It’s now been over two months since Kansas City Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker did the unpardonable: In a commencement speech at a Catholic college, Butker, a Catholic, made remarks indicating that he held to traditional biblical gender roles — you know, like a devout Catholic would.
One would think this would have blown over by now. In fact, there’s been plenty of other news since then.
Here’s a sampling, in chronological order: The International Criminal Court issued unprecedented (and completely unserious) warrants for the arrest of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, only one of which was deserving of it;
Donald Trump was found guilty on 34 counts of beating Joe Biden in the polls in a New York kangaroo court (or “hush money payments,” depending on which side of the aisle you’re on);
Julian Assange was released from prison; Joe Biden imploded on a debate stage;
Democrats began talking about replacing Joe Biden; Biden has refused to go despite several disastrous interviews, and here we are.
That’s a lot for two months. But the Williams sisters — Serena and Venus — haven’t forgotten Butker’s viral speech.
And they wanted to make sure that, as women’s sports sees an uptick in popularity thanks to the WNBA, that Butker won’t be watching.
“So, go ahead and enjoy women’s sports like you would any other sports, because they are sports,” Venus Williams said at Thursday’s ESPY awards.
Then, Serena interrupted: “Except you, Harrison Butker,” she said. “We don’t need you.”
“At all. Like, ever,” said actress Quinta Brunson, also on stage with the tennis stars.
Oh. So good Christians who follow the Bible and believe the family unit is necessary for human flourishing shouldn’t watch women’s tennis?
Sure. For me, that’s a bit like Harrison Butker giving up daily colonoscopies for Lent, but the pettiness of the attack was obvious.
Making the moment even more personal, Butker was in the audience at the time, according to NBC News, “but the camera did not pan to him to catch his reaction.”
However, he did respond publicly on Friday to what passes for “tolerance” in the Williams’ sisters world.
“I thought Mrs. Williams was a great host and applaud her for using her platform to express her beliefs on a variety of topics,” Butker said in a statement, according to NBC News.
Then he dropped the bomb.
“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.”
Precisely.
The whole point of sports is that it’s supposed to be apolitical and non-religious, even if the individuals involved have political and religious convictions.
In Butker’s case, his convictions were expressed far off the field — but, to those who prostrate themselves before the secular god of the latest cause during their time off the field (or on it, in certain cases), this is disqualifying.
Sports can be the great unifier — unless, of course, those involved don’t want unity, but the rooting out of beliefs they find unacceptable. That’s why, two months and numerous earthshaking news events haven’t disabused the Williams sisters of their loathing of Mr. Butker.
They don’t have anything better to talk about because they’re still stuck on someone’s personal religious convictions. If that doesn’t speak to the righteousness of their stance — or lack thereof — I fear nothing will.
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