CatnipOligarchy Posted April 30, 2004 Share Posted April 30, 2004 Tillman promoted posthumously by Army April 29, 2004 SportsLine.com wire reports PHOENIX -- Pat Tillman was promoted posthumously from specialist to corporal after the former NFL player was killed while serving as an Army Ranger in Afghanistan. "The Army always notes that rank and promotion are not a reward of what was done well, but a recognition that you have the potential to do more," Army spokeswoman Martha Rudd said Thursday. "This promotion is essentially saying this he would have been a fine leader." Tillman, who walked away from a three-year, $3.6 million contract offer from the Arizona Cardinals to join the Army in 2002, was killed April 22 when the Army patrol was ambushed near the Afghan-Pakistani border. full article - http://www.sportsline.com/nfl/story/7293302 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laughing-Man Posted April 30, 2004 Share Posted April 30, 2004 He definitely deserves this military honor. I was reading this article today: Link. It got me so ****ed that I wanted to kick this kid's @$$. I cannot believe that someone would actually say that. However I really like the Sports Illustrated cover honoring him. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
.... Posted April 30, 2004 Share Posted April 30, 2004 full article - http://www.sportsline.com/nfl/story/7293302 Hmm..that's weird.....in the SI column, it said he was a Sergeant. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
threetonesun Posted April 30, 2004 Share Posted April 30, 2004 I was reading this article today: Link. It got me so ****ed that I wanted to kick this kid's @$$. I cannot believe that someone would actually say that. However I really like the Sports Illustrated cover honoring him. Why? He's somehow different because he gave up a career as a pro football player than everyone else who gives up their lives overseas? Sorry, I'll stay out of this, I'm still in the "he should have just been a damn football player" camp. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
axis Posted April 30, 2004 Share Posted April 30, 2004 The SI article about him was ****ing amazing, he said the greatest sports quote I think I have ever read. He solidifies what an athlete should be. Pat Tillman said this to SI reporter Tim Layden after recieving his defensive player of the year award his senior year at ASU... "Dude, I'm proud of the things I've done, my schoolwork--because I'm not smart, I just worked hard--and this award, but it doesn't do me any good to be proud. It's better to just force myself to be naive about things, because otherwise I'll start being happy with myself, and then I'll stand still, and then I'm old news" Reading the whole thing almost made me cry. We only hear about the bad in sports and never about the good until it becomes a tradgedy. Alot of people became angry and said this and that when 9/11 happened. They all came to the reality that they were all talk, Pat Tillman backed it up. Fighting cancer or coming back from an injury is not couragous, it is expected, we should stop galvanizing people like Lance Armstrong and praise like Pat Tillman. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheFlusher Posted April 30, 2004 Share Posted April 30, 2004 pat tillman isnt rambo, that kid is full of himself...he doesnt realize how much pat tillman has given up, family, and football..one thing that makes me wonder..he got married then few weeks later he joined to fight in the war. thats alot... not sure if that was credible source but i saw that somewhere... good honors to him and all the others atheletes, if in similiar situation like this.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laughing-Man Posted April 30, 2004 Share Posted April 30, 2004 Why? He's somehow different because he gave up a career as a pro football player than everyone else who gives up their lives overseas? What makes him special is that how many celebs, atheletes, or anyone else who has millions and the bling bling would give it all up and go to another country to put their lives on the line? He gave up the easy life for his country, that is what makes him different. How many people if they were put in the same financial situation as him would give it up to fight for their country? Would you give up that much money and fight in a war instead with the possible risk of dying? Chances are great that I would not do the same thing if I was put in his position and I am sure a lot of others would do the same. I am not saying he is better then all the soldiers and deserves to be recognized more then other fallen soldeirs, but he shows that there is more to life then just money. :yes: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
threetonesun Posted April 30, 2004 Share Posted April 30, 2004 Would you give up that much money and fight in a war instead with the possible risk of dying? No, I agree with you on that. I think it's just a shame him giving up lots of money and a family is somehow greater than a poor guy with a family giving up his life in service. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Toxikk Veteran Posted April 30, 2004 Veteran Share Posted April 30, 2004 im sorry, but it just seems so 'odd' that he ended up dying after they made such a big deal about him doing it. kinda freaky i guess. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xplatinum Posted April 30, 2004 Share Posted April 30, 2004 No, I agree with you on that. I think it's just a shame him giving up lots of money and a family is somehow greater than a poor guy with a family giving up his life in service. I don't see him as an hero either... Not sure why I should. I think it was rather stupid of him to quit football and his family and friends for that. He had an awesome future that ANYONE here would envy... and he just left it aside to go to war when there's already full of people doing that just fine. I think he didn't realise how lucky he was in the first place. But don't get me wrong, I do admire what he did. It takes ALOT of courage... I just think it wasn't the smartest thing to do. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
threetonesun Posted April 30, 2004 Share Posted April 30, 2004 I don't see him as an hero either... Not sure why I should.I think it was rather stupid of him to quit football and his family and friends for that. He had an awesome future that ANYONE here would envy... and he just left it aside to go to war when there's already full of people doing that just fine. I think he didn't realise how lucky he was in the first place. But don't get me wrong, I do admire what he did. It takes ALOT of courage... I just think it wasn't the smartest thing to do. Yeah, that's pretty much my take on the whole thing too. I mean, even though they say he was just some average guy who wanted to help out his country, doesn't it sound kind of strange that he'd give up all that to fight in the war? Almost like it he was trying to blow up his reputation and it went a bit wrong. I mean, athletes in WWII went to fight, but they had a lot of conviction about it. I think recently its been more the trend for athletes to be the antithesis of the military (Ali comes to mind). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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