Plaxico Burress, Guilty Until Proven Innocent.

Okay guys and gals, today we are going to weigh in on this Plaxico Burress case. Let's start by saying how stupid he is for risking his career by bringing a firearm into a club. The event that was even more stupid than doing that was shooting himself with the gun. I have to believe that in the back of his mind, he had to be thinking about how black athletes are targets of the media and criminals. The media seems to especially focus on the negatives of a black athlete. I understand he may feel that he needs a gun for protection because of his status but please use your head and just leave it in the car. Look, I believe he entered that establishment with the firearm for protection. Wait........ Hmmmmm.......... let's think about this and see though............. I just caught the game winning touchdown IN THE SUPERBOWL to beat the undefeated New England Patriots so what kind of enemies could I possibly have in New York? With that being said, this club must have a pretty bad reputation for you to go in there with a gun. If it's that bad, it is really simple: Don't put yourself in that position because there are criminals that prey on black athletes may be present plotting to rob you. Secondly, if you know that those criminals are there, don't be retarded and bring a gun into the club, shoot yourself, get arrested and get persecuted by the media.

But again........Wait and calm down............Let's just look into this a little bit further.................What is Plaxico being charged with? He is charged with two felony counts of criminal possession of a firearm in the second degree, a class C felony. That carries up to a 15 year prison sentence. Consequently, Plaxico can get a year of jail time or fifteen years for what is his first offense.

Now after reading this Penal Code, it states the following:
A person is guilty of criminal possession of a weapon in the second degree when: (1) with intent to use the same unlawfully against another, such person:
(a) possesses a machine gun; or (b) possesses a loaded firearm; or (c) possesses a disguised gun; or (2) such person person possesses five or more firearms.

Hey, I'm no lawyer or a mind reader but I don't think Plaxico intended to use that firearm on anyone that night. Seriously, are you kidding me? Please!!!! Let's give the guy some credit and realize that he was not going to go into a club to shoot someone and throw his life and millions of dollar away. I believe it was for protection because of the type of environment he was subjecting himself to. Now that I am assuming that's the case, the grand jury aren't mind readers either so how would they indict Plaxico beyond a reasonable doubt if they wouldn't be able to determine his intentions that night? Right now, he's set to testify today in front of a grand jury and express his intentions that night. I mean the law states that such person has to have intent to use the weapon unlawfully against another.

After his testimony, things will get pretty interesting.

What Teams Would Vick Fit With???? Any.............

From: Elgin E Suggs
Sent: Tuesday, July 28, 2009 2:30 PM
To: Dario Mobley
Subject: RE:

Who do you think will sign MV and why?

I talked about this at length with my boy yesterday. If he is going to come back as a receiver or a backup quarterback with no desire to be a starter, I think his options are limitless. There are only a few teams that are set at backup and they are Cleveland with Brady Quinn/Derek Anderson, Arizona with Matt Leinart and Tennessee with Vince Young and Philadelphia with Kevin Cobb considering they drafted him in the first round of last year's draft.

Additionally, I don't see any reason why any team can't use him as a specialist player like a Kordell Stewart when he was "slash" in Pittsburgh.

However, if we assume that he only wants to go somewhere that he has a legitimate chance to start, I would say the places below and here's why:

Washington Redskins

Daniel Snyder has always been an unorthodox owner. He does not mind spending money and taking chances on players. He signed Deion Sanders in 2000 at age 33 and he just gave Albert Haynesworth a 100 million dollar contract with 41 million guarantee and Haynesworth has a questionable history when he stomped on Andre Gurode's face in 2006. Additionally, their were reports that The Redskins were trying to trade up to get Mark Sanchez in this year's draft so obviously, they do not have complete faith in Jason Campbell. I think it would be a good fit with the power running game already in place. Also, Washington DC has a 55.6% black population according to the 2007 census so some of the fan base might accept him more.

Minnesota Vikings

They are looking to sign Brett Farve despite trading for Sage Rosenfals and Tavaris Jackson throwing 9 TD's and 2 Int's last year. It would be a perfect fit with the running game with Adrian "All Day" Peterson. Vick has experience in the West Coast offense which is what Brad Childress runs in Minnesota. Childress coached McNabb and gave Tavaris Jackson a chance so he is willing to give a black quarterback a chance.

Carolina Panthers

Jake Delhomme is 34 years old and he has been pretty inconsistent in his career. He threw 5 int's against Arizona last year in the playoffs and at some point they need to replace him. Also, why should they bring in a young guy when they already have a good team and could compete with a veteran like Michael Vick who is 6-3 versus the Panthers? They know firsthand what he can do. They have a great running game and a good defense. They might be a quarterback away from winning the Superbowl.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

They drafted Josh Freeman and they have Byron Leftwich and Luke McNown as their quarterbacks. They have two black quarterbacks and a black coach with connections to Tony Dungy who is Vick's mentor and advisor so that may give Vick a chance. Also, they are not highly committed to Vick and Freeman might not be ready to start for a couple years.


Seattle Seahawks

Matt Hasselbeck will be 34 this year and he will need to be replaced soon. He only played 7 games last year with a bad back. Also, Jim Mora Jr. is the head coach and he used to coach Vick in Atlanta. Also, the move to the west coast offense in Seattle will be a smooth transition. Even if Hasselbeck is healthy, it would be great to learn the west coast offense behind a veteran.

St. Louis Rams

Bulger is 32 and he has been on a downward spiral the last two years. He had a QB rating of 70.3 in 2007 and 71.4 in 2008. The Rams are 4-23 in the last two years in games that Bulger has started. He lost his job to Trent Green last year after three games. He did get it back though after Haslett took over as coach. Haslett is long gone now though. Also, the city is 50.4% black according to the 2007 census so their will be a lot of support from the black fanbase.


Buffalo Bills

Trent Edwards was picked in the 3rd round so they do not have a lot invested in him. Also, Buffalo has showed that they are willing to shake things up with bringing in Terrell Owens. On the TO show, the fanbase seems to respond to him well. Maybe they might do the same for Vick. Buffalo wants to get back to the playoffs and Vick and Terrell Owens may be the people to do that for them.

Denver Broncos

Denver Broncos have absolutely nothing at quarterback and has a new energetic coach who may be willing to do things differently. He coached Matt Cassell very well last year so why won't he be able to coach Vick the same way? Also, does Vick make Brandon Marshall happy enough to stay? Denver has nothing right now and even if they get rid of Marshall, Vick makes them a better team from Day 1. The worst that can happen is they invest little, he fails and that's it. If he succeeds, it is all smooth sailing from there. They obviously seem to need him the most.

49ers GM on acquiring Michael Vick: 'We will not do it'

By USA TODAY Sports

49ers GM on acquiring Michael Vick: 'We will not do it'

San Francisco GM Scot McCloughan said today that he and coach Mike Singletary have discussed Michael Vick but said the team will not pursue the suspended quarterback.

Singletary has given indications that he'd consider Vick, who is on home confinement finishing a sentence for a federal dogfighting crime and is expected to seek reinstatement to the NFL this summer.

"Well, I think what happens there, and I totally respect it, is people understand who Mike Singletary is and understand that he has no problem giving guys second chances," McCloughan said on Sirius satellite radio. "Coach and I have sat down. We sat down and talked last week. We had an off-week of OTAs and we discussed about Michael Vick and we’re not going to go that route. We will not do it."

Sirius host Adam Schein pressed McCloughan on the issue.

"So Michael Vick is not on the radar for the 49ers?" he asked.

"Correct," McCloughan responded.

The 49ers' situation at quarterback is unsettled. Shaun Hill and Alex Smith are battling for the starting position. The team also drafted Ball State product Nate Davis, who is not expected to be a contributor this season.

Posted by Sean Leahy at 04:53 PM/ET, June 08, 2009 Permalink

Don't Rule Out Redskins in Vick Sweepstakes

Don't rule out Redskins in Vick Sweepstakes

Posted by Mike Florio on July 27, 2009 11:03 PM ET on ProFootballTalknbcsports.com

For now, it's clear that multiple as-yet-unknown teams are pursuing quarterback Mike Vick.


It's also clear that one of the teams that has pursued multiple quarterbacks this offseason is the Redskins.


And we're beginning to pick up some subtle indications from a couple of sources with connections to the team that the Redskins should not be ruled out as potential suitors for Mr. Vick.


The thinking is that, if he were to land in D.C., Vick would not supplant current starter Jason Campbell, but that he instead would work in a Wildcat-type role for 2009, with an opportunity next year to succeed Campbell, whose contract expires after the season.


If the Redskins truly are interested, it could create an awkward situation for agent Joel Segal, who represents both players.


Then again, Segal might be able to persuade Campbell that, if Vick makes the team better in 2009, Campbell will be more attractive on the open market in 2010, if the Redskins choose not to keep him.


For now, we're not reporting that anything will happen between Vick and the Redskins. But as other teams begin lining up for a crack at Vick, who's living not that far from where the Redskins play their home games, how can the 'Skins not at least do a little due diligence?



With a far less noxious degree of stink emanating from Vick given the incredibly fair manner in which the league office has treated him, selling Vick to the local fans suddenly has become a far easier task. And given that the Redskins are nearly 18 years removed from their last Super Bowl win, we've got a feeling that anything that pushes the franchise toward the top of the NFC will be viewed as a positive development.



Bottom line? The Redskins signed Albert Haynesworth, who is hardly a choir boy. If they can justify giving him $41 million guaranteed, they can easily justify giving Vick a one-year deal.



To be clear, we're not reporting that the Redskins will sign Vick. But we've heard enough from a couple of trusted sources to believe that something could indeed happen.



And if it happens, it'll be happening fairly soon.

Steve Nash & Drew Brees: The Parallel Universe

With 11 days until the first official day of Saints Training Camp, I think that this is a perfect time to spew an interesting assumption that has come into fruition in my ever imaginative mind in the past two weeks. For all the people that I connect to this thesis, the Saints are more than just a football team. The Saints are a bonded connection of culture, family and an inevitable recreation of what your father, uncle, grandfather or some other family member already was before you became a Saints fan. If you grew up a Saints fan, their has to be a moment when you were a kid and you watched this particular family member do what you so regularly do on Sundays while, during and after watching a Saints game. The things that has occurred in my Saints Fan career can't be explained. The only explanation of giving a new Cleveland franchise it's first victory on a Hail Mary pass in 1999 is that, "THEIR IS NO EXPLANATION". However, I think I may have come up with the closest thing to a fact that may explain what the Saints may or may not accomplish in the near future. That "closest thing to a fact" is that Drew Brees is eerily similar to Steve Nash. They are both undersized, athletically challenged overachievers who flourished under certain systems that seem to have too much on their shoulders which causes them to inevitably fail. The similarities are so identical that I describe my findings as such: STEVE NASH & DREW BREES: THE PARALLEL UNIVERSE

Part I : UNDERSIZED

Imagine yourself diving across country and your gas tank is nearing empty. Their isn't anywhere to stop except for a biker bar that has loud motorcycles and huge guys with long beards and tattoos covering their flesh. Your choices are very slim so you have to go into this bar to pay for your gas. You proceed to go into the bar and the mood gets very dim very quickly and you realize that you stopped in the wrong place and you have to fight your way out. You scan the room and you look for the first guy that you should attack. What guy will you have the most confidence to attack?

A) The Big Guy With the Tattoos

B) The Medium Size Guy With the Tattoos
C) The Little Guy With the Tattoos

Now, some may say the big guy or the closest guy but I assume that the most confidence will come in the attack of the little guy which brings me to my point. How many franchise players in any sport are undersized? Let's just examine this. Albert Pujols is 6-3, 210 pounds. Lebron James is 6-8, 250 pounds. Peyton Manning is 6-5 240 pounds. In direct contrast, Drew Brees is 6-0 209 pounds and Steve Nash is 6-3, 195 pounds. Let's go back to that bar fight. We all know that we would attack Steve Nash or Drew Brees before we would attack the guy below:

Do you see what I mean? It is a mentality. If a little guy is in front of the pack and is your best player, how confident will the other team be that they can take him out? If you cut the head off, the snake can't see. Take out the best player by intimidation or over physicality and the team crumbles. Right? Am I reaching? Well, let's see. Was I the only person that wondered why Reggie Bush was leading the Saints in the pre-game "Ray Lewis Session" during 2007 season when our best player was Drew Brees? No and I also wasn't the only person who really did not mind the switch. I just kind of shrugged it off and moved on with it like everyone else. However, let's think about it. Reggie Bush is a tall, good looking guy with a ripped body and a model on his arm. Did the teammates respect Reggie Bush more? Can Reggie Bush look a 6'4 300 pound lineman in the eye and inspire him more than Drew Brees? Is it a look? Is it a physical stature that commands respect? Who looks more like Ray Lewis? Drew Brees or Reggie Bush?

Or ....................................................................................................

My point is not that Reggie Bush should be the leader because he is a small guy by NFL standards too. We all saw what happen in 2006 against Philly when Reggie Bush got "clocked" by Sheldon Brown. Is it just me or does it seem like opposing players try extra hard to put a big hit on Reggie Bush? Hmmmmm....... Wow, this is a small guy out front that got totally clobbered. My point is that it is a natural instinct to go after the little guy first. Consequently, when the little guy happens to be the most important and best player on your team, you have problems. Does anyone remember Isiah Thomas having to get 40 stitches after getting elbowed by Karl Malone in 1991? Or does anyone remember J.R. Smith going after 5'9 Nate Robinson in a brawl in Madison Square Garden in 2006? Okay, maybe those events are not as memorable as I may think. Well, does anyone remember how the Denver Nuggets beat up Chris Paul in last year's playoffs? I assume that you do. All these guys mentioned are small and was out front and they took the brunt of the punishment. It is natural for the opposing team to attack the smallest player. It's an easy target. Drew Brees has not had that brutal beating yet but in a world that is definitely not perfect, I hate to say that it is inevitable for Drew Brees to end up like all the rest of the big heart small guys with this look on his face:

Part II : Athletically Challenged Overachievers Who Flourish Under Certain Systems

The size comparison is only the first parallel. How about this though? What was Steve Nash and Drew Brees considered before they got to their current teams? Well, again, let's find out. Steve Nash was drafted out of Santa Clara and Drew Brees was drafted out of Purdue. Purdue is a legendary school for quarterbacks but by all observation by a football fan, most would say that Drew Brees is athletically challenged for a quarterback. He is not real fast and he does not have the best gift that a quarterback can have which is arm strength. Steve Nash can't jump and is not the quickest player in the world. However, it is no doubt that both of these guys are considered some of the smartest players at their position. Additionally, they both seemed to build impressive careers while younger in two different sports despite their athletic shortcomings. Nash starred in soccer and basketball and Brees starred in basketball and football. Interesting huh? Anyhow, when they both got to the professional sport of their choice, they both seem to start out a little slow in their careers. We all know that the early years in San Diego for Brees were not stellar. Steve Nash also went through the same thing in his first stay in Phoenix and then in Dallas. They both went through free agency and signed with another team. Isn't it strange that both players were not signed back to Dallas or San Diego? However, when Nash went to Phoenix in Mike D'Antoni's system and Drew Brees went to New Orleans in Sean Payton's system, their careers seem to take a similar path upward. Steve Nash became a two time MVP and Brees became a perennial MVP candidate. The thing that is even more strange is that D'Antoni's system in basketball is almost the NFL equivalent of Sean Payton's in football. They are both unorthodox methods that do not follow the letter of the law of what each sports purist consider the way to win consistently and effectively. The offense is fast-paced and catered around an athletically challenged smart player while having defenses that are horrific. Are we in the twilight zone here? The similarities are getting scary. These two guys have overachieved in their respective careers tremendously. They are leaders of a franchise and considered some of the best players in their leagues. Sometimes as a fan we even tend to try not to criticize these guys. I have always stopped short of criticizing both of these guys. Think about it.....Does Drew Brees gets the kind of criticism that Peyton Manning got before he won a Superbowl? Did Steve Nash ever get the kind of criticism that Kobe got? Why is that? It's simple. Everyone loves an underdog. They have exceeded expectations and it is hard to ever be mad at a guy like that. But, how does that help the Saints or the Suns? It does not because you inevitably have to put more people around a player with less talent to win a championship and if you don't, they will fail. You can only go so far on smarts and craftiness. I will never downplay the importance of smarts and craftiness but wouldn't it be better to have a Peyton Manning and Lebron James who are smart, crafty and athletically superior? See, there are times when there is no counter technique to take the other person down. It just comes a time when you just physically dominate them. Their are throws that Peyton Manning makes and drives that Lebron makes that our heroes can't make and that is the difference in winning and losing. It is too bad every team can't have Lebron or Peyton.

Part III: Inevitably Failing Because The Load is Too Heavy

Winning and Losing are two good words to start Part III out with. The thing about Steve Nash and Drew Brees is that they will never give up. They will never stop trying because this is the way they have operated their whole lives. They were always small and always "out manned" but they continued to press forward. They give their best at all times and hope that their best is enough. But, is their best really enough? In Drew Brees six best passing yardage games from 2006-2008, the Saints are 1-5:

504 yards Cincinnati Bengals 2006 L 31-24
422 yards Atlanta Falcons 2008 L 34-20

435 yards Jacksonville Jaguars 2007 W 41-24

421 yards Denver Broncis 2008 L 34-32

386 yards Carolina Panthers 2008 L 33-31

393 yards Pittsburgh Steelers 2006 L 38-31

Steve Nash's best three playoff games resulted in a loss:

06-07 31 points, 8 assists L San Antonio Spurs

04-05 48 Points L Dallas Mavericks

07-08 25 points 13 assists L San Antonio Spurs

Look, there are obviously other factors like the saints defense is bad, the referees and a host of other factors but when have you consistently seen Lebron James or Peyton Manning have their best games and lose? Is this a coincidence?

Peyton Manning Best Playoff Games

2004 vs. KC 330 yards 3 TD's W 38-31

2005 vs. Denver 458 yards 4 TD's W 49 - 24

Lebron James Best Playoff Games

2007 vs. Detroit 48 points 7 assists 9 rebs W East Finals

2009 vs. Orlando 37 points, 12 assists, 14 rebs W East Finals

Folks, this is not an attempt to marginalize what Brees and Nash have done in their careers or an attempt to put them on the same level as Manning and James because they are not in most ways. Also, James and Manning have had their fair share of failures. However, Brees and Nash are franchise players and the leader of their teams and from the facts above, it shows that even at their very best, they seem to lose. Why is that? Well, I think it's because they have too much on their shoulders. They have to carry too much of a load. Their abilities only can carry them so far and eventually, they will fail. Lebron and Peyton can make bad teams contend year after year but Nash and Brees have a short window and if they don't accomplish that in a matter of 3-4 years, the team has to adjust and bring in more players and try to go for broke to win a championship. More often than not, the teams do not accomplish their goal. The Suns had to bring in Shaq at the expense of other players and now the Saints are making wholesale defensive changes bringing in Jenkins, Sharper and a whole new defensive scheme and coach. Don't get me wrong. I agree with the moves and we have not lost any important players yet but it will inevitably happen becasue their is only so much money to go around with the salary cap. Brees and Nash has failed in the clutch before by default. They exhausted everything they had and their feeble shoulders just eventually broke down under the immense weight.

In the 2006 playoff game against Chicago, the Chicago Bears were leading 16-14 with 12:20 seconds left in the third quarter. Here are the Saints final possessions:

Missed Field Goal

Safety

Punt

Fumble By Brees

Interception

Turnover on Downs

Turnover on Downs

In the Chargers 2004 playoff game versus the Jets with the score tie 17-17 in overtime, here are the Chargers two possessions:

Turnover on Downs
Missed Field Goal

In the 2007 playoffs, Phoenix and San Antonio tied 81-81 of the 2nd round:

Steve Nash Missed a Layup with 1:42 left

In the 2005 playoffs, Phoenix and San Antonio, SA up 103-102 in the 1st round:

Steve Nash missed a 14-footer with 2:14 left

Once again, this is not a attempt to say I don't appreciate what these players do in their respective games because there are other factors that contribute to the outcome of the game. However, if their teams win, they get the majority of the credit so isn't it only fair that if they lose, they should get the part of the blame? When does it get to the point when we start saying that they can not get over the hump? Those games were arguably the most important moments of their careers and they came up short literally and figuratively. Is it their fault? Could they have helped it? Or, was their god given abilities just not enough for them to overcome the odds? I would say the latter. Let's even think about one last moment for Drew Brees. Drew Brees rarely gets the ball tipped or sack but when he does, it almost always turns out horribly. I am sure you remember the blind side hit by Antoine Winfield last year in the Minnesota game. How about when the Saints had an opportunity to win against Washington last year and some guy named Horton caught a tipped ball for a game clinching interception? Nash and Brees have the worst thing that most dominate athletes don't ever have to worry about. They have a low margin for error. Their size and inferior athletic prowess is the unfair advantage that every team has against them so even in their greatest moment, one false move will cause their teams to lose. I cheer for the underdogs. Their is not better story than an underdog defying all odds to come out victorious. However, it is even sadder when those underdogs come up an inch short. I hate it. Trust me folks. I hate to think that the career of Brees will be parallel to Steve Nash but the parallels illustrated in this blog whether they are far-fetched or right on point down does the one thing that I hoped it would do and that is MAKE YOU THINK ABOUT THEM. Nash is pretty much done and his window is probably closed. I hope our hero does not suffer the same fate in three more magnificient years that result in not being able to get over the hump. They already seem to kind of look alike with the long hair........ don't they? Weird. I HATE IT!!! I really do but sometimes things line up like that for the Saints. Even with players who both have undeniable passion and the heart of a tiger, their is still a probelm. Eventually, they have to face a lion. The only explanation is that, " THERE IS NO EXPLANATION." So is the Saints.