DAMN! NFL football player Pat Tillman killed in Afghanistan!!!

[wndycty]

He gave up a multi-million dollar contract to serve the country in the US Army and was killed in action.

[NMDemDist2]

1. <sigh> n/t

[Luvpurp]

2. He was a big liberal hater as I recall

Very sad, but I give him credit for putting his money wher his mouth is which is a lot more we can say for Dubya, Rove et al.

[denverbill]

26. I never read anything he said negative about liberals.

Until I do, I'll assume you're making it up.

[Bluzmann57]

61. Who the hell cares if he was a "big Liberal hater"?

He didn't deserve to die.

[denverbill]

3. Do you have any links on this? This is awful.

I was thinking about this guy just yesterday.

[cheezus]

4. That sucks. But I feel worse for the poor kids in the guard

trying to pay their way through college. It's come to the point where in order to have a chance in the world (college) you need to risk life and limb.

[DontBlameMe]

According to MSNBC, it was in Iraq.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/4815441/

[wndycty]

Well this will be interesting. . .

. . .because if he was killed in Afghanistan it seems like he sacrificed his life as result of the war or terror, if it is Iraq it will seem like just a big waste. Its strange that there is a difference.

[Rationality]

23. Either way, he believed in it enough to abandon the NFL

and enlist. So his sacrifice has been made for his belief. Whether he was correct, that's another story.

[wndycty]

29. That's my point. . .

. . .which shows how tragic the deaths in Iraq are. So many of our men and women serve this country because they truly believe that they are doing what is right and it makes it all the more sickening when they are sent off to fight unnecessary wars. At least in Afghanistan Tillman was fighting the war he signed up to fight. Unfortunately so many of our men and women are dying in Iraq in war that did not need to be fought.

[leesa]

42. The "war on terror" IS a waste. It is the same con job as the war in Iraq

The purpose is an oil and gas pipeline. Nothing to do with "terrorism".

[MissB]

10. According to CNN, it was in Afghanistan (nt)

[DontBlameMe]

16. Yep. MSNBC just changed their title.

[TrueD]

13. MSNBC must be wrong

In Iraq, it's he Marines and the 4th ID. Tillman was a Ranger which is deployed to Afghanistan. Afghanistan makes way more sense and that is what CNN is reporting.

[doni_georgia]

21. MSNBC article you link says - Afghanistan n/t

[Renew Deal]

40. The article changed

I am pretty sure.

[jtb33]

47. MSNBC was wrong...

Tillman was KIA in Afghanistan.

[cjbuchanan]

5. Is this who Bill Maher was talking about in Ride Alone?

Sad to hear.

[liberal72]

56. Yes it was.

So sad to hear this.

[TrueD]

6. link?

[Renew Deal]

7. That's sad.

I was thinking about him recently too. That's too bad. He volunteered honorably.

[bowler_4_columbine]

35. He didn't die for a lie...

He was fighting for his country against terrorism in Afghanastan, Bin Ladens last known hiding place.

[Renew Deal]

36. One of the early posts said Iraq.

Thanks for the correction.

[RafterMan]

48. Wish I could agree

But we could have stabilized Afghanistan long ago with the troops Bush sent to Iraq. And we could have tripled Afghanistan's GDP for each of the past three years for the money Bush spent in Iraq.

I'll count him as another victim of Bush's misleadership.

[RBHam]

59. The War On Terror Is A Lie

Wake up. Bush and bin Laden are brothers in arms.

[wndycty]

8. CNN is just now reporting. . .

. . .and confirming from the Pentagon. He and his brother both gave up careers as professional athletes to join the Army. . .they thought they were doing the right thing.

[LittleApple81]

9. He put his body where his opinions were. I have to respect that.

I am sorry he was led by somebody like Bush. If Bush had taken care of Afghanistan and made it a "success" instead of going to Iraq, this guy might still be alive.

[trumad]

14. Holy shit...

He was a heck of a football player. Jim Rome talks about him frequently .... It goes to show every young kid out there that war is not fun and games... It's real .

[bkcc]

22. I agree. I completely respect him.

He put his money where his mouth is. He was a good football player and he walked away from a lot of money to serve his country the way that he thought best. (Unfortunately, this particular war is completely insane.)

I'm sorry to hear that he died.

[Gothmog]

11. Thisi is so very sad

[On the Road]

12. That's Too Bad

I knew his name was familiar (Arizona safety), but I didn't know anything about him. Sounds like quite a guy:

Somehow it seemed so right, so fitting that the 25-year-old Tillman walked into the Cardinals headquarters, told team owner Bill Bidwell and the coaching staff of his plan to serve his country and simply vanished.

This, after all, is a guy who turned down a five-year, $9 million contract offer from the Super Bowl champion St. Louis Rams last year because of his loyalty to the perennially lousy Arizona team that selected him in the seventh round of the 1998 NFL draft. As for why Tillman turned his back on the Cardinals' recent offer of a three-year, $3.6 million deal in order to take on a three-year military hitch that will pay him no more than $18,000 annually, there are no easy answers.

----snip

"He said there were personal reasons he didn't want to divulge to me, and I didn't press him on it," Cardinals head coach Dave McGinnis said. "I respect his decision. I think it's honorable. "It's not just a snap decision. You're dealing with a guy whose waters run pretty deep."

---snip

http://www.sanluisobispo.com/mld/sanluisobispo/sports/football/3621735.htm

[wndycty]

18. This drives home an important point. . .

There are tons of soldier like Pat Tillman who have options, but choose to serve and put their lives on the line, because they want to serve their country. This man gave up a career and his life to do what he felt was right. We have to make sure that we do not fight unnecessary wars, if he died in Afghanistan his death was at least not in vain in that it was the mission he signed up for, but if it is Iraq he died because he was taken advantage of.

[RamboLiberal]

15. I have to respect he did walk the walk

RIP Pat Tillman.

I respect you over the flag-waving chickenhawk athletes, pundits and politicians we have way to many of back here in the "homeland".

From a Pittsburgh Steeler fan.

[Guaranteed]

17. Ohhh....is this the guy the RWers were making a big deal about

last summer?

And could that be Spencer Tillman's brother?

[MissB]

19. His brother is a baseball player, I think. (nt)

[wndycty]

20. No. . .

. . .Spencer Tillman is Black, Pat Tillman is white.

[playahata1]

30. Pat Tillman was white; Spencer Tillman is black.

n/t

[RummyTheDummy]

60. No

Spencer Tillman is black and is from Oklahoma. Much older than Pat Tillman.

[No2W2004]

24. I respect him

for his decision, and not just "talking the talk". If I remember right, he joined the army as a result of wanting to do something because of 9/11. How many chickenhawks would give up their multi-million dollar "consulting" jobs to prove their convictions?

[bigtree]

25. He gave up his freedom to help protect his country

That's you and me. Very sad. I don't know the circumstances, but I admire the sacrifice and dedication of all of our servicemen and women, and I pray that we find a way to end these maddening wars.

[KeepItReal]

27. Condolences...

If Afghanistan was his duty station, hopefully his passing will not be in vain.


p.s.
Strange how Bush & Co. pulled the troops like the Rangers out of Afghanistan right when we needed them the most to go after ol' Bin Laden early in that war. They were just the type of force that you would need if you had him cornered. Rangers can go in with large numbers very quickly to enable the killing or capture of high-value targets (like a certain millionaire ex-Mujahedeen).

Sat, Dec 8 2001:
"FORT BENNING, Ga. — About
200 Army Rangers who were among
the first U.S. troops to hit the
ground in Afghanistan came home
Friday, excited to see their families
but saddened that two of their comrades
did not make it back alive.
....
The 75th’s Rangers were dropped
into Afghanistan on Oct. 19 — the
same day that two members of the
regiment were killed in a crash of
their Black Hawk helicopter."
http://www.tulsaworld.com/assault/A_4_12_8.pdf

[CPschem]

28. This makes me sick, sad, and angry

chickenhawk neocons send another young person to an early grave.

[drumwolf]

31. Wow. Hearing this is not how I wanted to start off the day.

Even though it's pretty safe to say that Tillman had a world view quite different from myself and most DU'ers, I still had immense respect for the guy. I realize that it was a no-brainer to everyone that he was risking getting killed when he joined the Army, yet I'm still thinking to myself, "Why him? Of all the soldiers to be killed in action, why him?"

BTW, he was serving in Afghanistan, not Iraq, so hopefully his death isn't necessarily in vain -- I'm considerably more supportive of our military's efforts in Afghanistan, since that's where al-Qa'ida is hiding out and we need to be fighting those guys. It's the combat deaths in Iraq that should be seen as senseless wastes of young lives for the chickenhawk neocon agenda.

It's early morning where I am right now. I suppose there are worse ways for me to start off my day than hearing this news, but that doesn't make it any more pleasant for me.

:(

[theboss]

32. So sad

People with integrity should be cherished.

[Bertha Venation]

33. maybe now the media will start to focus on how bad it is that our

soldiers are being killed over there.

"Fathers & sons? Brothers, husbands, lovers? Who gives a shit! They're serving their country. They knew it could come to this going in.

"Oh, my fucking god, a ball player KIA?! Withdraw our troops now! Get 'em out of Iraq, too!"

[MallRat]

34. Wow. I am speechless.

Speaking as a big football fan, I really admired Tillman's heart and spirit. The guy was an absolute ball hawk- I think he recorded 140+ tackles back in 2000. Even though he was stuck on a perennially losing team, Tillman played full-tilt every game.

When he announced that he was quitting the NFL, forgoing a multi-million dollar contract to join the Army Rangers, I was really impressed at his committment.

I have no doubt that he might not have had much tolerance for my (or OUR) political leanings, but I am grateful and deeply moved by his sacrifice. I also lament the possibility that he might not be dead today, had so many of our troops not been diverted to fight an unnecessary war in Iraq.

:cry:

-MR

[drumwolf]

37. Wow. I didn't think of that point.

I also lament the possibility that he might not be dead today, had so many of our troops not been diverted to fight an unnecessary war in Iraq.

Good point. So maybe we CAN blame the neocon chickenhawks for putting Tillman's life in more danger than he needed to be in.

:grr:

[rumguy]

41. I don't think he was a freeper, not even close

He was more of an individual. He biked to practices, etc...may have had environmental leanings.

And just because he signed up for Ranger duty and wanted to go to Afghanistan doesn't mean he would be in favor the Iraq war as a matter of course.

[wndycty]

43. Exactly. . .

. . .all they we know about him is that he felt a call to duty and put his life on the line for what he thought was right. We do not know his politics and it is disrespectful to speculate.

[MallRat]

44. Point well taken.

I shouldn't make sweeping generalizations like that. Very sorry.

-MR

[hexola]

38. Jim Rob and FreeRepublic already profiting from Tillmans death

Check out post 188

This hurts. Contribution to FreeRepublic made in his memory.

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1123118/posts

[Rationality]

62. Fuck I threw out my trolling account too soon

I would've infiltrated this one but I blew it a vanity. Next time...

[JETS]

39. GOD BLESS HIS SOUL

A rare breed in today's world. A class act and a hero.

[MallRat]

45. The more I'm reading about Tillman...

...the sadder this gets. What a terrible loss.

From the last graph of the ESPN report:

"The 5-foot-11, 200-pound Pat graduated summa cum laude with a 3.84 GPA from Arizona State, with a degree in marketing."

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=1788232

:cry:

-MR

[jtb33]

50. So sad...

But if he had a 4yr degree, I wonder why he enlisted rather than going through OCS and joining up as an officer...

[RetroLounge]

64. He was offered OCS, but declined

said he wanted to start at the bottom, like everyone else.

I got boatloads of respect for this man.

Very sad...

RL

[kcwayne]

46. The greatest contribution from his death

may be that those right wingers that idolize someone like this who gave up wealth for ideology will possibly be a little more enlightened about the costs of war.

Maybe they will learn that being a military hero has consequences. Its more than stuffing a sock down your flight suit and parading around on deck 30 miles off San Diego.

[DancingBear]

49. What sickens me about this

aside from yet another kid lost for lies, is that Bush et al. will use it for political gain. I would bet that the bastard does something to "commererate" the tragic loss of a "great American and great football player." Watch how long it takes Commander PigInShit to use it for his own personal gain.

Disgusting.

[AngryAmish]

51. Bush killed him

[GreenPartyVoter]

52. So sorry for his family and friends

[Catherine Vincent]

53. I really hate the fact that CNN and others are giving a lot of air time

to this tragedy. This guy is no better than the others that have died in this war.

[Jack_Dawson]

54. He gives a "Face" to those killed

He's not any more important than anyone else, and he would be horrified at the media coverage. But until now, the media hasn't had a "face" for the KIAs. The media is doing what the media does (sigh).

[hexola]

57. Never heard of him before today...

no different to the other 700 faces...

[Jack_Dawson]

58. Football Fans are familiar with the story

When Tillman quit the NFL to join the Rangers, he turned down every last media request for interviews. He wanted to blend in and be one of the guys. Don't blame Tillman, blame the whoring media.

[hexola]

55. Will all the attention piss off other military families...

...this guy's already gotten more press than all 700 combined...

[Moonbeam_Starlight]

63. I have a different viewpoint

I am the wife of a Vet (he was in Desert Storm and served active duty in the Army for 12 years). At first, he was saying things that sounded kind of resentful regarding all the media attention Tillman has been getting since his death. But then he said to me "Well you know, if it brings more attention to the more than 700 who have ALSO died, then that's a good thing. If his death puts a more personal face on the other deaths, then good."

And I have to agree. I'd rather see TONS of attention to ALL the military deaths in Afghanistan and Iraq, but if this is the one that gets people to sit up and pay attention who weren't previously, then it will have been good.

Know what I mean?

I feel VERY sad for his family AND for the families of all the other soldiers killed.