R.I.P. Pat Tillman

[Lstorm34]

http://www.azcardinals.com/images/pat/intro.jpg

He gave up Millions to fight for our Freedom.

[doraemonkerpal]

that's a sad story. :(

[CTLesq]

Yes it is.

CTL

[SneakyPenguin]

see i can understand people are upset, but i dont like how his death is made so much more important jus because he was famous.

[WildWop]

You have to respect his decidation and willingness to drop EVERYTHING for something he believed in. I mean, he gave up $4mil/year, left his newly-wed wife at home, packed up and went into the army to support his country. I sure as hell can't say that I would be able to do the same thing.

cheers to him

[CaseyRyback]

see i can understand people are upset, but i dont like how his death is made so much more important jus because he was famous.

i do not think it was a fame thing. I think it was the fact that he turned down millions of dollars to fight for his country. He just shows that not all prof. athletes are money grubbing assholes

[SneakyPenguin]

ok based on those two arguments, i can see it. its just that the media is making him some hero bacause he was in spotrs. when it is put that way, yea i can see how it could be a big event.

[Dead of Knight]

I think he's a huge dumbass for passing up millions of dollars to get himself killed, but at the same time he seemed to be a really nice guy who just wanted to help what he believed in. So, mixed feelings on this one.

[Lstorm34]

not for the fame. after the 9/11 he and his brother signed up to be rangers. his brother is a top baseball prospect for the Cleveland Indians minor league system and he too gave back his signing bonus.

[Lstorm34]

I think he's a huge dumbass for passing up millions of dollars to get himself killed, but at the same time he seemed to be a really nice guy who just wanted to help what he believed in. So, mixed feelings on this one.

he's a HUGE DUMBASS? Soldiers DIE EVERYDAY for this country so you and the millions of people living in america can live a normal life.

[Dead of Knight]

Would you give up millions of dollars to be a martyr? I certainly wouldn't. The guy is still a hero, but I just think it was stupid of him to give up all that money for the risk of dying.

[CTLesq]

see i can understand people are upset, but i dont like how his death is made so much more important jus because he was famous.

It wasn't that he was famous. It that he gave up a tremendous amount for something he believed in. That is far too uncommon these days.

CTL

[RBM]

Would you give up millions of dollars to be a martyr?

I agree that he set an admirable example. A question, then: is every soldier who dies a martyr?

[Dead of Knight]

They are a martyr if their battle is something they believe in. This guy did set an admirable example. I just think that he should have kept the money instead.

[Scrubking]

He showed everyone that he was a man of great character and principle. He died with honor in the service of his country.

[danh920]

very sad story indeed, hopefully his sacrifice will be remembered by many

on a side note, I believe he's worthy of the pro football hall of fame for what he's done

[CTLesq]

They are a martyr if their battle is something they believe in. This guy did set an admirable example. I just think that he should have kept the money instead.

That is why you have a spinless, conformist goth child from South Park as your signature.

CTL

[Titans24]

I don't think he signed up to be a martyr. Not everybody values money above everything else, as was the example of him not playing at St. Louis for $9 million, so he can stay in Arizona.

[Lstorm34]

very sad story indeed, hopefully his sacrifice will be remembered by many

on a side note, I believe he's worthy of the pro football hall of fame for what he's done

theres a petition online to have his jersey retired by every team(like Jackie robinson). i hope they do this.

[Scrubking]

Would you give up millions of dollars to be a martyr? I certainly wouldn't. The guy is still a hero, but I just think it was stupid of him to give up all that money for the risk of dying.

That is because you are a selfish piece of shit with no sense of honor, duty or anything good. You are a shallow, little human being to insult the memory of such an honorable man.

[Mr_hockey66]

This man died for you Dude! I think he deserves a little bit more respect! He gave up EVERYTHING to fight to save you! To save you from poeple coming over here and destroying your so called life. He went through hell so YOU didn't have to! Hes not stupid for giving up that money because its just money! Just stuff! He put aside the stuff and take pride in something more! Example: life! He was willing to give his life to fight those bastards that killed so many on 9 11! I think its a bunch of crap that you said the things you said! Im proud that I am American and I hold all of those who fight for me and you with the highest and most respect!

[Gothic Walrus]

see i can understand people are upset, but i dont like how his death is made so much more important jus because he was famous.

It wasn't that he was famous. It that he gave up a tremendous amount for something he believed in. That is far too uncommon these days.

CTL

What about the rest of the soldiers in the armed forces? They've given up their spouses, their children, their jobs, their friends...basically, their whole lives.

I'm with SneakyPenguin on this one. The man may have been a hero, and was certainly selfless...but his death isn't any more important than the death of a soldier from a farm in Kansas. Both should be remembered equally...but it doesn't happen that way.

[Dead of Knight]

I love how people are flaming me for my opinions. Did I say what he did wasn't heroic? No. Back off. I think the guy is a hero, but it wouldn't be what I would do, and it probably wouldn't be what you would do, either. Perhaps that makes him a better person than me, but that still doesn't change the fact that I think it was a bad choice.

[Mr_hockey66]

Yes this man should get the media that he is getting! Becuse he deserves it! And yes he should be in the football hall of fame and his jersey retired! I think more people need to be like him! He was a great man not concered with greed or riches! I just don't know how people can say what they are saying! It just proves that you take everything you have for granted! If it wasn't for people like him you wouldn't have anything! We are so luck that we have what we have and the peace that we take for granted! You able to sit at a computer and read this because of people like him! Do you think you would have anything if we didn't have men and women fighting for us! NO! we would be like afganastan or iraq just a dried up war torn peice of land. With out these men and women ANYONE COULD COME OVER HERE AND TELL YOU HOW TO LIVE AND WHAT TO DO. iF YOU DON'T LIKE IT TOUGH! Sorry these are so long but Im really upset about this thread!

[Dead of Knight]

He wouldn't have needed to gone out there if the government did its job. But that's a whole 'nother story.

[Scrubking]

see i can understand people are upset, but i dont like how his death is made so much more important jus because he was famous.

It wasn't that he was famous. It that he gave up a tremendous amount for something he believed in. That is far too uncommon these days.

CTL

What about the rest of the soldiers in the armed forces? They've given up their spouses, their children, their jobs, their friends...basically, their whole lives.

I'm with SneakyPenguin on this one. The man may have been a hero, and was certainly selfless...but his death isn't any more important than the death of a soldier from a farm in Kansas. Both should be remembered equally...but it doesn't happen that way.

All soldiers should be honored and remembered equally, but you have to understand that since he was a pro football player he is going to be on espn all day and then the other news networks. It is a story and the news is going to milk it.

[Mr_hockey66]

I do agrre with that though! He will get more attention because he was a sports star! No Im thankfull to all Soliders who die and have died for us. I guess i got a little heated though! I kinda took them as saying he didn't deserve the media. But I see what they were saying to he is getting more GLory then the others becuase he was a star. SO to all I yelled at sorry.

[Scrubking]

He wouldn't have needed to gone out there if the government did its job. But that's a whole 'nother story.

He was in Afghanistan you F ucking piece of shit worm. If you were here I would Bitch slap you back into whatever god forsaken crap hole you crawled out of.

[bignick]

He wouldn't have needed to gone out there if the government did its job. But that's a whole 'nother story.

He was in Afghanistan you F ucking piece of shit worm. If you were here I would Bitch slap you back into whatever god forsaken crap hole you crawled out of.

good thing you are here scrubking. and when you tried to crawl out, i would bitch slap you back down there again.

[juicedup1]

I think he's a huge dumbass for passing up millions of dollars to get himself killed, but at the same time he seemed to be a really nice guy who just wanted to help what he believed in. So, mixed feelings on this one.

he's a HUGE DUMBASS? Soldiers DIE EVERYDAY for this country so you and the millions of people living in america can live a normal life.

^^ That is what the military is for,dumbasses who can't deal with the real world!

[Dead of Knight]

He wouldn't have needed to gone out there if the government did its job. But that's a whole 'nother story.

He was in Afghanistan you F ucking piece of shit worm. If you were here I would Bitch slap you back into whatever god forsaken crap hole you crawled out of.

I know he was in Afghanistan. I still think that if the government did its job, 9/11 wouldn't have happened, and we wouldn't have had to go there in the first place. And I'm not the one who's swearing and flaming like you are. I'm being civil, and you have to be rude. I'd like to know who's the bigger person now.

[Javery]

on a side note, I believe he's worthy of the pro football hall of fame for what he's done

No way. I think he is a hero - just like everyone fighting for our freedoms - but he didn't do jack on the football field to warrant entry into the hall of fame (or to have his jersey retired, for that matter)... This is not to say he shouldn't be idolized or greatly admired or anything - just that football really has nothing to do with it...

[Lstorm34]

on a side note, I believe he's worthy of the pro football hall of fame for what he's done

No way. I think he is a hero - just like everyone fighting for our freedoms - but he didn't do jack on the football field to warrant entry into the hall of fame (or to have his jersey retired, for that matter)... This is not to say he shouldn't be idolized or greatly admired or anything - just that football really has nothing to do with it...

Hall of fame NO. jersey retired YES. So every sunday when the players hit the field they can look up and see his number and remind the players that football is just a game and everyday soldiers like him fight for our freedom. without them they would have No millions of dollars in their pocket.

[magilacudy]

I have to agree with Javeryh somewhat. He didn't have the stats, I don't think he won any titles, so I don't think he should be put into the Hall of Fame just like that. However, they can still honor him in some other capacity. Retiring his jersey seems the perfect way to pay respects to the man.

[Mr_hockey66]

Hall of fame NO. jersey retired YES. So every sunday when the players hit the field they can look up and see his number and remind the players that football is just a game and everyday soldiers like him fight for our freedom. without them they would have No millions of dollars in their pocket
__________________________________________


Makes more cents to me like this now! Yeah I would say this is how it should go. Maybe not the hall of fame but jersey retired. Or a jersey with american flag with his numbers on it.

[Lstorm34]

That is what the military is for,dumbasses who can't deal with the real world!

i bet you shit your pants if we had a draft and you were sent there.

[PsyClerk]

The reason they've made such a big deal out of him is because he had loyalty to his team, then later, loyalty to his country. I'd rather they overglorify a man like this, who gives up millions of dollars a year to fight and possibly die, instead of asshats like Warren Sapp and his ilk, who bitch and moan about how few millions they make and how hard they 'work'.

[vrs1650]

I have to agree with you all, his number should be retired in the NFL. No one can use his number who is not already using it. That is what they did with Jackie Robinson, and I think they should do that with Pat Tillman.

[Scrubking]

I'd like to know who's the bigger person now.

You're the one insulting the memory of the honored dead, and you can't figure it out?

[juicedup1]

That is what the military is for,dumbasses who can't deal with the real world!

i bet you shit your pants if we had a draft and you were sent there.

I bet your right! I would shit my pants!

[Dead of Knight]

I'd like to know who's the bigger person now.

You're the one insulting the memory of the honored dead, and you can't figure it out?

How the hell am I insulting him? I said it was dumb of him to not go for the money considering the consequences of not doing so; I'm not saying that he isn't a good person or anything. There was no need for you to say all those swears to me, especially since I'm not. You're talking to me like I'm CloudSpekk or something.

[Lstorm34]

I'd like to know who's the bigger person now.

You're the one insulting the memory of the honored dead, and you can't figure it out?

How the hell am I insulting him? I said it was dumb of him to not go for the money considering the consequences of not doing so; I'm not saying that he isn't a good person or anything. There was no need for you to say all those swears to me, especially since I'm not. You're talking to me like I'm CloudSpekk or something.

dude you are insulting the man. you called him a dumbass for not taking the money.

[Rich]

He should be in the HoF. The Hall of Fames aren't all about excellence in the sport they're dedicated to; they're about people who played in said sport and did something great in EITHER the real world or in the sport, usually both. The Hall of Fames are character 1st; ability 2cd.

About him being honored more than most because he's famous; i've been watching ESPN all day and every single person I've seen so far (Around the Horn, PTI, Sportscenter, even Lieberman) has gone on to say that he is no more deserving then every other soldier who has died for our country and the commentator made sure to give his respect for ALL soldiers; as we should.

[MorganWebbLover]

What's with all the hostility towards Dead of Knight ? Chill god forbid someone has a different opinions on the subject of some football asshole . why do you feel the need to push your vewies on everyone else ?

[Scrubking]

What's with all the hostility towards Dead of Knight ? Chill god forbid someone has a different opinions on the subject of some football asshole . why do you feel the need to push your vewies on everyone else ?

Oh no, not another one. :puke:

[Rich]

*hopes the hostility falls upon Morgan now as well*

The man did something more deserving of respect then anyone of us on here can ever hope to obtain in our lives unless we in fact join the military.

Psst; Scrubking; I love you. :D

[doraemonkerpal]

What's with all the hostility towards Dead of Knight ? Chill god forbid someone has a different opinions on the subject of some football asshole . why do you feel the need to push your vewies on everyone else ?

i'm not hating on anybody, and i think this guy is very heroic. i think the reason they're dogging on dead of knight is b/c she called him a dumbass.

[magilacudy]

I think you should lay off Dead of Knight a bit. If that's the way she feels then just let it be. By flaming in this thread you're dishonoring the guy's memory to some extent too. She acknowledged Tillman was a good guy and a hero for doing what he did, I think that's enough.

Now MWL... that's a different story. :x

[MorganWebbLover]

*hopes the hostility falls upon Morgan now as well*

The man did something more deserving of respect then anyone of us on here can ever hope to obtain in our lives unless we in fact join the military.

Psst; Scrubking; I love you. :D


Good one . LMAO

[Dead of Knight]

*hopes the hostility falls upon Morgan now as well*

The man did something more deserving of respect then anyone of us on here can ever hope to obtain in our lives unless we in fact join the military.

Psst; Scrubking; I love you. :D

Why don't I post what you have said on another certain forum?
Congrats man, you're the most undeserving mod ever! I'm glad you got to become a mod out of pure nepotism. Really, I am. Go ahead and delete my posts; go ahead and ban me; go right fucking ahead. Your threats really don't inflict ANY fear upon me. PS: Your gimick sucks.

Imperial? You mean the guy that couldn't type a word correctly to save his life, and enjoyed telling everyone he was from the NYC ghetto and if you had a problem with him, you should go to the ghetto so he can beat the shit out of you? Yeah, I chased him off. He was as a big a fucking phony as you. Good call on tnl, though, you really got me there. Difference between me and DoK--I did it to someone deserving; DoK is doing it to someone who is actually making good posts and such.

If you're going to post stuff from this forum having absolutely nothing to do with anything discussed on another forum, then I am entitled to post this as well. But to keep this post from as being as off-topic as yours, I would like to say that a FOOTBALL Hall of Fame should be about FOOTBALL, not about MILITARY SERVICE. Also, any other posters can ignore what I said in this post except for the last one; the rest of the post was directly intended for Rich. Sorry for any inconvenience in posting that; please ignore it.

[vrs1650]

Part of what makes this story so special is all of these soldiers give their life, so people like MWL and Dead of Knight can have thier opinions in this country and express those ideas. No matter how jackass they may be.
This is not about putting one persons death over another. The reason people are talking about this, he was already in the spotlight as a professional athlete. He gave that up, the money and also his life for our country. Do you see any other athletes doing that, now or after 9/11. No. To him our freedom and country were more important than material items. Whether you would do that or not, you have to respect his decision. He did not do it for publicity or glory, he did it because he felt a certain pride in our country and wanted to do something for us. And yes other soldiers do that daily, and we should thank them all.

[vrs1650]

One last thing, MWL I wouldn't call the guy an "asshole" I mean do you even know the guy to say that.
Now calling Morgan Webb a talentless hack on some cheap public access cable show, we can all say that.

[Dead of Knight]

Part of what makes this story so special is all of these soldiers give their life, so people like MWL and Dead of Knight can have thier opinions in this country and express those ideas. No matter how jackass they may be.
This is not about putting one persons death over another. The reason people are talking about this, he was already in the spotlight as a professional athlete. He gave that up, the money and also his life for our country. Do you see any other athletes doing that, now or after 9/11. No. To him our freedom and country were more important than material items. Whether you would do that or not, you have to respect his decision. He did not do it for publicity or glory, he did it because he felt a certain pride in our country and wanted to do something for us. And yes other soldiers do that daily, and we should thank them all.

I do respect his decision, even though I do not agree with it. I still think it is a noble decision, but apparently most of the people in this thread just want to focus on the negative things I've said. I appreciate everyone who's been sticking up for my right to post my opinions.

[magilacudy]

One last thing, MWL I wouldn't call the guy an "asshole" I mean do you even know the guy to say that.
Now calling Morgan Webb a talentless hack on some cheap public access cable show, we can all say that.

Haha... that's right, hit'em where it hurts. :)

[irc_email]

I admire the guy for doing what he believed in. Which is a lot more than the hypocrites posting in this thread are doing. But his life was wasted. Anyone who thinks that the american armed forces are fighting for freedom is blind.

[Scrubking]

I consider myself a gentleman and didn't know that dok was a girl so I apoligize for speaking to a girl like that.

However, I am still appalled at the people verbally pissing on this soldier's grave.

[Dead of Knight]

I consider myself a gentleman and didn't know that dok was a girl so I apoligize for speaking to a girl like that.


LOL. There is no need to apologize because I am a girl. You shouldn't have to change what you're going to say just because of someone's gender.

[irc_email]

No kidding, talk about a double standard

[doraemonkerpal]

I admire the guy for doing what he believed in. Which is a lot more than the hypocrites posting in this thread are doing. But his life was wasted. Anyone who thinks that the american armed forces are fighting for freedom is blind.

man... i was the 2nd guy posting on this thread, and i thought it was about paying your respects to a guy who should be respected for what he did. why does it have to turn political? keep it in the "why vote for bush again?" thread.

[irc_email]

I said that I admired the guy. Seeing as they are supposedly fighting for freedom, why can't I post it here? ;)

[magilacudy]

I said that I admired the guy. Seeing as they are supposedly fighting for freedom, why can't I post it here? ;)

Because the thread name is 'Rest in Peace Pat Tillman', not 'Post your Anti-American Views'.

[doraemonkerpal]

ok, that's cool. i never said anything about him fighting for our freedom. :) i just thought that he deserves our respect b/c he actually did what he believed was right, disregarding fame and fortune unlike many other people in our society. that takes a lot of guts. everybody's entitled to their own opinion though and i'm not trying to start a flame war :)

[Mr_hockey66]

to late!

[Lstorm34]

Let him and other honorable fallen soldiers FINALLY R.I.P. PLEASE

-Thank You

[Rich]

If you're going to post stuff from this forum having absolutely nothing to do with anything discussed on another forum, then I am entitled to post this as well. But to keep this post from as being as off-topic as yours, I would like to say that a FOOTBALL Hall of Fame should be about FOOTBALL, not about MILITARY SERVICE. Also, any other posters can ignore what I said in this post except for the last one; the rest of the post was directly intended for Rich. Sorry for any inconvenience in posting that; please ignore it.

Uhh, why not post my last post as well?

Uhh, because THAT thread is a thread dedicated to honoring Pat Tillman, a greta man deserving respect. And as such, I'm not going to waste the space to degrade you; not to mention I've no intention of letting this even cross the boundary of Project Mayhem, let alone Neomega. Poor attitude? Towards you paet, and playgirl? yes, but in general? no. Elitist? No. My brother is a much bigger man then I, as well is everyone else in the military, be it the US' or not. There is no greater honor than for one to die for their country. And Flik is a bigger man than I, as well. He's got all 324 Stars of Destiny.

And do you know what the HoFs are all about? They're NOT all about dedication to the sport, like you seem to think.

[MorganWebbLover]

One last thing, MWL I wouldn't call the guy an "asshole" I mean do you even know the guy to say that.
Now calling Morgan Webb a talentless hack on some cheap public access cable show, we can all say that.

Haha... that's right, hit'em where it hurts. :)

Yeah that really hurt two people on a message board said something about a TV personality I enjoy i'm soooo hurt .

TechTV has 12 million viewers at their peak hours so I doubt you could call them a cheap public access cable channel .


I'm sorry if I don't admire someone who left a Widowed wife and a fatherless child at home so he could go fulfill some selfish egotistical war fantasy of being an army rangers . If you want to join the military and go fight in a war that's your business but don't expect me to blow you just becuase of your choice .

[Mr_hockey66]

I knew you were gay! Whats up with wanting to blow a military man?

[MorganWebbLover]

I'm not the one with the superman avatar in tight blue spandex buddy .

[irc_email]

I said that I admired the guy. Seeing as they are supposedly fighting for freedom, why can't I post it here? ;)

Because the thread name is 'Rest in Peace Pat Tillman', not 'Post your Anti-American Views'.

It's still sort of a free country. You have the right to sue me. :)

[Quackzilla]

Would you give up millions of dollars to be a martyr? I certainly wouldn't. The guy is still a hero, but I just think it was stupid of him to give up all that money for the risk of dying.

That is because you are a selfish piece of shit with no sense of honor, duty or anything good. You are a shallow, little human being to insult the memory of such an honorable man.

Why aren't you in Iraq, scrubking? Are you a shallow, little human being insulting the memory of such an honorable man?

[Rich]

God; have some respect for the man. (Tillman)

My wallpaper now has Tillman's pic with In Memory of Pat Tillman in them middle of a Suikoden IV wallpaper; at 50% opacity.

Statement from VP and General Counsel Michael Bidwill

As you can imagine this has been a devastating day for all the Cardinals family. Our immediate thoughts and prayers are with his wife Marie, his brother Kevin, his parents, and all of his family members. Every day brave men and women are fighting and in some cases making the ultimate sacrifice for this country and today it has touched our family and touched Arizona.

In sports, we have a tendency to overuse terms like courage, bravery and heroes. Then someone special like Pat Tillman comes along and reminds us of what those terms really mean. The Cardinals and the National Football League were privileged to have Pat Tillman in its family and we are all weaker today following this loss.

This has been a terrible day. We learned this early this morning like many others in the country. Pat was a special guy. The last time we all saw him was in December when the Cardinals played at Seattle. Pat called us a few weeks before that game and told us he was stationed nearby and would like to bring his wife and his brother and some family members by to visit. He sat with my father and me, and others, and we actually have a photo he sent us and a card a few weeks after that day. His wife took that photo and it was a special day. Following the game, he went down and visited many of his teammates. I know everybody was really touched by his visit and he was doing what he was doing. This was his second time back in combat and it was a terrible loss for the National Football League and the Arizona Cardinals.


And this rawks:

In addition, the team plans to retire Tillman’s number 40 jersey, only the fifth retired number in club history (8–Larry Wilson, 77–Stan Maudlin, 88–J.V. Cain, 99–Marshall Goldberg). No player has worn the number 40 since Tillman last played for the team in 2001. The team also will be consulting with the National Football League regarding display of Tillman’s number ‘40’ on team apparel.


http://www.azcardinals.com/images/pat/tillman1.jpg

[shadd01]

I think one reason why the media has made a bigger deal out of this, than other soldiers deaths, is because he sacrificed so much, as does every soldier, however Tillman helps remind everyone that these things happen. It helps get to people on a more personal level about the war.
--Shadd

[extremep]

Even if we assume all of the attention isn't because he was "famous," if anything, this shows how much importance Americans place on money. As we all know, every soldier has made sacrifices to go and fight, ranging from dropping out of college to leaving family members to who knows what else. It certainly says something when passing up on a huge contract is seen as a much bigger sacrifice. Whether that something is right or not is entirely subjective, of course.

[Rich]

Even if we assume all of the attention isn't because he was "famous," if anything, this shows how much importance Americans place on money.

Oh, you mean the AMERICAN DREAM? So many people over its history have come to Amerca in search of happiness and prosperity

[greendj27]

The thing I really admire about Pat Tillman was that even after he joined the military, he refused all interview requests by the press. He simply told them that he wanted to be treated like every other soldier. I think that is a very classy move on his part.

By the way, MWL, where did you get your numbers?

TechTV has 12 million viewers at their peak hours so I doubt you could call them a cheap public access cable channel .


I hate to tell you this, but your number is way off. The highest rated cable network usually has about 2 million viewers at its peak. Broadcast tv (ABC, NBC, CBS, etc.) is much higher. Tech Tv is a very niche channel and does not have a high viewership, haven't looked it up, but most likely around 1 million viewers or so. Nothing wrong with that, but I just had to correct your numbers. (Big pet peeve of mine, since I work in tv)

[starman9000]

The coverage of Pat Tillman is not surprising. For one, most of us knew the story of him going over, at least in passing, so we could connect to it immediatly. But I think what makes it more appealing to the public is the fact that we know he gave up so much to join, not just money, but his new wife. He could have had the jet set life, but chose to fight for something he believed in.

Countless other soldiers have joined the military in the same way, giving up everything in order to fight for something they believed in. Many in the military did not join to fight for a cause however, and many did not give something up. They joined because of the opportunities you can get from military service and the fact that you can better your life and career. Please dont take this as an insult to those soldiers, I find nothing wrong with it, and have contemplated it myself. Heck, thats how the Army recruits people, by promoting the opportunities you will get, not the sacrifice you will make. It is the reason my best friend is in the army rig ht now. Im just trying to explain why Pat Tillman's story is able to touch so many people and so deserves media coverage.

[CTLesq]

A Ranger's Death

356 words
26 April 2004
The Wall Street Journal
A14
English
(Copyright (c) 2004, Dow Jones & Company, Inc.)

Army Ranger Pat Tillman died Thursday when his patrol was ambushed near the Afghan-Pakistani border. He was 27. Specialist Tillman never talked about it publicly, but all the world knew that he had given up a million-dollar career in the NFL for a chance to serve his country.

Why did he fight? For an answer, we turn to President Reagan's June 6, 1984 speech in front of the U.S. Ranger Monument at Normandy, commemorating the Rangers' charge up Pointe du Hoc. Mr. Reagan's words apply equally to Pat Tillman, and all the other American men and women who have made the ultimate sacrifice in the war on terror:

"Forty summers have passed since the battle that you fought here. You were young the day you took these cliffs; some of you were hardly more than boys, with the deepest joys of life before you. Yet, you risked everything here. Why? Why did you do it? What impelled you to put aside the instinct for self-preservation and risk your lives to take these cliffs? What inspired all the men of the armies that met here? We look at you, and somehow we know the answer. It was faith and belief; it was loyalty and love.

"The men of Normandy had faith that what they were doing was right, faith that they fought for all humanity, faith that a just God would grant them mercy on this beachhead or on the next. It was the deep knowledge -- and pray God we have not lost it -- that there is a profound, moral difference between the use of force for liberation and the use of force for conquest. You were here to liberate, not to conquer, and so you and those others did not doubt your cause. And you were right not to doubt.

"You all knew that some things are worth dying for. One's country is worth dying for, and democracy is worth dying for, because it's the most deeply honorable form of government ever devised by man. All of you loved liberty."

[ZForce915]

Pat Tillman is the MAN.

I hate this war. But that doesn't take away from the fact that Pat Tillman believed in it. He believed and took action. He gave up a million dollars a year to do what he thought was right.

Pat Tillman is the MAN>

[JohnHam]

I think Pat Tillman is a hero.

Also, I think every single man and woman in Iraq is a hero as well. He gave up millions to serve, and he also lost his life, but so did hundreds of others, and I think they deserve credit too.

This one goes out to the troops - come home safe.

[Quackzilla]

A hero celebrity makes the news channel ratings go up.

Its called a "human interest story", and its very profitable so far.