If you thought that the NFL or the Kansas City Chiefs were going to reprimand Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker on his comments recently about the LGBTQ community and women, you’d be wrong.
Head coach Andy Reid and quarterback Patrick Mahomes backed him Tuesday in their preseason press conferences.
“I’ve known him for seven years,” said Mahomes. “I judge him by the character that he shows every single day … that’s someone who cares about the people around him, cares about his family, and wants to make a good impact in society.”
“We’re not always going to agree, there are certain things that he said that I don’t necessarily agree with but I understand the person that he is and he’s trying to do whatever he can to lead people in the right direction,” he said.
At least Mahomes somewhat disagreed with Butkner, Reid didn’t think the speech was bad at all. Reid said that he didn’t think “he was speaking ill to women and he has his opinions, and we all respect that.”
NFL commissioner Roger Goodell didn’t come out against Butker either.
“We have over 3,000 players. We have executives around the league. They have a diversity of opinions and thoughts just like America does,” Goodell said, “I think that’s something that we treasure and that’s part of, I think, ultimately what makes us as a society better.”
If the NFL believes so much in diversity, then why would they back this kind of speech that was not only disparaging to women but the LBGTQ community as well? That last part seems to be forgotten.
This man basically said a woman’s place is in the home and that the LGBTQ community shouldn’t celebrate who they are.
But should we be shocked by the NFL’s response? No. Their history shows they don’t care. Before there was the Diddy video, there was Ray Rice of the Baltimore Ravens assaulting his wife in an elevator for the world to see.
Remember how long it took for the NFL to suspend Rice? They didn’t do it right away, it took an outcry from women before Rice was finally suspended and kicked out of the league.
There have been other instances as well of women suffering abuse at the hands of NFL players. Buffalo Bills star Von Miller was accused late last year of assaulting his pregnant girlfriend and yet he was allowed to play.
The NFL has proven time and time again, they don’t care about women. Even though women make up almost half of their audience and there are several top female NFL executives, the league has shown that they are just as backward as Butker.
Would it have hurt Roger Goodell or Andy Reid to have said, “Butker has a right to his opinion but we in the NFL know that women play an important part in this league and we condemn his comments.”
They also should add, we support the LBGTQ community as well. Would it have hurt?
The NFL talks about diversity it would be nice if they actually follow through with their so-called beliefs about it.
