Steve McNair

I'm sitting here at my desk this evening watching the memorial service of Steve McNair online. For those that don't know, I'm a big Titans fan. I was born and raised in Nashville. When the Titans came to Nashville, it was the greatest thing that ever happened to our city in my eyes. As a young man, the players were the coolest thing in the world. I can remember going to Titans games and waiting for players like Eddie George, Frank Wychek, Kevin Dyson, Derek Mason, and Bruce Matthews to drive into the parking lot at "Adelphia" Coliseum. They would then walk through the tunnel to the locker rooms and wave at us as we stood at the fence.

As a young journalist, I got press passes to the Titans game. I got to hang out with the players in the locker room. As a big fan, it was cool to hang out with some of the best athletes of Nashville. It's something I'll never forget and I'm sure my cousin that tagged along will never forget it either.

The older I get, I realize more and more that these athletes are human. They put their pants on like me. They have flaws. As Bishop Joseph Walker just said from Mt. Zion Baptist, we all have flaws. No man is perfect. Bishop Walker just got really fired up about people judging McNair. Only one can judge McNair. (He who has not sinned, shall cast the first stone.)

I'm guilty of it. I have made judgemental remarks. Today, we have all sinned and it's just as bad as McNair cheating on his wife.

That's hard to swallow, but true. He may not have been the perfect husband, but none of us are perfect humans.

Ryan