Plaxico Burress Shoots Himself in the Leg – Out Sunday for Giants
So, you know the old euphemism “he shot himself in the foot”? As in, “the Cleveland Browns are really shooting themselves in the foot by their complete inability to tackle this year”?
Well, in the sports world, it’s usually used as just a figurative expression to express dismay at a person or team who is making self-defeating mistake after mistake. It’s not usually used literally.
Until now.
New York Giants wide receiver Plaxico Burress has accidentally shot himself in the leg, according to Jay Glazer of Fox Sports. Here is an excerpt from the Glazer story:
The New York Giants wide receiver accidentally shot himself in the leg on Friday night, FOXSports.com has learned, not long after being ruled out of Sunday’s game against the Redskins with a hamstring injury
He spent the night in the hospital and the injuries are not believed to be life-threatening. The team is still trying to gather further information on the incident.
Needless to say, Plaxico Burress will miss this weekend’s game against the Washington Redskins. As stated by Glazer, Burress was already expected to miss the game so hopefully you made the proper adjustments to your fantasy football rosters.
My first inclination is to wonder why in the hell Plaxico Burress was walking around with a loaded gun. I have never understood the multitude of stories revolving around athletes, and football players in particular, getting in trouble with guns.
A post written last week about the beating of Donald Driver’s father by our very own Mark Laughlin made me rethink that a bit.
As a relatively spoiled kid who grew up in the suburbs of the Midwest and never once felt anything even resembling legitimate fear for my life or being, I have no frame of reference through which I can sympathize with someone who feels like they need to carry a gun. Mark’s article, as well as the ESPN stories he links to, is a real eye-opener regarding the reality that guys like Plaxico Burress live in — or at least think that they live in.
After college, I taught at an alternative school in Miami for about a half a year. That was another eye opener. These were all kids that were 16 years old or younger, and yet had been kicked out school for repeated offenses of grand theft auto, cocaine possession and use, and who repeatedly talked about guns and violence. Logically, I expected it going in — but it was still a shock once I got there.
What I learned is that a kid who grows up in a “normal” neighborhood in Bloomington, Indiana and a kid who grows up in Liberty City
have drastically different views of reality and of what is “normal.”
I guess my point is that while Plaxico Burress has quite a checkered past, and can be judged harshly for a lot of his past words and actions, perhaps we should try to empathize in this case before casting negative aspersions on Burress for carrying a gun. I know the demographics of the people who read Midwest Sports Fans, and my general guess is that very few of you feel the need to carry a gun. I think we all wish that guys like Plaxico Burress did not feel the need to do so themselves, but I also can’t step into his shoes to know what it is like to feel like a target when you step out of your house — or in the tragic case of Sean Taylor, when you are in your house.
So no jokes and no disparaging comments from me on this one. Hopefully Plaxico Burress gets well soon, and hopefully there will come a day when athletes and celebrities like Plaxico Burress no longer feel the need to walk around with loaded guns.
Tags: guns, new york giants, plaxico burress, sean taylor
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I can understand this being the case if they were still being forced live in bad neighborhoods, but this guys is worth $35 million. You don’t think he could afford to move to a quiet suburb town where he wouldn’t have to carry a gun. Instead he put himself in the situation at a night club where he felt he should carry a gun. There are roughly 1600 players in the NFL. A lot of them come from bad neighborhoods. So why isn’t this more prevalent? Because those players are smart and avoid scenes they know could cause trouble.
I hope Burress gets well soon. But maybe this should be a wake up call to smarten up and avoid potentially dangerous situations and areas.
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JRod Reply:
November 29th, 2008 at 12:31 pm
@Ben,
Agreed. I overlooked the fact that Burress was in a club when the accidental shooting occurred — although I suppose I should have assumed that.
You would think that if he was too injured to play in Sunday’s game already, that he would feel like going out to a club might not be the wisest idea.
It is hard to have a whole lot of sympathy for guys who carry guns when they are putting themselves in a position like going to a club, where they are far more likely to be in troubling situations. I probably should not have even compared Burress to Sean Taylor. Taylor was in his home, not out at a club.
Still, you would like to think a player like Burress could go out and have some fun without feeling the need to pack heat. (It makes me feel cool and thuggish-ruggish to use phrases like “pack heat.”) But maybe the better idea would be for guys like Plaxico Burress to make some sacrifices and find other forms of recreation than clubbing if they feel like they need a gun to go there.
I don’t know. I have a hard time relating on this one. I just wish it was different and that we were not inundated seemingly every week with another story about athletes and guns.
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plaxxii is the best motha f—-n’ reciever in the damn NFL and he had a loaded gun cause he is a thug ass n—a! stop h8′n i love this guy
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[...] now, everyone knows about Plaxico Burress and his unfortunate shooting incident. The quick Cliff’s Notes version if you need a [...]
he aint no damn thug , hes a f—-n idiot. fake ass thug, wanna be like all them f—-n rappers.just caus you got money and your black dont mean your a thug.
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RE: Accidental Shooting
Hello,
Every time I read one of those stories it makes me sick. To end a life like this is a crime. Ten years ago a four year old boy found his grandfathers loaded and unlocked 45. He pulled the gun from the holster and pointed it at his six year old sisters head and pulled the trigger. As a parent reading that story I tried to imagine what the parents of those kids were going through. My daughter is the greatest gift I have ever had I could not imagine the hell those parents were going through. I sat down and started thinking. Why are we still having accidental shootings! Aren’t there enough cable locks and trigger locks out there to end this problem. Ten years ago I decided to try and find and answer to the problem. It was not hard to come up with why.
The why is easy. We keep having accidental shootings because most gun owners refuse to use cable locks or trigger locks they are a joke. Most folks buy a gun for protection not to be locked up. So whats the answer? The answer would be a safety device that would give you the gun owner instant access to your firearm. What does that? Nothing at that time would keep your kid from killing themselves or someone else and yet give you instant access to your gun. So I decided to try and find an answer. Here is what I came up with
http://www. safetybullet. com/ The Safety Bullet will instantly disable your firearm if a kid pulls the trigger yet it will give you instant access when needed. If this bullet had been in that gun this person would still be alive. OK I invented this thing now you have to help me tell everyone about it and together you and I can make a real difference and maybe save a kids life.
Best Regards,
Mike Worley
if you need a safety bullet or want to contact to write about it 1(850)866-0190
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Plaxico Burruess is a fool. You mean to tell me that this man did not have the money to hire body guards whom are licensed to carry. If you want to act like a criminal, don’t cry when your dreams become reality buddy. Prison is real “thug life” plax, I hope your ready son!!! Cheers to the good life in the VIP Room at Sing-Sing Prison “Stupid Ass”
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