The Arizona Cardinals won the first playoff game of the 2008 NFL playoff schedule, 30-24 over the Atlanta Falcons. Prominently displayed at the stadium were references to former Cardinal player Pat Tillman. The question arose, via an impromptu remark by analyst Cris Collinsworth: should Pat Tillman be in the Pro Football Hall of Fame?
Here's what Collinsworth said:
"He’s gonna come up this year for a Hall of Fame vote. And if Pat Tillman doesn’t belong in the Hall of Fame, who does? Here’s a guy that turned down millions of dollars, a three-year, $36 million deal, to go fight for our country. I hope that that is the vote that they will take. This guy is the very essence of what we all hope the NFL and its players will ultimately be."
For those who don't know, Pat Tillman enlisted after 9/11. He was killed in a friendly fire incident in Afghanistan in 2004.
First, some corrections to Collinsworth's plea:
He turned down a contract of not $36 million, $3.6 million over three years from the Cardinals.
He is not going to come up for a vote this year. He is not on the list of preliminary nominees.
Frankly, the NFL is in need of some real heroes. Too many players are like Ko Simpson, who was arrested on New Year's Day, saying "I'm Ko Simpson with the Buffalo Bills. I am worth millions!"
Whoopee. Obviously that doesn't make you a good person.
Pat Tillman? A brave man. But a Hall of Fame player? No.
The Hall of Fame is about players and coaches, whose body of work qualifies them for the Hall. Perhaps the Hall of Fame needs to open a special wing for deserving players like Pat Tillman.
As a person, he stands tall. As a player, he comes up short, I'm sorry to say.
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