A very strangely-planned Washington Nationals virtual ring ceremony won’t go ahead as scheduled after players objected to some aspects of it.
The Nationals originally intended to hand out rings as part of a virtual ceremony over the weekend. However, only a handful of players were expected to get their physical rings, which did not sit well with players.
Nationals statement on the ring ceremony being cancelled:
"When team leaders discussed the plan this week with the players, the players collectively decided they would prefer to receive their rings when the team could be physically reunited."
— Britt Ghiroli (@Britt_Ghiroli) May 23, 2020
To recap: The Nationals initially announced that this virtual ceremony would give "fans and players their first look at the rings." The plan, according to a few in the know, was for a handful of players to get their rings this weekend — for the event — and most others to later.
— Jesse Dougherty (@dougherty_jesse) May 23, 2020
This was detailed in a @Britt_Ghiroli story that also pointed out that players were unhappy they couldn't be together for the celebration. Makes sense. The organization discussed with them further, the plan has changed, and there you have it.
— Jesse Dougherty (@dougherty_jesse) May 23, 2020
Another wrinkle that didn't sit well with some guys: Players outside of the US were expected to get their rings significantly later than those quarantining domestically. And while that may be necessary logistically, it only reinforced that they wanted to do this together.
— Jesse Dougherty (@dougherty_jesse) May 23, 2020
The team will go ahead as scheduled with the unveiling of the ring design, as well as a documentary premiere and a fundraiser.
This seems like a no-brainer. Nobody’s going to be hurt by waiting a little longer, and it seems deeply unfair that some players would get their rings before others. When you see how much fun these guys had together, it only makes sense to wait until a time when everyone can celebrate in person and get their rings at the same time.
