Plaxico Burress (1 Viewer)

[fatness]

"I've said this before guys, Plax has a presence out there, and has an uncommon skill set, and you just don't replace that," Giants general manager Jerry Reese said Monday, hours after the players met with the coaching staff and cleaned out their lockers.

"We made some adjustments, but we didn't play well enough last night," Reese said. "Obviously, Plax gives you a presence out there. We didn't get it done."

Reese left the door open for Burress to return. He's still under contract to the Giants, but his future may very well be determined by the legal system.

"I want to see him be OK as a person more than anything else, and if we can see that and he is OK as a person and ready to turn over a new leaf in his life and take care of himself first, I think everything will take care of itself," Reese said.

The general manager said he has communicated with Burress and plans to talk with him again soon.

"I think he has thought about some of the bad decisions he has made and I think things will begin to change as far as making better decisions," said Reese, who said the Giants would protect themselves by looking into free agency and the draft in case they need a deep-threat receiver.

Link

 

[resko99]

As a plax owner in a dynasty league, I'd be surprised if he puts pads on again within 2 seasons. That said I'll be releasing him into our expansion draft next year.

 

[Two Deep]

The lack of production in the passing game can be tracked back directly to ELI MANNING!

 

[Avery]

The difficulty for the Giants regarding the Plax situation is that his court date is scheduled for about a month after the FA period begins. Now there aren't a lot of great names out there for WR, but Reece will have to take a "best guess" on whether or not to include Burress' presence and salary in the Giants plans when he decides how to handle the FA market.

 

[bicycle_seat_sniffer]

If he's not in jail I think he'll be back.

 

[Avery]

The lack of production in the passing game can be tracked back directly to ELI MANNING!

I like simple answers to but the truth is that once Burress was gone, the Giants WR corps was left with one aging WR2 (Toomer) and a lot of young WR2/3s in Smith, Hixon, Moss and Manningham. There is potential there but nothing to keep opposing defenses up at night. Sure Eli sucked in the playoffs, a tighter spiral would sure have helped in the winds of the Meadowlands, but its not like he was working with much out there. Between Eli, his receivers and the often crappy play callings (why did them almost abandon the run with Jacobs when they were winning!!?!? ) there are a lot of people on the Giants to share the blame.

 

[Avery]

If he's not in jail I think he'll be back.

Sounds like Reece thinks so.Reese: Burress makes sense for Giants

“If he’s a New York Giant, and right now he’s under contract with us, that really makes sense if everything worked out,” Jerry Reese said this afternoon. “But there’s a lot of circumstances involved with that and who knows what’s going to happen. We’ll wait and see what happens.”

Reese confirmed he’s communicated with Burress since the season-ending suspension, and seems convinced the nightclub incident has become a life-changing event.

“Everybody makes some bad decisions,” Reese said. “I think he’s thought about some of the decisions he’s made and I think things will begin to change as far as trying to make better decisions for himself.”

Edit to add:

More from New York Giants' GM Reese on Burress

 

[Tanner9919]

The lack of production in the passing game can be tracked back directly to ELI MANNING!

I like simple answers to but the truth is that once Burress was gone, the Giants WR corps was left with one aging WR2 (Toomer) and a lot of young WR2/3s in Smith, Hixon, Moss and Manningham. There is potential there but nothing to keep opposing defenses up at night. Sure Eli sucked in the playoffs, a tighter spiral would sure have helped in the winds of the Meadowlands, but its not like he was working with much out there. Between Eli, his receivers and the often crappy play callings (why did them almost abandon the run with Jacobs when they were winning!!?!? ) there are a lot of people on the Giants to share the blame.

enought blame to go around, including 'always out of position A. Pierce', who couldn't make a play if his life depended on it, and when he finally did make one, he was flagged for a facemask penalty.I hope they cut Pierce, and go after OCHO CINCO or BOLDIN or HOUSHMANDZADEH...I know Ward is set to become a F/A, but, can't we just....trade Ward + Burress ( or a high draft pick) to Az for Boldintrade Ward to Cincy for Ocho Cincosign TJ Housh with an open checkbook. Boldin wants out of Az ( or did to start the season), TJ is a Free Agent, and Ocho Cinco is a *#$%@#$ good playerstuck on a lousy team who wants out in the worst way..please, lets get ONE of these guys!!

 

[Avery]

The lack of production in the passing game can be tracked back directly to ELI MANNING!

I like simple answers to but the truth is that once Burress was gone, the Giants WR corps was left with one aging WR2 (Toomer) and a lot of young WR2/3s in Smith, Hixon, Moss and Manningham. There is potential there but nothing to keep opposing defenses up at night. Sure Eli sucked in the playoffs, a tighter spiral would sure have helped in the winds of the Meadowlands, but its not like he was working with much out there. Between Eli, his receivers and the often crappy play callings (why did them almost abandon the run with Jacobs when they were winning!!?!? ) there are a lot of people on the Giants to share the blame.

enought blame to go around, including 'always out of position A. Pierce', who couldn't make a play if his life depended on it, and when he finally did make one, he was flagged for a facemask penalty.

I hope they cut Pierce, and go after OCHO CINCO or BOLDIN or HOUSHMANDZADEH...I know Ward is set to become a F/A, but, can't we just....

trade Ward + Burress ( or a high draft pick) to Az for Boldin As you said, Ward's a FA and is Burress is not in jail I believe he'll be a Giant.



trade Ward to Cincy for Ocho Cinco As you said, Ward's a FA and Johnson just doesn't seem like a Giant type of guy to me.

sign TJ Housh with an open checkbook. At his age I'm not stoked at the $ he'll get given the dearth of other talent in the FA WR market

Boldin wants out of Az ( or did to start the season), TJ is a Free Agent, and Ocho Cinco is a *#$%@#$ good player

stuck on a lousy team who wants out in the worst way.. I would me some Boldin in Giants blue but it would take a lot to get the guy.

please, lets get ONE of these guys!!

Edit to add:

I love what Pierce has done in the past, but either switch him to DT or send him packing with much appreciation.

 

[The Man with the Plan]

They shouldn't have suspended him. The Giants cost themselves a chance at back-to-back championships due to "principle" (which they're more than willing to break now by the way). I hope it was worth it.

 

[Yenrub]

If Plax can somehow avoid jail time, I think (hope) he will be back with the Giants next season

 

[Da Guru]

If Plax can somehow avoid jail time, I think (hope) he will be back with the Giants next season

Some people mature later than others. Plaxico is 32, with the end being closer than the beginning and the chance of losing eveything..it may be his time.

 

[T Bell]

The lack of production in the passing game can be tracked back directly to ELI MANNING!

I like simple answers to but the truth is that once Burress was gone, the Giants WR corps was left with one aging WR2 (Toomer) and a lot of young WR2/3s in Smith, Hixon, Moss and Manningham. There is potential there but nothing to keep opposing defenses up at night. Sure Eli sucked in the playoffs, a tighter spiral would sure have helped in the winds of the Meadowlands, but its not like he was working with much out there. Between Eli, his receivers and the often crappy play callings (why did them almost abandon the run with Jacobs when they were winning!!?!? ) there are a lot of people on the Giants to share the blame.

enought blame to go around, including 'always out of position A. Pierce', who couldn't make a play if his life depended on it, and when he finally did make one, he was flagged for a facemask penalty.

I hope they cut Pierce, and go after OCHO CINCO or BOLDIN or HOUSHMANDZADEH...I know Ward is set to become a F/A, but, can't we just....

trade Ward + Burress ( or a high draft pick) to Az for Boldin As you said, Ward's a FA and is Burress is not in jail I believe he'll be a Giant.



trade Ward to Cincy for Ocho Cinco As you said, Ward's a FA and Johnson just doesn't seem like a Giant type of guy to me.

sign TJ Housh with an open checkbook. At his age I'm not stoked at the $ he'll get given the dearth of other talent in the FA WR market

Boldin wants out of Az ( or did to start the season), TJ is a Free Agent, and Ocho Cinco is a *#$%@#$ good player

stuck on a lousy team who wants out in the worst way.. I would me some Boldin in Giants blue but it would take a lot to get the guy.

please, lets get ONE of these guys!!

Edit to add:

I love what Pierce has done in the past, but either switch him to DT or send him packing with much appreciation.

Switch Pierce to DT? He's a MLB.

 

[Avery]

They shouldn't have suspended him. The Giants cost themselves a chance at back-to-back championships due to "principle" (which they're more than willing to break now by the way). I hope it was worth it.

Disagree on all counts.I'm still proud as a Giants fan that they suspended him for the season and although I would have loved back to back Superbowls, or at least a better shot, I'm glad the Giants did the right thing.You can accuse me of rationalizing as a fan, and you could be right, but it's not like he hired someone to kill somebody else and if he straightens his life out (and the quotes from Reece indicate that he feels Plaxico may finally have had his "Come to Jesus" moment) I'm all for giving him another shot with the appropriate stipulations.

 

[Avery]

The lack of production in the passing game can be tracked back directly to ELI MANNING!

I like simple answers to but the truth is that once Burress was gone, the Giants WR corps was left with one aging WR2 (Toomer) and a lot of young WR2/3s in Smith, Hixon, Moss and Manningham. There is potential there but nothing to keep opposing defenses up at night. Sure Eli sucked in the playoffs, a tighter spiral would sure have helped in the winds of the Meadowlands, but its not like he was working with much out there. Between Eli, his receivers and the often crappy play callings (why did them almost abandon the run with Jacobs when they were winning!!?!? ) there are a lot of people on the Giants to share the blame.

enought blame to go around, including 'always out of position A. Pierce', who couldn't make a play if his life depended on it, and when he finally did make one, he was flagged for a facemask penalty.

I hope they cut Pierce, and go after OCHO CINCO or BOLDIN or HOUSHMANDZADEH...I know Ward is set to become a F/A, but, can't we just....

trade Ward + Burress ( or a high draft pick) to Az for Boldin As you said, Ward's a FA and is Burress is not in jail I believe he'll be a Giant.



trade Ward to Cincy for Ocho Cinco As you said, Ward's a FA and Johnson just doesn't seem like a Giant type of guy to me.

sign TJ Housh with an open checkbook. At his age I'm not stoked at the $ he'll get given the dearth of other talent in the FA WR market

Boldin wants out of Az ( or did to start the season), TJ is a Free Agent, and Ocho Cinco is a *#$%@#$ good player

stuck on a lousy team who wants out in the worst way.. I would me some Boldin in Giants blue but it would take a lot to get the guy.

please, lets get ONE of these guys!!

Edit to add:

I love what Pierce has done in the past, but either switch him to DT or send him packing with much appreciation.

Switch Pierce to DT? He's a MLB.

Joke.If you've seen him this year, his build and gut look more like a run stuffer DT than a LB.

 

[T Bell]

They shouldn't have suspended him. The Giants cost themselves a chance at back-to-back championships due to "principle" (which they're more than willing to break now by the way). I hope it was worth it.

Disagree on all counts.I'm still proud as a Giants fan that they suspended him for the season and although I would have loved back to back Superbowls, or at least a better shot, I'm glad the Giants did the right thing.You can accuse me of rationalizing as a fan, as you could be right, but it's not like he hired someone to kill somebody else and if he straightens his life out (and the quotes from Reece indicate that he feels Plaxico may finally have had his "Come to Jesus" moment) I'm all for giving him another shot with the appropriate stipulations.

I have yet to see discipline like that that didn't benefit a team long term. Plax clearly was wrong and needed to be disciplined, and the team needed to see that it was done to preserve unity and faith in the organization's and coaching staff's team-first message.

 

[Avery]

They shouldn't have suspended him. The Giants cost themselves a chance at back-to-back championships due to "principle" (which they're more than willing to break now by the way). I hope it was worth it.

Disagree on all counts.I'm still proud as a Giants fan that they suspended him for the season and although I would have loved back to back Superbowls, or at least a better shot, I'm glad the Giants did the right thing.You can accuse me of rationalizing as a fan, as you could be right, but it's not like he hired someone to kill somebody else and if he straightens his life out (and the quotes from Reece indicate that he feels Plaxico may finally have had his "Come to Jesus" moment) I'm all for giving him another shot with the appropriate stipulations.

I have yet to see discipline like that that didn't benefit a team long term. Plax clearly was wrong and needed to be disciplined, and the team needed to see that it was done to preserve unity and faith in the organization's and coaching staff's team-first message.

I'm not going to slam on any other teams or ownership because I don't want to start a pissing match, but I feel actions like this is what separates ownership like the Maras and the Rooneys from other teams.The standards and the class of the team starts at the top.

 

[T Bell]

They shouldn't have suspended him. The Giants cost themselves a chance at back-to-back championships due to "principle" (which they're more than willing to break now by the way). I hope it was worth it.

Disagree on all counts.I'm still proud as a Giants fan that they suspended him for the season and although I would have loved back to back Superbowls, or at least a better shot, I'm glad the Giants did the right thing.You can accuse me of rationalizing as a fan, as you could be right, but it's not like he hired someone to kill somebody else and if he straightens his life out (and the quotes from Reece indicate that he feels Plaxico may finally have had his "Come to Jesus" moment) I'm all for giving him another shot with the appropriate stipulations.

I have yet to see discipline like that that didn't benefit a team long term. Plax clearly was wrong and needed to be disciplined, and the team needed to see that it was done to preserve unity and faith in the organization's and coaching staff's team-first message.

I'm not going to slam on any other teams or ownership because I don't want to start a pissing match, but I feel actions like this is what separates ownership like the Maras and the Rooneys from other teams.The standards and the class of the team starts at the top.

There are other examples too, but I won't disagree with that.

 

[Dr. Octopus]

The lack of production in the passing game can be tracked back directly to ELI MANNING!

I agree. Hixon, Steve Smith and Toomer were getting open consistently. Manning's inaccuracy killed the Giants. Obviously losing a talent like Plax hurts, but its being overplayed. Manning hits Smith ins stride wide open for a TD on the opening drive and it could have been a whole differnt story.

 

[Chase Stuart]

They shouldn't have suspended him. The Giants cost themselves a chance at back-to-back championships due to "principle" (which they're more than willing to break now by the way). I hope it was worth it.

Disagree on all counts.I'm still proud as a Giants fan that they suspended him for the season and although I would have loved back to back Superbowls, or at least a better shot, I'm glad the Giants did the right thing.You can accuse me of rationalizing as a fan, as you could be right, but it's not like he hired someone to kill somebody else and if he straightens his life out (and the quotes from Reece indicate that he feels Plaxico may finally have had his "Come to Jesus" moment) I'm all for giving him another shot with the appropriate stipulations.

I have yet to see discipline like that that didn't benefit a team long term. Plax clearly was wrong and needed to be disciplined, and the team needed to see that it was done to preserve unity and faith in the organization's and coaching staff's team-first message.

Some suspensions are necessary but I'm not sure this one was. This wasn't the type of action that threatened the locker room -- it wasn't a player not showing up for a meeting, or missing curfew, or not giving full effort. This was totally off the field and not related to the team whatsoever. James Harrison was arrested for assaulting his girlfriend -- a just as serious offense, IMO, as what Burress did. Do you think the Steelers would have been better off suspending him for the 2008 season?I'm not saying the Giants were wrong -- I'm not in a position to know. But if Burress seemed like he had his head back on his shoulders, apologized to the GM and the team, and seemed ready to commit to Giants football, I wouldn't have suspended him. Maybe the Giants felt the same way and Burress simply wasn't ready to play.The Giants had as easy a path to winning a SB as you'll ever find -- two home games against nine win teams and then an AFC opponent in a down year. Considering how hard all the players worked all year, is it really fair to penalize them and deny them a ring because of whatever principle the team was trying to impose? IMO, with Burress playing, the Giants have an excellent shot to win back-to-back.

 

[Avery]

They shouldn't have suspended him. The Giants cost themselves a chance at back-to-back championships due to "principle" (which they're more than willing to break now by the way). I hope it was worth it.

Disagree on all counts.I'm still proud as a Giants fan that they suspended him for the season and although I would have loved back to back Superbowls, or at least a better shot, I'm glad the Giants did the right thing.

You can accuse me of rationalizing as a fan, as you could be right, but it's not like he hired someone to kill somebody else and if he straightens his life out (and the quotes from Reece indicate that he feels Plaxico may finally have had his "Come to Jesus" moment) I'm all for giving him another shot with the appropriate stipulations.

I have yet to see discipline like that that didn't benefit a team long term. Plax clearly was wrong and needed to be disciplined, and the team needed to see that it was done to preserve unity and faith in the organization's and coaching staff's team-first message.

Some suspensions are necessary but I'm not sure this one was. This wasn't the type of action that threatened the locker room -- it wasn't a player not showing up for a meeting, or missing curfew, or not giving full effort. This was totally off the field and not related to the team whatsoever. James Harrison was arrested for assaulting his girlfriend -- a just as serious offense, IMO, as what Burress did. Do you think the Steelers would have been better off suspending him for the 2008 season?

I'm not saying the Giants were wrong -- I'm not in a position to know. But if Burress seemed like he had his head back on his shoulders, apologized to the GM and the team, and seemed ready to commit to Giants football, I wouldn't have suspended him. Maybe the Giants felt the same way and Burress simply wasn't ready to play.

The Giants had as easy a path to winning a SB as you'll ever find -- two home games against nine win teams and then an AFC opponent in a down year. Considering how hard all the players worked all year, is it really fair to penalize them and deny them a ring because of whatever principle the team was trying to impose? IMO, with Burress playing, the Giants have an excellent shot to win back-to-back.

Home field has not proven to be an advantage for this Giants team but overall you make some good points although legally, Burress is in a bigger trouble than Harrison.As a counterpoint, however, professional athletes often have this immature attitude because they have been so protected their whole lives and have rarely faced consequences to their inappropriate actions. Perhaps now that Plaxico is facing professional and personal consequences to his irresponsible behavior, it will benefit him going forward as a player and a person which can only help his team as well, if he stays out of jail.

 

[lyon812]

The lack of production in the passing game can be tracked back directly to ELI MANNING!

I agree. Hixon, Steve Smith and Toomer were getting open consistently. Manning's inaccuracy killed the Giants. Obviously losing a talent like Plax hurts, but its being overplayed. Manning hits Smith ins stride wide open for a TD on the opening drive and it could have been a whole differnt story.

Aye. The reason Manning misses Burress is because Plax is the only one who can reach his poorly thrown passes. =)

 

[QuizGuy66]

If he's not in jail I think he'll be back.

Sounds like Reece thinks so.Reese: Burress makes sense for Giants

“If he’s a New York Giant, and right now he’s under contract with us, that really makes sense if everything worked out,” Jerry Reese said this afternoon. “But there’s a lot of circumstances involved with that and who knows what’s going to happen. We’ll wait and see what happens.”

Reese confirmed he’s communicated with Burress since the season-ending suspension, and seems convinced the nightclub incident has become a life-changing event.

“Everybody makes some bad decisions,” Reese said. “I think he’s thought about some of the decisions he’s made and I think things will begin to change as far as trying to make better decisions for himself.”

Edit to add:

More from New York Giants' GM Reese on Burress

I know that certain other teams would get killed for this kind of statement. The bottom line is there's a different standard for more talented players on every team. -QG

 

[Jason Wood]

I think it would be foolish to discount the loss of Burress as a factor in the Giants collapse down the stretch; and the Eagles defensive players were quick to point out the importance of his absence in their ability to shut the Giants down. THAT SAID, even a cursory look at Manning's trends as the weather worsens each year will tell you that he's got a real problem making throws in inclement and/or windy weather. If you think about his magical playoff run last year, it was in good conditions. Even the Green Bay game was cold, but not at all windy.

The bottom line is very few QBs can throw the ball well consistently in Giants stadium once the wind and cold set in. Hopefully for Giants fans [but I hope otherwise as an Eagles fan!], the new stadium will rectify the wind conditions.

 

[Avery]

I think it would be foolish to discount the loss of Burress as a factor in the Giants collapse down the stretch; and the Eagles defensive players were quick to point out the importance of his absence in their ability to shut the Giants down. THAT SAID, even a cursory look at Manning's trends as the weather worsens each year will tell you that he's got a real problem making throws in inclement and/or windy weather. If you think about his magical playoff run last year, it was in good conditions. Even the Green Bay game was cold, but not at all windy. The bottom line is very few QBs can throw the ball well consistently in Giants stadium once the wind and cold set in. Hopefully for Giants fans [but I hope otherwise as an Eagles fan!], the new stadium will rectify the wind conditions.

Eli's arm is strong enough but the problem seems to be he doesn't throw a nice tight spiral making his throws wobble in the wind. Perhaps this is something that they can fix by tweaking his mechanics.

 

[zamboni]

Obviously losing a talent like Plax hurts, but its being overplayed.

Totally agree.Ever since the loss, there's been a lot of discussion about if the Giants had Plaxico, they'd be moving on. As others have mentioned, no doubt he's an important piece of the team, but I don't think it's as big of a deal as it's being portrayed.

Outside of the season opener, Burress was largely a non-factor for most of the season, yet the Giants were still sitting at 11-1 as the running game was dominant, Manning was making few mistakes, and the defense was playing well. To be sure, the team hit the skids when Plaxico was suspended, but they still managed to beat Carolina to get the top spot in the conference.

One could argue that the distraction of Burress' suspension was more of a factor in the end than his actual absence from the lineup. But the bottom line is that the Eagles were hungrier, and Reid meaningfully outcoached Coughlin. All this Plaxico talk to me is fans (and team brass, for that matter) just reaching for a convenient excuse.

 

[Avery]

Obviously losing a talent like Plax hurts, but its being overplayed.

Totally agree.Ever since the loss, there's been a lot of discussion about if the Giants had Plaxico, they'd be moving on. As others have mentioned, no doubt he's an important piece of the team, but I don't think it's as big of a deal as it's being portrayed.

Outside of the season opener, Burress was largely a non-factor for most of the season, yet the Giants were still sitting at 11-1 as the running game was dominant, Manning was making few mistakes, and the defense was playing well. To be sure, the team hit the skids when Plaxico was suspended, but they still managed to beat Carolina to get the top spot in the conference.

One could argue that the distraction of Burress' suspension was more of a factor in the end than his actual absence from the lineup. But the bottom line is that the Eagles were hungrier, and Reid meaningfully outcoached Coughlin. All this Plaxico talk to me is fans (and team brass, for that matter) just reaching for a convenient excuse.

However, as Dawkins and other have pointed out, simply having Plaxico on the field changes the way a defense has to play the Giants which helps open up everything else they do.The Giants lost for a number of reasons. Not have Burress in one amongst the many.

 

[Banger]

I bet if this conversation happens 4 weeks ago Reese's reaction is totally different. He then saw how the Giants essentially imploded offensively in his absense and realizes how much they really need him.

 

[T Bell]

They shouldn't have suspended him. The Giants cost themselves a chance at back-to-back championships due to "principle" (which they're more than willing to break now by the way). I hope it was worth it.

Disagree on all counts.I'm still proud as a Giants fan that they suspended him for the season and although I would have loved back to back Superbowls, or at least a better shot, I'm glad the Giants did the right thing.You can accuse me of rationalizing as a fan, as you could be right, but it's not like he hired someone to kill somebody else and if he straightens his life out (and the quotes from Reece indicate that he feels Plaxico may finally have had his "Come to Jesus" moment) I'm all for giving him another shot with the appropriate stipulations.

I have yet to see discipline like that that didn't benefit a team long term. Plax clearly was wrong and needed to be disciplined, and the team needed to see that it was done to preserve unity and faith in the organization's and coaching staff's team-first message.

Some suspensions are necessary but I'm not sure this one was. This wasn't the type of action that threatened the locker room -- it wasn't a player not showing up for a meeting, or missing curfew, or not giving full effort. This was totally off the field and not related to the team whatsoever. James Harrison was arrested for assaulting his girlfriend -- a just as serious offense, IMO, as what Burress did. Do you think the Steelers would have been better off suspending him for the 2008 season?I'm not saying the Giants were wrong -- I'm not in a position to know. But if Burress seemed like he had his head back on his shoulders, apologized to the GM and the team, and seemed ready to commit to Giants football, I wouldn't have suspended him. Maybe the Giants felt the same way and Burress simply wasn't ready to play.The Giants had as easy a path to winning a SB as you'll ever find -- two home games against nine win teams and then an AFC opponent in a down year. Considering how hard all the players worked all year, is it really fair to penalize them and deny them a ring because of whatever principle the team was trying to impose? IMO, with Burress playing, the Giants have an excellent shot to win back-to-back.

What kind of disciplinary history did Harrison have - e.g. how many meetings had he missed or been late to, for example - and did he have a teammate, who he was out with, help to cover things up for him?

 

[bicycle_seat_sniffer]

more fun for plaxico this time just a civil case

http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/news?slug=ap-b...p&type=lgns

A trial is scheduled to begin Wednesday in Pennsylvania to determine how much the New York Giants wide receiver will have to pay in damages for a car he leased before it was impounded by New York City police.

 

[Avery]

They shouldn't have suspended him. The Giants cost themselves a chance at back-to-back championships due to "principle" (which they're more than willing to break now by the way). I hope it was worth it.

Disagree on all counts.I'm still proud as a Giants fan that they suspended him for the season and although I would have loved back to back Superbowls, or at least a better shot, I'm glad the Giants did the right thing.

You can accuse me of rationalizing as a fan, as you could be right, but it's not like he hired someone to kill somebody else and if he straightens his life out (and the quotes from Reece indicate that he feels Plaxico may finally have had his "Come to Jesus" moment) I'm all for giving him another shot with the appropriate stipulations.

I have yet to see discipline like that that didn't benefit a team long term. Plax clearly was wrong and needed to be disciplined, and the team needed to see that it was done to preserve unity and faith in the organization's and coaching staff's team-first message.

Some suspensions are necessary but I'm not sure this one was. This wasn't the type of action that threatened the locker room -- it wasn't a player not showing up for a meeting, or missing curfew, or not giving full effort. This was totally off the field and not related to the team whatsoever. James Harrison was arrested for assaulting his girlfriend -- a just as serious offense, IMO, as what Burress did. Do you think the Steelers would have been better off suspending him for the 2008 season?

I'm not saying the Giants were wrong -- I'm not in a position to know. But if Burress seemed like he had his head back on his shoulders, apologized to the GM and the team, and seemed ready to commit to Giants football, I wouldn't have suspended him. Maybe the Giants felt the same way and Burress simply wasn't ready to play.

The Giants had as easy a path to winning a SB as you'll ever find -- two home games against nine win teams and then an AFC opponent in a down year. Considering how hard all the players worked all year, is it really fair to penalize them and deny them a ring because of whatever principle the team was trying to impose? IMO, with Burress playing, the Giants have an excellent shot to win back-to-back.

What kind of disciplinary history did Harrison have - e.g. how many meetings had he missed or been late to, for example - and did he have a teammate, who he was out with, help to cover things up for him?

I don't think that is an accurate representation of what Pierce did. Considering that Bloomberg said he wants to throw the book at Plaxico over this case, if they didn't even bring any charges against Pierce, I'm guessing that the DA doesn't think he tried to "cover things up" either.

 

[Liquid Tension]

The lack of production in the passing game can be tracked back directly to ELI MANNING!

I like simple answers to but the truth is that once Burress was gone, the Giants WR corps was left with one aging WR2 (Toomer) and a lot of young WR2/3s in Smith, Hixon, Moss and Manningham. There is potential there but nothing to keep opposing defenses up at night. Sure Eli sucked in the playoffs, a tighter spiral would sure have helped in the winds of the Meadowlands, but its not like he was working with much out there. Between Eli, his receivers and the often crappy play callings (why did them almost abandon the run with Jacobs when they were winning!!?!? ) there are a lot of people on the Giants to share the blame.

The play calling was awful in the playoffs, but there is a lot of blame to go around. Toomer can't get any separation and they single cover him with their worst CB or safety all the time; he should be gone. The others have potential (clearly Hixon is the best), but none requires doubling and guys were not getting open.Eli played poorly, but the Giants team (mostly) and coaching played poorly and give the Eagles credit, they deserved to win the game. I don;t think the better team won, but clearly the Eagles were better last Sunday.

 

[Liquid Tension]

Obviously losing a talent like Plax hurts, but its being overplayed.

Totally agree.Ever since the loss, there's been a lot of discussion about if the Giants had Plaxico, they'd be moving on. As others have mentioned, no doubt he's an important piece of the team, but I don't think it's as big of a deal as it's being portrayed.

Outside of the season opener, Burress was largely a non-factor for most of the season, yet the Giants were still sitting at 11-1 as the running game was dominant, Manning was making few mistakes, and the defense was playing well. To be sure, the team hit the skids when Plaxico was suspended, but they still managed to beat Carolina to get the top spot in the conference.

One could argue that the distraction of Burress' suspension was more of a factor in the end than his actual absence from the lineup. But the bottom line is that the Eagles were hungrier, and Reid meaningfully outcoached Coughlin. All this Plaxico talk to me is fans (and team brass, for that matter) just reaching for a convenient excuse.

The Giants lost 4 of their final 5 games. Teams adjusted to the Giants without Plax. Tuck being hurt also was a big blow because it exacerbated the loss of Osi (and even Strahan). The Giants got no pressure when they didn't blitz.