Sports

Chiefs kicker Butker says Pride Month is example of 'deadly sin'

Published

2 years ago

May 15, 2024

Chiefs kicker Butker says Pride Month is example of 'deadly sin'

Kansas City Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker, speaking during a commencement speech at Benedictine College, referred to Pride Month, the events in June demonstrating inclusivity and support for the LGBTQ+ community, as an example of the “deadly sins” as he advocated for a more conservative brand of Catholicism.

“Not the deadly sins sort of Pride that has an entire month dedicated to it,” Butker said, “but the true God-centered pride that is cooperating with the holy ghost to glorify him.”

Butker spoke for more than 20 minutes to students at the Catholic school in Atchison, Kansas, saying he wanted the graduating class to prevent political leaders from interfering with social issues that impact their relationship with the church.

Butker, 28, criticized an Associated Press article on America’s Catholic Church, which detailed the institution’s shift “toward the old ways.” It highlighted Benedictine’s rules that “seem like precepts of a bygone age,” which include “volunteering for 3 a.m. prayers” and “pornography, premarital sex and sunbathing in swimsuits being forbidden.”

Butker said the story was an “attempt to rebuke and embarrass” places like Benedictine, and that it would be met with “pride” instead of “anger.”

Sarah Kate Ellis, president and CEO of GLAAD, a non-profit LGBTQ advocacy organization, said in a Wednesday statement Butker’s speech was “inaccurate, ill-informed and woefully out of step with Americans about Pride, LGBTQ people and women.”

“Those with expansive platforms, especially athletes, should use their voices to uplift and expand understand and acceptance in the world,” she said. “Instead, Butker’s remarks undermine experiences not of his own and reveal him to be one who goes against his own team’s commitment to the Kansas City community, and the NFL’s standards for respect, inclusion and diversity across the league.”

Benedictine, a college with more than 2,100 full-time undergraduates as of September 2022, describes itself as a liberal arts institution aimed at “the education of men and women within a community of faith and leadership.” Butker, who called on religious leaders “to stay in their lane and lead,” praised Benedictine for embracing what he called traditional Catholic values.

“When you embrace tradition, success, worldly and spiritual, will follow,” Butker said.

In October 2014, the school ordered basketball player Jallen Messersmith to remove a Pride flag from his dorm room window.

Butker also used the speech to criticize President Joe Biden on several issues, including abortion and the coronavirus pandemic, and questioned Biden’s devotion to Catholicism. Butker also addressed gender ideologies and said a woman’s most important title is “homemaker.”

“It is you, the women, who have had the most diabolic lies told to you. Some of you may go on to lead successful careers in the world but I would venture to guess that the majority of you are most excited about your marriage and the children you will bring into this world,” Butker said.

The Chiefs did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

While the NFL isn’t in season during Pride Month, the league participates in LGBTQ+ initiatives. On the Wednesday before Super Bowl LVIII, the NFL hosted a “Night of Pride” event in partnership with GLAAD, the LGBTQ+ advocacy organization. The Chiefs are among the NFL teams that have a Pride selection of apparel with rainbow colors.

Kansas City is among the many North American cities that host Pride events during June, led by the KC Pride Community Alliance.

Butker is a three-time Super Bowl champion with the Chiefs. He was a seventh-round draft pick in 2017 and made 33 of 35 field goals in the 2023 season.

(Photo: Chris Unger / Getty Images)

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Sports

Texas state trooper scolds South Carolina wide receiver after touchdown; department speaks out

Published

12 hours ago

November 16, 2025

Press Room

Texas state trooper scolds South Carolina wide receiver after touchdown; department speaks out

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A Texas state trooper was “relieved of his game-day assignment” Saturday after exchanging words with South Carolina’s Nyck Harbor after a long touchdown.

After Harbor caught a pass and ran for the 80-yard score, he grabbed his right hamstring and continued walking into a tunnel at Kyle Field.

Several of his teammates joined him, and Harbor walked out of the tunnel gingerly.

South Carolina Gamecocks wide receiver Nyck Harbor runs with the ball against the Texas A&M Aggies Oct. 28, 2023, at Kyle Field in College Station, Texas. (Joe Robbins/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

As he walked back, an officer walked in between, and made contact with, Harbor and running back Oscar Adaway III.

The officer then scolded Harbor, who turned back but kept walking toward the field.

The police department announced on X that the officer was relieved of his game-day assignment and sent home.

NBA star LeBron James called for the officer to be suspended.

“That A&M cop needs to suspended! That was premeditated and corny AF!! He went out his way to start some s—. Do better man,” he posted to X.

The touchdown put the Gamecocks up 27-3, and that lead would increase to 30-3, but the third-ranked Aggies stormed all the way back for a wild 31-30 victory.

South Carolina Gamecocks wide receiver Nyck Harbor celebrates a play against Texas A&M Aggies during the second half at Kyle Field. (Dustin Safranek/USA Today Sports)

JAMES FRANKLIN IN ‘EARLY TALKS’ TO BECOME VIRGINIA TECH’S NEXT HEAD COACH: REPORT

Texas A&M outscored South Carolina 28-0 in the second half to complete its biggest comeback ever.

Marcel Reed threw for a career-high 439 yards and three touchdowns to move the Aggies to 10-0 on the season.

The comeback eclipsed a 21-point rally by a Johnny Manziel-led team in a 52-48 win in the 2013 Chick-fil-A Bowl over Duke. Entering Saturday, teams were 0-286 in Southeastern Conference play since 2004 when trailing by 27 points or more.

Reed bounced back from an awful first half, when he was intercepted twice and had a fumble returned for a score to put the Aggies in a 30-3 hole. He had a dazzling second half to keep Texas A&M on track for its first trip to the College Football Playoff.

The Aggies took the lead for the first time on a 4-yard run by EJ Smith with about 11 minutes left.

Texas A&M had a first down at the 1 after that, but Jamarion Morrow fumbled on a trick play, and the Gamecocks recovered with about three minutes to go.

Texas A&M Aggies running back EJ Smith celebrates with wide receiver Izaiah Williams after scoring a touchdown during the fourth quarter against the South Carolina Gamecocks at Kyle Field. (Troy Taormina/Imagn Images)

Dalton Brooks and Cashius Howell sacked LaNorris Sellers on consecutive plays to bring up fourth-and-16 with about 90 seconds to go. Sellers scrambled on fourth down, and he was stopped short of the first down marker to seal the victory.

Sellers threw for 246 yards with two touchdowns and an interception for South Carolina (3-7, 1-7), which lost a fifth straight game.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Sports

High school football: City and Southern Section semifinal playoff schedules

Published

13 hours ago

November 16, 2025

Press Room

High school football: City and Southern Section semifinal playoff schedules

FRIDAY’S SCHEDULE

(Games at 7 p.m. unless noted)

CITY SECTION

Semifinals

OPEN DIVISION

#5 Garfield at #1 Carson

#6 Crenshaw at #2 Birmingham

DIVISION I

#5 Marquez at #1 Venice

#11 Dorsey or #3 Eagle Rock at #2 South Gate

DIVISION II

#4 Fairfax at #1 Cleveland

#6 L.A. Marshall at #2 San Fernando

DIVISION III

#5 Contreras at #1 Santee

#3 L.A. Wilson at #2 Hawkins

SOUTHERN SECTION

Semifinals

DIVISION I

Santa Margarita vs. Orange Lutheran at Orange Coast College

Mater Dei at Corona Centennial

DIVISION 2

Los Alamitos at Murrieta Valley

San Clemente at Leuzinger

DIVISION 3

Oxnard Pacifica at Chino Hills

Edison at Palos Verdes

DIVISION 4

San Jacinto vs. Villa Park at El Modena

La Habra at Oaks Christian

DIVISION 5

Redondo Union at Loyola

La Serna at Rio Hondo Prep

DIVISION 6

St. Pius X-St. Matthias Academy at Eastvale Roosevelt

Ventura at Agoura

DIVISION 7

Palm Springs at Barstow

Saugus at Apple Valley

DIVISION 8

Palm Desert at Beckman

Irvine at Brea Olinda

DIVISION 9

Hesperia at Ramona

Cerritos Valley Christian at San Dimas

DIVISION 10

Santa Monica at Tahquitz

Garden Grove Pacifica at Hillcrest

DIVISION 11

Baldwin Park at Western Christian

South Pasadena at Valley View

DIVISION 12

Grace at Coachella Valley

Bellflower at Santa Paula

DIVISION 13

Woodbridge at Saddleback

Montebello at La Puente

DIVISION 14

Miller at South El Monte

Pioneer at Anaheim

8-MAN

Semifinals

DIVISION 1

Chadwick at Flintridge Prep

Faith Baptist at Wildomar Cornerstone Christian

DIVISION 2

Calvary Baptist at Cate

Hesperia Christian at Lancaster Baptist

SATURDAY’S SCHEDULE

8-MAN

CITY SECTION

At Birmingham High

Finals

#2 Animo Robinson vs. #4 East Valley or #1 Sherman Oaks CES, 5 p.m.

Sports

Victor Wembanyama taunts Draymond Green after getting physical, dunking over him

Published

1 day ago

November 15, 2025

Press Room

Victor Wembanyama taunts Draymond Green after getting physical, dunking over him

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Draymond Green was up for the challenge of guarding Victor Wembanyama down low, but it did not work out.

Green, listed as 6-foot-6, was guarding the 7-foot-4 Wembanyama in a contested matchup. Knowing he had a clear disadvantage, Green did his best to get as good positioning as possible.

The normally physical Green bodied up Wembanyama, but when the whistle blew, the third-year star knew exactly what to do.

San Antonio Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama dunks over Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green (23) ahead of forward Jimmy Butler (10) and guard Will Richard (3) during the second half at Frost Bank Center. (Scott Wachter/Imagn Images)

Wembanyama spun around, and the inbound pass was a perfectly set alley-oop for the jam. He slammed the dunk home over Green and made sure Green knew what happened.

Just about everyone in San Antonio erupted, and Green and Wembanyama were separated before anything else could happen.

Officials waved off the basket because Green fouled the Spurs’ center prior to the attempt. Green collected his fifth foul seconds later on the next inbound, storming off the court and screaming at officials over the whistle.

San Antonio Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama reacts after dunking over Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green during the second half at Frost Bank Center. (Scott Wachter/Imagn Images)

KEVIN LOVE, FORMER TEAMMATE OF TERRY ROZIER, DISCUSSES GAMBLING ISSUES IN NBA: ‘SUCH A STAIN ON OUR GAME’

“It’s not trying to prove anything to anybody. It’s just, at some point, somebody speaks to you a certain way, you have to respond a certain way,” Wembanyama said after the game, according to the San Antonio Express-News.

Green, though, sensed some hypocrisy.

“It’s good to see him show emotion. I like when guys show emotion,” Green said, via Yahoo Sports. “I just wish that if I can yell in someone’s face and then a teammate can come grab me and nothing happens — because if I yell in someone’s face and grab someone, I get suspended indefinitely.”

Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green and San Antonio Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama exchange words during the second half at Frost Bank Center. (Scott Wachter/Imagn Images)

Stephen Curry dropped a season-high 49 points on 9-for-17 from 3-point range to give the Warriors a 109-108 win.

Wembanyama blocked Jimmy Butler’s layup attempt with 33 seconds remaining and the Spurs leading 108-107. San Antonio failed to capitalize offensively as De’Aaron Fox missed a 17-footer with 12 seconds remaining.

Curry was fouled by Fox on the ensuing possession and calmly drained both free throws to put the Warriors ahead by one point. Fox missed an 18-foot jumper as time expired.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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