Plaxico Burress and Micheal Vick Are More Alike Than We Will Ever Know

Sure, Plaxico Burress didn't get involved in some kind of dog fighting conspiracy. And true, Micheal Vick didn't shoot himself in the leg or have a gun on him at all. But they are alike.

Both were in the twilight of their careers, only to get the rug pulled out from under them just when they likely thought they were invincible.

Burress just came off an amazing Super Bowl win, beating the undefeated New England Patriots in the final minutes.

He caught what ended up being the winning catch, sealing a Super Bowl for the New York Giants.

Micheal Vick was coming off being the first quarterback to ever run for 1,000 yards in a single season. If he was still playing, he could challenge the NFL rushing records. He was a one-in-a-million-type player who could take over any game.

But both decided to make a life-altering mistake. Vick ran a dog fighting complex, while Burress carried an allegedly unlicensed gun to a nightclub and accidentally shot himself in the leg, meaning a probable three-plus-year stint in jail.

Both cost their teams. They distract their teams, and get others such as friends and family involved also. Possibly both careers at their respective teams are over. Vick may never go back to the Falcons if he does come back to the NFL.

If he is convicted, Burress may or not be ousted by New York. Vick may have cost his team more than Burress did with the Giants, but the momentum seems to be gone. Sure they look OK now, but wait until they get in the playoffs.

They need to have Burress with the team. He is highly effective in the playoffs and has proven that in the Super Bowl. Now who is going to be that big tall receiver to catch the game-winner? Not Burress.

Vick took over games at quarterback and was a great for his team. He ended up leaving his team be one of the worst last year, and they are still not the best they could be.

They may be doing better now, with the emergence of rookie quarterback Matt Ryan. But what happens if they make it in the playoffs and the passing game isn't working? Or the offensive line is breaking down?

Someone needs to be able to run and get out of trouble, all the while getting first downs and the ball down the field for scores. Who is going to do that? Not Vick.

Both Burress and Vick cost their teams both games and distractions. Sure, as all teams, they will move on. But, for now, at this time, this year, it will not happen.

The Giants were destined to be in the Super Bowl again. They looked like the best team all year, with and without Burress. But, as I said, the playoffs are a completely different beast. So we will see how they cope.

What do you think? Are both Vick and Burress distractions to their respective teams?