Steve McNair Death Edition Soundoff

By: T.R. Slyder, TRSlyder@yahoo.com

It's too bad that he died and in such grisly fashion.

But the media is being moronic yet again. Their coverage is also poor because it reminds us all too well that all sports journalists are still conrtolled by their inner 11-year old self, who idolizes their sports heroes, assumes they're great men and would make great dads, and fall asleep in their sports-themed pajamas every night.

Get over it guys. I hear sports talking-heads saying things about McNair's death to the effect of, "Wow. You know, we thought we knew this guy. I mean, he was a great family-man, did so much for the community, and no we find out that he was murdered by his girlfriend. Who knows what other kind of shady activities he may have partaken of. Sadly, this doubt will tarnish a legacy of a great man.". When I hear that kind of dumb crap it reminds me of when someone (usually women) come to your place for the first, or any place new for that matter, and say, "Oh wow. This is totally different than how I pictured it!" The first thing I think when I hear that is, "Why the HELL did you bother to imagine my apartment?" Was any good going to come of it? Was there any chance you'd be 100% correct? If so, who cares? Do you really have THAT much spare time? I mean, really. What the hell?

That's how I view "getting to know" celebrities or atheletes. Who cares? Even if you loved how Steve McNair threw a football to a man wearing pads, a helmet and spandex pants, why do you care if he was having an affair? Why did journalists bother to try to carve out this man's identity and feel they knew him? Now they're finding out that the information they imagined/assumed/were fed by McNair's handlers didn't reveal every dark nuance of his life and I'm supposed to care that they're pajama-wearing, jersey-sniffing asses were surprised that they didn't know everything about him and are saddened?

Don't assume we're all as stupid and celebrity-worshiping and fame-blinded as you are.