NFL

Enough is enough.  It’s time for Plaxico Burress to grow up!  As you probably heard by now he has been suspended for two weeks by the New York Giants because he didn’t show up or call in for work on Monday.  There are some rumblings about domestic issues with his wife, which are some issues that Burress has had in the past.   All of this after the Giants made a strong commitment by signing Burress to a 5 year 35 million dollar contract.  I hope that the Giants had some kind of character clause because this isn’t his first run in with team rules, and I have a funny suspicion that it won’t be his last.  Burress probably expects a pass for his actions because he caught the winning touchdown in the Super Bowl.  Well it just doesn’t work that way in life.  Just because Burress helped the New York Giants win the Super Bowl against the New England Patriots, did he expect coach Tom Coughlin to change his philosophy on accountability and responsibility for his team?   We’ll if he would look at past history with his former teammates Tiki Barber, Jeremy Shockey, and Micheal Strahan he would have realized one thing; coach Coughlin is a demanding disciplinarian who will hold his ground.  Outsiders of the New York Giants organization have enough common sense to realize that, so you would think someone like Plaxico would know that about his coach like he would know the back of his hand.  Burress is a player who likes to march to his own different beat to say the least.

Burress was a man amongst boys when he played college football at Michigan State due to his play and size. At 6’6″ he was a nightmare match up for any defensive back that he went up against.  Even though he was extremely talented as a receiver at MSU, he was known to get into occasional trouble also.  The Pittsburgh Steelers felt they needed a big receiver which is why they drafted Burress with the 8th overall pick in 2000, despite his troubled history.

Plaxico also had trouble following the rules of his former coach Bill Cowher when he was with Pittsburgh Steelers, and he had legal problems also.  It’s funny that Burress had problems following the rules of a coach who Burress had said was the “Coolest coach he ever had” in his book Giant: The Road To The Super Bowl. Burress formed a great receiving duo threat with Hines Ward during his time with the Steelers.  He just never learned to be a leader like Ward or to make a commitment to become great.  The on the field problems that Burress had with the Steelers are the same ones that he has had with the Giants; short arming passes thrown to him, not running his routes all the way through, taking plays off, injury problems, etc..  Burress had a great repore his last year in Pittsburgh with then rookie quarterback Ben Roethlisberger.  Then he left as a free agent to sign with the Giants without hardly any resistance from the Steelers front office.

Burress is a player who seems to have taken his God given abilities for granted.   Here is a guy with all of the talent in the world but doesn’t appear to have the commitment that goes along with being successful.   He doesn’t seem to have to much of an interest in what it means to be a NFL player.  He doesn’t understand the responsibility that comes with being an NFL player.  It’s not about just reaping all of the rewards.

We all know that every player currently playing in the NFL will eventually be replaced.  Even the greats like Tom Brady; Brett Farve has already been replaced in Green Bay which seems surreal.  Some players like to believe that they are invincible, they believe they are untouchable.  I believe that Burress falls in this category.  Players who have felt like this and didn’t truly make a commitment to their NFL profession have wound up being replaced a lot earlier than they should have.  I’m not saying that this is going to happen to Burress, but the potential is definitely there.

Burress has had plenty of time to mature asa a player and person; he has had great men who have done their best to tutor him and take him under their wing.

For one reason or another Burress actions have displayed that he either doesn’t get it or he doesn’t care.  Either one is detrimental to his career, and potentially to his life outside of football.  Burress is missing the very valuable life lessons that the game of football has been trying to teach him.  If Burress continues on the path that he is on, you can best believe that Tom Coughlin will be looking to have him replaced sooner than latter.  There is Steve Smith, Sinorice Moss, Mario Manningham, Domenik Hixon and David Tyree waiting in the wings.  None of these guys have the great height that Burress possesses, but all of these guys are incredible playmakers, and Eli Manning also loves to utilize his Tight Ends in the passing game as he showed in the Super Bowl.  Plaxico needs to realize that the Giants and the game of life will move on with or without you.  There are men on the Giants who are trying to win another Super Bowl and that is where all of their concentrated energies are.  They don’t have a lot of time to be trying to babysit another grown man.  Just how they saying goes “You are either with us or against us!”  There is not a team in the NFL that likes unnecessary distractions when the team is trying to meet their goals to make the playoffs and beyond!

Burress will not always be making the millions of dollars that he is now to play the sport.  Even though he and his family might not have any financial worries in life, there will be many other challenges in life that money won’t be able to fix.  Burress will not always be able to use the NFL as a crutch.  It’s way past time for Plaxico Burress to be a responsible NFL player and person.