Thanks Pat

Without getting into the politics of the situation in the Middle East, I've gotta give props to a pro athlete who left a million dollar-plus contract on the table for the mere pittance of being an elite Army Ranger, due to his convictions of fighting to protect his country, which I'm sure is something that way too many of his peers (and countrymen) would avoid if they could help it.

He'd already become one of my all-time favorite players in the Pac-10 with his hard work and attitude by 1998. Saw him play many, many times at Arizona State, and I always marvelled at his instincts to get around the ball, which helped lead him to defensive player of the year as a senior. It was this instinct that led him to his short but successful career with Arizona.

I have a brother in law in the Army, and an uncle in the Air Force, so the passing of Pat Tillman in Afghanistan is the first personal reminder for me of the unfortunate costs that we have to sometimes pay in the crazy and unfair world we live in.

Gonna always remember him as I first saw him, roaming the field and ready to knock the shit out of an opposing player. Thanks again Pat, I don't know if I would've been able to do what you did were I in your position....

I remember months ago, the fact that he'd left the NFL to serve his country was mentioned on JIm Rome's show. So I sorta knew who Pat was by that measure, and his death was tragic. With all the numbers rolling in of casualty lists day after day, it's easy to forget the faces and names of the people killed. If anything positive could come out of this, it would be to remind everyone the big thing about war is, it usually takes the best and brightest away from us far too soon.

No matter what I feel about the Prez, the men and women of our armed forces deserve our support. They didn't ask for this, the grunts in the field. Let's not make the mistake that our parents did when the Vietnam vets came home.