The New York Giants voluntary workouts began on Monday, but they were without superstar wide receiver Plaxico Burress. Burress is preparing for a March 31st court date that will begin the legal process that will determine his personal freedom. Not freedom to play football, but freedom to walk among the civilized. Burress is facing felony gun charges that could put the former Super Bowl hero in jail for 3-4 years. Offseason workouts are voluntary, and nobody expected Burress to show, but the glare of the law process still seemed to be what was on everyone’s mind.
Giants head coach Tom Coughlin has to be sick of the questions already. What are the Giants going to do with Burress? Will he be back with the Giants ever? The media has certainly hounded the fiery head coach about it and his answer is always the same thing, as has the answers from Giants personnel….Wait and see. The Giants have made it abundantly clear that they are going to wait until the criminal legal process is complete before deciding what to do with Burress. Still, they did suspend Plaxico for the last four games of 2008 in response to the incident.
Plaxico Burress accidently shot himself in the leg with an illegal weapon right in the middle of a New York nightclub. That much is not in question, and is not being challenged by anyone. The incident certainly could have been much worse for both Burress and those around him in the nightclub. Thank God nobody was actually shot except the receiver himself.
The Giants are holding firm on the fact that they have made no decisions, but I am not buying that. Plaxico Burress has made himself a pain in the Giant’s side for his entire career to some degree or another. His fines have become something of NFL legend around the locker room. He misses meetings, shows up late, and now finds himself facing felony gun charges. In spite of the fact that he makes the Giants a better team on Sundays, the Giants need to cut and run. They do not need that type of problem in their locker room.
Burress will get his chance to repent and straighten out his life. He is a talented football wide receiver that could be even better if he were to clean up his bad habits. Somebody should sign the guy and give him a chance. But the Giants need to deliver him a message, both for Burress, and the Giants sake. It is a wake up call that the Giants need to send, and Plaxico needs to receive.
Photo Credit Goes To Flickr User tedkerwin
