Tuesday, October 7, 2008

Hey Plaxico Burress: Phone Home E.T.!

Let me see if I can get this straight: Plaxico Burress signed a new renegotiated contract at the beginning of this season in the neighborhood of $7 million per year over five years. That's a $35 million deal. Now that we have that all figured out, what I can't fathom is how an employee who makes(earns?) that kind of cheese can not report to work without calling in. It shouldn't matter if you're a professional athlete, a school teacher, a clerk, a factory worker, or butcher, baker , candlestick maker. It is a courtesy, not to mention an obligation. A professional responsibility.
What this is all about is that Burress failed to show up for the Giants regular Monday meetings/workouts, and never bothered to call in. His reason was 'personal issues', stating that his family comes first. I understand that, but at least have the decency to call your position coach and let him know what's going on. His boss is paying you $35 million, and that's a very good reason to keep the lines of communication open. He was fined and suspended for one game and not allowed in the Giants facilities. Then to top it all of, Plax does an interview and says he doesn't care what his teammates think about the way he does things. That sounds like a brush-off of his teammates to me. He also stated that he didn't lose any sleep over the suspension. What the heck. No big deal. After all, his fine was only $117,500, which isn't even 'chump change' for a guy raking in $7 mill. And now we arrive at the bewildering part of the entire situation. It comes out of the Giants camp that Burress has been "disciplined" over 50 times throughout his stay in the Big Apple. The organization renegotiates the contract of a player known to have "issues" on a regular basis. We're not happy with the way you conduct yourself Plax, but what the heck, here's a raise. I would say to the World Champion New York Giants and the troublesome Plaxico Burress. Good luck, both of you deserve each other. What the heck...

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