Knucklehead

Knucklehead - I don't know what else to call Plaxico Burress. What else CAN you call someone who had it all, and threw it away out of sheer stupidity. For those who have not followed this year's soap opera, he plays wide receiver for the New York Giants, and he is one of the best in the game.

Last year, he beat the Green Bay Packers almost single-handed, catching 11 passes against a Pro Bowl cornerback in frigid weather. It must have seemed even colder to Al Harris that day, because Burress undressed him. At one point, Burress turned to the Packers bench and yelled "he can't cover me!" Two weeks later he caught the winning touchdown pass in the final minute of the Super Bowl.

In the offseason the Giants rewarded him with a mega-million dollar contract, $11 million of it guaranteed. This year, Burress responded by causing one problem after another, and I won't list the number of fines he's received. He was suspended for two games, but that was nothing compared his latest escapade. Burress was inactive for today's game with the Redskins due to a hamstring injury. Having had all sorts of injuries in my life, I can tell you that the best way to heal these things is to rest. I'm not a doctor, and I have no medical background, but I'm quite certain that of all the ways you can help to heal a hamstring injury, going to a club and shooting yourself in the thigh is nowhere near the top of the list.

Think about how stupid this is. First you have to go out to a club while you're injured. And you have to bring along a gun. Then you have to fire the gun. Last, but not least, you have to shoot yourself. And for maximum effect, don't do this in Arizona or Texas or one of those right-to-carry states. Blast yourself in a jurisdiction where carrying a concealed weapon is a felony that carries a mandatory 3 1/2-year prison sentence.

The only silver lining in this episode is that somehow Burress was not seriously injured. The bullet missed his vital spots, and he was released from the hospital. He has spent the past two days lawyering up, and will turn himself in tomorrow. Let me be quite clear: Plaxico Burress does not belong in prison. He isn't a danger to anyone but himself. But for all of his prodigious football talent, he doesn't seem to have the common sense he was born with.

Last year he played through all kinds of injuries and helped the Giants win a Super Bowl. Opposing defenses are so concerned with him that he draws double coverage most of the game. As a result, the Giants are the best rushing team in the league, having already run for more than 200 yards in five games this year. But we are finding out week after week that the Giants are resilient enough to win without Burress. He didn't play against Seattle and they scored 44 points. Against Arizona, they scored 37. Today they beat Washington 23-7.

The Giants won the Super Bowl last year without Tiki Barber and Jeremy Shockey. This year, without Michael Strahan and Osi Umenyiora, they are 11-1. And even without Burress, they still have depth at wide receiver. The Redskins tried to stack 8 or 9 men on the line of scrimmage today, and Manning threw for 300 yards in the first three quarters.

Good luck, Plaxico, and I sincerely mean that. Somehow, those clever lawyers will find a loophole around a felony conviction. I hope you're back in the NFL someday, although I don't think it will be with the Giants.