Wednesday, July 8, 2009

Rare Air

I'm gonna offer a different perspective of Steve McNair. I want to tell you some things that you may or may not know about the man. I never had the opportunity to meet the man but I knew of him quite well. My former college teammate, Anthony Cook, was drafted in the same year as McNair by the Houston Oilers. They were teammates for several years. Another good friend, Eddie Robinson, Jr, played several years with McNair and was on the team that McNair led to the Super Bowl. McNair and I also graduated the same year. His school, Alcorn State, never played my school, South Carolina State but I followed his career. I felt like I knew him. In the game of football, there's a brotherhood. You don't have to be on the same team but we all share a bond. Nevertheless, I knew Steve McNair.

I knew Steve McNair as Air McNair

I knew Steve McNair was a helluva quarterback

I knew Steve McNair gained more than 6000 yds rushing and passing and threw for 53 touchdowns during his senior year.

I knew Steve McNair was the highest draft pick to come from a HBCU.

I knew Steve McNair led the way for the current crop of black quarterbacks in the NFL. When he entered the NFL, some media referred to him as a "black quarterback". When was the last time you've heard somebody refer to Donovan McNabb's skin color.

I knew that Steve McNair played the violent game of football in pain. He played hurt...a lot.

I knew that Steve McNair ALMOST won a Super Bowl on a great last drive.


I don't know Steve McNair.

I don't know about why Steve McNair was "dating" this 20 yr old woman.

I don't know what kinda marital problems Steve McNair was having.

I don't know what kinda husband or father Steve McNair was.

I don't know why Steve McNair was cheating.

One thing I do know...it ain't my none of my damn business! And it ain't yours, either! For the past few days, I've listened to this man's name be degraded, judged and dragged through the mud by many people who have done the same thing. Even if you've never cheated, no one should pass judgement on the man. Steve McNair didn't kill himself. He was murdered in cold blood. He was the VICTIM.

Infidelity does not normally lead to death. Over the past few days, I've listened to people say things that have really pissed me off. Steve didn't ask to be murdered. Steve's infidelity should not have taken him off this earth. You could say that the infidelity was a by-product that led to his death but McNair didn't deserve this. McNair's legacy will be what he did on the field and his charitable contributions off the field. His legacy will not be about some young, crazy woman who didn't think much about her life nor his. Keep this in mind, Steve McNair was MURDERED by somebody who he trusted. And there have been some to suggest that he "brought this on himself." That's bullshit. It does't matter what you think about his decisions to date a 20 year old waitress despite being a married man with 4 sons. He's dead and there ain't no coming back from that.

I don't think this will serve as a lesson to men (or women) who cheat. Magic Johnson got HIV in '91 and yet there are STILL people have babies by 3 or 4 different baby mammas. The lesson here is that you must be careful of the company that you keep...male or female.

Shame on those of you who are throwing stones. Steve McNair was somebody's father, son, brother, uncle, cousin, friend, teammate, frat brother, and yes...husband. They will mourn him forever when this story is no longer a headline.

I may have pissed some of you off with this post. If i did...good! Put the stone down. You don't know Steve McNair

I do.

14 comments:

  1. well-written.

    we live in a blood thirsty society that loves to see the demise rather than the rise.

    its unfortunate on so many levels.

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  2. Wow you do seem a little pissed.

    I don't think anyone "Asks" to be murdered, that's just nuts.

    And who would have thought that his actions would lead to his demise?

    Not me.

    I think we all need to remember that 1 sin is no greater than the other.

    It does make you wonder how well we know the people we are involved with.

    Good post, Enjoyable Read.

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  3. I agree we should not judge a man for its not our job. What's fact is: what you do in the dark WILL come to light and for me the lesson is, exposure comes with a price. A lot of life are impacted from this situation. Before we choose to go and do wrong think of the poeple that could be hurt by our decisions. Good or bad, what we choose to do in life will affect more than just ones self. My prays are with the family and most of all the kids who won't see daddy come home anymore.

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  4. Definately a different perspective. Was wondering where you were!

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  5. I was thinking the same thing! The only Steve McNair I knew was the one whom I met on numerous occasions in Houston. When I first graduated from college I had an internship in Houston and bartended at a bar that was right by the practice facilty of the Oilers! Steve would come in after practice and sit at the bar and and order a seafood platter, shot of Jose Tequila and a Bud light! He gave a $50 everytime so I was left with about a $25 tip! I went to numerous parties etc and he always seemed kind and courteous! People make mistakes all the time but that does not mean they need to be murdered in cold blood!

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  6. Well, alrighty, Kyledizzle. You're right. People are quick to judge and the media's even faster when it comes to broadcasting half truths.

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  7. @ Lipstick Bandit
    AAAAAAAMEN!

    @ D
    We all should be aware of the company that we keep

    @ Bobby
    From what I understand, this "relationship" was out in the open. He didn't hide it...at all.

    @ Beautifully.Conjured.Up
    Thank you!

    @ Kay C the Quiet Storm
    Heyyyy! I'm here. I ain't going nowhere. You know me. Cant stop...won't stop

    @ Hadassah
    He will be missed!

    @ ShellyShell
    That sounds like the Steve McNair that most of us knew

    @ CurvyGurl
    There were soooo many rumors and speculation and the man hasn't even been buried yet

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  8. Hmm...I don't know if your post would have had the same sentiment if the victim had been someone you didn't know. I feel you tho, and I'm not one to judge. I just try to see things for what they really are. Honestly, Kyle, despite the fact that he was indeed murdered, I think the real victims in all of this are his sons. Karma brings both good and bad. In this unfortunate case, this football great was brought down by his own bad decisions. Period.

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  9. AnonymousJuly 09, 2009

    I'll be honest I didn't know who Steve McNair was. I had to Google him to find out. But when I read the story, I just thought what a shame.

    People cheat all the time, does that mean every cheater deserves to be shot down? People can be so judgmental and evil. They have no consideration for what this man's family is going through right now. The media aren't any better either. They just make things worse.

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  10. I was reading this column by jason Whitlock (mind you this is a black journalist) on foxsports, and he was killing Steve McNair's name like was the scum of the earth. We someone dies, its not the time to throw dirt on people's name. We didn't know so are at no right to speak on that man life.

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  11. I stand by my Twitter statement that went something like: these famous dudes need to be careful who they're sleeping with (of course I wrote it way cruder on Twitter LOL)

    that's a lesson we can all walk away with

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  12. well done..but his name has become infamous with cheating. I feel sorry for his children....

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