It is a sad day for the NFL...kind of. Steve "Air" McNair has called it quits. I've got to admit, I haven't been a huge fan of him over the years. Yet at the end, I find myself respecting the man for what he's done over the years.
McNair was never the "Proto-type" QB. His will to win and athletiscm carried him through the years. McNair was Michael Vick before Michael Vick. Sandwiched in between the Randall Cunningham years and the Vick years, McNair proved himself to be better than either QB's. He was a gritty type of player, a true leader to his team. He came out of college with tremendous raw talent and speed. Yet the Tennessee Titans never created an offensive system to fit his talents. McNair adjusted to the system himself.
McNair seemed like he played hurt 90% of the time, yet he carried his team to the Super Bowl. A feat that Randall, Vick and his replacement Vince Young has never done. One yard. That's what separated him from being a NFL Champion. That game was one of few games I had rooted for him. There were moments in his career that may stick out in your head. My moment came in 2003. It was the last game of the season.
December 28, 2003, the Titans hosted the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. It was my favorite McNair moment ever. I mean ever. EVER!
Steve McNair stats for the game:
DNP
Did not play. The best three words in fantasy football when you find out what your opponent's starting QB did. Did not play. Ah. His goose egg point total allowed me to pull out a 104-101 victory over The Tool. And even more important...I WON THE FANTASY FOOTBALL LEAGUE! Yep. It came down to me and Tool in the last game of the season. Winner take all. And I did.
Since then, The Tool has always cried up and down that he told the commissioner that he wanted to sit McNair and start his other QB. For years, I've let him cry that. He claims that he told our commissioner at the Christmas party that's what he wanted to do. Yeah, lets tell a drunk man what I my starting line-up is. There was nothing written down for a reminder. It was just conversation. Oh by the way...I forgot...the party was two weeks before the final week of the season. So that means...Tool wanted:
A. Pull McNair out of the line-up for two weeks. Pulling the Co-MVP QB of the year out for the final two weeks of fantasy football. RIGHT. This also would would have reflected the previous week's win because of his stats.
B. Was making line-up changes for the upcoming two weeks. Line-up changes to a happy drunk man @ a X-mas party. Not even written down to remind him. A "verbal" exchange for the change. Not very likely. Try again. C. To cry because he got caught with his pants down. I remember the reports that week of McNair being a game time decision whether or not he would play the final week. I honestly thought the Tool would switch him out. When the league championship was on the line...that's too big of a gamble. Instead, the Tool gambled and lost. And then tried to cover his tracks. He wasn't complaining after his win with McNair the previous week.
So that's my favorite Steve "Air" McNair moment.
- 2003 W.F.F.L. Champion
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