Colgate Around the Hill – What should the Giants do with Plaxico Burress?

By Josh Glick

There is absolutely no reason why Plaxico Burress should still be a member of the New York Football Giants. Obviously, Plax is a beast on the field. Last year he had over 1,000 receiving yards and 12 touchdowns, not to mention the game winning catch in Super Bowl XLII. And to be honest, this latest fiasco is not what I am worried about. Everyone knows that Plaxico Burress is not the only professional athlete to bring a gun to a club (although so far he is the only one dumb enough to shoot himsekf with it). The real problem with Plax is that he doesn’t give it his all. There are lots of Prima Donnas in the NFL (Terrell Owens, Braylon Edwards, Brandon Marshall), but they always show up to practice, and give it their all on the field. No one on the Giants seems to respect Plax, as he does so little with so much talent. And by the way, the Giants are so good this year, they can win the Super Bowl without him!

Stephen Guss

Whether it’s Terrell Owens, Chad Ocho Cinco, Randy Moss or Plaxico Burress, high-profile and high-performing wide receivers carry over baggage that, in many instances, is too heavy to be stored on the team shuttle. Do you have to be an off-the-field distraction to be a star wide receiver in the NFL? The answer is no (see Hines Ward, Reggie Wayne, Larry Fitzgerald, Amani Toomer, Marvin Harrison), but unfortunately, ESPN spends segment after segment on players who cannot keep themselves out of trouble off the field. The stars who keep cool in their personal lives while winning games for their teams on Sundays, however, are taken for granted.

Plaxico Burress’ recent incident at The Latin Quarter, a New York City night club, have put a damper on the Giants’ near perfect 2008 season. New York’s chemistry, talent, and versatility cannot be risked for the sake of one man. Just like the Yankees of the late 1990s, the Giants have found that special recipe for success, winning Super Bowl XLII and continuing to thrive this year. There is no guarantee that the Giants’ success will last forever. The Giants must cherish the time they have together because a team this successful is not assembled very often. The Giants cannot afford any distractions as they prepare to make a run at Super Bowl XLIII. No player is above the team on the 2008 Giants. That is why Plaxico Burress should be released before he ends up behind bars.

Mitch Waxman

Plaxico Burress is a top-five wide receiver in the NFL, maybe even top-three. But even so, it is time for the New York Giants to part ways with their star wide-out. The Giants are the best team in the National Football League this year, and no other team can even come close. The only thing that can come between the Giants and another Super Bowl title is the Giants themselves. #17, Plaxico Burress, might be that obstacle between a Super Bowl title if the Giants do not let him go.

It seems like each week this season the talk has been about what Plax has done with little attention given to the success that the Giants have shown on the field. This weekend, all the attention surrounding the Giants was focused on Plax’s arrest, and New York’s 23-7 shellacking of division rival Washington Redskins was completely ignored.

If this were any other team in the league my answer would be different. That’s because every other team in the league can’t afford to lose a player of Burress’ caliber. Heck, out of all the contenders in the league, the team tied with the Giants for the best record, the Tennessee Titans, could probably use Plax more than anyone.

Being the best team in the league has certain advantages, and one of those advantages is having some roster flexibility. The Giants have it, and so it’s time for them to bid farewell to Plaxico Burress forever.

Mike McMaster

It’s amazing how quickly people forget. Without Plax, the New York Giants would not have been Super Bowl champions last year. Burress was a defining player both in Green Bay, and in Arizona against the Patriots. The Giants believe they can win a Super Bowl without him, and many have cited examples of the Giants’ wins this year without Burress as proof.

However, the playoffs are far different than the post-season. Without Plax this season, the Giants have beaten the Cardinals and the Seahawks, and while the birds of prey are menacing, encounters with the Cowboys and Panthers in the playoffs may pose a significantly more difficult challenge.

The Giants needed to suspend Plaxico for at least two games, and possibly for the rest of the regular season, but by placing him on the non-football Injury Reserve they have restricted their ability to use their best reciever in a country where Plax is still innocent until proven guilty.