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Travis Kelce breaks silence over Harrison Butker’s controversial speech as Taylor Swift fans call for him to be axed
Jason Kelce also had his say on the row
TRAVIS Kelce has defended under-fire teammate Harrison Butker over his controversial speech.
The Kansas City Chiefs kicker, 28, told female graduates that one of their important roles will be as a "homemaker."
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Butker's comments at Benedictine College, Kansas, sparked outrage.
And a petition calling on him to be cut has racked up over 225,000 signatures - many of whom are fans of Kelce's girlfriend Taylor Swift.
But Kelce stood up for Butker - even if he does not agree with what he said in the 20-minute speech.
"I've known him for years," had said on his New Heights podcast. "I cherish him as a teammate.
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"I think Pat Mahomes said it best where he is every bit of a great person and a great teammate.
"He’s treated family and friends that I’ve introduced to him with nothing but respect and kindness. And that’s how he treats everyone.
"When it comes down to his views and what he said at the Saint Benedict’s commencement speech, those are his.
"I can’t say I agree with the majority of it, or just about any of it outside of just him loving his family and his kids.
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"And I don’t think that I should judge him by his views, especially his religious views, of how to go about life, that’s just not who I am.
"I grew up in a beautiful upbringing of different social classes, different religions, different races and ethnicities in Cleveland Heights and that's why I love Cleveland Heights for what it was.
Harisson Butker brutally trolled by LA Chargers in NFL schedule video with Sim of controversial Chiefs star in kitchen
"It showed me a broad spectrum, a broad view of a lot of different walks of life.
"I appreciated every single one of those people for different reasons and I never once had to feel that I needed to judge them based off their beliefs.
"My household, my mother and my father both provided for my family and both my mother and my father made home what it was.
"They were homemakers and they were providers. And they were unbelievable at being present every single day of my life.
"I think that was a beautiful upbringing for me.
Swift and Kelce's 2024 schedules
Taylor Swift's Eras Tour
Friday, Oct. 18 - Sunday, Oct. 20 - Miami, Florida
Friday, Oct. 25 - Sunday, Oct. 27 - New Orleans, Louisiana
Friday, Nov. 1 - Sunday, Nov. 3 - Indianapolis, Indiana
Thursday, Nov. 14 - Saturday, Nov. 16 - Toronto
Thursday, Nov. 21 - Saturday, Nov. 23 - Toronto
Friday, Dec. 6 - Sunday, Dec. 8 - Vancouver
Travis Kelce's Kansas City Chiefs Schedule
Games that Swift may be able to attend are bolded
Thursday, Sept. 5 - Baltimore Ravens at Kansas City Chiefs
Sunday, Sept. 15 - Cincinnati Bengals at Kansas City Chiefs
Sunday, Sept. 22 - Kansas City Chiefs at Atlanta Falcons
Sunday, Sept. 29 - Kansas City Chiefs at Los Angeles Chargers
Monday, Oct. 7 - New Orleans Saints at Kansas City Chiefs
Sunday, Oct. 20 - Kansas City Chiefs at San Francisco 49ers
Sunday Oct. 27 - Kansas City Chiefs at Las Vegas Raiders
Monday, Nov. 4 - Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Kansas City Chiefs
Sunday, Nov. 10 - Denver Broncos at Kansas City Chiefs
Sunday, Nov. 17 - Kansas City Chiefs at Buffalo Bills
Sunday, Nov. 24 - Kansas City Chiefs at Carolina Panthers
Friday, Nov. 29 - Las Vegas Raiders at Kansas City Chiefs
Sunday, Dec. 8 - Los Angeles Chargers at Kansas City Chiefs
Sunday, Dec. 15 - Kansas City Chiefs at Cleveland Browns
Saturday, Dec. 21 - Houston Texans at Kansas City Chiefs
Wednesday, Dec. 25 - Kansas City Chiefs at Pittsburgh Steelers
Saturday, Jan. 4 or Sunday, Jan. 5 - Kansas City Chiefs at Denver Broncos
"Now I don't think everyone should do it the way my parents did, but I certainly, sure as hell thank my parents and love my parents for being able to provide and make home what it was.
"I'm not the same person without the both of them being who they were in my life."
Travis' brother Jason echoed his views.
"It's always great to hear from people who really actually know people than a bunch of people reacting to comments without really having met the guy," he said.
"I think the teammates reactions, Andy Reid's reaction - you learn about people on a daily basis.
"There are always going to be opinions that everybody shares that you are going to disagree with.
"Make no mistake about it, the things he said in the commencement speech are not things that I align myself with.
"But he's giving a commencement speech at a Catholic university and shocker, it ended up being a very religious speech.
"To me, I can listen to somebody talk and take great value in it when he is talking about the importance of family and the importance of a great mother - while also acknowledging that not everybody has to be a homemaker if that's not what they want to do in life.
"When you listen to somebody, you take in what you like and you listen to other things and say I don't f***ing like that.
"He talks about family. I don't think we have enough people talking about the foundation of family and the seriousness of parenthood.
"If you're going to embark on being a parent, I do think it needs to be the most important thing in your life.
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"If your kids aren't the most important thing in your and your wife's life, you are failing in my opinion.
"I also don't think women, for the most part, are the issue here. I think there's a much bigger issue with another gender in terms of raising kids."
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