Posted by Sabrina B. @gametimegirl
An Arizona man draws criticism for putting the war hero’s game-worn NFL gear on sale. Â Â A guy with the handle “az-jt” (actually 51-year-old Jerry Martin) put up an eBay listing for a pair of cleats supposedly worn by the late Pat Tillman, the former Arizona Cardinals defensive back who died in a friendly-fire incident in Afghanistan in 2004.
Yes, this is for real. Unfortunately.
Serious Bidders Only….Make best offer….Very rare game used worn shoes/cleats from American War Hero & Veteran, Pat Tillman vs Baltimore Ravens Dec 17, 2000… Ravens won 13-7 at Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe Az. Tillman had a phenomenal game with 1 interception for 4 yards, 17 tackles, 8 solo, 9 assists, according to Cardinals 2001 media guide…Shows heavy game use with stains and dirt marks all over shoes, even has dirt and stains on bottom of cleats. White, Silver and Red Nike size 12, probably worn ever game up to 12/17/2000….Tillman only had one interception in 2000 and it happen to be in this game….Both shoes/cleats are signed in bold black sharpie with no smudges or smears….
The seller claims that he can verify the origin of the cleats, and that they’re currently locked in a safe deposit box in Arizona. And even if they are authentic … well, really? 3.2 million bones for the game shoes worn by a guy who died fighting for his country? You’ll also note that there’s no proviso for any of the money to go to the Pat Tillman Foundation, of the Wounded Warrior Project, or anything else that would help those who have been in Tillman’s shoes in a more figurative and serious sense.
Nope — this is strictly a for-profit enterprise.
“Out of respect for the Tillman family, I didn’t even put the shoes up for auction for years,” Martin told Fox Sports. “But now I’m hoping that someone will enjoy these and cherish them as much as I do.”