Even when we've become immune to scandals and crises in sports, the Steve McNair killing made you stop everything on the Fourth of July -- hot dogs, fireworks, beer -- and wonder how in the hell did he get caught up in such a tragedy.

This is one of the most grisly cases of in the all too-too-common drama, CSI:NFL.

McNair, 36, and his girlfriend, Sahel Kazemi, 20, were both found covered in blood inside McNair's condo in Nashville on Saturday, victims of gunshot wounds. She worked as a waitress at a restaurant visited by McNair, his wife and their four sons. McNair and the girlfriend often hung out at his rented condo and her apartment. Sometimes, she would arrive home in a limousine, and not long ago, her personal vehicle of choice shifted from a Kia to a black 2007 Cadillac Escalade.

McNair had the reputation of being a family man, charity prince, pillar of the Bible Belt community of Nashville since he arrived in 1997, a quarterback who helped stabilize a franchise that had moved from Houston.

Was a lover's quarrel involved in his death? "That's a very important part of the investigation as we work to ultimately classify Miss Kazemi's death," said Don Aaron, Nashville police spokesman.

Police found a semi-automatic pistol under her body and she had one gunshot wound in the side of her head. McNair was shot four times. Was it a double homicide? A murder-suicide?

Kazemi's sister said she couldn't have pulled the trigger. "She was a young girl who had so many dreams that never came true," Sepideh told The Tennessean. "She would never kill anyone, ever. Or anything".

The NashvillePost.com reported that a woman recently accused McNair of giving her a "roofie" a year ago, and that the woman's boyfriend would kill McNair in retaliation. Roofie is a slang term for a fairly infamous date-rape drug.

McNair was recruited by LSU, Ole Miss, Mississippi State and Auburn while he was quarterbacking tiny Mount Olive High. They wanted him as a defensive back, but McNair wanted to continue as a quarterback and signed with Alcorn State.

He was considered in the NFL as a tough guy quarterback and black pioneer who rallied the Titans to within a yard of a Super Bowl championship in 2000. He absorbed so many hits with his in-the-pocket fearlessness and running prowess that pain became his regular companion. He was known for his leadership and being able to survive”.  That's why people were stunned by his death. They thought he could live forever.

McNair had a home in Hattiesburg and his son was catching footballs from Brett Favre when Brett was testing his throwing arm weeks ago. McNair and Favre were hunting pals.

McNair shared the NFL's MVP award with Peyton Manning. McNair's NFL career spanned 13 years with Houston, Tennessee and Baltimore,

"Steve McNair was one of the greatest competitors I've ever played against," said Manning. "I'll always remember playing against him.

"Many of our defensive players (Colts) always talked about what a huge challenge it was having to play against him, He and I had some great battles against each other.

"Sharing the NFL MVP honor with him was special because of what a great football player he was. I'm truly going to miss him."

"Steve stayed humble," Cardell Jones, Alcorn State's coach during McNair's career, told the Clarion Ledger. "He never forgot where he came from. He would always come back to do things in the community. He'd visit my wife's day care in Jackson. He'd take time to sign autographs and take pictures with the kids. He could have been doing a lot of other things.

"I was very happy Steve decided to retire because he'd already had a very good career. He'd undergone so many surgeries and so forth. The human body can only take so much.
I wanted him to be able to enjoy life after football."

Mike Weathers, who coached McNair at Mount Olive, got together with his former player last year at a video shoot for NFL Films at McNair's childhood home in Covington County.

"Steve was the same guy," said Weathers. "He never tried to be be above anybody. He always remembered where who he was and where he came from."

A public memorial will be on Thursday for McNair in Mount Zion Baptist Chuck in Whites Creek, Tenn. McNair’s funeral will be held in Hattiesburg most likely on Saturday.

Transparency is believed by only the naive.

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Contact Ed Staton at edcoachstaton@yahoo.com.