A history of misappropriated Patriots rings
For possessions as prized as they are, Patriots Super Bowl and championship rings sure do end up on a lot of the wrong fingers.
The appearance of Tom Brady’s four Super Bowl rings on the hand of Ben Affleck’s ex-nanny Christine Ouzonian is currently blowing up the web, but it’s just the latest in a less-than-proud tradition. In case you’ve forgotten any, here’s a brief history of the many misadventures of Patriots rings.
‘I can kill someone with this ring’
The granddaddy of Patriots ring misadventures is still Russian president Vladmir Putin’s alleged theft of one of owner Robert Kraft’s Super Bowl baubles during a 2005 meeting.
“I took out the ring and showed it to (Putin),’’ Kraft told the New York Post in 2013. “And he put it on and he goes, ‘I can kill someone with this ring.’ I put my hand out and he put it in his pocket, and three KGB guys got around him and walked out.’’
Putin would later claim the ring was a gift and offer to buy Kraft a replacement, but stopped short of returning it. The ring resided in The Kremlin as of 2013.
Pawn Stars prize
The saying goes, ‘one man’s trash is another man’s treasure.’ Apparently one man’s treasure can be, too.
Such is the case with the prized possession of Pawn Stars star Rick Harrison, who has a 2001 Patriots Super Bowl ring in the showcase of his Las Vegas pawn shop.
The ring in Harrison’s shop is that of venerable cornerback Brock Williams, a Patriots 2001 third-round draft pick who never played a down in New England but was nevertheless on the Super Bowl-winning roster.
“Down on his luck and in need of a few bucks, Williams stopped by Harrison’s pawn shop to hock the NFL’s ultimate reminder of greatness,’’ ESPN’s Tim Graham wrote in a 2010 article.
The ring is listed at $100,000, according to Bleacher Report.
Brandon Spikes’ ring hits eBay after he’s cut
It seemed Brandon Spikes had burned his bridges with the Patriots with his ‘four years a slave’ tweet, but the team nonetheless brought him back in May. His return lasted all of about three weeks, as he was unceremoniously cut in early June following a hit-and-run involving his vehicle.
Days later, his 2011 AFC Championship ring surfaced on eBay. Spikes’ agent would later say the ring was stolen, but given how poorly his second with the Patriots ended, we doubt he misses it much.
More eBay sales
Spikes’ ring isn’t the only one to have made it on the online auction hub over the years, with one Patriots staff ring from Super Bowl XXXVI appearing on the site severaltimes over the past few years, and cornerback Leonard Myers sold his ring from the same contest for $32,600 in 2005.
Mike Vrabel robbed
Few did more to earn his three Super Bowl rings than Mike Vrabel, and yet they’re no longer in his possession. According to the eight-year Patriot, his rings were stolen in November.
“To all the Houston area pawn shops: 3 super bowl rings are headed your way,’’ Vrabel tweeted following the theft. “Courtesy of the (expletive) who smashed our back door in.’’
Despite Vrabel’s evident anger (and ability to take out said wrath), there are no reports of the rings being returned.
But not all Patriots rings separated from their owners have done so under poor circumstances…
‘I tried to elevate it to something even better’
Three-time Super Bowl champ Je’Rod Cherry may have had rings to spare, but that doesn’t make what he did any less impressive: the Patriots linebacker auctioned off his Super Bowl XXXVI ring in 2010, raising nearly $150,000 for a handful of childrens’ charities.
“I do not disrespect the idea of what the ring represents,’’ Cherry said of his gesture, adding he was challenged to sell hs ring by a girl at a youth conference. “I tried to elevate it to something even better.’’
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