You'll Shoot Your Leg Off

Stop me if you have heard this before. Seemingly week after week, sometimes even day after day we read of "high Profile" athletes getting themselves into wickets that are incredibly sticky. What is it that drives some of these athletes to be less than model citizens? Well maybe it is the pressure to increase their "Street Cred". The Urban Dictionary defines street cred as, "Commanding a level of respect in an urban environment due to experience in or knowledge of issues affecting those environments."

It seems that for every Steve Yzerman, Nick Lidstrom, Alan Trammel and Nate Robertson there are 10 Mike Vicks. The latest is Plaxico Burress, the talented wide receiver for the New York football Giants. Plax, as they call him, if you remember had an outstanding Super Bowl last year in which his team defeated the UN-beaten New England Patriots in an incredible upset.

However, since that special Super Bowl moment Plax, has taken it upon himself to no longer be a team player...Now it is all about Plax, being Plax. After skipping practice earlier this year and not having the decency to even phone the organization he displayed little remorse for his actions and then later had the audacity to tell Fox's Pam Oliver that his transgressions are "what makes Plaxico Plaxico."

Ralphie's mother knew exactly what she was talking about when Ralph wanted the Red Ridder BB gun. She new he would "shoot his eye out" and he did. My question is this, Where is Plaxico Burress's mother? This is from ESPN.com's Matt Mosley:

"Even by Plaxico Burress' bone-headed standards, this latest incident is a doozy. According to media reports, Burress was enjoying a glass of wine while handling a loaded gun in a Manhattan nightclub Friday night when he accidentally shot himself in the thigh."

I am sure that is exactly what happened. Oh, by the way he did not have a permit to carry the concealed weapon. Think about how bad this could have been? Shortly after the Super Bowl, Plax made it clear he would not report to the team until they "re-negotiated" his contract which they mistakenly did. And how did he re-pay the Giants for their generosity...

"On the first day of the regular season, the Giants gave Burress a five-year, $35 million contract extension, including an $11 million signing bonus. He has rewarded them by drawing over $200,000 in fines, being suspended for a game and benched for another."

By the way, good ole Plax was already on the shelf for last Saturday's game with a Hamstring injury...I can't help but wonder, if he felt good enough to be at a dance club, maybe just maybe he could have suited up to be of help to his team.

However that would not constitute Plax being Plax. This year during her Christmas shopping for her son I hope Mrs. Burress remembers to get him a tourniquet as a stocking stuffer, because the bleeding has to stop.