I have always wondered why some athletes stay out of trouble and why some seem to attract it. Plaxico Burress, Superbowl hero wide receiver for the NY Giants, seems to be starting to go onto the negative end of trouble spectrum. He came from Pittsburgh Steelers with a reputation as a trouble maker but by all reports he was a solid citzen that may have been misunderstood.
This year he has constantly been in Tom Couglin’s dog house for a variety of infractions plus he hasn’t played that much. When he has played he generally has done well but his off field antics have really tarnished his image. Over the weekend he somehow shot himself in the thigh with an unlicensed gun and then tried to cover it up. Yesterday he was arraigned on felony weapons charges and could face up to 15 years in prison if convicted.
Obviously this is a damaging blow to his promising career I’m wondering what was he thinking carrying by unlicensed gun? I know he is a public figure and could be a target for some over zealous fan but I’m thinking he is making enough money to hire a bodyguard whenever he goes out to certain venues where he may atrract more attention. I suppose like may pro athletes he has this alpha male view of himself and figures “I can protect myself”.
This may be true but you have to do things the right way - apply for a gun permit and learn to use a gun properly. if you don’t get the permit hire a bodyguard how can carry then you have little to worry about. Mayor Micheal Bloomberg is pushing for Burress to get a stiff sentence a gun charge in New York City carries a minimum 3 and a half year sentence.
I doubt Plaxico will see any jail time because he has hired a high powered lawyer and I sure some sort of plea deal will be made. The league will discipline him and the Giants will surely fine him or more. I hope he can get things back together as a pro athlete I’m sure he faces many pressures that the average person doesn’t have to face. He has a wonderful opprtunuity to make a good life for him and his family but he has to realize that like it or not he is a role model and he has to think about his actions. We all learn actions have consequences and in this case the consequences could be quite severe.
