Plaxico Burress should be a New York Giants legend. He just should. There's no debate about it.
If we lived in a just world, Plax would have gone down in Giants lore right alongside Michael Strahan and Eli Manning as a legend of the Super Bowl XLII team. If the world we live in was decent, his name would have graced our Ring of Honor with the likes of Andy Robustelli, Sam Huff, Frank Gifford and Y.A. Tittle. But this world isn't fair, and in the world we actually find ourselves occupying - this cruel, fleeting existence - I'm not even sure if Plax will be invited to the ranks of Giants excellence. And the thought of that makes me indescribably sad.
There are few moments in my life that I can guarantee I will never forget. Not surprisingly, the vast majority of these are related to sports, and with all things considered, no moment compares to the miraculous run the Giants made during that Super Bowl season. It was so unlikely, so unfathomable, so historic, that even on my darkest days, I can go back to that fateful stretch during the winter of 2008 and smile. It was that majestic.
And when I think about that team, one thing comes to mind before all else. And it's not the Manning "escape" or the David Tyree helmet catch. No, my most striking memory from that entire season, the performance that I hold above all else, is what Plaxico did to the Packers during the NFC Championship game.
At the time of kickoff in that game, the thermometer indicated a wind chill of -24 degrees Fahrenheit. That's life-threateningly cold temperatures, as exhibited by the lack of a human hue in Tom Coughlin's face by the end of the contest. I once went to a rather windy playoff game at Giants Stadium when the temperature was in the single digits. I had on three sweatshirts, two coats and innumerable pairs of gloves and socks, and yet by halftime, my body had effectively shut down all non-essential processes. Yet in an even more frigid affair that night in Green Bay, Plaxico went out and nabbed 11 catches for 154 yards against Pro-Bowl cornerback Al Harris. Even in my most objective analysis, I would still consider that one of the greatest single game postseason performances by a wide receiver in NFL history.
With that effort, coupled with his game-winning catch during the Super Bowl two weeks later, you'd have thought that Plax was guaranteed free drinks in New York for the rest of his life. Knowing New York fans, you'd have thought that no matter what happened in the years to come, Plaxico would always be beloved in the Meadowlands.
Fast forward to week 14 of the very next season, a mere 10 months after the Super Bowl; that marked the first home game the Giants played after Plaxico's shooting incident, and also the first game after the organization surprisingly, and preemptively, suspended Plax without pay.
I was at that game, and as the clock wound down - the Giants offense sputtering to only 14 points in an ugly loss to Philadelphia - I attempted to start a "Bring Back Plax" chant. I was sure that such a chant would garner some uprising of support among my fellow fans. Boy, was I wrong. My feeble attempt was met with a chorus of boos, and all I could do was sit, traumatized, as a plethora of colorful anti-Plaxico comments rained down upon me. I wanted to stand up and slap each one of these people in their faces, but the perpetrator nearest me weighed about 300 pounds and wasn't wearing a shirt in December. So I just held it all in.
How could all of these fans have turned on Plax at the time when he obviously needed us most? Yeah, he probably single-handedly ruined any chance we had at being repeat champions, but the man had just shot himself in the leg and was facing the potential of jail time. How could people be so unsympathetic? People make mistakes, and with teammate Steve Smith getting robbed at gun point just a week before the incident, Plax made one that I can completely understand - not condone, but understand. Regardless, that's still not the time you bail on someone you had lauded and loved less than a year ago. And yet the Giants fans and organization did just that.
They always say the NFL is a what-have-you-done-for-me-lately league, but this will forever be my most striking example. Plaxico was as responsible as anyone for that remarkable Super Bowl run, but immediately after his admittedly stupid mistake prevented a possible repeat, the team cut him loose and the fans cut their ties. Giants' fans resentment toward Plaxico for ruining our potential dynasty season in 2008 incredulously superseded our gratitude for his part in our miracle season in 2007. That's just not fair.
And when we had the chance this past weekend to accept Plax's honest confession and make amends, most didn't. Most opted instead to prolong their bitterness with condescending remarks like, "You could have been a Giants legend, Plax."
Yeah, he could have been a Giants legend. And if there is any justice left in this world, one day he will be again.
Read More
No. 5 seed Virginia falls to No. 1 seed Notre Dame 18-9 in ACC Tournament semifinals
By Cole Huff | 4 hours agoThe massacre made last weekend's near dethroning of the Fighting Irish seem like a fantasy.
Virginia baseball boasts the best catcher in the country — a Division III transfer
By Xander Tilock | YesterdayFerence has replaced Teel admirably, and will look to lift Virginia back to the College World Series.
Lacrosse defenseman Cole Kastner announces transfer to Stanford basketball
By Michael Liebermann | 2 days agoKastner is reviving a hoops career that has lain dormant since he graduated high school.
