It's true that the word "Hero" is tossed around in the media way too much. I know many here might take great offense to me saying this, but I do not believe that Captain Sully is a hero for landing that airplane on the Hudson River. I believe that being a hero is knowingly putting yourself in harms way in order to save others. Sully really only had two options: 1) give up and close his eyes and start praying, or 2) do whatever he could to save himself and the rest of those on board. Fortunately he chose the latter option.
Now, do I think that he was an extremely talented pilot who deserves recognition for his skill and character? Absolutely. And, while I dont think he is a hero for actually landing the plane, I probably would call him a hero for going back into the cabin to check for passengers, because he was knowingly putting himself in harms way when he didnt have to.