Prince Harry’s ESPY Award Draws Backlash from Pat Tillman’s Mother
The mother of US hero and former NFL player Pat Tillman has criticized ESPN’s decision to honor Prince Harry with the award named after her son. Pat’s mother, Mary Tillman, expressed her dismay to the Daily Mail, stating, “I am shocked as to why they would select such a controversial and divisive individual to receive the award.” She added, “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 recognized.”
Pat Tillman enlisted in the military after 9/11, giving up his career in the NFL. He died in Afghanistan in 2004 at age 27.
Count the mother of Pat Tillman among the growing number of people who have questioned whether “controversial” Prince Harry deserves an award named in honor of the San Jose-reared NFL star and war hero who was killed in Afghanistan. Mary Tillman said in a statement that she was not consulted by ESPN over its decision to give the estranged son of King Charles III the 2024 Pat Tillman Award for Service at this year’s ESPY Awards. Harry is due to receive the award at a televised July 11 ceremony, which will be hosted by retired tennis star Serena Williams — who happens to be good friends with Harry’s equally divisive wife, Meghan Markle.
“I am shocked as to why they would select such a controversial and divisive individual to receive the award,” Mary Tillman said about Harry in a statement to the Daily Mail. Mary Tillman said she felt that organizers should have opted for a less famous recipient, as has been the case since the award was established in 2004 as a tribute to her son, the 27-year-old Leland High graduate who was killed by friendly fire in Afghanistan in April 2004. The Fremont native starred in football at Arizona State and walked away from a $3.6 million contract with the Arizona Cardinals to enlist in the Army Rangers after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.
Mary Tillman said there are people “far more fitting” for the award, people who “do not have the money, resources, connections or privilege that Prince Harry has.” She said, “I feel that those types of individuals should be recognized.” Harry has not responded to a request for comment from People magazine about Mary Tillman’s statement. But ESPN on Monday defended its choice to give Harry the Tillman Award, issuing a statement that said the network received the support of the Pat Tillman Foundation, which was founded in 2004 to honor the war hero’s legacy.
ESPN earlier said that the Tillman Award is “given to a person with a strong connection to sports who has served others in a way that echoes the legacy of the former NFL player and U.S. Army Ranger.” The network said that Harry was being singled out for his service in the British armed forces, which included two tours of Afghanistan, and his work founding The Invictus Games, an international sporting event for wounded, injured, and sick active-duty service men and women and veterans. “While we understand not everyone will agree with all honorees selected for any award, the Invictus Games Foundation does incredible work and ESPN believes this is a cause worth celebrating,” ESPN’s statement Monday said.
But as Mary Tillman noted, Harry has become a divisive figure in popular culture. He’s loved by many around the world for his decision to step away from royal life and to try and create a life for himself in California as a media mogul, philanthropist, and mental health advocate. But he also has become unpopular in his native U.K., and among many in the United States, who believe that he’s “a grifter” who has been trying to cash in on his royal name by criticizing his father, his brother, and the monarchy in interviews, in a Netflix documentary, and in his memoir “Spare.”
Harry’s decision to accept the Pat Tillman award also was met with scorn by Pat McAfee, ESPN’s own star sports analyst, and by organizers of a petition, who have thus far amassed more than 28,000 signatures in asking ESPN to rethink giving Harry the award. On his show Friday, McAfee asked, “Why (do) the ESPYs do this (expletive)?” He criticized the ESPYs for appearing to pander to Harry, “who I don’t even think is a prince anymore.” “Did (Prince Harry’s) people know like, ‘You publicly put me up for this award. You’re just asking basically every person that considers themselves American and saying ‘this is B.S. …’ Especially at a sports award type of thing. I assume Harry knew that, no?” McAfee continued.
The mother of a US war hero killed in Afghanistan has criticized the decision to give Prince Harry an award honoring 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 recognized.’
The ESPY Awards (Excellence in Sports Performance Yearly) is run by the sports TV network ESPN and the Pat Tillman Award has previously been given to unsung heroes. Last year it went to members of the Buffalo Bills American football team training staff who revived a dying player on the field. ESPN said Harry was being honored 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 honor 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 honor of this magnitude’. It says: ‘Awarding this honor to someone who does not reflect the award’s intent diminishes its value and disrespects Tillman’s memory.’
Pat Tillman was hailed in the US after giving up his lucrative career with the Arizona Cardinals to enlist as an Army Ranger. He served in Iraq and then Afghanistan, where he was killed by friendly fire in 2004. He was awarded the Silver Star and Purple Heart for bravery. One signatory of the petition, Tania Smith, said ‘Pat Tillman embodied service and sacrifice, doing his patriotic duty’ but ‘Harry represents none of these qualities’. She added: ‘He publicly disrespected his family, ran away from service to his country as a royal… He is unworthy of this award.’ 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.’ The prince’s Archewell organization was approached for comment.
A spokesman for ESPN said: ‘ESPN, with the support of the Tillman Foundation, is honoring Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, specifically for the work of The Invictus Games Foundation as it celebrates its 10th year promoting healing through the power of sport for military service members and veterans around the world.’ ‘While we understand not everyone will agree with all honorees selected for any award, The Invictus Games Foundation does incredible work and ESPN believes this is a cause worth celebrating.’
Prince Harry is set to receive the prestigious Pat Tillman Award at the 2024 ESPYs for his service in the British Armed Forces and his work with the Invictus Games Foundation. Despite his achievements, the Duke of Sussex has already been met with criticism for being shortlisted for the award. ESPN’s Pat McAfee recently disapproved of the decision to award Prince Harry, claiming they are trying to “p-ss people off.”
According to the Daily Mail, McAfee criticized the ESPYs for shortlisting Prince Harry amongst the nominees to be honored with the Pat Tillman awards, claiming that the host didn’t do their due diligence in the selection process. “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,” McAfee explained. He went on to acknowledge that the award was “going to Prince Harry,” whom he said he doesn’t “even think is a prince anymore.” He then wondered why the “ESPYs do this sh-t.”
McAfee’s castmate Boston Connor described Harry’s nomination as “probably the most embarrassing thing I’ve seen in my entire life,” as McAfee questioned if the event’s host properly perused its candidate. “When you do something like this, you know the immediate reaction from humans and sports fans and like people with common sense and brains is going to be like ‘Hey, don’t be putting our f—ing guy with that guy,'” he added.
The sports analyst then disclosed what he thinks about the Duke of Sussex, noting that he “doesn’t know anything about him” but for the “South Park episode and what I’ve learned from the Crown.” He also claimed that the show organizers “weren’t necessarily thrilled about” Harry’s nomination for the award before another castmate, TY Schmitt, said the ESPYs awards is just “a gimmick.” “We should celebrate sports,” McAfee continued. “The worldwide leaders should celebrate sport, but doing something like this is obviously trying to p-ss people off. And it’s like there’s been numerous decisions of this type of thing over the last what? Decade?”
Elsewhere on the show, the OAPs quizzed whether or not American veterans were considered for the award, which is given to “a person with a strong connection to sports who has served others in a way that echoes the legacy of the former NFL player and U.S. Army Ranger, Pat Tillman.” “It’s like you couldn’t find an active U.S. military member or someone who can’t serve anymore because of something they did while serving,” Schmitt wondered. “There are probably hundreds if not thousands, of people who they could have found who could have benefitted from this award. But instead, let’s give it to Prince Harry.”
McAfee then suggested that the ESPYs “make up” the award for the Duke of Sussex, saying, “How about it’s like ESPY for a royal family member who doesn’t want to be called ‘royal family member’ who loves sports.”
Harry’s efforts to empower wounded veterans and use sports as a tool for recovery have resulted in his being honored at this year’s ESPYs. A press statement from the network shared that the Duke of Sussex will receive the 2024 Pat Tillman Award for his “tireless work in making a positive impact for the veteran community through the power of sport” on July 11, when the ESPYs air on ABC. The Tillman Award is usually “given to a person with a strong connection to sports who has served others in a way that echoes the legacy of the former NFL player and U.S. Army Ranger, Pat Tillman.” Harry’s Invictus Games Foundation played a major part in his recent honor due to its amazing impact on the lives of war veterans worldwide.
ESPN praised the father-of-two for his Invictus Games foundation, noting that the platform has “transcended borders and impacted lives across every continent” since its inception in 2014. The honor has been given to several people other than sports stars in the past, including Jake Wood in 2018 and Gretchen Evans in 2022. Famous athletes who’ve won it include English footballer Marcus Rashford in 2021 and boxer Kim Clavel in 2020. “It’s our privilege to recognize three incredible individuals – Steve Gleason, Dawn Staley, and Prince Harry,” said Kate Jackson, VP of Production, ESPN. “These honorees have used their platforms to change the world and make it more inclusive for marginalized and suffering communities, demonstrating incredible resilience, positivity, and perseverance, and we’re thrilled to celebrate them at The 2024 ESPYS.”
Source: People, Daily Mail
