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The Tragic Death of Football Star Steve McNair is the Focus of a New Netflix Documentary

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The Tragic Death of Football Star Steve McNair is the Focus of a New Netflix Documentary

As a cinephile who has spent countless hours delving into the lives of athletic legends on and off the field, I must say that “Untold: The Murder of Air McNair” is a compelling addition to Netflix’s sports documentary series. This film masterfully weaves together the complex tapestry of Steve McNair‘s life – his extraordinary football career, the tragic circumstances of his death, and the intricate human drama that unfolded behind the scenes.

In this article, I’ll be discussing the fourth season premiere of Netflix’s captivating sports documentary series, Untold. This season delves into the extraordinary life story of NFL legend Steve “Air” McNair, focusing on his tragic murder at the young age of 36 in 2009.

According to TIME’s previous report, McNair had an exceptional 13-year career in the NFL, but unfortunately, it is his tragic death that stands out most in our memories. On July 4, 2009, McNair was found dead in his Nashville apartment along with Sahel “Jenni” Kazemi, a waitress from Dave & Buster’s. The police concluded that the deaths were a murder-suicide carried out by Kazemi.

Rodney Lucas and Taylor Alexander Ward, the directors of “Untold: The Murder of Air McNair,” aimed to create a movie not just focusing on the tragic circumstances surrounding his demise, but also highlighting his remarkable professional journey.

Steve McNair was born in Mount Olive, Mississippi, and showed exceptional talent in multiple sports: basketball, baseball, and track. He played football at Alcorn State University in Lorman, Mississippi, where he broke Division I-AA (now Football Championship Subdivision) records for career passing yards and total offensive yards. This earned him the title of I-AA Player of the Year and a third-place finish in voting for the Heisman Trophy. From 1995 to 2007, McNair played for various NFL teams, including the Houston Oilers, Tennessee Titans, and Baltimore Ravens. In 2000, he led the Titans to the Super Bowl but they unfortunately lost to the St. Louis Rams. However, in 2003, he was awarded the NFL’s Most Valuable Player Award.

According to Lucas, even though Steve was incredibly bright, his death made him no different from any other Black man who was fatally shot. This documentary, however, brings a more personal and empathetic perspective to Steve’s life.

In making their one-hour long documentary, Lucas and Ward were granted access to more than 100 crime scene images and the entire case folders, which were provided by Charles Robinson, the chief detective on the case. One of McNair’s friends, Robert Gaddy, is featured in the film, visibly emotional as he recounts the distressing memory of visiting McNair and discovering him deceased, with blood spattered across his white sneakers. Throughout the documentary, McNair’s previous coaches, teammates from the NFL, and fans share stories highlighting his accomplishments.

So why did Kazemi kill McNair? 

Since she’s no longer alive, it’s uncertain if we’ll ever know the absolute truth, but the movie portrays a character in a deeply vulnerable state. In the film, Robinson states, “I believe things began to deteriorate once Jenny understood that Steve was involved with other women and that she wasn’t his only one.”

McNair was known for his philanthropy and fatherhood, but he was also a man with layers. He strayed from marital faithfulness on multiple occasions, Kazemi being one of many women he was involved with during his life. As Gaddy, a friend, puts it in the movie, “He had an urge he needed to satisfy.”

It is also true that Kazemi was under a lot of financial pressure. A month prior to the incident, she reached out to McNair expressing her fear of a “breakdown” and asked him to deposit $2,000 into her bank account. The documentary reveals that Sonya New, one of Kazemi’s colleagues from Dave & Buster’s, informed authorities the day before the shooting that Kazemi had confided in her about wanting to take her own life.

At just 20 years old, Kazemi faced an untimely end, having experienced numerous heartaches throughout her life. Born in Tehran, Iran, she was only nine when her mother was tragically murdered during a burglary. At the age of thirteen, she embarked on a journey to the United States, settling with an older sister in Jacksonville, Florida. However, she struggled to find social acceptance, eventually leaving school before graduation and moving to Nashville. In Nashville, she found employment at the Dave & Busters frequented by McNair.

Ward aspires that the movie offers a comprehensive portrayal of McNair’s career. In his words, “Our aim is simply to narrate the whole story truthfully and impartially.” He expresses his hope that viewers will perceive McNair beyond his tragic demise, emphasizing, “We don’t want this singular moment to be the only aspect remembered or overshadow other aspects of his life that preceded it.”

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2024-08-20 19:06

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