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April 24, 2004
REST IN PEACE, PAT
As you all know by now, former Arizona Cardinals star Pat Tillman, who walked away from a multi-million dollar NFL career to become an Army Ranger in the aftermath of 9/11, was killed in action on Thursday in Afghanistan. He was 27.
Pat Tillman walked away from a $3.6 million dollar contract with the Cardinals, because he felt that he needed to do something after the attacks on America. It wasn't something he did for attention or as an empty gesture. In fact, he never granted a single interview about his decision; he refused all media attention once in the military, and wanted nothing more than to be treated the same as his fellow Rangers.
This week, he joined the too-long list of Rangers who have given their lives in America's service. Pat Tillman's death was no more tragic than any of these deaths, nor those of any American service member in this or any other war. And the last thing Pat Tillman would have wanted, I suspect, given what we know of his character and the humility with which he treated his choice, is to be singled out in death for something he wished anonymity for in life. So let it be his military legacy, then, that he was a good soldier, a hero who died fighting for his country as so many Rangers before him, no more and no less than any of his fellow soldiers. If that is how he wanted it, then let us honor that wish.
But let his legacy as an athlete be much more than this. Let Pat Tillman serve, to this and future generations of athletes, of what heroism really is -- and of the humility with which an athlete ought to carry him or herself.
So often when we talk about sports, we use terms like "warrior," "battle," and others that liken sporting contests to combat. Oh yeah, and we use "hero" all the time. But there isn't a single accomplishment, not a career's achievement, not any superhuman moment in sports -- no matter how impressive they may be -- that compares. Least of all in today's age, when professional athletes have become self-segregated from the rest of society, and in an era where individual athletes many times prefer self-glorification to team success or to setting an example.
See, when I think of heroes from the sports world, I don't think of the trouble-flouting, above-the-rules types like Ray Lewis. I don't think of the self-centered, all-about-me types like Barry Bonds, Allen Iverson, or Randy Moss. I don't even think of the classier athletes out there, like a Nomar Garciaparra or a Derek Jeter, a Kevin Garnett or a Tom Brady. I just think of the Tillman brothers. (Pat's brother Kevin also walked away from a promising baseball career with the Cleveland Indians to join the military.)
Not only did Pat Tillman choose to put himself in harm's way in defense of our nation; he turned down more money than most Americans see in their lifetimes to do so. That's a sacrifice few can understand, and even fewer of those with that kind of money would ever make.
Compare that with whiny little babies like Eli Manning, whose daddy apparently forgot that playing in the NFL -- for any team -- is a privilege and a dream that most little boys never even have the chance for... so he basically blackmailed San Diego into trading his son to New York. Compare it to Alex Rodriguez, who loves each and every one of his $252 million dollars and who has placed himself over his team in every city he's ever played. Compare it to Allen Iverson, who has run three coaches out of town because he doesn't want to take orders from anyone and has famously railed angrily about his being asked to show up for practice. Compare it to Randy Moss, who says he only plays hard when he feels like it and no one can make him do otherwise. Compare it to the NFL players who thump their chests with every five yard gain -- even when their team needed eight yards. Compare it with Barry Bonds, whose me-first attitude, likely steroid abuse and general acknowledgement as just a bad person have kept the public from embracing what should have been a monumental set of achievements.
Pat Tillman was part of a proud legacy as a member of the US Army Rangers. He is part of a similarly proud legacy in American sports -- those players who answered when their country called, even at the expense of their athletic careers. All the attention focused on Bonds breaking Willie Mays' mark of 660 obscured the fact that had Mays not lost most of the 1952 and all of the 1953 seasons while serving in Korea, he would not only have hit more than 660, he more than likely would have been the one to pass Babe Ruth's record.
The further truth is, Mays may have become the most prolific home run hitter in baseball history, but if not for the five seasons at the peak of his career that Ted Williams gave his country during World War II and Korea, it may well have been his home run record and not Babe Ruth's that Mays might have broken.
In an age of excess, greed, and self-glorification, it had felt and seemed like such selflessness was forever removed from sports and from athletes. But then came Pat Tillman. And he reminded us of what heroes truly our made of. Eli Manning, Terrell Owens, Randy Moss, Barry Bonds, Shawn Kemp, Allen Iverson, Alex Rodriguez and all the others should feel humbled -- and unworthy -- to be mentioned in the same breath simply because they shared athletic skill. Not one of them has the guts and heart that Pat Tillman had.
I'm thrilled to read that the Cardinals will retire Tillman's number, and will be naming the plaza outside their new stadium the Pat Tillman Freedom Memorial Plaza. It's a fitting memorial to his tremendous courage, and will serve as a reminder to players and fans alike of who the true heroes are.
Thank you, Mr. Tillman.
