A legend in the National Football League. A legend on the field… and a legend OFF the football field. I’m shocked at not only Steve McNair’s passing, but the way he was taken from the world. It’s a tragedy in every sense of the word. For one of the toughest football players who ever lived to die the way that he did, it certainly tarnishes his legacy a bit.
Let’s take a look at this for a moment, shall we?
I would assume that many of my readers are male. Wrestling fans equals males. Right? On the other hand, many of my readers are female. How do I know this? Well, take a look at some of the comments. Also, I hear most of my questions and compliments on my blog from my female audience. Very interesting, to say the least. Female readers usually have a different perspective on things than the males do. Does this go without saying? Yes. Certainly it does. We all have different points of view.
Steve McNair was known for his on the field toughness. Known for being an MVP caliber player. The guy tied in MVP voting with Peyton Manning. He went to the Super Bowl and was ONE YARD from forcing overtime. McNair played with a CRACKED STERNUM. He couldn’t even practice because of the pain… but he was on the field playing week after week, proving how tough and how great he really was. In addition to his on the field play, McNair was known for his generosity off the field.
McNair helped fund football camps for underprivilaged kids. He helped Hurricane Katrina victims on numerous occassions. I’m not as well-versed as I should be on all of the activities that took place off of the football field… but that’s partly because I’m an NFL fan and a Steve McNair “the football player” fan. I never heard a bad word about the guy. Not in the press. Not in the media. Not on the radio, where former teammates had all the opportunity in the world to say something bad. The guy was a legendary figure, to say the very least. He was great.
But now, surrounding his death, he’s being looked at in a totally different light. Almost like there’s two sides of “Air” McNair. Maybe he’s a shady character? Maybe he had his demons like many other football players have had? Maybe he was caught in the wrong place at the wrong time? One known fact is that he was killed… side by side with his lover. And no, not his wife. His girlfriend. Talk about being dealt a bad hand.
So, I ask you all this question: Has your opinion of Steve McNair changed? Do you look at him in a totally different light? Although he was killed by his mistress, whom his wife did not know about… and he has four children he leaves behind. All the details of the story spilling out all over the news… does that make you look at him in a different light? Does the fact that he cheated on his wife change your opinion of Steve McNair, despite all the great things he’s done on and off the grid-iron?
Will Steve McNair get the Chris Benoit treatment? Will his reputation be tarnished forever? I know he didn’t kill anyone. I know he was the one who was murdered. But with all this negative news coming out, he will be affected.
I still hold Steve McNair in the highest regard. Do you?
Steve McNair should not be looked at in a different light period. The media is gonna find anything they can negitive and put it out there because that is what sells. His wife didn’t know big suprise there what kind of a wife would say they did know and with 4 kids involved why would you want to tarnish their memory of their dad. I think this is a really sad world when someone with such a great background is thrown to the wolves just for a story. I remember stories of how when he was here in Memphis playing the rest of the team comuted back and forth from houston but he not only got a house here but spent time at both lebonheur and st jude visiting with the kids. If that is not a great person than I don’t know what is. I believe Steve McNair is and always will be a great role model something the sports world is sorely missing these days.
Comment by gem — July 8, 2009 @ 8:40 pm
Lets be honest, YES his legacy will be tarnished. The media is not making up a story here. YES he was cheating on his wife (who is the mother of his children)Yes his mistress was 20 years old and YES he was killed while with her. These are the facts, not made up for ratings. Was he a tough SOB on the feild? YES. Did he do great things for charity? YES but he also was having an affair (like many people do) that was brough to lite because he was murdered. How can this issue not be brought up while talking about Steve McNair, for that simple reason his legacy will be tarnished a bit.
Comment by EM — July 8, 2009 @ 9:30 pm
If McNair was a true “Role Model”, he would not have cheated on his wife. Being a great person and a professional is not just about how you act when everybody is watching you. Go ask O.J. Simpson.
Comment by kingsjester — July 8, 2009 @ 10:14 pm
Here’s the deal. You can’t tell me his wife didn’t know. There is no possible way she had no clue. If I’m out of pocket for a few hours my wife is calling me and getting a hold of me somehow. He had an apartment that was in his and his friends name and a car that was in his and his GF’s name. Those are the type of expenses you know about in a relationship. Money for Escalades and apartments coming out of the account will show up on the statement. Heres the other thing, there were pictures of the 2 of them everywhere. How do we know for sure that McNair and his wife had not separated? How do we know He wasn’t planing to get remaried and was planing on getting a divorce? Yes, his order of things was screwed up, but is it far fetched to say that his wife was trying to play damage control for herself by saying she had no clue. Look how bad Hilliary Clinton looked when Bill was caught with his pants down. Yes, people will talk about the fact that his girlfriend killed him every time his name is brought up. Thats real unfortunate too. The part that really gets me is this though. Yes it was wrong for him to have a relationship with a woman outside of his marriage, But we have celebrated celebrities that have done far worse. For all the hoopla over Michael Jackson this week we somehow forget about him hanging babies and touching little boys. Benoit was a great wrestler, yes, but he murdered his family in sick ways before hanging himself with a weight set cable. Remember Mary Winkler? There are others too. I think comparing McNair to OJ is absurd! OJ was a murderer and more recently a kidnapping crook with a hot head. McNair wasn’t perfect, he made mistakes. He did pay for 3 underprivileged kids football camps this year. He’s done stuff like that the whole time he’s been in the NFL. They said he was one of the first on the trucks loading them with water to take to Katrina victims. He had a heart of gold. But he wasn’t a murderer or a pedophile. He simply was just human. A teacher once told me that there was only one person who ever walked the earth that was perfect….and they crucified him! How would you like to go out doing something wrong? As crazy as it sounds what if you died while watching porn? Or what if you ran a redlight and were T boned? My point is it is very easy to judge him by how he went out but does that take away from the good he did? Would you want people to bad mouth you because you weren’t perfect over something a bit minor and certainly not worthy of being killed over? As a Titans fan who watched him play and heard stories of his great attitude and generosity I will remember him for who is was. A great person who was taken way before his time. RIP Mac9
Comment by Maxx Corbin — July 9, 2009 @ 1:28 am
While I agree with almost everything you say, the question that was asked was is his legacy going to be tarnished? You answered it yourself when you said that ever time his name is brought up people are going to mention that he was killed by his girlfriend. What ever the case my be with his wife, weather it was a cheaper to keep her situation or what not, no one is going to question weather he was a good guy with a big and giving heart that may have gotten himself into a bad situation.
Comment by EM — July 9, 2009 @ 1:52 am
Unfortunately his rep is already tarnished. However to answer teh question of whether I will look at him any differently? The answer is no. To me he’s still the Steve McNair that I admired watching on Sunday afternoons
Comment by Johnathan — July 9, 2009 @ 3:43 am