Plaxico Buress VS.

[Don Kiyoti]

The whole thing reminds me a little of The Bonfire of the Vanities.

I don't know anything about Plaxico Burress; I don't watch football. So I don't know if he's a decent guy or a thug. I'm not going to assume he had a gun on him to protect himself, nor will I assume he was just trying to be cool. I can understand that some pro athletes are the target of unwanted attention. But Burress could have just as easily wounded or killed someone else in the club. Aren't bodyguards supposed to provide that kind of protection?

I'd like to know if the law in NY would have allowed him to have a permit to carry a concealed weapon and if it did, why he didn't have such a permit. I would guess the club had a rule against bringing guns inside but I don't know that either. Is it a misdemeanor in NY or a felony? Whatever it is, he should get the penalty for that. If he loses his job, tough.

I'm more concerned about the way everyone else involved handled the incident. Why did the hospital fail to notify the police about a gunshot wound? They are required to do that. Heads should roll there. And the weasels from the Giants and the NFL calling the cops to see if they'd found out about it is really contemptible. The NFL & Giants knew all about it but sure as hell weren't planning on telling the cops (let's see if we can get our asset off the hook first!).

[swampy]

It's been my observation.....

Thugs like Plaxico Burress tend to bring these things on themselves. So many star athletes come from disadvantage homes. Often with a dedicated single mother. For whatever reason they never learn to disassociate themselves from the hangers on. They have a "my posse' attitude that always seems to get them in trouble. You see it from early in their carreer. They go off to college and hang with the wrong people.

Their talent propels them into the pros with lots of money and lots of temptations that most are ill equipped to handle. Then never seem to get it that bad things happen at 2:30 AM around drunk people in the wrong part of town.

Thank goodnes for Derrick Brooks, Warrick Dunn, Ronde and Tiki Barber, Michael Alstot, John Lynch (can you tell I'm a Bucks fan?) and many other great NFL stars who give their time and talent helping others and setting wonderful role models for young boys.

[Panopticon]

yep, Plaxico Burress did a stupid thing.

...but Cheney is just plain dangerous. Think Stalin.

Ray Lewis {and the murder victims' families} were victims of a politically motivated Fulton County DA, Paul L. Howard. Very similar to Mr. Nifong in NC {Duke 'rape case'}. Funny thing happened, after ALL the defendants were found NOT to have participated in the homicides, Mr. Howard did not press for the police to investigate other known suspects!
As with Nifong, Mr. Howard should not be allowed to practice law either. {Ray also got some really bad legal advice, IMHO.}

[DevoBill]

Looks like a good test case for 2nd amd in NY city.

[mikeylikesit]

I'm sortta' with Swampy on this. Why are professional athletes partying at 2-3AM during the season. If this had been an off season incident I might feel different but the idea that they take their professionalism so lightly is a problem.

Many of these are pampered, over-indulged kids who never had to accept responsibility for anything simply because of their athleticism. They're pushed through the college system in a bubble and then dumped on the world never having learned anything more complex than a double tight end halfback option.

They have work weeks that total less than six months, why do they need to party during that time?

[swampy]

Florida is known for producing great football players. I've watched many of them play high school, college and pro ball. So many of them come from low income and disadvantaged backgrounds. No doubt they are prime high school athletes who were often a "big fish in a little pond", but their skills alone advanced them to college then, for the few, on to the professional level.

I'm a huge Florida State fan and, as most of you know, our football program has fallen off its dynasty pedestal. But recruiting talent doesn't always mean character comes with it. FSU is not alone in off field problems. You read about 'incidents' from all over the country.

I lay a large portion of the blame directly at the feet of the NCAA. About 20 years ago, the NCAA did away with athletic dorms, training tables or dining halls and many of the control mechanisms that were in place to supervise players. They felt the student athlete should have the "full life experience" (whatever that means), and insisted they move out into off campus facilities, cook for themselves etc. It seemed to change the whole 'team' dynamic.

The very first thing that cropped up were the agent scandals (remember Footlocker and Tank Black?). Under the former system, agents couldn't just roam the dorm halls, there were peer pressure checks and balances, assistant coaches also keping an eye on things. There was also a loss of team leadership where the juniors and seniors had more contact with the younger kids to mentor them and foster comradeship and togetherness. These things were so important in helping to mold the character of not only the team, but the individual student athlete. Especially those who came from dysfunctional home backgrounds. It gave them some sense of 'family'.

The "big fish in a little pond" incoming freshmen no longer have that nurturing transition. Not only do they have the challenge of leaving home and adjusting to college life and academics, they now find themselves "little fish in a big pond" having to compete for starting positions. Some just can't find acceptable ways to deal with all that. Those with 'marginal character' seek ways to draw attention to themselves both on and off the field. They don't accept coaching very well and many tend to underachieve. It just snowballs until you get players like Plexico Burress, Terrel Owens, Michael Vick etc. They may still may be great athletes, but they are social disasters and train wrecks waiting to happen.

As both an alumni and Seminole Booster, I've heard many of these thoughts from great coaches and players such as Mickey Andrews, Chuck Amato, Bobby Bowden, Odell Haggins, Mark Richt, and Lawrence Dawsey. All of them, over the years have been guest speakers at our booster club functions. All have expressed the desire to help kids grow, not only in athletic prowess, but in character as men. And all have expressed a sense of personal failure when, as they say, "I lose one."

[vision63]

Those are good thoughts swampy. But then it could be that nobody really cares about them until they come to their University.

[swampy]

You might be right vision63.

[mikeylikesit]

Oh God! I may have to kill myself. I was pressed into drafting a 13-15 year old team to play this season. I didn't want to coach again but would help build a team for the real coach.

They insisted I name the team. I chose Seminoles. Will someone please end this for me?

[vision63]

'Noles!