awarded a green jacket after the victory. And while the ceremony with Jim Nantz in Butler Cabin can be a bit awkward at times, the green jacket presentation is always one of the best trophy presentations you will find in sports.

So this got me thinking, what are the other top moments of victory celebrations or trophy presentations in sports? Here are my top five. Feel free to share yours in the comments.

5 – The Masters: Green Jacket Ceremony.  The biggest golf tournament of the year on one of the most hallowed courses. The jacket ceremony means so much because of the prestige of the tournament. This is a tradition unlike any other.

4 – Indianapolis 500: Milk chugging. It’s only a matter of time before this tradition is made political because of cows suffering while they are milked (crazy) or because of a revolt from the lactose intolerant crowd (sigh). But this tribute to the dairy farmers of Indiana is equal parts awesome and awkward. Because after driving around in the May heat for three hours, the last thing you’d ask for is a big ole jug of milk.

3 – NHL Playoffs: Hoisting Lord Stanley’s Cup. Kudos to the NHL. They have without a doubt the coolest trophy of the major four sports leagues in the US. And they know how to show it off. Having each member of the team hoist the cup and skate around with it after the win is a 30-minute parade of awesomeness—unless it’s at the opponent’s arena, then it’s 30-minutes of awkwardness.

2 – NCAA Basketball: Cutting Down the Nets. How big is this celebration? The NCAA has an official pair of scissors (Fiskars) and an official ladder sponsor (Werner). When you can sell the sponsorship to a celebration, you know it’s a big deal.

1 – Olympics: Medal Ceremony. Possibly the simplest of all celebrations, but who wouldn’t love to stand on the podium as your national anthem is played crowning you as the best in the world at what you do? Such sentimentality both for the individual and the country. And while Americans continue to rack up medal after medal (especially in beach volleyball), we still sit and watch these moments for the joy and emotion of it all.

Honorable Mentions: Brickyard 400: Kissing the bricks; FA Cup: Climbing the stands in Wembley.

What would you add to this list?

Image credit: PGA Tour

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