pattillman Page index.xml - Sports News, Headlines & Highlights
Every NFL team's retired jersey numbers
One of the biggest honors in all of sports is to have your number retired by your respective franchise. No one else will be able to wear it after you, cementing your legacy in the rafters or in a ring of honor/team hall of fame. Here are all of the officially retired numbers by the NFL (minus the Ba...
The NFL will not leave Pat Tillman alone
The NFL being an official advertising wing of the US military is nothing new. From the war terms applied to the game itself by analysts and commentators, to the official camo swag, to Gronk advertising insurance only for military members and their families, the two have been arm in arm for decades. ...
The way the Washington Commanders honored Sean Taylor was an 'epic fail'
Over the weekend, the Washington Commanders revealed a new “statue” memorializing Sean Taylor, a former safety who played for the organization from 2004-07, earning two Pro Bowl nods before his death at 24 years old. Taylor was a phenomenal young talent, family-oriented, and a hell of a workhorse on...
NFL players that retired in their prime
Over the years, we’ve seen some popular NFL stars call it quits in a matter that felt abrupt and, for some, far too early. Watching women’s tennis superstar Serena Williams on her “farewell tour” reminded me of former football players who, had we known they were near the end, may have received some ...
Looking at possible numbers for the NFL to retire league-wide
The NFL is now the only big-four pro sports league in North America to not have a number retired throughout the league. The NBA retired Bill Russell’s No. 6 earlier this month after his death. Major League Baseball gave that honor to Jackie Robinson’s No. 42, while the NHL has barred anyone from don...
Athletes-turned-servicemen and women are not unique to America
While Memorial Day may be a uniquely American holiday, its sentiments — honoring those who have given their lives for their country in the line of duty — are global. America is no longer at war, having pulled out of Afghanistan, and if there was any positive to take away from that conflict that rage...
American Athletes who gave their lives in service
It may be rare these days, but there was a time when some of the best athletes in America went off to fight in wars. Some did so willingly, others were drafted....
This Memorial Day, let’s honor the real Pat Tillman
It’s Memorial Day, which means it’s time for the NFL and the right to start co-opting the life and death of Pat Tillman, a former safety for the Arizona Cardinals who passed on a $3.6 million deal to enlist in the Army after 9/11. Rarely mentioned is Tillman’s brother, Kevin, who left the Cleveland ...
Brett Favre’s Audacious Thoughts on Colin Kaepernick & Pat Tillman are Lazy and Prejudiced. Kap Is Already A Hero.
White America, I’m going to let you in on a little secret. Black people don’t really rock with Pat Tillman like that....
Stop Using Pat Tillman
In the 13 years since Pat Tillman was killed by friendly fire near the Afghanistan-Pakistan border, he has become a symbol of the supposedly tight bonds between American football and American militarism and American patriotism. There’s no clearer evidence of Tillman’s symbolic potency than Donald Tr...
Pat Tillman Now Leads Arizona State Onto The Field
It's a damn shame that Pat Tillman, killed by friendly fire in an Afghanistan mountain pass, the truth of his death covered up by the Pentagon, tends to be used as a symbol for the exact opposite of what he should be remembered for. But if anyone's allowed to claim and exploit him, I suppose it'd be...
Your College Football Night Games Open Thread
Looks like some good games tonight. Mississippi State at Alabama. South Carolina at Florida. Oregon at California. Oklahoma State at Texas. USC at Arizona. Texas A&M at Baylor....
Pat Tillman's Brother: "I Wish He Would've Just Lit These Fucking Idiots Up With His Own Gun"
Richard Tillman appeared on Real Time With Bill Maher over the weekend, and, like the rest of his family, Richard still plainly refuses to grieve in the officially sanctioned manner. It's maybe the only life-affirming thing about the whole affair....
Pat Tillman's Father To Brigadier General: "Fuck You ... And Yours"
The Huffington Post has Pat Tillman Sr.'s 2005 letter to Brigadier General Gary M. Jones, who was leading the investigation into the death of his son: "I assume, therefore, that you are part of this shameless bullshit." [Huffington Post]...
Zombie Pat Tillman Would Be Playing For Bill Belichick Right Now, Peter King Reports
In March 2003, the United States embarked on a misbegotten and illegitimate war in Iraq that would have profound and sadly irrevocable consequences on ... the 2005 NFL free-agent market. So says Peter King....
Rory Fanning Walks The Walk
I imagine that most of us have walked 3,000 miles in our lifetimes, but not in a straight line, and not all at once. If you happen to see Rory Fanning today, say hi....
Pat Tillman's Mom Is Not Happy With The NFL
Like some of you I suspect, I hadn't read Dave Zirin's great Mary Tillman interview over at his blog, Edge of Sports, when it came out last week. But now he's adapted it as an opinion piece for the Los Angeles Times, and I highly recommend taking the time to give them both a look. In it, Mary Tillma...
Remembering, On Memorial Day
It's Memorial Day, and, like most of you, we're off until tomorrow. As our one post today, as tradition, we remember Pat Tillman, along with all veterans, and honor all those still serving. If you need something to read today and reflect, here's Gary Smith's outstanding Tillman story from a couple ...