Monday, December 31, 2007
Monday, December 10, 2007
acupuncture in the NFL
from http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/football/giants/2007/12/10/2007-12-10_no_practice_needed_for_plaxico_burress.html
No practice needed for Plaxico Burress
Monday, December 10th 2007, 4:00 AM
PHILADELPHIA - Practice? They don't need no stinkin' practice. Tom Coughlin spends six days each week preparing his Giants for the next Sunday, dedicating his precious time and energy to nuanced adjustments. Then it turns out his big-game heroes are the ones who sit around, cycle, or simply receive some leisurely acupuncture.
Plaxico Burress ... Antonio Pierce ... the right goal post on the north end of Lincoln Financial Field ... Not one among that trio trained actively with the Giants this past week, and yet those three combined to seal another theatrical 16-13 victory Sunday over the Eagles.
Burress was a rusty wonder, catching seven passes for 136 yards.
"He's going to be the first guy in the game to play all 16 games and not practice," Pierce said about Burress, his new role model. "I'm going to leave that to his own legacy and try to create my own."
Practice makes imperfect. That's the way it works with Burress, anyway. He has trained a grand total of one day all season with the team, on the Wednesday before the Cowboys' game at the Meadowlands. He felt miserable that Sunday, his sprained right ankle aching worse than ever. He gained only 24 yards on four receptions.
Burress vowed not to repeat the mistake, and there he was yesterday floating like a butterfly, creating space for himself, breaking tackles. He was rested and revived.
...Burress sprained his ankle way back on Aug. 2. He says he is finally feeling better, though not well enough to practice. He will continue to receive acupuncture treatment twice a week, pinning his hopes on the needles.
Burress is the Giants' one and only game-breaking player. When he is up and mobile, his presence is enough to give Manning unique options on every snap - such as when the quarterback slipped, recovered, scrambled and completed a low pass to the wide receiver on a broken play.
...There has been much gnashing of teeth this season among the Giants' coaching staff about Burress' absence from practices, and about the timing problems he and Manning have endured. It appears now the ankle was the problem with Burress, not the lost training time.
Burress insists he really wants to practice, that he is now forced to watch film clips and count his steps more carefully on game day because of his inactivity. Pierce isn't so sure about that. He suggests that Burress' jersey should be hung for inspiration in the trainers' room at Giants Stadium, so that all the players can revere his bizarre work ethic.
"He (Pierce) says I'm going to be a myth, a legend," said Burress, who enjoyed his fourth plus-100-yards game against the Eagles.
Burress will go back to getting stuck with pins now, while his teammates train earnestly for Washington. Practice isn't for everybody. Preparation is in the eye of the beholder, and the right ankle of the receiver.
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