Rest in peace, Steve

This post was written by Vanguard sports writer J. Logue.

“Steve McNair was a hero…Hero’s are not supposed to die,” Vince Young said.

A fittingly powerful statement that more than nailed the man it described. This was a man that could throw a ball out of the stadium falling backwards. A man that would play through back injuries, knee injuries and any other assortment of medical issues typical of the game that he played in. A warrior respected by his peers, McNair appeared to have everything. Sometimes appearances are misleading, I guess.

Capable of avoiding 300-plus pound men screaming at him at unnatural speeds, McNair was unable to see the issues that were developing in his own game of life. A modern day Achilles of the Iliad variety, a fearless warrior that could defeat armies on Sundays, brought down by a single arrow. The only difference was that his arrow was the dashed hopes of a 20 year-old girl.

Why? It’s a question everyone will ask. By all accounts, Sahel Kazemi was a well adjusted immigrant from Iran. While she had seen tragedy (her mothers death), she maintained a normal life by any standard. The most unnerving part is that most people/experts will admit that no one can ever truly know why she did exactly what she did.

What I do know is emotions can be one hell of a drug. They can lead people to do things that are rarely rational. Running to Vegas to get married or drinking your sorrows away are common examples of its capabilities. What happened to McNair is unfortunately another example I guess we will never know. Instead I will take this as a lasting lesson to the ugly side of life.

Rest in peace, Steve.