Football Breaking NEWS--- Steve McNair Shot to Death

[GotGibson?]

Fisher: Celebrate good things about McNair

As fans mourn former Titans quarterback Steve McNair and await the final determination of a police investigation, Tennessee coach Jeff Fisher asked that fans put aside the circumstances of McNair's homicide and reflect on his good qualities and résumé instead.

Speaking publicly for the first time since he returned from a trip to the Middle East to visit with troops, a bleary-eyed Fisher said McNair led a group of players that "put this franchise on the map" and talked of the toughness and leadership that were McNair's hallmarks.

"My hope is that we can get past the circumstances and let those go, OK, and dwell and stay focused on the type of player and person that he was," Fisher said.

Saturday McNair was shot twice in the head and twice in the chest in a downtown condominium. The woman with him, 20-year-old Sahel Kazemi, died from a gunshot to the head. The gun was found beneath her. Police haven't been searching for a suspect. They've ruled McNair's death a homicide but have not ruled on Kazemi's death yet.

As if channeling a player who guided the Titans to only Super Bowl appearance in franchise history, Fisher said: "The Steve McNair that I knew would want me to say, 'I'm sorry, I'm not perfect, we all make decisions sometimes that are not in our best interests, please forgive me.' The Steve McNair that I know would want me to say, 'Celebrate my life for what I did on the field, for what I did in the community, for the kind of teammate that I was.'"

Eddie George, the running back who lined up in the backfield with McNair for eight seasons, delivered the news of McNair's death when his call to Fisher's cell phone got through to him in Kuwait. He and three others -- former tackle Brad Hopkins, former safety Blaine Bishop and current long-snapper Ken Amato -- sat beside Fisher while the coach spoke.

George spoke briefly at the podium too, echoing Fisher's theme.

"Like Jeff mentioned, [we can] get past the circumstances and look at the human being we were all impacted by," George said. "He blessed us with so many memories, so many great times. He really has had a positive impact on this community and we'll miss him dearly."

Fisher said his last visit with McNair at the coach's charity softball game June 20 suggested McNair was thinking about getting into coaching. Fisher invited him to spend time with the team during training camp. The coach joked about the contrast of McNair's intense drive and motivation with his devotion to "Gunsmoke" and Andy Griffith on TV.

Hopkins, who protected McNair's blindside, spoke more angrily than Fisher or George.

"It's so attention getting, here now it's not just a story about a man who's been shot," he said. "It's now the saga, the soap opera which has lead up to his death. And yeah, that sounds sexy and that's attractive and everybody wants to be a part of that, just finding out more and more dirt."

 

[GotGibson?]

Lack of motive slows ruling in McNair killing

Tennessee's state medical examiner says investigators have been hesitant to conclude that Steve McNair's girlfriend killed the NFL star quarterback and herself because she didn't appear to have a motive.

Bruce Levy said Tuesday that ******-******* is the most likely scenario and it's unlikely the crime scene was staged by a third party.

But investigators have been cautious about exploring every possibility. In ******-suicides, friends and family usually have seen problems. But 20-year-old Sahel Kazemi's family has said she was very happy.

A ruling is expected in the next few days.

Police quickly labeled McNair's death a homicide. Investigators say Kazemi bought the handgun found under her body less than two days before the shooting. Kazemi and McNair were found dead Saturday -- McNair from two gunshots each to the head and chest, Kazemi from a single shot.

Investigators are waiting for ballistics tests on a gun to determine whether the firearm found at the scene killed the two.

Citing autopsy results, The Tennessean reported late Monday that three of McNair's four gunshot wounds were the result of the weapon being fired from more than three feet away. One of the gunshots to his temple was fired at close range, the newspaper said.

The Tennessean also reported Kazemi's gunshot wound was a contact shot, which means the gun was touching her head when it was fired.

"All the autopsy tells us is that her wound is potentially self inflicted," state medical examiner Bruce Levy told the newspaper. "In these cases, the cause of death is obvious, the manner of death a little trickier. We like to have as many factors as possible before we make a determination."

More details of their relationship and the days before their deaths came to light Monday as Tennessee Titans coach Jeff Fisher remembered McNair as the man who put the relocated Houston Oilers franchise on the map.

"The Steve McNair I knew would want me to say, 'Celebrate my life, for what I did on the field, for what I did in the community, for the kind of teammate that I was,' " Fisher said Monday. "That's what the Steve I knew would want me to say."

McNair repeatedly played through serious injuries and pain to win, though he came up a yard short of forcing overtime on the Titans' famous drive to lose the 2000 Super Bowl.

Generous, he frequently took part in charity work for both the Titans and later the Baltimore Ravens after a 2006 trade. McNair even helped load donated food, water and clothes onto tractor-trailers that he had arranged for Hurricane Katrina victims, and paid for three football camps for children himself this year.

His former Ravens coach, however, believes McNair's legacy has been somewhat tarnished.

" ... Steve was a man who did so many good things in both this community and in Nashville that deserves to be thought of in better terms," Brian Billick told WNST Radio, a station he partly owns.

"It's a life lesson for all of us that all it takes is conduct in a certain way to wipe all that out," Billick added. "It will never remove the good things that he did with his life, but how he's perceived by the fans -- whether that has value or not -- that's irrecoverable. That asterisk is always going to be attached to it because of the tragic way his life ended."

Kazemi appeared confident she and McNair would last and had introduced her family to McNair, her nephew said. Abdi quoted her as saying McNair was divorcing his wife and that it would be finalized soon.

"I think she had already put her stuff up for sale on Craigslist," Abdi said.

The first sign of trouble was early Thursday morning. Police stopped Kazemi on Broadway, not far from the honky-tonks where country singers belt out tales of unfaithful spouses. She was driving the Escalade sport utility vehicle that McNair gave her for her birthday in May.

According to an arrest affidavit, Kazemi had bloodshot eyes and alcohol on her breath. She refused a breath test and told an officer "she was not drunk, she was high." She was charged with DUI. McNair was with her but not charged. He later made her bail.

The two then apparently spent some time apart.

According to police spokesman Don Aaron, McNair wasn't with Kazemi when she bought the semiautomatic pistol that was found at the scene. Police have declined to release the caliber or the name of the person who sold it to her.

The next night, McNair was out late with friends, but he and Kazemi got together soon after at a downtown condo within sight of the Titans stadium, a pad McNair shared with a friend. A witness told police the quarterback arrived between 1:30 and 2 a.m. Her car was already there.

When McNair's roommate, Wayne Neeley, got to the condo at midday, what he thought he saw was his friend sitting on the couch and Kazemi lying on the floor. So he went into the kitchen. Then he saw the blood, police said.

There were no signs of forced entry into the condo. Police labeled McNair's death a homicide Sunday but said they were reviewing every possibility before labeling Kazemi's.

Mechelle McNair, his wife of 12 years and mother of two of his four sons born between 1991 and 2004, has been described by police as very distraught about his death and has not commented.

No court records of divorce proceedings have surfaced. The strongest public evidence that the McNairs might have been estranged is that their 14,000-square-foot Nashville home has been up for sale recently, listed at $3 million.

Some close to McNair -- his brother Fred and his agent Bus Cook -- have said they knew nothing of Kazemi before the shootings. Titans coach Jeff Fisher said Monday, "The Steve that I knew, if he were here right now, would want to say, 'Mechelle, I love you.' "

Aaron said a solution to the case, now awaiting ballistics and gun powder residue tests, may not be as neatly resolved as people would like.

"It may be we'll never know exactly why this happened," he said.

McNair, 36, retired from the NFL last year. He had earned the respect of fellow players for shaking off defenders and injuries and the love of fans amazed at how the quarterback kept showing up for work -- and winning.

He was known as Air McNair because of his passing prowess and was named to four Pro Bowls in 13 NFL seasons. He shared the NFL's MVP award with Peyton Manning of the Indianapolis Colts in 2003. In 2000, he led the Titans to the Super Bowl, where they fell one yard short of a last-second touchdown to tie the game.

In retirement, McNair had opened a restaurant, the Gridiron9, near the Tennessee State University campus. It sells deep-fried hot dogs for $3.50, Cajun catfish sandwiches for $6.50 and Southern-style chicken strips for $6.75.

Television news footage showed McNair putting used trays away inside the eatery after dumping scraps in a trash can.

"He had a sweet spirit," Kimberly Hardy, a 25-year-old McNair admirer, said outside the restaurant, where mourners have been gathering and leaving flowers and writing notes on the front window.

The night before he died, McNair went alone to the Blue Moon Lagoon Restaurant where he met another couple around 10:30 p.m. and then left by himself about 1 a.m., said James Weathers, manager of the restaurant.

Weathers said McNair visited there occasionally and "was always alone, but he'd meet a group of friends." The manager described McNair as always friendly, "never a big drinker," gracious with constant photo-seekers.

Earlier this year, Kazemi and McNair took trips to Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Key West, Fla., and Mississippi, said Abdi, the nephew. McNair had been seen at Kazemi's Nashville apartment two to three times a week, so often neighbors wondered whether he had moved in.

"They were together all the time unless he was taking his kids on vacation," Abdi said.

Kazemi was born in Iran but left in 2000, fleeing religious persecution for their Baha'i faith, Abdi said. They spent 2½ years in Turkey before moving to Florida. Later Kazemi dropped out of high school and, at age 17, moved with a boyfriend to Nashville, where she sometimes worked two or three jobs to support herself.

She liked not depending on anyone for money, and she told her nephew that McNair admired her independent nature.

"He liked her so much because they would go shopping and stuff and she would want to spend her own money," Abdi said. "The reason he said he loves her is because she's not trying to use him like other girls. She was different from other girls he had been with."

 

[ac-n-mike]

wow this keeps getting more and more odd

 

[Ground Support]

so he she wanted him, and he didn't want her.

So she decided that no one could have him and took both of their lives.

Love is a Funny Thing!

 

[GotGibson?]

Titans plan two-day McNair tribute at stadium

Steve McNair fans wanting to pay their respects to the former NFL quarterback will be able to do so at the stadium where he created so many memories.

The Tennessee Titans are opening LP Field Wednesday and Thursday from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Fans can leave personal messages in a book that will be given to the McNair family. Video boards will show McNair highlights and a photo mural of his career with the Titans will be on display.

The ticket office also will be accepting donations to the Steve McNair Foundation.

McNair and his girlfriend Sahel Kazemi were found shot to death Saturday. A memorial service for McNair is being held Thursday night in Nashville. There will be a funeral service Saturday at the University of Southern Mississippi in Hattiesburg with a private burial in his hometown of Mt. Olive.

Tennessee's state medical examiner said Tuesday that investigators have been hesitant to conclude that Kazemi killed the NFL star and herself because she didn't appear to have a motive, but that ******-******* is the most likely scenario.

After the couple was found dead, police were quick to label McNair's death a homicide. He had been shot twice in the head and twice in the chest, while Kazemi was dead from a single gunshot to the head. Under her body was a gun she had purchased less than two days before the killings.

Investigators were waiting on ballistics tests on the weapon before issuing a ruling on Kazemi's death, which medical examiner Bruce Levy said could come in the next few days. Kazemi's gun purchase, which was revealed on Monday, is a strong indication that she was responsible, he said.

"If we had known on Sunday about the gun I think we would have been very comfortable in ruling ******-*******," he said. "I'll be very surprised now if they rule it isn't."

Levy said an apparent lack of motive by Kazemi has made investigators careful about exploring every possibility, including the unlikely scenario that a third party could have staged the scene. Their relationship lacked typical indicators of trouble -- such as concerned family members or police reports and protection orders.

 

[GotGibson?]

McNair shootings ruled a ******-*******

Police in Nashville are confirming that ex-NFL star Steve McNair's 20-year-old girlfriend killed him before turning the gun on herself.

They say they may never know what was going through Sahel Kazemi's mind when she shot McNair in his condominium, but they say it's clear it was a ******-*******.

Police earlier had labeled McNair's death a homicide, but awaited further tests and investigation before saying for sure what happened.

They believe he was asleep on a sofa when Kazemi shot him in the head. She then apparently shot him twice in the chest before shooting him again in the head and then shooting herself.

McNair, a quarterback for the Tennessee Titans most of his career, was shot at a condo he rented with another man. The gun was found underneath Kazemi.

 

[GotGibson?]

McNair had taped ******* prevention message

Tennessee state officials say they had been preparing a youth ******* prevention public service announcement featuring former NFL quarterback Steve McNair before he was shot and killed last week.

The Tennessee Department of Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities says it's shelving the 60-second television spot, which hasn't yet aired.

The department issued a statement Thursday saying "broadcasting it now is not only inappropriate but doesn't serve the community."

Department spokeswoman Jill Hudson said McNair taped the spot in April, and producers had been doing post-production work in hopes of using the announcement sometime this year.

Police say a 20-year-old girlfriend of McNair's shot and killed him on July 4 before killing herself in Nashville.

 

[GotGibson?]

Fans line up to pay their respects to McNair

Dozens of Steve McNair fans donned Tennessee Titans gear as they lined up around a funeral home Thursday to honor the slain ex-NFL quarterback's accomplishments and charity work.

Inside the building, a closed silvery-gray casket topped with white lilies sat next to a portrait of the former Titans star.

A line formed around the corner, and police were directing traffic around the north Nashville funeral home. Many mourners showed up wearing Titans jerseys and T-shirts to pay their respects to a man they say was a leader of the team.

Derrick Lewis said McNair "put the Titans on the map."

Lewis, wearing a Titans jersey, said he and his family were devastated when they learned of McNair's death. Police have said McNair, 36, was shot four times July 4 by his girlfriend, Sahel Kazemi, who then killed herself in a condo McNair shared with a friend.

"Myself and my family were completely shocked and some of us were crying because you almost feel like you are related," Lewis said.

But Lewis said the details of the killing haven't changed his opinion of McNair.

"I will always remember him for the good things that he did for the community and the Tennessee Titans," Lewis said. "Nobody's perfect."

Annetta Moore brought her grandson, Darrien James, 9, and granddaughter Olivia Cole, 11, to the funeral home and said she planned to take them to LP Field for another public memorial Thursday and visit his restaurant.

Moore said it wasn't uncommon to see McNair hanging out around town.

"I think he just blended right in with everybody," Moore said.

Loretta Lang said the details of the death should be a private family issue and shouldn't take away from his charitable work.

"He's definitely going to be missed because he gave back like many of the original Houston Oilers that became the Tennessee Titans," she said after viewing the casket.

At LP Field, a video tribute to McNair is being shown, and fans can write messages in a book that later will be presented to McNair's family.

McNair's wife, close friends and ex-teammates are expected at a memorial service Thursday night at Mount Zion Baptist Church, which the family has attended since moving to Nashville in 1997.

 

[GotGibson?]

McNair's hometown prepares to bury its star

Steve McNair left this tiny south Mississippi town to become an NFL star, though his presence remained.

The local hero's death on the Fourth of July left most of Mount Olive's 1,000 residents stunned and distraught. As they prepared to say goodbye with a funeral Saturday, they again recalled tales of his athletic prowess.

Coach Sonny Magee has mentored nearly every athlete in Mount Olive in the last 35 years. But only McNair provided him a highlight reel's worth of memories. Whether he had his large hands wrapped around a football, a basketball or a bat, McNair made the kind of plays that astounded Magee.

"He'd do things you wouldn't think a person could do," said Magee, who was McNair's head basketball coach and an assistant football coach at the local high school. "Shoot, he'd be running and throw a 60-yard pass right on the money. Yes, sir."

By the time McNair left for Alcorn State in Lorman, Miss., where he set records and made a run at the Heisman Trophy, he had become the pride of Mount Olive, the kid who could make everyone smile. He seemed perfect not just for 2½ hours every fall Friday night, but every day.

"Athletics, it makes the town go in a sense, and when somebody like this makes it big everybody around here is proud of him," said Norman Johnston, an assistant football coach at the high school. "So when a person like him dies, it affects everybody. Rich, poor, black, white, it really has an affect on people because it doesn't happen every day that somebody makes it big."

Mount Olive, like a lot of the small towns in the Deep South, is football crazy. Replays of college football games were on the TV on a summer afternoon in the local pharmacy.

Life is slow here. Cold coke in a bottle is served from an old cooler tucked behind a marble soda counter at Powell *****.

Football fills the void for the kids who look up to the players and for the men who constantly handicap the high school team's chances. People look forward to fall Friday nights all year long. They talk about it, think about it, examine the roster for defects and seek out the coach to offer advice.

McNair has given the locals a lot to talk about. As a quarterback and defensive back, he tied the state record for interceptions and dominated conversations until his retirement after the 2007 season.

He was the quintessential country boy: hard-working, polite and a pleasure to be around.

"He liked to ride horses, four-wheelers, shoot ball, swim," said Mount Olive resident Andrew Autry, who spent time in both the huddle and the saddle with McNair. "You know, that's about all you can do in the country."

Other Mount Olive residents played college ball, but no one has ever achieved McNair's success. He went on to become the No. 3 overall pick and played 11 years with the Houston Oilers and Tennessee Titans, and two years with the Baltimore Ravens. Yet he always seemed to come back to Mount Olive at the end of the season.

He ran errands for his mother, Lucille. He grilled meat during an annual barbecue for residents and he checked on the local team, held camps and signed autographs.

He bought uniforms for the high school and gave a 647-acre farm to his mother that locals have dubbed "The Ranch."

Even Mount Olive residents who had never met McNair personally felt they knew him. Black ribbons were to go up Friday before a visitation at a local funeral home that was expected to be heavily attended. And the McNair family has provided buses for those who want to go to Saturday's funeral service in Hattiesburg on the campus of the University of Southern Mississippi, about 35 miles south.

Residents are still shocked over the 36-year-old's death, a ******-******* committed by his 20-year-old girlfriend a week ago.

"As a whole, the town is distraught," lifelong resident Mary Barnes said. "You can just feel the silence and the mourning in the town. There's just such a silence here now."

 

[iLikePie]

http://www.fanhouse.com/news/main/steve-mcnair-unhappy-with-sahel-kazemis/566206?icid=main|main|dl1|link3|http%3A%2F%2Fwww.fanhouse.com%2Fnews%2Fmain%2Fsteve-mcnair-unhappy-with-sahel-kazemis%2F566206

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Cop: McNair Unhappy With Kazemi's DUI
Posted Jul 10, 2009 1:07 PM
(July 8) - If former NFL star Steve McNair's girlfriend was upset about being arrested for drunken driving two days before she killed him and herself, she didn't let it show.

McNair was a passenger in Sahel Kazemi's car when Nashville police arrested her a week ago. Police released video of that DUI stop Wednesday, the same day they confirmed that Kazemi, 20, had killed McNair and then herself in a condo McNair rented.
In the video, recorded by patrol car cameras, Kazemi laughed and teased the officer, but also repeatedly asked to have McNair come to the window of the police cruiser where she was sitting.
The officer responded, "He's not happy." McNair, who wasn't charged, left in a cab without talking to her.
"I told him you wanted to talk to him and he was more than welcome to come back to the car. He just left in a taxi," Officer Shawn Taylor told Kazemi.
It's another allegation to come to light since the former NFL star's death July 4. A new allegation surfaced Friday as the New York Daily News reported, via an anonymous source, that McNair carried on a six-year affair with an exotic dancer in Minneapolis.
According to the source, whom the News referred to as a "former business manager," McNair was a "frequent visitor to the club and had an intimate and extramarital relationship" with said dancer. According to this person, the woman knew McNair was married with children, but still didn't care.
"She liked money and athletes," the former business manager said on condition of anonymity. "She went out with athletes before. She was one of those girls who said, 'You're married? You have kids? So what?' Lets have fun."
"I can tell you that she was very upset when she learned that he had died," the former business manager added.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.

 

[atrain2004]

freakin freaky dude huh!

 

[GotGibson?]

McNair's funeral draws thousands in Mississippi

Thousands turned out in Tennessee to say goodbye to Steve McNair, and people in his native state were doing the same Saturday to give the ex-NFL quarterback one of the biggest funerals in recent Mississippi history.

"We're going to have church this morning, and we're going to praise God for Steve's life," said gospel singer Dottie Peoples, a close friend of McNair's mother, Lucille.

At least 4,500 turned out, though organizers anticipated a capacity crowd of 8,000 at Reed Green Coliseum on the campus of the University of Southern Mississippi. Most of McNair's hometown of Mount Olive also arrived thanks to buses rented by the McNairs, and hundreds came out Friday night for a visitation. A private burial was to follow in Mount Olive.

The hearse carrying McNair's casket arrived a couple of hours before the funeral, escorted 30 miles down Highway 49 by nine police officers on motorcycles and several vehicles carrying family members.

A line outside the coliseum snaked down the sidewalk as early as 8 a.m., even with temperatures quickly rising into the low 90s on a humid day.

The hearse backed up next to the playing floor to deliver McNair's silvery-gray casket. Police escorted McNair's wife, Mechelle, and his mother, Lucille, into the stadium beforehand.

Brett Favre, who had a home near McNair's here in Hattiesburg, sat a few rows behind the McNair family. Tennessee Titans coach Jeff Fisher and quarterback Vince Young, Baltimore Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis and Chicago Bears quarterback Jay Cutler also attended. Doug Williams, the first black quarterback to win the Super Bowl, also was on hand.

Young was added to the service late, and the quarterback drafted by Tennessee to replace McNair in 2006 called his predecessor "Pops" -- remembering how McNair served as his father and mentor since Young attended one of the man's football camps as a teenager.

"Steve was like a hero to me, and heroes are not supposed to die," Young said before stopping to rub his eyes.

Lewis said he once promised the McNairs he would visit with them in Mississippi. He played against McNair and was his teammate the final two years of his NFL career. Lewis talked of how he learned studying film and proper technique wouldn't help him beat a quarterback fueled by will, heart and sacrifice.

"I find myself in awe when I speak about a man like Steve McNair," Lewis said.

Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones was among those who sent flowers. Titans owner Bud Adams attended the memorial service Thursday night in Nashville. Fisher was called up to speak from the audience, and he pulled Young up to the podium and led the audience in the Lord's Prayer just as he did during 11 seasons with McNair before every kickoff.

McNair was shot and killed on the Fourth of July by Sahel Kazemi, a 20-year-old girlfriend who then shot herself in the head.

Bobby Hamilton, who played at Southern Miss and in the NFL with New England and Oakland, used to sleep on the floor of McNair's oldest brother, Fred, when he played at Alcorn State. He also cheered on McNair during his career and recalled how McNair rallied Alcorn State by scoring two touchdowns with less than a minute left.

"It's very painful. We know he was a warrior. ... I can't even say the word how this warrior went down," an emotional Hamilton said.

The program included memories from McNair's mother, his wife and sons, brothers, and nieces and nephews. Photos were also displayed of the quarterback who played 13 NFL seasons with Tennessee and Baltimore before retiring in 2008.

Coach Nevil Barr brought the entire jersey-clad Oak Grove High School football team to the service. Steve McNair Jr. attends Oak Grove, and his father joined Favre at a summer workout two weeks ago to play catch with the kids.

"He was on our sideline every Friday night supporting his son," Barr said. "He loved to come watch Steve Jr., and we loved having him there. He always had that smile."

Deloris Cagins traveled from nearby Columbia to attend the funeral. She wore the purple and gold of McNair's alma mater, Alcorn State, and had a pompom tied to her walker. She has relatives who eventually joined her beloved Braves, where McNair made a Heisman Trophy run and set a number of NCAA Division I-AA records before going third overall in the NFL draft in 1995 to the then-Houston Oilers.

"Alcornites to me are a different breed of people," she said. "It's like a family. If you do something, we'll support you."