Now for the rest of the story: The Giants should not allow Burress to return to the team this season, and they need to either release him or trade him during the offseason.

Burress has been nothing but trouble the last several months, creating needless distractions for a team that is attempting to do what has rarely been done before: repeat as Super Bowl champions. The Giants now need to make that attempt without him.

Regardless of when Burress is healthy enough to play Football again, the Giants should deactivate him for the remainder of the season and begin the process of recouping a prorated portion of the signing bonus he was given as part of a five-year, $35-million contract extension.

This supremely talented 31-year-old receiver, who caught the winning touchdown pass with 35 seconds left in Super Bowl XLII and had everything going for him, repeatedly has shown that he is not responsible enough to be a member in good standing of a team that is filled with exceptional players and even better teammates.

To be involved in an incident like this, not long after the team announced that he would not be active for today's game against the Redskins because of continuing hamstring problems, is simply unacceptable. Dangerous, too.

He is a grown man fully capable of making his own decisions - the right decisions - yet he has shown a callous disregard for his coaches, his teammates and now himself. This is only the latest in a series of incidents that leaves you with one question: What in the world is this man thinking?

To review:

In June, he was fined $25,000 for refusing to practice during a mandatory mini-camp. This after publicly complaining about his contract.

In training camp, he barely practiced, citing continued ankle problems that left several team officials wondering just how hurt he really was. The Giants still rewarded him with a $35-million contract extension on the day of the regular-season opener against the Redskins. He responded by making 10 catches for 133 yards. Evidently, the ankle felt just fine once the check cleared.

The day after the Giants beat the Bengals on Sept. 21, Burress failed to show for a team meeting and could not be reached by team officials. He was suspended for a game and fined $117,500. Team sources said at the time that this was only the latest in a series of violations of team rules by Burress, who said he missed the meeting because he had to take his child to school. Burress showed little remorse upon being reinstated.

He was fined $45,000 by the NFL for his conduct during a game against the 49ers on Oct. 19, when he verbally abused an official and threw a ball into the stands.

He suffered a hamstring injury under vague circumstances. Did it occur in a game against the Ravens? In practice the following week? At home? No one seems to have a definitive answer.

He played a series against the Cardinals last week and took himself out. He was told Friday afternoon he wouldn't play against the Redskins.

And now this.

Enough is enough.

If the Giants are to make a successful run at defending their championship, they need to do it without Burress. They need to promote overachieving receiver Domenik Hixon, who was picked up by the Giants last season after being released by the Broncos and has turned into a terrific player in Burress' absence.

He's not nearly as talented as Burress, but Hixon's character is emblematic of the Giants' one-for-all and all-for-one locker-room mantra. I would much rather try to win with this guy than be beholden to the mercurial Burress, who has carried himself lately with a petulance that is completely out of place in the Giants' tight-knit locker room.

That's why it is time to part ways with him.

Burress' contributions to last year's Super Bowl run were undeniable. He barely practiced because of an ankle problem, yet still led the team with 70 catches for 1,025 yards and 12 touchdowns. He was Eli Manning's go-to receiver the entire season, and his playoff performance was exceptional. He kept his personal issues in check most of the season, although he was fined for being late to team meetings, a problem that has marred his entire run with the Giants.

Burress has a somewhat flaky personality and walk-to-his-own-beat mentality, but he never really became a distraction a la Jeremy Shockey. Until now.

His actions early yesterday morning will be investigated by law enforcement authorities, and the NFL is closely monitoring the situation. Rest assured Roger Goodell will mete out swift punishment once he gets all the facts.

But regardless of what Goodell rules, the Giants' decision should be unequivocal: Burress should never line up for this team again.