Think again.

Burress shot himself in the right thigh with a handgun Friday night at a Manhattan nightclub with a gun for which he reportedly had no permit. Afterward, teammate Antonio Pierce, reportedly present at the club, might have tried to cover up the incident by hiding the gun.

Burress is expected to turn himself in to police in New York today and plead not guilty to criminal possession of a weapon, his lawyer told reporters yesterday.

Pierce's lawyer reportedly is trying to work out a deal to exchange Pierce's cooperation for immunity. He played yesterday in a 23-7 win over the Redskins.

Reportedly, a third Giants player was at the club, too.

Enough to enrage a member of the defending Super Bowl champions, right? Hardly.

Many empathized, one with shocking honesty.

"It's tough out there for us, man," running back Brandon Jacobs said. "A lot of people don't know that. It's tough out there, in the everyday life for us. Some people are very, very bothered by it. That's why I stay home.

"All I say is, in the streets, to me, there's no need for it. But if you come [into] that doorframe in my home, I'm going to kill you. Hands down."

Asked if he, too, owned a gun that he kept at home, Jacobs replied:

"Listen to the words coming out of my mouth. Not on the streets; I'm not going to have anything to do with that. At my house, where I have my wife and son there . . . "

Many athletes see themselves as easy targets for thieves and aggressive fame-seekers. That sometimes leads to confrontations, especially at clubs and strip joints, where they roll in driving customized rides with brash entourages, flaunting wads of cash, bedecked in finery and bejeweled to the limits of taste.

Sometimes, things turn sour: witness Pacman Jones, Chris Henry, Stephen Jackson, Darrent Williams and Javon Walker.

Those incidents happened in public.

Jacobs' words resounded all the more loudly with the backdrop of yesterday's tribute to Redskins safety Sean Taylor. Last year, Taylor was shot and killed in his home by thieves.

Now, Burress has provided yet another incident with which the Giants had to deal. He has been suspended, fined and benched this season, the first after signing a 5-year, $35 million contract extension following three standout seasons as a Giant.

Coach Tom Coughlin, who addressed the team Saturday morning concerning Burress, said the club was "upset." John Mara, the team's owner, said he was "disappointed."

The team said it was unaware of how serious Burress' injury is, although he was released from the hospital early Saturday.

Pierce was combative in deflecting questions about the incident and insisted he isn't worried.

"I went to Arizona State for 4 years, but I don't have a doctorate . . . I have no concerns. I'm fine where I'm at."

Jacobs said that, after his initial calls went unreturned, he recently had spoken with Burress by telephone at Burress' home in New Jersey.

"I have heard back from him. He called me, laughing and grinning. I called and made a few jokes about the situation. And he laughed. It's what I wanted to hear," Jacobs said. "He shouldn't be down. It's a mistake that happened. Something that shouldn't have happened."

Jacobs most certainly is right that it shouldn't have happened, but Burress has plenty of reason to fret. Felony criminal possession of a weapon carries a 5-year maximum sentence.

Burress almost assuredly will face team and league sanctions, too.

With his health apparently not an issue, his teammates seem indifferent more than anything.

"I know some things happened that were unfortunate," Jacobs said. "What are you going to do about it? You've got to let the past go." *