Friday column: Money has nothing to do with it

Plaxico Burress doesn’t like New York Giants coach Tom Coughlin, which he made clear in a recent interview for Men’s Journal.

Burress discussed Coughlin’s reaction to the wide receiver accidentally shooting himself in a nightclub — a gun-law violation for which he would spend 20 months in prison.
“After my situation happened,” Burress said, “I turned on the TV and the first words out [Coughlin’s] mouth was ‘sad and disappointing.’

“I’m like, forget support — how about some concern? I did just have a bullet in my leg. And then I sat in his office, and he pushed back his chair and goes, “I’m glad you didn’t kill anybody!’ Man, we’re paid too much to be treated like kids. He doesn’t realize that we’re grown men and actually have kids of our own.”

As a Pittsburgh Steeler, this grown man was fined for not bothering to show up for practice. As a New York Giant, he sulked and reportedly feigned injury when unhappy with his contract and was suspended and fined for violating team rules.

This grown man twice has had temporary restraining orders issued against him after domestic disturbances. This grown man has been sued nine times since joining the NFL in 2000, including by a woman who claims Burress’ $140,000 Mercedes Benz hit the back of her car, causing her permanent injury. The accident occurred three days after the millionaire athlete’s insurance had been canceled for nonpayment of premium.

Burress is 34.

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Kurt Busch doesn’t like the truth, an attitude he displayed in a couple of ways Saturday after a NASCAR race in which he tangled with Jimmie Johnson — again.

Joe Menzer’s mild questioning of Busch about his contentious relationship with Johnson resulted in the driver yelling expletives at Menzer and calling him names. Reportedly, Busch had to be physically restrained from going after the NASCAR.com reporter.

Later, Jenna Fryer of The Associated Press asked Busch a question about the driver claiming to be “in Johnson’s head” only to be cut off with “I didn’t say that.”

Shown the transcript, Busch grabbed it from Fryer and tore it up and threw it down.

Busch has a history of run-ins with other drivers and is no stranger to poor decisions — witness his 2005 arrest on charges of drunken driving and reckless driving.

Busch is 33.

* * *

The Williamses — Serena in particular — do not like facing up to facts.

Type in Serena’s name followed by the word “blame” and you’ll find “Williams blamed a headache,” “Williams blamed the tennis balls,” “Williams blames not tying her shoelaces right” and so on.

On Sunday, her mother, Oracene, took up Serena’s cause after her loss to Samantha Stosur in the finals of the U.S. Open, a loss low-lighted by Williams’ invective against the chair umpire that included the following:

“Aren’t you the one who screwed me over last time here? Do you have it out for me?

“You’re out of control.”

“You’re a hater, and you’re just unattractive inside.”

In 10 days Serena will be 30.

Serena, of course, also blew up in a 2009 U.S. Open semifinal when called for a foot fault against Kim Clijsters, her profanity-laced tirade at a line judge leading to a $10,000 fine from the U.S. Tennis Association and a record $82,500 fine from Grand Slam committee director Bill Babcock.

Oracene seemed to encapsulate the family attitude Sunday when she told reporters, “It’s just always something. And it seems to happen to us.”

Seems to happen to us.

It doesn’t happen to the Williams sisters; they create it. The same way they created their rise from the municipal courts of Compton, Calif., to centre court at Wimbledon.

That was their doing. Serena has won eight Grand Slam singles titles and is arguably the greatest female player in history. That’s her doing.

She’s also arguably the most boorish female player in history; that’s also her doing.

“Man,” Plaxico Burress complained, “we’re paid too much to be treated like kids.”

Really?

Hurrah! — the cheat is back — hurrah!

Justine Henin is making a comeback.

How exciting (yawn).

The Belgian is, indeed, a former No. 1 player, but I have no use for her — and haven’t since she cheated Serena Williams in the the 2003 French Open.

Remember?

In the middle of the third set of their semifinal, Williams started to serve, only to have Henin raise her hand to indicate she wasn’t ready. Her serve interrupted, Williams put the ball into the net.

But the referee didn’t see Henin raise her hand, and Henin wouldn’t cop to having done so. Point, Henin. Then game, Henin. Soon match, Henin.

Utterly classless.

I hope Williams beats her like a drum.

Friday column: Note to athletes: Get over yourselves

Detroit pitcher Fernando Rodney grabs a baseball at the end of a game and hurls it into the press box. His excuse?

“(I was) emotional. It’s nothing bad. I know I’m not supposed to throw the ball, but I’m feeling in the moment.”

Tennis star Serena Williams verbally abuses and threatens a lineswomen at the U.S. Open. Her excuse?

“I was in the moment.”

Manchester City striker Sheyi Emmanuel Adebayor is accused of deliberately stomping on the head of an opposing player and celebrating a goal in a way that resulted in a rain of objects coming from the stands and an injury to a steward. His excuse?

“People who know me, who love me, know that sometimes the emotion is a big part of being a human being,” Adebayor said. “For maybe two or three seconds after scoring the goal, sometimes you just can’t control yourself.”

In other words, I was in the moment.

In other words, I get a pass.

Well, no — you don’t. Any more than Kanye West does for stealing Taylor Swift’s glory during the MTV music video awards show; any more than Joe Wilson does for his outburst during President Barack Obama’s speech before a joint session of Congress.

The “cult of me,” it has been argued, is a legacy from the Enlightenment, enhanced by postmodernism and deconstructionism, and fed by the Sixties and the self-esteem movement.

Wherever it came from, it’s here with a vengeance. The result? Community ideas about right and wrong take a back seat to individual experience. It’s all about my truth, my reality, my experience, my moment.

For the self-validators among us, however, there is the inconvenient truth known as Other People.

For Rodney, it is the reporters he sent scurrying.

For Williams, it’s the line judge she threatened — and Kim Clijsters, whose moment of victory over Serena was marred by her opponent’s blow-up.

For Adebayor, it was Robin van Persie, whose face he lacerated — missing the Arsenal player’s left eye by centimeters — the fans he incited and the steward who took a bottle to the head in the disturbance that followed.

Because there are Other People, even in this “me” climate, there can be consequences for bad behavior.

Rodney was suspended for three games. Williams was penalized on match point and fined, and other action is still possible. Adebayor was charged by England’s Football Association with violent conduct and improper goal celebration and is expected to receive a three-match suspension.

The lesson hopefully learned: All of us are responsible to more than our emotions. We’re responsible to each other.

To the next athlete tempted to worship at the altar of individuality, I say, take a look at the folks around you. Guess what? They’re individuals, too. They’re just not you.

Contact Jim Gordon at gjames43@msn.com.