Plaxico Burress, who is only seven months into a two-year prison term for weapons possession, has already gotten himself into trouble according to the New York Post.
Burress apparently told a guard that he had permission to use his cell phone to call his attorney and the guard believed him. But Plax (gasp!) didn’t have permission and now he has lost his recreation privileges for a month and his cell phone for a week.
The real question is why Burress is even allowed to have a cell phone in prison. Does he also get a free breakfast buffet and Wi-Fi with his stay too? A mint on his pillow? Access to the swimming pool at night?
It’s nice to see that Burress isn’t given any special treatment because he’s a star athlete. I’m sure he’s really feeling the effects of capital punishment.
“I think with [Thomas] we’ll end up first in the league in defense, and without him we’ll end up first in the league in defense,” Ryan said. “If we get him, great. [But] I’m not worried about him, he’s not on our team.”
As I wrote last week, I believe the Packers would be a great fit for Thomas. GM Ted Thompson ignored the Packers’ need for a left outside linebacker in last month’s draft and while Brad Jones is a capable starter, Dom Capers’ defense would be better suited having two pass-rushers on the outside. (Clay Matthews is already a fixture on the right side after an outstanding rookie campaign.)
That said, Thompson is a no-frills kind of guy, so I imagine that if he were interested that Thomas would have already been up to Green Bay for a visit. As of now, the only teams that have shown interest in the free agent are the Jets and the 49ers, who went hard after Thomas in 2007 before he signed with the Patriots.
With OTAs ready to kick off, I wouldn’t be surprised if Thomas were signed soon. He has lost a step over the past two years, but teams are always in the market for pass-rushers.
In honor of the Phillies fan who was Tasered on Monday night, I found this YouTube top 10 clip of fans getting pummeled by players, coaches and security personnel.
I don’t know about anyone else, but I cracked up during that entire clip, up until the “Malice at the Palace.” Scared kids consoling each other just isn’t fun, folks.
How about that soccer player who went “Crouching Tiger” on that one fan? A.w.e.s.o.m.e.
One of the bigger mysteries of the NFL offseason is why safety Darren Sharper, who essentially transformed the Saints’ defense last year with his playmaking ability, didn’t receive more attention on the open market. Even at 34, Sharper proved last year that he still has plenty of game left in his veteran legs.
But according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Sharper had limited market value because he had microfracture surgery, which is believed to have taken place in early March. The procedure was originally announced as an arthroscopic surgery, which is much less serious than microfracture.
According to Schefter, Sharper’s status for Week 1 is in jeopardy and he may be limited in training camp. Combine that little fact with his age and it’s no wonder Sharper lasted so long on the open market before re-signing a one-year deal with the Saints on Monday.
I’m a little surprised that Sharper expected to sign a lucrative long-term deal knowing that his status for Week 1 was up in the air. Parlaying a great season into a new contract is one thing, but hoping to cash in big despite being a 34-year-old safety coming off major knee surgery is another.
Scott Cooley of Covers.com put together a top five of greatest sports conspiracies, including Muhammad Ali’s “phantom punch” on Sonny Liston in the boxers’ rematch in 1965.
The rematch of the Muhammad Ali and Sonny Liston world heavyweight championship was highly anticipated after the first fight ended abruptly when Liston tapped out because of a shoulder injury.
But the viewing audience barely got a chance to settle into their seats for Ali-Liston II that May evening of 1965. Midway through the first round, Ali threw a jab and Liston dropped to the floor.
That glancing blow has become known as the “phantom punch” because Liston went down nearly unscathed. Conspiracy theorists contend Liston was on the take, like so many boxers have been accused of in the ring.
Some say Liston took a dive because he owed the Mafia money so he bet against himself while others believe he was being threatened by Nation of Islam extremists who had recently converted Cassius Clay.
Even Ali himself was skeptical about the effortless knockdown. While towering over Liston in one of sports’ most recognized moments, The Louisville Lip was apparently screaming at his opponent, “Get up and fight, sucker!” And a more detailed footage of the fight shows Ali asking his corner, “Did I hit him?”.
Liston actually claimed in an interview with Mark Kram for the book Ghosts of Manila that he intentionally lost because of his fear of retaliation from the Black Muslims. Of course, he could have just said that to cover up for taking a dive to erase his Mafia debt.
Be sure to check out the rest of the list, which also includes the 1985 Draft Lottery, “Spygate,” and the 2006 NBA Finals.
