McNair’s Death Shouldn’t Affect His Legacy
By author
It has almost been one week since Steve McNair was tragically shot and killed by his 20-year old girlfriend, Sahel Kazemi. Investigators have since determined that Kazemi, after shooting McNair four times, turned the gun on herself and took her own life.
I wanted to wait for the investigation to wrap up before I posted something about McNair; I didn’t want to speculate on what might have happened, or what could’ve been a possible scenario. Unfortunately, the details of the murder-suicide are more grisly and shocking than one could’ve imagined.
Steve McNair was a very good, if not great, quarterback during his years in the National Football League. Although he wasn’t the most prevalent topic in conversations around Seattle, most football fans were very aware of the talented quarterback from Alcorn State.
At the very least, folks in Seattle recall the courageous performance in Super Bowl XXXIV, the 2003 MVP season, and countless fantasy football matchups determined by McNair’s performance every Sunday.
As a fan of the Seattle Seahawks, McNair was more of an afterthought through most of his playing career. But that doesn’t make his death any less shocking; McNair was only 36 years old, and retired just last year. He brought a unique talent to the playing field, and his unexpected death is a shock to the entire community of NFL fans.
It is difficult to mourn a person, however, under McNair’s extreme circumstances. His wife, Mechelle McNair, was apparently unaware that Steve was having an affair with 20-year old Kazemi. It is believed that Kazemi, who was already experiencing financial problems, suspected that McNair was in another extramarital relationship – both likely reasons for Kazemi’s brutal action.
Kazemi sadly opted for a violent resolution, and shot Steve McNair four times while he was reportedly asleep on the couch. After murdering McNair, she took her own life as well.
A depressing end to an extremely sad set of circumstances; my heart goes out to McNair’s family. I can’t imagine the pain that his wife must be dealing with.
And McNair also leaves behind four children, which is even more unfortunate.
It is disappointing that McNair’s extramarital relationships resulted in his death; it’s too bad his choices could not have been better. Although his personal decisions may not be agreeable to most, it is obviously unfortunate that his life was ended prematurely.
I hope that fans of the National Football League can look past McNair’s personal life, and appreciate the legacy he leaves behind. He never wore a Seahawks uniform, but it is safe to say he was one of the best at his position during his time in the league.
We need to appreciate what McNair gave us during his career; aside from the endless highlight clips, he was one of the most competitive, hardest working players on the field. His toughness was displayed every Sunday for fans around the league to observe.
Sadly, this is the script that McNair wrote for himself. His writing may not have been intentional, but the lamentable decisions he made ultimately resulted in his death. Life is a precious thing, and you can never take it for granted.