"As Jeremy Shockey prepares for Super Bowl XLIV with his new team, the Saints tight end today said he hopes his former teammate with the Giants, Plaxico Burress, can resume his playing career once he completes his jail term.

"It's something I would like to see,'' Shockey said. "Plaxico's a great guy, he made a mistake like all of us do. If only the Governor was a Giants fan. The Mayor, I mean.''

Shockey clearly thinks Mayor Bloomberg played a role in the hard-line stance that resulted in a two-year sentence for attempted gun possession. Burress is currently serving his time at Oneida Correctional Facility in upstate New York, where he said, "I will play again,'' during an interview with Bill Cowher of CBS' NFL Today, which will be aired on Sunday.

"He's a great teammate, a great friend, I consider him a great friend,'' Shockey said of Burress. "He's always a good guy to have in the locker room, teaches young guys how to run routes right. He's a good guy and just made a bad mistake. "