For a good part of the 20th Century, the USA and USSR circled each other like two heavyweight boxers. Future generations will probably look back in shock that the two countries never came to blows.

But while the capitalists outlasted the communists in the Cold War, a recent incident might send the two former enemies back to the ring.

Following a meeting of American business executives and [Russian President Vladimir] Putin at Konstantinovsky Palace near St. Petersburg last Saturday, according to Russian news reports, [New England Patriots' owner Robert] Kraft showed his 4.94-carat, diamond-encrusted 2005 Super Bowl ring to the Russian president, who tried it on, then put it in his pocket and left.

Taking a Super Bowl ring off the finger of our greatest team's owner? That's like deploying nuclear missiles to Cuba. Worse, probably.