Tennis legend Serena Williams recently took a dig at NFL kicker Harrison Butker at the 2024 ESPY Awards for his two-month-old remarks, which encouraged women to be homemakers. During the event, alongside her sister Venus, Serena emphasized that women’s sports deserve recognition and respect like any other sport and then humorously singled out Butker with a clear jab: “Except you, Harrison Butker. We don’t need you at all, like, EVER.”
Advertisement
Naturally, Serena’s sassy dig went viral, as many viewed it as a fitting response to Butker’s earlier comments. Surprisingly, despite becoming a target of Serena’s jab, Butker experienced a surge in jersey sales.
BREAKING: #Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker’s jersey is once again the HIGHEST SELLING jersey in the entire #NFL after Serena Williams went after him last night for having Pro-Christian beliefs.
He’s the first kicker in league history to do this multiple times, wow. pic.twitter.com/evs76wiLeF
— MLFootball (@_MLFootball) July 12, 2024
Reports indicate that Butker’s Chiefs jersey (No. 7) quickly became a top seller, both for the Chiefs team and across the NFL. The controversy surrounding his views on gender roles seemed to boost his popularity rather than diminish it. Allegedly, Harrison’s fans are demonstrating support for his freedom to express his beliefs by purchasing his merchandise.
In the past, NFL superstars like Patrick Mahomes and Jalen Hurts typically led both the team and the league in jersey sales, but Butker’s surge in sales has now surpassed theirs for the second time this offseason — making him the first kicker in NFL history to achieve this milestone.
Butker’s Jersey Became the Best Seller Earlier in 2024
In May 2024, Butker’s Chiefs jersey became a top seller on the official NFL Shop website for the first time, according to CBS Sports. The initial boost in sales was linked to a polarizing speech he gave at Benedictine College, where he touched on topics such as gender roles, LGBTQ+ issues, and social policies, offending many. He said,
“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.”
“Things like abortion, IVF, surrogacy, euthanasia, as well as a growing support for the degenerate cultural values and media all stem from the pervasiveness of disorder,” he continued.
The pro-Christian views led to backlash and even a petition calling for his removal from the Kansas City Chiefs. Interestingly, Butker stood by his words, expressing no regrets about sharing his opinions.
Speaking of which, the Chiefs distanced themselves from Butker’s statements, clarifying that they were his views and not reflective of the organization’s stance. Similarly, the NFL supported the Chiefs’ statements by affirming players’ right to speech while stating that individual opinions do not represent the league as a whole.
