Some NFL fans see disparities in his responses to Harrison Butker and Colin Kaepernick

Harrison Butker’s controversial opening speech – and his reaction to it – continue to dominate conversations off the field, with key NFL figures speaking publicly for the first time this week.

The Kansas City Chiefs kicker sparked a culture war skirmish with his remarks at Benedictine College earlier this month, in which he denounced abortion rights, Pride Month, COVID lockdowns -19, “dangerous gender ideologies” and “the tyranny of diversity, equity, and fairness.” inclusion”, while encouraging graduated women to adopt the “vocation” of housewife, all in 20 minutes.

The speech, which has since racked up nearly 2 million views on YouTube, resonated with some soccer fans and conservative public figures, including Missouri Senator Josh Hawley. Online sales of Butker’s jersey soared, becoming the Chiefs’ best-seller.

But the speech drew widespread criticism from many corners of the Internet, including from some current and former students at the Catholic liberal arts college, an order of affiliated nuns, Kansas City officials and fans by Taylor Swift, who Butker quoted in the speech as “my teammate’s girlfriend.”

The NFL distanced itself from Butker’s comments in a brief statement last week, saying he made them “in his personal capacity” and that “his views are not those of the NFL as an organization.”

“The NFL is steadfast in its commitment to inclusion, which only makes our league stronger,” he adds.

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell echoed that idea while speaking to reporters Wednesday.

“We have over 3,000 players,” Goodell said, according to Yahoo Sports and the Associated Press. “We have leaders in the league who have a diversity of opinions and thoughts, just like America. I think it’s something that we cherish, and it’s part, I think, of what ultimately makes our society better.

But some social media users were quick to contrast Goodell’s comments with his reaction to another high-profile controversy involving a football player exercising his right to speech: that of the former San Francisco 49ers quarterback , Colin Kaepernick.

When it comes to players’ self-expression, some see a double standard

Kaepernick, who is biracial, began sitting on the bench during the national anthem during the 2016 preseason to protest what he called “the injustices that are happening in America.”

He continued to kneel during the national anthem for the rest of the season, inspiring other players but drawing criticism from many people – including then-President Donald Trump – who accused him of be anti-American.

Goodell lamented Trump’s comments as demonstrating “an unfortunate lack of respect” for the players, but had previously leveled similar criticism himself of Kaepernick’s protest.

“I think it’s important if they see the things that they want to change in society, and it’s clear that we have things that can improve in society, and we should improve,” said Goodell in his first public comments on the protest in 2016. “But we must choose respectful ways to get there so that we can achieve the results we ultimately want and do it with the values ​​and ideals that make us great. our country. “

The following year, as the number of players kneeling — and backlash against them — increased, Goodell told NFL teams in a memo that “everyone should stand” during the national anthem.

“The controversy surrounding the national anthem is an obstacle to honest conversations and real progress on the underlying issues,” he wrote. “We have to move past this controversy, and we want to do it with our players.”

Kaepernick opted out of his contract with the 49ers in the spring of 2017, but was not signed by any NFL team afterward, leading his supporters to accuse the league’s owners of cutting him due to his political beliefs. Kaepernick alleged the same thing in a grievance filed against the NFL later that year, which he withdrew after settling in 2019.

He has since not played professionally, but has continued his career as a civil rights activist and author.

In June 2020, as protests against racial injustice and police brutality rocked the United States, and after players called on the NFL to speak out, Goodell released a video statement condemning racism and acknowledging the shortcomings of the league in this area.

“We, the National Football League, recognize that we were wrong for not listening to NFL players sooner and encourage everyone to speak out and peacefully protest,” he said, without naming Kaepernick .

Goodell doubled down on a series of remarks that summer, including encouraging an NFL team to sign Kaepernick as a free agent and publicly apologizing.

“I wish we had listened sooner, Kaep, to what you were kneeling on and what you were trying to call attention to,” he said.

On Wednesday, X (formerly Twitter) users and op-ed writers called Goodell’s comments hypocritical and wondered aloud what Kaepernick thought about it. Some acknowledged that their situations differ, since Kaepernick demonstrated in uniform during games while Butker gave his speech off the field.

Kaepernick has not publicly commented on Butker’s speech or Goodell’s response.

Last week, as the controversy surrounding Butker’s comments raged, View co-host Whoopi Goldberg said Butker and Kaepernick deserve equal respect for expressing their opinions.

“These are his beliefs and he’s welcome,” she said of Butker. “I don’t have to believe them, I don’t have to accept them, the ladies who were sitting in that audience don’t have to accept them.

“The same way we want respect when Colin Kaepernick takes a knee, we want to give respect to people whose ideas are different from ours because the man who says he wants to be president… he says that the way to act is to take away the rights of the people to say what they feel. We don’t want to be that, we don’t want to be those people.

Some Chiefs executives also came to Butker’s defense

Other members of the Chiefs acknowledged the controversy Wednesday, coming to Butker’s defense.

Star quarterback Patrick Mahomes told reporters: “He’s said some things that I don’t necessarily agree with, but I understand…he’s trying to do everything he can to lead people in the right way.”

He added that he has known Butker for seven years and considers him a good person.

“I judge him on the character he shows every day,” he said. “He’s someone who cares about the people around him, who cares about his family and who wants to make a positive impact on society.”

Chiefs head coach Andy Reid also addressed the response to the speech, but stayed away from its content. He said he didn’t tell Butker about it because “I didn’t think we needed it.”

“We are a microcosm of life,” he said of the team. “Everyone comes from different regions, different religions, different races, and so we all get along, we all respect everyone’s opinions and we don’t necessarily follow them, but we respect everyone for having a voice… My wish is that everyone I could somehow follow this.