This past weekend, ex-Houston Oiler, Tennesee Titan and Baltimore Raven Steve McNair was found dead in his "playtime" condominium in Tennessee. For me, it was a very sad moment.
I was celebrating our nation's independence with several close friends when my father called. Now, my father knows my social calendar very well and wouldn't call mid-day on a Saturday afternoon unless it were an emergency or a news-worthy event. I hit talk and said, "What's up dad?"
And the HUGE Oiler fan turned Texans fan who taught me everything I know about Houston sports asks, "Hey bud...who's Steve McNair? The name sounds so familiar, but I just can't place it."
Now before going any further, I must explain that my father is a 60+ year old man with so many wonderful life lessons and so much incredible knowledge filled in the crevices of his brain that sometimes I have to give him a little nudge towards remembering the smaller, trivial sports things that come easy to some of us.
"AIR McNair," I reminded him, "The dude that was Quarterbacking the Oilers after Warren Moon, Commander Cody, Bucky Richardson, Billy Joe Tolliver, and Chris Chandler."
Naturally, this didn't ring a bell. "The one who almost won the Heisman. He was with the team when they went to Tennessee. Good man, strong leader, tough as nails and good with the community."
"OOOOHHH!!! Yeah I remember. Vince Young's mentor," he recalled.
"That's the one.....Why? What's up?"
"He was found dead this morning," he said.
Then there was a moment of silence on the phone as we both realized the impact of losing such a good human being that so many people in the world looked up to, regardless of the current "personal" situation. After a bit more discussion on the topic and some well wishes for the 4th, I hung up the phone and went on to celebrate more than our country. I went on to celebrate the life of a great man, a great leader and a hell of a human being.
Regardless of the personal situations that are being claimed and problems that are honestly NONE OF OUR BUSINESS (unless we are the parties involved) we should truly honor the legacy that Steve McNair left behind. He was a damn good father, mentor, football player, philantropist and person. THAT is his legacy.
Before I get to this next part, let me say to McNair's wife and children...I am very sorry for your loss. Regardless of what you are seeing in the media from these negative minded drama-hounds, your husband/father was a good man who was looked up to by many.
So...
McNair was was found dead with a 20 year old woman. He was shot four times while she was shot one time in the head with the gun near her body. Sounds to be your typical murder-suicide.
But why?
Regardless of how much the young murdering Kazemi's family and friends want to paint the story that he was being bad to his own family by dating this murderous, crazy, irrational, sub-human Dave and Buster's waitress...we don't and will NEVER know the truth. Never judge a book by it's cover.
They COULD have been in a romantic relationship as it is speculated, but Mr. and Mrs. McNair could have also been in an open marriage where seeing other people is perfectly fine for them. Or...it could have been an issue that they were trying to work through. Regardless of the situation...we will never really know for sure.
Until this, his track record shows that other than the possibility of that he was a good man. Good to his friends, his teammates and the kids he was often mentoring...so why this?
For the sake of analyzing let's imagine that all the hoop-la is right and he was seeing this girl. She had an Escalade that was in both her's and McNair's name. Let's not pretend that McNair's wife is SOOOO naive that she would never see or get wind of their credit report with another woman's name attached to it. She knew. SHE HAD TO KNOW!!! And that...is the missing part of this whole story.
Not only that, but pictures surfaced on TMZ of McNair and this young woman on a boat para-sailing in a remote location on vacation. Who's to say the rest of the family wasn't there too, just off camera? It's not like McNair and this woman were making out at the club in Cancun.
If you ask me...the whole thing smells of crap and lies. I exercise the thought that this girl maybe was a lost, troubled teen that McNair and his family were trying to help. Now...he's found himself dead, leaving behind children that will be devastated by this their entire lives.
There is a clear motive for Sahel. She was busted several days earlier for driving while high. Steve McNair...got sent home scott free. This was bound to be a huge media story that would expose both of them to tons of public ridicule as dating no matter what his wife knew. (And boy the wife would look dumb if she admitted she knew.)
Kazemi, this little crazy lady, bought a gun the day after her arrest. Then...two days later...they were found dead with that gun on the scene.
No matter their relationship...platonic or dating....McNair did put himself in this position and in the end paid the ultimate price. Add in Kazemi who was a crazy nut with a gun and too many loose ends and it was a recipe for disaster.
Regardless of how we look at it. On July 4th, 2009 a great American who was a hero to many, a mentor to some and an overall good 36 year old young human being had put himself in a position to betaken from us by a terrible person. Steve McNair...you will always be missed...but the AIR MCNAIR legacy will live on! I'll choose to remember you for the good that you did and hope that your family makes it through this very difficult time.
"It's easy and shows weakness to pass judgement and hate. It's far more admirably and shows strength as a human to forgive." - Me
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