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McNair tragedy a sad reminder; our role models aren't on the field or the big screen
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Steve McNair's death was tragic.
Charles Barkley once had a famous commercial saying “I am not a role model.”
Barkley might be the most honest athlete of all. He isn’t worthy of being anyone’s role model.
In reality, is any athlete?
The bizarre death of Steve McNair has become more and more disturbing as the facts come out.
McNair, 36, was found dead in a Nashville apartment on Saturday, shot four times, twice in the head, twice in the chest.
Next to him was a 20-year-old woman, shot once in the head.
On the field, McNair was a good as they come. Tough. A leader. A winner.
We will miss Steve McNair the football player.
Off the field, he appeared to be a model citizen; a former NFL Man of the Year who was instrumental in the post-Katrina fundraising. A father of four. A husband.
The details are still sketchy, but it appears McNair was the victim of a murder-suicide.
We do know McNair was “dating” the 20-year-old girl found dead next to him. He had purchased her an Escalade. Two nights earlier, he had bailed her out of jail for suspicion of driving under the influence.
At the very least, McNair got involved with a questionable character. At the most, a disturbed murderer. All while married to someone else.
No matter what the circumstances, four children have lost a father. A wife has lost her husband. A family is destroyed.
A legacy is ruined.
Two lives are lost. Senselessly.
McNair was still incredibly popular in Tennessee, and also in Houston, where he started his career. Fans are devastated, and it is easy to see why.
We often feel like we know athletes, because we see them so often. We see them on the field, being interviewed after games, doing appearances in the community. We look up to them.
We shouldn’t.
Jim Brown calls out Tiger Woods for not being more political, more involved in the community.
He shouldn’t.
And let's not be in a rush to focus solely on athletes. Leonardo DiCaprio tries to tell us how to vote. So too, does Ted Danson.
They shouldn’t either.
Athletes and entertainers have an elevated status in our society. They are financially rewarded for their talents. Some do many great things with their time, money and fame. Others do nothing.
What they choose to do or not to do is up to them.
How we react is up to us.
We should appreciate their talents and skills; laud them for great moves on the field, enjoy their skills on the big screen.
But they shouldn’t tell us how to live. And we shouldn’t live our lives the way they do or let them guide us. They are just human beings with skills that don’t necessarily translate to improving humanity.
Or being role models.
This is not to say you shouldn’t give credit to quality people; there are many athletes and entertainers who are terrific individuals.
But we should never look up to them because they are athletes and entertainers.
It’s also partly the fault of those of us in the media. We glorify their every move. We write profile stories that feature the person as much as the player.
We throw out silly words, often referring to their on-field efforts as “heroic.”
They are not heroes.
Athletes are not. Entertainers are not. They aren’t role models, either.
Barkley said parents should be the real role models, and they should.
But what about kids without parents? Those are young people who so often look up to famous athletes.
The shouldn’t. They don’t need to. There are heroes out there in every walk of life.
Heroes drive around your town in patrol cars. Heroes are at fire stations risking their lives every time the bell rings.
Heroes teach our children. Heroes defend our country around the world.
Heroes go on missions to undeveloped areas of the world. They build houses for the poor. They cure diseases. They save lives.
They try to raise their children the right way.
Appreciate athletes for what they do. Enjoy their skills. Applaud their touchdowns, boo their bonehead plays.
But Barkley, in his own, moronic way, was right. Don’t treat them as role models.
Save that for the people who deserve it.
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Alan Burge looks back at Steve McNair the Oiler.
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Jerome Solomon has a nice tribute as well.
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Also, check out this one from John P. Lopez.
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Nate Griffin weighs in on McNair as well.
