It's Jostens for Super Bowl XLV

Although the Packers are waiting until the end of the lockout to finalize the design, they have announced that they're partnering with Jostens to create their Super Bowl XLV championship rings.

This shouldn't come as a surprise; Jostens has been involved with all three of the Packers' previous Super Bowl rings, as well as the rings for the team's World Championships in 1961 and 1965, as seen in this ad, published in a 1967 Packers game program:

Packerville, U.S.A.
 

All in all, Jostens has made rings for twenty-eight of the previous forty-four World Champions (losing their apostrophe somewhere along the line).

"What I liked about Jostens is they have a tremendous reputation in the industry. We have a history with them. They’ve done every ring in Packers history. Mike McCarthy, Ted Thompson and I felt the sample ring they provided was the best," (Packers President and CEO Mark) Murphy said.

Man, would I like to see those rejected samples.

There's especially good news in the press release for Packer fans interested in shareholder rings, starting with this quote from Tim Connolly, the Packers' vice president of sales and marketing:

"Jostens also impressed us with the ability to create special collections of commemorative jewelry. There will be exclusive collections made for shareholders, season-ticket holders and a fan collection," Connolly said.

The fan collection will be sold solely by the Packers Pro Shop and will be available by mid-summer.

Although the design hasn't been finalized, and won't be unveiled until a special ceremony later this year, we are given small hints as to what to expect.

"It just felt right," Connolly said of joining with Jostens on the project. "There was a sense that the ring should have some continuity and connection to our past rings. You look at the 1996 ring and you see elements of that in this ring."

Can't wait.


(h/t: Pat Bouche)