What Plaxico Burress did the Monday after the Bengals game is unacceptable and inexcusable. Skipping practice or meetings or in this case work with a phone call, or e-mail, or text message, or instant message, or telegram is not something that a professional athlete should do, let alone one who just got $35 million from the employer he was skipping out on. Plaxico messed up and he paid for it by losing six figures and missing out on a game, which is a pretty big deal when the regular season is 16 games.
But it’s over. Or at least it should be. But everyday a new story pops out on Plax and the mess he created a few weeks ago. The fact of the matter is that it’s in the past, it’s said and done, and the Giants have moved on and now it’s time for the media to also.
The most intriguing story to come out has been the one that has talked about Plaxico being the Jeremy Shockey. And this comparison is the farthest thing from the truth.
Jeremy Shockey was a cancer to the New York Giants. He belittled Tom Coughlin. He belittled Eli Manning. He belittled the New York Giants organization and he did not care for the rest of the NFL as he ran his mouth to anyone with a pen and a notepad. The Giants were not a good team with Shockey in the lineup, even if his own personal stats were among the best for tight ends in the league. Shockey tried to get the offense to be based around him, the same way a one Terrell Owens has done in Dallas. And look at where that has gotten the Cowboys.
Plaxico Burress is a great player and among the best receivers in the game. He is a team player and without him the Giants don’t win Super Bowl XLII. He is a champion and he plays hard. He does not stir up problems on the field or on the sidelines and what he does at his home is his personal business as long as on Sunday (and a Monday here and there) he shows up to play and wants to win. And so far he has done that.
Many will point to the long list of fines Plaxico has received and his poor conduct at his home. Obviously the fines are not much of an issue to Plaxico as he takes them as they come and his home life is just that and it is no one’s business except for members of the Burress family.
Plaxico Burress will return to the field Monday night in Cleveland and the Giants will be back to normal. They will be the same team they were before he was suspended and the same team they were last week when he was unable to play. They are a “team” and because of they will not let any distractions ruin their season.