Ring of Honor and Bars of Steel

By Tony Mangia

GIANTS WIN ONE FOR PLAXICO?

The uneven start for the New York Giants' season got a little stranger this weekend. First Giants co- owner Steve Tisch visited prisoner number 09R3260, otherwise know as inmate Plaxico Burress at the Oneida Correctional facility in upstate New York the same Sunday the Giants inducted 30 legends into the team’s inaugural Ring of Honor class of 2010. Tisch said his visit was “uplifting” and from outside the cell blocks said, "I would love Plaxico to know that part of why we want to win tonight’s game is for him." Not exactly a "Win one for the Gipper" moment.

The G-Men did just that by sacking, smashing and humiliating the previously unbeaten Chicago Bears on Sunday night. Chicago was down to one quarterback when Bears' head coach Lovie Smith basically threw in the towel with over four minutes left in the game.

While Burress, himself, didn't exactly provide any "Rudy" moments, the fallen wide-out did get to watch his first Giant game on television since being locked up for gun charges over a year ago. Tisch said Plaxico was “excited to watch the game.” In prison, Tisch explains, “A committee of two or three people (prisoners--probably big and mean) decide what the greater inmate population gets to watch on TV.” There must be a lot of Bills fans up in the Rome lockdown.

Tisch was accompanied by Plaxico’s wife, Tiffany and an aide. The group were able to talk for an hour. Burress said he lost 30 pounds and is at his “college weight” due to the inedible prison fare. He passes the time as a receiver in the prison yard pick-up games and is teased by other inmates about dropping passes. In that sense, Braylon Edwards would fit in just fine if he ever finds his bad self in the joint. Burress expressed frustration about facing another eight months behind the same walls.

Even the induction ceremony had a bit of controversy in itself. Lawrence Taylor—arguably the greatest Giant—wasn’t in attendance. The original L.T. is currently embroiled in a sex assault case. Taylor and the late owner, Wellington Mara received the loudest ovations. Other names that will be displayed in the end zones of the New Meadowlands Stadium run the gamut from legendary gridiron heroes Phil Simms, Frank Gifford, Mel Hein, Bill Parcells and Pete Gogolak to more recent retirees like Michael Strahan

Tiki Barber, the former star running back was greeted by boos. The Giants all-time leading rusher has been critical of the team and head coach Tom Coughlin back when he played and still throws his two-cents in nowadays. Last week, Barber told the press that Coughlin had “lost the locker room” and the teams was in “crisis.” Words sounding eerily similar to quotes used by Barber directed at the strict coach four years ago.

Barber had fallen out of favor with Giant fans because of his shameless self-promotion as a player and his divorce last year from his pregnant wife after the horndog ran a down-and-out with a comely intern. Many were grateful that well-publicized divorce got the grinning and boring “correspondent” tossed from the “Today Show.” The half-time razzing would have probably swung towards Coughlin if the Giants hadn’t totally dominated the Chicago Bears in the first two quarters. Most fans were probably shocked that the self-centered Barber didn’t use the moment to credit his “pep talk” this week for the Giants’ first half domination.