A rather unsettling news report has come out saying that former Cardinals safety Tillman was killed in Afghanistan. I’m not one to say that it’s more upsetting when a famous person dies, but you have to understand that Tillman walked away from a $3.6 million contract to join the military. That takes a lot of courage and strong convictions. I may be against the war and all for its politics, but I still respect the men and women who are over there fighting for what they believe in.
Also noted is the fact that his brother, Kevin, was also a professional athlete and decided to join the Rangers (not the ball club) in the conflict.
and decided to join the Rangers (not the ball club)
Or the hockey team, I assume
On a more serious note, that is tragic news. Not only because he could have easily stayed here and been well paid, but because somehow, I can’t shake this feeling that he died not making a difference. I don’t mean that he wasn’t brave, or didn’t fight for what he believed in; but, with the way the war is going over there, it’s looking less and less like we’re ushering in an era of peace, and more and more like we’re in a big mess that’s costing us lives we don’t need to lose.
It’s really hard because I remember reading about this guy when he did play. It’s almost like losing a friend because you can put a face to the name, and the stuff people wrote really made him seem like someone you’d want to be friends with. SI also re-printed two articles – one from before he was drafted and another from when he decided to leave for the military. One of the saddest comments comes from the second article which declared“Tillman says he’ll resume his NFL career in three years, and Tillman does what he says.” It’s a shame he won’t make it back.