Armed With Stupidity

Over the holiday, Super Bowl "hero" Plaxico Burress "accidentally" shot himself in the right thigh, landing him a night in the hospital.

The New York Giants receiver has also been fined and suspended so far this season. Burress was suspended for a game against Seattle on October 5th and fined $117,500 for missing a team meeting and failing to notify the team of his absence. He said he had a family emergency. He also was fined $45,000 by the NFL for his conduct during an October 19th game against 49ers in which he abused an official and tossed a ball into the stands.

Burress caught the winning pass in the Giants' Super Bowl victory against the New England Patriots, capping a season in which he caught a career-high 12 touchdowns. He was belatedly rewarded, signing a five-year, $35 million contract hours before the season opened in September. The signing came after an unsettling offseason during which Burress was fined $25,000 for refusing to practice during a mandatory minicamp in June. He also missed most of a training camp with a sprained ankle. He insisted the injury — not his contract — kept him off the field.

Despite a lack of practice, Burress started in the opener against Washington and caught 10 passes for 133 yards. The following week, he had five catches for 81 yards and a touchdown in a win over St. Louis. The rest of the season has not been as productive. The most passes he has caught in any game since is four in a loss to Cleveland on Oct. 13, the game following his suspension. Burress has 35 catches for 454 yards and four touchdowns in a season in which he has constantly drawn double coverage. His streak of receptions in 115 consecutive games ended last week in Arizona. He aggravated his hamstring injury during the first series and did not return.

Burress injured a hamstring two weeks ago against the Baltimore Ravens. The Giants said he would not play against the Redskins over the weekend, and was shot less than 12 hours later. By himself. The team said the shooting happened Friday night and he was released from the hospital early Saturday. The team did not say which hospital Burress went to or how badly he was injured. However, a team official said that Burress shot himself in a nightclub, which is always a tender area.

Burress has a concealed weapon permit from the state of Florida that expired in May 2008. It is unclear if the permit was renewed; such a license can be renewed up to six months beyond the expiration date. The states of New York and New Jersey do not recognize permits from Florida, so Burress could be charged in the incident. The NFL also is likely to investigate whether Burress violated its Personal Conduct Policy, which might lead to a suspension. Top of that policy list? Not shooting yourself.

UPDATE: Burress will turn himself in to authorities today and enter a not guilty plea when charged with criminal possession of a weapon.