McNair's Death Forever Taints His Legace

Image by jdtornow via Flickr

While the violent death of anyone will cause shockwaves throughout a community, the death of a well-respected athlete resounds throughout the entire world of sports.

Such is the case of Steve McNair, who was shot and killed yesterday, July fourth.

As a player, McNair was an icon in Tennessee. He was a three-time Pro-Bowler, went to one super bowl and was the Co-MVP with Peyton Manning in 2003 when he led the league with a 100.4 QB rating. He was one of the longest tenured Titans, first becoming a member of the franchise when it still resided in Houston. In 13 years, he compiled a 91-62 record as a starter. His 31,304 passing yards are 28th on the all-time list.

Most notable of all was the way "Air" McNair played the game. Constantly injured, McNair missed more than two games in a season just twice. Fearless on the field, the injuries he sustained more often than not were because he battled for every yard and was not afraid to take a hit to in order to make something happen.

Image by Getty Images via Daylife

Even after he left Tennessee, something he was none too pleased about having to do, McNair stayed active in the community through charity and humanitarian work.

But with his death comes the reminder that we are all human and that even icons are not perfect. More and more information is coming forward that the woman found with McNair, who was married with four children, was his girlfriend.

According to friends of this woman, who has been identified as Sahel Kazemi, McNair "was making her believe they were going to be together and everything would be perfect."

When authorities found McNair, they found he had been shot several times, while Kazemi was found with a single gunshot wound to the head. The gun was found under her body. While the police are trying to be as quiet about this and cover their bases without jumping to any conclusions - which is the right thing to do - they're not actively looking for a murder suspect and for most of us the writing is on the wall.

Image by Getty Images via Daylife

As more and more information comes to light, the sensationalism that drives our society no doubt will augment the scandal. It is always unfortunate when someone of McNair's stature passes away. What's even more unfortunate, however, is that despite all of his accomplishments, this is the lasting impression we will have of McNair - a cheater, a man who betrayed his wife and family and payed the ultimate price for it.

Don't get me wrong. I don't condone the manner in which McNair apparently conducted his social life. But the man is dead and as one who always admired the way he played and the community work he did, it's sad to see his reputation is too.