NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell has finally made a statement more than a week after Kansas City Chiefs player Harrison Butker delivered a commencement address voicing his support for traditional Christian values.
Goodell finally issued a concise statement 11 days after Butker delivered his commencement address to the private Catholic Benedictine college in Atchison, Kansas.
The NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reported that Goodell spoke to Butker’s comments but steered clear of condemning the player for his opinions.
“We have over 3,000 players. We have executives around the league. They have a diversity of opinions and thoughts, just like America does. That’s something we treasure,” Goodell said.
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell on Harrison Butker’s commencement address: “We have over 3,000 players. We have executives around the league. They have diversity of opinions and thoughts just like America does. That’s something we treasure.” Otherwise defers to league statement.
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) May 22, 2024
Goodell has made a practice of refusing to condemn players or staffers for their public comments. For instance, he never directly condemned outspoken, anti-American quarterback Colin Kaepernick through his years of attacks on America, our troops, cops, the flag, and history — and in 2020, he even lamented that the NFL hadn’t “listened earlier” to Kaepernick’s blathering.
The NFL boss has also urged players to speak out when they have a mind to and condoned “peaceful protests” to support their ideals.
It would certainly have been hypocritical of Goodell to attack Butker despite the onslaught from the far left over the player’s Christian ideals.
The left has been on a tear to destroy the Super Bowl winner since he stood up for Christian values during his May 11 commencement speech delivered to the Benedictine graduates.
During his speech, Butker urged the graduates to maintain their devotion to Christian values as they left college and spoke of faith, family, femininity, and masculinity as his themes.
WOW: #Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker RIPS President Joe Biden & says he’s delusional.
— MLFootball (@_MLFootball) May 13, 2024
“He has been so vocal in his support for the murder of innocent babies that I'm sure to many people it appears you can be both Catholic and pro-choice”
(@dannydeurbina)
pic.twitter.com/UK2tcnV3gi
His comments even elicited the condemnation of the NFL’s Inclusion Officer Jonathan Beane, who tried to distance the NFL from Christian values by saying that Butker’s views “are not those of the NFL as an organization.”
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