Prince Harry delivered a humble, heartfelt speech as he accepted the Pat Tillman Award for Service on the 2024 ESPY Awards on Thursday, attempting to downplay his role because the honoree but in addition paying tribute to Tillman's mother, Mary, who was not glad that the “controversial and polarizing” British royal would receive a trophy in her son's name.
But as with every thing involving Harry and his wife Meghan Markle, the general public was deeply divided over Harry's decision to just accept the award, which is known as after the San Jose-raised NFL player and war hero who died in Afghanistan in 2004. Among those that questioned Harry's decision to just accept the dignity was a retired British military leader, Admiral Lord Alan West, who said earlier this week that the renegade son of King Charles III risked the wrath of war veterans by allowing organizations like ESPN to shower him with accolades due to his fame.
ESPN had stated that Harry, who served within the British Army for 10 years and was deployed to Afghanistan twice, deserved the award due to his contribution to the veterans community through the Invictus Games. In 2014, Harry founded the games, which support wounded, injured and sick soldiers through international sporting events.
In his speech, Harry said: “The truth is that I stand here not as Prince Harry receiving the Pat Tillman Award, but as a voice on behalf of the Invictus Games Foundation and the thousands of veterans and military personnel from over 20 nations who have made the Invictus Games possible. This award belongs to them, not me.”
While Meghan beamed with pride within the audience, Harry also thanked the Pat Tillman Foundation and Marie Tillman Shenton, Pat Tillman's widow. The foundation helped ESPN determine to honor the Duke of Sussex, and Marie Tillman Shenton smiled when Harry mentioned the muse and her name. Harry then prolonged a peace offering to Mary Tillman, saying, “Her commitment to Pat's legacy is deeply personal and I respect it.”
“The bond between mother and son is eternal and endures even the greatest losses,” he continued, remembering his own mother, Princess Diana, who died in a automotive accident when he was 12 years old.
Mary Tillman told the Daily Mail last month she was “shocked” that ESPN gave Harry the award, which previously has gone to individuals who should not household names. She said there are better-suited honorees who “don't have the money, the means, the connections or the privilege that Prince Harry has.”
After Harry's speech, social media was in a frenzy. ESPN's X-Post of Harry's speech received greater than 1.9 million views and a couple of,300 replies overnight. Some people praised the Montecito native Duke for his “inspiring” work on the Invictus Games and said he gave the look of “a good, honest man.”
But many others questioned his decision to just accept the award, accusing him and Meghan of “buying” this and other awards within the US for publicity. Others said Harry was using veterans and a “real hero” like Pat Tillman “as a shield” to avoid backlash. Someone else also said it was “dishonest” of Harry to say Mary Tillman: “If her bond with her son and the award are so important to him, he should have turned it down.”
ESPN's decision to present Harry the Pat Tillman Award was met with opposition from greater than 75,000 individuals who signed a web-based petition demanding that the award go to someone who embodies “duty, honor and sacrifice.” Tillman gave up a lucrative NFL contract with the Arizona Cardinals after 9/11 to hitch the U.S. Army Rangers. The 27-year-old died in a friendly fire incident while deployed in Afghanistan.
Popular ESPN analyst Pat McAfree said his network gave Harry the award “to piss people off” – that’s, to capitalize on the controversy. McAfee's co-host Boston Connor also said it was “probably the most embarrassing thing I've ever seen in my entire life,” while guest Ty Schmitt called the awarding of the prize to Harry a “stunt.”
As previously, Thursday night's ESPYs were a glamorous, star-studded event, with quite a few sports stars in attendance, including Patrick Mahomes and Caitlin Clark. The ceremony was hosted by tennis legend Serena Williams, an in depth friend of Meghan's.
Opening the awards ceremony, Williams praised Harry and Meghan within the audience, calling them “real royalty.” She also jokingly warned them to not “outshine” her.
“This is my night,” Williams joked to the couple. “I don't want to be overshadowed by you two breathing too much oxygen.”
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