Burress Says He Wants Back Into the NFL
In comments that sound quite familiar, former New York Giants wideout Plaxico Burress said he is looking forward to getting back into the NFL after he finishes his two-year stint in prison. Burress pleaded guilty last week to weapons charges, avoiding a trial, which could have resulted in a minimum 3.5-year prison term, after shooting himself in the leg with a gun in a New York nightclub.  “I almost killed my own self. And I got to go to prison for almost killing my own self,” the 32-year-old receiver told ESPN in an interview televised Tuesday night. He will be sentenced on Sept. 22. Another star NFL player, Michael Vick, has just returned to the league after a two-year prison term. The Philadelphia Eagles signed Vick to a two-year contract to play this season.

Gambling NBA Ref is Back in Jail
The gambling-addict NBA referee who was convicted of taking bribes for inside tips on games is in jail again, this time for violating the terms of his probation. The U.S. Marshals Service said Tuesday that Tim Donaghy was being held without bond one day after he was arrested for not showing up at a Tampa, Fla., halfway house, where he is wrapping up a 15-month sentence on gambling-related charges. “He was supposed to be at work and he was somewhere else,” said Deputy U.S. Marshal Ron Lindbak. Donaghy works in sales at ShotPak, a Sarasota-based beverage company. Donaghy admitted taking thousands of dollars from a professional gambler in exchange for inside tips on NBA games – including games he worked. Donaghy has acknowledged that he had gambling problem. He pleaded guilty to conspiracy to engage in wire fraud and transmitting betting information through interstate commerce in the tips-for-payoffs scheme, The Associated Press reports. He was released from a federal prison in Pensacola to the halfway house in June. He was scheduled for release in October.

Plaxico Burress

Former New York Giants wideout Plaxico Burress, who will spend two years in prison following his plea agreement last week, told ESPN Monday that his finger accidentally hit the trigger of his concealed gun when he tried to catch it as it slipped down his pants leg. The .40-caliber Glock fired after he missed a step walking up stairs, he told the TV sports network. He said he was trying to keep the gun from hitting the ground. The incident happened about five minutes after Burress entered the Latin Club in Manhattan. “My finger hit, like, right on the trigger,” he said. “What are the odds on that happening?” Burress said that when he looked down, he saw blood covering his right Converse Chuck Taylor sneaker. That’s when he knew he had shot himself, he said. “I take two or three steps and like my pants are wet,” Burress said in the interview. He then turned to his fellow teammate, middle linebacker Antonio Pierce, and asked him to take him to the hospital. “And he was like ‘Why?” Burress said. “I said I just think I shot myself, and he was like ‘Noooo!” Burress, who pleaded guilty last week to a weapons charge stemming from the November incident, accepted a two-year prison term. He will be sentenced Sept. 22.

By Sherri L. Smith, BlackWeb20.com

By now, most loyal Maddenites have settled down from midnight madness on August 13th into a comfortable routine with the latest edition to the revered series, Madden NFL 2010. You’ve chosen your team(s), are working to perfect your plays, calculating stats, and handing the AI or some poor sap online their asses. And hopefully, your making some highlight reel-worthy plays while you’re at it. Read the rest of this entry »

New York Giants wide receiver Plaxico Burress, arrested last year on weapons charges after shooting himself in the leg in a New York restaurant bathroom, testified before a grand jury Wednesday. “He then begged forgiveness. I was truthful. I was honest, and I’m truly remorseful for what I’ve done,” Burress told reporters outside a Manhattan courthouse. Burress, 31, is likely facing a tough road ahead, considering Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s response – that the city would prosecute the NFL star to the fullest extent of the law – after Burress shot himself in the thigh. The New York Post reported earlier this week that Robert Morgenthau, the Manhattan district attorney, is insisting on jail time. Morgenthau’s office has declined to comment. Burress, who faces up to 3 ½ years in prison, pleaded not guilty and is free on $100,000 bail.

Plaxico Burress, the embattled wide receiver who was recently waived by the New York Giants, hurled a slew of curses at a Miami deputy sheriff during a traffic stop two weeks ago, according to police. An angry Burress allegedly vented at Broward County Deputy Donald Harris, “F*** you! You’re going to be in a lot of trouble,” Sports Illustrated reported. “I know the sheriff personally.” Burress, who is looking at a possible 3.5-year prison term on a gun-possession charge after shooting himself in the leg at a New York City nightclub in late November, countered each of the deputy’s questions with a “F- – - you,” according to the citation. Read more.

The New York Giants announced Friday that they have released controversial wide receiver Plaxico Burress.

The decision comes four months after Burress, 31, accidentally shot himself in the leg at a New York City nightclub. The troubled star was the hero of the team’s 2008 Super Bowl win, grabbing the game-winning touchdown pass. The Giants suspended Burress after the Nov. 29, 2008 shooting incident and held his future in the balance.

“I am an optimist, and I believe most situations can be worked out,” said Giants General Manager Jerry Reese. “We hung in there as long as we could in hopes that there could be a resolution to this situation other than the decision we made today to release Plaxico. It wasn’t to be, so now we have to move on. Like everybody else here, we want nothing but the best for Plaxico, and we are appreciative of the contributions he made to this franchise.”

Burress joined the Giants in 2005.

New York Giants wideout Plaxico Burress, facing gun charges after accidentally shooting himself in the leg last year, is scheduled to appear in court in June – unless he decides to cop a plea before that. A judge adjourned a hearing scheduled for Tuesday at the Manhattan Criminal Court. Burress’ attorney, Benjamin Brafman, said that he had not reached a plea agreement, but that he was continuing discussions with prosecutors. Read more.

Burress Could Stay in New York

New York Giants brass said Tuesday that troubled wideout Plaxico Burress isn’t necessarily dead to the team because of constants missteps with the law and the likelihood that he’s facing jail time when the season kicks off. “Right now he is still a Giant, and if things work out and he’s on board with what we want coming back, we’d love to have him back,” General Manager Jerry Reese told The Associated Press. Burress is facing illegal weapons charges after shooting himself at a New York City nightclub in late November. If convicted, he could spend at least three and a half years in prison. Gov. Michael Bloomberg has made it clear that he would like for Burress to be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. Burress, 31, who signed a five-year, $35 million contract in September, could also be suspended by the NFL for violating its personal conduct policy.

Agent is Shopping Three Top Wideouts
An agent for the troubled Giants wideout apparently wants out of New York. The agent for Plaxico Burress, Drew Rosenhaus, sent an e-mail to the NFL’s teams earlier this week letting them know that Burress was one of his three clients who wants to be traded, an NFL executive told The Associated Press on Thursday. The e-mail was supposed to remain private. But The Star-Ledger of Newark reported Wednesday that Rosenhaus was offering Burress’ services to the highest bidder. The executive, who asked to remain anonymous since he has to deal with Rosenhaus, said in his e-mail that the agent had three “players DESIRING a trade.” The other two players? Anquan Boldin of the NFC champion Arizona Cardinals and Chad Johnson of the Cincinnati Bengals, The Associated Press reports.

Is Brett Favre For Real This Time?

Jets Q-back Brett Favre says he’s retiring from football …. no, for real this time. Click for more.

N.Y. Giants receiver Plaxico Burress got a rare legal win Wednesday when a Pennsylvania jury sided with the troubled baller in a civil dispute over an impounded vehicle. Fred Laurenzo, who owns a car dealership in Lebanon, Pa., loaned Burress a 2004 Avalanche truck, worth $36,000, in exchange for autograph signings and other publicity events. But New York City Police impounded the truck, telling Laurenzo that it had been involved in a crime. He said that Burress never contacted police to resolve the matter, and it remained in custody for about a year. Laurenzo sued for $19,000. But a jury awarded him only $1,700, the amount that Burress had contended he was responsible for. Burress still faces gun charges after shooting himself in the leg in a New York restaurant.