Ok, first and foremost, I am thankful that he did not kill himself. But, are you serious? Can this really be happening? How do you shoot yourself? Unless an intruder has just broken in the house, WHY do you have a gun near you? This is definitely a "what was he thinking" situation.
However, thanks to Tiki Barber, after just watching him on Football Night in America, let me give a different perspective. Burress and other players come from an environment where having a gun is the norm in order to protect oneself, something that many of us cannot relate to. And, before we begin to judge, we need to first place ourselves in their shoes.
So, let me twist things right here and point the finger back towards the NFL. Here again, we have a situation where the NFL, the sports agents, etc. in my opinion have fumbled the ball. Although, personal responsibility is necessary, expected and important, those who represent and benefit from the talents/skills of these athletes should be more attentive and deliberate in their management of players that they KNOW need a little more "coaching", either due to their background or personal history.
Now, Burress probably will say, I am a grown "A" man and I don't need constant supervision or need to tell you if I got a gun. Now, although he is a grown man, he is not his OWN man....not while he represents the NFL and plays for an organization which is currently the NY Giants. As long as he gets the multi-million dollar deals he is currently getting, YOU, Mr. Burress, represent those two brands. And, because of that, have a responsibility to them first and you second. I believe this is where the players are missing the mark. And, where they are being given too much rope....a level of expectations is discussed, but very loosely enforced. And, if enforced, it is not enforced fairly across the board.
Not all situations should be thrown in the same boat....consequences should be based on the actions and the number of incidents...period. Not, based on the person's performance, celebrity status, "hook ups", etc.
I throw that out there, because now I am curious to see how the NFL handles this one. What will happen to Burress because of this? And, will it be fair?
Scotty Rushing
12-03-2008I certainly agree that athletes are obliged to be a positive representation of their particular brand. It is no different than any executive who is front-and-center in terms of media visibility. There is a responsibility, when your life is lived in the public eye, to order it in such a way as to avoid embarassment.
Having said that, I think Mr. Burress' problems exceed the norm to which we have become accustomed. This season has been like watching PB's self-destruction happen right before our very eyes. As an agent, I am used to being somewhat of a babysitter. This, however, far exceeds the responsibility of any agent as far as managing the conduct of his client. To be honest, at some point an agent has to ask themselves, "Is it worth it?"
As far as his upbringing goes and why or why not that may explain his "need" to keep a firearm by his side, I'm not buying it. We all have the responsibility to make good choices, irregardless of our environment. That dog won't hunt because for every Plaxico Burress I can point out an athlete from a similar background who has not allowed this to affect his ability to make good choices. No one twisted PB's arm and made him choose to act irresponsibly. That is on his shoulders alone.
Very good blog.
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