NFL Should Honor Pat Tillman Appropriately

Mr. Tagliabue:

The undersigned and I would like to strongly lobby that Pat Tillman's number be retired across the board in the NFL.

While he might not have been the best player the NFL has ever seen, he may have been the bravest.

Other sports such as NHL with Wayne Gretzky's # 99 or MLB with Jackie Robinson's # 42 retired them across the board. No other player in their respective leagues can ever wear those numbers again.

With all due respect to one of the greatest players of all time and a man who struggled hard to break the color barrier, their accomplishments pale in comparison to the ultimate sacrifice that Pat Tillman made.

Pat Tillman is what makes America great. America is what makes the NFL great. Surely you would want to associate yourself with that while at the same time honoring one of your own as he deserves to be honored.

Plenty of athletes get their numbers retired. Not many get them retired across an entire league. But Pat was not just any other athlete. His sacrifice was far greater than any other athlete of the modern era.

Pat Tillmans courage deserves the following: A patch worn by all the players in the NFL this year and special pins for the coaches. A fitting tribute given to him before each opening day game this year. His number retired across the board. Finally, an award that is given in Pats honor to a player each year who demonstrates courage, tenacity, putting others ahead of themselves and not backing down from their own convictions.

The LEAST you could do is stand up with a fraction of the courage that Pat displayed and retire his number permanently in the NFL. A patch alone just isnt enough. Pat Tillman is a true American hero and deserves to respected as such.

Our deepest condolences go out to the family and friends of Mr. Tillman.