NY Giants Plaxico Burress Turns Himself in Over Charges Stemming from Shooting Himself Accidentally with Illegal Weapon

Why these young "ballers" love guns is beyond me. The problem is that being wealthy is no guarantee of happiness. We have seen repeatedly many young people who become rich almost overnight, struggle emotionally as well as wrestle with the responsibility that comes with such new found wealth and fame. You have to leave your old lifestyle behind, especially if it was a troubled one. Well, according to the NY Daily News, troubled Giants star Plaxico Burress turned himself into a Manhattan precinct Monday morning where he is expected to be charged after accidentally shooting himself in the right thigh while drinking at a Midtown nightclub.

Walking with no sign of a limp from the bullet wound, Burress stepped out of a black Cadillac Escalade in front of the NYPD's 17th Precinct just after 8 a.m. Wearing dark jeans, a white collared shirt and a black jacket, he stared straight ahead as he walked and ignored shouts from an assembled group of reporters and fans. His lawyer said the wide receiver would be arraigned at 1 p.m. at Central Booking and would plead not guilty to charges of criminal possession of a weapon.

"He's standing tall," said attorney Benjamin Brafman. "He's a mature adult handling this very well, I think, under the circumstances.""He...has been overwhelmed by the outpouring of support from people who I think understand that he's a fundamentally decent man in a difficult situation," Brafman said. Standing tall, really? He has no choice but to turn himself in for this stupid little sideshow. He had an illegal weapon which was loaded. That's a crime in New York state punishable from a one-year sentence to a mandatory minimum 3 1/2-year sentence. To think that young kids look up to these athletes is amazing. Call Tiger Woods what you want, you have never heard of this young man mixed up with the wrong crowd or exhibiting criminal behavior.

Burress, 31, was partying at the Latin Quarter nightclub with teammates after midnight Saturday when he fumbled with the gun tucked in his waistband, accidentally firing a single round that ripped through his right thigh.

Burress, who signed a $35-million contract extension in the wake of the Super Bowl win, has been a season-long distraction to the Giants and his Big Blue bosses hinted before yesterday's game that the receiver's tenure in the Meadowlands may be coming to an end.

I don't blame the management of the NY Giants to make an example out of him. You can't expect to get away with bad behavior repeatedly. Does Michael Vick ring a bell? I am pretty sure when he has been released from prison, the Falcons will reinstate him as their quarterback.

Burress armed himself because he was afraid that he would get held up for the flashy bling he wore, he told employees at the Latin Quarter nightclub. After the shooting, he initially refused to let his pals call 911 after the shooting, but relented two hours later, and went with his wife, Tiffany, and a friend to New York Presbyterian-Hospital Weill Cornell at 2a.m., sources said. He was released hours later.

Teammate, Antonio Pierce, 30, who was with Burress, initially stashed the gun for his pal, police sources said, but it is believed he later gave it to Burress' wife. The gun was handed over the NYPD late Sunday.

This reminds me of the show the "Three Stooges." To think this guy considers himself a role model for kids. People need to stop putting these athletes on a pedestal. He's no better than the person in the street running around and doing the wrong thing. Money doesn't suddenly change one into a paragon of virtue. One has to make that choice and live up the those ideals. You have to change your lifestyle and surround yourself with the right people who want to uplift you, not tear you down.Burress joins a long list of athletes who have engaged in bad behavior: Mike Tyson, Ron Artest, Jose Canseco, Jayson Williams, Todd Bertuzzi, Brett Myers, Darryl Strawberry, Rae Carruth, Pete Rose, Michael Vick, Maurice Clarett, Tank Johnson, Mark Gastineau and with the most famous of them all, O.J. Simpson, among others. Plaxico Burress, come to your senses, that is not the club you want to be a member of.