Though his opinions might have infuriated many on the left, such as the co-hosts of ABC’s The View, Kansas City Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker appears to have struck a chord with many Americans, as his jersey is now one of the top sellers for NFL jerseys, ranking alongside the much more prominent players like Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes.
As background, Butker recently gave a speech at a Catholic college’s commencement ceremony and, during the speech, Butker said, in part, that Catholics should not keep their faith hidden. He said, “As members of the Church founded by Jesus Christ, it is our duty and ultimately privilege to be authentically and unapologetically Catholic. Don’t be mistaken, even within the Church, people in polite Catholic circles will try to persuade you to remain silent.”
He also encouraged the women present to see the importance of being a homemaker, saying, “For the ladies present today, congratulations on an amazing accomplishment. 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 this stage and are thinking about all the promotions and titles you are 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. I’m on the stage today and able to be the man I am because I have a wife who leans into her vocation. I’m beyond blessed with the many talents God has given me, but it cannot be overstated that all of my success is made possible because a girl I met in band class back in middle school would convert to the faith, become my wife, and embrace one of the most important titles of all: homemaker.”
During the speech, Butker also criticized President Biden, spoke strongly in support of the Traditional Latin Mass, spoke out against “dangerous gender ideologies,” and urged the men in the audience to “fight against the cultural emasculation of men.” Further, he attacked abortion, saying, “While COVID might have played a large role throughout your formative years, it is not unique. The bad policies and poor leadership have negatively impacted major life issues. Things like abortion, IVF, surrogacy, euthanasia, as well as a growing support for the degenerate cultural values and media, all stem from pervasiveness of disorder.”
But while that triggered the left, as could be expected, it led to Butker’s jersey being, at least on Thursday, May 16, one of the top-selling NFL jerseys on the NFL website. Journalist Greg Dailey, posting an image of the top-selling jerseys on X, said, “According to NFL.com, Harrison Butker jersey sales are among the most popular right now…even higher than Patrick Mahomes.”
Check that out here (Butker is the no. 7 Chiefs jersey in the upper left):
That huge jersey sales boost came despite the NFL attempting to distance itself from him in a statement released after his speech went viral. The statement was given to People Magazine by Jonathan Beane, the NFL’s senior vice president and chief diversity and inclusion officer.
Beane said, in the statement, “Harrison Butker gave a speech in his personal capacity. 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.”
Watch Butker’s speech here:
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