By Blake Wolf, OAN Staff
Friday, September 20, 2024 4:46 PM
Kansas City Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker, who made headlines with a speech calling for women to take pride in being stay-at-home moms, outsold his teammate Travis Kelce, whose popularity is on the rise due to his relationship with pop star Taylor Swift.
advertisement
The increase in jersey sales follows a controversial commencement speech Butker gave earlier this year at Benedictine University, a Catholic liberal arts school in Kansas, in which he encouraged female graduating students to “embrace” their calling to “marriage and children.” [they] I will bring it into the world.”
During the speech, Butker, who is Catholic, criticized Joe Biden's pro-abortion stance and labeled Pride Month a “mortal sin,” which led to a Change.org petition garnering 260,000 signatures calling for Butker to be removed from the team.
Instead of waiving Butker, the Chiefs offered their star kicker a four-year, $26.5 million contract in August, making him the highest-paid kicker in league history.
In May, former Kansas City commissioner Horne Justice slammed Butker for his traditional values, saying, “Harrison Butker does not represent Kansas City, and never has. Kansas City has always been a place that welcomes, affirms and embraces members of the LGBTQ+ community.”
Still, Kelsey stood by Butker amid the backlash, saying, “He has treated the friends and family I've introduced him to with respect and kindness, and he treats everyone the same. When it comes to his opinions and statements, [in his] The graduation speech, that was his.”
“I can't say I agree with most or even any of it, except that he loves his family and his children, and I don't think we should judge him on his views on how to live life, especially his religious views. That's not who I am,” Kelsey continued.
Butker's historic jersey sales ranked 11thNumber He became the league's best-selling kicker and just the second kicker in NFL history to finish in the top 50 in jersey sales, joining Evan McPherson of the Cincinnati Bengals in 2022.
Kelsey came in 12th in jersey sales, one spot behind Butker, despite increased jersey sales among “Swifties,” as fans of his girlfriend Taylor Swift call themselves.Number The best in the NFL.
Butker has garnered significant support for his unapologetic speech, but the “woke” corporate sector representing the NFL is still trying to distance itself from Butker's conservative views.
“Harrison Butker spoke in his individual capacity. His opinions do not represent those of the NFL organization. The NFL remains steadfast in its commitment to inclusion, which only makes the league stronger,” NFL chief diversity officer Jonathan Bean said.
Meanwhile, Butker continues to shine on the field, including a 51-yard field goal win over the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday.
This Sunday, the Chiefs will face off against the Atlanta Falcons.
Stay up to date! Receive the latest news directly in your email for free. Sign up here: https://www.oann.com/alerts
Advertisement below
Please share this post!
