ESPN is standing by its decision to honor Prince Harry with the Pat Tillman Service Award at next week's ESPYs after the choice was publicly criticized by Tillman's mother, network personality Pat McAfee and others.
“ESPN, with the support of the Tillman Foundation, pays tribute to 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,” the network said in a statement emailed to The Times on Monday.
“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.”
Last week, ESPN announced the honorees for some of its special awards ahead of the 2024 ESPYs, which will take place on July 11 at the Dolby Theatre. Harry was chosen for the award named after the former Arizona Cardinal who left the NFL and enlisted in the Army shortly after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks in the U.S. Tillman was 27 when he was killed by friendly fire during a tour of duty in Afghanistan on April 22, 2004.
In a news release Thursday, ESPN said the award goes to “an individual with a strong connection to sports who has served others in a way that reflects the legacy of former NFL player and U.S. Army Ranger Pat Tillman.” Last year’s honoree was the Buffalo Bills’ coaching staff for its life-saving efforts after safety Damar Hamlin went into cardiac arrest during a “Monday Night Football” game on Jan. 2, 2023.
The statement highlighted Harry's 10 years of service in the British Armed Forces, including two tours of duty in Afghanistan, and his founding of the Invictus Games Foundation, which has created “an international platform to support wounded, injured and sick servicemen, both active duty and veterans, who are dealing with physical and invisible injuries,” the statement said.
The decision to give the Tillman award to Harry, who stepped down from royal duties in 2020 and moved to California with his wife Meghan Markle, has sparked some backlash. Tillman’s mother, Mary, told the Daily Mail she was “shocked” by the choice.
“There are far more appropriate recipients,” said Mary Tillman, who is not on the Pat Tillman Foundation board or staff. “There are people working in the veterans community who are doing tremendous things to help veterans. These people don’t have the money, resources, connections or privileges that Prince Harry has. I think those kinds of people should be recognized.”
During a rant on Friday's episode of his ESPN television show, McAfee said the network is “obviously trying to piss people off” by choosing Harry to receive an award named after someone who was an “American hero” and “the definition of selflessness.”
An online petition calling for ESPN to reconsider has gathered more than 36,000 signatures as of Monday afternoon.
