Calls to remove Harrison Butker from Chiefs after speech 'totally un-American,' ESPN's Sam Ponder says
Butker critics want him off of the Chiefs
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Kansas City Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker has come under fire over the course of the week for his faith-based commencement speech at Benedictine College.
A petition surfaced calling on the Chiefs to ditch the three-time Super Bowl champion despite having a 94% field-goal conversion rate last season – the best of his career. It was just the tip of the iceberg for critics who had been irate over the speech, which included remarks on women, IVF, President Biden, COVID and abortion.
ESPN NFL broadcaster Sam Ponder called the petition to remove Butker from the Chiefs "totally un-American."
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Samantha Ponder speaks at Inside the Game Q&A presented by IFA on February 2, 2018, in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Thaddaeus McAdams/WireImage)
"I think the petition that he should be fired from the Chiefs is totally un-American," she wrote as part of a Q&A on her Instagram Stories. "Is a Catholic espousing traditionally Catholic views to a Catholic audience really that shocking?! Why can’t we just respectfully disagree?!
"Personally I agreed with a few things he said … especially that most women are more excited/proud of their families than their day jobs. I love my job and have worked my butt off (and slept in my car) to get here, but it’s not even comparable to how I feel about being a mom! ESPN will not be with me on my deathbed. When did that become offensive?
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}CLICK HERE TO READ HARRISON BUTKER’S FULL SPEECH
"I disagreed with a few things he said, too. I do not think my life ‘began’ when I became a wife and mom. I think you can live totally fulfilled purposeful life as a single woman in the workplace! Frankly I think I could have had an equally meaningful life if I never got married/became a mother. I’m so proud to be an American where he can share his beliefs openly."
Harrison Butker, #7 of the Kansas City Chiefs, speaks to media during Super Bowl LVIII Opening Night at Allegiant Stadium ahead of Super Bowl LVIII on February 5, 2024, in Las Vegas, Nevada. ( Robin Alam/ISI Photos/Getty Images)
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Butker also received support from Gracie Hunt, the daughter of Chiefs CEO Clark Hunt, during her appearance on "Fox & Friends" earlier on Friday.
"Well, I can only speak from my own experience, which is I've had the most incredible mom who had the ability to stay home and be with us as kids growing up. And I understand that there are many women out there who can't make that decision. But for me and my life, I know it was really formative and in shaping me and my siblings into who we are," she said.
When asked whether she understood where Butker was coming from, she agreed.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Harrison Butker, #7 of the Kansas City Chiefs, arrives at Allegiant Stadium before Super Bowl LVIII against the San Francisco 49ers on February 11, 2024, in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Luke Hales/Getty Images)
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"For sure, and I really respect Harrison and his Christian faith and what he's accomplished on and off the field."
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