Jeff Fisher on McNair

This isn't intended to be Steve McNair Is Dead III: In 3-D, and I'd have no problem at all if the mods wanted to nuke it just to head off any bullshit. But I was wondering if anyone else was as floored--in a good way--by Jeff Fisher's presser today. He always struck me as a good, solid guy to deal with, though I've never been anywhere near a Titans game, and I thought he was remarkable today in wanting to emphasize the positives of McNair's life yet not ignoring the obvious questions surrounding his death.

Thoughts?

 

I had the same impression, BYH ... There was no way for Fisher to avoid the presser .. but he handled it well. I put the Fisher presser story above the fold and the main McNair story underneath it in our paper today ...

Nice balance of remembering the good about McNair while not sugarcoating the way he died.

 

I actually thought he went a little overboard with the "Let's look at the positives" stuff. By that I mean, he talked about people "making mistakes," etc., and it sounded like McNair was killed for doing something he shouldn't have been.

That may turn out to be the case, but I don't think so. Early indications have me leaning toward the idea that he was dating a girl who turned out to be troubled and went off the deep end. It seems like she was the problem here, not McNair.

Fisher and, to an extent a couple of the Sportscenter guys, made it sound as if it was some salacious, sordid tale. Again, it may turn out to be, but so far it really hasn't been.

The guy was dating a 20-year-old, a legal adult. They were in a relationship together after his marriage apparently fell apart. Doesn't seem like he was cheating on his wife since the details of their relationship seem to be pretty well known. The legal issues of a divorce might not be sorted out, but it looks as if he and his wife were certainly separated.

So it's not really all that salacious or sordid, unless you have a real problem with the age difference (though no one treats Michael Douglas like a creep even though he's 15 years older than Catherine Zeta Jones).

The details of his death, in that he was shot four times, including twice in the head, are shocking, yes. But at this point, there's no reason to think they were the result of him being a bad person or being something different than the image he's always had.

So Jeff Fisher saying that the Steve McNair he knew would say, "We all make decisions sometimes that are not in the best interests. Please forgive me" is pretty rotten, I think. McNair is the victim here, near as we can tell. He's not the one who needs to be forgiven at this point.

 

Or maybe Fisher knows the back story and knows it will not reflect well upon McNair and is trying to engender some sympathy for McNair in advance.

I say that with no cynicism at all, just my hunch watching that.

 

Very possible, but if so, he should probably be talking to the police and not the media.

 

BYH, I posted on thread No. 2 that the first two minutes of Fisher's presser made me tear up.

And pern: I was on your side early, thinking if they were separated and he was dating, it was no big deal. I've pretty solidly switched to the other side of the aisle.

 

I, too, am sort of pissed that this subject has gotten 2 threads locked.
Here is perspective from another person who, like Fisher, is is searching for the right words.

Steve McNair's father:
Print story & a print-TV 4 min. interview

http://www.sunherald.com/pageone/story/1457949.html

http://www.sunherald.com/sunheraldtv/story/1458077.html

 

Fisher has always been a class act. No surprise there.

Wasn't he overseas with the troops when he found out about McNair's death?

 

Fisher has been coaching in the NFL for how many years? That right there should tell you he is one of the best at what he does, and this is just another part of the "coach" job description.

 

As anyone in Nashville can tell you, Coach Fisher has a few skeletons in his closet as well...so that might explain the route he took in defending McNair.

Which, btw, is not to be critical of him. He's about as classy an act as you can find. Human, but classy none the less.

 

Fisher coached the Houston Oilers. That puts his tenure into perspective.

 

I miss seeing that oil rig so much.

A lot of my football youth was spent fearing that logo.