Posted on 06/29/2005 9:09:40 PM PDT by Destro
Patriots owner says Super Bowl ring was gift to Putin
The Associated Press
June 29. 2005 6:04PM
New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft said the 2005 Super Bowl Ring he handed to Russian President Vladimir Putin on Saturday was a gift.
"I showed the president my most recent Super Bowl ring," Kraft said in a statement released Wednesday. The Russian president "was clearly taken with its uniqueness," Kraft said.
"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," Kraft said.
At the end of the three-hour meeting of American business executives and Putin at Konstantinovsky Palace near St. Petersburg, Russia, Kraft took off the ring, and handed it to Putin. Putin tried it on, put it in his pocket and left, according to Russian news reports.
The incident sparked Russian media speculation that Kraft hadn't meant to give away the ring, which is encrusted with 124 diamonds.
A senior Kremlin official, Dmitry Peskov, told The Associated Press Putin had given the ring to the Kremlin library where other foreign gifts are kept.
According to Patriots spokesman Stacey James, the ring has a value of "substantially more" than the previously reported $15,000.
Kraft's business interests include paper and packaging companies and venture capital investments. He handed out Super Bowl rings to players and coaches at his home two weeks ago.
The Patriots have won three of the last four Super Bowls.
(This statement was posted Wednesday on www.patriots.com and is presented here without editing.)
Published June 29, 2005
At the end of a very productive three-hour business meeting with President Putin, organized by my good friend Sandy Weill, I showed the president my most recent Super Bowl ring.
Upon seeing the ring, President Putin, a great and knowledgeable sports fan, 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.
I have ancestors from Russia, so it added significance for me to know that something so cherished would reside at the Kremlin along with other special gifts given to Russian presidents.
It was truly an act of serendipity and one that I am honored to have experienced. It touched me to see President Putin's reaction to the ring and I felt, emotionally, that it was the right way to conclude an exceptional meeting.
First-class touch, even if he really didn't intend the gift.
I wonder if in the next few years the Patriots could play an exhibition game in Moscow? That would be cool.
He can afford to give it away.
Isn't there an NFL league in Europe?
Putin's probably an Eagles fan.....
I saw the video on PTI on ESPN.....was NOT a gift, Putin just took it and the Pats owner is just trying to cover for Putin because he wants to do business in Russia
Lets make sure they don't win any more Super Bowls.
I hope Vladimir wrote Robert a thank you note.
No! Really? A billionaire can afford to give away a $15K ring? That never would have occurred to me! Gee, thanks for the insight! /sarcasm
Have you ever seen "What's the Worst that could Happen?" The very rich often take their symbolic trinkets very seriously. The fact that Kraft was so gracious about Pooty-Poot speaks well of his character. And no, I am not a Pats fan by any stretch.
Pats ping
I don't believe this for a minute. Like you said, he just wants to do business in Russia, where criminals rule. Putin is playing this guy for a fool--it tells you what he thinks of Americans. American businessmen are whores, and we all know what happens to whores. They get f----d. Putin must have had doubts, and with one swipe of a ring he erased them.
You guys are paranoid.
OMG it was gift
OH BOY LOLOLOL!!
I agree with ya. I bet this will be on Coast to Coast with George Norrie. LOL!!! Talk about Paranoia
Could be worst Raiders could win Super Bowl AL Davis could give SUper bowl ring to Vlad
This one is easy: These bums deserve to stiff each other.
Who (in my little universe) cares?
Well you know what if Vlad smart he could resell on Ebay he could get lots of US dollars from that since Ruble is piece of crap now LOL!
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