The mother of war hero Pat Tillman criticizes Prince Harry’s selection for the prestigious ESPY Award

The public outcry over Prince Harry as recipient of this year’s Pat Tillman Prize because service at the ESPYs is becoming more and more intense.

Pat’s mother, Mary Tillman, has now spoken out against ESPN’s decision, questioning why such a prestigious award should go to what she calls a “controversial” and “divisive” figure.

Previously, ESPN’s Pat McAfee had also expressed his disapproval of the selection and questioned whether the organizing committee had carefully considered the other potential recipients before selecting Harry.

Pat Tillman’s mother criticizes Prince Harry’s selection for the ESPY Award

The decision to honor Prince Harry with the Pat Tillman Award at this year’s ESPYs continues to spark strong reactions.

The prestigious award, created in honor of former football star Pat Tillman, is typically given to an “individual with a strong connection to the sport who has served others in a way that reflects the legacy of the former NFL player and U.S. Army Ranger.”

Notably, Pat gave up a lucrative career with the Arizona Cardinals to enlist as an Army Ranger and serve in Iraq and Afghanistan, where he was killed by friendly fire in 2004.

His mother Mary questioned whether the Duke of Sussex’s military service and philanthropic efforts were compatible with the spirit of the award, claiming she was not consulted before his selection.

“I am shocked why they chose such a controversial and polarizing person as the winner,” she told the Daily Mail. “There are recipients who are much better suited. There are people who work in the veterans community and do great things to help veterans.”

“These individuals do not have the money, resources, connections or privileges that Prince Harry has. I believe these types of individuals deserve recognition,” added the war hero’s mother.

Petition to withdraw Prince Harry from ESPN exceeds 10,000

Although Harry was selected for his “tireless work making a positive impact on the veterans community through the power of sport with his Invictus Games Foundation,” a petition has apparently surfaced calling on ESPN to “reconsider presenting the Pat Tillman Award” to the British royal.

The Change.Org petition, which aims to collect 15,000 signatures, has already received over 10,000.

The petition’s initiator claims that Harry has been involved in “controversies that call into question his suitability for an award of this magnitude.” He adds that awarding him this honor “diminishes” the value of the award and “hurts Tillman’s memory.”

Previous winners of the Pat Tillman Award include members of the training staff of the Buffalo Bills American football team, who received it last year for resuscitating a dying player on the field, and English footballer Marcus Rashfordwho received the 2021 award for raising funds to feed school children during the COVID lockdowns.

Why ESPN chose Prince Harry for the prestigious award

ESPN highlighted the father of two’s Invictus Games Foundation, noting that the platform has “crossed borders and impacted lives on every continent” since its inception in 2014.

The honour has been given to several people other than sports stars in the past, including Jake Wood in 2018 and Gretchen Evans in 2022. Famous sports figures who have won it include English footballer Marcus Rashford in 2021 and boxer Kim Clavel in 2020.

“We are honored to recognize three incredible individuals – Steve Gleason, Dawn Staley and Prince Harry,” said Kate Jackson, VP of Production at ESPN. “These honorees have used their platforms to change the world and make it more inclusive for marginalized and suffering communities, demonstrating incredible resilience, positivity and perseverance along the way, and we look forward to celebrating them at the 2024 ESPYS.”

ESPN’s Pat McAfee disapproves of Prince Harry’s nomination

Pat McAfee recently joined the public protest against the awarding of the prize to Prince Harry, questioning whether the event’s organizers had sufficiently vetted the other candidates in the selection process.

Although he admitted that he knew “nothing” about Harry other than the “South Park episode and what I learned from The Crown,” McAfee claimed that giving him the award was “obviously an attempt to piss people off,” and he wondered why the ESPYs “do this shit.”

“When you do something like that, you know the immediate reaction from people and sports fans and people with common sense and common sense is going to be, ‘Hey, don’t let our damn guy play with that guy,'” he added.

His colleague from the show, Boston Connor, also called Harry’s nomination “probably the most embarrassing thing I’ve ever seen in my entire life,” before another colleague, TY Schmitt, said the ESPYs were just “a gimmick.”

Many people want Prince Harry to be replaced by an American

Elsewhere in the show, McAfee raised the possibility that other American veterans could be considered for the honor, a sentiment shared by other sports fans.

“It’s as if you can’t find an active member of the U.S. military or someone who can no longer serve because of something they did while on duty,” Schmitt said, according to the Daily Mail“There are probably hundreds, if not thousands, of people they could have found who could have benefited from this award. But let’s give it to Prince Harry instead.”

On Change.Org, people shared their reasons why they thought Prince Harry should not be given this honor.

One of the petition signers said, “I believe an American should be honored. Gary Sinise! His dedication to our veterans makes him worthy of this award! Pat Tillman would be proud! Say NO to giving this award to Harry!”

Another signatory claimed: “Pat Tillman sacrificed his life for his duty and his country! Harry abandoned his duty and his country and spat on his commander in chief, his country, his duty and his family as he left. And all for a Hollywood dream! As an American, I am appalled that you are giving him this award. It means nothing now!”