Death is never easy to accept. In some cases, it's a welcome relief to those who wish it but for the majority, it's a brutally fast finality, a light that's been extinguished far, far to soon, to the shock of all.
Such was the case Saturday when I came home from an enjoyable day with family and friends, sat at my computer and saw that a great player was taken from us. Simply said, I was completely dumbfounded and instantly saddened.
I was never a Oilers or Titans fan but I was a Steve McNair fan. Rooting for the Steelers, I had ample opportunity to watch Mr. McNair and ample opportunity to feel negativity towards him. Oh, it wasn't real of course, the guy was always stand-up in my eyes, it was because the guy just never gave up, never gave in, no matter how much my Steelers hit him.
That's his legacy within the game of football, he was one of the toughest S.O.B.'s of all time. A great leader and athlete who matched his ability with a will of steel. He would have made one hell of a Pittsburgh Steeler.
And that's how I'll always remember him, whatever the circumstances surrounding his death. He was a great player, a great athlete, and a great leader.
Rest in peace.
The Roundup
Got some NBA free-agent updates: Rasheed Wallace has agreed to join the Boston Celtics while Jason Kidd is staying put with the Dallas Mavericks. Hideo Turkuglo did an about-face Friday, first agreeing to a deal with the Portland Trailblazers then backtracking and committing to the Toronto Raptors instead.
In golf news, Tiger Woods was a 'greedy host' when he won his own tournament Sunday and preceeded to interview himself at the podium.
Tony Stewart spun former teammate Kyle Busch on the final lap Sunday to win at Daytona. "That's not the way I wanted to do it," Stewart said after his Saturday night win.
