Since When Did Eli Manning Owe Plaxico Burress Anything?

Since when did Eli Manning become the villain when it comes to his relationship with Plaxico Burress?  There was a lot of talk criticizing the Giants quarterback for not reaching out to his former-wideout after Burress was released from prison and looking hook up in the NFL again.  Get over it, Manning owed Burress nothing.

Last night, the New York Giants and New York Jets played for the first MetLife trophy at MetLife Stadium in the Meadowlands, although most fans were billing it as The Plaxico Bowl as if the former-Giant is the real prize.

The MetLife Trophy has cute Snoopy wearing an old-school helmet on top of it.   The comic strip seemed appropriate because the game was as flat as Charlie Brown on his back after trying to kick the seductive football yanked away by Lucy.  It's like a Matt Dodge punt.

Manning threw two interceptions and Burress was a non-factor while being held to zero catches.

The Plaxico Comeback Tour stalled against his former team.

Final score of the game, Jets 17-3.  Final score of The Plaxico Bowl, 0-0.

Even Jets coach Rex Ryan tried to hype the yawner afterwards.

"It was a fun game, man.  It was two good football teams going at it," he said of the game after his team was outgained 239-113 in total yards during the 17-3 win.  "Obviously, it's a preseason game, but it's good competition."

Much was made of what the first face-to-face between Manning and Burress, leading up to the game and since the latter was sprung from the joint, would be like.  Well the meeting last night was anti-climatic.

Funny thing, they unexpectedly reunited two days earlier outside a movie theater where Burress was coming out of "The Smurfs" (no Big Blue there) with his family and he ran into Manning and former-Giants center Shaun O'Hara.  Burress said they laughed about the coincidence last night.

The highly-publicized preseason tug-of-war for the services of Burress was ultimately won by the Jets. Many Giants fans faulted Manning for not reaching out to Burress when he was a free-agent.

Sure, it's easy to make fun of Manning's "Aw, shucks" interviews, his less than flashy play on the field and how he tucks his jersey into his pants, but don't lay the blame on him.

So Manning didn't visit Burress when he was in stir or call him once he got out.  Some Giants fans thought that Manning's cold shoulder contributed to the former-Giants player to jumping over to the Jets.  He had no obligation to guide Burress.  That's what parole officers do.

Plax went to the Jets was all money--plain and simple.  A guaranteed paycheck, after you haven't worked in almost three years, will do that to a man.

While Manning represents team play and character, Burress is the prototype of how fans perceive pro athletes these days-- and it ain't all good-- unless he's pulling in touchdown passes.

Burress was Manning's favorite go-to guy leading up to their Super Bowl XLII upset victory over the New England Patriots and the wideout  caught the game-winning touchdown, but a lot of bumps came on that ride.

There were too many instances, with the Giants, where Burress boycotted practices over contract demands, didn't show up on Monday or answer his phone for days at a time.  It all culminated with the self-inflicted gun-shot incident outside a Manhattan nightclub in November 2008.  After 20 months of three squares and a bunk, Burress was ready to make his comeback and the MetLife Stadium roommates were first in line.

Suddenly, it was up to Manning to do what head coach Tom Coughlin and owner John Mara's little dinner party couldn't do-- convince Burress he was coveted by the Giants.

Maybe Manning didn't want the 34 year-old Burress and the baggage he drags along.  Even though the Giants lost All-Pro receiver Steve Smith right after Burress' defection, Manning seems happy throwing to his youthful and talented receiving corps of Mario Manningham, Hakeem Nicks and Domenik Hixon.  Burress, so far, seems like a good decoy for Santonio Holmes.

Manning has to back up this boast of being in Tom Brady's class and prove he isn't the 25-interception quarterback of last season.  He has done little this pre-season to prove or disprove any of that so far this summer.

Meanwhile, Burress has to keep on the straight and narrow and the Jets hope he doesn't revert back to his gangsta persona.  Michael Vick's second chance $100 million contract has to be a good incentive.

The "real" MetLife Trophy will be awarded when the two teams meet on Christmas Eve.  Hopefully, all the hype about Eli vs. Plaxico will have passed by then.

"I don't know if there are any tickets available for that Dec. 24 game," said Ryan.  "But I think we just sold them because that was typical Jets-Giants slugfest right there."

Tony Dungy and Justin Tuck Think Giants Would Be Good Fit For Plaxico

It looks like Plaxico Burress' two former teams, the New York Giants and the Pittsburgh Steelers, are the front runners for the talented wideout's services this season.  Former Colts head coach, Tony Dungy,  said New York would be a " great home" for Burress' new start.

The New York Daily News reported that Dungy believes, if Burress and Giants head coach Tom Coughlin can put aside their past differences, New York would be the ideal fit for the 33 year-old Burress second go-round in the NFL.

Dungy, acting as Burress' mentor, said his charge needs a "good support system" to get back on track and the troubled wideout already has built a strong foundation with the team owners, Steve Tisch and John Mara.

"I think Mr. Tisch, Mr. Mara, he has a good relationship with them," said Dungy.  And he has a great, great relationship with a lot of the other players that are still there."

Giants defensive captain Justin Tuck agrees. He believes the two men can hammer out their differences.

"Anytime you have a dispute between two people, both people need to talk it out like men," said Tuck.  I think that's what we have on schedule, so we'll see what happens."

It looks like Burress' affection for Rex Ryan and the Jets has faded and now Burress is set to meet with the Giants tomorrow night before heading to Pittsburgh for a meeting with Mike Tomlin and the Steelers.

"I think [the Giants] would be a great kind of family organization for him," said Dungy.

The Giants have already reached out to Burress, even after he was let go by the team for his 2008 arrest for gun possession, subsequent conviction and stint in prison.

Mara drove up to the upstate New York correctional center to pay Burress a visit behind bars and quarterback Eli Manning was one of the first players to welcome his former-favorite target back after his release this spring.

Manning must be drooling at the prospect of throwing to Steve Smith, Hakeem Nicks, Mario Manningham and possibly Burress.  Can you say Air Eli?

Now Burress has to bury the hatchet with his former coach and antagonist, the disciplinarian Coughlin.

I can only imagine how Friday's night meeting will go.  It's hard to imagine how Burress, just released from almost two years in stir, is going to thrive under the strict Coughlin.  It's like going from life under one prison warden to a head coach who is sometimes called one.

Forget the steak and potatoes, the real main dish on Friday night's dinner table is the thousands of dollars in fines, benching and two-week suspension for a rules violation handed down to Plax by Coughlin in the past.

Can Burress abide by Coughlin's tough love rules and avoid the suspensions and fines he accrued in the past?  Until last week, there was a perception that Coughlin didn't even want Burress back, now they are breaking bread together.

The "mellower" Coughlin just signed a one year extension to his contract and the Giants are notorious for not releasing a coach during the final year of a deal so, if this relationship gets stormy again, the old man isn't going anywhere.

The post NFL lockout has left teams scrambling for stability.  The Giants are familiar with Burress and Burress still has a veteran's knowledge of the Giants playbook. 

To Dungy, familiarity will be important to Burress' comeback.

"People need to understand that it is a little bit different," said Dungy.  "It's not just kind of like a free-agent coming into your team.  He has to regrow and redevelop.  You just want that support there, and I think the Giants would be one of the good teams for that."

Whether or not the Giants become Burress' halfway house to resuming a life on the outside remains to be seen.  Maybe the Giants just want to keep Burress' slim chance of hooking up with another "second-chancer," Michael Vick and division rival the Philadelphia Eagles at bay?

It won't be easy for Burress in New York.  You'll probably see more photos of Burress on the street than on the field and night out at a restaurant will be in every gossip page in New York.  Even if people don't hit the floor every time he reaches into his sweatpants pockets, every paparazzi will hit their camera shutter release.

How those scenarios fit into Dungy's theory is speculative at best.  Maybe New York isn't he best place to quietly return to society. 

The Giants team leaders don't think so and have given Burress a vote of confidence.  Manning confirmed speaking with Burress about coming back.

"I don't know what's going to happen with that," said Manning.  "I know he and coach Coughlin might meet sometime.  We'll just see what happens after that."

Tuck says Burress would be welcomed back by everyone.

"I can't speak for Coughlin or Plax," said the defensive end.  "It's well documented they've bumped heads in the past.  Hopefully a little time apart has rekindled the love they share for each other."

Wow.  The words 'Coughlin, Plax and rekindled love' in a quote.  I'm going to tear up.

Plaxico Sports New Phillies Cap After Release From Jail And It Means Nothing

Plaxico Burress is planning to play in the NFL, but only after getting to spend lost time with his family.  The former-New York Giant's was headed home to Florida to hold his daughter who was born during Burress' 20-month prison sentence.  Burress sported a brand new Philadelphia Phillies baseball cap when he walked out of the gates of the Onieda Correctional Facility on Monday morning and it got people wondering about it's significance.

The first person to greet Burress was his agent, Drew Rosenhaus, who jumped into his client's arms during his walk to freedom.  Rosenhaus told reporters there were a lot of NFL teams interested in Burress' services.

"I just want to thank God for bringing me through one of the most trying times in my life," said Burress.  "It's a beautiful day to be reunited with my family.  I want to go home and spend quality time with them."

Burress has a wife and two daughters living in Florida.

The NFL lockout prevents Rosenhaus from speaking with any teams , but expect quite a few to take a chance on Burress; who was considered one of the top NFL wide-outs before he was sent to prison for a gun charge in 2009.

The 34 year-old was released by the Giants after his November 2008 arrest for shooting himself in the thigh outside a New York City nightclub.

The Giants later reached out to Burress while he was locked up.  Owner John Mara visited his former player in prison last year and Giants quarterback, Eli Manning made a public statement last month saying he would welcome back one of his favorite targets.

Burress, who caught the winning touchdown in the Giants last minute Super Bowl victory over the New England Patriots in 2007, will be on parole for two years.  One of the stipulations of parole is getting work.  That should be no problem for a high-caliber wide-out, unless the lockout shuts down the season.  Most teams will be lining up for the services of Burress, even though he is not in game shape.  The lockout means most NFL players aren't in game shape either.

The Baltimore Ravens, St. Louis Rams and Philadelphia Eagles all seem like logical fits and front-runners for a game-breaker like Burress.  Rams coach Steve Spagnuola worked with Burress when they were both with the Giants.

Right now every one is concluding that Burress might be joining another ex-con, Michael Vick, in Philly.  Burress' transition back to football will be a little less controversial than Vick's.  Burress won't face the protests and scorn Vick endured when he rejoined the NFL after his conviction for animal cruelty.  Burress' crime was onto himself.

Burress is anxious get back on the field.  "As far as football is concerned, if and when everything gets settled, when they get back on the field, I'll be ready," he said this morning.

Eagles fans shouldn't get too excited about the symbolism of the Phillies cap.  Remember, LeBron James was spotted many times, and criticized for it, flaunting a New York Yankees hat like it was a Miss USA crown right before he was a free-agent.  Knick fans took that hat as a sure sign that King James was headed to Madison Square Garden. 

Little did they realize, it was just a hat.

Judgment Day 2011; Athletes Who Will Be Left Behind

The End is Near.  No, it's not a proclamation by either the NFL regarding the lockout or the GM of the Phoenix Coyotes on the hockey team's future.   It's the Day of Reckoning for Mankind, so say the lunatic members of a doomsday group who predict the world will cease to exist after the earth is rattled by series of earthquakes and tidal waves tomorrow between 5 and 6 p.m. 

New York City has been plastered with ads warning if the upcoming Apocalypse on Saturday July 21 and how God will only spare those who are pure of heart.

So people, you don't have to fret over overdue library books or the vig to your loan shark.  Go ahead, make that nasty, drunken text to your ex because, after tomorrow, it won't matter.   It'll all be over soon.

This presumed "Rapture" will spare the souls of the pure by whisking them into heaven while the rest of mankind will be left to face their doom on the crumbling earth.  Professional athletes--however adored on earth--are not an exception and some won't be making that trip up to eternal happiness.

I believe the world must be coming to an end because how can you explain Jason Giambi jacking three home-runs the other night.  Who even knew he was still around?

And what about the Cleveland Indians?  Best team in the majors?  Come on. We're talking about Cleveland here.  That's enough evidence for me.

Tomorrow's Doomsday is just more bad luck for Cleveland all around.  The Cavaliers finally get two top-four draft picks to make up for the left-at-the alter move by LeBron James and BOOM!   No more Rock and Roll Hall of Fame or Dawg Pound.  It's over.  If it makes Cavs fans feel any better, James will be one of the fateful ones slated to be left behind--with no championships.

The Apocalypse will bring some good things.  We won't have to wring our hands about the NFL owners and the NFLPA hugging it out.  They're all on God's naughty list anyway.



And no one will have to care which team ends up on HBO's "Hard Knocks" this summer.  It's a moot point now.  Sorry Detroit Lions, you almost had your day in the sun and games on Monday nights.

Jim Tressel, I wouldn't worry about that whole deal about stipends for college players anymore.  You have bigger sweaters to fill.  Oh yeah, I forgot to tell you God is a Michigan fan.  Know what's worse than an NCAA investigation?  A Grim Reaper named Bo.

There are too many celebrities who won't be spared by the Almighty.  Arnold Schwarzenegger's ticket to heaven has already expired and don't count on any Kardashians taking the V.I.P. elevator up--or members of any reality series for that matter.  If Ahhnold had only waited a few more days before blabbing about his love child.

Tim Tebow won't have to worry.  He's a lock to be Raptured by God.

Lawrence Taylor, now that's another story.  Sorry LT, you'll be joining Jay Cutler, Ben Roethlisberger and Brett Favre.  There's no room in heaven for wusses or horn dogs.  Did I mention that O.J. will be dodging rocks and waves after hitting the prison chow hall tomorrow night?

Tiger Woods didn't only drop from one big list this week.  The almighty doesn't look down too kindly on bratty golfers or philanderers.  I'm not sure in what order.

Also deserving to be left behind are the "Green Men," team mascots and any prima-donna wide receivers.  Just lump them in one annoying group and let them fend for themselves.

This just in--Lance Armstrong, things aren't looking too good for you right at this moment.  I would get out my mountain bike, it's going to be rough riding tomorrow night.  Wait.  No world Saturday means no "60 Minutes" Sunday.  You're in the clear.  Lucky you.

Jorge Posada will be spared, but the inside dirt from upstairs is that he will be batting ninth.  The Almighty is one manager you don't want to bail on and he (Yup, he's a he) makes George Steinbrenner look like a kitten or a Mets GM.

There is hope for the fallen to be sucked up into the heavenly skies tomorrow.  Michael Vick and Plaxico Burress have paid their debt to society and are deserving of second chances.  And pigeon-loving Mike Tyson will be spared--if only for his cameos in "The Hangover" franchises.  God likes raunchy buddy-movies.

I am taking all this so-called End-of-the-World talk seriously because I have proof that, on Saturday, the earth will crumble and burn.  I know, because I got a sure thing on a horse for tomorrow's 6:20 p.m. start of The Preakness.  Too bad the world ends twenty minutes earlier.  Just my luck.

Giant Loss and Cowher Talk Are 'Ridiculous'

Philadelphia Eagles Michael Vick said he wanted a puppy and the New York Giants obliged the quarterback's wishes and became his lapdog.  Yesterday's epic Giants loss was the latest in a long line of mega-meltdowns against the Eagles and the murmurs of 'Fire Coughlin' are starting to get louder--especially after Super Bowl-winning coach, Bill Cowher, said the Giants are number one team he would like to coach.

Enough of putting the blame on the Giants punter Matt Dodge for yesterdays dog-fight ugly 38-31 loss to the Eagles.  The collapse of the whole team rests on the shoulders of head coach Tom Coughlin.  Funny, it looked like the Philadelphia head coach Andy Reid's head was on the block after the Giants took a 31-10 lead with seven and a half minutes left and then, in a series of Giants bungled plays, missed tackles and a heavy dose of Vick's passing and running, Reid was revered and Coughlin reviled.

Giants owner John Mara shook his head at rumors the Giants were interested in Cowher.  The former Pittsburgh Steelers head coach announced he was interested in getting back to the coaching game and whittled down his team choices to the Miami Dolphins, the Houston Texans and at the top of the short list, the New York Giants according to an ESPN report.

Mara called the stories, "Ridiculous.  We were writing Bill Cowher stories two months ago and now we are going to write them again?  That's ridiculous."

Cowher spent 15 seasons with the Steelers and won two AFC titles and the 2005 Super Bowl under him.  Cowher left the Steelers in 2006 and works as an analyst for CBS.  He is one of a small group of prized free-agent coaches available.

Last January, Cowher's name was bandied about for the Giants head coaching position after Coughlin and the Giants miserable December losing streak eliminated them from the playoffs.  Two months ago the calls for Cowher got louder from Giant fans after the G-Men were reeling from consecutive losses.

Former Steeler running back Jerome Bettis thinks Cowher will wait for the Giants job to open up.  On SiriusXM's Mad Dog Radio, Bettis said he feels that New York was "Where he always wanted to be.  The Mara family, he's always been close to them."  Bettis said these were his opinions and admitted he had not talked with his old coach.

Coughlin's repeated berating of his punter on the sidelines has become a all too common sight-- but the loss was a team effort and it starts at the top.  Coughlin's defense--which held Vick in check for fifty-two and a half minutes broke like a wet paper bag.  The offense couldn't even work the clock in the second half.  Don't even mention the special teams.  Which team lines up five yards further than it should for an obvious on-side kick?  The Giants, that's who!  Coughlin and his staff deserve most of the blame for this monumental loss.

The Giants control their own playoff destiny.  They are hanging on to wild card by a a thread thinner than a fan's patience with Coughlin.  They must win the remaining road games against the Green Bay Packers and Washington Redskins to be assured of at least a wild card.

Coughlin's tough-love style of coaching is well known.  It will take more than a firm hand to help this band of second-half underachievers.  A loss of Sunday's magnitude can damage a weak team's spirit beyond repair or drive a superior team to once attainable heights. Let's see how old Coughlin handles it.

Coughlin has a Super Bowl ring and one year left on his contract.  Another December slide from the playoffs for the second year in a row could mean Cowher could getting his dream job in New York.

New York Giants Will Have Dogs Ready For Vick On Sunday

Michael Vick better watch out what he wishes for because sometimes you get more than you want.  The Philadelphia Eagles quarterback, who is enjoying an MVP caliber season after doing time for federal charges of dogfighting said, in a surprising request, he would like to have "another dog" as a pet.  The New York Giants defense may grant Vick his Christmas wish early this Sunday.

In an unbelievable year, after serving 19 months at the Leavenworth Federal Penitentiary, the troubled QB has taken over the Eagles starting job and is the front runner for Comeback Player of the Year.  All the talk of redemption means nothing to the Giants as they battle the Eagles in another "Turnpike Tussle" for a playoff spot.

The Giants will get a second chance at stopping the scrambling Vick.  The two teams meet Sunday at the New Meadowlands Stadium tied for first place in the NFC East and, pardon the poor cliche, and expect the Giants to come out like a pack of mad dogs.  The Giants can clinch a playoff spot by beating the Eagles and the Chicago Bears, Green Bay Packers and Tampa Bay Buccaneers all lose.

During their first meeting on Nov. 21, the Giants pressured the Philadelphia QB with a variety of blitzes and held the free-wheeling QB to a total of 34 yards and he didn't account for any of the touchdowns in a 27-17 Giant loss to the Eagles.

Philly head coach admired Big Blue's defensive scheme.  He said they "had a great game plan."

That wasn't good enough for the Giants.  It just showed they could contain the speedy QB and keep him in the pocket.  They plan to prove they aren't scared of the dangerous Vick and charge him with increased safety blitzes.  The Giants D has 31 sacks this season and has already put six quarterbacks on the sidelines. Vick has been slowed down by a cracked sternum in recent weeks.

Giant safety, Deon Grant said, " A defense never plays scared."

Vick is not your typical offensive weapon.  He has thrown for 2,513 yards and rushed for an additional 483 yards.  "I'm just trying to be a leader," the re-invented quarterback said.

The Philadelphia offensive line's game plan is to offer added protection for their much-maligned QB.  On a wall in the Eagles locker room are six photos with the inscription "illegal helmet hits against defenseless players."  Below the images is the word "PROHIBITED" in red ink.

It is to remind the team about the number of questionable "hits" Vick's body has absorbed after he leaves the pocket and scampers for the sidelines.  Eagle players believe, even with all of the NFL's tough talk about illegal hits, there is a double-standard for Vick.  They are frustrated by the lack of calls from the referees and, among his teammates, believe it all leads to Vick's well-publicized past.

The Giants are going into the game with a shortened rest week, due to last Sunday's postponement and relocation of their winning game against the Vikings.  Expect them to hit the field with more than just bark.

Vick has made appearances on behalf of the Humane Society since being released from the pen, but is prohibited form owning a dog due to the conditions of his release from prison.  Vick claims he owned a beagle-mix while growing up in Virginia and said, " I could take care of an animal in my household."

On Sunday, he will be staring into a pack of eleven crazed animals in their household.

Justin Tuck: Giants Will Not Sink in Second Half of Season

By Tony Mangia

It was all in the cards for a Giants last week.  The team was being called the best in the NFL, they were two touchdown favorites over a reeling Dallas Cowboys squad and it was the first game of the second half of the season.  It was the perfect storm for a let-down and the Giants didn't disappoint.  In what has become an annual occurrence under the realm of Tom Coughlin, the Giants began their end-of-season meltdown.

Quick what's 16-31 and blue all over.  If you said the Giants second half record since 2004 you win a prize.  With the exception of 2005, the finish the season with a .500 or worse--usually worse. This year will be different, the players say.

It's too easy to use last Sunday's blackout in the New Meadowlands Stadium on as a game summary.  Sure, the offense had a power failure...the Cowboys played lights out...but I think the fans, themselves, felt like passengers on that cruise ship drifting off the coast of Mexico--plied with leftover liquor for a wonderful while, then getting fed Spam.

Justin Tuck is all too aware of the team's second-half failures.  Except for the Super Bowl championship season in 2007, the Giants (6-3) have either not made the playoffs or lost in the first round since Coughlin became head coach.  He is adamant it will not happen this year.

Tuck said, " This team is different.  I think we learned our lesson.  Guys understand how it felt last year to have the debacle that we had."  Funny, I think he said that last year too.  "I think we're poised to make sure that doesn't happen again.  I think as a whole , we were completely sick to our stomach by how we finished the season last year."  The fans know that feeling too.

Then he used that old standard excuse that is supposed to knock a team out of their complacency.  Here it comes, "I'm kinda glad that the things happened to us [Sunday] night, because it puts us back on alert, it puts us back to thinking," the defensive end said.  I hope that Eagles quarterback, Michael Vick gets the message.

Vick, who is having his game jersey sent to Canton for his rampage over the Redskins Monday night, will be waiting for Tuck's defense this Sunday. Jon Kitna (?), who lit up the Giants last Sunday, is one thing, but Vick is a totally different animal.  I won't use the phrase "pit bull" like Vick's teammate, DeSean Jackson,  used last week to describe his team's demeanor, but he has a dog-like tenacity.

Quick, what has wings, is red hot and is green all over.  Sounds like a nacho plate but no it is Vick.  The Eagles QB, who is less than two years away from 3-squares-and-a-bed, is on his way to an MVP caliber season.  He has yet thrown an interception this year and was the first player in NFL history to throw for 300 yards, run for 50 yards and score two TDs on the ground and throw for four more in NFL history.  All this after coming off a cracked sternum--one of the most painful injuries-- after getting sandwiched between two 300 pound men just a few weeks ago.

With Vick calling the signals, the Eagles (6-3) look invincible.  Their total devastation of Washington on Monday night should leave Giant fans feeling more seasick than the passengers on that stranded ship.  Even Donovan McNabb's new $78 million contract couldn't rally the Redskins.

Now Big Blue will be traveling into hostile Philly, with their rowdy fans, for the biggest game of the season and first place in the NFC East up for grabs. The Eagles soar in with momentum and a hot signal caller.  The Giants limp in with a depleted receiving corps and a busted up offensive line.  A consecutive division loss could be the beginning of another second-half swoon.

Are the Giant players cognizant of the collapses?  "It's a new season, " said Eli Manning, "Play this year.  Why don't we talk about '07 then?" None of the veteran players really want to talk about the past--and it is the past--but it has been the team's history. 

The Giants hope to return to being the team that plowed over Seattle, 41-7,  two weeks ago and made the Texans wish they were the Oilers again. There have been flashes of brilliance by Eli and Company in their victories, but penalties and stupid turnovers have cost them games and deservedly so. 

The Giants hope they shake off the ugly defeat to Dallas.  "You prepare.  You play Philly," said Manning, "You prepare for your next game. It's all you can do.  It's all you think about."

The G-Men were flying high at 6-2 until that loss to the rudderless Cowboys.  Will their second half history repeat itself?  The past is hard to ignore and so will be Michael Vick.