A True Sporting Legend

As an avid NFL fan, you'd think I know the ins-and-outs of the game and its characters.

Not true.

Very recently, about three or four hours ago infact, I read about a guy who sacrificed his pro career to sign up and fight for the U.S. Army in the aftermath of the September 11th attacks.

Aged 24, Pat Tillman, a Defensive Back with the Arizona Cardinals, witnessed the attacks on America on 9/11. A true patriot, only eight months later, he sacked his NFL career temporarily to sign up for the United States Army, consequently taking part in the 2003 invasion of Iraq, and later the freedom mission in Afghanistan.


Turning down a three year, $3.6 million contract from the Cardinals, he felt his skills and determination were more useful on the battlefield than the football field. Only two years after volunteering to sign up, he made the ultimate sacrifice.

Killed in a friendly fire incident on 22nd April 2004, about a year into his tour of the middle-east, Corporal Pat Tillman's sporting and military career came to an abrupt end.


Although controversy has constantly surrounded the details of his death, there is no doubt that Tillman was as focused and yearning for success as the thousands of other troops deployed into the killing zone. Sporting achievment and selfishness was forgotten as soon as he stepped off the carrier onto Iraqi soil.


The word 'legend' is often overused. Is a quarterback who throws for 400 touchdowns in his career a 'legend'. Is a running back a 'legend' if he passes the 15,000 yard mark. A coach who needs two hands for his Super Bowl rings; is he a 'legend'?


I think the word 'legend' has to be bubblewrapped carefully, and only brought out to display true, unselfish acts of bravery by an individual.
Sure, Pat Tillman could have went on to become a multi-championship winning player, a potential Hall of Famer, and an inspiration to many through his sporting achievments. But it is his own personal decision to risk his life to protect his beliefs and his countr's people, rather than make a living from the multi-billion pound sports indutry, is what makes Pat Tillman's story incredible and unique.

What Is the Point of Cricket?

Newsflash: Cricket is not a sport.

Any sport whose matches take four days to complete loses all my respect, I'm afraid.

I just think the whole spectacle of cricket is excruciating to watch.

A break for tea? A break for tea. That is truly pitiful. It beggars belief.

I honestly despise cricket with a passion, and I hope the 'game' of cricket dies a slow and horrible death. It would bring much-needed peace and love to the masses. Especially in a world that is currently gripped by terrorism, racism, sexism, crippling economic downturn and the likes, cricket is the backbone of all these problems, seriously.

Have you ever seen a miserable, yet over-enthusiastic group of middle-aged, overweight men from Yorkshire and Lincolnshire arguing over who can hit run the most?

If you haven't, you should tune in to one of Sky's eight million channels that constantly show cricket; casting a black, hideous shadow over the nation. It is depriving our children of their much-yearned education!

Now I'm angry.















A bloody break for tea, in the middle of a sporting contest. On the three occasions I've worked up enough courage to watch a game of cricket, I've had to take a break for painkillers, for it is a tremendously awful thing to cast your eyes upon.

It is a Frankenstein's monster of a sport, and I think Brown, Milliband and the powers that be should do their utmost to eradicate this cancer of society from public view.

I am not a one man campaign to oust cricket. I am just speaking my heart, which this blog is about. And I honestly think this country would be better without it.

On the eight million channels, you hear that 'Freddy Flintoff has taken another wicket off Bangladesh...', that 'Marcus Trescoffee has been omitted from the Englad team' and so on and so on. It's inhumane.

At the end of the day, we should lave this 'sport' for the ex-colonies, where they belong.

And as for this:

Well, they know where they can stick it.

An urn-believably dreadful sport.

http://www.theawayend.net/

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