The Kansas City Star recently sparked debate by suggesting that the Kansas City Chiefs should consider replacing their kicker, Harrison Butker, after his controversial faith-based commencement speech at Benedictine College.
In his speech, Butker implied that the female graduates were likely more focused on marriage and motherhood than their academic accomplishments. He also accused some Catholic leaders of promoting harmful gender ideologies to young Americans.
Columnist Peter Hamm advocated for the Chiefs to recruit a female kicker as a response to Butker’s “outdated” comments.
Despite Butker’s status as one of the NFL’s top kickers, the idea of replacing him with a woman has been met with mixed reactions.
“For poetic justice after Harrison Butker’s archaic comments – and because there is a genuine talent pool – the Kansas City Chiefs’ next kicker should be a woman,” Hamm wrote.
He emphasized that this suggestion is serious, feasible, and could be beneficial for the team’s business, citing the University of Manitoba’s increase in ticket sales as an example.
Hamm pointed out that the potential for female kickers is supported by the history of women excelling in sports traditionally dominated by men: “Millions of American parents with daughters who played soccer can vouch for their kicking abilities. Over the years, there have been numerous instances where college football coaches needed a kicker due to injuries or other issues, and found the best candidates through women’s soccer programs.”
He referenced notable female kickers like Liz Heaston, who became the first woman to score in college football for Willamette University in 1997, Ashley Martin who broke into NCAA Division 1 for Jacksonville State University in 2001, Katie Hnida who did the same for NCAA Division 1-A with the University of New Mexico in 2003, and Sarah Fuller who played for Vanderbilt in 2020, becoming a viral sensation.
Meanwhile, the NFL has taken steps to distance itself from Butker, stating that “his views are not those of the NFL as an organization.”
