Last week, ESPN announced that Prince Harry would receive the Pat Tillman Award for Service at the upcoming ESPY Awards later this month.
This award recognizes his time in the British military and his work with the Invictus Games. However, this decision has sparked significant controversy and backlash. YouTuber Steph the Alter Nerd claimed that Prince Harry's page on the Pat Tillman Foundation website has been taken down. Previously, the Pat Tillman Foundation had a link to the ESPY Awards, but it has now disappeared.
It is alleged that the page was removed due to the backlash against Prince Harry. Currently, the page shows "Page Not Found," and Prince Harry has been removed from the Pat Tillman Foundation website entirely. Additionally, searching for Prince Harry or the Pat Tillman Award on the ESPN site yields no results related to him.
The announcement of Prince Harry receiving the award was met with widespread criticism. Notably, Pat McAfee accused ESPN of deliberately provoking people by selecting Prince Harry. Mary Tillman, Pat Tillman's mother, also expressed her disapproval in an interview with the Daily Mail. She said, "I'm shocked as to why they would select such a controversial and divisive individual to receive the award. There are recipients far more fitting. There are individuals working in the veteran community doing tremendous things to assist veterans who don't have the money, resources, connections, or privilege that Prince Harry has. I feel that those types of individuals should be recognized."
In response to the widespread criticism, an ESPN spokesperson released a statement reiterating the reasons behind awarding Prince Harry the Pat Tillman Award for Service. The statement provided to Awful Announcing read: "ESPN, with the support of the Tillman Foundation, is honoring Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, specifically for the work of the Invictus Games Foundation as it celebrates its 10th year promoting healing through the power of sport for military service members and veterans around the world." Despite this statement, rumors have emerged that ESPN might be reconsidering their decision to award Prince Harry. According to a blind item from CrazyDaysAndNights.net, Disney, which owns ESPN and the ESPY Awards, is reportedly rethinking the award due to the controversy surrounding Prince Harry.
The speculation is not entirely unfounded, as there are significant questions about Prince Harry's eligibility for the award. Critics point out that Prince Harry only served in the military for ten weeks instead of the required six months. During his service, his actions were controversial, including boasting about his 25 eliminations and spending time playing Xbox while at Camp Bastion. Many believe that there are more deserving individuals who should receive this award.
In addition to the backlash, a petition has been launched urging ESPN to reconsider awarding the Pat Tillman Award to Prince Harry. Started by Patty McIll, the petition has gathered over 33,000 signatures. It argues that the award should honor someone who truly embodies Pat Tillman's values of patriotism, loyalty, and sacrifice. The petition criticizes Prince Harry's controversies and questions his worthiness for such an honor.
Given the intense scrutiny and backlash, it is not surprising that Disney, ESPN, and the ESPY Awards might reconsider their decision to award Prince Harry the Pat Tillman Award. The controversy highlights the importance of ensuring that recipients of such prestigious awards truly reflect the values and legacy of individuals like Pat Tillman. As the situation continues to unfold, it remains to be seen whether ESPN will stand by their decision or choose to honor someone else more fitting for the award.
