Eli Reaches Out To Plaxico: Ex-Giant Goes From Lockdown To Lockout

Plaxico Burress is on course be released as scheduled from an upstate New York prison on June 6 and the former-Giants player has a big supporter in Eli Manning.  The Giants quarterback believes his former-wide receiver has paid his dues and could still be a productive member of an NFL team.

Too bad for Burress the labor dispute between the NFL owners and the NFLPA has dragged on and is in it's third month of stalled talks.  The freed Burress could be going from lockdown to a lockout.

The Giants aren't the only team showing interest in the rangy wide-receiver.  The New York Jets and Baltimore Ravens have also expressed interest in talking with Burress.

Manning, who threw 25 interceptions and had to deal with injuries to his two top receivers Hakeem Nicks and Steve Smith, thinks the Giants would gladly welcome Burress back to the Meadowlands.  After all, the Giants owner John Mara paid a visit to Burress while he was in stir last year.

"I think the Giants will still look hard into that," said Manning.  "Obviously, he knows our system.  It hasn't changed."

The Giants' system will be a welcome change from the "system" Burress is getting freed from.

Burress caught the winning touchdown pass from Manning in the 17-14 win over the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XLII.  Later that year, in November 2008, Burress was arrested for accidentally shooting himself in the leg outside a New York City nightclub with a gun tucked in his waistband.

The talented, but troubled, Burress will be released after serving 20 months of a two-year sentence for a gun possession charge.  He becomes an unrestricted free-agent after he is sprung from prison.

Manning, who has been working out with Giants players at a Hoboken high school, is hopeful for the 34 year-old Burress's return to a normal life.

"Obviously, he's served his time, plus some," said Manning.  "To throw him into the mix would be a good thing.  I'm looking for him to get back into football."

Tommy Zbikowski Gears Up For For Saturday's Heavyweight Bout

Baltimore Ravens safety Tommy Zbikowski is making the the most of the NFL lockout and piling up pro boxing fights faster than Chad Ochocinco changes names.  The NFL star Zbikowski worked out today in a Manhattan gym preparing for a heavyweight pro-fight on Saturday in Atlantic City--only two weeks after his last fight.

The former Notre Dame football star waited almost five years between his pro debut and his second paid bout, a first-round TKO against Richard Bryant on March 12.

Zbikowski's weigh-ins have lasted longer than his first two fights.  In his pro debut, June 10, 2006, 'Tommy Z', at the age of 21, TKO'd Robert Bell at 0 :49 into the fight at Madison Square Garden.  Bryant managed to last until 1:45 from the opening bell when Zbikowski  left the bigger fighter breathless after a nasty body shot.

The former- All-American  Zbikowski (2-0, 2 KO's), will fight Caleb Grummet (0-0-1) in a four-round heavyweight undercard of the featured WBA and IBF featherweight Championship bout between Yuriorkis Gamboa (19-0, 15 KO's) and Jorge Solis (40-2-2, 29 KO's) at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City.  It will be shown live Saturday night on HBO.

The 25 year-old Zbikowski worked out at Manhattan's Kingsway Gym on Wednesday after leaving a Facebook post seeking help with his fight gear color scheme for this Saturday's bout: 'Need help...Should I wear purple and black or purple and white trunks at the fight Saturday?'  Most of the responses sided with the purple and black, but there were a few Blue and Gold as well.

While many NFL players have been talking about crossing over to other sports including the NBA or, like Ochocinco, boxing, to help pay the mortgage should the NFL season goes kaput,  Zbikowski is punching ahead--literally and quickly.  It only took minutes after his March 12 win against Bryant that he announced fighting this bout only fourteen days later.

Today, Zbikowski said that he will keep busy during the NFL lockout and pro-boxing is more passion than moonlighting and, as long as the labor strife continues, he will box.

"Right now, this isn't a second career for me," said Zbikowski.  "It is a first career."

His father, Ed Zbikowski backed up his son's immersion into the sweet science the other day.  "It's not about money," he said.  "It's about earning respect on the boxing community.  It's also a great way to train for football if there is a lockout."

Well, there is a lockout.  Now Tommy Z gets to follow his dream while the NFL and team owners create a sports nightmare.