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Steve McNair’s Legacy
Published: July 6, 2009
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As details surrounding the death of Steve McNair continue to come, one question will surely accompany any discussions regarding the man: What legacy does Steve McNair the player leave in the NFL and life?
The answer to that question will vary for some. In statistics alone, McNair’s career may not measure up to the unspoken standards for Hall of Fame consideration. However, the impact he had on the game as a person and as a trendsetter should be enough to have him enshrined in the halls of Canton.
For a career that spanned 13 seasons, McNair was almost a dead-solid lock to start and play in every game if he was on the active roster. He played in 153 of 161 possible games, which is better than 95-percent attendance.
McNair passed for 31,304 yards during that time, which is good enough for 28th on the all-time list. He was co-MVP in 2003 and was selected to the Pro Bowl three times during his 13 seasons.
While his stats were not remarkable, the timing of his career and the manner of his career were astonishing.
Drafted in 1995, McNair was the first quarterback selected and the third choice overall.
Only six quarterbacks were taken in the first three rounds of the 1995 draft. McNair (Houston) and Kerry Collins (Carolina) were selected in the first round. Todd Collins (Buffalo) and Kordell Stewart (Pittsburgh) were chosen in the second round, with Stoney Case (Arizona) and Eric Zeier (Cleveland) being selected in the third.
McNair was chosen from Division I-AA Alcorn State, a historically black college in Mississippi. The NFL still struggled with African-American quarterbacks in the mid-1990’s, despite Doug Williams’s and Warren Moon’s success.
McNair joined Williams as only the second black quarterback to start a Super Bowl at that position. McNair nearly led the Tennessee Titans to victory in Super Bowl XXXIV against the St. Louis Rams.
McNair’s impact beyond the statistics helped dispel the notion that African-American quarterbacks were merely good athletes playing out of position. It was long considered beyond the capabilities of black quarterbacks to master the position at the NFL level.
McNair did master the job and helped start the trend of big, strong, mobile athletes who were versatile enough to be strong pocket passers as well as runners. He also helped dispatch the notion that the pressures of the quarterback position would lead to off-field issues.
During his career, McNair was never once caught up in any off-the-field scandal or situation in which his character could be called into question. In death, we are confronted with the possibility of McNair’s indiscretions being a contributing factor in the circumstances surrounding his tragic end.
As a teammate, to a man, those polled would tell of a warm, compassionate fellow, a fierce competitor, and a devoted family man. McNair was a leader among his peers, and he was considered as tough as nails.
We are reminded that it takes but one moment of misfortune to undo a career of good. We should also take note of our own faults and flaws and know that no man or woman is perfect.
In life, Steve McNair was a symbol of good for an entire league, a community and a race of people. In death, like anyone else, he is mortal and flawed. Let us embrace the good in Steve McNair and remember him for what is right in the world of sports and not what we can speculate about at this moment.
What If: NFL Player Salaries Were Strictly Performance-Based
Published: June 2, 2009
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The pending talks between the NFLPA and owners has everyone who loves professional football concerned. It should, as the two sides appear to be far apart on even the smallest issues.
The major concern, money, made me think of possible solutions to give to those who sit at the bargaining table. One key point to this idea; make player’s salaries and incentives performance-based.
The first step in this process would be to have an independent council, preferably arbitration folks, set benchmarks for base salaries. These baseline numbers should reflect minimums for position, and years in the league. Once the minimums are established, the council should then set performance bonus standards by position.
Some examples could be the number of games started, number of games played in, or the number of plays participated in during a game. Some advanced benchmarks could be completion percentages, catches, rushing yards, touchdowns scored, etc.
Each year, a player’s base salary would be guaranteed, with four years the maximum amount of time be signed with a team. The owners would have the flexibility to lock up key players for up to four years, while players would retain the ability to earn as much as they could, based on their performance.
The base salaries would be paid out during the course of the season, with the performance bonuses to be paid after the season.
What would having a performance-based system do for the league?
First, it would eliminate the need for a salary cap. It would also eliminate the need to continue to raise ticket prices for owners. It would provide true transparency between the two sides. Players and agents could no longer “hold-up” a team for more money, and teams could not over-charge for tickets or amenities.
Rookies entering the league would be paid on their performance and not their potential. The true benefit would be for the fans. We all know how well players tend to play during a “contract year”. In a performance-based system, players would play that way every year.
I know I have over-simplified things a bit here, but working a system like this could be done. It is also not unreasonable to think that a system like this would be fair to all. How many of us get the chance to tell our employers that we want more money, or we won’t come back to work?
How many jobs do you know of that will pay you even if you stink to the high heavens? While we’re at it, we should make the owners share in this as well. If a franchise performs poorly, it should affect their share of television revenue as well.
This may not be the ultimate answer in what is shaping up to be a bitter fight between labor and ownership, but it could be a start. Imagine, players competing every Sunday for wins, the love of the game, and for money. Sounds like fun.
