Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker gave a powerful speech to a group of Benedictine College alumni on Saturday in support of Christian values.
Now, the NFL says it disagrees with Butker.
In her commencement speech, Butker slammed President Joe Biden’s pro-abortion stance, urged male graduates to embrace their masculinity, and told female graduates that there is no higher calling than being a housewife, and that motherhood defended the virtues of
On Wednesday, NFL Senior Vice President and Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer Jonathan Beane clarified in a statement to People that Butker’s values are not the NFL’s values.
Kansas City Chiefs No. 7 Harrison Butker during the 58th NFL Super Bowl football game between the San Francisco 49ers and the Kansas City Chiefs at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nevada on February 11, 2024. Kick a field goal. (Michael Owens/Getty Images)
“Mr. Harrison Butker made the speech in his personal capacity,” Bean wrote. “His views are not those of the NFL as an organization. The NFL is steadfast in its commitment to inclusion, which makes our league even stronger.”
In addition to speaking to graduates about the current administration’s anti-Christian values regarding abortion, childbirth and the “cultural castration of men,” Butker also said that Pride Month symbolizes a “mortal sin.” Ta.
oh: #chief Kicker Harrison Butker RIPS President Joe Biden says he is delusional.
“He has been such a vocal supporter of the killing of innocent infants that it must seem to many people that you are both a Catholic and a pro-choice person.”
(@dannydeurbina)
pic.twitter.com/UK2tcnV3gi—MLFootball (@_MLFootball) May 13, 2024
The NFL’s strong stance that the league does not share Butker’s traditional Christian values is not how the NFL handled the situation with notorious national anthem protester Colin Kaepernick. It’s a complete contrast. The league never agreed with his blatant anti-American, anti-police statements.
But the league apparently feels the need to distance itself from Butker’s comments when he speaks about Christian values to a Christian audience at a Christian university.
In fact, the NFL not only failed to correct Kaepernick’s extreme views, but adopted key points of his philosophy and created the social justice initiative Inspire Change. The group generously donates tens of millions of dollars each year to groups, some of which advocate for defunding and abolishing the police.
San Francisco 49ers No. 7 Colin Kaepernick kneels during the national anthem before a game against the Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium on September 18, 2016 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Michael Zagaris/San Francisco 49ers/Getty Images)
And, of course, the NFL had far more reason to speak out against Kaepernick’s views. Not just because they were offensive, but because the former 49er was captivating his customers (who overwhelmingly disagreed with him) by protesting. Not only before live games, but also at NFL facilities, we conducted interviews about his distorted worldview.
Mr. Harrison Butker expressed his own opinion at the time at the invitation of a group of people who agreed with him. Technically, the NFL shouldn’t have said anything unless they wanted to, but they did, and that’s the problem.
So, in other words, whether the NFL is trying to convey that its values are more in line with Colin Kaepernick and Black Lives Matter than men from Christian families like Harrison Butker. If so, they are doing it well.
