If you think Plax was hurt, you should see the other guy...

A gem of a story has unfolded right here in the great state of New Jersey.

Tarnish is something we've grown accustomed to. We've gotten used to the fact that anything and everything we have may fall and shatter. Governors, Government, and Hometown heroes are far from excluded in this discussion, in fact, they make up the majority.

I remember sitting at home, with my family, watching the underdog of the century, Eli Manning, throw a football into the hands of Plaxico Burress, who would fall backwards in order to break the pane of the end zone. It was one of the single greatest upsets in Super Bowl history, but no one I knew was upset at all.

Less than a year has passed and the team was still doing great, but nothing like a good distraction to bring things to a stand-still.

Now, we find ourselves a tune that we've heard before, and is ever more present in today's world where athletes are held in higher regard than doctors, scientists, and architects. The people who make us laugh, cry, and throw our hands in the air yelling, "Why?!" are the people who get more respect and money than those who work to make the world a better place for everyone. And we find someone who has been given too much money too fast.

Plaxico Burress, rounding off at $7,850,000 (a year), found himself in a hospital emergency room in the transition of this past Friday night to Saturday morning.

He sustained a gun shot wound to the leg.

Who would have shot the hometown hero?

The short answer, it was an inside job.

Apparently, when attempting to enter a club, the 6'5" 232 lb. Black Male informed the bouncer that he was packing heat. So, to avoid any situation, he unloaded the weapon.

The State of Florida apparently hands out gun licenses as if they were business cards. There was certainly no strenuous gun training and proper handling techniques taught to Burress. Unloading the gun safely should be one of the first things you learn, right? Well even the NRA (the crazy people for which the 2nd Amendment was established for) feel that the first step in training is safe gun handling. Not positioning, aiming, or shooting, but handling. That encompasses everything you do with a gun that involves no fingers on triggers.

In any event, Mr. Burress, who would be released on $100,000 (1.3% his yearly earnings) bail, had not practiced safe gun handling.

In the process of "unloading" the weapon, he "unloaded" the weapon, in one shot on his leg.

Refused an ambulance.

Spent an evening in the hospital. And got to spend the next few days being escorted around in handcuffs.

Courtesy of Fox Sports:

["Like I said, I am human," Burress said last month in discussing his runs-ins with the team. "I have made some mistakes. I haven't made the best of decisions, I am aware of that, and I am the first one to look myself in the mirror, be honest with myself, and say that."]

He apologized. Wait. No, that was a quote of him apologizing in October when he violated NFL rules and abused an official. For this he was fined $45,000 (0.05% his yearly earnings). This being the second fine he incurred this year alone, the first coming at the beginning of the season when he was fined $117,500 (1.5% his yearly earnings) for missing a team meeting without prior notification. Not to mention the $25,000 (0.03% his yearly earnings) when he didn't show up for mandatory practice at the Giants training camp.

Ok so that's it, right? He's been dumb and done a few stupid things right?

"Ha!" laughs the Bergen County Police Department.

They visited Mr. Burress' home in July and August of this year on domestic disturbance calls.

It's a shame to see a talented ball player have so much go wrong for him, but maybe, just maybe, this is the humbling he needs?

No, don't kid yourself, despite losing 2.88% of his yearly earnings in fines, he'll still receive the rest (unless convicted in turn violating the conduct policy of the NFL) of his salary, totaling $7,623,920.

Remember when he caught that touchdown pass to win the Superbowl?

Now I'm just filled with stereotypes of Black People, Guns, and Excessively undeserved Money.

-FW