Around Memorial Day, it seems as if every sports column is the same. They all either lament the insignificance of sports in the "grand scheme" (which just isn't true, but that is another column) of things, praise someone or some group somehow connected to the U.S. military, or talk about how great Pat Tillman was. It's not that I'm against the country or military or anything, but come on, those ideas are so cliché. Surely, a good writer could come up with something better.
I can't help but fall into the same cliché trap (I never said I was a good writer). I bounced around several different ideas, including satirical twists on Memorial Day and great American athletes, but I always came back to the same thought: maybe I was missing the point of the holiday and maybe Memorial Day shouldn't be mocked. I kept thinking that clichés be damned, it would be good for me to put down my stones, step outside my glass house, and honor those who have died for our country. As a sports columnist, I decided to focus on Pat Tillman.
That being said, I have read countless stories on Pat Tillman and they are all the same. I didn't want to write the same old story or get behind the latest twist about how the government abused the information around his death. I knew the basics, but I wanted to find out what Pat was really like, so I talked to his good friend, his brother-in-law, Alex Garwood.
To get a better idea of the person Pat was, I asked Alex to describe his favorite Tillman memory.
"There are far too many memories," he said, "but one that sticks out was when I had the opportunity with my wife and Pat and his wife to travel throughout Europe a number of years ago. That was when Pat was training for his marathon and every day he'd wake me up to go for a run. We saw England, we saw Paris, and we saw Ireland all with our running shoes on, which was great.
"One day we went for a run along the North Sea, we went for about 15 miles and it was raining and cold, we ran past a number of golf courses and sheep and we just had a great time. But when we were done, we were right there by the North Sea and I look over and Pat's taking off his shirt. Now, he's the kinda guy [that] when he takes his shirt off, you put yours back on, but he was taking off his shirt and I was like, 'what are you doing?'
"'Goin' in the North Sea' he said. Then he just went running off and jumped into the North Sea and got back out. I just kind of looked at him and he said 'What?' I called him crazy and said, 'Hey, when am I gonna be back here again?'
"I think that's just a great example of the fact that he took advantage of every opportunity and lived life to its fullest," Garwood said.
Alex is now the executive director of the Pat Tillman Foundation and got involved because he wanted to carry on the legacy of his friend and brother-in-law.
"Pat was inspiring in many different ways, and I was fortunate and honored to be his friend and it's something I'm extremely proud of," Garwood said.
"My sons (Pat's nephews) will know him because I will explain to them the man he was, but how do I make it so you are touched by him and how do I share it and how do I make it so your kids can have the opportunity to learn about my friend Pat?" he asked. "Doing it with this foundation is the next best thing, because he's not here and he cant do it himself, we have to try to the best of our abilities to carry that forward."
Alex explained that the foundation is carrying forward his legacy through a program called "Leadership Through Action." The program is a workshop for college kids to enhance their leadership skills and to do something with those new skills.
"That doing something is developing a program that helps others, developing a program that rights a wrong, finding a solution to a problem," Garwood said. "Then they develop a business plan while working with today's leaders to fix it and if the plan is viable, we provide the funding for them to make it a reality."
The leaders of the foundation, including Alex, have developed a great concept. Not only will they provide inspiration, but the tools, methods and money to help change the country. This is a great way to keep Tillman's legacy alive and to actually make a difference in this world. The plan eventually is to expand the program, which will start this fall at Arizona State, but the foundation needs help.
There are numerous ways to get involved, such as donating money, volunteering or even wearing a Pat Tillman wristband (which can be ordered for free at pattillmanfoundation.org), but there is even a simpler way to help.
"Help us spread this message," Garwood said. "People are inspired by Pat for many different ways and many different reasons, so talk to people about it. Help us spread the legacy."
In honor of Memorial Day, do something as a tribute to fallen soldiers like Pat. Even something as simple as telling another person about the foundation and the website would go a long way. And in honor of Pat, the next time you come across the North Sea, jump in.
Mark Chalifoux is also a weekly columnist for SportsFan Magazine. His columns appear every Tuesday on Sports Central. You can e-mail Mark at [email protected].
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