The Air’s Up There

By Matt Minucci

Steve McNair was found dead in his leased apartment with his 20 year old girlfriend. While nothing has been determined with any finality as yet, it appears from looking at the evidence that has been made public that McNair was shot to death by his girlfriend, who then took her own life.

Again, that’s based solely on what’s been presented in the media and you know how dangerous it is to rely on that. But I didn’t come her today to pontificate on the rights and wrongs of what McNair did with his life. It’s not like he molested children or anything. Multiple children. No. McNair, at the very least, was guilty of very bad judgment. His death certainly was not dignified. But really, when is death dignified?

Death. At least that's what Satan Space thinks he looks like. 

For now, I’d much rather  focus on his life.

Steve McNair was more than a stand out at Alcorn State. It’s very hard to make the entire country sit up and notice when you’re playing Division I-AA (or NCAA Football Subdivision, as it’s called now). But that’s exactly what McNair did. Called “Air” McNair, Steve threw for 3,541 yards and 29 touchdowns and ran for another 10 in 1992 at Alcorn State. That season, in order to make the playoffs, McNair returned from an injury and played hurt to defeat Grambling to get his team into the playoffs. The following year, McNair once again threw for more than 3,000 yards and 30 touchdowns.

While all that is very good, it’s not legendary. No, for that, we merely have to look at his senior season at Alcorn state. In that year, 1994, McNair netted 6,000 yards combined rushing and passing, along with 53 touchdowns. Those numbers are for one season. Eleven games. He actually finished 3^rd in Heisman voting that year. He won the Walter Payton award for outstanding I-AA player. He broke over a dozen NCAA records.

53 TDs in 11 games? Holy crap that's good.

Such a spectacular senior season, even in I-AA, got the attention of NFL teams. McNair was drafted with the third pick in the NFL draft in 1995 by the Houston Oilers (who became the Tennessee Titans two years later). Two years later, his first as a starter, McNair didn’t disappoint. He threw for 2665 yards and 14 touchdowns. He also ran for 674 yards and another 8 scores. He soon became a perennial 3,000 yard passer and threw for double digit TDs every year. The most INTs he ever had in a single season was just 15. Early in his career he was a big time rusher as well as a passer, running for 400 or more yards in five of his first six seasons as a full time player.

Air McNair

He had his finest season in 2003, when he threw for 3215 yards and 24 TDs with just 7 INTs. He also ran for another 4 scores and finished with a QB rating of 100.4. He co-won the NFL MVP with Peyton Manning. He played in one of the most memorable Superbowls ever in 2000 vs. the Rams. He gave it his all and fell just one yard short of a game tying touchdown.

So close. If McNair had been running, he'd have scored.

But all of these stats don’t tell even half the tale. McNair was a leader on the field and in the communities in which he played. He was a tough guy who played through a ridiculous number of injuries.

Nashville columnist Terry McCormick had this to say about McNair:

Steve McNair's legacy will always be his competitiveness and his ability to will himself to play through an assortment of injuries to lead his team. But even more than that, McNair was always very accommodating and approachable when it came to dealing with fans and the media. It's just hard to believe he's gone so suddenly.

McNair was truly the more than the sum of his stats. He was a great, not-quite-Hall of Fame quarterback who made the teams he played for better. At his best he was one of the great quarterbacks over the decade which he played in. His death was sad and untimely. But his life was worth remembering.

I can only hope I live long enough to become a clock.

Just wanted to take a breather from the sad story of Steve McNair and try to cheer myself and you guys up. So what better way to cheer up than to beat on my favorite whipping boy, alleged manager of the New York Yankees, Joltin’ Joe Girardi.

Me either Joe. Me either.

I’m on record as saying Girardi is the worst manager I’ve ever seen. Now, with the Yankees holding a 48-34 record, good for 3^rd best in all of baseball and just one game back of the Boston Red Sox in the standings, what could I possibly have to complain about?  Oh, something really good. Trust me.

Girardi is once again baffled.

In the Yankees most recent game, a 7-6 loss to the Toronto Blue Jays, Derek Jeter was thrown out in the first inning trying to steal third base with nobody out. Replays showed that Jeter was in fact safe and the 3^rd base ump blew the call. Girardi came out, argued and got ejected. I’m fine with all that. It’s what Girardi said AFTER the game that came as a total shock to me:

"The idea is to get to third base, but you have to be safe," Girardi said. "I don't have a problem with the idea of being aggressive there, but you have to make sure you're right and [Jeter] was called out."

Girardi spoke out against Jeter after the game for getting thrown out at 3^rd. You are calling out the captain of your team? A 15 year veteran? A 4 time World Series champion?

Calling out Jeter? That's like calling out apple pie. 

This year, Jeter is hitting .314 with 10 HR, 35 RBI and 52 runs scored. He’s also stolen 17 bases. He’s been one the MVPs of the team this year. And you’re calling him out?

The other day, Robinson Cano inexplicably bunted with runners on 1^st and 2^nd, nobody out and the count on Cano was 3-0. Here’s what Girardi said about that:

"You could make a huge deal of it. People go through streaks where they have tough streaks. He has hit some balls hard in those situations," Girardi said. "Today was a tough day for him. He still has 43, 44 RBI. It's not like he hasn't been productive. You've got to fight your way out of it."

So you’re going to call out Jeter and not Cano? Not to mention leaving CC Sabathia in for 177 pitches every single start. Starting A-Rod 38 straight games after hip surgery. Not putting the greatest closer ever in the 8^th inning vs. the Red Sox. The list goes on. A three year old could take this to the playoffs. If the Yankees don’t win the World Series this year, Joe must go!

Meanwhile, Joe Torre has the Dodgers at 52-30, the best record in all of baseball. Nicely done Yankee front office. I hate you all. And Joe? Once more: