Kansas
Kansas City Chiefs kicker defends controversial commencement speech
In his first public comments following a controversial speech at a recent college commencement, Kansas City Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker defended his address and emphasized his Catholic faith.
“If it wasn’t clear that the timeless Catholic values are hated by many, it is now,” Butker said during a speech at the “Courage Under Fire” gala in Nashville on Friday night.
The Nashville speech was posted to X by right-wing media outlet The Daily Wire.
This is the first time the three-time Super Bowl champion has spoken publicly about his commencement address at Benedictine College, a small Catholic college in Kansas, on May 11. During his address, Butker made comments interpreted by many as homophobic and sexist, including calling Pride Month a “deadly sin” and saying that a woman’s accomplishments in the home are more valuable than any academic or professional goals, among other things.
Friday night’s gala was hosted by Regina Caeli Academy – a hybrid campus/homeschool Catholic school group with several locations across the country. The gala boasted several other speakers including right-wing media personality and host at the Daily Wire, Matt Walsh.
“Over the past few days, my beliefs, or what people think I believe, have been the focus of countless discussions around the globe,” Butker, who is on the school’s board of directors, said.
Regina Caeli Academy did not immediately respond to CNN’s request for comment.
“At the outset, many people expressed a shocking level of hate. But as the days went on, even those who disagreed with my viewpoints shared their support for my freedom of religion,” Butker said Friday.
Butker reaffirmed his commitment to his Catholic faith, saying, “Our love for Jesus and thus our desire to speak out should never be outweighed by the longing of our fallen nature to be loved by the world.”
During his speech, Butker referred to Saint Daniel, the biblical prophet who was thrown into a lion’s den for committing to prayer to God, despite a law that condemned worshipers to death.
“I can’t help but tremble at the thought of the courage many saints have shown in their lives,” Butker said.
Daniel was spared by God due to his commitment to faith, according to the Old Testament.
“Would I be so bold if the repercussion was what Daniel faced in being fed to lions? In reality, any courage I’ve shown will lead to some small suffering. And it will lead to some people maybe never liking me, but that could be God’s will,” the Chiefs kicker said.
The NFL issued a statement earlier this month, saying Butker’s comments don’t reflect the views of the league.
Butker’s May 11 speech sparked criticism from LGBT advocacy organization GLAAD, which called his comments “a clear miss” and “woefully out of step with Americans about Pride, LGBTQ people and women.”
The sisters of Mount St. Scholastica monastery, a founding institution and sponsor of Benedictine College, also distanced themselves from Butker’s message. “The sisters of Mount St. Scholastica do not believe that Harrison Butker’s comments in his 2024 Benedictine College commencement address represent the Catholic, Benedictine, liberal arts college that our founders envisioned and in which we have been so invested,” they said in a statement. “Instead of promoting unity in our church, our nation, and the world, his comments seem to have fostered division.”
Fellow Chiefs star, Travis Kelce, recently responded to the commencement address, saying he does not agree with “just about any” of Butker’s views but values him as a teammate.
“I cherish him as a teammate. I think Pat (Mahomes) said it best where he is every bit of a great person and a great teammate,” Kelce said on the latest episode of the “New Heights” podcast he hosts with his brother, Jason.
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The Oklahoma Sooners are heading back to Omaha for the College World Series for the first time since 2022 after OU swept Kansas in the super regionals. Oklahoma outscored the Jayhawks 21-3 in the two games that took three days to play due to a rain delay on Sunday.
The Sooners head to Omaha as one of the hottest teams in college baseball after knocking off Georgia Tech in the regionals and sweeping Kansas to punch their ticket to Omaha.
Oklahoma hit seven home runs in the two games against Kansas, and on Sunday and Monday, the Sooners pitching staff limited the Jayhawks lineup to just four runs.
The Sooners are one of five SEC teams heading to Omaha, joining Alabama, Texas, Ole Miss, and Georgia. The Sooners will open College World Series play against Alabama on Saturday. But before we get to that, here’s how social media reacted to the Sooners series clinching win.
On Fire
Hot heading to Omaha
Rocked Em
Dangerous Team
Where they belong
Here we go!
What a performance
The moment
The Celly
Heading to Omaha
Truly Special
The Field
Go win it all
They have what it takes
Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on X (formerly known as Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow John on X @john9williams.
Collin Klein and the K-State coaching staff made a major statement on the recruiting trail over the weekend. Cooper Ohnmacht, a four-star recruit and the top-ranked player in Kansas in the 2027 recruiting class, committed to K-State on Sunday. The Wildcats defeated Penn State, Wisconsin and several other power four programs in securing the services of Ohnmacht.
The Great Bend, Kan., native is ranked as the No. 304 player nationally and the 10th-best athlete in the country in the 2027 class, according to the Rivals industry consensus rankings, which incorporates the evaluations of the three major recruiting services nationally.
Ohnmacht is a big-time athlete who has excelled at both safety and wide receiver while also earning major accolades in track and field. The 6-0, 185-pounder, recorded 52 receptions for 755 yards as a junior to lead his team, which also featured national recruit in tight end Ian Premer, who has signed with Notre Dame. Ohnmacht, who is projected to play safety at K-State, had 57 tackles along with five interceptions during the 2025 season.
Ohnmacht is also a two-time state champion in the triple jump in Class 5A. His triple jump of 48-3 as a sophomore was the best all-class jump during the 2025 track season by seven inches, according to Catch it Kansas. He placed 14th in the triple jump at the Nike Outdoor Championships at Hayward Field in Eugene, Ore., in 2025.
The commitment of Ohnmacht marks the third time the Wildcats have landed the state’s No. 1 recruit since 2023. Avery Johnson’s decision to sign with K-State in 2023 ended an 18-year drought of the top player in Kansas going elsewhere. Offensive tackle Gus Hawkins, a top-200 player nationally from Mill Valley in the 2024 class, made it back-to-back years the No. 1 player in the state elected to continue their career in Manhattan. The Wildcats landed another national recruit in 2025 when Linkon Cure, a top-50 recruit in the country, chose K-State over Oregon and others. However, the Goodland, Kan., native was the second-ranked player in the state behind Andrew Babalola, who signed with Michigan.
K-State also earned the commitment of Correll Buckhalter Jr. on Sunday. The Texas native is the son of former Nebraska running back and NFL veteran Correll Buckhalter. He is ranked as the No. 742 player nationally and a top 100 prospect in Texas for the 2027 class.
Klein and his staff have now secured 17 commitments in the 2027 class, which is ranked 40th nationally and fourth-best in the Big 12, per the Rivals industry consensus rankings.
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KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCTV) – One man is dead and another is in critical condition after a shooting overnight on Westport Rd., police say.
The Kansas City Police Department said it responded to the area of Mercier and Westport Rd. just before 11:30 p.m. on Saturday, June 6, after reports of a shooting.
Officers indicated that they entered a nearby business and found two men unresponsive. They began rendering medical aid until EMS arrived.
First responders reported that one man was taken to a nearby hospital with critical injuries. The other was pronounced dead at the scene.
Homicide detectives noted that they began to gather evidence and collect witness statements. As of Sunday morning, police do not know what led to the shooting and no one is in custody.
Anyone with information is asked to call the TIPS Hotline at 816-474-TIPS.
Copyright 2026 KCTV. All rights reserved.
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