It seems that the New York Giants’ former hero of Superbowl XLII, wide receiver Plaxico Burress, will not be lining up with the offense at Fed Ex Field during today’s meeting with the Washington Redskins. His prospects were already doubtful as he’s nursing an injured hamstring, but we can forget it entirely now, since it seems he managed to shoot himself in the thigh at a nightclub in Manhattan on Friday night.
Burress was involved in what the Giants are calling “an apparent accidental shooting,” which resulted in a wound to his right thigh. He shot himself in a Manhattan nightclub, and although it was not life-threatening, it could be career-altering if the Giants decide they’ve finally had enough of him.
The Daily News article linked above talks about Burress as being “troubled” or this possibly being some sort of “cry for help.” Give me a break. Many questions are posed, but going completely ignored is the real issue. What the hell was our Pro-Bowl wide receiver doing in a night club with a gun in the first place?
This is a guy who has had everything in the world laid at his feet. In return, he regularly proves an embarrassment to his team, his fans and the entire sport. The police are regularly called to his home to issue retraining orders for his wife. He skips mandatory practices, training sessions and mini-camps while complaining about his contract negotiations. After winning last year’s Super Bowl, Plaxico refused to attend the victory parade in New York City, saying his leg was paining him too greatly, but was later seen partying around town. And now this?
The team is currently sitting on a 10-and-1 record, attempting the nearly impossible feat of back-to-back championships. If you really have nothing better to do on a Friday night and can’t sleep, might you not be reviewing game tapes of the Redskins? Or perhaps some physical therapy on that leg? Maybe just stay in and read a good book if you refuse to put in the effort to justify the five-year, $35 million contract you blackmailed the organization into this year?
And if I hear any of you trying to make this into a question about Burress’ 2nd Amendment rights, I’m coming over to hit you on the nose with a rolled-up newspaper. He’s a Florida resident. I doubt he has any gun permits in New York. And even if he does, he doesn’t have one that would allow him to concealed-carry in a Manhattan night club. If you’re in a New York City bar on Friday night carrying a gun legally, odds are you work for the Treasury Department and there’s a former President in the house.
Playing professional football should be considered a privilege. Getting paid such obscene amounts of money to catch a ball in sixteen regular season games, one might think, would see you applying yourself to the task and the needs of the team (not to mention the fans) 110% of the time. I don’t care how well the guy can drag in a sideline pass. It’s high time for the Giants to set a good example for the rest of these players, put Burress out with the trash, cut off every cent of payments and invite him to sue them for the money.