Who is Harris Smith? Just ask Plaxico Burress

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The sad tale of Plaxico Burress and his self-inflicted gunshot wound gets more curious with every passing hour. The latest Plaxico Burress news surrounds a man named Harris Smith.

Just who is Harris Smith? It turns out he is a man who went to a New York hospital after an unfortunate accident at an Applebee's restaurant. He also bears a striking resemblance to the New York Giants wide receiver who shot himself in the leg with an unregistered gun at a Manhattan nightclub on Friday. On Monday, Burress was charged with two felony counts of criminal possession of a weapon in the second degree in connection with the incident.

As details of the shooting continue to emerge, it appears Burress took himself to New York-Cornell hospital for treatment under the alias "Harris Smith". He told hospital staff that he was shot at an Applebee's restaurant. The alias didn't work as staff quickly recognized him as the wide receiver who caught the winning touchdown pass in this year's Super Bowl.

For many football fans, the Plaxico Burress/Harris Smith story reminds them of Ron Mexico, a fake name used by former Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick. In a 2005 lawsuit, it was revealed that Vick used the name "Ron Mexico" while undergoing treatment for genital herpes. 

After the embarrassing news become public, many fans bought custom Atlanta Falcons jerseys with "Mexcio" on the back and Vick's #7. The league then barred the sale of customized NFL jerseys with the name Mexico.

As the Burress controversy grows, some intrepid football fans will no doubt try to buy Giants jerseys with Burress' #17 and the name "H. Smith" on the back. According to one blog, the NFL website has already banned the purchase of "H. Smith" Giants jerseys.

The shooting is hardly a joke for Burress. On Monday, Burress was charged with two felony counts of criminal possession of a weapon in the second degree in connection with the incident.