So sad to see what happened to Steve McNair. The all-everything quarterback. Handsome, athletic, and a pillar of the community. A philanthropist, donating thousands of dollars and hundreds of hours of his time to the less fortunate. Cheered, adulated, practically worshipped by adoring fans and media. A father of four. Dead. His mistress shot him four times while he was sleeping on the couch, then turned the gun on himself.
I suppose this is yet another reminder of the perils of hero-worshipping of the dangers of putting a normal human being up on a pedestal and expecting him to be extraordinary at all times. Steve McNair was human, after all. Of course, walking out on your wife and four kids to hook up with a 20-year old ranks up there with the all-time big screw-ups; still, he brought joy to thousands of people in his life. And, judging by the testimonies given at his funeral service, he obviously touched many others. McNair was a good man who made a big mistake, which ultimately cost him his life, his wife her husband, and his kids their father.
How sad. Please, lets all keep his family in our thoughts and prayers.
For me, I'll do my best to tone down worshipping my athletic idols. It will probably last about a week or so.
I cannot imagine the pain of his wife. Not only did she lose her husband, she lost him to his mistress. She found out about his unfaithfulness because of his death. She never had the chance to yell and scream and vent ...and forgive. What horrible garbled feelings she must have right now. Betrayal and pain at his loss. We need to seriously keep her and his children in our prayers. What a terrible terrible situation.
Americans have a serious problem choosing our "heros". We worship athletes, musicians and actors who abuse money, animals, substances and people. We celebrate their victories and watch as they go about their daily lives. Although I try not to "heroize", It's difficult not to watch someone accomplish great things then fall. Many of these people never suffer any real consequences for their actions. The media is partially responsible for this I admit. Ultimately, we have the choice on who will be our hero.