Kansas City Chiefs player Harrison Butker’s attempt to put women in their place backfired when his remarks came full circle at the 2024 ESPY Awards.
Serena Williams hosted the live ceremony on July 11. During one of her monologues, she was joined on stage by big sister Venus Williams and “Abbott Elementary” creator and star Quinta Brunson for a bit about supporting women’s sports.
“Go ahead and enjoy women’s sports like you would any other sports because they are sports,” said Venus. “Except you, Harrison Butker. We don’t need you,” quipped Serena as Brunson added, “At all. Like, ever.” The pro baller’s real-time reaction was not televised, but his true feelings regarding the moment have since become known.
He issued a statement to NBC News the following day, on July 12. “I thought Mrs. Williams was a great host and applaud her for using her platform to express her beliefs on a variety of topics,” he began, adding, “Sports are supposed to be the great unifier, and at an event dedicated to celebrating a diverse group of men and women who have accomplished great feats, she used it as an opportunity to disinvite those with whom she disagrees with from supporting fellow athletes.”
Online, there is a wide range of responses to the satirical moment. For instance, one comment read, “You can tell how amazing it was by how triggered the MAGA folks are.”
Following Butker’s response to the tennis star, several fans jumped to her defense.
“You can enjoy women’s sports, just like any other sport, because they are sports. Except for you Harrison Butker, we don’t need you. At all, like ever.” – Serena Williams, Venus Williams, Quinta Brunson 🔥🔥🔥
— Gerren Peterson (@GerrenPeterson) July 12, 2024
Heavy on that… #Espys #ESPYAwards #ESPYS24 pic.twitter.com/zdNPpcUrme
“Serena Williams will remain in sports records forever. Harrison who?” asked one fan.
“What a hypocrite! He talks about sports being a unifier, and yet he’s against women. Typical coward,” voiced another.
A third comment read, “Serena Williams is well known around the world but him I don’t even know who he is???? Serena Williams GOAT Harrison [poop emoji].”
This past May, Butker stirred up backlash when his commencement speech to Benedictine College graduates deduced women to best serve society by becoming homemakers instead of chasing professional aspirations. He also called out abortion, IVF, and Pride Month.
In his message to male students, he advised that they “be unapologetic in your masculinity” and “fight against the cultural emasculation of men.” When he attended the “Courage Under Fire Gala” in Nashville, Tennessee, later that month, he doubled down on his beliefs. “As to be expected, the more I’ve talked about what I value most — which is my Catholic faith — the more polarizing I’ve become. It’s a decision I’ve consciously made and one I do not regret at all,” he said.
Prior to the ESPYs, there were comparisons being made on X between the outrage surrounding Butker’s controversial remarks and Colin Kaepernick calling out injustices committed against Black and brown communities. “So Colin Kaepernick gets blacklisted from the NFL for advocating for black lives, but Harrison Butker can give a misogynistic, homophobic, transphobic speech without a peep from the NFL, and I’m supposed to believe that it’s CONSERVATIVES that are getting “cancelled”????? GTFOH,” read a tweet.
The former San Francisco 49ers quarterback began silently protesting police brutality during the 2016 NFL preseason by kneeling during the pregame performances national anthem. At the end of the season, he entered free agency and was never picked up by another NFL team, subsequently ending his six-season career. In 2019, he settled a lawsuit accusing the league of conspiring to keep him off any team’s roster.
Butker was drafted into the league by the Carolina Panthers in 2017. He was traded to Kansas City soon afterward. He has won three Super Bowls with the team led by star Patrick Maholmes: in 2024, 2023, and 2020.
