Steve McNair

On Thursday, there was a memorial service for former NFL Titans quarterback Steve McNair at a church on the far north side of Nashville-Metro Davidson County. He was then buried in his native Mississippi.

Ever since he was murdered on Independence Day the expanding information about the background to that murder-suicide has gotten more and more sordid. The young woman who shot him and them offed herself was rather clearly his mistress. Why, Steve, why?

And now, with no supporting citation, comes "news" that the young woman shot him, then herself, because she discovered that the just-retired star QB had yet another mistress! However, no reference is given to evidence to support this conclusion. It's just out of the blue and into print (or onto the airwaves).

And so I ask, "Whence this allegation? Did some friend of hers testify that she'd said this in a phone conversation the day before? Did she leave a note to this effect? Or what?"

Therefore, I shall hold to my supposition that the man had come around to realizing that he needed to do the right thing (for Mechelle and the kids, as well as himself) and had told the young lady that their relationship was over. She couldn't handle it and so offed them both.

But whatever the reason for this tragedy, it does not negate that Steve McNair wrote his public name large on this city when it rather unexpectedly became the home an NFL franchise from out of State. It doesn't negate his prowess as QB, nor that he loved Music City and we loved him. It most assuredly doesn't negate the good things he was endeavoring to do for his hometown (much like Dave Robinson of the NBA is doing for his San Antonio).

On the other hand, whatever the reason for this tragedy, it sure did put a dark shadow on Independence Day Ought Nine, here in Nashville! Lord, have mercy. . . . Lord, please give peace and comfort to Steve's grieving widow, children, NFL buds and his Nashville neighbor-fans!