The Cardinals Ruin Memory of Pat Tillman
The Cardinals are still working out the kinks of their new home, the University of Phoenix Stadium, and an audio glitch in the stadium came at an unfortunate time -- a tribute to Pat Tillman and a ceremony inducting him into their Ring of Honor.
Gary Smith wrote an incredible feature on Tillman back in September, and if you're not familiar with him or the circumstances of his death, and even if you are, you should give it a read. It's very moving, and Smith's research revealed some details about his death that hadn't yet become stories.
What makes Tillman fascinating to me, is that he didn't join the Army Rangers in war because he wanted to kill some terrorist scum, or because he supported Bush, or because he was a fanatical patriot. By all accounts, he didn't really have much of a personal desire to fight, but believed he should go to war because other Americans were there, and because he wasn't any better than them to get the privilege. That, to me, is the sign of character, and the feature is full of stories on Tillman's personal effect on the people he knew and the lengths he would go to for the people that meant something to him. He was also a smart, artistic free-spirit, not something you usually get with a football player who is trained all his life to buy into a mob concept.
But he's still a controversial figure, and many feel a leading man in the administration's war propaganda. Discuss.
