Usually in a situation like this, I would write something about five pages in length explaining how this entire situation is insane. I had just gotten to page three, and hit the delete button on the whole thing. I came up with a much more simple way to explain the Plaxico Burress coverage.
The news and sports media will say anything and everything they can to create a story, even if it compromises their own integrity and makes them look like hypocrites.
And the sad thing is, it didn’t even begin with the Burress incident. It began nearly a week ago. As the sports world was nearing the one year anniversary of Sean Taylor’s death, ESPN the Magazine published a fascinating cover story about the lifestyles of professional football players. The title was quite intriguing: “A year after Sean Taylor’s murder, NFL players are still running scared.”
In the article, a handful of NFL players (all with clean slates may I add) explained that they owned guns. And with the rapid increase of attacks, shootings, and murders of NFL players, the guns made them feel safe.
The success of the ESPN article lead to nearly every other sports affiliate broadcasting or writing about a similar story. It was Coke versus Pepsi-like altercation. And then out of sheer coincidence, an NFL player shot himself in the leg in a New York nightclub within two days of the anniversary of the Sean Taylor incident.
I am judging simply by Plaxico Burress’s track record. He has never been convicted of anything and he has never caused any sort of a ruckus. And according to the only witness report that has been released so far, the only reason the gun was exposed was because Burress was cooperating with nightclub security and preparing to give them the weapon, when it discharged and shot him.
So I feel that I (an unpaid aspiring journalist) should ask the question that a journalist is supposed to ask: Why? Why did Burress have that gun? And if you are judging by the track record here, there is only one answer: Burress is afraid to go out without protection.
And somehow, literally less than a week after the media revealed the shockingly depressing state of mind of an NFL athlete; Plaxico was almost universally labeled as a distraction, a punk, another NFL criminal, or an idiot.
Even local news stations got in on the act. Steve Bartelstein of CBS news literally giggled through the Burress report this morning, and then did the toss by insinuating that Burress better have a good lawyer. The field reporter then responded, “You crack me up Steve.”
I’m glad the media thinks this is hilarious; because one week ago, the safety of NFL players was getting all the headlines.
In fact, only one person in the media said anything even remotely reasonable, and he has less to do with the news than anyone. His name is Tony Siragusa, and there is a microphone on him at all times because he is usually hilarious.
During the Giants’ victory over the Redskins, Siragusa addressed the younger demographic by saying that if you’re serious about being a football player, and you go to a place where you feel the need to bring a gun, you shouldn’t go there.
And while Siragusa makes an incredibly valid point, there is one thing that should be noted. These incidents don’t always happen outside of nightclubs. They can happen anywhere. If there is a recognizable face that doesn’t have George Clooney money, you can follow him or her anywhere.
If we are judging by the death of Sean Taylor or the Dunta Robinson robbery, you aren’t even safe at home.
So put yourself in this position. Football was more than likely your only escape from a poverty stricken life and the only advice you are getting is “Don’t go out to suspect places.” But you are also hearing that you may not even be safe at home. What do you do?
With all of that said, Burress had the gun and committed a crime and it is an absolute shame. But this is not about the crime. This is about the coverage and vilifying of a man who is less than a year removed from being a New York hero. And I hope with all my heart that the way this situation was handled by the media goes down as one of the biggest botches in sports broadcasting history.
21 comments Last one added 7 months ago — Leave a Comment
Michael Miller 7 months ago
Only escape from a poverty-stricken life? 99 percent of them have college degrees man! I can't believe you are backing this dumbass up and attacking the media. The media will run stories about whatever they can get their hands on, but that doesn't mean these players have to go to night clubs with guns. There are plenty of players in the NFL who lead completely normal lives. Burress is an idiot, and every player who goes out with a gun is an idiot.
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Jared Zeidman 7 months ago
Prove to me that 99% of NFL players have college degrees.
Prove to me that, and I will buy you an ice cream cone every day for the rest of your life.
man!
I spent the last 2 years studying the sociology of college athletes. We live in a society where graduating student athletes doesn't matter. In fact, Kelvin Sampson won NCAA coach of the year and didn't graduate a single member of the team.
I urge you to re read the article because I also think Burress is an idiot. I was writing about how hypocritical the media looks. And since you think that 99% of NFL players have college degrees, you bought into it too.
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Jared Zeidman 7 months ago
I urge you to read the books "Reclaiming the Game" or "Unpaid Professionals"
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Keeven Kuate 7 months ago
I completely agree with you man. Plaxico had a gun on him as he just won a super bowl and shit can go wrong at night clubs. Now, shooting himself was stupid but, people seem like he did that on purpose. Great write up. I'll be reading your articles in the future, as I was also laughing at this until now, I'm realizing that NFL players are scared that people will attack them. I want Plaxico to address the media and explain himself. He will surely get suspended for this unfortunately and probably will not return in 2009. Oh well, life goes on. Plaxico will have dozens of teams offering long term deals that include heavy protection as he felt the need to have a LOAD gun on him.
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Dorothy Willis 7 months ago
I loved your take on the situation and gave you five stars and my POTD. Also, your statement about graduating players hit home too. Way back in the day I was a Professional Phys. Ed. major and the atletes in my classes made it incredibly easy for me and the other two women in the program to look like geniuses. I am not sure how my Univ. is doing today, but 1964 to 1968 the classes were certainly dumbed down to keep the athletes in play.
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Angel Navedo 7 months ago
PICK OF THE MFing DAY!
I was literally going to do this. People find it way too easy to sit on thrones of impunity behind well-sheltered homes. It's nonsense.
People seem to forget the imminent danger there is when anyone wants to go out for just a night on the town. Without getting too long-winded, about two years ago I had a gun pulled on me outside of a lounge because a guy thought I was trying to hit on his girlfriend inside the bar. I was really trying to talk to her friend, but that's neither here nor there.
If that could've happened to me.. when I was making $28,000/yr.. what kind of danger is Plaxico Burress in when other knuckleheads are involved?
People own guns. But since Plax has been in the headlines recently with one-game suspensions, missing meetings, and holding out for more money, he's instantly a moron that we all laugh at?
I'm glad you wrote this, Takeover.
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Jared Zeidman 7 months ago
Thanks for the nod buddy.
I'm a Long Island kid and I'm in and out of the city all the time. And i get nervous about going out, all the time, All it takes is one person acting like an idiot, or being too drunk, or trying to be a tough guy; and the entire situation changes.
Thankfully I have never seen a gun although I have witnessed a ton of fists flying, so I'm sorry to hear about your situation. But it just goes to show, this kind of stuff can happen to anyone. I'm even less on the side of Plaxico Burress, and more on the side of...
"hey, you just spent 2 weeks talking about how crippled the lives of NFL players are. Now an NFL player just did it for you literally. And this is how you react?"
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Gray Ghost 7 months ago
Angel, I agree with your comment, and really respect your writing. You are a solid writer and always put good thought into your article. Your first sentence is the only thing you said that had no thought process to it. You reacted. There are kids on B/R - my own included - that really don't need to be running into obscenities as they navigate this site. We need them to be able to read your work and learn from your point of view.
You are one of B/R's best, and I would hope you would express yourself without feeling the need to lower your language in order to express your outrage. Just my opinion. :)
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Andrew Nuschler 7 months ago
I appreciate the effort to avoid jumping to conclusions and very much agree with your take on the NCAA and the so-called education of big money, college athletes. I also agree that simply owning a gun does not make him an idiot. But I have to strongly disagree re Burress's stupidity.
Carrying a loaded gun is dumb enough. Carrying a chambered and cocked one?
There is simply no excuse for that. None. Cops might carry around one in the pipe, but Plax isn't some international spy who's gonna have to draw down and immediately engage in a fire-fight.
Also, guns just don't go off if you treat them properly. They don't discharge. Someone discharges them.
Nor would anyone with even half-a-brain ever point the muzzle of a LOADED gun at anything they wouldn't shoot. A chambered one? Jesus. Guns aren't toys, they aren't cute little novelties.
It isn't reasonable to ever forget there's a round in the chamber or where the muzzle's pointing or where the gun is in proximity to anything/anyone, etc. It is a GUN and it shoots BULLETS.
Interesting read though. At least different from all the rest. My take and I guess I'd be described as a gun enthusiast (notice the time it was published so it was before all the others):
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/87198-plaxico-burress-might-be-the-dumbest-player-in-the-history-of-the-nfl
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Jared Zeidman 7 months ago
I know the trigger has to be pulled. I'll check out your work right now.
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John Lorge 7 months ago
People can talk all they want about pacman.. but burress is just plain stupid.
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Jared Zeidman 7 months ago
I care more about the media's response than Plaxico's stupidity. That's why it was in the title of my article.
Feel free to bash plaxico in: http://bleacherreport.com/articles/87198-plaxico-burress-might-be-the-dumbest-player-in-the-history-of-the-nfl
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Shashwat Baxi 7 months ago
I was most shocked at the NBC crew with Costas and Barber trying to go back and forth about whether he should have had a gun or if it had anything to do with gang violence and their upbringing in violent neighborhoods. Give me a break. Talk about the issue at hand. A multi-millionaire football player carried an unlocked, but loaded gun in a mid-town nightclub. That is the issue. Who the hell cares if he was carrying it because he was brought up to be tough and a "thug"? I love the Giants but this was just ridiculous, no matter why it happened.
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Jarrod Seybolt 7 months ago
This was an interesting point of view that I have never thought of, well done. However I must ask two questions that seem to hit me. The first being that people carry guns all the time and guns have safeties on them to make sure that those carrying them do no shoot themselves. Why was his safety off? The second question is if he felt so threatened going out then why didn't he just ask for security like any NFL player can ask from either the NFL or the Giants organization. I believe it was Michael Irvin though I may be wrong who said the NFL provides undercover bodyguards to players who want to go out and have a good time and the bodyguards lay back and its like you dont even know they are there. Obviously the NFL knows that there players may be targets and is the reason that they provide security but i think that the main issue here is how did he shoot himself? Many players carry guns yes, but they dont shoot themself. I think the larger issue here is what was really going on or was it just stupidity?
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Jared Zeidman 7 months ago
Well I think there's no question that it was an act of stupidity. And in reality, this is why there are gun licenses, because you need to know how to use the weapon. So I am in agreement that what plaxico burress did was dumb.
With that said, I have no real idea about whether or not teams provide security, so I do not want to speculate. I can say however that even security guards have proven not to be the difference maker in some of these situations. SO if you are correct about players being offered free security, it makes Burress look all the more stupid.
I was far more concerned with how the media reacted, which to me was absolutely appalling.
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Kyle Gemon 7 months ago
I agree with you that the media magnifies situations like this one but i don't feel any compassion for Plaxico. From how the story sounds it seems like Burress is out looking for trouble. He makes millions of dollers, can do anything or go anywhere his heart desires but he decides to go to New York club with a gun. Of corse he is going to feel unsafe, you are at Night Club in the heart of NYC, fights and homicides happen over spilled beer. All i have to say is if i made Plaxico kind of money, you wouldn't find me at Night Club with a firearm, but in a penthouse, throwing my own private party. There is no logic behind Plaxico's thinking, they say "you can take a thug out of the hood but can't take the hood out of a thug", in Plaxico's case that must be true.
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Jared Zeidman 7 months ago
What if someone found a way into your penthouse and shot you?
And Plaxico has never participated in any thuggish act, prior to this. So easy with the thug labels. Save that for Maurice Clarrett
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T Boyd 7 months ago
Once again another dumb-ass story about a dumb-ass overpaid athlete who thinks the laws don't apply to him. The only sad part of this story is that he only shot himself in the leg instead of his balls, now that would have been Irony. If this were to happen to you or me we wouldn't have even gotten out of the bar and we would still be sitting in jail because most of us wouldn't be able to post the $200,000 in bail to get out.
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Jared Zeidman 7 months ago
Once again, another guy who didn't read the article and then skipped to the bottom to write a comment. If you read it, you'd realize that I agreed with you on most of what you said, and my complaint was with the way the media handled the situation.
I see you're new here. But the old adage is, "Look before you leap."
And don't call me a dumbass sweetheart. Because the whole point of what I wrote was that this wouldn't happen to you or me.
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Gray Ghost 7 months ago
T.O., this is an excellent article. The media is after a story, and often tramples on whatever truth they have to in order to get it out. While I am not insinuating that everything the media reports is false, enough of it is to make us take a closer look before we sign on to everything they say. That is why we have trials, right? To look at the evidence and determine the truth?
Obviously, no one condones what Plaxico did. Too much of this type stuff happens in seedy joints in the early morning hours. Thats not very smart. We think that because a person makes big $$$ that he automatically becomes responsible and full of discernment. Not so. Sports may get the kid out of the hood, but that doesn't take the hood out of the kid. They learn how to make a living before they really learn how to live. We are missing the boat with our athletes - especially at the college level - before they take the step to the big money.
We live in a throw away culture. It's easier to throw something away than it is to find out why it's broken, and take the time to fix it. Unfortunately, that applies to people and gadgets. Thsi article makes us think - which we need to do more often. *****POTD
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Jared Zeidman 7 months ago
Gray,
It's always a pleasure to hear from you. The key is that you really have no idea what the story is, especially when there are 80 different versions of the story, and all 80 people are in a race to get you the story first.
The funny thing was that lost in all of this Plaxico stuff, Steve Smith, another Giants standout receiver, was robbed at gunpoint in his home less than 48 hours before the Plaxico incident.
I do not condone the illegal possession of a handgun or the firing of said handgun into either yourself or another person. But week after week the media has given the world a new reason why NFL players should fear for their lives. And then the second someone gets in trouble for having a gun it all of a sudden becomes the tale of a "stupid, selfish, distraction."
Thanks again Gray for the continuous support and as always keep up the great work on your end.
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