Robert Kraft: Vladimir Putin stole my Super Bowl ring

[notorious]

Robert Kraft: Vladimir Putin stole my Super Bowl ring


By Doug Farrar


Robert Kraft and Vladimir Putin in 2005: Kraft is eyeing his ring with good reason. (AP)

The Super Bowl ring is one of the greatest symbols of athletic triumph. NFL players have been known to break down when they can finally fit that particular bit of jewelry on their fingers, and I've met enough former players, coaches, and executives who would never be separated from their rings to know that the buzz lasts forever. New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft has three such rings from his team's wins in Super Bowls XXXVI, XXXVIII, and XXXIX. The ring Kraft won for that last Super Bowl, at the end of the 2004 season, went missing in a very unusual way.

As the story goes, Kraft met Russian President Vladimir Putin at a gathering of business and political leaders at Konstantinovsky Palace near St. Petersburg, Russia, in June of 2005. Kraft and Putin talked a while, Kraft took off his ring to show it to Putin, and Putin promptly put the ring in his pocket and walked off.

"I showed the president my most recent Super Bowl ring,” Kraft said in a subsequent statement. Putin “was clearly taken with its uniqueness."

“At that point, I decided to give him the ring as a symbol of the respect and admiration that I have for the Russian people and the leadership of President Putin."

But as Kraft said recently, per the New York Post, that's not what really happened.

“I took out the ring and showed it to [Putin], and he put it on and he goes, ‘I can kill someone with this ring,’” Kraft said during the Carnegie Hall’s Medal of Excellence gala in New York City.“I put my hand out, and he put it in his pocket, and three KGB guys got around him and walked out.”

Were it not for the intervention of the White House, this could have gotten ugly. Kraft wanted his ring back, obviously not intimidated by Putin's alleged ability to kill somebody with it. The ring came in at 4.94 carats and was worth over $25,000, and Kraft was not amused. He said that he got a call from the George W. Bush-led White House, telling him that it would really be in the best interests of relations between the two countries if Kraft would change the story and say the ring was a gift.

Kraft was unmoved.


“I really didn’t [want to]. I had an emotional tie to the ring, it has my name on it. I don’t want to see it on eBay. There was a pause on the other end of the line, and the voice repeated, ‘It would really be in the best interest if you meant to give the ring as a present.’”

According to the Post, the ring is now kept in the Kremlin library -- presumably in the "Ill-Gotten Booty" section.

[ku_jhawk23]

Originally Posted by Dylan

With all due respect, a businessperson is publicly calling the Russian President a petty thief. It is inexcusable.

People should understand why it is front-page international news.

Finally, these countries are reeling over the PRISM scandal and concerns that it breaks EU laws. In addition, EU countries know a thing or two about spying on citizens – They are accusing the US government of Nazi and Stasi tactics.

If anything, the EU is very sensitive to collection of data on their citizens.

I must say, US mainstream multimedia outlets do an excellent job of keeping their citizens in the dark and far away from the scathing criticism overseas...

If said Russian president is a petty thief, then F him, call him out. What do you care? You're right, it should be international news that the Russian "president" is a petty thief.

What the hell does the recent PRISM scandal have to do with this? A recent scandal over internet companies helping government spy is tied to Putin being a petty thief? What are you talking about. This is a major leap of trying to inject your own politics into a joking discussion of a cheating NFL owner and a pickpocket Russian president.

[J Diddy]

Putin on the ritz

[J Diddy]

Originally Posted by Dylan

With all due respect, a businessperson is publicly calling the Russian President a petty thief. It is inexcusable.

People should understand why it is front-page international news.

Finally, these countries are reeling over the PRISM scandal and concerns that it breaks EU laws. In addition, EU countries know a thing or two about spying on citizens – They are accusing the US government of Nazi and Stasi tactics.

If anything, the EU is very sensitive to collection of data on their citizens.

I must say, US mainstream multimedia outlets do an excellent job of keeping their citizens in the dark and far away from the scathing criticism overseas...

Murica

**** YEah!

I'm no Kraft fan but why in the hell would he just randomly decide to give Putin his SB ring? That's ridiculous.

[Chiefshrink]

Originally Posted by Phobia

I'm no Kraft fan but why in the hell would he just randomly decide to give Putin his SB ring? That's ridiculous.

Precisely. Kraft's naivete' of letting Putin put on his ring at Putin's request thinking he was going to give it back. Putin puts it on and looks at his hand and say's to himself, "this pussy American won't have the guts to request it back as I wear it throughout this dinner party thinking at some point I will give it back to him but in reality I will wear it right out of these front doors and initiate him to the Russian mob way".

[Chiefshrink]

Originally Posted by Dylan

Robert Kraft's comments come a few hours after President Obama made the decision to provide weapons to rebels in Syria.

Kraft, whom is among democrats' top donors, steps forward with accusations that President Vladimir Putin, stole a Super Bowl that is in the Kremlin’s library, where all state gifts are kept.

What a pity it took Kraft eight years to carve out this odd and absurd narrative.

In the meantime, major international news agencies are laughing their asses off over the amateurs that reside and work in the White House.

President Putin’s spokesperson denied the accusations. However, The White House Comedy Hour will return shortly…

You nailed it !! And why a story that happened soooooo long ago comes out NOW. To embarrass Putin and Russia for arming our opposition.

[Bugeater]

Originally Posted by Dylan

Kraft, whom is among democrats' top donors, steps forward with accusations that President Vladimir Putin, stole a Super Bowl that is in the Kremlin’s library, where all state gifts are kept.

No, no, no. Kraft stole the Super Bowl, then Putin stole the Super Bowl RING. Please try to pay better attention in the future, this isn't that complicated.

[Dylan]

Patriots spokesman issued a statement to the Associated Press, saying that Kraft tells Vladimir Putin ring story for laughs.

Stacey James, a spokesperson for the Kraft Group, the holding company for Kraft's business ventures, including the Patriots, said Sunday that the Post article shouldn't be taken too seriously.

"It's a humorous, anecdotal story that Robert retells for laughs," James said in a statement. "He loves that his ring is at the Kremlin, and, as he stated back in 2005, he continues to have great respect for Russia and the leadership of President Putin. In particular, he credits President Putin for modernizing the Russian economy. "

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap100...ughs-team-says

Patriots could never have guessed that they would have caused a strong backlash with the national and international media.

Nevertheless, Kraft should stick to capitalizing on Tim Tebow's return to the spotlight - And avoid at all costs, leaders of foreign powers.

Just my opinion.

[boogblaster]

damit i coulda hadd a V-8

[Amnorix]

I remember when this happened and it was pretty clear at the time that Putin just pocketed the ring. I figured Kraft had another made for himself.

[alpha_omega]

Meh, he has plenty of others.

[BoneKrusher]

Originally Posted by boogblaster

damit i coulda hadd a V-8

lol

[BlackHelicopters]

The ring belongs to Putin. He DID kick the winning FG.

[Frazod]

This is kind of like the Battle of Stalingrad.

No good guys involved.

[crossbow]

Why wouldn't Kraft ask for the ring back shortly after he let Putin see it? Everyone in the room presumably saw all of this so Putin couldn't lie his way out of it.