Steve McNair: Nashville's Sports Hero
Saturday, July 4, 2009
Steve McNair column up on FanHouse.
Two months ago, Steve McNair walked into a bar named Loser's near downtown Nashville. It was after midnight. McNair wore blue jeans, boots and a black T-shirt hanging tightly on his broad chest. The patrons inside Loser's, a country-themed bar with wood panels on the walls, wooden floors, and a wooden porch, were swaying to "Country Roads" in front of a live band. McNair walked to the bar and ordered a shot -- straight vodka. He took the shot glass, tiny in his large right hand, the one that had thrown touchdown passes for 13 NFL seasons, and tossed it down. Then he turned to look out over the scene. For just a moment he winced, then he opened his mouth wide, an orange peel held between his teeth.
McNair's mouth hung open in a bright orange smile. My friend elbowed me, "Can you believe that guy came within a yard of winning the Super Bowl?" he asked.
On that spring night, McNair's drink was the perfect metaphor for his time in Nashville, brutally strong yet with a sweet aftertaste. If ever there was a better connection between a city and a player, I haven't seen it. McNair and Nashville were a perfect pair, the lovers who never could quite get it right, the Super Bowl-losing quarterback with a golden arm who was born on Valentine's Day, and the city that turns its failures into ballads heard round the world.
Read the rest here. Labels: steve mcnair nashville clay travis fanhouse
Posted by Clay Travis at 7:25 PM
 
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I have been reading your work for sometime now and this article stirred more emotions from me than any before by far. He was one of my favorite quaterbacks ever to play because he played football the right way. He was the most respected player on both sides of the field(this comes from those who played with and against him). If I had a son I would want him to play like Steve. God Bless the McNair Family and you left it ALL on the field Steve.RIP#9
Yeah yeah, great player, tough, a leader. Fantastic. He was also known to have multiple affairs, be testy with the media, dui's, and he was found dead with his current girlfriend while his wife and kids sat at home. Why is everyone missing this? So what if he could take care of things on the field, he couldn't take care of his household!