As I'm sure most if not all of you have heard, former NFL player turned Army Ranger Pat Tillman was killed in Afghanistan. Pat played college ball at Arizona State and in the NFL with the Arizona Cardinals. I don't know how it's playing in the rest of the country, but the entire Phoenix area is really shaken up by his death. In the wake of 9/11, Tillman walked from a $3.6 million contract with the Cardinals to join the Rangers with his brother Kevin. When he announced his decision, he refused all media requests for interviews for fear it would be viewed as a publicity stunt. Pat was a man of principle in a league with no shortage of prima donnas.

I am a die hard Arizona Cardinals fan. For those of you who do not know, the Cardinals flat out suck most of the time. They suck so bad their season ticket base is down to something around 20,000 people. For the past 10+ years, I have been one of those people. Save one in 2000 missed due to illness, I haven't missed a game. Sometimes in the early season the temperature in the stadium is north of 100 degrees, and the seats are aluminum. Every so often I get asked: "Why do you keep going to the games when it's so hot out there and they suck so bad?". I always answer pretty much the same way: "No matter how bad the team is, there's always some guys who are giving it all they've got and they do it for the fans." While I may or may not have named names every time I had those conversations, Pat Tillman was one of those guys who always made it worth it.

So yeah, I've been ridiculed for spending hard earned money and valuable time being a die hard fan of a sad sack franchise. Yet tonight, for obvious reasons, I feel a tremendous amount of pride. Because while I didn't realize it at the time, I had the distinct pleasure of watching a hero play for my team. And for that I'll always be grateful.

Rest in peace, Pat. You'll be missed.