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What Is That...Thing?!
Sure, most of the editors have toys and collectibles on their desk. Not me. I've got this monument of monstrosity anchoring my workspace. It's The Trophy of the Gilded Frog. Ex-editor Jay Fitzloff and I created this beast as a way to celebrate our annual Vikings/Packers bet. The trophy is on my desk because last year the Vikings had the better regular season record. Believe it or not, this my reward. And it all started with a frog.
The Jeweled Frog you see here was the genesis of the whole bet years ago when Fitzloff saw the frog in the window of a junk shop in San Francisco. Fitzloff loves bets (he keeps a log for them), and this was the perfect opportunity for him. He doesn't give a rip about football, but to him the bet was his way to personify and summon all that I hate about life – The Packers. Naturally, then, Jay became the Packers' number one fan.
Part of the bet stipulates that the loser of that year has to add to the trophy. It started with the single frog, and one year Jay brought in a friend who was literally going to toy school to design the fountain centerpiece with its accompanying scene of flora and fauna – including the fishing lures and bigmouth bass. Now it stands at about three feet.
Of all the cool video game memorabilia in our office, (unfortunately) it's the trophy that often gets its share of gawkers. Ugly and proud of it.
The original frog
The fountain that the crotch-nuzzled Brett Favre figure is standing on not only shoots water, but it also lights up with a song.
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