Never Forget Pat Tillman
So much of life is fleeting. We quibble about corrupt politicians and stimulus bills.
Yes they are worth discussing, but they will not be remembered in 20 years, especially not the former.
Even the Super Bowl between the Arizona Cardinals and Pittsburgh Steelers, will not be remembered forever. Yes, statistics will be kept. However, when Super Bowl 256 (whatever that is in Roman Numerals) is being played, few people will be reminiscing about Super Bowl 43 (XLIII).
Yet one of the most special men to ever play in the National Football League will…and should…be remembered forever.
Pat Tillman will never be forgotten. His legacy surpasses anything that has ever happened in the game of football. For an NFL junkie like myself, that says a lot.
For those who do not know, Pat Tillman was inspirational on so many different levels.
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/sports/justice/6235783.html
http://www.pattillmanfoundation.org/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pat_Tillman
First he was told he was too small to play in the NFL. The Cardinals drafted him out of Arizona State as a favorite son. The Cardinals have long been one of the worst franchises in all of professional sports. He was not even deemed good enough to start for them. With determination and grit, he cracked the starting lineup and outplayed players that were bigger than he was. Football is not just brawn. It involves smarts, and Tillman possessed smarts in abundance.
His second admirable trait was loyalty to his football team. He was offered a 5 year, 9 million dollar contract from the St. Louis Rams. At the time they were the best team in football. The offer was a 50% raise over what the Cardinals were offering. He turned down significantly more money from the best team in the league to stay with the worst team in the league. He felt a loyalty towards the only team willing to take a chance on him when he first came out of college. He wanted to help build them into winners.
Yet while the Cardinals lost many football games, Pat Tillman never lost perspective. On September 11th, 2001, many people had their perspective on everything life change. Pat Tillman, like many Americans, wanted to do more. He needed to do more. Playing football for the Cardinals was not enough.
His third and most admirable quality was a patriotism that ran so deep that most people cannot fathom what was inside of him. He turned down a 3 year, 3.6 million dollar offer from the Cardinals to take an $18,000 a year position as an Army Ranger. To be more specific, he was a Green Beret. He was deployed to Iraq, and then to Afghanistan.
He promised Dave McGinnis, the coach of the Cardinals at the time, that in 3 years he would be back in the NFL. McGinnis promised Tillman that upon his return, there would be a roster spot waiting for him on whatever team McGinnis was coaching.
That opportunity never came. Pat Tillman never came home. He was killed in Afghanistan.
Some will try to tarnish his legacy by daring to mention that because his death was the result of friendly fire, his life was any less heroic. That is a line of thought that no decent person should go near.
Some may want to criticize the Army for initially refusing to reveal the circumstances that resulted in his death. That has nothing to do with Pat Tillman. Many people say that they opposed certain missions, but honor and support the troops.
Then honor Pat Tillman. Do not let feelings regarding the mission, or the military, or the government that gave the orders (all of which I still staunchly support) affect the fact that Tillman gave his life for the country he loved. A finer quality does not exist.
Like many who serve our nation, Pat Tillman did not live to see that his death was not in vain. He did not live to see that places of the world were better for his being there. He made the world a better place.
He also never lived to see what would become of the Cardinals. They are playing in their first ever Super Bowl. Only two players remain from Tillman’s final season. For them, there will be a special added incentive to playing in this game.
Logic and statistics say that the Steelers should win this game. Everything I have ever been told about football…everything I have ever observed about football…has the Cardinals losing.
Yet this is no normal season. Anything can…and has…happened.
Before the kickoff, the jets will fly overhead. American flags will fly high and proud. A vision may appear of a football player with long blond hair flowing in the wind, a true throwback that respected the game of football.
I want the Cardinals to win.
If they do, the owner had better spend the money and purchase one extra Super Bowl ring. It can be given to his wife.
Given is the wrong word. Pat Tillman earned it.
No matter what happens on Sunday in this game, in the game of life, Pat Tillman was a champion.
May God Bless him and his loved ones always.
eric
January 30th, 2009 at 3:35 pm
Heres to ya Pat.
January 30th, 2009 at 8:10 pm
In remembering Tillman, we should also remember sone very unique things about him. He was quite a guy. Very bright and highly literate, he was known to be non-religious, very liberal politically, while at the same time very patriotic, even militantly so. It just goes to show - you can love your country, and at the same time think Bush, religion and the war in Iraq are all idiotic.
And if you’re going to honor his memory, it would be negligent to forget just how the military used his untimely death so dishonorably. Tillman was a man of honesty and integrity, a man who gave himelf for the country he loved to a military who just wanted a poster boy. I wonder of Tillman would have even signed up had he known the military would be so thoughtlessly selfish with his honor, let alone that Bush planned on using 9/11 to cynically and for dubious motives invade Iraq.
I’m glad to see pro-Bush, pro-war, conservatives and necons honor the memory of Pat Tillman, but I don;t think they really know what they’re honoring, and I wonder just how selective and cynical that honoring really is.
JMJ
January 30th, 2009 at 9:04 pm
Jersey.
You just had to go and use the thread to make a politicam statement ON YOUR BEHALF , didnt you ?
If he thought Bush was such an didot like you do he never would of gone anywhere.
If Pat knew this or that and bla bla bla all based on your hateful perceptions ?
” I wonder of Tillman would have even signed up had he known the military would be so thoughtlessly selfish with his honor, let alone that Bush planned on using 9/11 to cynically and for dubious motives invade Iraq.”
Thats like saying if I knew you were going to be my son I would of talked my wife into having an abortion. Plain stupid.
And then theres this hypocrital piece of work.
“but I don;t think they really know what they’re honoring, and I wonder just how selective and cynical that honoring really is.”
This coming from someone who thinks our soldiers were idiots, not all that educated,doing the wrong thing for the wrong man for the wrong reasons.
But hey ! We support you.
Get down off your soap box man, you’re not fooling anyone.
January 30th, 2009 at 9:58 pm
I’m just saying, Micky, that Pat Tillman is more than just the guy who gave up a lucrative NFL career to fight for his country. If you’re going to honor his memory, you should at least remember him - who he was, that was was more than just the sum of what parts you choose to recall. For a little while, Tillman was a darling of the Right, a war hero fighting the GWOT for the flag and all that. When it was discovered that he was not a conservative, not religious, not a fan of Bush or the war in Iraq, these fair weather friends on the Right either forgot about him, or chose only to honor one particular aspect of his life and not the whole man, at least by ommission. Worse yet, some of these folks simply deny what Tillman’s family and friends have reported about him and choose to imagine Tillman as one of their own - a conservative, a flag-waving, love it or leave it, pro-Bush, pro-Iraq War, Righty. All evidence is to the contrary, but evidence means nothing to an ideologue - unless it supports their preconceptions. When it does not, they deny it, ignore it, or make specious arguments to circumvent it. I mean, if you believe God made the Earth in 6 days, or that America is and always was nothing less than God’s chosen force for good in the world, or that the Iraq War was just and righteous, you’ll believe anything you want, no matter how unreal it is.
Tillman apparently wasn’t like that. He was a smart, eductaed, honest, selfless, honorable, patriotic man. A rare thing indeed. He should be remembered for that more than anything else. To make him a poster boy for the GWOT, if you ask me, is rather despicable.
JMJ
January 30th, 2009 at 10:54 pm
Tillman was a patriot, pure and simple - our country would be in much better shape if there were more like him. Our education system, which does not teach American exceptionalism, needs to be reconfigured.
January 30th, 2009 at 10:57 pm
“I’m just saying, Micky,”
No, you’re not “just saying”
Did you even read your last post ?
Your second sentence had to go right to his political leaning.
If you’re so hell bent on honoring the man for his service then you should of just left it at that. But instead you immediatley went into his political leaning before anything which of course had to be followed by your deranged obligation to bash Bush;
“and at the same time think Bush, religion and the war in Iraq are all idiotic.”
So no !
You werent “just saying”
What would it look like if I went a long diatribe doubting his patriotism because Tillman had a meeting with Naom Chomsky ‘ HUH ?
But no, I left it alone.
“When it does not, they deny it, ignore it, or make specious arguments to circumvent it.”
Well, lets see you prove that he despised Bush.
I know for a fact he thought the Iraq war was illegal, but he thought Bush was an idiot , right ?
So tell me, why did he volunteer for Afghanistan ?
He obviously did not think Bush was as big an idiot as you assert him to of thought so.
He did seem to make it to Afghanistan the front and center of the GWOT and fight the same war that Bush believed in , so for you to say making him the poster child for fighting a war he believed in is dispicable is just more of you BS partisan crap oozing out your mouth.
And if you really want to get into it Tillmans thought the Iraq war was illegal which is just wrong as this case has been brought up time and time again only to be proven not true.
WISE UP !
You have absolutely no class whatsoever.
You make me sick using this thread as an opportunity just to spread your bile.
Respect the troops.
Yea right.
And do me a favor /
Loose the christinan bashing by saying we believe the earth was made in 6 days.
it just makes you look dumber.
“you’ll believe anything you want, no matter how unreal it is.”
Yea, Global warming didnt pan out so well since every winter had GOTTEN COLDER so now its called “Climate change” (in case it gets any cooler)
You got you nerve talking out chera$$ like that man.
I could round up all the threads where Ive chewed you and your BS up with real facts and spit it out but liberals have such low respect for themselves it wouldnt bother you the least to see what a liar and fake you are.
January 31st, 2009 at 12:50 am
Ah, good ol’ “American exceptionalism.” America’s very own version of the Master Race.
Micky, I think Eric’s post about Tillman was pretty thoughful. And I wasn’t assuming what you personally make of his story. I was just commenting on how many on the Right use Tillman as a poster boy for the GWOT. In a way, though, he is. He’s a monument to lies and distortions, the cynical colonial power grab that is the GWOT.
And what’s wrong with Chomsky? How is meeting with Chomsky unpatriotic? What kind of American would even think such a thing? America is supposed to be all about freedom to speak, to meet, to write, to assemble, to dissend. Since when is meeting someone with a certain opinion unAmerican?
I don’t know if Tillman thought the Iraq war was “illegal,” which as far as I know it was not. The congress gave Bush the authority, so that’s that. It’s not really a “war,” as that would take an act of declaration, but whatever it is, it’s legal. What’s illegal, perhaps, is how we got into it, the lies and such. Even the military’s reporting of Tillman’s demise was illegal, but these days military brass are above the law. They just put it all on subordinates. Punk cowards, those brass have become. The military could use a lot more Tillmans, if you ask me.
JMJ
January 31st, 2009 at 1:23 am
“I was just commenting on how many on the Right use Tillman as a poster boy for the GWOT. ”
No you werent.
I already pointed out how this is a lie.
“And what’s wrong with Chomsky? ”
I view him as Anti American. And out of respect will not elaborate Tillmans view of him on this thread.
“the cynical colonial power grab that is the GWOT.”
More hysteria, what power did we gain over anyone ?
“What’s illegal, perhaps, is how we got into it, the lies and such.”
Yea, and 911 was set up by Bush.
” don’t know if Tillman thought the Iraq war was “illegal,” which as far as I know it was not.”
Well, I know. Its the first thing he told his brother when the war was launched.
The GWOT is real and exists.
However, the GWOW does not.
(global war on weather)
Whatever Jersey.
Just more of your asinine crap that really does nothing but make you look more like the fool that you are.
You get nailed and then come up with all these lame BS backpeddles.
You really need to start drinking agian or something, get your game back. Its been really stupid lately
You selfishly used the post to push your agenda of hate.
And from one man to another.
I know you think anyone, even our troops who dont think like you, are idiots.
You’ve said it before about civilians, but forgot to remember that there are troops who feel the same way.
You cant honestly support someone when what you feel they are doing is wrong, stupid, based on lies, and following the orders of an idiot.
These guys risked their lives by volunteering and thats what you say about them.
But right away when just one of them turns up a high profile of disagreeing with Bush you get all lit up and praise him becuse its one of the few soldiers you could find to support your views of hate.
Or at least think so.
You still havent proved that Tillman thought Bush, religion and the war in Iraq are all idiotic.
You basically just made that up.
Didnt you ?
He disagreed with the war. He never said it was idiotic.
I never heard him or anyone say they heard him say Bush was an idiot.
he did support the GWOT. Thats why he went to Afghanistan.
So, was Tillman as musguidedas the rst of us and Bush who believe in the GWOT ?
And he was “not” religious, but never said religion was idiotic , now did he ?
See, there you go again.
Back to nothing.
January 31st, 2009 at 12:46 pm
Pat Tillman, America’s greatest un-sung hero, may his chariot of patriotism be filled with his likeness.
Norm
January 31st, 2009 at 1:39 pm
Tillman was apparently a smart guy, Micky. That’s what I’ve read. Smart guys avoid religion, dumb wars, and anti-intellectual presidents like the plague. Tillman gave up a lucrative career and signed up to fight in Afghanistan - you know, the place that actually had something to do with 9/11, as opposed to Iraq which had nothing whatsoever to do with 9/11 - and for that he should be considered a heroic figure. Smart heroes are hard to come by. Smart people tend to avoid danger. But Tillman had that rare combination of head and heart, both big and open. All I’m saying is that if you’re going to memorialize him, you should do it honestly and include everything about him - not just the things you happen to like.
JMJ
January 31st, 2009 at 4:44 pm
Smart guys avoid religion, dumb wars, and anti-intellectual presidents like the plague”
yea right.
That in itself is a reflection of the stupidity that can reside within an atheist mind when any 10 year old could google up a list of highly intelligent and educated Christians that would make that’s statement look like it came out of a complete idiots mouth.
Not only is it not a fact but as an opinion it shows incredible ignorance that I’ve never seen matched by anything yet.
” you know, the place that actually had something to do with 9/11,”
Which only re affirms my point that you look pretty dumb and hypocritical when you say that the GWOT is a joke yet the actions of the man you are praising go directly against the grain of your ridiculous claim seeing as how he choose to fight that war believing its no joke at all.
Which is it Jersey ?
Is Tillman an idiot for choosing to be a part of the fight on global terror or is he highly regarded for choosing to help Bush in his GWOT ???
“as opposed to Iraq which had nothing whatsoever to do with 9/11 -”
Yea, its been made evident that you are clueless as to the need for such a strategy.
Anyone with half a brain can see what our reasons are for being there but are just too proud to embarrass themselves by admitting it took so long to figure it out.
First it was “blood for oil”, then it was “colonization” then it was” to feed contractors”.
Turns out none of that was true and just reactions coming from mindless puppets of the left hooked on moonbat diatribes.
And actually it was 911 that brought about the cautionary principle that we were not going to wait for perceived attacks to get a jump on us.
No WMD’s ? So what ?
Saddam still gave every indication that he wanted to hurt America, he even said it was one of his goals.
” and for that he should be considered a heroic figure. ”
Only for the stupid reasons you come up with that are based on a hatred for a man that is just as much a hero if not more.
If Tillman were a conservative who had the reasoning of Eric and I you wouldn’t give him a second thought since it would do nothing to help you project your hatred for Bush.
“Smart people tend to avoid danger. ”
Even smarter people deal with it before it becomes to big to avoid.
But who would expect a liberal to understand that ?
Liberals always like to come in after the damage is done and do their second guessing and whining saying “if you just let us kiss their a$$es some more this never would of happened.
“All I’m saying is that if you’re going to memorialize him, you should do it honestly and include everything about him - not just the things you happen to like.”
Once again, its the dumbest thing in the world to say that after all the other crap you said on this thread.
of course its not all you’re saying.
You’re saying that Pat Tillmans beliefs and actions justify your hatred for Bush.
That’s what you came out the gate saying and did not give him the credit right away until had your crap spewed out first.
My first post is an excellent example of “just” and “only” saying one thing that goes straight and only to the heart of the matter.
“Here’s to ya Pat”
See that ? HUH ?
That didn’t have a bunch of crap attached to it that reflected my opinions on his meeting with Chaomsky or that it links him to delusional anti American moonbats.
You must be a lot of fun during eulogies
That kind of testimonial is basically what this post is.
But like a shameless jerk who’s main interest is hate you couldn’t help yourself and just had to slip in the BDS crap.
If you think that conservatives paint all fallen heroes as rah rah republicans then your just as guilty of the generalizations you accuse us of promoting.
Its too late so I might as well toss in my two cents worth.
I know Eric likes the guy for his choices in his football career by taking the lesser contract and his loyalty.
I myself as a capitalist think it was dumb move.
I’ve done some research and there’s no doubt Tillman had democratic opinions but I do doubt some of the things his parents said in response to the military’s spin/cover up on the story.
Even though you claim that I memorialize him only for the things I like the fact of the matter is that when a trooper goes down his political leanings are the last thing on my mind.
The only and first thing that comes to my mind is greatness.
And I usually leave it at that and don’t cheapen his service by using his sacrifice as a pulpit for garbage like you do.