The whole reason Lotman had the trophy at City Hall yesterday was to tout the revival of the Philadelphia Challenge Cup, which will take place during the Dad Vail Regatta on Saturday, May 14, on the Schuylkill in Fairmount Park. The world's top four men and women single scullers will vie for the Cup. Basically, if the Dad Vail is baseball's All-Star Game, the Philadelphia Challenge Cup will be the Home Run Derby.
"To be here at a time when there's just so much sports history," said emcee Jim Murray, the former Eagles general manager. "Everybody's using the word 'miracle' [to describe Sunday's Eagles win], I was at the first Miracle at the Meadowlands . . . but this is sports history, too. This is our miracle."
The men's and women's winners will receive $10,000 each. Second place is $5,000. Third is $2,500. They'll also get a replica of the trophy, because Lotman and the rowing community aren't letting that baby out of their sights anytime soon.
In 1966, reigning world champion Don Spero was the last rower to have his name engraved on the trophy. Spero, who lives in Bethesda, Md., had beaten Soviet Vyacheslav Ivanov at the Worlds in Yugoslavia the year before. The Cold War was frigid, and Spero was honored for the accomplishment. Ivanov, a legend in the sport, had won the previous five Cups.
Somewhere along the line, as single-sculled rowing dipped in popularity, the trophy went missing. It was purchased at an estate sale and sat on a shelf in a Center City antique store for years. It was discovered in 1996 by Joan Scholl, a U.S. rowing judge/referee who just happened to walk into the store at 8th & Sansom. After years of legal haggling, Lotman stepped in and purchased it from I. Switt Antiques for an amount he disclosed only as "a lot."
