One of my favorite NFL players retired the other day- Steve McNair. His thirteen years in the NFL proved that he belonged in the league after enduring much consternation early in his career. He came out of Alcorn State without much fanfare and was drafted by the Houston Oilers. Folks thought that the Oilers wasted a draft pick, but after a few years, he proved them all wrong by eventually leading the Tennessee Titans to what is now considered one of the best Super Bowl games of all time against the St. Louis Rams. Even to this day, I cannot think about that SB loss without getting a little misty-eyed. I so wanted Steve McNair to win that game, but the good thing was that he will always be remembered for the courageous manner in which he got the team close enough to have a chance to win the game.
I am still a little upset at the way the Titans franchise treated their one-time franchise quarterback by essentially kicking him out of their off-season facilities prior to the season a few years ago. It was a bit on the not-so-classy side of things. But it pales by comparison to how the city of Houston let the Oilers leave for Tennessee. I sooo wanted to drive to Houston to see them play, but no... they didn't want to fork over the money to build them a new stadium. Yet, you built a new one for the current franchise, the team I call the Houston Usurpers, otherwise known as the Texans (sarcastic applause for the creativity in choosing that team name!)
Anyhow, I digress. I'll be the first one to say that Steve McNair may not be a Hall of Famer, though he garnered a NFL Co-MVP award, but what I will always remember about him was his tenacity and heart and how he carried his teams each and every season. He'll always be a Hall of Famer in my mind.
No comments:
Post a Comment