Pat Tillman’s mother is ‘shocked’ that the ESPY, named in honor of her son, is intended for a ‘divisive’ Prince Harry

As impossible as it may seem, Pat Tillman was killed in action in Afghanistan over 20 years ago now. What’s even harder to understand than the passage of time is how much the world has changed in 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 acts of patriotism we have ever seen. And his death was as heroic as it was tragic. One of his country’s most brilliant men, apparently felled in battle while attempting to kill the very people responsible for the deaths of 3,000 of his countrymen on 9/11.

Yet much of the shift in worldview that has occurred since then lies in how we view the whole story. The 20-year war in Afghanistan. The war in Iraq that followed. Who was really behind 9/11? Who profited from all the death and destruction. Even Tillman’s death itself, which turned out to be a horrific friendly fire incident that the military lied about.

However, one thing has remained the same since the beginning: our perception of Tillman. Even though the people in power misled us about how he died and about large scale wars, he was still a brave, dedicated and valiant man. And he was honored as such. He has been commemorated with books, statues, uniform patches, charitable foundations, highways, military bases and USO centers named after him, and more.

And that list includes the ESPY Award created in his honor, the Pat Tillman Service Award. Last year, it went to the Buffalo Bills coaching staff who took heroic action to save Damar Hamlin’s life. A few years before that, it went to Air Force Sergeant Israel Del Toro, who despite suffering severe burns to 80 percent of his body from an improvised explosive device, nonetheless became a competitive athlete:

It’s a good thing that ESPN created this award to honor those, like its namesake, who have brought inspiration, courage and selflessness to the world of sports. Except that this year, Pat Tillman’s family has serious problems with the 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 in honour of her late son.

Harry will next month receive the memorial award in Hollywood, created in the name of Pat Tillman – an American football star who walked away from a £3m contract to join the US Army after 9/11.

But the soldier’s mother, Mary, said she had not been consulted, adding: “I am shocked why they chose such a controversial and controversial person to receive this award.”

There are beneficiaries who are much more appropriate. There are people working in the veteran community doing amazing things to help veterans.

“These individuals do not have the money, resources, connections or privileges that Prince Harry has. I think these types of individuals should be recognized. …

ESPN said Harry was being honored for his “tireless work to positively impact the veteran community through the power of sport” with his Invictus Games.

But the decision to honor him provoked a negative reaction. A petition was launched yesterday asking ESPN to reconsider its decision, saying Harry had been “involved in controversies that call into question his suitability to receive an honor of this magnitude.”

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

Oh yeah, that’s right. I almost forgot another way the world has changed since Tillman last showed devotion in a war zone. We worship celebrities much more than we did back then.

To be completely fair to the artist formerly known as Prince Harry, the man deserves a lot of credit. He walked away from the most comfortable life imaginable to pilot helicopters and run toward danger at the first sign of trouble:

It would be the height of shameful ingratitude for any of us who did not serve not to acknowledge his heroism. Or to appreciate the good that the Invictus Games have done.

But two things can be true at the same time. He can both have served his country with honor and receive this award simply because he is a celebrity. If his name were Harry Prince instead of Prince Harry, there would be another Israel Del Toro holding this trophy in his injured hands next month.

ESPN needs people on screens for this show that started decades ago as fun, uninspiring sports entertainment. A welcome distraction on one of the only evenings on the calendar where no matches were being played. It was hosted by Bill Murray or Norm MacDonald, in one of his most legendary performances:

But as with all awards shows, the ESPYs began to fall in love with the smell of their own gas. It became, in their own opinion, important. Historical, even. It’s all about celebrating one’s own nobility, greatness, and greatness of soul. So it was only a matter of time before they took an award meant to honor those who deserve it (as the source says) to “unsung heroes,” so the world could show its appreciation. And instead give it to someone who has been a hero sung about since the moment his celebrity-worshipped mother got pregnant with him.

This guy:

Like I said, it’s not my place to criticize Harry’s worth. Whatever I think of him for getting screwed by his wife who took him away from his own family and dragged him across an ocean and continent to live in California and complain about injustice of the world, his military service deserves respect. But he goes on stage just to get the attention of people who, for some reason, are not yet completely put off by his and his wife’s insufferable act.

And it’s refreshing to hear some of ESPN’s most prominent anchors agree:

“There’s a lot of talk about the name Pat Tillman. American hero. Now there’s an award named after him, as there should be in the world of sports because he’s someone who is the definition of ‘altruism. It goes to Prince Harry. Who I don’t want’ I don’t even think he’s a prince anymore. See, why do the ESPYs do this shit?

“When you do something like that, you know the immediate reaction from humans, sports fans and people with common sense and intelligence is going to be, ‘Hey, don’t put our fucking guy with that guy.'”

But in the end, it doesn’t matter what Pat McAfee and AJ Hawk think. Or me. Or you. But the Tillman family has the final say. And if they don’t want their son’s name associated with a former member of the royal family, why should they?