Big Blue View

Wednesday Walk Around the NFL 12-3-08

2008-12-03T15:15:07Z

So I am sitting at my desk, reading the latest on "Paxagun" Burress, and then all of a sudden, it hits me....."Holy crap, it's Wednesday!"

So, here are some of the OTHER stories making headlines around the NFL. Better late than pregnant, I always say.

The NFL has suspended 6 players for doping violations. Unless the courts intervene, this could have huge ramifications on the NFC playoff race, because now the Vikings will be without their two starting defensive tackles.
The NFL Network bought up the remaining tickets for the Raiders-Chargers game Thursday night to lift the local TV blackout. The tickets will be given to military personnel and soldiers recovering at Balboa Navy Hospital. I am a firm believer in doing anything for the troops, but Raiders-Chargers? Haven't the soldiers suffered enough?
The NY Times says that while most NFL Teams are having their ups and downs, the Steelers are NFL's one constant.
SB Nation's "Arrowhead Pride" ponders whether the Chiefs can be next years Dolphins.
Anybody else see the irony in the Patriots playing in London?
Ok, while not directly related to the NFL, this could effect some coaching decisions at the end of the year. Reports are that Charlie Weis will return as Notre Dame coach next year. Every day I have to get up and look in the mirror at the guy who screamed for 2 years for Weis to replace Tom Coughlin as Giants coach. What an idiot that guy in the mirror is.
Gotta love Lions fans for keeping their sense of humor.

Some final NFL thoughts:

The Giants are only the fourth team in the history of the NFL to win more games after winning the Super Bowl than they won on their way to the championship the year before.
I don't think it's a stretch to say that 9 out of 16 teams in the AFC could have different head coaches next season. Probably only 2 or 3 in the NFC though, and that includes Mike Holmgren, who has been on this farewell tour for what seems to be about 8 years.
Roger Goodell told Mike Francesa on "NFL Now" on Sunday that officiating in the league is not an issue. I pray The Commish was being diplomatic, because Rog, the officiating is worse than its ever been, and its never been good.
Has anyone ever seen Al Davis and "The Cryptkeeper" in the same room?

Some final un-NFL thoughts:

Tough TV year for me, last week I had to say goodbye to The Shield, next week its Boston Legal. Thank God I still have Family Guy and Lost to look forward to. And Rescue Me, if that ever comes back.
I just love this time of year, when I am inundated with commercials from jewelry stores and auto makers that tell me the only way to tell my wife I love her is to spend $25K on her gift. If I spent that much on her gift, she would ask me what I did wrong.
Filling up my truck 3 months ago: $55. Filling up my truck 3 days ago: $23. Amazing.

Playoff picture: Most teams still have hope

2008-12-03T12:00:07Z

With only a month left in the season (how did that happen already?) it’s time to look at where everyone stands and see what we can expect to look forward to in the coming weeks. Looking at the standings we can divide the league into four segments based on playoff aspirations; Control their own destiny, looking for some help, looking for a miracle, and looking forward to the draft. Here’s where we stand right now:

Controls their own destiny:

AFC:

Tennessee
Pittsburgh
Indianapolis
Baltimore
NY Jets
Denver

NFC:

NY Giants
Tampa Bay
Carolina
Atlanta
Minnesota
Arizona

Looking for some help:

AFC:

Miami
New England
Buffalo

NFC:

Dallas
Washington
Chicago
Philadelphia
New Orleans
Green Bay

Looking for a Miracle:

AFC:

Houston
Cleveland
Jacksonville
San Diego
Oakland (yes, Oakland)

NFC:

San Francisco

Looking forward to the draft:

AFC:

Kansas City
Cincinnati

NFC:

St. Louis
Seattle
Detroit

Amazingly enough, with only four weeks left in the season there are only five teams that have completely tanked the season to the point of being out of the hunt.

Sure, there are a lot of teams that need a lot of help, but that’s why they play the games, and at least there are a lot of teams left that have something to play for. Of course, next week the draft list will probably double, but playing semi meaningful games in December is what you hope for in September as a fan, and the majority of fans still have a reason to hope.

With or without you, Plax

2008-12-03T00:35:10Z

I knew that the great Ryan Parker would immortalize Plaxico Burress in song. He did not disappoint.

Giants Say Burress’s Season Is Over

2008-12-02T23:42:10Z

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — The Giants officially ended Plaxico Burress’s season Tuesday afternoon, placing him on the reserve/non-football injury list and suspending him without pay for four games for conduct detrimental to the team for multiple and repeated violations of club rules.

Burress’s standing with the team had been in question since he accidentally shot himself in the leg with an illegal gun early Saturday morning at a Manhattan nightclub. On Monday he was charged with two counts of second-degree criminal possession of a weapon; he faces a mandatory sentence of 3 ½ years in state prison, with a maximum of 15 years, on each count

The article is posted on the NY Times Web site and can be found here.

Welllllll.....that settles that. This is obviously the right move for the team given the uncertainties surrounding this situation.

And let's hope this is true (re: Antonio Pierce):

Michael Bachner, a lawyer for Pierce, said he was confident that Pierce’s name would be cleared. “We’re of the position that Mr. Pierce acted reasonably under what were enormously stressful circumstances, and that he didn’t violate any laws,” he said. “We’re confident that after the matter is fully discussed and explained with the district attorney’s office that they will arrive at the same conclusion.”

Hooray! A real football post

2008-12-02T18:00:06Z

Let's get back to talking about football. Our New York Giants are, after all, 11-1 and on the verge of winning the NFC East championship.

The Giants are also heading toward what could be the best regular season in franchise history, at least in the modern era. By the way, I am defining 'modern' as since the league expanded the schedule to 14 games in 1961.

The best record by a Giants team since the league went to 16 games in 1978 was the 14-2 mark posted by the 1986 championship team.

I am not going to get into comparing that team to this one, at least not yet. It's really not a fair, complete comparison until this season ends and we know whether or not this team can bring home another Super Bowl title.

It sure is a lot more fun to talk about this stuff, though, than that other nonsense we have been spending all our time on lately.

Giants offensive coordinator Kevin Gilbride is often an object of scorn despite the Giants' record and the fact that they have the league's highest-scoring offense. You guys know I have been a Gilbride defender, and this week KG is getting some love from other places.

From Peter King, who named Gilbride his coach of the week.

The Giants never leave unmade plays out there, and the 23-7 win over Washington had some great examples. Domenik Hixon made three first-quarter catches, rendering Plaxico Burress -- for the moment -- obsolete. On consecutive plays in the first quarter, Gilbride called for a direct snap to Derrick Ward (gain of five) and a brilliant screen to Kevin Boss for 24 against a Washington blitz. Gilbride has learned the strengths and weaknesses of Eli Manning, and he and Manning are one in play calling and execution.

From Washington cornerback Fred Smoot ffollowing Sunday's 23-7 Giants' victory.

"When we thought they were gonna throw it, they ran the ball," he said. "When we thought they were gonna run it, they threw it. They always kept us on our heels. They were always one step ahead of us."

So, Giants' fans I have to ask. I know I have beaten this drum before, but when do we start throwing some love Gilbride's way for the offensive monster he has helped to create?

Gilbride is not perfect. We can all find a couple of play calls in every game that make us shake our collective heads, but when is the last time the Giants had a truly flawed offensive game plan? Last season against Buffalo, maybe.

Gilbride will never be the hot head coaching commodity defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo is. He has already had his opportunity to do that, and failed (6-16 with San Diego). There is also other baggage with Gilbride (his sideline fight with Buddy Ryan that will never be forgotten).

Let's give Gilbride some props, though. Sunday against Washington we saw some things from the Giants we had not seen all season. A direct snap to Derrick Ward, a beautiful tight end screen to Kevin Boss, a quick screen to a split out Ward that went for 48 yards.

These things tell you that Gilbride is still expanding the Giants' repertoire, still looking for new, creative, explosive ways to use the weapons at his disposal.

Give him some credit for recognizing what Steve Smith can do and utilizing him. For continuing to find ways to increase Boss's role. For building a creative running attack that does more than plow straight ahead, but one that takes advantage of the athleticism of its offensive lineman with lots of pulling and movement.

Give him some credit for doing what he did to Smoot and the Redskins -- leaving a defense unable to figure out what is coming next.

The results tell you no one is doing his job better than Gilbride right now.

Your thoughts?

Giants Notebook, 12-2

2008-12-02T16:00:06Z

This Giants notebook is sponsored by Colgate Total....

Why you ask? Because it's great for "Plax removal"

It wasn't easy to find Giant notes not related to Number 17, but here are a few:

This is actually a few days old, but Newsday had a funny story about "Hands" Hedgecock.
Vinny DiTrani in the Bergen Record has a recap of Sunday's game.
From the Bleacher Report, an Eagle fan says its time to give Eli Manning his due.

A few notes and quotes from around the Giants:

Domenic Hixon caught 5 passes against the Redskins; each one of them resulted in a first down.
WR Amani Toomer displayed the proper perspective on this season so far. "We are the defending Super Bowl champions," he said, "and we are the team all the others are chasing, so it is important that we don't let up and allow people to catch up with us." Toomer had five catches for 85 yards and a 40-yard TD in the first quarter.
DT Fred Robbins missed his first game of the season with a jammed shoulder that bothered him two weeks ago and did not totally clear up. Alford, a second-year player, had two tackles and one tackle for a loss. Robbins, who has 51/2 sacks and 10 tackles for losses, is expected to play this week against Philadelphia.
The Giants are 18-3 dating back to this day in 2007, including the playoffs. I went back over their history, and the only better one year run I can find is November 3^rd 1929 to November 3^rd, 1930, when they were on a 16-2 tear, but they did not win the 1929 NFL Championship, which was awarded to the 1^st place team in those days, and it went to the Green Bay Packers who were 12-0.
The Giants can tie an NFL record on Sunday with a win over the Eagles. Only three other teams in NFL history have posted a streak of six or more wins, all against winning teams: the 1970 Vikings (7), 2007 Colts (6), and 1972 Redskins (6).

Parting Thought:

At the beginning of the season, I predicted the Giants would finish around 11-5. At this point, it certainly seems like they are going to well exceed that. But I can't help thinking that with the way this team is wired that it would benefit them greatly if they have one more "stinker" in them before season end. This team has shown time and time again that they bounce back well, and I just think a "come back to earth" game might be beneficial in the long run, it would just help serve as a reminder that they haven't won anything yet, and just help them "reset" their focus somewhat.

A few more thoughts on Plaxico Burress

2008-12-02T13:43:19Z

A few more thoughts on wide receiver Plaxico Burress and his future with the New York Giants. Then, as coach Tom Coughlin wants his team to do, I am going to move forward as much as possible.

I don't understand the mentality of superstar athletes, or anyone for that matter, intentionally putting themselves in situations where they feel they must have a weapon in order to protect themselves. Now, I know I am not a superstar athlete. I am a 48-year-old middle class white male and my highest athletic achievement was being co-captain of my high school basketball team. So, I have never been in the shoes of a professional athlete. Still, intentionally putting yourself in a situation where you believe your safety is at risk does not make any sense to me.
Fans who want to see Burress remain with the Giants -- and play again this season -- are passionate, but in the minority. Let me ask you guys this. The Giants got better when Tiki Barber left. They got better when they traded away Jeremy Shockey. They have not skipped a beat with the retirement of Michael Strahan or the injury to Osi Umenyiora. What evidence have you seen -- on the field this season -- that taking Burress out of the mix would bring down the Giants when those losses did not? The Giants have the highest-scoring offense in the league and Burress has not made a truly significant contribution since Week 2. Yes, the Giants are more talented when Burress plays. That does not, however, make them a better team.
One more thought on Burress and his on-field contribution. We all love Plax for what he did for the Giants last season, playing on one leg and showing tremendous heart during the Giants Super Bowl season. We can never forget that, and we will always appreciate it and no one is trying to minimize it. That, however, has absolutely zero to do with this season. This is a different team, with a better, deeper offense. Double teams or no double teams, this offense does not need Burress the way the 2007 offense did. Sure, you would always love to have a player with that kind of ability on the field. Even without him, though, this offense has a cachet of weapons (isn't that a strange line under the circumstances?) that is the envy of just about every team in the league. Burress' absence, if he is indeed finished with the Giants, will not be the determining factor in whether or not the Giants defend their title. I believe there are only two players this team absolutely can't lose if it is to win another title -- Eli Manning and Justin Tuck.
Despite what New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg wants, there is no way Burress spends 3.5 years in prison for this. He will face discipline, for sure. Possibly a suspension by NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell. He will probably end up losing a lot of money the Giants would have paid him. He might even end up serving some time behind bars. But, 3.5 years? That seems way out of line.

Remember, we're all on the same side

2008-12-02T12:47:09Z

There has been lots of tremendous debate -- both for and against keeping Plaxico Burress -- here at Big Blue View for the past few days. Passionate, heartfelt arguments on both sides.

That's the good stuff. That's what makes Big Blue View a great place for New York Giants fans -- well-reasoned, thoughtful, intelligent debate.

Unfortunately, I have also seen a few posts I have been less than thrilled with. I don't care which side of this issue you fall on, name-calling and personal attacks are not going to be tolerated.

I have seen posts calling other Giants' fans "cowards" because they disagreed with the commenters' opinion. I have seen posts simply stating that an opinion someone had rendered was "stupid."

That kind of stuff is not going to fly, gang.

Let's remember this. No matter what your opinion is in this instance, we are all here because we love the New York Giants. We all want the team to win, though we may differ on how they should get there. We all enjoy being part of this growing community.

We are all friends here. Ultimately, we are all on the same side -- the side of the Giants. So, act like it.

My hope is that it plays out well and he can continue his career, because he's a good person I...

2008-12-01T18:03:22Z

My hope is that it plays out well and he can continue his career, because he's a good person I think, with a brilliant athletic career. And it would be a terrible sadness if an isolated incident could ruin a life.

Benjamin Brafman, Plaxico Burress' attorney

What they're saying about Plax

2008-12-01T16:18:04Z

Plaxico Burress is, of course, the main story for New York Giants fans today after turning himself in to authorities this morning.

Here is the video of a non-limping Burress turning himself in. 'Kudos' to 'Shutdown Corner' for posting it first.

The national football writers are having a field day with this, and I have yet to find anyone willing to defend Burress.

Here are some samples.

From Don Banks of SI.com:

Call it the tipping point, or the reaching of critical mass, but the feeling you get is that the Giants are nearing the "enough is enough" stage with Plaxico Burress. The self-inflicted gunshot wound that Burress suffered Friday night is only the latest example of New York's No. 1 receiver doing himself and -- by extension -- the organization harm. Burress has simply become more trouble than he's worth for a team that has almost everyone else pulling in the same productive direction.

And here's a newsflash: The Giants don't even need him. Not desperately, at least. Not enough to warrant all the rest that now goes with being the Keeper of the Plax. Not with Domenik Hixon emerging as a receiving threat. Not with young talents like (the other) Steve Smith, Sinorice Moss and Mario Manningham waiting in the wings. Not with the ageless Amani Toomer still capable of getting it done. Not with quarterback Eli Manning playing at the top of his game and spreading the ball around like a true socialist.

From Matt Mosley of ESPN:

Until now, the Giants have put up with Burress' antics because he's an absolute warrior on Sundays. His heroics in last season's NFC title game and game-winning touchdown in the Super Bowl outweighed his childish behavior on and off the field. But he has taken it to a different level this season. At age 31, you start losing the "immaturity" excuse.

When he disappeared the day after a win over the Bengals, he later explained that he was dropping his son off at school. It was a lame excuse, and he wasn't able to account for why he didn't notify the club about his absence. 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."

Burress' saving grace has always been his immense talent and propensity for making clutch plays. But heading into Sunday's game, which he wasn't going to play in anyway because of an injured hamstring, he had 35 catches for 454 yards and four touchdowns. Those are pretty solid numbers -- for a No. 2 wide receiver.

If Burress had any common sense, he'd look around and realize that the Giants have proven that they can win without stars such as Tiki Barber, Michael Strahan, Jeremy Shockey and Osi Umenyiora. The bedrock of the Coughlin theory for winning championships is that no individual is above the team. Burress has challenged the authority of Coughlin and Reese throughout the season. Now, they have an excuse to teach him the ultimate lesson.

From Peter King's Monday Morning Quarterback:

I think you can make book on Plaxico Burress playing elsewhere in 2009, assuming he's not in jail. (And that may not be the best assumption right now.) In fact, I expect the Giants to either de-activate him the rest of the season or place him on the non-football injury list for the rest of the year, effectively ending his career with the New York Giants. Amazing, amazing story.

Giants GM Jerry Reese negotiated a great contract to lock up Burress before the season, making it about as safe a deal as he could, with miniscule guarantees. The Giants can cut or trade Burress after the season and simply eliminate $23 million of the $27-million-in-new-money deal he signed with the Giants. In effect, as I said on NBC last night, when I examine the deal, I see the contract totally on the come. And the first big test of this contract will come on Dec. 10, when Burress is due $1 million from the original and only guaranteed money in the deal, the third installment of a $4.325-million signing bonus when he signed. Let me break down all of the non-guaranteed money in the Burress deal that makes it absolutely simple for the Giants to cut the cord with him after the season:

Non-guaranteed base salaries: $11.5 million ($1 million in 2009, $3.5 million in 2010, $3.5 million in 2011, $3.5 million in 2012).

Non-guaranteed one-time bonus to be paid early in the '09 off-season: $2 million.

Non-guaranteed roster bonuses: $3.5 million ($500,000 in '09, $1 million in 2010, $1 million in 2011, $1 million in 2012).

Non-guaranteed escalators, payable only on high performance: $5 million ($1.25 million in '09, '10, '11, '12.) He has not reached his escalators yet that would kick in for 2009.

Non-guaranteed workout bonuses: $1.3 million ($325,000 in '09, '10, '11, '12).

Burress also has a clause in his contract that could come into play and cost him $400,000 this year. For every game he's ineligible to play in because of non-injury reasons, he doesn't earn a $100,000 per game roster bonus.

Giants = 2000's Bengals?

2008-12-01T12:11:29Z

Need a Wet Willie for this week? How about NY Daily News writer Gary Myers?

In today's NY Daily News article Myers compares the 2008 Giants to the Bengals of this decade and the 1990's Cowboys after the latest incident involving Plaxico Burress. Myers has to rack his brain just to come up with enough incidents to list - my favorite being Ahmad Bradshaw's arrest which occurred three years ago while he was at Marshall. He also cites Kareem McKenzie's DUI from last week.

The comparison to the Bengals is absolutely ridiculous considering that Chris Henry by himself has more arrests than every Giant combined over the past five years. Cincinnati once had ten players arrested in the 14-month span from 2006-07. TEN! Meanwhile the Cowboys of the 90's generally were free to do whatever they pleased under Jimmie Johnson (who previously ran a glorified penitentiary at U of Miami during the 80's) and the clueless Barry Switzer. Hell, why even limit it to the 1990's Cowboys? This year's team has Tank Johnson and Pacman Jones - two players the Giants (or any other team) wouldn't touch with a ten-foot pole. The article is a slap in the face to Tom Coughlin, who is a disciplinarian, and the Giants organization which has repeatedly fined or suspended players for breaking the rules. Also, Plaxico likely will never play for the Giants again, whereas in Dallas or Cincinnati I'm sure he'd be given a fifth chance.

I'm sure Jerry Jones would love to add someone like Plax

The Plaxico/AP incident is a serious one, and both players should be reprimanded by the Giants and the law for their involvement. But, it's just one incident. It's nowhere near the Bengals of this decade. Leave it to the New York media to try to smear an 11-1 football team. Unfortunately for the reporters, there is no Tiki retirement, no Shockey locker room tirades, no Coughlin job security storylines (and no Stephon Marbury) to fall back on.

Unbeaten in the NFC East? Best team in the NFL? 15-1 in the last 16 road games? I guess those headlines just don't sell papers.

'Kudos & Wet Willies,' Eli can throw edition

2008-12-01T11:00:05Z

What an amazing football team these New York Giants are!

With every reason to put up a stinker -- the Plaxico Problem, the emotions of the Washington Redskins on a day they inducted Sean Taylor into the team's Ring of Honor, being on the road in front of a hostile crowd, not really needing the victory -- the Giants simply played like the Giants.

They answered the questions about whether or not they could maintain their focus, and answered the challenge of the Redskins the way they have answered every other challenge this season. By outworking and outclassing another NFL team, and by winning another game to reach a lofty 11-1 record.

'Kudos' to the entire team and coaching staff for not allowing the Plaxico Problem to affect them on the field. Sunday's victory tells you all you need to know about the character and resolve of the Giants.

It is, without doubt, intact.

Now, let's get on with the traditional 'Kudos & Wet Willies' style review.

Kudos to ...

Eli Manning: I thought Eli delivered the message last week against Arizona that crowding the line and challenging him to win games with his arm was a bad idea. Apparently, the Redskins weren't paying attention to the 26-of-33 performance Manning had a week ago. From the outset Washington packed eight or nine defenders near the line to stop the run, daring Eli to take to the air. He did, slicing up the Redskins for his first 300-yard passing game of the season. He ended up 21-of-34 for 305 yards and one touchdown. He made just one bad throw all day, and the interception he threw was Domenik Hixon's fault for not finding the ball early enough. His numbers could have been even better if not for a handful of dropped balls by Giants' receivers. This Giants team can win any type of game, and Eli is a big part of the reason why.
Tom Coughlin: I don't know whether or not the Giants' coach gets enough credit for the way this team plays. I do know he deserves a ton of credit for the way the team played Sunday under very trying circumstances.
Domenik Hixon: Five more catches, including some key third-down grabs, for 57 yards. If he isn't already a star, Hixon appears well on his way to becoming one.
Amani Toomer: He's old. He's slow. At 34, he can't separate from defensive backs the way he used to. Yet, Toomer just keeps on making big catches for big chunks of yardage. Sunday, he hauled in five passes for 85 yards and one touchdown.
Brandon Jacobs/Derrick Ward: I am lumping them both in together here. Neither had an overwhelming line statistically (Jacobs 21 carries, 71 yards -- Ward 10 carries, 30 yards and five catches for 75), but together they made enough plays to help the Giants maintain balance on offense. Plus, Ward had a 51-yard run wiped out by a penalty.
John Carney: The old man never misses. Three-for-three Sunday and now 27-for-28 on the season. Even when holder Jeff Feagles drops a snap, which he did on an extra point Sunday, Carney, 44, still manages to knock the kick through. His kickoffs are nothing to write home about, but as long as he keeps making field goals I will live with them.
Antonio Pierce: AP's stat line (six tackles) was modest Sunday, but he was focused and did his job. Considering what he went through in the days prior to the game he gets credit for that.
Justin Tuck: Six tackles and two sacks for Tuck, who sets the tone for the Giants front seven. This guy better end up in the Pro Bowl.
Barry Cofield: Four tackles and a sack for the unheralded defensive tackle. He stepped up with Fred Robbins sitting this one out.
Michael Johnson/Kenny Phillips: I knew Johnson was around the ball a lot, but had no idea how much until I looked at the stats and saw he had nine tackles. Phillips, another emerging star, had four tackles -- two of which were open-field third-down plays that forced Washington to punt.
Corey Webster/Aaron Ross: I lost count of how many passes Webster batted down. He was terrific. How this is the same guy who was buried on the bench a year ago is beyond me. Ross came up with a huge interception to thwart a Washington opportunity.
Darryl Johnston and Tony Siragusa: These guys can annoy Giants fans, but give them credit for going after Burress on Sunday. Johnston called him out for talking about himself in the third person and not taking responsibility for his mistakes. Siragusa said, basically, that all pro athletes need to be smart enough not to end up in places where they feel they need a gun for protection. Good for them.

Wet Willies to ...

Honestly, I have no 'Wet Willies' to give out. i can't think of a single player who actually played badly.

I could give one to Plax, but he's got bigger issues and he wasn't going to play, anyway. I could give one to the official who called a phantom 'hands to the face' penalty that wiped out a Corey Webster interception. I could probably quibble over the Giants' kickoff coverage. I could probably toss a 'Wet Willie' at the Redskins receivers (they probably couldn't catch it, anyway).

The Giants are an amazing 11-1, though, and I am just going to sit back and enjoy it for now.

Plax to surrender Monday

2008-12-01T03:11:19Z

From Jay Glazer of FOX Sports, here is the latest on the Plaxico Burress situation.

New York City law enforcement sources have told FOX Sports that they received word Sunday morning that Burress has agreed to turn himself in with attorneys by Monday. The sources said the police searched areas of New York and New Jersey yesterday looking to locate Burress to question him regarding the shooting at Latin Quarters nightclub early Saturday morning.

The Associated Press reported Sunday that the Giants' receiver will be charged with criminal possession of a weapon, according to Burress' agent Benjamin Brafman, who added that Burress will enter a "not guilty" plea.

Police had gone to his house, the hospital and staked out his car, which was left at the club as late as Saturday night, hoping to question Burress and check out the gun that was used in the shooting. When police went to Burress' house yesterday and attempted to locate him, his wife, through an intercom, insisted he was not home and that she was not with the star wide receiver when the incident took place.

Reports also indicate that Burress had a Florida gun permit but that the permit expired in May. New York law prohibits the possession of a concealed weapon within New York even if one is licensed in an outside state. Mayor Michael Bloomberg in 2006 led the way to stiffen gun laws in New York City making it a mandatory 3½-year sentence for being busted for illegal possession of a firearm within the city.

Sunday Burress' lawyer told the Associated Press that he has been advised the Giants' receiver will be charged with criminal possession of a weapon. According to the New York Post NYPD detectives traveled to Burress' home in Totowa, NJ Sunday evening to seize the handgun and transfer back to the 17th Precinct stationhouse on the East Side, where Burress is to turn himself in Monday.

Giants at Redskins, Open Thread

2008-11-30T16:00:06Z

NEW YORK GIANTS (10-1)	GAME #12	WASHINGTON REDSKINS (7-4)
	VS.

Date:	November 30, 2008	Location:	Washington, D.C.
Time:	1 p.m. EST	Stadium:	FedEx Field
TV:	FOX	Radio:	WFAN (660 AM)
Final Score:	Giants 23, Redskins 7

Thank goodness it's game day! We can stop talking about Plaxico Burress for a little while and talk about today's action.

Here is your Open Thread for today's Giants-Redskins NFC East clash. Enjoy the game!

Time to wave bye-bye to Burress

2008-11-30T13:07:34Z

I really didn't want to be discussing something like this on game day -- especially a game day against the Washington Redskins -- but the Plaxico Burress situation demands some attention this morning.

Personally, my emotional, gut reaction is that I could care less if Burress never puts on a New York Giants uniform again.

Forget his tremendous talent. Forget what he did for the Giants last season. Forget about what kind of players the Giants have as replacements.

Tom Coughlin and Jerry Reese built a championship team largely because they have a roster filled with players who have bought into the 'team before self' philosophy Coughlin has preached. All except for Burress, that is.

He is the one player who has continued to march to his own drummer, to do what he wants when he wants.

The Giants as a group have continued to show the hunger to win even after being crowned Super Bowl champions. That, largely, is responsible for their 10-1 record going into today. There is no complacency.

Again, except for Burress. He is the one player who seems to have the 'I got my ring and I got my money so now I can do whatever I want' attitude.

This incident makes it obvious, though, that Burress' issues run a lot deeper than just skipping practices and being late for meetings. This goes right to the heart of what kind of person Burress is.

Thank God Burress shot himself Friday night and didn't 'accidentally' put a bullet into Antonio Pierce or another innocent bystander. Burress is in enough trouble for illegally carrying a concealed -- and loaded -- weapon. Luckily for him, something far worse did not happen.

Burress has been a distraction most of the season, but the Giants have been able to play through it. Now, though, he has taken it to a whole new level. Maybe this incident will wake him up and get him back on the right path, but I'm not counting on it.

The Giants have a great thing going. They are in the midst of what could be a historic back-to-back championship run, and possibly a New England Patriots style run of several elite seasons in a row.

Right now, Plaxico Burress is the one issue that threatens to crack the foundation of the empire the Giants have built.

I could care less about Burress' talent. Keeping that foundation solid, not letting anyone or anything chip away at what the Giants have built, has to be the franchise's priority.

If that means cutting Burress loose, so be it.

Other Reaction

Mike Lupica: Burress no longer worth the trouble
Gary Myers: A huge test for the Giants
Ralph Vacchiano: Pierce could also have legal problem
New York Post: Bye-bye, Burress?
Ian O'Connor: Cutting Burress is the right thing to do

Update on the Plaxico Burress story

2008-11-30T03:05:15Z

The Daily News has an update from about an hour ago. Antonio Pierce was with him, and apparently laid into Plax about carrying a gun into a nightclub.

Here is the statement from the Giants on the incident:

"We are aware of the fact that Plaxico was involved in an apparent accidental shooting last night. We have been in contact with Plaxico since shortly after the incident. Plaxico suffered a wound to his right thigh. Obviously, our primary concern is for Plaxico’s health and well-being, and given the circumstances, we are relieved to say he was released from a New York City hospital at approximately 2 p.m. today. We have been in touch with NFL Security on this matter. At this point, we are attempting to gather all the facts surrounding this incident. This incident could become a matter for law enforcement officials, and because of that, we have no comment on any of the details."

One of the more troublesome parts of the article:

Burress could face illegal weapons charges, a crime that carries up to five years in prison, sources said.

"He went for his gun and fumbled it. And now it will cost him," a police source said.

The state of Florida issued him a concealed weapon permit that expired in May. Even if it had been renewed, it wouldn't be recognized by authorities in New York or New Jersey.

Personally, I can't help but wonder if the Giants front office is gathered somewhere pouring over that new contract they gave Plax looking at out clauses.

Here is the link to the story from the New York Daily News

[NOTE: Vote in our 'Plax poll' to the right to let us know what you think the Giants should do with Burress.]

ESPN: Burress wounded in shooting

2008-11-29T16:30:19Z

[EDITOR'S NOTE: Guys, if the Dallas fans want to be idiots about this -- and they obviously do -- leave them alone. We know what they are, we know what they want, and I am asking you guys not to sink to their level. -- Ed]

Word-for-word from ESPN:

New York Giants receiver Plaxico Burress suffered an accidental gunshot wound Friday night in a club, according to multiple sources.

Details of the incident weren't immediately available, but according to a source the wound was not considered life-threatening.

Holy cow! I have no idea how bad this is, or what the heck happened, but this is not good.

[UPDATE: According to Yahoo! Sports, Burress avoided serious injury and should be ready to play again before the season is over. “From everything I’ve heard, he was really lucky,” said a member of Burress’ family.]

Cheerleader of the Week, 11.29.08

2008-11-29T12:00:07Z

Well, I know it's not Reby Sky but the Giants are playing Washington this week and our Cheerleader of the Week is a member of the Redskins cheerleading squad.

Pics from Arizona

2008-11-29T03:15:45Z

Here are the pics from my trip to AZ for the game last weekend. Enjoy!

Trip to AZ

ESPN: Burress out Sunday

2008-11-29T01:10:09Z

ESPN: Burress out Sunday

From ESPN:

New York Giants wide receiver Plaxico Burress will miss Sunday's game against Washington with a sore right hamstring.