Say It Ain't So

Sometime last week when I heard about former NFL quarterback Steve McNair being shot to death in a murder/suicide I was unfazed. As cold as that may sound, it's true. Perhaps it's because I had never heard his name before or maybe because I don't follow football- I had no real reaction beyond the initial, "Oh sh*t. That's messed up." Well, this time it's different. On the heels of a whirlwind weekend of traveling and partying (on a boat no less) I felt like I crawled out from under a rock and learned the shocking news about Arturo Gatti. I still can't believe it. This Bug loves herself some boxing. I've been following it since I was a little girl. I can remember sitting on the living room floor while my father and his friends watched Hagler vs. Hearns- the only girl completely absorbed in the match while my sisters remained upstairs totally disinterested.

I made it my business to watch Arturo "Thunder" Gatti whenever he fought. I liked his style. And even though he would cut easily- he was a tough son-of-a-bitch. So tough in fact, that I never expected to hear that he was strangled to death with the strap of a handbag. The details are sketchy but his 23 year old wife is in custody because her story was wishy-washy and they found his blood all over her purse strap. Am I wrong for wondering what type of purse it was? Fendi has some pretty strong straps but so does Gucci. I guess at the end of the day, it matters very little. The most important thing is that a life was cut short by a selfish person who thought only of themselves. In one fell swoop, she has orphaned their child and stolen a precious gift from others. I'm still amazed that this tiny woman was able to overpower someone who knocked people out for a living. But as I've examined before- if a woman is determined, the strength comes from somewhere. We've all heard that a woman scorned has no comparison, but this is just too much.

These men need to wise up. Water seeks it's own level. If these athletes don't realize by now that building a life with a girl almost half their age can be bad for their health- I don't know what else it will take. In Gatti's case- his ex-stripper Brazillian beauty was 14 years his junior; in McNair's it was 17 years. These hot young things have an agenda- and if it goes awry, the worst case scenario can play out for all to see. Worse than any career ending injury or dog fighting scandal. I don't know why exactly, but this one saddens me. I'm reminded of comedian Phil Hartman when I think of McNair. He was killed similarly by his own wife before she turned the gun on herself. When I think of Gatti, I imagine all the events that may have lead to his untimely end in a swank Brazillian resort while on his second honeymoon. Only those two know how many fights and rows acted as a catalyst to his death. Bottomline: The ones who have no say are most deeply affected by these violent actions. Suffer the children; a tragic end to an unlovely tale.