(Jacob Bruns, Headline USA) Just a year after pop-music superstar Taylor Swift’s relationship with tight end Travis Kelce turned the Kansas City Chiefs into the official NFL team of woke leftists—and feminist, pro-choice “Swifties” in particular—kicker Harrison Butker has destroyed their perfect image of the back-to-back Super Bowl champs.
Now, some are lashing out with a vengeance, demanding that Butker be canceled for his Christian, pro-life viewpoints—and raising important questions about whom they would pick to replace him.
Following the controversy surrounding Butker’s recent graduation commencement speech—in which he controversially touched on the proper roles of women and men—the Kansas City Star published an op-ed arguing that the team should fire Butker and replace him with a woman.
Butker—who had spoken out about his views in the pre-TayTay past with only minor uproar—delivered his remarks at Benedictine College’s commencement ceremony earlier this month, encouraging graduates—specifically young women—to take seriously their possible futures as mothers and homemakers.
He likewise espoused his opposition to abortion, strongly condemning the hypocrisy of elected officials like President Joe Biden who purported to be Catholic but blatantly disregarded one of the church’s cardinal rules.
BREAKING: Harrison Butker Slams Joe Biden for Supporting the “Murder of Innocent Babies” in Abortions https://t.co/hNvLqiSaY4 pic.twitter.com/bqDW6TYBk8
— Stop Abortion Now (@LifeNewsToo) May 13, 2024
Naturally, Butker’s willingness to speak on such matters–even at a small Catholic liberal arts college—infuriated progressive snowflakes across the country.
The NFL promptly rushed to condemn it, fueling allegations of hypocrisy as some noted that the league was quick to turn a blind eye not only to radical left-wing hate speech from figures like Colin Kaepernick, but even to the alleged criminal conduct of players like Richard Sherman.
One of these NFL players was caught on tape trying to break into a house.
The other promoted Christian values.
Guess which one the NFL condemned? pic.twitter.com/DDOkMe0k7m
— End Wokeness (@EndWokeness) May 16, 2024
An NFL cheerleader was so triggered by Butker that she created a nearly three-minute TikTok video raging about his speech.
“I am a voice for the people that he attacked,” she said of Butker, claiming that his speech was full of radical and unacceptable things to say at a Catholic school. “I promise you you’re going to be sweeping your jaw off the floor at the end.”
This cheerleader for the NFL who’s blasting Harrison Butker is completely insufferable pic.twitter.com/2z0t17pQs5
— Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) May 19, 2024
Butker’s attackers even went so far as to launch a petition to get him kicked off the team.
“His comments were sexist, homophobic, anti-trans, anti-abortion and racist,” it complained.
“These dehumanizing remarks against LGBTQ+ individuals, attacks on abortion rights and racial discrimination perpetuate division and undermine human rights,” it continued. “These comments reinforce harmful stereotypes that threaten social progress. They create a toxic environment that hinders our collective efforts towards equality, diversity and inclusion in society.”
With help from left-wing celebrities like former Star Trek actor George Takei, the Change.org petition had succeeded in amassing more than 222,000 sigitaries.
Petition To Have Harrison Butker Kicked Off The Chiefs Has Already Amassed Almost 200k Signatures https://t.co/Um8ofKpdcV
— George Takei (@GeorgeTakei) May 20, 2024
Writing for the Chiefs’ hometown paper, left-wing activist and public-relations official Peter Hamm, who lives in Maryland, fired off a screed claiming that Butker’s “Neanderthal outburst” warranted his firing and suggesting that he be replaced by a woman because “it would be good for business.”
Butker, according to Hamm, is one of many athletes with “backward cultural views,” but he can be tolerated if he stops “yapping” and sticks to “sports cliches.”
Hamm concluded by arguing that finding a woman to kick for the team would “make a statement” about equality, leading to the potentially “delightful” scenario of Butker being fired and replaced.
While a handful of females have played at the college level, mostly for the novelty factor, none have gone on to make it to the NFL, and it is unlikely that a female placekicker would have the leg strength to be successful at such a high level of competition.
Butker, a former Georgia Tech player who led the NFL in scoring in the 2019 season, made Super Bowl history in February with a 57-yard field goal, the longest in the championship game’s 58-year history.
He also set records for most field goals in a career and most kicking points in a career, while tying the record for most kicking points in a game.
Although Swift might not help the team to win any games in the clutch, she arguably has been a major boon for the Chiefs’ fan base, however, and could help them to retain their loyal devotees even in a losing season with a greater emphasis on style than scoring.
Despite the criticism heaped on him, Butker had managed to receive some surprising support from unlikely places, including liberal pundit Bill Maher.
“I don’t see what the big crime is,” Maher said. “I really don’t,” pointing out that upset elites are simply out of touch with the opinions of everyday Americans.
Even The View co-host Whoopi Goldberg shocked many by coming to his support, pointing out that it is only fair if the other side expects to speak out about the causes it finds important off the field.
I can’t believe I’m saying this, but Whoopi Goldberg defended Harrison Butker and totally nailed it. pic.twitter.com/NYEz72Y1PR
— Clay Travis (@ClayTravis) May 16, 2024
Headline USA’s Ben Sellers contributed to this report.
