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ESPN addressed the backlash over its tribute to Prince Harry at the prestigious ESPY Awards by reiterating that it was honouring the Duke of Sussex's work with the Invictus Games Foundation and his impact on the veterans community.
The prince is scheduled to receive the Pat Tillman Service Award at the 2024 ESPYS on July 11 for his work with the foundation.
The award is named in honor of Pat Tillman, an NFL player who enlisted in the U.S. Army after 9/11 and died in Afghanistan in 2004 at age 27.
It is awarded to people who use their connection to the world of sport to positively impact the lives of others.
After the decision to honor Prince Harry was announced on June 27, Tillman's mother said she was “shocked.”
“I am surprised that they have chosen such a controversial and divisive person to receive the award. There are far more suitable recipients,” Mary Tillman told the BBC. Daily Mail.
“There are people working in the veteran community who are doing tremendous things to help veterans.
“These people don’t have the money, the resources, the connections or the privileges that Prince Harry has. I think these kinds of people should be recognized.”
ESPN responded in a statement, saying: “ESPN, with the support of the Tillman Foundation, honors Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, specifically for the work of the Invictus Games Foundation, which is celebrating its 10th year of promoting healing through the power of sport for military service members and veterans around the world. While we understand that not everyone will agree with every honoree selected for any award, the Invictus Games Foundation does incredible work and ESPN believes this is a cause worth celebrating.”
The Duke of Sussex, 39, was chosen for using sport to “change the world and make it more inclusive for marginalised and suffering communities”.
He recently celebrated the anniversary of the Invictus Games in the UK and on a tour of Nigeria with his wife Meghan Markle.
He founded the Invictus Games in 2014 to celebrate the sporting achievements of wounded and sick servicemen.
Invictus Games has thanked the ESPYS Awards for honouring the prince and the foundation for their “work to support the rehabilitation of the wounded, injured or sick international military community.”
A petition launched on June 27 and signed by nearly 32,000 people has urged ESPN to “rethink awarding the Pat Tillman Award to Prince Harry.”
The initiative was led by Patti Mickel, who said the award should be representative of Tillman's values and “honor someone who, like Tillman, has demonstrated unwavering dedication to his team and his country.”
ESPN's Pat McAfee also expressed his displeasure with the decision.
“There is a lot of talk about Pat Tillman's name. American hero… Now there is an award named after him, as there should be in the world of sport because he is the definition of altruism,” he said. Daily Mail.
“World leaders should celebrate sport, but doing something like this is obviously trying to annoy people. And there have been many such decisions taken over the past decade.”
The Independent has contacted a representative for the Duke of Sussex for comment.
The Pat Tillman Award has been given in the past to people not directly associated with the world of sport, such as Jake Wood in 2018 and Gretchen Evans in 2022.
Last year, the award was given to the Buffalo Bills' coaching staff for their work in saving NFL player Damar Hamlin after he suffered cardiac arrest during a game.
