This is really an incredible passage, from today's Monday Morning Quarterback. King begins by sharing the revelation that Tillman wasn't happy in the military and that he considered asking for an early release and playing for the Seahawks. That's certainly interesting, but it leads to a bit of mock clairvoyance in which King wonders, with Whickerlike myopia, where Tillman would've signed as a free agent in 2005 — you know, had he not been shot three times in the head on a hill in Afghanistan.

So what would have happened if Tillman hadn't been killed? He'd have been 28 at the time of his scheduled discharge. McGinnis was fired by the Cardinals after the 2003 season, and Ferguson canned after the 2004 season in Seattle. Imagine Tillman being on the free-agent market in 2005. St. Louis pushed hard for him in 2002, before he enlisted, and likely would have been involved. Tom Coughlin was coming off a rocky 6-10 rookie season with the Giants; he loves all things military. I bet he and then-GM Ernie Accorsi would have bid for Tillman. McGinnis, the linebacker coach in Tennessee, would have tried to sell him to Jeff Fisher, as would Ferguson with his new employers, the Colts.

I don't know what team would have signed him. But the Patriots, even with Rodney Harrison, then 32, ensconced at strong safety, were not deep on the back end, with only one other solid NFL player, Eugene Wilson (let go two years later). After the Belichick letter, I bet Tillman would have walked to Foxboro and taken any role Belichick would have offered.

Why stop there? What if, say, Vince Lombardi had never died? It seems just as reasonable to think zombie Tillman might've opted instead to play for zombie Lombardi. Lombardi loved all things military, too, right? The mind boggles at the sports and war counterfactuals. How might've All-America balloting looked in the latter half of the 1910s had it not been for the Battle of the Somme? What if Rocky Bleier's platoon had never gone anywhere near Chu Lai? Would he have made the Pro Bowl in 1976? These are all vitally important questions, and the answers can only be found in the quantum singularity of Peter King's mind. Congratulations, Peter. You've left the yard!

Monday Morning Quarterback [Sports Illustrated]

From NBCSports:

Fanning is a former Army Ranger and friend of Pat Tillman, the Arizona State and Arizona Cardinals star who was killed by friendly fire in Afghanistan in April 2004. In his memory, and to raise funds for the Pat Tillman Foundation, Fanning has spent every day since Sept. 17 walking westward from Virginia Beach, Va., averaging 20 miles per day in a trek that will end in Huntington Beach, Calif.

"It's really the best thing I've ever done," said Fanning, who is in Tempe, Ariz., today for the fifth annual Pat's Run on Saturday. If you're thinking of going, the 4.2-mile race begins outside Sun Devil Stadium and ends within on the 42-yard line (Tillman wore No. 42 at Arizona State). Fanning will be the race starter.

Along the way Fanning has talked to high school students, prisoners and anyone who will listen on the legacy left by Tillman, who can't be honored enough in my humble opinion. Fanning met Tillman when the two were training for the army in Fort Lewis, Wash.

Fanning's goal is to raise $3.6 million for the Pat Tillman Foundation, which is the contract amount Tillman turned down from the Cardinals to join the Army Rangers.

And to think I get winded walking from the train station to the front entrance of AT&T Park.

Man On Cross-Country Trek To Honor Tillman [NBCSports]

In a recent interview with me, she was highly critical of the actions of the NFL because she believes it continues to bathe in the glory of her son's patriotic sacrifice while doing little to help the Tillman family find out how Pat died. "I think the [NFL] has not gone out of its way to help," she told me. The league has "exploited Pat, just like the military. ... [It has] a beautiful statue to him at the Cardinals' stadium. I don't know if that's more for us or the [NFL]. I feel like it's more for the league."

I'm not sure what active role the NFL could play in uncovering the truth about Tillman's death. I think we can all agree, however, that it's poor form for Roger Goodell to simply ignore Mary Tillman's letter to him. Come on Roger; if nothing else at least give the impression that you're not a manipulative corporate bastard.

"If this [a death of family member or friend under unclear circumstances] had happened to any one of us," said Mary Tillman, "Pat would have gone through a wall to find out the truth. So, it's the least I can do and the least any one of us can do [to find out how he died.]"

The NFL's Tillman Offense [Los Angeles Times]
'Like He Died Twice:' Mary Tillman's Lonesome Road [The Edge Of Sports]

Of course, the Buzzsaw screwed it up.

The Arizona Cardinals have apologized for a sound-system glitch that marred Sunday's tribute to Pat Tillman and will replay a video honoring him before Sunday's game against the Detroit Lions ... The sound glitch silenced the tributes, and fans were angered at the perceived disrespect shown to a football player many of them had followed for years, one who had given his life for his country.

"Our intent was to provide a very special tribute to Pat, and in the end we did not do that. We regret that very much," the [team's official] statement said.

The article mentions that you can hear the full tribute at the team's official Web site. We just went there; we couldn't find it.

Cardinals Apologize For Tillman Tribute Glitch [Arizona Republic]

(UPDATE: When you dig a while, you can finally find the link.)

Somehow, the same incompetent, narcissistic, virtueless, vacuous, malicious criminals are still in charge of this country. Somehow, this is tolerated. Somehow, nobody is accountable for this.

To be honest, I wasn't sure if I should post this because of how little it has to do with sports, which is to say, it has nothing to do with sports at all. But it's all over the place, including being the top headline at ESPN.com at the moment, so I thought I should at least point you in that direction, if you're interested in the political and the tragic.

After Pat's Birthday [truthdig]

Until this week, when Smith tackles a subject that's truly complex enough for and worthy of his eye: Pat Tillman. Smith's mammoth piece on the slain former NFL star, the circumstances of his death, the military's misguided posterization of him, the haunted members of his platoon and his family's dogged, almost compulsive persistance is as outstanding as anything you will read anywhere. It's online, too, so go to it. It's a Friday, you're not that busy.

Remember His Name [Sports Illustrated]

A San Francisco Chronicle review of more than 2,000 pages of testimony, as well as interviews with Pat Tillman s family members and soldiers who served with him, found contradictions, inaccuracies and what appears to be the military s attempt at self-protection.

Another surprising element of the report: Tillman himself, notoriously highlighted as a gung-ho, let's-roll warrior by the government, was actually critical of President Bush's handling of the Iraq war and was a devoted fan of left-wing author Noam Chomsky. But the real tale of the tragedy of Tillman is one of devotion, sacrifice and, yeah, heroism ... and the deeply sad mystery that has followed. The Chronicle story is in-depth and fascinating. Take a look.

Tillman Family Demands The Truth [San Francisco Chronicle]