Tillman's Memorial Service to be broadast on ESPN

[Tsyroc]

ESPN to telecast Tillman's Memorial Service

Associated Press
TEMPE, Ariz. -- A public memorial service has been scheduled Monday in California for former Arizona Cardinals player Pat Tillman, who was killed in combat in Afghanistan, the team said.


The afternoon service will be held at the San Jose Municipal Rose Garden. San Jose, Calif., is Tillman's home town.


The Tillman family on Friday also announced the creation of the Pat Tillman Foundation. More information on the foundation will be released Monday.


"Pat lived his life dedicated to helping others," Tillman's brother-in-law, Alex Garwood, said in a statement issued through the team. "This foundation will continue his legacy."


Arizona State, where Tillman played during his college career, has scheduled a private memorial service next Friday and a public event on May 8 at Sun Devil Stadium.


Tillman, who walked away from a three-year, $3.6 million contract offer from the Arizona Cardinals to join the Army in 2002, was killed April 22 in an ambush near the Afghan-Pakistani border.


Although Tillman never publicly offered reasons for his decision, several friends have said the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks affected him deeply.


He was the first NFL player killed in combat since Buffalo Bills offensive tackle Bob Kalsu died in the Vietnam War in July 1970. Nineteen NFL players were killed in World War II.


The Army said this week that Tillman had been promoted posthumously from specialist to corporal.


Jets cornerback David Barrett, who plaed with Tillman in Arizona, will attend the funeral with NFL commissioner Paul Tagliabue and several other league officials.

[Ligier]

Hmmm. I find this kind of distasteful, actually. Though the man was earlier an NFL football player, and probably accustomed to the public eye, he did die as a soldier for his country. He should be accomdated the same privacy as Joe Blow soldier from down the street.

[Tsyroc]

I tend to agree.

I watched Walter Payton's memorial service but that might have been on WGN so in theory that was more for the local Chicago audience except that WGN is on a lot of national cable plans.

ESPN is on most cable and sattlelite systems so Tillman's service is essentially going to be broadcast nationwide.

[Alex Moon]

I find this increadibly distasteful. When he was alive, Tillman didn't want the spotlight for what he did. We should respect that desire when it comes to his death as well.

[Howedar]

To be perfectly frank, I don't think that's his decision to make. For better or for worse, his choices led him to be in the public eye. Public recognition comes with the territory; if he didn't want it, he shouldn't have gone into the NFL.