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Classless? NFL Player Mocks Plaxico Burress Gun Incident During Game

NewsOne Staff — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 14:41:32 +0000

Buffalo Bills receiver Stevie Johnson pretended to shoot himself in the thigh, mocking Jets receiver Plaxico Burress’ 2008 shooting incident, during a game Sunday.

After scoring a touchdown against the New York Jets, Johnson began dancing, then reenacted his opponent’s shooting incident.

Burress shot himself in the thigh at a nightclub in Manhattan in 2008, subsequently serving two years in prison for criminal possession of a weapon.

The double-trouble touchdown celebration immediately gained the Twitterverse’s attention. Hall of Famer Shannon Sharpe ripped Johnson, calling him “classless.”

Plax Is Back! Burress Scores 3 TDs To Beat Chargers

Associated Press — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 17:28:11 +0000

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — One trip into the end zone wasn’t enough for Plaxico Burress.

Neither was two.

One touchdown catch after another, Burress had the big breakout game he and the New York Jets have been expecting.

The veteran wide receiver tied a career high by catching three TD passes, including the go-ahead score that was set up by another interception by Darrelle Revis, and the Jets stormed back in the second half to defeat the San Diego Chargers 27-21 on Sunday.

From Jail To Jets! Plaxico Returns To NFL With Jets

Plaxico Burress: Jury Saw Me As Black Man With A Gun

“Every morning you wake up on Sundays and you want to be great,” said Burress, who has been slow to develop a rapport with quarterback Mark Sanchez. “I had to let the game come to me. I think I’ve been forcing it. But this was them saying, ‘He’s been working hard, we’ll stick with it.’

“The fans pay money to come see you do well, and I felt for the past few weeks I was not playing well. This is gratifying.”

Leading 21-17, the Chargers appeared to be driving for a possible game-sealing score when Philip Rivers threw to Vincent Jackson and the ball tipped off the receiver’s hands and right to Revis, who returned the interception 64 yards to the Chargers 19.

“It was a big play,” said Revis, who thought cornerback Antonio Cromartie also got a piece of the ball.

Revis had two interceptions on Monday night, including a 100-yard touchdown return, in the Jets’ 24-6 win against the Miami Dolphins.

After a few runs by Shonn Greene and a defensive holding penalty — the Chargers’ 11th penalty in the game — Sanchez found Burress on a slant for a 3-yard touchdown to give the Jets (4-3) the lead for the first time with 8:41 remaining. It was Burress’ second three-TD catch game of his career, and first since 2007 while with the Giants.

“You’ve got to evaluate yourself,” Burress said. “I looked at myself and said I’ve got to play better. It was not on anybody but myself.”

San Diego turned it over again on its next possession when the Chargers (4-2) faced a third-and-6 from their 41 and Kyle Wilson picked off Rivers for the first interception of his career.

Nick Folk’s 30-yard field goal with 1:36 left made it 27-21. San Diego had one last shot for a winning drive, but couldn’t really threaten against New York’s defense.

“It’s our fault,” Chargers tight end Randy McMichael said. “You can ask any question you want to ask. The San Diego Chargers beat the San Diego Chargers. Nothing to do with the New York Jets. It’s embarrassing.”

With the win, the Jets headed into their bye-week break with two straight wins — both at home — after a three-game road losing streak. They also are off to their first 4-0 start at home since 2004.

“I feel like we’re hitting our stride right now,” coach Rex Ryan said. “We saw our team, the one we kind of envisioned at the start of the season. We were slow to get it going, but we saw it.”

Sanchez finished 18 of 33 for 173 yards, three touchdowns and an interception. Burress finished with four catches for 25 yards, but he provided the red-zone presence the Jets hoped he’d be when they signed him as a free agent after he served 20 months in prison on a gun charge.

“He had three TDs,” Ryan said with a grin. “Not bad.”

Greene had a season-high 112 yards on 20 carries. LaDainian Tomlinson, facing his former team for the first time since signing with the Jets last offseason, became the fourth running back in NFL history with 600 catches before leaving in the fourth quarter with the flu. He finished with 14 yards rushing and three catches for 37 yards.

“I woke up this morning feeling pretty bad,” he said, “but was able to push through as long as I could.”

The game had some added spice when Ryan created a coast-to-coast stir when he said he would’ve won a few Super Bowl rings if he had been hired as the Chargers’ coach in 2007. That job went to Norv Turner, who shot back at Ryan asking if Ryan had those rings stored with the ones he has guaranteed with the Jets.

The two shook hands after the game and had a brief but cordial conversation.

“Before the game, I thought I could get him inside, work the body,” Ryan joked. “Obviously, my chin is not so good. Again, it was unintentional and unfortunate. I have so much respect for Norv.”

The Chargers jumped out to an early lead and would have been up by a bunch if not for their mistakes. San Diego, coming off its bye, was called for a whopping 13 penalties.

“The bottom line is we came out playing really well,” said Rivers, who was 16 of 32 for 179 yards and a touchdown — and the two costly interceptions. “We just didn’t finish off the game. If we played the second half like we played the first, it would have been a two-touchdown victory.”

Mike Tolbert gave San Diego a 21-10 lead with 1:16 remaining in the first half on a 1-yard touchdown run.

New York had an impressive drive on its second possession of the second half, capping a 10-play drive on Burress’ 4-yard touchdown catch that made it 21-17 with 2:57 left in the third quarter.

“We put our defense in a hole early, it felt like,” Sanchez said. “We almost spotted them 14 points.”

Donald Butler gave the Chargers an early 7-0 lead when he ripped the ball out of the hands of New York tight end Dustin Keller and scored on a 37-yard fumble recovery.

New York appeared to take a 10-7 lead late in the first quarter on a 23-yard touchdown catch by Santonio Holmes, but the score was negated by a holding penalty on center Nick Mangold. Two plays later, Eric Weddle picked off a pass that set up Antonio Gates’ 2-yard touchdown catch with 12:11 left in the first half. Gates, who missed three games with a flare-up of plantar fasciitis in his right foot, finished with five catches for 54 yards.

The Jets came right back as Burress caught a 3-yard touchdown pass with 7:18 left in the opening half to make it 14-10. The Jets were helped by four Chargers penalties — two pass interference calls and two offsides — on the drive.

“This,” Revis said, “was a must-win for us.”

Plaxico Burress: Jury Saw Me As Black Man With A Gun

TheGrio — Wed, 17 Aug 2011 20:07:49 +0000

Former New York Giants star Plaxico Burress spoke to Bryant Gumbel recently about how his race may have affected the jury’s decision in the 2009 gun possession case that landed him in prison for two years.

Burress, who was charged with illegally carrying and firing a gun at a Manhattan nightclub, told Gumbel that he expected the jurors to be compassionate about the incident, but later realized that he was wrong about that assumption.

VIDEO:

“Half of those people had no idea who I was,” he said. “They just saw an African-American over there sitting around making a lot of money carrying a gun into a club that shot [himself].”

From Jail To Jets! Plaxico Returns To NFL With Jets

NewsOne Staff — Sun, 31 Jul 2011 23:56:52 +0000

After serving 2 years in prison for shooting himself in the leg at a New York nightclub in 2008, Plaxico Burress is returning to the playing field not with the New York Giants, but with the rival New York Jets.

While he’ll be sharing a stadium with his old team, he’ll be in a new locker room.

The announcement shocked many as numerous news outlets predicted Burress would either go to the Steelers or Giants.

Burress will receive $3 million from the deal.

Give ‘Em A Shot?! Plaxico Burress Pleads For Chance To Join Dolphins

The Grio — Wed, 20 Jul 2011 16:35:28 +0000

NFL free agent Plaxico Burress wants a shot at playing for the Miami Dolphins, although the organization reportedly has no interest in signing him.

Burress told WQAM’s Sid Rosenberg Monday that he and the Dolphins’ Brandon Marshall “would be the best duo in football,” if they would sign him. He also said that “a few” teams are interested in signing him for 2011, but the Dolphins aren’t among them.

That didn’t stop him from lobbying for himself. “Just for me to be able to be somewhere I love, that I call home, and to live at one place all year around for the first time in my life,” he said, “it would be a beautiful situation.”

Black Men Survive Longer In Prison Than On The Outside

News One — Fri, 15 Jul 2011 19:48:34 +0000

Yet another troubling study of African-American males has been released — this one will surely make you cringe.

According to a new study of North Carolina inmates, Black men are half as likely to die at any given time if they’re in prison than if they aren’t.

The study claims that Black prisoners are protected against alcohol and drug-related deaths, as well as lethal accidents and certain chronic diseases.

“Ironically, prisons are often the only provider of medical care accessible by these underserved and vulnerable Americans,” said Hung-En Sung of the John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York.

The study cites findings found in the Annals of Epidemiology.

The pattern didn’t hold true for white men, who were found to be more likely to die in prison than outside of it.

Vick To Burress: “Think Family First, Football Second”

Associated Press — Wed, 08 Jun 2011 21:06:32 +0000

PHILADELPHIA — Michael Vick’s advice for Plaxico Burress is to put his family ahead of football.

Vick, the Philadelphia Eagles’ Pro Bowl quarterback, says he hopes Burress uses him as an example in his return to the NFL. The former New York Giants receiver spent nearly two years in prison for a gun charge and was released Monday.

Vick has made a remarkable comeback to the league after spending 18 months in federal prison for dogfighting charges. He led the Eagles to the NFC East title last season and was voted The Associated Press Comeback Player of the Year.

Vick hasn’t communicated with Burress, but shared his thoughts on what he would say to him.

“Just take your time coming back and getting acclimated. Think family first and football second and it’ll all work out,” Vick said Wednesday. “It’s great that he’ll get a second chance. We’ll pray for him, we’re going to support him 100 percent and we’re in his corner and we just want him to excel.”

Vick was reviled when he came back, and there was an outcry from animal rights groups when the Eagles signed him in August 2009. But Vick won over fans in Philadelphia and outside the city, too, with his sensational performance on the field and his service in the community.

Burress doesn’t have to overcome similar animosity, though he still faces some challenges.

“Hopefully he’ll use my situation as an example and go out and try and emulate what I’ve done in his own way,” Vick said. “That’s what it’s about. It’s about growth and it’s about learning. Things in life happen in stages and those are some things you have to go through as an individual.”

The Eagles are rumored to be a potential home for Burress, and were even listed on one betting website as the favorites to land him at 3-2 odds. But a person familiar with the team’s thinking told The Associated Press that Burress isn’t in their plans.

That makes sense, considering the Eagles already have two standout receivers: DeSean Jackson and Jeremy Maclin. Jackson has been to the Pro Bowl twice and Maclin has star potential. Jason Avant and Riley Cooper give the team depth at the position.

Burress would fit in perfectly as a situational receiver inside the red zone because of his size. But it’s likely he’d prefer a team that would offer him a chance to be the No. 1 or No. 2 target.

“He definitely brings a lot to the game, his passion, enthusiasm and the way he plays,” Vick said. Vick and several other Eagles have said they’d welcome Burress to Philadelphia.

It’s not their decision, though.

“We haven’t even gone there,” Philadelphia coach Andy Reid said during the team’s annual playground building event. “There is nothing you can do there.”

Vick was 29 when he returned. Burress turns 34 in August. While age is a factor, Vick said Burress’ position helps him.

“It’s actually easier being a receiver and coming back and playing the game,” Vick said. “You have to get your legs back up under you. I was a guy that had to live that. It’s tough. You think you can do it, but you have to take that time out and make sure you’re ready to go.”

Why Does America Love Putting Black Men In Jail?

RK Byers — Wed, 08 Jun 2011 17:00:05 +0000

It isn’t until we notice that the sentencing for Ryan LeVin, a 36 year-old Porsche driver, was just two years of house arrest after killing two people in a hit-and-run accident.

When you contrast that to Plaxico Burress and Michael Vick, you understand the racial inequity that exists in America’s justice system.

As we all know, and won’t defend, Plaxico Burress went to jail for shooting himself in the leg in a nightclub. Michael Vick went to jail for running a dog fighting operation.

In theory, we all understand that jail is for those that break the law, but in practice, we know that jail is supposed to be for dangerous people. Jail is supposed to be for people that we may need to have locked away from the rest of us for our own safety.

Then we see a man that actually did harm people—not only harmed them, killed them—sentenced to house arrest, while a guy whose only crime was against dogs and another man that shot his own fool self in the leg do hard time.

The logical justification for this stems from the very American ideology that this country had done so much for the Negro.

Now, I’ve always regretted the fact that Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation and for two reasons:

1) I believe that if things had played out along the course they were going, what with the proliferation of riots and slave revolts, Black people would have liberated themselves eventually.

2) Being granted your freedom makes you eternally indebted to your grantor for your freedom.

The second of those two things is what causes some Americans to say things that are so run-naked crazy.

You hear them use the word “we” in funny ways; like “we” fought the Civil War to free you people; and “we” fought against discriminatory practices such as Jim Crow and back-of-the bussing.

Sometimes, when the gin hits your spirit you’re almost tempted to ask them exactly who they were fighting against!

But at the root, that “we” is the reason that America loves putting Black men in jail.

America can’t see beyond all the wonderful things it has done for Black people.

Yet we still have the nerve to occasionally commit crimes?

Such ingratitude!

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Free Man! NFL Star, Plaxico Burress, To Be Released From Prison Today

News One — Mon, 06 Jun 2011 11:19:31 +0000

NEW YORK — Locked up for 20 months for illegally carrying and firing a gun at a Manhattan nightclub, Plaxico Burress is ready to walk out of prison and face another grim reality, a lockout that could jeopardize the resumption of his football career.

The former New York Giants receiver who caught the game-winning pass in the 2008 Super Bowl is set to leave the Oneida Correctional Facility in upstate New York on Monday. Burress, who turns 34 in August, plans to return to his Florida home to spend time with his wife, son and a daughter born while he was in jail.

Unlike Michael Vick, released in 2009 from a federal term for dogfighting, Burress doesn’t have a league waiting to bid on his services.

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But “he will play in the NFL this year,” Drew Rosenhaus, Burress’ agent, said in an email to The Associated Press. “Many teams want him. He will be a top free agent. He is healthy and ready to go. He will be signed shortly after the lockout ends.”

Burress’ release caps a more than three-year saga that saw yet another athlete put behind bars, separated from family and friends and losing the riches and lifestyle most only dream about.

“You go from being the absolute hero to finding yourself in jail for a mistake in judgment,” Peter M. Frankel, Burress’ attorney, told the AP in an interview. “It’s really a tragic story.”

Burress was at the pinnacle of his career when everything went south.

The lanky 6-foot-5 receiver seemingly had a career-defining moment when he caught a 13-yard pass from Eli Manning with 35 seconds to play to give the Giants a stunning 17-14 win over the undefeated New England Patriots in the 2008 Super Bowl.

Nine months later his world unraveled. Burress, with a handgun tucked in his sweatpants, hit a a New York City nightclub with then Giants linebacker Antonio Pierce. Burress’ weapon slipped from his waistband and discharged as he attempted to grab it, injuring him in the thigh. The bullet narrowly missed a security guard, prosecutors said.

Burress’ wound was not serious. The fallout was disastrous.

Mayor Michael Bloomberg called for him to be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law and was irate that officials at New York-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center treated Burress and failed to report the shooting, as required by law. A doctor who treated Burress was later suspended.

Burress was sentenced to two years in prison in September 2009 after pleading guilty to attempted criminal possession of a weapon. The gun was not licensed in New York or in New Jersey, where Burress lived. His license to carry a concealed weapon in Florida had expired in May 2008.

His attorney has said he carried the gun because he feared for his safety after the slayings of NFL players Sean Taylor and Darrent Williams the year before.

Said Frankel: “I don’t think that he will ever believe that the punishment fit the crime,” but prison has given Burress “a new appreciation” for his family and good fortune.

Mateen Cleaves, a former NBA player and a friend of Burress from their days at Michigan State, said he visited the player in prison earlier this year.

“It was hard to see him in that situation, but he made it easier on me because he was upbeat and in good spirits” Cleaves said. “Some people can turn a negative into a positive, and he’s one of those people.”

Some believe Burress has taken the lesson of his experience seriously, including the Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence, a prominent advocacy group that pressed for him to go to prison but supported his unsuccessful bid to get work release last year.

Held in protective custody because of his celebrity status, Burress didn’t have a cellmate but was able to socialize with others in his unit, including “Sopranos” actor Lillo Brancato Jr., who’s serving 10 years on an attempted burglary conviction.

Burress worked as a grounds maintenance laborer, completed an 100-hour anger management course and tutored other inmates in reading, writing and math. His wife, who’s a lawyer, visited frequently with his young children, Frankel said.

At Oneida Correctional Facility, he had some brushes with prison discipline, too.

At various points, prison officers said he lied to get to use the phone at a time when calls weren’t usually allowed, gave another inmate a pair of sneakers (considered an “unauthorized exchange”) and had three dozen cassette tapes and an extra, state-issued pillow in a “filthy” cell strewn with bags of food, dirty clothes, books and mail, prison records obtained by the AP show. The infractions — considered minor — cost him recreation, phone and other privileges at times, and he was told to clean up his room.

Still, Burress “really bent over backward to try and learn what the rules and regulations were, to try to comply,” Frankel said.

That ends Monday upon his release.

“We are grateful that Plaxico will be reunited with his family,” Giants co-owner John Mara said Thursday. “His release from prison is long overdue.”

Burress will face no further disciplinary action by the NFL. His league suspension was concurrent with his jail term.

Former Giants teammate Osi Umenyiora said the lockout may work in Burress’ favor because he will have time to train and get ready for the season.

“He will be great when he comes out and play very well like he always has, I’m sure,” said Umenyiora, who said he visited Burress in prison. “I know many teams will give him a chance because he has rare talent and ability. Overall I’m sad for what he went through, but glad that that time period is over.”

The Giants have said they will keep their options open when Burress comes on the market after missing two seasons. But Vick, who served a 23-month federal sentence for running a dogfighting ring, has shown it is possible to successfully return to the league.

After missing two full seasons and playing sparingly in 2010, the 30-year-old set career highs in passing yards (3,018), passing touchdowns (21), rushing touchdowns (9), completion percentage (62.6) and passer rating (100.2) this past season in leading the Eagles to the NFC East title, earning The Associated Press Comeback Player of the Year award.

Vick said in a radio interview with WIP in Philadelphia that Burress would be a great fit with the Eagles.

“I think certainly Plaxico is going to come out with a chip on his shoulder the same way I did, and he’ll go out and help this football team to whatever capacity he can,” Vick said. “I think the guys would be willing to embrace him and bring him in. If that happens? Who knows? We talking about “what ifs” now? It would certainly be a good thing.”

Plaxico Burress To Leave Prison In June

Associated Press — Mon, 07 Mar 2011 15:24:50 +0000

NEW YORK — Former New York Giants Super Bowl star Plaxico Burress is to get out of prison in June, after officials agreed Friday to shave about three months off his time behind bars in a gun case.

A committee of prison-system staffers decided Burress was eligible for time off for good behavior, so he can be freed after serving about 21 months of his two-year sentence, system spokeswoman Linda Foglia said.

With Burress’ release date now set for June 6, his agent and lawyer said he’s looking to return to football — and a number of teams are looking at him.

“He’s counting the hours,” lawyer Peter M. Frankel said. “He’s extremely positive.”

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell has ruled that Burress would be reinstated and eligible to sign with a team upon completing his sentence. While the league and players are locked in negotiations that have cast a shadow of uncertainty over the sport’s next season, Frankel and Burress agent Drew Rosenhaus said several teams had expressed interest in the receiver.

“The future is very bright for Plaxico,” Rosenhaus said in an e-mail.

Burress, 33, caught the winning touchdown for the Giants over the New England Patriots in the final minute of the 2008 Super Bowl. But his fortunes turned in November of that year, when he went to a Manhattan nightclub with a gun tucked in the waistband of his track pants; he later said he had been concerned for his safety because a teammate had been held up at gunpoint days before.

Burress’ weapon slipped down his leg and fired, injuring him in the thigh. The bullet narrowly missed a security guard, prosecutors said.

The gun wasn’t licensed in New York or New Jersey, where Burress lived, and his Florida concealed-weapons permit had expired. He also failed to report the incident to authorities.

He pleaded guilty in August 2009 to attempted criminal possession of a weapon.

Held in protective custody at an upstate prison because of his notoriety, Burress was turned down twice in bids for work release. The Manhattan District Attorney’s Office, which opposed work release for Burress, declined to comment on Friday’s decision.

Burress had a work assignment in prison and completed an anger management program while incarcerated, his lawyer said.

He’s been tagged with three minor disciplinary problems, including an episode in which corrections officers said Burress lied about having permission to use the phone to call his lawyer at a time when calls weren’t permitted, Foglia said. The November 2009 misstep cost him a week of phone privileges and 30 days of recreation privileges.

Details on the other two incidents weren’t immediately available, but none was seen as serious enough to trim his time off for good behavior. His June release date is the earliest allowed under a state law that required him to serve at least six-sevenths of his sentence.

“He’s done his best to abide by” prison rules, Frankel said.

Giants general manager Jerry Reese has said the team will keep its options open with Burress.

For now, “we are grateful that Plaxico and his wife, Tiffany, and their children now know when they will be reunited and able to get on with their lives together,” team spokesman Pat Hanlon said. “As we have stated many times in the past, we feel that day is long overdue.”

Giants placekicker Lawrence Tynes said in an e-mail to The Associated Press that he thinks of Burress often because his sons attend the same school as Burress’ son.

“He deserves to be back in the NFL and if that opportunity comes from the New York Giants then he will be welcomed back with open arms from us in the locker room,” said Tynes, who was on the Super Bowl championship team with Burress. “I’ve always personally wondered why the Giants never issued his No. 17 jersey to anyone over the past two seasons. If it happens to be with another franchise then I hope he has nothing but good health and success.”

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Giants May Give Plaxico Burress A Second Shot

NewsOne Staff — Tue, 04 Jan 2011 15:26:32 +0000

New Jersey — Plaxico Burress is scheduled to be released from the upstate Oneida Correctional Facility on June 6 — in time for training camp, if there is no NFL lockout — and there is growing support within the Giants organization to bring him back and give him a second chance.

Co-owner Steve Tisch already is on record as championing the troubled wide receiver’s cause, and considers him a dear friend. Co-owner John Mara feels strongly that Burress has paid his debt to society. General manager Jerry Reese yesterday said the Giants would investigate a possible Plaxico II.

Now defensive captain Justin Tuck has told The Post he, too, would welcome Burress back.

“I know that he’s paid his debt to society, and I think he’s overpaid his debt to society,” Tuck said.

“Yeah, I would love to see him back. We’ve all seen how the Mike Vick situation has played out. And we all know that Plaxico is one of the most talented wide receivers to ever play this game.”

A Giant Behind Bars: The Life Of Plaxico Burress

NewsOne Staff — Mon, 20 Sep 2010 11:00:36 +0000

The man who used to wear No. 17 for the New York Giants and caught the most famous touchdown pass in team history passes through a massive steel door, and now he is walking toward you. He has green prison-issue pants and a blue-shirted corrections officer with him step for step, as if the guy were a defensive back. The irony isn’t lost on No. 17, who used to run free in secondaries, a 6-5, 230-pound handful, and now can’t shake free of anybody.

Once inside the visitor’s room of Oneida Correctional Facility, the officer heads to the guard station. Plaxico Burress sits down at a little square table. He looks straight ahead at the three brown gates, razor-wired walkway and two metal doors that separate Oneida’s 955 inmates from the outside world, and starts talking about his son Elijah.

Elijah is 3 years old and a big Giants fan. He watches most every game, with a helmet on his head, a ball under his arm, and, of course, a No. 17 Burress jersey on his back. He cheers for Brandon Jacobs, his father’s best friend on the team, and for all the guys. Mostly, though, Elijah keeps asking his father why he isn’t home and why he doesn’t play for the Giants anymore.

“What do I tell him? How am I supposed to answer those questions?” Burress asks at the outset of a 90-minute interview, his first with a print reporter since he went away. He touches the soul patch on his chin and looks down for a moment.

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Plaxico Burress indicted on weapons charges

NY State Denies Plaxico Burress’ Work Request For Second Time

Associated Press — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 15:14:48 +0000

Former New York Giants Super Bowl star Plaxico Burress has come up short in his bid for work release during his two-year prison sentence in a gun case, a denial that could keep him behind bars until at least next spring, prison officials said Tuesday.

The state Department of Correctional Services said the nature of his November 2008 crime merited turning down his request for a work furlough, which would have let him spend some portion of his time free and working. Burress can appeal the decision but otherwise can’t reapply for a work furlough until June 6, 2011, the date he comes up for potential full release if he gets time off for good behavior.

“The serious and negative impact illegal guns have on the community coupled with (the) dangerous nature of the weapon discharging in a public place renders him unsuitable for work release,” the agency said.

Burress’ lawyer, Benjamin Brafman, didn’t immediately return a telephone call seeking comment Tuesday.

For now, the wide receiver remains in protective custody, because of his notoriety, at a prison in the central New York community of Oneida.

The work release request was Burress’ second since he started serving his sentence last September. Such requests are rarely successful — less than 2 percent of the nearly 27,000 applications received last year were granted, New York prison system spokeswoman Linda Foglia said.

Burress, 33, pleaded guilty last year to attempted criminal possession of a weapon.

The case began when Burress went to the Latin Quarter nightclub with a .40-caliber gun tucked into the waistband of his track pants. He later said he was concerned for his safety because a teammate had been held up at gunpoint days before.

The weapon slipped down Burress’ leg and fired, injuring his right thigh. Prosecutors said the bullet narrowly missed a security guard.

The gun wasn’t licensed in New York or New Jersey, where Burress was living, and his Florida concealed-weapons permit had expired. He also failed to report the incident to authorities.

The prison system hasn’t released any letters written to officials about Burress’ latest work release attempt, but the Manhattan district attorney’s office said it had opposed his request.

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell has ruled that Burress would be reinstated and eligible to sign with a team upon completing his sentence. But the NFL is facing uncertainty about its 2011 season, with the possibility of a lockout looming if players and owners can’t agree on a new contract. The current contract expires after this season.

Giants general manager Jerry Reese has said the team will keep its options open with Burress, who caught the winning touchdown for the Giants over the New England Patriots in the final minute of the 2008 Super Bowl. And some of his former teammates seem ready to welcome him back: Halfback Brandon Jacobs went to training camp one day this summer sporting a custom-made T-shirt saying “Free 17 Let Him Ball Out,” a reference to Burress’ No. 17 jersey.

Burress has had a satisfactory record in prison, with one “misbehavior report” that cost him a week of phone privileges and 30 days of recreation privileges, Foglia said. A corrections officer said Burress had lied last November about having permission to use the phone to call his lawyer at a time when calls aren’t permitted, the report shows.

Burress also has completed an anger management program behind bars, Foglia said.

Click here to view photos:

Unnecessary Roughness On Plaxico Burress

Plaxico Burress Starts Anger Management Program In Prison

News One — Mon, 10 May 2010 12:51:48 +0000

From NYPost.com:

His bad-boy ways got disgraced Giants wide receiver Plaxico Burress sent to prison for gun possession, and now the jailed Super Bowl hero is trying to do some good.

An anger-management program that Burress got officials to initiate at the upstate Oneida Correctional Facility is being widely received by fellow inmates.

Click here to view photos:

Burress, who has been locked up since November, successfully lobbied the Department of Correction to bring Aggression Replacement Training classes to this prison.

Click here to read more.

OPINION: Unnecessary Roughness On Plaxico Burress

Plaxico Burress Denied Work Release

Casey Gane-McCalla, Lead Blogger — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 13:49:53 +0000

Plaxico Burress is not getting out of prison just yet.

The work-release application for the ex-Giants star was denied by the New York Department of Correctional Services because of the nature of his crime. Burress pleaded guilty in August to attempted criminal possession of a weapon for having a loaded handgun in a nightclub that went off and shot him in the leg.

“At no time did you report this incident to local law enforcement. As such, it is determined that you must serve a greater portion of your sentence prior to consideration for potential participation in the temporary release program,” the ruling said.

The program would have allowed him to spend some portion of his two-year sentence at home. The announcement was made Thursday.
Burress applied for the furlough Nov. 25, about two months into his sentence. Though he had no prior record, the decision wasn’t a surprise; less than 5 percent of the more than 31,500 work-release applications in 2008 were granted.

Burress can appeal, and may also reapply for work release in six months. His attorney, Benjamin Brafman, declined to comment.

Burress, then a Giants receiver, was at the Latin Quarter nightclub in November 2008 with a .40-caliber gun tucked into the waistband of his track pants. He later said he was concerned for his safety because a teammate had been held up at gunpoint days before. The weapon slipped down Burress’ leg and fired, injuring his right thigh.

The gun wasn’t licensed in New York or New Jersey, where Burress lived, and his Florida concealed-weapons permit had expired. He also failed to report the incident to authorities.

Prosecutors argued the bullet narrowly missed a security guard.

Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus R. Vance Jr. supported the decision.

“The defendant took an unholstered, loaded pistol into a crowded nightclub, accidentally firing it with one hand while holding his drink in the other,” he said. “This extreme and reckless disregard for safety is what New York’s gun laws were designed to prevent.”

Burress is being held in protective custody at an upstate prison because of his notoriety. The Giants released him in April, but the 32-year-old said he hopes to resume his NFL career.

Al Sharpton Wants Gilbert Arenas To Be Punished By The NBA

Plaxico Burress Sentenced To Two Years In Jail

Casey Gane-McCalla, Lead Blogger — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 15:55:24 +0000

NEW YORK — Former Super Bowl star Plaxico Burress was sentenced Tuesday to two years in prison after accidentally shooting himself in the thigh at a nightclub and later reaching a plea deal on weapons charges.

The former New York Giants star tearfully told his family goodbye as he surrendered to begin his prison stint for attempted criminal possession of a weapon.

Burress was indicted on two counts of weapon possession and one count of reckless endangerment and pleaded guilty Aug. 20. He had faced a minimum sentence of 3 1/2 years on those charges if convicted at trial. He pleaded to the lesser charge and agreed to the two-year term.

With time off for good behavior, Burress likely will serve 20 months. He will be monitored an additional two years after he is freed from prison, which could come as early as the spring of 2011.

The Giants released Burress in April, but the 32-year-old told ESPN he hopes to resume his NFL career when he completes his sentence.

Before the hearing began, Burress played with his preschool-age son, Elijah. Then he hugged and kissed his wife, child, father, grandmother and stepmother.
Burress was so soft-spoken during his apologetic courtroom address that onlookers could not understand him.
Defense lawyer Benjamin Brafton said, “This is a very real tragic case in many, many ways.” He called Burress “a fundamentally decent man.”

Burress, who caught the winning touchdown for the Giants over the previously undefeated New England Patriots in the final minute of the 2008 Super Bowl, and former teammate Antonio Pierce were at the Latin Quarter nightclub in Manhattan last November when a gun tucked into Burress’ waistband slipped down his leg and fired, wounding him.

The gun was not licensed in New York or in New Jersey, where Burress lived. His license to carry a concealed weapon in the Florida had expired in May 2008.

Pierce, who drove Burress to a hospital after the shooting, was not indicted.

Brafman previously said Burress was thinking of his family in taking the plea, but the attorney questioned the recommended prison sentence.

“This was not an intentional criminal act,” Brafman said the day of the plea. “In my judgment, a two-year prison sentence is a very severe punishment.”

Gil Brandt, an analyst on NFL Sirius Radio and the former head of player personnel for the Dallas Cowboys, said Burress won’t be too old for a comeback when he’s released from prison.

“First of all, Plaxico is a guy who keeps himself in pretty good shape,” Brandt said. “Lots of times guys get heavy in the off-season. He is not a guy who has done that.”

But Brandt intimated it could be difficult for Burress to reacquire his football skills after so much time on the sidelines.

“It’s like a person who has gone to college or high school and drops out of school for two years,” he said. “It is hard to reacquire your study habits. I think it is hard to reacquire the work habits you need to be successful when you have been away from the game for two years or so.”

OPINION: Mandatory Minimums Are Unfortunate, But Necessary

News One — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 18:21:44 +0000

From PittsIndeed.com:

As you’re probably aware, Plaxico Burress is going to be spending some quality time with the New York State correctional facilities for doing various dumb ass things while concealing an unlicensed firearm–not the least of those things being shooting himself in the leg.

Since he was offered a three month plea and rejected it, I have no problem with him getting the two years he agreed to after realizing prosecutors were going to throw the book at him.

Others do have a problem with this, feeling that Burress is getting a raw deal and a too-harsh penalty. Those who feel his stupidity only warranted a few months in jail–a few months that was rejected by Burress in his initial plea bargain–cite an outrage at the justice system, particularly with regard to minimum sentencing.

While I see the flaws in minimum sentencing–many seem arbitrary; others so obviously racially-motivated that you would laugh if it wasn’t so despicable–I still see far greater flaws in leaving the administration of justice to a case-by-case basis system. Why? Because those who support such a reform seem to do so under the assumption that, without guidelines, judges and prosecutors will be inclined to handle each case as unique and, in doing so, do the right thing.

That seems unlikely. Why? Because most people, good and bad alike, don’t have the energy to even attempt to bring an unbiased approach to sentencing based on facts particular to each and every case. And even if they have that energy, to expect them to not be affected by precedent is borderline foolhardy.

Click here to read more.

Plaxico Burress: “I’m Truly Remorseful For What I’ve Done”