Harrison Butker and Travis Kelce (Photos via Getty Images)
Kansas City Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker delivered a controversial speech over a week ago, and he is still catching significant backlash over what he said to a graduating class.
At a Benedictine College address, Butker sparked controversy by asserting that women had been taught “diabolical lies” about topics such as abortion, surrogacy, and in vitro fertilization (IVF). He said: “Things like abortion, IVF, surrogacy, euthanasia, as well as a growing support for degenerative cultural values in media all stem from the pervasiveness of disorder.”
After Harrison Butker’s comments caused a stir, about 200,000 people signed a petition requesting that the Kansas City Chiefs fire him for “inappropriate conduct.” The criticism has even reached his teammates, who are being criticized for not denouncing his remarks.
This past weekend, a social media message went viral purporting to be Travis Kelce’s threat to leave the Kansas City Chiefs if Harrison Butker wasn’t released. Kelce is in a relationship with Taylor Swift, who has a ton of influence on everything she does and says, as well as the men she is connected to. That alone made the post believable.
On Facebook, “The Patriots Lovers” posted a post that garnered over 3,000 interactions, 3,000 comments, and 200 shares. However, it was merely a parody account.
“Breaking: Travis Kelce Vows to Quit Chiefs Immediately if Team Doesn’t Fire Harrison Butke,” the post read.
“In a dramatic escalation within the Kansas City Chiefs organization, Travis Kelce, the team’s star tight end, has issued a stark ultimatum: fire kicker Harrison Butker, or he will quit the team immediately. This bold declaration comes after Butker’s highly controversial comments at a public event, which have sparked intense debates both within and outside the sports community.”
The report of Travis Kelce threatening to quit the Chiefs over Butker’s comments is fake, per Snopes.com.
“Please note that the article under the category “SATIRE” are satirical in nature and are not meant to be taken seriously. These articles are meant to be humorous and are often entirely made up. We make no claim that the information presented in these articles is true or accurate,” the article states.
Patrick Mahomes Previously Stated He Doesn’t Have a Relationship With Harrison Butker
Patrick Mahomes (Photo by Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for TIME)
Harrison Butker, a kicker for the Chiefs, stirred up controversy last weekend when he urged Benedictine College’s 2024 graduating class of women to value their duties as wives and mothers above using their degrees.
Patrick Mahomes has said nothing about his teammate, but he has previously hinted at a potentially frosty relationship with Harrison Butker, as pressure rises on the Kansas City Chiefs to cut ties with their starting placekicker.
Mahomes had previously indicated on the Pat McAfee show that he doesn’t engage with the kicker.
He explained: “Honestly, I don’t talk to Harrison all year long, man. I just let him do his thing. But I know if I can just cross that 40, man, if I cross that 40, he’s going to put it through there. I know if you saw in the game I got a little pressure, threw it short and knew Harrison was going to knock it through.”
As a kicker, Butker never shares the field with Mahomes.
