NFL Still Capitalizing On Pat Tillman's Death, While Snubbing His Family
By Logan Murphy Sunday Jun 08, 2008 8:00pm
Mary Tillman has a message for the National Football League: Help me find out what happened to my son.
Tillman's death was mourned coast to coast, and the public and his family were told by the Pentagon that he died a "warrior's death" charging up a hill, urging on his fellow Rangers. His funeral was nationally televised, and Arizona Sen. John McCain, now the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, was among those delivering eulogies. Yet the circumstances of his death turned out to be an obscene hoax. Tillman was, in fact, killed by friendly fire.
The NFL has seized on Pat Tillman as another way to connect with the red, white and blue sports fan. Earlier this year, former Commissioner Paul Tagliabue brought together the NFL and the United Service Organizations to build the Pat Tillman USO Center at Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan. And the league just opened an exhibit dedicated to Tillman at its Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio.
Unfortunately, it doesn't appear the NFL wants to play ball with the Tillman family.
Meanwhile, 20 veterans who saw combat in Iraq and Afghanistan took the extraordinary step last August of writing a letter to NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, asking his help in securing the release of the requested documents. Unfortunately, the league has not responded to Mary Tillman or the veterans. Read on...
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And Rep. Kucinich is introducing articles of impeachment at this hour, specifically citing Tillman.
And where is the "liberal media"?????
What a sick joke.
We all LOL when Kucinich invokes the presidential imperative to preserve, protect and defend the Constitution, as we ass understand the administration's contempt for said Constitution, but still...
this story is tough to talk about
Tillman and Lynch, too.
What about Spygate?
That's much more important!
Just ask Arlen Specter.
Much more important than 1,000,000 missing emails, warrantless wiretaps, political sackings at the DOJ, and leaking a CIA agent's identity.
Remember how he expressed outrage? Said he would get to the bottom of them.
He must have had a senior moment.
It never ends with Administation, just when you think Bush and Co. couldn't sink any lower, they always prove us wrong. It will take us a long time to heal, if we can heal at all. Tarnished image, no money, no future for our kids, two endless wars..., need I go on?
Oh...and by the way.
The Jets cheated too!
10-6 with Mangini before Spygate
4-12 after Spygate broke.
Shocking!!! A big money making juggernaut exploiting and capitalising on a dead guy?
Unheard of.
we are witness to the Goldfinger Gambit.
Wherefore the administration understands in truth as it is in purely speculative fiction, that disorder = profit and that the president's personal and professional investments, would gain untold benefit by the political and military destabilization of the resources of his adversaries, thereby directly enhancing the value of his own and his investors' own, would willfully and egregiously engage in activities to supplant competition and fairness with his own hierarchy of oligarchical encumbrance at the expense of the American people, that he is guilty of high crimes and treason against the American people and is subject to immediate arrest and fair trial.
Too bad Pat Tillman was never given the chance to be an actor.
He looks more like Flash Gordon than the little wussie on the cable abomination
Or even more like Superman instead of the adolscent pouting brandon routh.
Mrs Tillman, the NFL practices compassionate conservatism very much like George Bush. Except they are greedier. Expect the same stiff arm from them you got from bushco.
Its now ALL on record....
Kucinich is NOW discussing this ( Tilman ) and EVERYTHING on the House Floor
a 35-count indictment against bush
including the secret energy policy from 2001
ysbaddaden @ 10:
I always thought he could play Henry Rollins in the Black Flag biopic.
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Seriously, I wonder if the Tillman's have approached the NFLPA. The Players Association might not have as big a pull on the Hill as the League, but they could grassroots the idea of a real investigation if they put their minds to it. Players, both active and retired are always out speaking with an adoring public. A few of the right voices....
porkchop @ 1:
Its so true. All I found is 4 paragraphs from the AP. This should be airing live on all the major networks.
I for one am surprised that any organization would exploit soldiers for their own gain...
(wheres the sarcasm tag?)
I think this story, more than a lot of others similar to it in shamelessness, is really going to stick in people's minds when they read about it in history books far into the future.
Such a craven, morally bankrupt, horrid episode.
I think this is indicative of how the last 7 1/2 years have compromised the morality of this society. If people see a remorseless, callous and
unlawful administration running (or ruining) this country without consequence, either morally or spiritually, they feel that they are also free to follow their own avarice and greed and answer to no one.
Just another deterioration of our way of life attributable to Shrub and his ruthless cabal.
Thanks, GOP.
"killed by friendly fire"
more like assasinated...which is why they are still giving the tillman's the runaround
its still a warriors death if one is killed by friendly fire...shit happens
but if the real truth came out...the fit would hit the shan
Tillman was a true hero. What happened to him is a disgrace.
Pat Tillman, you were a good and honourable man. May you rest in peace.
Mary Tillman, my thoughts are with you and your family. We will never forget your son, or you.
Come on, people.
The NFL is not some all-powerful entity that can snap its fingers and make the government bow to its will.
It's a $6 billion entertainment company. Roger Goodell started off as an intern for the Browns.
The NFL vs. the US government is like Woody Allen vs. Mike Tyson.
Bottom line: Pat Tillman made a huge mistake and wound up paying for it. It's nobody's responsibility to find out what happened but his family's.
the NFL is scum. Fich Fux and their toys. traders in human flesh. whay should they be expected to anything other than exploit Tilman and his family. and without a contract, they can get away with a whole helluvalot.
The NFL probably does not want to hear this but fans come not only cloaked in conservative garb but in liberal as well. I love sports of all kinds but i would curtail atteding any games this year or buying any NFL logo equipment if the NFL begins pushing this conservative support Bush agenda. Look around you, NFL, Brittany also supports "our prez." nice bedfellows. You went to college, think for yourselves. Does this regime now in the white house support poor people. Or as Kanye said, Bush doesn't like Black People. If you're Black and you support Bush, help me understand why.
c'mon now. The NFL is not profiting off him as much as honoring him. Seriously, that's what leagues do constantly, honor retired and dead folks. I too think someone should get to the bottom of this, but the NFL is not the answer.
It's a damn shame what this rogue administration did to get this war, and at any cost. The Tillmans should file a civil lawsuit against Bush/Cheney/Rumsfeld/Rice/Powell/Perle and anyone else involved in the conspiracy that sent America to war. Remember, it takes only the preponderance of evidence to win in a civil trial. They should seek maximum punitive damages on top of any award before a jury. I'd like to call the first witness please...Scott McClellan take the stand.
Looks as if the Tillman family got Sheehan'ed...the only thing they haven't done is get PISSED and LOUD like she did.
moondancer @ 11:
This is the same organization that conveniently allows retired NFL players to starve to death, live out their lives in broken bodies in assisted care facilities or live on welfare because Gene Upshaw won't increase pensions to be adjusted for cost-of-living inflation. So why should Mary Tillman see any justice, when the NFL has already shown how craven and heartless it can be when you interfere with their bottom-line profits.
Anybody need any more illustrations that enlisting to "serve your country" is a lie and a waste of your life?
Stop giving the military industrial complex your bodies. Wise up!
Seriously though, what do they expect the NFL to do? Our own Congress can't get answers from Bush about the circumstances of the war. How will the NFL get it done?
Tillman worked for the NFL. He quit. He joined the military. He was killed under strange circumstances. Now, his family wants the NFL to bring pressure as to what happened.
Replace 'the NFL' with McDonalds, and suddenly the true ridiculousness of the family's request becomes clear. Why should a soldier's ex-employer be responsible for bringing pressure on the government? The family needs to be contacting their local representatives and senators to bring the pressure.
The NFL powers that be will not do anything to jeopardize their monopoly
comsympinko @ 21:
BOTTOM LINE: Someone made a huge MIS-TAKE, and it was not Patrick Tillman. Evidence and witnesses tell otherwise. The truth will be brought to LIGHT as always.
Your analogy is bland. It's more like a huge web of the obscenely wealthy NFL corporate boys enmeshed in politics for a little Quid Pro Quo.
stonicus @ 30:
You haven't been following this isuue very closely if you have to ask that question. You sound like a troll. "He quit." He turned down a multi-million-dollar contract to lay his life on the line for his country based on an AWOL lunatics rantings..............see, it's not that hard to achieve clarity if you want to.
The NFL is nothing more than another propaganda wing of the Federal Government, specifically the Pentagon.
comsympinko @ 21:
I agree with everything but your last line. Which Is total BS! It the responsibility of the fucking US GOVT. to find out about what happened...exactly how the hell is Tillmans family supposed find out anyway...go interview the soldiers involved?
One only needs to look and see who owns most of the big sports outfits to see why they care about people just like our media does.-CEO
pEOPLE like us must fight for pat tillman (san jose, ca). The nfl won't. they have shown as much.
Another interesting note is Goddell (the nfl commisener) is married to a fox news ancor. He's not doing nothing. I don't think he has even mentioned the pat tillman story. Other than the george bush line of "He will be missed. We're sorry this happened". No accountability. No responsibility.
They will face justice one day. If no one else cares, I will continue the fight for justice. Pat tillman (san jose, ca) is a true america hero. He's getting his medal. He's getting his statue. the perps who killed him and covered it up are going to jail for a long time.
treason may be en vogue right now. The doj fcc and supreame court may be filled with gop cronies now. Soon we will have justice
Army Infantry 11B For Obama
also pat tillman was a patriot. He is everything america stands for.
how many of these brave flag wearing gop patriots are going to sign up to fight in president's obama's army?
tillman did not believe in the iraq war. He fought to get bin laden and the terrorists. He sacraficed much to do so. What does the gop ever sacrafice, other than credibility. he sacraficed everything and had the world in his palm. He sacraficed that for us. He was murdered by fascist red coat party loyalist traitors. then they covered it up. They lied to his family at the man's funeral.
this one is not going away. Someone going to jail for a long time for this one. the whole story will come out very soon.
I'm sure criminals on the street have excuses and stories to. doesn't stop them from being thrown behind bars, if they borke laws. the gop has their bogus stories. Soon no one will give a shit about their lies and bogus arguements. AAnd their criminals wil have to face jail like anyone else who breaks laws, or engages in treason/murder.
I met Pat Tillman. We may never learn the real story of how or why he was either killed or accidently shot ... I found him to be humble. I walked up to him at the Arizona Cardinals training camp when I was a photo-jurnalist for the Kingman Daily Miner in 1998 - his rookie season. I told him, "I hope you make the team." He looked up at me and said, "I do too." He had so much more going on than football or the typical sterotype rah-rah-rah of a person in the military. It was a sad moment to see him go. I read in the AZ Republic he was decapitated from the fire - friendly or not. There are many ways to look at this 'story.' To me, the barbarity of war is the utmost single important message - as cliche as it is. Pat Tillman would literally give you the shirt off his back.
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