The Russian doth protest a little too much.
Russian President Vladmir Putin — who is still denying that he stole New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft's Super Bowl ring — is also willing to do something totally inappropriate and over-the-top, if it'll just get you all to stop talking about it, God, don't you people have lives? According to Putin, shirtless equestrian
“You know, I don’t remember either Mr. Kraft, or the ring,” Putin said, according to Russia’s Interfax news agency, adding that he only remembers some “souvenirs."
"But if it is such a big treasure for Mr. Kraft and the team,” Putin continued with an air of sarcasm, “I have a suggestion.”
“I will ask one of our businesses to make a really good and big thing, so everyone will see it is a luxury piece, made of quality metal and with a stone, so this piece will be passed from generation to generation in the team... This would be the smartest solution partners can ever achieve while tackling such a complicated international problem.”
According to Kraft, Putin tried on the ring — which holds 124 diamonds weighing more than 4.94 karats — during a 2005 meeting. Kraft says the Russian president commented, "I could kill someone with this," pocketed the ring, and walked away. Kraft recently told reporters that although Putin did indeed steal the ring, the Bush White House pressured him to lie and say it was a gift to avoid diplomatic incident
[ABC, photo via AP]