Pat Tillman's Mom is 'Shocked' the ESPY Named for Her Son is Going to a 'Divisive' Prince Harry

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As impossible as this is to believe, Pat Tillman was killed in action in Afghanistan over 20 years ago now. What's even harder to wrap your brain around than the passage of time is how much the world has changed in what feels like the blink of an eye. When Tillman left a lucrative career to join the Army Rangers, it was universally acclaimed as one of the most selfless, patriotic acts any of us had ever seen. And his death was as heroic as it was tragic. One of his nation's best and brightest, apparently cut down in battle as he tried to kill the very people responsible for killing 3,000 of his countrymen on 9/11.

Still, the major part of the changing worldview that's taken place since, is how we perceive the whole story. The 20 years of war in Afghanistan. The war in Iraq that followed. Who was really behind 9/11. Who benefited from all the death and destruction. Even Tillman's death itself, which turned out to be horrific friendly fire incident that the military lied about. 

However, one thing has remained the same throughout. And that is our perception of Tillman. However the people in power have deceived us about how he died, and about the wars on a massive scale, he was still a man of courage, self sacrifice and valor. And he's been honored as such. Commemorated with books, statues, uniform patches, charitable foundations, highways, military bases and USO centers named for him, and so on.

And that list includes the ESPY created in to honor him, the Pat Tillman Service Award. Which last year went to the Buffalo Bills training staff that took heroic measures to save Damar Hamlin's life. A few years before that, it went to Air Force Sgt. Israel Del Toro, who despite severe burns over 80% of his body in an IED explosion, nevertheless became a competitive athlete:

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So good on ESPN for creating this award as a way to honor those who, like the award's namesake, have brought their inspiration, courage and selflessness to the world of sports. Except that this year, Pat Tillman's family has serious, serious issues with their choice of recipient:

Daily Mail - The mother of a US war hero killed in Afghanistan has criticised the decision to give Prince Harry an award honouring her dead son.

Harry will receive the memorial award set up in the name of Pat Tillman – an American football star who gave up a £3million contract to enlist in the US Army after 9/11 – in Hollywood next month.

But the soldier’s mother Mary said she was not consulted, adding: ‘I am shocked as to why they would select such a controversial and divisive individual to receive the award.

There are recipients that are far more fitting. There are individuals working in the veteran community that are doing tremendous things to assist veterans.

‘These individuals do not have the money, resources, connections or privilege that Prince Harry has. I feel that those types of individuals should be recognised.’ …

ESPN said Harry was being honoured for his ‘tireless work in making a positive impact for the veteran community through the power of sport’ with his Invictus Games.

But the decision to honour him has led to a backlash. A petition yesterday demanded ESPN to think again, claiming Harry had been ‘involved in controversies that call into question his suitability to receive an honour of this magnitude’.

A source said: ‘It’s incredibly hurtful that the family had no say in this. Pat Tillman was a unifying force for good. Harry is divisive… There are many unsung heroes who are far more deserving.’

Oh right. I almost forgot one other way the world has changed since Tillman gave his last measure of devotion in a war zone. We worship celebrities a lot more than we did back then. 

To be totally fair to The Artist Formerly Known as Prince Harry, the man deserves tons of credit. He stepped away from the cushiest life imaginable to go pilot helicopters and run toward the danger at the first sign of trouble:

It would be the height of shameful ingratitude for any of us who haven't served to fail to recognize his heroism. Or to fail to appreciate the good the Invictus Games have done. 

But two things can be true at once. He can both have served his country with honor and be getting this award merely because he's a celebrity. I mean, if his name was Harry Prince instead of Prince Harry, there'd be another Israel Del Toro holding that trophy in his wounded hands next month. 

ESPN needs eyeballs on screens for this show, that started out decades ago as fun, mindless sports entertainment. A welcome distraction on one of the only nights on the calendar with no games being played. It was hosted by Bill Murray or Norm MacDonald, in one of his most legendary performances:

But like all awards shows, the ESPYs began to fall in love with the smell of its own gas. It became, in its own estimation, important. Historic, even. All about celebrating its own noble, high-minded, grandiosity. So it was only a matter of time before they'd take an award meant to give credit where it's due to (as the source put it) "unsung heroes," so the world can show our appreciation. And instead give it to someone who's been a sung hero since the moment his celebrity-worshiped mom became pregnant with him.

This guy:

Like I said, it's not my place to criticize Harry's worthiness. Whatever else I think of him for getting cucked by his wife who got him estranged from his own family and dragged him an ocean and a continent away to live in California and bitch about how unfair the world is, his military service deserves respect. But he's walking onto that stage just to draw ratings from the people who for whatever reason aren't completely turned off by his and his wife's insufferable act yet. 

And it's refreshing to hear some of ESPN's most high profile hosts agree:

"A lot of conversation about Pat Tillman’s name. American hero. Now there’s an award named after him, as there should be in the sports world because that is somebody who is the definition of selfless. It’s going to Prince Harry. Who I don’t even think is a prince anymore. See, why does the ESPYs do this shit?

"When you do something like this, you know the immediate reaction from humans and from sports fans and like people with like common sense and brains is going to be like, ‘Hey, don’t be putting our fucking guy with that guy."

But when it's all said and done, it doesn't matter what Pat McAfee and AJ Hawk thinks. Or me. Or you. But the Tillman family ought to get the final say in this. And if they don't want their son's name associated with some ex-Royal, why would anyone?