Maybe we should just call New York Giants wide receiver Plaxico Burress 'Distrac-Tico.'
Distrac-Tico was the big story at practice on Wednesday -- again. This time, playing the role of the contrite little boy admitting he has been bad and promising to do better.
“I am human,” Burress said. “I have made some mistakes. I haven’t made the best of decisions. I am aware of that, and I am the first one to look myself in the mirror and be honest with myself.”
Let's hope he means it. The Giants can win regular-season games with Distrac-Tico being largely AWOL. They appear to have a legitimate shot at back-to-back Super Bowl titles, though, and I doubt they can do that without Distrac-Tico turning back into Plaxico and making big plays for them.
Amani Toomer has been the Giants most willing the Distrac-Tico sideshow is a problem for the other 52 players.
"He knows his decisions will affect the rest of the team," Toomer said. "His situation hasn't been good for either side. It's not good for him, and it's not good for the team. There are a lot of guys that count on him."
Newsday columnist Bob Glauber listened to Distrac-Tico and Toomer Wednesday, and came away thinking this. Distrac-Tico needs to be like Amani.
Maybe, just maybe, he realizes that his actions have meaningful consequences for what goes on in the locker room of the defending Super Bowl champions. That it's time he started paying attention to the rules and did what was necessary to be there - all there - on game day.
But if Burress needs any further proof of what it is to be a true professional, he need only look a few feet away from his own locker. That's where you can find Amani Toomer, who has toiled for the Giants for all of his 13 NFL seasons. And in that time, all you've seen is a man who comes to work, busts his tail, shows up on game day and does whatever he has to do to help his team. Even at 34, there are still plenty of big catches left.
While we are on the subject of Distrac-Tico, what was with yesterday's weird comments by injured defensive end Osi Umenyiora about the situation?
In case you missed it, here is what Osi said.
“I agree with what Tom Coughlin did,” Umenyiora says on tonight’s episode of Inside the NFL on Showtime. “You definitely have to take a stance at some point with a guy like that.
“But I don’t agree with the way some players responded, coming out and openly supporting the team or openly supporting the organization as far as the discipline for Plaxico Burress is concerned. You can never come out and defend the team against your own teammates. He’s the guy who’s going to go out there, blood, sweat, and tears for you. At the end of the day, the team is going to look for your replacement while your teammates are there for you for the rest of your life.”
Huh? As a player you can't say you agree with what the coach did in disciplining Distrac-Tico, then turn around and slam your teammates for backing the coach -- which is what you just did.
Please don't tell me Osi is taking media lessons from that ex-Giant running back turned failed broadcaster. Hey, Osi, be quiet and go back to rehabbing your knee.