Miss. town bids farewell to McNair
Friends and loved ones in Mount Olive, Miss., prepared to say goodbye this weekend to local hero Steve McNair, the former NFL star quarterback killed by a girlfriend in a murder-suicide on the Fourth of July.
People from outside the state joined townsfolks at a local funeral home for a visitation last night. An officer helping direct traffic could not estimate the crowd, but cars filled the roads all around.
Residents in the town of about 1,000 are still shocked over the death of the 36-year-old star.
Those at the funeral home included McNair's agent, Bus Cook, and Atlanta Falcons running back Jerious Norwood.
Mourners shared their memories of McNair's athletic accomplishments.
The McNair family is providing buses for those who want to go to today's funeral in Hattiesburg on the campus of the University of Southern Mississippi, about 35 miles south.
Meanwhile, the woman who killed McNair before turning the gun on herself was buried yesterday in Orange, Park, Fla., in a private ceremony with about 30 friends and family members.
Sahel Kazemi, 20, was laid to rest in a modest brown casket after a 30-minute ceremony at Jacksonville Memory Gardens.
In other pro football news:
* NFL player Donté Stallworth, jailed in Florida after pleading guilty June 16 to DUI manslaughter in the death of 59-year-old crane operator Mario Reyes, was released from jail yesterday morning.
* Summit Structures, of Allentown, which built the Dallas Cowboys' indoor practice facility that collapsed this spring, is telling its customers the ill-fated fabric structure got a new roof last year because of team concerns about "aesthetics," not structural problems. The 80,000-square-foot facility collapsed May 2, paralyzing a member of the team's scouting department from the waist down injuring 11 other people.
Golf
* Phil Mickelson will skip the British Open next week so he can be with his wife, Amy, as she starts her recovery from breast cancer, ending the longest active streak of majors played at 61.
* Andy Bean and Nick Price shared the lead after one round of Champions Tour's 3M Championship in Blaine, Minn.
* Retief Goosen shot an 8-under-par 63 for a two-shot lead over Adam Scott in the Scottish Open.
* The second round of the John Deere Classic in Silvis, Ill., was postponed because of heavy rain and is now scheduled for today.
Pro Basketball
* The Minnesota Timberwolves signed first-round draft picks Jonny Flynn and former Episcopal Academy star Wayne Ellington.
* Brandon Bass reportedly agreed to a deal with the Orlando Magic, where he likely will start. NBA.com said he signed for 4 years for around $18 million, with an escape clause after 3 years.
* Portland Trail Blazers draft pick Patty Mills broke his right foot during practice and won't play in the NBA's Summer League.
* Grant Hill decided to remain with the Phoenix Suns, agreeing to a 2-year deal.
* The Memphis Grizzlies waived former 76er Jerry Stackhouse, a day after acquiring the NBA veteran in a four-team, eight-player trade that also involved Dallas, Toronto and Orlando.
Sport Stops
* Swimming star Michael Phelps withdrew from the U.S. nationals in Indianapolis with a sore neck.
* Nineteen-year-old Joey Logano won the Nationwide Series race at Chicagoland Speedway.
* The British Columbia Supreme Court ruled it doesn't have the authority to force the International Olympic Committee to put women's ski jumping on the 2010 Olympic schedule.
* Tyson Gay ran the fastest 100 meters of the year in 9.77 seconds at the Golden Gala in Rome.
* Simon Fraser, which is located in Burnaby, British Columbia, was approved to join the NCAA, the first time membership has been granted to a college outside the United States. The school will compete in the Division II Great Northwest Athletic Conference after a 2-year transition. *
