Posted by ESPN.com's Matt Mosley
Former New York Giants wide receiver Plaxico Burress won his grievance against the team Monday for bonuses that were withheld because of his suspension last season. The Giants must pay Burress a $1 million bonus in addition to an undisclosed amount from a 2008 roster bonus, according to ESPN.com's John Clayton.
FoxSports.com's Alex Marvez broke the story of Burress' win in a ruling handed down by Special Master Stephen Burbank on Monday. It's an important judgment for the NFL Players Association, and it's one that will be troubling to teams around the league.
Burress' attorney in the grievance hearing, Jeffrey Kessler, argued that the November gun incident in Manhattan didn't qualify as a "willful" attempt to default on the receiver's contract. Mike Garafolo of the Newark Star-Ledger provides further explanation here. The Giants will probably appeal this ruling, so we haven't heard the last of this.
So what is the other victory Burress is hoping to have today? Well, his Michigan Spartans are preparing to face North Carolina in tonight's NCAA tournament title game -- and Burress has been in the Detroit area the whole time.
I bumped into his entourage again last night leaving the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Dearborn, Mich. They boarded a shuttle bus and headed out into a snowy evening at about midnight ET.
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Matt Mosley
Mosley, an award-winning writer for The Dallas Morning News for seven years, joined ESPN.com in January 2007. Mosley, a Baylor graduate, writes columns, features and blogs for ESPN.com.