Mother of Pat Tillman has criticised the decision to give Prince Harry the memorial award at ESPY

[PrincessMee]

Mary Tillman says " There are recipients far more fitting. He publicly disrespected his family , ran away from service to his country. He is unworthy of this award"

She feels there are recipients far more fitting.

I think she speaks for many.

Thankfully most of us can put our point across.

I’m all for a reasoned argument/debate or indeed a sensible justification as to why Pat Tillman’s mother is wrong.

I’m not seeing that.

if his mam cannot see it
This. Have the decency to listen to Pat Tillman's mother. Hasn't she gone through enough?

I can't believe that they didn't even consult her - or his widow. What were the committee thinking?

Apparently the Sewer Squad are now going after Mary Tillman, saying she shouldn't have an opinion and that her reasons don't make any sense.

There really are no depths to which they will not sink.

🫣🫣😩

The only good to come out of this is the fact that they are howling like banshees about anyone who either favours the Waleses or is negative about the Sussexes for any reason whatsoever, and so are sounding more and more ridiculous each time

You've got to wonder how low some people will go.
Do we think that the Sussexes will respond to this, from their alleged supporters?

I don't really get why someone, regardless of who he is, who is British and served in the British forces would be entitled to an award presumably designed to be awarded to US services personnel. Quite apart from any other objections, he's not a US citizen and has never served in the US military

I thought that too, but after Googling it, realized that this is the actual purpose.

" a person with a strong connection to sports who has served others in a way that echoes the legacy of the former NFL player and U.S. Army Ranger, Pat Tillman"

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/prince-harry-espn-espy-award-pat-tillman-1235933786/

That explains the previous choice of recipients which I now realise makes sense. Only one of them was american anyway - Gretchen Evans. Kim Clavel is Canadian and Rashford obviously British.
The reference to veterans and military service etc etc muddied the waters. But it's essentially an award for sportspeople who have served selflessly.

Not only is Harry's only connection to sport being 'the face' of the Invictus games (he's not an athlete himself and definitely didn't do much of the grunt work) his conduct is a far cry from the values posted by PP...

Harry should have declined the award immediately before it had a chance to be so widely publicised, because even if he does decline it now, it looks like he's only doing so due to the uproar and not because he feels it's inappropriate.

Byeeee!

The sewer squad have no idea what they are taking on. A mother that lost her son fighting for his country AND american football fans.

The wrong person is quoted in OP’s post. The quote belongs to a Tania Smith.

Mary Tillman is critical about Harry being chosen, but that quote is not hers.

“One signatory of the petition, Tania Smith, said ‘Pat Tillman embodied service and sacrifice, doing his patriotic duty’ but ‘Harry represents none of these qualities’.
**
She added: ‘He publicly disrespected his family, ran away from service to his country as a royal… He is unworthy of this award.’”

The link to the DM article was posted beneath the OP’s first two posts.

If I was OP (@PrincessMee ) I would ask @MNHQ to change the post to credit the right person.

I think that opening quote is a mash up of Mary Tillmans criticism and a commentator agreeing and commenting on her quote.

The full quote from Mary Tillman.

"I am shocked as to why they would select such a controversial and divisive individual to receive the award. There are recipients that are far more fitting.

There are individuals working in the veteran community that are doing tremendous things to assist veterans. These individuals do not have the money, resources, connections or privilege that Prince Harry has. I feel that those types of individuals should be recognised."

A petition against H getting the award now has over 20k signatories to it.

Harry is firmly in the category of one of the most disliked public figures of our day.

There is a post on X asking people in the US to go to the awards venue and boo if Harry turns up. I think this is a step too far personally, as much as I think he doesn't deserve the award, this could go very wrong.

That’s not on! And it certainly doesn’t embody Pat Tillman’s values. But I have every faith that Harry will do the right thing and decline the award.

If Mary Tillman did say the words that OP
has attributed to her there is no problem. But if she didn’t (and a Tania Smith wrote them) in my opinion, it should be corrected.

The thing about Harry is that it seems a lot of people don’t him. But it also seems that a lot of people do like him.

Links to the petition have been posted over quite a number of Harry and Meghan hate accounts on Twitter so I’m not surprised they’d get that many signatories.

For my part, I agree with Mary Tillman. Awards and medals should go to the usually unsung heroes of this world.

Here’s a link to a lovely story about two children who met the Queen and one of whom received the BEM. Definitely two young people who are deserving of awards. Had to link to the Sun as it has a full account of the day but is not behind a paywall

I agree. There's no need for that. Why stoop so low?
Maybe he will do the right thing and decline the award, maybe he won't. We can do nothing either way. However, it would be good if he listened to opinions on this one.

This actually makes me feel a bit sorry for Harry. However the Sussex Squad maintaining the Invictus Games was all Harry's idea and he is responsible for all of it, and appears to pretty much run it single handed is taking the edge off.

Oh I don’t like the sound of that. Tbh I don’t really understand the issue around the award which is why I haven’t commented.

I don't understand that either.

@pearlfritillary thank you for your service and for putting your point so very well.

I don’t understand why it’s so difficult for Harry to distance himself from the vile Sussex Squad

it can’t be that difficult to put out a statement saying they don't represent us ?
…. unless they do

I think Harry must be running around like a headless chicken, he's got criticism coming at him left right and centre, oh for the grey suits eh ?