Tillman's ultimate sacrifice inspires hope in bleak times

By Aaron Juarez

"I always turn to the sports page first. The sports page records people's accomplishments; the front page nothing but man's failures."

It's been nearly 50 years since former Chief Justice and California Gov. Earl Warren made that statement, and in today's world of global and sporting events, I'm not so sure Warren's words would still be accurate.

That is until the events of this past weekend, and the passing of former Arizona Cardinals safety Pat Tillman, who was killed in action in Eastern Afghanistan Thursday night.

Tillman made a choice in May 2002 that shocked the sports world as well as the general public. Deeply affected by the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, Tillman opted to leave a three-year, $3.6 million contract to play football on the table in order to enlist in the Army in hopes of becoming part of the elite Ranger unit.

When news came in Friday morning of Tillman's passing, it elicited sorrow and disbelief around the nation, but it also served as a fitting reminder of the sacrifice and courage made by our troops to an American public which had begun to emotionally distance itself from the constant reports of casualties in Iraq and Afghanistan.

In nearly every tribute written of Tillman, writers mention how much he would have hated to see all the publicity and attention given his sacrifice. Yet we need to keep being reminded of the sacrifices and courage of all the men and women who put their lives on the line so that we can enjoy our freedom. We need it especially in this day and age, where materialism and ignorance have blinded so many to the world around them.

In the world of sports, Pat Tillman became an icon for what a role model should be. So often we attach "hero" status to people who hit a home run or make a buzzer-beating shot to win the game that we lose sight of what it really means to be a hero. Pat Tillman is a hero.

If anyone doubts that, look at other sports headlines over the weekend.

Tillman's death ran in newspapers as well as stories covering St. Louis Blues forward Mike Danton facing murder-for-hire charges, closing arguments in former Nets forward Jayson Williams' murder trial, Kobe Bryant flying back to Colorado to set up a date for his rape trial and Rams' defensive lineman Leonard Little, whose previous DUI offense resulted in a fatality, being nailed for yet another DUI. Such are the failures that stood in contrast to the news of Pat Tillman's passing.

In an age where the sports page now documents just as many human failures as the front page, Tillman's courage and conviction gave everyone hope that sports had not become a complete cesspool of greed, power and immorality.

With the invasion of Iraq imminent last March, few athletes offered their opinions on the war. Most used the line: "We're athletes, our job is to entertain you and take your mind off of this". The only instances I recall of athletes taking a stand were Steve Nash wearing a "No War, Shoot For Peace" shirt on NBA All-Star weekend, David Robinson (a former Naval officer) speaking out in support of the U.S.-led invasion, and Manhattanville College women's basketball player Toni Smith refusing to face the American flag when the national anthem was played.

Pat Tillman outdistanced the others. He stayed true to his beliefs by making a choice that many of us probably wouldn't be able to make. For that, we should never forget the sacrifice and courage of not only Tillman, but of all the service men and women defending our nation.

When I looked over sports pages last weekend and saw the stories about Pat Tillman, I felt, if only for a day, that Chief Justice Warren's words could still ring true.

û Contact Aaron Juarez at (408) 554-4852 or ajuarez@scu.edu.