Ex-Super Bowl hero to be grounded for 2 years

Former New York Giants wide receiver Plaxico Burress, who made the game-winning catch against the then-unbeaten New England Patriots in the 2008 Super Bowl, today pleaded guilty to a reduced charge of attempted criminal possession of a handgun in Manhattan. Mr. Burress will be sentenced to 2 years in prison when he appears again before the judge on September 22, 2009.

If you'll recall, Mr. Burress was charged with criminal possession of a weapon shortly after shooting himself in the leg at a Manhattan nightclub in December 2008. (See also "Doctor who treated Plaxico Burress suspended."

While it's likely that Mr. Burress' celebrity played a role in the severity of the sentence, celebrity-hood works both ways. Head west and you will come to a land where juries will suspend belief if the person at the defense table is a movie star, athlete or musician.

Doctor who treated Plaxico Burress suspended

Dr. Josyann Abisaab, the doctor who treated Plaxico Burress for his allegedly self-inflicted gunshot wound, failed to report the incident to the police and signed off on documents identifying Mr. Burress by a phony name, has had her privileges at New York-Cornell Hospital suspended.

Dr. Abisaab was summoned in the middle of the night by an as-of-yet unidentified person (who may have been the Giants VP of medical services, Ronnie Barnes.

Dr. Abisaab may face charges for her failure to report the incident.

Oh, what a tangled web we weave...

Dumb and dumber

At the Latin Quarter nightclub in Manhattan, in the early morning hours Saturday, New York Giants wide receiver Plaxico Burress accidentally shot himself in the leg. At least that's what we're supposed to believe.

Mr. Burress had a Florida-issued concealed weapons permit (that expired last May). New York does not recognize any other state's concealed weapons permits.

For some reason Mr. Burress felt he needed to carry a loaded handgun in his waistband when he went out that evening - to a posh Manhattan nightclub. It doesn't take a brain surgeon to realize that alcohol and loaded handguns are a bad idea.

At some point the gun (allegedly) slipped from Mr. Burress' waistband and he claims that when he tried to grab it through his pants the gun fired and the bullet passed through his right leg. Apparently no one heard the gun go off because no one came to his aid.

Mr. Burress' teammate, linebacker Antonio Pierce, decided to take the gun and hide it in New Jersey. Mr. Burress declined an ambulance ride to the hospital and relied, instead, on private transportation.

Ironically enough, Plaxico Burress was not scheduled to play for the Giants this past weekend due to a leg injury.

It will be interesting to find out what really happened that evening. Why was Mr. Burress carrying a loaded handgun to a nightclub? If it was for protection, maybe he should think twice about where he goes or with whom he goes. Why would his teammate take the handgun and hide it? If Mr. Burress was shot accidentally there would no reason to hide the weapon. How did Mr. Burress get the handgun past the metal detector?

Mr. Burress is now facing a weapon possession charge and has turned himself in to police.