Even the best of seasons can have their bumps, and the New York Giants proved again this weekend why having everyone on message, pulling the same way, and working together from top to bottom and vice versa will avoid issues with the media, and give the media the right amount of accurate and consistent information possible. Such is the case in the Plaxico Burress saga. The Giants troubled wideout accidentally shot himself with his own gun at a night club in New York on Friday night allegedly, while the team was in Washington prepping for a crucial Sunday game with the Redskins. The response from the Giants was well thought out and effective….well written statement including concern for the player, yet at the same time acknowledging that this could be a potential police matter and that the facts were still coming in, and deferring to authorities. Working in lock step with the NFL, the Giants did not run and hide or make off the cuff comments…the spokespeople from the team, including players like Kevin Boss, spoke clearly and consistently, relayed the same sentiments and avoided lots of the he said she said stuff that people can get mixed into in a media frenzy. Now the Giants did have the “benefit” of having a player they already knew was not playing (Burress was injured), having the team already in closed circles in a Washington hotel and having a reputation of always trwating the media well all playing in their favor. Still, the opportunity for inconsistentcy and feeding the rumors with inflammatory statements always exists, but the way the Giants handled the situation again shows the class and professionalism of .well run well messaged organization.the Toronto Star has a good look inside the Raptors NBA lifestyle, putting it against the value of on court success…Mike Penner in the LA Times has an interesting look at a new University of Georgia-themed cemetery, a new form of branding and revenue I guess…and the Miami Herald has a good feature on FIU quarterback Paul McCall, whose success off the field rivals his success on it.?
