So, the New York Football Giants have suspended Plaxico Burress for the rest of the season.  Good for them.  Let’s hope it’s only the beginning.  Let’s hope #17 (and what the Hell kind of number is that for a receiver, any way?) has played his final game for the Giants.  Period.  

You know, it’s not even so much this one incident.  I’ve been around pro sports long enough to know that athletes can be an odd bunch…and, they can attract an even odder (is that a word?) bunch.  They often align themselves with street thugs who hang around to ride the jocks’ gravy train to babes, booze and bling.  And, sometimes, they can be the targets of over-zealous fans or worse (see the case of another Giants receiver who was recently robbed at gunpoint).

I can almost see Plax’s desire to protect himself - although, I would have suggested a legal method.  

And, I can almost picture that unfortunate incident.  Plax carrying a drink in the club.  The gun starts to side down the inside of his pants leg.  Plax grabs for it.  The gun goes off.  Ouch.  I don’t think Plax’s intended goal here was to shoot any one - especially himself.

But, like a boxer jabbing away for 12 rounds, this is an accumulation of wounds.  The reputation.  The big contract.  The hold-out.  The “I was taking my kid to school” AWOL incident.  And, now the gun thing.  And, the alleged cover-up.

Like so many other truly gifted enigmas, Plaxico Burress has become more trouble than he’s worth for the New York Football Giants.  There is no denying that he is among the very best receivers in football.  But, there’s also no denying that he’s become a distraction for the best team in football…a team that appears on a course to return to the Super Bowl.  The Giants don’t need that distraction.

Do I think Plax should go to jail?  We’ll let the courts decide that one.  Do I think he should be banned from football?  No.  But, I think the Giants should find a way (and I’ll bet there are clauses on top of clauses in that contract) to cut their ties with Mr. Burress.

You’ll note that, playing without Burress after the shooting, the Giants rolled to a convincing win in Washington.  Eli Manning found enough good receivers on the field to pass for more than 300 yards.  These are not, it turns out, the New York Football Plaxicos.  Life goes on.

I think we’ll see Plaxico Burress on an NFL field again someday.  But, hopefully, it won’t be in the red, white and blue of the New York Football Giants. 

I’m picturing silver…and black.  “Michael Vick…back to pass.  Throws across the middle.  Caught by Burress.  Touchdown Raiders!”  We’ll see.

(photo courtesy Getty Images)

This entry was posted on Wednesday, December 3rd, 2008 at 9:14 am and is filed under Fun Stuff, News, Sporting Events. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.