RIP Air McNair

Another famous figure died way too soon this weekend, as former All-Pro NFL quarterback Steve McNair was found dead this weekend, a victim of what looks to be a murder-suicide. McNair was found in his Nashville condo, shot four times and laying next to his alleged girlfriend, who was also found dead with a single gunshot would to her head.

It's another tragic story in the world of sports. Many have spoken out over the past few days about McNair's immense contributions, not just on the football field but in society as well. McNair funded many youth football camps and was extremely active in the community. Many young football players such as Vince Young looked to him as a father figure, and McNair happily obliged to help them in any way he could. Yet with all his accomplishments, McNair is coming under fire for his extramarital affair which unfortunately looks to have caused his untimely demise. While I don't agree with McNair's choice to (allegedly) cheat on his wife, that still does not take away from the fact that his four young boys are now without a father. It goes back to my earlier post on why we, as a society, should not use athletes as role models. These people are human, just like any of us, and make mistakes, just like any of us. The same people who judge him as an adulterer probably have done the same things in their own lives, or even worse. Athletes are under intense media scrutiny, and most of them are surrounded by large amounts of money and outside pressure, a situation many of them never experienced growing up. Sometimes being exposed to this can cause a person to do things that a normal, moral person would never think to do. So before anyone can judge McNair or any other public figure for their discretions, think about what you might do if you were in their position. Once again, I do not condone what McNair has done, and I was never a McNair fan when he played (playing for two of the Steelers' main rivals didn't help his cause) but I do think that Steve McNair and his family deserve better than to be raked over the coals in their time of grief.