ESPN is standing by its final decision to honor Prince Harry with its Pat Tillman Award for Company at following week’s ESPYs immediately after the choice was publicly criticized by Tillman’s mom, community identity Pat McAfee and other folks.
“ESPN, with the guidance of the Tillman Basis, is honoring Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, specifically for the function of The Invictus Games Basis as it celebrates its 10th year advertising and marketing healing by way of the energy of activity for armed service support customers and veterans all around the world,” the network stated in a statement emailed to The Situations on Monday.
“While we realize not anyone will concur with all honorees picked for any award, The Invictus Online games Foundation does incredible operate and ESPN thinks this is a trigger value celebrating.”
Very last 7 days, ESPN introduced the honorees for some of its special awards in advance of the 2024 ESPYs, which will be held July 11 at the Dolby Theatre. Harry was tabbed for the award named after the former Arizona Cardinal who still left the NFL and enlisted in the Army soon right after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on the U.S. Tillman was 27 when he was killed by friendly fireplace throughout a tour of responsibility in Afghanistan on April 22, 2004.
In a news launch Thursday, ESPN reported the award is “a individual with a strong relationship to sporting activities who has served other people in a way that echoes the legacy of the former NFL participant and U.S. Military Ranger, Pat Tillman.” Very last year’s honoree was the Buffalo Costs education workers for its life-saving attempts soon after protection Damar Hamlin suffered cardiac arrest during a Jan 2, 2023, “Monday Evening Football” activity.
The release pointed to Harry’s 10 many years of services in the British Armed Forces, which includes two tours of duty in Afghanistan, and his founding of the Invictus Game titles Foundation, which has developed “an worldwide system to assistance wounded, wounded, and unwell servicemen and ladies — both energetic-responsibility and veterans — who are navigating both actual physical and invisible injuries” the launch mentioned.
The final decision to existing Harry, who quit royal responsibilities in 2020 and moved to California with wife Meghan Markle, with the Tillman Award has been met with some backlash. Tillman’s mom Mary advised the Daily Mail she was “shocked” by the selection.
“There are recipients that are considerably more fitting,” reported Mary Tillman, who is not on the board or personnel of the Pat Tillman Foundation. “There are persons functioning in the veteran neighborhood that are undertaking huge points to guide veterans. These persons do not have the money, means, connections or privilege that Prince Harry has. I sense that all those styles of folks need to be acknowledged.”
During a rant on Friday’s episode of his ESPN Television exhibit, McAfee mentioned the community “is just clearly making an attempt to piss people off” by choosing Harry to receive an award named soon after someone who was an “American hero” and “the definition of selfless.”
An on the net petition contacting for ESPN to reconsider has garnered additional than 36,000 signatures as of Monday afternoon.
