On the 4th of July, I step out of the pool after playing watergun war with my 6 year old nephew. I grabbed my phone to get the time when I got the text message that froze me in surprise. It said, "Did you hear that Steve McNair was killed less than an hour ago?" My first instinct was to google and it was a reality. After I overcome my state of shock, the first question I had to ask was "Why?". Why was he murdered? Who was the slain woman that was in the condo? I was saddened. I remember watching McNair lead the Titans to their first Super Bowl. As I left my relatives house on the way to Priceville, I listened to ESPN Radio. They talked about his toughness, his willing to give back to the community. We were all remembering a great life that was cut too short. I grieved for the wife and the four sons who were left behind. I could never imagine the pain they were enduring.
However, as hours went by and the pieces of this unfortunate puzzle were put together, a more tragic tale was being told. We find out that the woman, 20 year old Sahel Kazemi and McNair were dating for about six months. It still got worse. It was revealed that she had purchased a hand gun days before the murder. Then, there was today. Our deepest fears and speculations officially became reality. It was revealed that Kazemi was distrought and was financially unstable. She was, according to friends, ready to end it all. The question that is left to ask is why did she take Steve McNair's life as well? Did McNair give her false hope? Was she mentally unstable? We may never know the answer to that question.
It's easy to be holier than thou when you read of a man cheating on his wife, but did he deserve to have his life taken? No. McNair was wrong and we may never know what was done to lead Sahel Kazemi to make the decision of taking his life and then her own. I don't want to be cynical, but I have a personal loss of respect for anyone who cheats on their spouse. I know Steve McNair was a warrior on the field and a warrior for the community. However, the afterlife tale of #9 will forever be a dark cloud in his legacy. It won't matter how you spin it.
