Kansas City Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker made a series of controversial remarks during a commencement speech that drew backlash from some and praise from others, leading to a recent surge in jersey sales.
Butker took a swing at policies of the Joe Biden administration, gender roles, and several other topics during his speech at Benedictine College, as reported by The Dallas Express.
Athlon Sports reported that Butker’s jersey is currently one of the most popular selling jerseys, taking the top spot from teammate Patrick Mahomes.
College Hall of Famer Lou Holtz praised Butker for his comments in a post on X.
“Thank you @buttkicker7 for standing strong in your faith values. Your commencement speech at Benedictine College showed courage and conviction and I admire that. Don’t give in,” Holtz wrote.
Amid the surge in sales, Butker is facing considerable criticism, including a Change.org petition calling on the National Football League to fire the star kicker. The petition has more than 209,000 signatures at the time of this writing.
“His comments were sexist, homophobic, anti-trans, anti-abortion and racist. These dehumanizing remarks against LGBTQ+ individuals, attacks on abortion rights, and racial discrimination perpetuate division and undermine human rights,” the petition read.
“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. It is unacceptable for such a public figure to use their platform to foster harm rather than unity,” the petition added.
While it is doubtful the NFL will punish Butker for his comments at the Catholic college celebration, the league has released a statement claiming that his views are not representative of the NFL.
“Harrison Butker gave a speech in his personal capacity,” Jonathan Beane, NFL senior vice president and chief diversity and inclusion officer, said in a statement released May 16 and reported by the Associated Press. “His views are not those of the NFL as an organization. The NFL is steadfast in our commitment to inclusion, which only makes our league stronger.”
While many NFL fans and people who don’t follow sports are upset with Butker’s comments, some within the organization, including the wife of Kansas City Chiefs CEO Clark Hunt, have come out in support.
“Affirming motherhood and praising your wife, as well as highlighting the sacrifice and dedication it takes to be a mother, is not bigoted,” Tavia Hunt wrote on Instagram, as reported by KCTV5. “It is empowering to acknowledge that a woman’s hard work in raising children is not in vain.”