Thousands Attend Memorial Service For Steve McNair
Posted by Media Outrage on July 10, 2009
Yesterday thousands piled into Mount Baptist Church in Tennessee for Steve McNair’s memorial service. Video footage after the jump
Via Eurweb:
*A three-hour visitation for slain ex-NFL quarterback Steve McNair was held Thursday in Tennessee at the Mount Zion Baptist Church as well as a memorial service later in the evening.
Some fans attending the service wore their Tennessee Titans to view the closed silvery-gray casket topped with white lilies next to a portrait of the former Titans star. A helicopter provided live TV footage as McNair’s body was taken by hearse to his church for a memorial service Thursday night.
Titans owner Bud Adams, Tennessee Gov. Phil Bredesen, and many of McNair’s current and former teammates attended the memorial service. Derrick Mason, who played with McNair in both Tennessee and Baltimore spoke along with Titans coach Jeff Fisher.
Also present was McNair’s wife, Mechelle, who later left wearing sunglasses. Bishop Joseph W. Walker III, McNair’s pastor and close friend called her an amazing woman.”You have inspired us all to endure hardship as a good soldier,” he said.
It was her first public appearance since her husband died, and press photographers were asked not to take pictures of her or other family members.
Earlier at the visitation, many people were disappointed that McNair’s casket was closed. Among them was Jackie Smith.
“I wanted to view him — I didn’t want to view a casket. I think everybody expected to see him,” said Smith, who stopped by before going to work at the U.S. Postal Service.
Smith described herself as a Pittsburgh Steelers fan, “but I enjoyed that Air McNair.” She said the reality of McNair’s death finally kicked in yesterday when she saw his obituary in the newspaper, “but still I’d prefer to view the body to have some closure.”
Approximately 4,500 filled the church sanctuary for the memorial service, and church officials had overflow areas with a handful of people there.
The Titans estimated approximately 9,000 people had visited LP Field, where fans could reminisce about his career, between Wednesday and midday Thursday. A couple of radio stations were broadcasting from the stadium where the shop had sold out all of its McNair merchandise except for a few children’s shirts.
Video below:
July 10, 2009 at 3:06 pm
oh well , how should i feel! sorry but i dont feel nothing, may god have mercy upon his soul
July 10, 2009 at 4:20 pm
I feel for his kids because their pop played off the field more than one the field.
July 10, 2009 at 4:45 pm
As a player on the field, you’d think he would know something about ’safety’ and jumping expecially ‘jump-off’.
As a player off the field, he used his ‘head’ more than his brain and it cost him dearly…deadly.
July 10, 2009 at 5:19 pm
I applaud his wife for showing up. I would have sent the children with his mother to the memorial and went shopping with his money.
July 10, 2009 at 5:24 pm
Never put to much stock in athletes,or entertainers. They are walking STDs. With ass thrown at them from all around how can they be faithful?
I love sports, but that’s about it. Give me a man with dirt under his nails everyday. I can clean his ass up.
July 10, 2009 at 5:45 pm
usually when folks are shot twice in the head, viewing is not possible. Not good for the kids either….so sad…so incredibly sad….
July 10, 2009 at 6:30 pm
SO SAD I WATCHED HIM WHEN HE PLAYED COLLEGE FOOTBALL FOR ALCORN
STATE. HE WAS VERY GOOD, MY PRAYERS GO OUT TO THE ENTIRE FAMILY.
July 10, 2009 at 6:34 pm
@ Michelle – I was thinking the same thing. No open casket for this player at all!
July 10, 2009 at 6:51 pm
If I was his wife…I wouldn’t have shown up and I would have had a big ass party! Why cry over a man that couldn’t be faithful to you? I would change my last name on the quickest too, cash in on all the life support and pension….and last but not least…get a dog to piss on his grave!
I don’t feel sorry for this clown one bit. This is what ya’ll sell out men get. Stay your behinds at home and take care of your wife and kids instead of running around with white/arab women!
July 10, 2009 at 6:53 pm
I wouldn’t even had wasted the money on such a good casket. I would have made sure his but got buried in a pine box and have them lower him down in wet cemet.
July 10, 2009 at 7:09 pm
Even though Y’all
@ the husband, please remember that their are KIDS involved. Kids will grow up and say “remember what mommy did to daddy” and they will RESENT you.
Just Like with MJ, it doesn’t matter what they did in THIS LIFE, respect should be shown,especially to the dead.
R.I.P Yute’
July 10, 2009 at 7:47 pm
butt*
July 10, 2009 at 10:43 pm
I hate he’s dead but I don’t feel sorry for him. His 4 boys and wife on the other hand, it hurts my soul that they had to lose him to stupidity. She’s a widow now and his children are fatherless. And all behind some pussy.
My condolences to them and the rest of his family.
Also, depending on the type of damage the 2 gunshot wounds did to his head/face, it could have still been an open casket. My best friend’s dad shot himself in the head and he had an open casket funeral. I guess it depends on how good the funeral home can cover it up. Because we saw it before hand. But when it came time to view him in the casket, you couldn’t tell.
July 11, 2009 at 12:06 am
I will not say anything bad about that man, but it was a HUGE mistake letting another woman intrude in his marriage. It just sucks that he had to reap what he sowed w/ death. I can’t even think or imagine how his wife feels. How can you grieve and be angry at the same time??? His wife & kids have to suffer because of his infidelities. SMH
July 11, 2009 at 8:26 pm
Such a tragic end… condolences to the family.