Heroes & Villains

Under the United States Constitution, an amendment states that we, the people, have the right to bear arms. We are legally and justifiably allowed to own firearms when we find it necessary to protect ourselves from harm's way. So, I'm not hating on Plaxico Burress for carrying a loaded handgun.

But don't misinterpret what I just communicated. I don't condone what Plax did in November 2008 when he went inside a crowded Manhattan nightclub with a loaded firearm that was not secured. New York has a strict gun law and anyone, regardless of their social status, who breaks that mandate will pay a very steep penalty.

However, before we cast Burress as the villain and label him a criminal, let's not forget the root of this issue.

We, the diehard football fans, always demand our athletic heroes to go above and beyond the call of duty. We want them to sacrifice their bodies to make that game-saving play or ignore pain to score that game-winning touchdown. It is the gladiator-type mentally most competitors possess to make them feel superhuman or indestructible.

But once the game is over, we then expect them to tone it down and become model citizens. That's like asking a pitbull to refrain from biting or a bear from dumping in the woods. It's just not realistic.

Burress, 31, was simply following the above-the-law cachet that has been afforded professional athletes for years. It is that the same distinction that allowed him to take the weapon inside the club. Burress recently told ESPN's Jeremy Schaap that security personnel were aware that he was carrying a gun.

Now, I don't know Plaxico personally nor have I spoken to him, and he's even had his brushes with insubordination and defiance on and off the field, which doesn't exactly help his case. But based on the information he disclosed to Schaap, the former New York Giants wide receiver was mainly thinking of his own safety before he accidentally shot himself in the leg. His whole mindset was, before trouble found him he was going to stop it before it stared him in the face.

Is it wrong to carry a concealed weapon in New York? Yes. Is it wrong to protect yourself at all costs, especially if your private life has been previously violated? No.

Athletes have big targets on their backs. Whether is envy or obsession, some trouble-makers feel the need to harm them and muck up their posh lifestyle.

Tragic stories that claimed the lives of Darrent Williams and Sean Taylor definitely contributed to Burress' anxiety. He was also spooked by what happened to teammate Steve Smith, who was robbed at gunpoint near his home three weeks before Burress' nightclub incident.

Add it all up and you have a case of a pro athlete caught in a web of circumstance.

Burress has already pleaded guilty of felony weapons charges and will serve two years in prison. He said it's the price he is willing to pay for breaking the law. I commend him for owning up to his actions, but he succumbed to the wrong charges. He should have pleaded guilty of negligence and stupidity.

Bringing a loaded firearm to a Manhattan nightclub is inexcusable. The law clearly states that. Not securing the weapon is another careless mistake. What got Burress in more trouble was his clumsiness. One misstep on his way up to the VIP lounge consequently disrupted his livelihood and stripped him of his freedom.

A heavy penalty for someone who claimed guilt for his indiscretion. Plaxico Burress is going to jail and will eventually pay his debt to society, a similar fate that consumed Michael Vick.

And just like Vick, Burress is neither a thug nor a criminal. He simply dropped the ball (or, in this case, the gun).

Don't hate the player. Hate the game.