Watchdog

I don't think I would be giving away any tabloid war secrets if I were to speculate my editors will force me to write about Plaxico Burress in my Friday column, lest I be suspended or (much worse) be assigned to cover the baseball winter meetings as punishment.

Let's start with Frank Gifford, who still is around the Giants regularly, giving me his take on Mr. Burress' difficulties:

"I think it's sad, it really is very sad. I don't know him. I've met him. He always came over to say hello to me and I've had a couple of talks with him. I really couldn't comment, but I think it's understandable to some degree when you're exposed to a life that is so really beyond belief and understanding, and is really beyond belief and understanding to the media that covers it, what goes on on a day-to-day basis with these guys."

Did players walk around with guns in your era?

"No. I couldn't afford a gun."

Is it fair to assume there was no metal detector at Toots Shor's?

"No. But Toots, I think, carried himself. I'm not sure. A lot of his friends did. But I'm serious, I just feel bad about it. In today's world, the way the media covers and attacks people, it just feeds on itself and goes and goes and goes. It's sad, really."