Prince Harry is about to be honored with the Pat Tillman Award on July 11, this year, echoing the legacy of former NFL player and US Army Ranger Pat Tillman. However, ever since this announcement was made, critics have been opposing the decision, arguing that there are countless other candidates out there who they believe are more deserving of this accolade. Now amid the intense trolling of the Duke, ESPN has stepped up to defend the former British Army officer. 

ESPN explained why Prince Harry's selection for this prestigious award is justified, despite the backlash and pushback from critics. 

ESPN issued a statement to The Hollywood Reporter, restating that Prince Harry's selection for the Pat Tillman Award was for his work in The Invictus Games Foundation. As the foundation marked a decade, very recently, stakeholders felt it was an apt moment to honor the Duke’s dedication to military service members and veterans around the world. "The Invictus Games Foundation does incredible work and ESPN believes this is a cause worth celebrating,” stated ESPN. 

ESPN, the sports TV network, hosts The ESPY Awards, which also honors Tillman's legacy. While the network acknowledged that not everyone would see eye to eye on this decision, their statement made it clear that ESPN is standing by it. However, critics, including the mother of the war hero, in whose name the award is given, are still of a different opinion.

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Mary Tillman explained why Prince Harry should not receive the award named after her son, explaining why fans are upset about it. 

Mary Tillman recently sat for an interview with the Daily Mail, where she shared that she was never consulted on the decision to honor Prince Harry with the award in question. She revealed finding the decision "shocking," as she could not comprehend on what grounds such a "controversial and divisive individual" has earned this prestige.

Tillman explained that there are "far more fitting" people who have made "tremendous" contributions to veterans. And these individuals especially deserved the honor as they lacked the fame, financial backing, and privilege of the Duke. However, despite these arguments, it is clear that ESPN is not going to change its mind to honor Prince Harry with the Pat Tillman Award.

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What do you think about ESPN’s defense of Prince Harry? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!