Comments for Air McNair

Air McNair

2009-07-06T13:03:55Z

That's they name they gave him back in college, maybe high school. When I was a freshman at Howard, he was in his last year at Alcorn, and man he used to give the black colleges hell. I never actually saw Steve McNair play in person, but I would pick up The Hilltop every week, and see he posted these insane numbers--345 yards passing, 197 yards rushing, or some such. People swore he was throwing the ball to himself.

It's always cool when a kid from a black college goes and does something in the NFL. I think a lot of us feel this disconnect between living in a community that produces so much football talent, and yet having universities that produce so little. Obviously there are very good reasons for why that's true. Still, when you see a Walter Payton coming out of Jackson State, or a Jerry Rice coming out of Mississippi Valley State, or a Steve McNair coming out of Alcorn, you cheer a little harder.

I'm sorry Steve McNair is dead. As an HBCUer, he was one of us. When me and Kenyatta first hooked up, I'd use Steve McNair and Peyton Manning as Exhibit A for why she should be into football. (She loved the Titans, until they let McNair go. She still likes them, but I think she's partial to the Colts, these days.) I don't really know what to say about the manner of his death, since I don't really know what happened. My heart goes out to his wife and his kids. I'm so sorry he's gone.

Comment from CitizenE on 2009-07-06

2009-07-06T13:56:36Z

From what little information we have, it's difficult to infer anything other than a tragic ending. Tragic in the classic Greek or Shakespearean sense. Perhaps TN is wise not to jump to conclusions, but it does appear to have been a crime of passion.

What fans in future generations who never got to see him play know of him will be one thing, but for those of us who saw him, his greatest moment came in a losing effort.

Yesterday in the morning, in quite a different sport, Roger Federer became a champion for the ages in tennis. That's the story in the record books, but the story in the moment was Andy Roddick's heart.

Likewise, the Rams that year were the Greatest Show on Turf; they won the Super Bowl, and the record books will not testify to the courage with which Steve Mc Nair carried his team. He was a unique quarterback, probably the toughest I have ever seen play. There have been better passers, and better running qbs; on this site, few if any would have ranked him in their top 10 of all time, but he was valiant on the field, and his teammates knew it. The truest thing about sport is loss, yet the truth of sport is that we tend to remember only victory.

As the eulogies surface, it is clear he was a family man and a good citizen; but there is no delicate way, as the sparse but dramatic facts surface, to understand his death.

Comment from DICooper on 2009-07-06

2009-07-06T14:02:25Z

I saw him at the Gateway Classic: Howard Bison versus Alcorn.

Air McNair was ridiculous. He racked up 507 yards, I think. Jay "Sky" Walker had over 450 yards, and the Bison won the game.

Steve McNair is definitely one of the best Black College Football players to ever lace them up, though.

Comment from Dan W on 2009-07-06

2009-07-06T14:02:36Z

As a Ravens fan, McNair gave me years of entertainment. I remember watching him from the beginning of his NFL career, back when Ravens-Titans briefly became a rivalry, only to diffuse when the divisions realigned. The guy was a one man army, hardly ever had great receivers around him, and still had a stellar career. I'm proud to say he was a Raven, and I'm glad I got the chance to see him.

Comment from Josh on 2009-07-06

2009-07-06T14:05:23Z

Maybe he didn't have a Ronnie Lott-like story about losing a finger, but he was one of the rare few players whose toughness put him in the same category. I don't know if I ever respected another player more.

Comment from Rey on 2009-07-06

2009-07-06T14:11:44Z

I'm a Tennessean, a graduate of an HBCU, and a die hard Titans fan. I was beyond proud when TN finally got an NFL team and through the roof when the QB was this young brother from Alcorn State in Mississippi. Superbowl 34 still gives my heartburn. The original QB that made me love football was Steve Young when he played for the 49ers- dude was fearless. The QB that made my heart burst with pride was Steve McNair- my heart is broken. I've heard words like classy, tough, generous about McNair all weekend and I hope his family knows how much he meant to alot of people here in TN, he made us so very proud. Gone too soon....

Comment from Tinare on 2009-07-06

2009-07-06T14:19:34Z

Seriously sad. Tragic end for someone who by all accounts was a good person -- generous and kind, but perhaps ultimately weak and far too human. I enjoyed watching him play. Sympathy to his family.

Comment from Ta-Nehisi Coates on 2009-07-06

2009-07-06T14:29:32Z

You know, I remember that game. I didn't mention it, because I thought I'd invented it in my head, because they played in two different conferences. I remembered that McNair had some insane numbers, and yet they lost. Jay "Sky" Walker, isn't he politics now?

Comment from DICooper on 2009-07-06

2009-07-06T14:35:27Z

Last I checked Jay was still doing sideline commentary at MEAC games. Also remember that Jay "Sky" Walker and Steve "Air" McNair faced-off twice. Both of them were classics.

I guess that is one of the advantages to being in the band in college. I saw both of those games in person. That was back when Howard actually challenged Marshall as the best Division I AA football team. It's hard to believe now that Marshall made the leap to Division I A, too. A lot has changed since back then...

Steve McNair will be missed.

Comment from Dredd on 2009-07-06

2009-07-06T14:46:08Z

It is perplexing how success like McNair's can be cut so short so fast.

Another death with a somewhat rhyming name to his makes me wonder if other successes may be cut short too.

Comment from Juba on 2009-07-06

2009-07-06T15:21:22Z

RIP Air McNair. You might only make it to the Hall of Very Good, but if heart, leadership and consistency were the criteria, you'd be first ballot.

I too remember hearing the buzz all over the HBCU world about "Air" McNair. And then he went on to be one of the best QBs I've ever seen play.

God bless, Steve, and may God forgive your errors as well.

Comment from Neil on 2009-07-06

2009-07-06T20:15:16Z

I think anyone who's been a fan of football over the past 15 years or so has a deep love and appreciation for Steve McNair. I still remember when Madden '01 came out. I played as the Titans every time. I could beat anyone with the Titans in that game. McNair to Wycheck would save me anytime I got into trouble. I generally suck at video games even though I love them. I can do Madden, but usually get just close enough to lose painfully. That one I dominated, largely thanks to McNair.

I know that's pretty meaningless, but that's the closest I ever got to interacting with a man. I guess all that's left to say is that there was no QB in the league I loved or respected more. I always disliked Favre and Peyton, while perhaps the most talented, never had the soul or toughness of McNair. He was something special that made you root for him even when you had absolutely no other connection to his team. I'll miss him and wish his family the best.

Comment from Inmyforces on 2009-07-06

2009-07-06T21:58:50Z

I remember that Superbowl like it was yesterday. We cheered in the streets that night (being from Saint Louis and all), but as a brotha, to see a black man lead a team in the Superbowl was awesome. I had hoped he would get to the mountaintop one more time, but it was not to be. He gets a lot of respect out of me, and its tough to see him go in the manner he did. Peace, my brother.

Comment from Bruins2Lakers on 2009-07-07

2009-07-07T06:51:21Z

My older son proudly wore his Eddie George jersey and followed the Titans like mad--that was his first team affinity. He took it out to look at it the other day, kind of whimsically and the motivation for him to do so made me sad. McNair was a good man and his life should not be judged by the manner of his death.

I was thinking of the strange ironies this weekend...the unseemly details of McNair's murder, and his widow bearing that indignity atop her immense grief,while Allen Klein, nefarious manager who hijacked the posthumous music catalog of Sam Cooke,(+ The Beatles, Stones and a gazillion other groups),died, reminding one of how Sam appeared to have died. (Of course no one believes it went down like that.) Turns out McNair's agent is named Cook.Klein's obit in the LA Times mentions a mistress and a wife as survivors. Just sayin'