BRYAN'S SONG: Athletes and guns don’t mix

With this being my final national sports column of the semester and probably the last one I’ll write this school year, I thought about talking about some of the best sports moments of the semester or something along those lines.

But with some of the events that have taken place during the past week or so, I can’t help but talk about what’s really on my mind – guns.

I know this subject has been beaten into the ground the past week, but I can’t help but ask, “How the hell do you shoot yourself in the leg?” I ask that question in the most pleasant way possible.

I have a soft spot for Plaxico Burress because he and I both graduated from the same prep school, Fork Union Military Academy, where, legend has it, he once caught five touchdown passes in one half before being kicked out of the game for taunting and taking his helmet off.

I don’t know exactly what kind of guy Burress was back then, but he has, for the most part, been able to stay out of any serious trouble in the NFL. Sure, he has been fined in the past for criticizing officials, but who hasn’t?

Ten months ago, Burress was on top of the world after making the game-winning catch in the Super Bowl. Now he’s being looked at as just another problem player in the NFL.

A part of me feels bad for the guy because I’m sure he didn’t go into a club that night expecting anything bad to happen.

Someone should have told him that by carrying a gun, he was only increasing the chances of something as silly and stupid as shooting yourself in the leg to happen.

Why did he feel the need to carry a gun into a club? Why would anybody?

I understand some athletes fear for their safety with what happened to Sean Taylor last year, but I don’t think carrying guns around is necessary.

Furthermore, as an athlete myself, I have yet to understand what it is with us athletes being obsessed with guns. I don’t know if everybody wants to be a thug, look cool or what.

But the fact of the matter is, guns aren’t cool. They only create problems and get you in trouble.

Burress will still be in the NFL next year, but I’m sure even he would tell you, in hindsight, that carrying a gun was probably not a good idea.

Carrying a gun is just another way for athletes to get arrested.

I’ve been playing football for a long time, and I find it very easy to stay out of trouble.
I know as you’re reading this you might be thinking, “Well, sometimes people just want to mess with you.”

That might be true, but there are ways to get away from them without getting in trouble, too.

The point is, outside of policemen, nobody needs a handgun – not even us athletes. And if any athlete feels like he needs to have one, he shouldn’t be carrying it anywhere.

Honestly, more of us need to focus on being better people and more polite, upstanding citizens. Then we might rarely ever have to worry about someone trying to take us out.

After all, it pays to be nice.