Joey Porter Defends Plaxico Burress, Athletes Who Carry Guns

Dolphins linebacker Joey Porter comes off as a smack-talking buffoon, but it's all an act. He's sort of like Tony Kornheiser in that respect; he plays dumb for the crowd, but the reality is that he's a pretty sharp dude. So with that in mind, I was interested in his comments on the whole "Plax blew a hole in his own leg?!" fiasco that has since earned the Giants wideout a suspension for the rest of the NFL season and, if New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg gets his way, a three-plus-year stint in the slammer for, well, shooting himself in the thigh without a permit.

Porter admits that he considers Burress "a brother" (they played together in Pittsburgh) and takes it "real personal how he's being treated."

"Everybody has their mistakes, but that's exactly what they are ... Until you've been in that situation, when you've been robbed at gunpoint or you've had a gun waved in your face or had your house broken into before or been carjacked, you really don't know what it's like."

Or been shot in the butt while fleeing a night club.

Seriously, that point can't be stressed enough. Most of us have never been through anything that traumatic, and I can fully appreciate why, say, Steve Smith, after he finds a new house, would immediately go out and get a handgun.

But even though I've never been the victim of a robbery, I feel comfortable in writing that there's a big difference between what happened to Smith and Sean Taylor and what befell Burress. And it basically boils down to this: Plax, who was supposedly rehabbing a sore hamstring, decided to go to a club where he felt he'd need a gun to protect himself.

Just a thought, but maybe you shouldn't even patronize these joints. And better still, if you insist on going, don't draw attention to yourself by "...sporting flashy jewelry and carrying loads of cash." Again, just thinking outside the box here.

Even though Mr. Peezy seems to understand as much ("It's tough out there so I'm not gonna say I condone what happened...") he also isn't willing to accept Commissioner Goodell's "If [players] feel unsafe, they shouldn't be there" message.

"It's a tough situation. I mean we're always in the spotlight. So you can't tell a person to stop living your normal life. You're gonna go out and do these things.

"I've had my house broken into before ... I know Plax had been robbed before ... But it's tough for us to say we're professional athletes so we're not supposed to protect ourselves."

I totally agree -- athletes should be allowed to protect themselves -- but I'd just make one point. Thousands of professional athletes in this country are able to live their "normal life" without dressing up like Mr. T, throwing money around like Montgomery Brewster, or packing heat in the waistband of their sweatpants (not a euphemism). It's not that hard, really.

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

12-09-2008 @ 11:02PM

Scott said...

Read your article about the brain trusts Burress and Porter. Loved your approach. But I think the biggest point that Porter negelects to address is that he was not arrested for protecting himself. He was arrested for "ILLEGAL FELONLY POSSESSION." Anyone, and I mean without the possibility of exception, who sides with Burress on this is a dope of mammouth proportions.

If you need to protect yourself, and you want a gun, go out and get a license like everyone else you idiot!

12-10-2008 @ 1:27AM

greatr said...

Porter finally makes it obvious what we all knew, "you can't expect a person to not do his normal life" "you'r gonna go out and do these things." Put another way; you can take a thug moron out of the Ghetto but you can't take the Ghetto out of the thug moron. I used to think that was racist but now I see that both races think the same on this issue. By the way the reason this particular thug moron is in trouble is because he had an illegal concealed weapon without a permit. He discharged the weapon in a crowed room where he was just as likely to kill an innocent bystander as shoot his own dumb a**. With his attitude it sounds like Porter will be next to shoot someone or himself.

12-10-2008 @ 7:39AM

Havok said...

Porter is not the sharpest thug in the gang. Let's hope he shoots himself for good and not some innocent bystander.

12-10-2008 @ 9:18AM

Dave said...

"Doesn't like how Plax is being treated" You mean like a citizen held to the laws of the city and state like the rest of us?

Yep, I can see how that is totally unfair. Please.

12-10-2008 @ 9:55AM

gnts4evr said...

I realize he made a mistake but he is only human Bloomberg should stay out of it I still support burress

12-10-2008 @ 11:51AM

cd said...

The law in New York says that if you carry an unlicensed firearm you will go to jail. Do people think that Mr. Burress is above the law? This is what has given professional atheletes such a black eye in the media. Also what type of role model is Mr. Burress? cd

12-11-2008 @ 5:52AM

NY Tony said...

Nope sorry The Law is clear on this...... just because he plays football, does not GIVE HIM THE RIGHT to carry a gun, Just like the rest of us. Ya sure some say he made a MISTAKE , Now let's say the bullet hit someone else, (Which Thankfully it didn't ) would you still think he's being treated unfaily, Didn't think so.
Now another point if he was so scared why not just HIRE A BODYGUARD, Na that's cost's $$$ , afraid someone's going to Rob you, Don't carry Large ammount's of CASH , use PLASTIC
everyone takes it, And Stop with the PIMP MY RIDE GOLD & DIAMONDS, Your just asking for TROUBLE>
Plexico's going to Prison Wear will find out. NY , NJ , Then after that FED time for crossing state lines...... Bye Bye Plexi
Enjoy your New Crib @@@@ Your going to find out just how good of a WIDE RECIEVER YOU ARE IN PRISON ......

12-10-2008 @ 2:20PM

jpfan said...

I can appreciate Joey's loyalty but Plaxico committed a crime here in NYC. Law abiding citizens here in NYC can't carry a gun. And most of us can't afford to hire security as Buress could have done. If a thug comes to jack us or some thug cops shoot at us 50 times, we're just up shits creek.

12-10-2008 @ 2:22PM

" With his attitude it sounds like Porter will be next to shoot someone or himself."

Really? He's been in the league 10-11 years and hasn't shot anyone. Some of you are just itchin' with the ass-umptions. No pun intended for the bullet that Porter got while supporting a college buddy's club.

Bloomberg ought to stay out of this. Three of his "finest" just rammed a stick up a citizens' ass - AGAIN!!

12-11-2008 @ 1:37PM

"Your going to find out just how good of a WIDE RECIEVER YOU ARE IN PRISON ......"

That's just cold. Good one. But cold.

12-23-2008 @ 4:41PM

rukidding said...

Are any of you from America? Just because a law is clear, doesn't make it right, ny tony! you dont have to be a ball player to have the "RIGHT" to carry a gun....EVERY ONE DOES! Yah, even ignorant folk like yourself. it's in the BILL OF RIGHTS...you should put your comic book down and check it out.....and HEY, MR. LAW ABIDING CITIZEN, jpfan! Why can't LAW ABIDING CITIZEN CARRY GUNS IN NYC? The Bill of Rights are for you, too! IDIOT. That's the unfairness! NYC's law banning handguns should be un-constitutional. It denies us citizens of our second amendment RIGHT!.... including that of Mr. Burress. What Burress is guilty of is stupidity....and there sure as hell isn't a law against THAT in NYC! although, imagine what if? There' ld be millions breaking the law! Burress is being hung by an unjust law but he definitely didn't help himself by not having a license for the gun in NJ. and he should have had the gun holstered to have prevented what happened. It's not like Burress was robbing a bank! I'd much rather see Bernard Madoff behind bars than Burress. Now THERE'S a criminal!