The Gateway Pundit reported that ESPN is planning to award Prince Harry the Pat Tillman Award for Service at the upcoming ESPYs award ceremony.
Tillman, who played for four seasons in the NFL, felt compelled to serve our nation and stepped away from his promising football career to enlist in the U.S. Army following the September 11th terrorist attacks.
Tillman was sadly killed in combat in 2004 during a friendly fire incident while on a combat mission in Afghanistan at only 27 years old.
On Friday, former NFL punter and current ESPN analyst Pat McAfee blasted the network saying that ESPN is attempting to “piss people off.”
There are plenty of people that award could’ve went to! Goes to show you money talks. Going to give it to a traitorous prince that has really done nothing. pic.twitter.com/9RyZmQ0B8w
— Sabirah Lohn (@SabirahLohn) June 28, 2024
Pat Tillman’s mother, Mary Tillman, also weighed in on the questionable decision and said the sports network never even consulted her about giving the Duke of Sussex the award honoring her son.
Mary told The Daily Mail, “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 recognised.’
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ESPN said Harry was being honoured 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 honour 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 honour of this magnitude’.
