“Barely a Footnote”
Superbowl XLIII and the NFL’s Betrayal of Pat Tillman
Guy Montag (feralfirefighter.blogspot.com)June 20, 2010
Unveiling of Pat Tillman statue at Univesity of Phoenix Stadium General Petraeus performs the coin toss before Super Bowl XLIII
“Pat Tillman played for the Arizona Cardinals from 1998 through 2001, yet, as you watch the Cardinals play thePittsburgh Steelers on Sunday, you might neve know it. …The NFL loves to wrap itself in the flag, yet the league has no plans to remember him. The Cardinals have a statue and reflecting pool dedicated to Tillman outside their stadium, butnothing on their jerseys.”-- Bill Plaschke, LA Times 1-25-09“You couldn't help but notice in the days before tonight's Super Bowl that the memory of Pat Tillman feels like barely afootnote. In fact, the NFL sent out a news release a couple of days ago, with the trumpeting headline: "NFL salutesservice, courage and bravery in Super Bowl XLIII." But it had nothing to do with Tillman. … the NFL picked a beautiful theme for the Super Bowl … It's difficult to think of better words to describe the most important Cardinal anyof us will ever know.”-- Rick Maese, Baltimore Sun 2-01-09“I think they [NFL] haven't gone out of their way to help; they've exploited Pat, just like the military. … they have a beautiful statue to him at Cardinal Stadium. I don't know if that's more for us or him; I feel like it's more for them. …They haven't really helped to try to find out what happened to Pat. …It's like, "Okay, we had the jersey dedication, wedid this, let's move on." …-- Mary Tilllman, 6-02-08… He [Pat Tillman] might have been the most celebrated story of this year's Super Bowl between his old Arizona teamand the Pittsburgh Steelers. Instead, he's the saddest. And also the most awkward … … what should have been thedream story that cemented the marriage between the NFL and the US Army, turned into a terrible tragedy and amortifying embarrassment. … when the Stealth Bomber roars overhead before the game on Sunday … maybe peoplewill remember that American sport's connection with its armed forces is not all about glory. It's about secrets, lies anddeath, too.-- Oliver Holt, The Mirror 1-28-09
“Barely a Footnote”
Superbowl XLIII and the NFL’s Betrayal of Pat Tillman
June 20, 2010During his 2004 re-election campaign, President Bush addressed Cardinal fans on the Jumbotronduring an emotional halftime ceremony in which the Arizona franchise retired Pat Tillman's jersey number. Yet, during the 2009 Superbowl with his team (the Arizona Cardinals) playingthe Steelers, Pat Tillman was barely a footnote. Old news. A bit troublesome for the media and NFL to dwell upon. A bit of an embarrassment. Best ignored.The Media (New York Times in particular) Army, Congress, and the Presidency (both Bush andObama administrations) have betrayed the Tillman family by their failure to hold accountablethose responsible for the cover-up of Pat Tillman’s friendly-fire death (see documents posted atferalfirefighter.blogspot.comfor details).During 2007-2008 the Democratic Congress (particularly Congressman Waxman, Senator Webb,and Senator McCain) pretended to “investigate” the Army’s handling of Tillman’s death. Butthey merely white-washed those involved, General Stanley McChrystal.Last year, despite General McChrystal’s central role in orchestrating the cover-up of the friendly-fire death of Pat Tillman and the fabrication of his Silver Star citation, McChrystal was promotedto the Army’s highest rank by the Senate and President Obama,Ironically, during Superbowl XLIII, Gen. David Petreaus (a long-time friend who’s workedclosely with Gen. McChrystal and pushed for his promotion) did the coin toss at the beginning of the game and was honored for his “service, courage and bravery.” Yet, during the Superbowlnot a word about Pat Tillman (who exemplified those values) was televised.The NFL has betrayed the Tillman family as well. They exploited the death of Pat Tillman, yetrefused to help the Tillman family in their search for the truth. I guess the NFL figures they’ve paid for a statue, had a jersey dedication, paid for a Tillman USO in Afghanistan … time tomove on. The NFL turned Pat Tillman into an icon, instead of recognizing his iconoclasticnature.I’m still angry that the truth about Pat’s life and death has been buried by the media andgovernment. Tillman was enshrined as an icon while the man fell by the wayside, his parentsused as props at his funeral. “The truth may be painful, but it’s the truth,” his mother said. “If you feel you’re being lied to, you can never put it to rest.”We should honor Pat Tillman’s memory by honoring the man, not the myth.The iconoclast, notthe icon. As his mother said, “Pat would have wanted to be remembered as an individual, not asa stock figure or political prop. Pat was a real hero, not what they used him as.”Guy Montag
The NFL will salute the military and the heroic crew of US Airways Flight 1549 duringSuper Bowl XLIII pregame festivities at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa Bay live on NBC on Feb. 1; it was announced today. … GENERAL DAVID H. PETRAEUS,commander of the United States Central Command, will toss the coin in a specialceremony moments before the start of the game. The US Airways Flight 1549 crew …will be recognized on the field for helping safely rescue 150 passengers on New York'sHudson River last month. FAITH HILL will sing "America the Beautiful" andJENNIFER HUDSON will perform the National Anthem prior to the coin toss.
Note:
In Spring 2009, General Petreaus urged President Obama to fire General McKeirnan and promote General McChrystal as the new commander of the Afghan War. GeneralMcChrystal played the central role in the cover-up of Pat Tillman’s friendly-fire deathand directly supervised the writing of his fraudulent Silver Star. I wasn’t happy to see Gen. Petreaus on the field honored for his service, courage and bravery when he’s certainly aware of the role played by his friend Gen. McChrystal in theTillman case (see my post “The Emperor’s General” for more details atferalfirefighter.blogspot.com)
. . .From the Baltimore Sun’s Rick Maese’s
“Faith Hillwill sing "America the Beautiful."Jennifer Hudsonwill belt out the national
anthem. Fighter jets will fly overhead. Gen.David Petraeus, commander of the U.S.
Central Command, will toss the coin. And then two teams will clash on a lush spread of grass and 150 million fans from sea to shining sea will stop everything to indulge.”“America and football. A union as perfect as any, inspiring among its faithful the mostimportant of tenets: loyalty and love and devotion. But something's missing. Youcouldn't help but notice in the days before tonight'sSuper Bowlthat the memory of Pat
Tillmanfeels like barely a footnote. In fact, theNFLsent out a news release a couple of
days ago, with the trumpeting headline: "NFL salutes service, courage and bravery inSuper Bowl XLIII." But it had nothing to do with Tillman. He deserves to beremembered today.” …“So today we celebrate America and football. And what a great union it is. We would behard-pressed to find someone who bridged the two or represented either better than PatTillman. Though it has announced no plans to pay tribute to Tillman today, the NFL picked a beautiful theme for the Super Bowl - service, courage and bravery. It's difficultto think of better words to describe the most important Cardinal any of us will ever know.”
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"Barely a Footnote" -- Superbowl XLIII and the NFL's Betrayal of Pat Tillman (June 20, 2010)
Discusses Superbowl XLIII and the NFL's betrayal of Pat Tillman. References the connection between Gen. Petraeus and Gen. McChrystal who played the central role in the coverup of Tillman's friendly-fire death. Has picture of Gen. Petreaus doing the coin toss.
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