How One Jilted Patriots Fan Stole 27 Giants Super Bowl Rings

In Thursday's Hot Clicks: How one Patriots fan briefly pulled off a perfect heist after New England's near-perfect season.

Some serious Patriots passion

The 2007 Patriots couldn't complete a perfect season when they lost to the Giants in Super Bowl XLII, but four months later, Massachusetts resident Sean Murphy pulled off what was briefly a perfect heist.

Murphy was so incensed by the Giants Super Bowl win–one he deemed "lucky"–that he decided to steal a collection of championship rings from the E.A. Dion Inc manufacturing plant in Attleboro, Mass. And Murphy landed a relative treasure in Attleboro. He stole $2 million worth of gold and jewelry and over a dozen rings, including one he claimed belonged to Michael Strahan. But the thrill of the heist didn't last long. 

Murphy held off on selling the rings due to a flood of public interest in their disappearance, and he then gave one away to a former girlfriend. Murphy's home was raided by police in 2009 following the gifted ring, leading to a decade-plus stint in prison. Let's hope Murphy was allowed to watch at least one of New England's three Super Bowl victories across the last decade.

You can find the entire story of Murphy's heist in Bloomberg.

Stealing Super Bowl rings wasn’t enough for diehard Patriots fan Sean Murphy. His next mark: stealing $93 million from a Brink's depot https://t.co/fIfq0efBAn

— Businessweek (@BW) July 1, 2020

Alaskan Airlines has a bright idea

The coronavirus pandemic continues to ravage the United States, and as the summer rolls on, the lack of progress can be downright frustrating. Bars and restaurants are packed, and people throughout the country refuse to engage in the simple safety measure of wearing a mask. Alaska Airlines is looking to change that. 

The company announced on Wednesday it will start issuing yellow cards to all passengers not wearing masks on flights. Those who don't comply after receiving the yellow card could be banned from future travel on the airline, which frankly isn't the harshest punishment possible. But in the fight against COVID-19, any incentive helps. Good on Alaska Airlines for their creative sy

Safety is our top priority! Starting in early July, our flight attendants will be empowered to issue a warning to any guest who flagrantly refuses to wear a mask on board our aircraft. Learn more on our blog: https://t.co/MP0HHgSHPQ

— Alaska Airlines (@AlaskaAir) June 30, 2020

The best of SI

Inside the grilling NCAA leaders are receiving on Capitol Hill...The story of the ring that is key to the NBA's restart...Could refereeing drastically change during the COVID-19 crisis?...How Pirates coach Bernie Holiday became MLB's mindfulness master.

Around the sports world

The NBA's bubble in Orlando will cost a pretty penny...Rob Manfred and MLB were never planning on playing more than 60 games in 2020...The NFL is getting rid of two preseason games...Maya Moore continues her great work off the court.

A bad Cam Newton take

Felger & Mazz (@985TheSportsHub) discuss how Bill Belichick will deal with Cam Newton's on-field celebrations.

You probably won't make it through this entire clip. pic.twitter.com/1CcLXvsplK

— Funhouse (@BackAftaThis) July 1, 2020

Antonio Brown to Seattle?

Antonio Brown is working out with Russell Wilson.

(via @AB84) pic.twitter.com/4vV3Gm2xAU

— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) July 2, 2020

Zion Williamson Graces the 2K21 cover

The future is here 💪 @ZionWilliamson is our Cover Athlete for Next Gen #NBA2K21

Pre-orders begin July 2nd pic.twitter.com/HCbHEOZUfL

— NBA 2K (@NBA2K) July 1, 2020

Chris Paul remembers a career highlight

As we proceed...We had the Point God @cp3 chop it up with us Knuckleheads and we just about covered it all! Here we talk about when he threw down a dunk over Dwight Howard. Ep is live now and available tomorrow on @youtube. @playerstribune in partnership with @att 5G ✊🏾😎✊🏾 pic.twitter.com/MFZITqmqLH

— Quentin Richardson (@QRich) June 30, 2020

Not sports

Vanilla Ice is somehow still scheduled to perform in Texas amid the COVID-19 crisis...Farmers across the United States are currently dealing with a glut of potatoes ...Beavis and Butt-Head are making their return to television...ESPN will air The Eagles' "Live From The Forum MMXVIII" concert on Sunday, July 5.

Highly Recommended Watch on Netflix Now

A good song

Email dan.gartland@si.com with any feedback or follow him on Twitter for approximately one half-decent baseball joke per week. Bookmark this page to see previous editions of Hot Clicks and find the newest edition every day. By popular request, he's made a Spotify playlist of the music featured here. Visit our Extra Mustard page throughout each day for more offbeat sports stories.