Former New York Giants wideout and Super Bowl MVP Plaxico Burress got out of prison this morning, and wouldn’t you know it… the man made quite the intriguing wardrobe choice on his way out the door. From Phillies Sports Daily:
At 9 a.m., Monday, former Giants wide receiver Plaxico Burress walked out of the Oneida Correctional Facility in Rome, N.Y. wearing a Phillies cap.
PSD says this is a clear sign that Burress wants to play for the Eagles, who famously gave Michael Vick a second chance at stardom. If you recall, Burress was jailed for carrying a concealed weapon into a nightclub and then accidentally shooting himself with that handgun. That makes the Phillies the No. 1 team for people doing 21 months in the pen for being galactically stupid.
It also means that the bandwagon principle is beginning to take effect with this club. Burress won’t be the last random pro athlete to walk around in old school Phillies gear. Expect more of these kind of insta-bandwagoners to pop up. They’re the same kind of people that call in to sports talk radio to say they’re “longtime” Lakers fans despite never having stepped foot in California. It’s part of the deal when your team becomes really, really good. I expect LeBron James to stop by CBP any day now.
You old school Phillies fans may hate the idea that people like Burress are trying to steal a bit of the team’s glory, but I say you should embrace it. Be happy that your team is good enough to attract this kind of mindless sycophant. Consider yourself lucky that a freshly released ex-con would display a Phillies hat for his first day out on the town. Because you and I both know it wasn’t always like this, and it probably won’t stay this way.
