I am not sure if you keep up with the NFL, but there has been a lot of talk this week about Plaxico Burress. He is a player for the New York Giants. A couple of weeks ago he was in a nightclub carrying a concealed weapon. The gun accidently went off and shot him in the leg. He has been charged with illegally possessing a firearm.

I saw a segment of NFL Countdown that was talking about the kind of person that he is, and how much he had done for his community. He has spent many hours volunteering and speaking to kids.

Personally, I think that Plaxico just made a poor decision. Now that is not to say that there should not be consequenses for those actions. Or that I disagree with the charges. I don't know anything, really, about the situation. I only know what the media cares to tell me.

My point is this... Plaxico Burress is human. He is a fallible human being who made a bad decision and is now suffering the consequences of that decision. But he is no different than any other fallible human being (like me, or you). The only difference is that he plays (or played) football, and was good at it, and people (the media) knew about him. Therefore, it seems like he is in even bigger disgrace because more people know about it.

I could be writing this about almost any other football player out there who has had problems. People like Ricky Williams, Michael Vick, or Ray Lewis. All have had (or still have) their share of problems. I am just picking on Plaxico because his problems are the most recent.

Is it right to judge sports figures, or famous actors more harshly because of thier close scrutiny in the media? Some would argue that they affect people by their actions. Others would argue that they are just people like us, with problems, just like us. I say that instead of looking at a person, either on a football field, or movie screen, we should be modeling ourselves after Jesus Christ, who is infallible. He is unchanging. He never fails. I will not be disappointed by fixing my eyes on him.

There will always be Plaxicos, Rays, or Michaels to dissapoint us. But there is one who never fails, and never changes.

Blessings,

Abby