Sports has always been a contentious space for speaking about issues outside of the confines of the game.
Over the last few years, athletes like LeBron James and Colin Kaepernick have been criticized for speaking out or creating actions related to race-related social issues, but the same can be said for the like Enes Kanter who have pushed ideologies that lean more towards the Right.
The newest major incident of an athlete speaking out about social issues in a public space happened in a commencement speech at Benedictine College, a Catholic college in Kansas.
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Their commencement speaker for the 2024 graduating class was Kansas City Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker, who is very open about his faith as a major driver in his life.
But Butker's speech has drawn a ton of backlash as the kicker spoke about several hot button topics, including rebuking President Joe Biden, the leaders of the Catholic Church, and the LGBQT+ community.
"I am certain the reporters at the AP could not have imagined that their attempt to rebuke and embarrass places and people like those here at Benedictine wouldn’t be met with anger, but instead with excitement and pride. Not the deadly sin sort of pride that has an entire month dedicated to it. But the true God-centered pride that is cooperating with the Holy Ghost to glorify Him," Butker said.
One of the most criticized portions of Butker's speech came as he spoke about masculinity and the role of women. Butker told the graduating men to be "unapologetic in your masculinity" and to "fight against the cultural emasculation of men," while also addressing the women graduates to tell them about the best role he believes is fit for them.
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"For the ladies present today, congratulations on an amazing accomplishment, Butker said. "You should be proud of all that you have achieved to this point in your young lives. I want to speak directly to you briefly because I think it is you, the women, who have had the most diabolical lies told to you, how many of you are sitting here now about to cross the stage, and are thinking about all the promotions and titles you’re going to get in your career. Some of you may go on to lead successful careers in the world. But I would venture to guess that the majority of you are most excited about your marriage and the children you will bring into this world. I can tell you that my beautiful wife Isabelle would be the first to say that her life truly started when she began living her vocation as a wife and as a mother."
Butker continued to explain that his wife embraced becoming a "homemaker," and that she has helped him achieve his success. He said that his wife has no regrets on her decision to become a homemaker rather than achieve her career goals.
"I say all of this to you because I’ve seen it firsthand how much happier someone can be when they disregard the outside noise and move closer and closer to God’s will in their life. Isabelle’s dream of having a career might not have come true. But if you ask her today, if she has any regrets on her decision, she would laugh out loud without hesitation and say, 'heck no,'" Butker said.
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The three-time Super Bowl champion has received mass criticism on social media for many of his comments in the over 20-minute speech, with many attacking him for the misogynistic comments.
Harrison Butker when a woman has goals and dreams that don’t involve raising children and tending to her husband pic.twitter.com/GhXh9DEYe7
— Megan McIntosh ♡ (@_megaanmac) May 14, 2024
Gun violence activist Shannon Watts added that Butker's speech mentioned several topics, but did not mention gun violence — even though a Chiefs fan was killed by a shooting during his team's Super Bowl parade earlier this year.
Kansas City Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker’s speech at Benedictine College railed against abortion, IVF, surrogacy, euthanasia, LGBTQ+, and liberated women, but it didn’t mention the gun violence that killed a fan at the Super Bowl parade. Gun extremism is part of this religion. pic.twitter.com/M22N4kl2yM
— Shannon Watts (@shannonrwatts) May 15, 2024
But there were, of course, those who agreed with Butker, including T.J, Moe, a contributor to the controversial Jason Whitlock.
Not a word Harrison Butker says here should be remotely controversial. He’s 100% correct.
— T.J. Moe (@TJMoe28) May 15, 2024
Those trying to convince women that being assistant VP of lending & intentionally childless at age 40 is more fulfilling than making a family and home are evil. pic.twitter.com/0URPHTVSMx
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