Monthly Rundown

It has been about a month since the last time I posted. Time is at a premium these days, but here's a little something something so it can't be said that I've abandoned my blog:

1) Tiger Woods can be defeated. Score one for the senior citizens!

2) So Alex Rodriguez tested positive for steroids. I still don't quite understand why this is a big deal . . . obviously, these guys are huge. Truthfully, I'd be more surprised if he wasn't shooting up. If I see one more story about how disappointed some writer is that some would-be-Hall-of-Fame-bound baseball player did steroids, I'm going to start writing letters to the editor. Maybe I'm too cynical, but I think these guys are approaching this with a tad too much naïvete. I mean, you've seen that guy who goes to your gym every single day and takes protein intravenously in the locker room - he STILL doesn't look like Mark McGwire!

3) The NBA All-Star game is this weekend. I've listened to the commentators debate over the past few weeks whether all-stars should come from subpar teams. My take on it is this: this is a popularity contest, folks. If you're putting up the numbers, have a top-selling jersey, or are good enough to have one of the Big 3 (now refers to Nike, Reebok, and Adidas) throw piles of money at you to sell their stuff, then you should be on the roster. I don't think the quality of your team should really count for much. This is a celebration of individual play, not the ability to make their bad teammates better. If I have to play alongside [insert names of four other guys who, if not for the right connections, would be playing overseas right now] (I'm turning over a new leaf and not calling anyone out), then I don't think I should be punished for it. That said, I am happy that the Cleveland Cavaliers' Mo Williams finally gets his chance to shine. Of course he was passed over twice (really, three times) and had to wait for guys (Jameer Nelson first and now Chris Bosh) to go down with injuries, but things have a way of working out exactly how they are supposed to.

4) So Plaxico Burress has a history of not paying his bills on time. The folks in the article seem to be blaming this on "he thinks he can do whatever he wants because he's a professional athlete." Except that not paying the bills on time makes him exactly like 90% of the attorneys I know (because they know the laws on debt collection, after all) and probably a solid percentage of the American public. It's amazing how quickly people will forget your game winning Super Bowl touchdown after you shoot yourself in the leg at a night club.

5) Pretty funny.

WTH: Plax Doesn't Just Kill Germs

Man. So I finally have a chance to write and this is what I'm given? You mean another football player shoots himself in the legfoot and potentially ruins his career?

Football is an unforgiving sport for a lot of reasons. One, the contracts are not guaranteed. Two, the playing-life span is incredibly short. And three, your career can end in a matter of moments. Unfortunately for several players in recent years, it's not just because of the hard hits.

It's amazing to me how your whole life can change in an instant. If you think back, there are probably only one or two pivotal moments in your life where if things had gone differently, you would not be where you are today (for better or for worse). The tough part is that you never know until it happens when you're having one of those moments.

So here we have Plaxico Burress - and potentially Antonio Pierce - who shot himself in a night club. Allegedly, the gun fell out of his pant leg after it accidentally went off, and Pierece tried to help him hide it - which seems to suggest they knew he wasn't supposed to have it. Considering that Plax's not even walking with a limp, this wouldn't have been so bad if not for the fact that he allegedly had an expired, out of state (this latter fact is all that matters in NY) permit for the gun. Now, he's being charged with two counts of criminal possession of a weapon that carry a minimum sentence of 3.5 years per count.

Here's my lawyer break down for those who want to know: Under New York law, he could be found guilty if the prosecution can prove that he knowingly possessed a loaded firearm with intent to use the firearm unlawfully against another (one count) or if it can be proven that he knowingly possessed a loaded firearm outside of his home or place of business (second count).

Well, Burress did one smart thing: He hired the lawyer who got Sean "Diddy" Combs off on his night club weapon charges. That lawyer is Ben Brafman, a.k.a. this generation's Johnnie Cochran.

From what I know of the facts, I don't really see the first charge sticking. Was he really trying to hurt someone else? I don't see this being proven beyond a reasonable doubt. The second one seems more uncertain. Although Mayor Bloomberg is talking big talk, I believe in this Brafman guy, and I'm not sure that this should be the "set the example" case that the mayor would like it to be. That law is pretty tough on its face with its minimum 3.5 year sentence, and this is not really the type of situation it was meant to prevent. Talk about adding insult to injury.

Alright, kids, this one is not quite the same as the Michael Vick situation, because I understand the need to carry a weapon when you're a high profile athlete out and about, and this wasn't a case of hanging out with the wrong crowd (unless being bad for your own health counts). But there is still a huge lesson to be learned. If you're carrying a weapon outside of the state where you got your permit, you really ought to know the laws because every state (and even some cities within a state) is different, and it's quite likely that you'll end up in a situation like this one, even if you don't literally shoot yourself in the process.

The other lesson here is that nothing "good" happens when you're out after 1 a.m. You can continue to stay out later all you want . . . just know this is true, especially if you're married with children. And if your wife and child are going to be affected by your actions, then all I'd ask is that you please think three times (once for you, once for her, and once for the kids) before you decide to take a risk. It's probably not worth it.

I haven't even covered any potential NFL sanctions. Right now, he's facing some serious state charges, and, as with Michael Vick, what happens in the NFL will be dependent upon what happens in court. The Giants didn't seem to miss him too much on Sunday, and they will probably go on without him, although maybe with not as much "gusto."

And as for Antonio Pierce - well, he got to play on Sunday, and hopefully for the Giants sake he will continue to have that opportunity.

To all the other professional athletes out there - you've been warned. Again. You spend your entire life working for this dream. Don't kill it with one thoughtless decision.

Let's raise the level, folks. Our President-Elect is counting on you.