Steve McNair

Now you know I had to say something about this mess. First and foremost, it is a terrible tragedy that anyone lost their life. My heart goes out to both families.
(Disclaimer: In no way do I approve of murderers, thieves OR liars and cheaters.)

Where do I begin? The mistress. His career (like that's even important right now). The infidelity. The ex-boyfriend. Or his poor wife and kids? I think Ill go with the latter.

Everyone is talking about how 99% of athletes cheat, so I guess that means that its supposed to be "accepted" somehow in society because its the norm. I disagree 1000%. Once a man and a woman make a commitment to each other, whether its marriage or not, they should be faithful to one another, but that's a whole other story.

Some men are talking about how they need to re-evaluate their side chicks and take a step back. Bla bla bla. All I can do is shake my head at that... perhaps you shouldn't have a mistress to size up? I don't get it! Everyone is somehow "mad" at his other woman, Kazemi, for being involved and killing him. She is dead wrong, literally. But what about McNair's accountability?

What about Mrs. McNair??? What about the kids?! No one is talking about how this poor woman's life has just come crashing down around her. Her husband, the man she exchanged vows with and said "Through Thick and Thin Till Death Do Us Part" is dead at the hands of a woman whom he was having a secret relationship with, which she knew nothing about! If that's not devastating I don't know what is.

I'm sure when Mechelle McNair married him she thought it was the beginning of a fairytale that we all dream of. The white picket fence, big house, children, money, fame, love and respect. She got most of that but it seems at such a great price. Never in her wildest dreams did she think that her marriage would end in ultimate despair, with Steve being shot to death by his mistress! No one deserves to be lied to, manipulated, disrespected, and deceived. On top of all that, it wasn't just sexual; he was financially helping Kazemi, taking her on trips, buying a car, putting her up in a place, etc.

I can speculate and create different scenarios all day about the McNair marriage, the affair and the tragic deaths. The truth is we will never know all of the facts. What we do know is Steve was a 3-time NFL Pro Bowl quarterback and team leader for 13 years. Steve was a married man of 12 years. Steve was a father. Steve was having an extramarital affair with a woman 16 years younger than him. He was shot four times. Mcnair is dead. His girlfriend is dead.

We all make mistakes. We all have choices to make that affect others lives in one way or another, most importantly our kids. Sometimes big. Sometimes small. No one is perfect. What I also know is that if Steve McNair chose to stay faithful to his wife, stay true to his vows and be the man and father he should have been, he would be alive today. That's a fact.

He will forever be remembered as the married football player who was killed by his mistress. All that he worked for and accomplished as a professional athlete has been overshadowed by a terrible mistake. A bad decision he consciously made, over and over again. He died cheating on his wife. He left his four sons with no answers, no father, and a bad example. He left his fans empty, confused, and some disgusted.

He left this world as a liar sleeping on his responsibility.

Steve "Air" McNair did what a lot of men do. He cheated on his wife. He, unlike most, paid the ultimate price for it: his life.

Hard Work and Dedication

I have seen hard work and dedication succeed and fail firsthand. Its certainly easier to be insignificant and average at who you are and what you do, than be extraordinary and reach for greatness.

If you were guaranteed $1 million dollars to work out hard, lose weight, eat right and stay focused for however long it took, would you do it? If you had the opportunity to ensure your family was together, happy, taken care of and everything was all good, would you do all you could to make sure that happened? What would you be more committed to? Some people wouldn't compare the two because one is monetary and the other is priceless. Its a personal decision and sometimes it can be a hard one. Either way, they both take hard work and dedication and are very important parts of life.

Relationships are not easy. They take commitment, loyalty, communication, respect and love. Without any of those factors, they wont be successful. They are hard work! People don't realize how much perseverance it takes to make a relationship last. Men and women are so different that sometimes it seems impossible to get along or understand each other. But by doing all that it takes, its definitely possible and the rewards are endless.

Now making a $1 million dollars+ is equally as hard. Some may say even harder. Lets look at a professional athlete. From a young age (in most cases), they went through weeks, months and years of strenuous and long hours of workouts, practices, sweat and tears to work on their craft. To become the great players they are, they had to stay focused and work hard to get scholarships (in some cases), go to college, get drafted, and if not, work even harder and never stop getting better to eventually make it to the professional, major league or national level.

Many times its easiest to quit. Just give up. But to make that relationship work and get better or to make that money and achieve your goals, you have to be dedicated and committed. Those that made it to the bright lights were dedicated to being the best. Men and women who have been happily married for 20+ years have worked hard and have happy families because of it.

If a professional athlete chose to not go to work or make plays, they wouldn't get that paycheck. They have the choice. Do you know of athletes being able to call in sick or say they cant make it to practice because they don't feel like it or woke up late or because their child is sick? If you decide to make a bad decision and pretend you aren't married for a day and go cheat on your spouse, there are consequences and your marriage could potentially be over.

Being great at relationships, professions and just being a good person take emotional, physical and mental strength. No one is perfect and at times we lose focus, but as long as the long term goal remains the same and the dedication is in your heart, it can be done. It will be hard but in the end when you have all you've wanted and been working for, it will be well worth it.

Kobe, LeBron, or........

D Wade?


Ok... The ongoing battle in my family is the Kobe debate. Love him or hate him? There is usually a wall up between lovers and haters. One does not understand the others side because the feeling is so strong.


I have never personally been a Lakers fan, but enjoyed the days of Kobe/Shaq Championship greatness. When Kobe and Shaq fell apart, I had to choose a side. I chose to ride with Shaq, and it just so happened that I moved to Miami a couple of years before Shaq went to the Heat. I had already made Miami my home and because I didnt have a favorite NBA team, the Heat filled that void. I would say it was perfect timing because I would attend Heat games simply to enjoy NBA basketball when they drafted this kid named Dwyane Wade.


All of the hype for the 2003 NBA draft was surrounded around LeBron James. LeBron has never disappointed me with his phenomenal dunks and hot crossovers, but he was supposed to do that. After all, he was the #1 draft pick and went to the NBA straight from high school. He is nice!


Kobe and the Lakers were still on the west coast doing their thing. They had their share of ups and downs, but I was happy to be in South Florida, filling my shoes as a new, proud Miami Heat fan. I never watched Wade while he was playing at Marquette. What a pleasant surprise it was the first time I watched him hustle from coast-to-coast. A couple years later they won the 2006 Championship!! It was a beautiful time.


There has been MVP talk surrounding all three of these players. Lets compare:

08-09 Points Per Game Total
1. Dwyane Wade 29.9
2. LeBron James 28.6
3. Kobe Bryant 27.5

Assists
6. Dwyane Wade
7. LeBron James
25. Kobe Bryant

Free Throws
1. LeBron James
2. Dwyane Wade
6. Kobe Bryant

Steals
2. Dwyane Wade 2.23
6. LeBron James
13. Kobe Bryant

Total Efficiency Points
1. LeBron James
2. Dwyane Wade
5. Kobe Bryant


I'm all about an athlete making his team better and being a team player. Who do you think does the best job of that? Granted the Cavaliers and Lakers may have better records than the Heat, but its not due to lack of great effort. One man cannot win the game by himself. Thats just the truth. As individual players, they are each making the game of basketball more exciting to watch and setting a higher standard for future stars to live up to.


Now I would call myself a King James fan. I like his game a lot. I cant take anything away from Kobe, because he is one of the best that has played the game, but don't sleep on D Wade! When I first saw him, I knew he was special and I'm glad I was able to witness this young skillful and powerful player prove himself as many doubted him. Dwyane Wade is my favorite NBA player.


I'm just saying. Am I the only one that has love for D Wade?

How it all started...

Let me introduce myself. My name is Tiffany and one of my passions is sports. While attending FIU, my ultimate goal was to be one of the faces of ESPN. That obviously didnt happen and instead I became a mother, which is rewarding by itself, but I still have that love for sports. What better way to share with the world than writing and sharing my thoughts on a blog!?

So here I am 4 years later, trying to get back on track. Let me tell you now: Im going to give it to you REAL. Here is a little insight into how and why a woman like myself loves the game.

Its funny that I would be one to love sports. Dont get me wrong, its one of the best sources of entertainment, however, I was never the athletic type. I was the high school cheerleader who didnt even take that serious. I played some softball here and there, but was never a dedicated athelete. It all started with watching the football games I was forced to cheer at, and supporting my male friends who played baseball.

It was all fun and games watching my boys play ball. Not really paying much attention, just looking forward to hanging out after. Although it was always exciting to see your peers succeed and do great things on the field (or court), my main objective was usually socially stimulated, which consequently turned into a genuine love for and knowledge of the game of baseball.

Im not one to name drop (you dont know me like that yet), but I am extremely proud of the boys and friends I used to watch over 10 years ago, who are now men who now play professional sports. How exciting! That innocent support and selfish fun was the beginning of a great relationship.

At all times of the year there is some type of sport going on. That means one cant be lonely! Lol. Whether you have all of the friends in the world or are more of a loner, there is always a game on tv or in a city near you. If you go to any game, all or most of the people in that venue have something in common with you. How many times have you gone to a sporting event and became instant friends with those around you because your team is winning!? (High fives for everyone!!!) There arent many things that you can do or places you can go where all kinds of different people can come together no matter their social status, color or religion, and have a common interest and a great time! (Minus rival fans of course, we'll get to that another time.) What a beautiful thing.

My love for baseball turned into a love for basketball, and ultimately football, among other great sports like tennis, golf (or should I say Tiger), beach volleyball, etc. When I know or have met certain athletes, Ill follow them and see how theyre playing. Having that personal connection with people always makes things more exciting, no matter what it is.

Today I would say my favorite sport is football. I will never act like or pretend to know it all in any sport, but you can try me. Lol I can hold my own. Im a sports fan and thats just what it is. I mean, come on, it doesnt hurt that there are some beautiful men playing!! I told you I was gonna keep it real.

Thats me in a nutshell. Im going to give you my perspective on sports, life and maybe even love.

Stay tuned... oh and GO DODGERS!!!!