Jets Sign Plaxico Burress
Added on Jul 31, 2011 by Jack Thurman in
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Plaxico Burress is back in the NFL. He’s taken a circuitous route in the past couple of years, from the wanna be thug wide receiver for the New York Giants to shooting himself with his own gun Barney Fife style in the VIP area of a New York nightclub. That got him a conviction on a weapons possession beef and 20 months in the ‘grey bar motel’. He’s now playing the timeworn Michael Vick-esque ‘I’m rehabilitated’ act while the NFL and ESPN play along and act like he should receive beatification.
The image whitewashing appears to have worked since the New York Jets have taken a chance on Burress. The Jets signed him to a one year, $3.017 million contract after which Plax tried to sound humble:
“It’s emotional because I had some long days and some long nights, and you dream about that day, getting back to what you love. That time has come.”
Even though he hasn’t played in the NFL in nearly two years he claims there were no shortage of teams vying for his service including the New York Giants, Pittsburgh Steelers, Philadelphia Eagles (who gave up having any pretense that character was important with the signing of Michael Vick) and San Francisco 49ers.
Burress was reportedly on the way to California to meet with the 49ers when he agreed to a deal with the Jets. He says he never met with anyone from the team:
“I really didn’t need to talk to him to know what kind of situation I was getting into.”
His former coach Tom Coughlin took the high road:
“His decision was to go elsewhere. It sounded like a bigger guarantee. I don’t know all of the facts about that. That’s what happens in this business. His decision was made and, again, we wish he and his family well.”
And Plax followed the “I’m Rehabilitated” playbook verbatim, speaking of the importance of ‘family’ in the decision making process:
“It really meant a lot to me and my family, especially with all the events we had going on at that time. For them to be there at that time, it really said a lot about them. I was really humbled by it … To be able to come here and play for them, somebody who supported me through thick and just not thin, it meant a lot to me. I hope I can come here, play great and win a championship.”
If Plax can focus on football and not running around playing wanna-be thug in nightclubs the Jets might have a chance at a deep playoff run.
