In the Clutch with Artem Altman
No Time To Relax for Plax
Issue date: 12/10/08 Section: Sports
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Staff Writer
Spurred by the fatal shooting of Washington Redskin's free-safety Sean Taylor, athletes were emboldened to pursue the means for what seems to be their own protection. It appears that the time when affluent athletes thought they were above the law is finally coming to an end.
While no one is supposedly above the law, certain portions of society have a tendency or the ability to skirt around the necessarily imposed boundaries. New York Giants wide receiver Plaxico Burress certainly thought so on Nov. 28 when he brought an unlicensed firearm into a New York City nightclub. The same firearm accidentally went off and ended up sending a bullet into Burress' thigh.
What Burress probably wasn't thinking about was his $35 million 5-year contract with last year's Super Bowl Champions, the Giants. It's not all about the money, but it is about something that has to do with spending the earned money. Instead of carrying an unlicensed firearm, Burress should have figured out a better way of protecting himself, his own investment, from himself.
It is no surprise that ever since the fatal burglary of the Taylor home, a common feeling around the NFL has been fear. The accident showed that no athlete is invincible and that sometimes money cannot buy protection. No more can athletes behave as if they are immortal and bound with everlasting health.
In a recent issue of the ESPN Magazine (Nov. 24 - Dec. 1), an article titled "NFL: Living Scared" expressed the opinions of several NFL players about their personal status as a result of the death of Sean Taylor. Those who were interviewed were alarmed to realize that they were no more invincible than Taylor. Thus, many have taken precautionary measures in order to avoid an unexpected situation.
Some have chosen a less flashy lifestyle in order to minimize the unwanted attention while in public. Several players keep a low profile in "un-pimped" cars while driving around at night. Others have been careful to surround themselves with a better entourage in order to filter out the dangerous elements from their personal surroundings. A few others acquired firearms for home protection, while others have made an investment in an extra pair of eyes by hiring bodyguards. All in all, no one seemed to be as foolish as Burress.
Burress finds himself under the watchful eye of New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, the man who wishes to punish him to the full extent of the law. In this situation, the law starts with a minimum sentence of three and a half years behind bars.
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