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Monday, July 6, 2009

Update (2:20 p.m.)

When Donovan McNabb was a rookie with the Eagles in 1999, Steve McNair was leading the Tennessee Titans to the Super Bowl.

Today, the Eagles' quarterback reacted to the stunning news od McNair's death.

"Shocking. Tragic. I can't find many other words to describe what happened to Steve McNair," McNabb said, according to the team's Web site. "He was a good friend to me over the years. My condolences go out to his family."

From earlier:

We'll use this space today to get caught up on more of the details surrounding Steve McNair's death, which shocked the football world Saturday afternoon.

** The woman who was found dead from a single gunshot wound to the head was 20-year-old Sahel Kazemi. According to several published reports, the gun was found near Kazemi's body. The pair was involved in a DUI traffic stop on Thursday, according to the Nashville City Paper. Kazemi had been pulled over while driving an SUV registered to both her and McNair. Per the report, McNair had been approached and threatened at a Nashville restaurant on Friday evening.

** McNair is survived by his wife MeChelle and four sons.

** The Tennessean is calling the death an "apparent murder-suicide" and reports that McNair and Kazemi had been dating for months. According to the article, Kazemi told police she was high and not drunk when they stopped her on Thursday.

** The Tennessean also reports that Wayne Neely, a longtime friend of McNair, found the bodies shortly after 1 p.m.

** Jeff Fisher, visiting troops in the Persian Gulf, talked to The Tennessean about McNair's death:

"I am deeply saddened and at this point do not have the words to describe this loss," Fisher said. “It is an extremely emotional moment and I don’t have the words to explain how I am feeling. I ask people to please pray for Mechelle and the entire McNair family. This is a tragic moment for his family, and it is a tragic moment for anyone who knew and loved Steve."

** Good, succinct commentary by Richard Justice of the Houston Chronicle:

I don’t know what happened to McNair. I don’t know the circumstances of his death. I just know there are layers to all of us, that none of us is perfect, that it’s foolish to paint someone with a single brush. I also know Steve McNair cared about people and performed brilliantly and courageously on the football field. In the ways we should measure a professional athlete, there were few better than McNair. I know he touched a lot of people in the right way, and today their hearts are breaking.

** Redskins quarteback Jason Campbell, also a Mississipi native, had this to say about McNair, according to The Washington Post:

"The whole black quarterback thing, it's like a fraternity," Campbell said. "Guys who played before you pass the torch down to younger guys. You always keep in contact with those guys who came before you. You try to keep in contact with them and learn as much as possible from them. Losing a guy like that from our fraternity ... it hurts because of how much you looked up to him. He's definitely one of the guys I looked up to. A lot of other guys looked up to him to. It's just a real hard day."

I remember being in Baltimore when the Ravens acquired McNair. A team with a top-notch defense that was looking to fill the void at QB. I was at Camden Yards when he threw out the first pitch at an Orioles game and was introduced to the Baltimore fans. He led the Ravens to a 13-3 record in his first season before they fell to the Colts in the playoffs.

As I said yesterday, feel free to share your thoughts and memories of McNair, or pass along good links that I might have missed.

Posted by Sheil Kapadia @ 3:08 PM  Permalink | 65 comments
65
Comments   
Posted 10:41 AM, 07/05/2009
iceberg584
I'll never forget him willing the Titans down the field on that final drive in the Super Bowl against the Rams. On the second-to-last play, he should have been sacked about 15 yards behind the line of scrimmage. Instead he got the two St. Louis linemen pursuing him to collide with each other, freeing himself up to fire a pass to Kevin Dyson at the 10-yard line, setting up one final play to tie the game...
Posted 11:23 AM, 07/05/2009
mongoS
This guy was a true football player who wanted contact. He had a linebacker mentality playing and becoming a MVP QB..
Posted 12:17 PM, 07/05/2009
seaonasdad
I am white, and I am very saddened by this. McNair was a courageous QB and a leader. Those who act like they have no skeletons in their closet will be judged when the time comes. Thanks for some great football memories, Steve. No matter what color we are, your life and death prove that in reality, we are all just human beings.
Posted 12:19 PM, 07/05/2009
mikerainey82
Further proof that they are all crazy. Any woman that messes with a married guy is bat $hit crazy. Don't fall into the trap.
Posted 12:23 PM, 07/05/2009
IssueMovement
Mark1npt: I believe the black community may be WONDERING, not wandering. And I know for sure you are an idiot. McNair was a stand up guy on and off the field throughout his life. People make mistakes. This one happened to cost his. And we should all be saddened by his loss.
Posted 12:46 PM, 07/05/2009
yahmpy
John 8:7
Posted 01:26 PM, 07/05/2009
heaterman
Good one 'fred2fred1' very well thought out! LOL
Posted 01:33 PM, 07/05/2009
heaterman
TMZ.com has pictures of the happy couple on vacation together-- I am thinking that maybe he and his wife had an 'understanding'-- why else would he have been so public as to allow pictures to be taken-- Also what in the world would he have to talk about with a 20 year old girl-- seems pretty disgraceful IMO
Posted 01:55 PM, 07/05/2009
jay johnstone
I'm sure Donabin will find just the right thing to say...
Posted 01:57 PM, 07/05/2009
Bobphxville
I am so sick of hearing about the "black quarterback thing". Get over yourselves. Stand on your own two feet. Compete without complaining about your race. How many doctors and lawyers today wouldn't even be in their profession, if they weren't given a break beacuse of their race - and took the spots of more qualified people. Look at NASA - we could put a man on the moon before there was affirmative action. Now, they can barely launch a space shuttle. Now that's progress.
Posted 02:14 PM, 07/05/2009
theanswer80
forgot clinton, kennedy, edwards, plenty more too.
Posted 02:45 PM, 07/05/2009
robkaos
Toughest QB ever, RIP
Posted 02:49 PM, 07/05/2009
notch44
to all people who claim not to be racist this is how it works. When Mark Sanford John Ensign Eliot Spitzer Bill Clinton Gary Hart etc cheated on their spouses did you blame all white people? Of course not. Then what does Steve McNairs race have to do with anything? Nothing. He's just another two timing athlete.
Posted 02:52 PM, 07/05/2009
Swyve
Bobphxville - Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa! I sense you were passed over for a job by a MORE QUALIFIED person of color. Get over yourself.
Comment removed.
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Sheil Kapadia is a sports producer for philly.com. His earliest memories as a sports fan include several trips to Veterans Stadium with his dad, most of which turned out disappointing results. He's here to discuss the NFL 365 days a year. E-mail him at skapadia@philly.com or by clicking here

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