Valentine's Views: Plax doesn't deserve to play

by Ed Valentine on Jun 14, 2009 7:00 AM EDT in Valentine's Views

If Plaxico Burress gets what he wants, which is to keep delaying punishment for the gun charges he currently faces, and ends up able to play in the NFL this season, that will be an injustice.

Now, I know I call this particular weekly column 'Valentine's Views,' but John Rowe of The Record recently summarized exactly how I feel about the Burress situation. So, I am going to let him speak for me here.

The latest example of how celebrity players are treated differently from you and I is the speculation that Plaxico Burress' attorney could have a deal in place by as early as Monday in which the wide receiver's trial on charges of possessing and illegal discharging a handgun will be delayed until after he plays the 2009 season.

This isn't about him being guilty or not guilty. Let a jury decide that.

This is about special treatment that Burress doesn't deserve. If one of us was charged with the same offense, the case would have been long decided. Burress was arrested last November, not last week.

After all the tough talk by Mayor Bloomberg that the talented wide receiver would be prosecuted to the full extent of the law, we have another player trying to milk the system to his advantage.

Burress has only so many seasons left in him and delaying the trial will be to his benefit, especially financially.

And don't expect NFL commissioner Roger Goodell to step in and suspend Burress. How can he if Burress has not been found guilty of anything? If you don't count complete stupidity.

Now, ultimately, I understand that the primary thing Plax is guilty of here is stupidity. Ultimately, he didn't hurt anyone but himself -- at least physically. You can argue that he put a bullet in the Giants' chances to repeat as Super Bowl champions, but that really has nothing to do with this whole mess.

I just hope Plax doesn't end up manipulating the system and getting what he wants. He shouldn't end up being rewarded for being unwilling to be a grownup and face his punishment.

I think James Dukes' contention on NFL.com that Brett Favre is the real victim in the never-ending 'will he or won't he play,' soap opera of the last couple of seasons is one of the stupidest things I have read in my life. Favre has brought all of the jokes, the criticism and the nomadic path of his career upon himself. He is now holding his third franchise hostage within the past two seasons. Favre's selfishness and inability to make a decision -- he's about as decisive as a 3-year-old at the toy store -- are to blame. No one else.
I think that since my first two items today were about Burress and Favre, our least-favorite topics, you guys are probably ready to kill me. Either that, or you already got bored and stopped reading.

Here are a few non-football thoughts.

You guys know I am not a hockey fan. I think, however, there is no better sporting event to watch than Game 7 of the Stanley Cup finals. I actually forfeited some of the Yankee game the other night, and barely watched the NBA game at all, to catch the Detroit-Pittsburgh penultimate game. Yes, it was worth it.
The Yankees may have gotten it all wrong years ago when the signed Jason Giambi. But, they have gotten it right with the signing of Mark Teixeira. I am impressed by Teixiera's bat, his glove, his hustle, his demeanor. Pretty much everything he does.
I think that if you offered me Tiger Woods against the field in the upcoming U.S. Open I would be willing to take Tiger. As great as he is, it's bee a long time since I have been willing to climb out on that limb.

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Comments

I don't mind hearing about Plax

I hope he gets what he deserves, cuz that’s what he wants. He had numerous chances to try and put this behind him and move on, but he’s too stubborn.

As for that QB who keeps trying to comeback, yea I was tired of that crap last season.

I mean who the hell really cares? He was shot last season, how the hell is he gonna try to do it again.

At least it will give Corey Webster the chance to get the last INT of him again.

by FreeBradshaw on Jun 14, 2009 9:26 AM EDT reply actions

At this point

If it ever does get resolved, i’m just interested in what’s in store for Plax. Sometimes i almost dread reading an article about the Giants (not here though). Most of the time when they mention Plax, well, let’s remind the folks what hasn’t been said already for the millionth time! Mention his name and move on to their point, please!

LOL, Favre! If there is an article that suggest the Vikings or Favre, i won’t bother. E-nough!!!

At least it will give Corey Webster the chance to get the last INT of him again.

That would be the pick that put’s him into retirement, AGAIN??? lol

by Hootman on Jun 14, 2009 12:54 PM EDT up reply actions

the worst thing about Farve

is who the hell frickin cares? The guy was shot last year and really wasn’t all that good even when the Packers had that great record in 2007, the Packers defense and running game were what overcame his INT’s and boneheadedness.

I wouldn’t want him even if my team was the Vikings. Then again, my team ISN’T the Vikings, so Farve should go there. I really doubt that the Vikings are beating da Bears anyway. Jay Cutler is gonna tear those teams to shreds.

by FreeBradshaw on Jun 14, 2009 2:47 PM EDT up reply actions

I respectfully disagree...

“You can argue that he put a bullet in the Giants’ chances to repeat as Super Bowl champions, but that really has nothing to do with this whole mess.” The heck it doesn’t. It has everything to do with it. Following on with the celebrity special treatment theme above, if Plax is a celebrity in an entertainment business called the NFL, and more than a few NFL players and owners have claimed the NFL is an entertainment business that puts a product on the field, and Plax through his own actions having nothing to do with his NFL play directly caused the devaluation of that product, then the Giants ticket holders have been deprived of that product and are therefore due a refund. If we bought tickets to a concert, and the lead singer accidently shot himself in a club and couldn’t perform, and the band took the stage and didn’t provide the product the ticket holders paid for, then they are due a refund. Plax knew, or should have known, that carrying a concealed weapon into a NYC club is a felony, the result of which would materially alter the Giants’ product on the field. Ignorance of the law is no excuse. Never has been. Never will be… but he wasn’t ignorant. He knew. He did it anyway. The ticket holders had every reason to expect the Giants with Plax would perform as they had for the first 11 games, and when he shot himself, they couldn’t put that product on the field and lost 4 of their last 5 and a quick exit from the playoffs. It is not as if he was injured on the field and could no longer play. He wasn’t, and there’s every difference in the world. Injured on the field within the course of play is part of the game, and a risk every NFL player, and ticket holder, assumes. The #1 WR shooting himself with an unregistered concealed pistol in a NYC nightclub is not the same thing… at all. The ticket holders have been materially damaged by Plax’s depraved indifference to the value of the product sold, and that has materially damaged ticket holders. He owes Giants ticket holders… plenty. They’ll never collect… so they’ll take it out of his hide… reputation, how they receive him on the field of play in NJ, etc.

by buljos on Jun 14, 2009 9:47 AM EDT reply actions

Bullet

What happened to the Giants has nothing to do with the legal mess. It has everything to do with why any team that takes him on is accepting a huge risk.

by Ed Valentine on Jun 14, 2009 11:20 AM EDT up reply actions

It is entertainment, but it's also big business

I really can’t buy into the notion that ticket holder’s should be owed something. An explanation, yes! Monetarily, perhaps in some entertainment sectors where a cancellation is brought up, but in sports, and the show goes on, then no. Buyer beware type of issue.

Regardless if it’s self inflicted, or accidental, at any given point in time, there will be a realization that anything can happen. When or even if it never happens, who knows! A quick example, if i remember correctly (Ed probably knows). When David Cone was with the Yankees way back then, he had to be scratched from his start on a particular day. Why, because the family dog had bit his hand. Now just because the fans were expecting him to play, and didn’t, the show went on. What obligation would the Yankees have to refund the fans, or even Cone?

But, if there are implications of so-an-so owing the fans, when it’s criminal, what verdict they receive can be priceless! In Plaxico’s case, it appears that he’s squirming around the system in such a way, that we now have this feeling that he’s uneasy. Not only did he let the NFL down, the Giants and their fans, but most importantly, himself! For that, presumably he does the time, will again be priceless.

by Hootman on Jun 14, 2009 12:41 PM EDT up reply actions

Not guilty of anything?

I find the comment that he is not guilty of anything but stupidity to be arsenine. The law states that you cannot posess a loaded handgun in the city limits without a NYC permit. It also states that you cannot discharge a weapon within the city limits, even with a permit, if you are not threatened with deadly force. There are also restrictions on where you can carry weapons with a permit.

Goodell has all the evidence he needs to keep Burress from playing until he resolves his legal issues. The facts are clear. He violated the law and NFL handgun policies. I don’t know what kind of Voodoo logic is being applied to state that he is not obviously guilty, regardless of the circumstances or celebrity status of the individual.

1. He unlawfully carried a loaded handgun into NYC.
2. He carried it into a nightclub.
3 He discharged the weapon, fortunately, causing injury only to himself

I’d say that’s 3 strikes you’re out. There was just as much chance of that bullet hitting someone else in the club as there was of what happened. You can call it stupidity if you want, but it’s clear that he wrecklessly endangered everyone within the effective range of the weapon and that shows wanton disregard for the lives of anybody but himself and the law in general.

Now, I’ve met Plax and he seems like a nice guy and it would be a shame to have this impact his family to this level, but his attitude towards rules is quite transparent and needs to be addressed. The law is the law. The law is not necessarily justice, but there is no justice outside the law. He should do time, however short, and be suspended until this is resolved. Tiffany can keep the family afloat while he’s in the can and he may come out of this, finally, a better man.

Bleeding Blue since 1962

by sunlion333 on Jun 14, 2009 1:51 PM EDT reply actions

Not true

You are quite wrong claiming that delaying a trial in this case for over a year would only happen to a celebrity like Plax. It is quite easy to delay a trial that long. Prosecutors in NY and criminal court judges are overworked and any plausible excuse will do. In fact, if you look at the facts, you will find that the average time to get to trial in a case like this is over a year. Far from getting a break, Plax is subject to considerably more unfair prejudice than the average defendant. When was the last time you heard the mayor of NYC call out the courts for jail time in an individual case? Plus he is subject to all sorts of abuse from the blogosphere, where “writers” can vent their “views” about what people deserve, safe from the comfort of their parents’ basement, without even having to make the effort to call a prosecutor to see if what they say is true. Imagine that, no journalistic standards in yahoo blogs! Maybe someone should give their view about how much yahoo should pay for lazy writing.

by dkf on Jun 14, 2009 1:56 PM EDT reply actions

And WHY exactly do we care about this?

Plax is yesterday’s news. All of this is a waste of good blog space. I’d much more prefer to discuss the Giants that are actually still on the team. I liked Plax as much as any other Giant, but what’s done is done. This whole thread has ALL been hashed and rehashed. Let it go already. Time to move on dude.

by MJ20 on Jun 14, 2009 5:20 PM EDT reply actions

The best thing about the Game 7 of the SCF?

The game was actually fast flowing, very entertaining, anf and it was close the whole way through. Nothing worse than all that hype for nothing.

by brisulph on Jun 15, 2009 7:58 AM EDT reply actions

hes gotta go to jail

i remember the mayor saying something to the effect that if you carry a loaded hand gun in public you go to the “slammer” so ill be just as surprised as you if he wiggled his way outta this one

"Have you ever heard of the emancipation proclamation?"
- "I don't listen to hip-hop"

"Born like this / Into this"

by BroncoJoe311 on Jun 16, 2009 1:08 AM EDT reply actions

how about donte stallworth getting 30 days for killing a guy

which will probably be 15 days actually behind bars. for straight up DUI murder. he and leonard little are now in an exclusive club.

Lets hope that when gut check time comes again the Mets will pass it with flying colors.

by kendynamo on Jun 16, 2009 2:19 PM EDT reply actions

yeah

the fact that Little and Stallworth did/will play again makes this lifetime ban fever for Vick look ridiculous

by queler on Jun 16, 2009 3:14 PM EDT up reply actions

Don't let him play

I’m really bothered by the whole Plax situation; his lawyers are trying to put off the trial until after the season so he can play. Now if any regular Joe shoots himself in the leg and is charged with a felony in Nov/Dec of 2008 there is no way they would be able to put off the trial until 2010, its absolutely ridiculous.

by A or D to 161st on Jun 16, 2009 4:24 PM EDT reply actions

Not so fast, (and no, i'm not Lee Corso) lol

his lawyers are trying to put off the trial until after the season so he can play.

Plaxico has every right to deny any offer that is presented to him by his lawyer, which in this case would be pre-trial. Plaxico has actually turned down 3 “other” bargains (to his lwayers disgust)! Besides his “star” stautus quo, what other leverage does he thinks he has? First time offender, perhaps? But the bottom line is this group of people (DA’s office) are playing a hardline in which they preferrably want Plax to go to trial! Hence he has denied bargains?! Again, whatever they have offered Plax, he’s not buying and the jury might be more?!!!

For whatever “motive” Plax had for carrying the gun in the first place, a jury might not be so kind. Plax thinks he might be buying time, but the facts and the law will cost him time!

by Hootman on Jun 16, 2009 6:01 PM EDT up reply actions

Let him play

Everybody keeps talking about how Plax’s celebrity status is keeping him out of jail when actually it’s what about to land him in jail. 75% of first time offenders when faced with this so called mandatory jail time for carrying a gun illegally get probation (true, look it up). So why is the DA going after Plax so hard to do time? They’re trying to use Plax as poster child for what not to do, but it isn’t right. The man shouldn’t have to go to jail because he’s a celebrity. He committed a crime and should have to do the time, but no more no less than everybody else.

by BigBlue303 on Jun 16, 2009 5:02 PM EDT reply actions

Did the weapons of those 75% first time

offenders fire? (accidentally or otherwise.) Plax not only broke the carry law but broke it recklessly. That is a significant difference, just as speeding combined with reckless driving merits harsher punishment than speeding alone.

by blue gonz on Jun 16, 2009 6:42 PM EDT reply actions