Controversial interviews can be very interesting to hear. There's no telling what might come out of it. The catalyst can be almost anything. Interviews of these nature can start out as normal ones but a tiny comment can lead to an explosion of rage and anger. When this happens, there's no telling how far it can go. The ending of it is unknown. A player's career could be over as a possible aftermath.
It has recently been reported that the NFL has distanced themeselves from Kansas City Chiefs kicker, Harrison Butker. This comes after a commencement speech. He stated that he believed that Pride Month is a "deadly sin" as well as demeaning diversity and equity in initiatives.
He set off alarm bells when he stated that women find more fulfillment through getting married and having children than by pursuing careers . This comes after he directly quoted a song by Taylor Swift. This all came from a graduation speech he was giving to Benedictine College, a small Catholic school in Atchison, Kansas.
In response, the NFL has said that they don't hold the same feelings and thoughts as those of Butker. In a statement, they said, "Harrison Butker gave a speech in his personal capacity. His views are not those of the NFL as an organisation,” said Senior Vice President Jonathan Beane, the league’s chief diversity and inclusion officer. “The NFL is steadfast in our commitment to inclusion, which only makes our league stronger.” GLAAD issued a statement saying, "A clear miss” and “woefully out of step with Americans about Pride, LGBTQ people and women.” The Chiefs has chosen not to make a comment on the matter.
GLAAD was founded in 1985. It's is a non-profit organization focused on LGBTQ advocacy and cultural change. GLAAD works to ensure fair, accurate, and inclusive representation and creates national and local programs that advance LGBTQ acceptance. Serving as a storyteller, media force, resource, and advocate, GLAAD tackles tough issues and provokes dialogue so that authentic LGBTQ stories are seen, heard, and actualized. GLAAD strives to protect all that has been accomplished and helps create a world where everyone can live the life they love.
As a dynamic media force, they ensure fair, accurate and inclusive representation that rewrites the script for LGBTQ acceptance. GLAAD tackles tough issues to shape the narrative and provoke dialogue that leads to cultural change. GLAAD protects all that has been accomplished and envisions a world with 100% LGBTQ acceptance (GLAAD, 2024).
Plenty of women (and Taylor Swift fans) have made their feelings plainly known, including the sisters of Mount St. Scholastica monastery, a founding institution and sponsor of Benedictine College.
“The sisters of Mount St. Scholastica do not believe that Harrison Butker’s comments in his 2024 Benedictine College commencement address represent the Catholic, Benedictine, liberal arts college that our founders envisioned and in which we have been so invested,” they said in a statement. “Instead of promoting unity in our church, our nation, and the world, his comments seem to have fostered division.”
Such pushback could keep Butker’s social media feeds clogged with criticism for the foreseeable future. It also could be an optical problem for the NFL and the Chiefs who have both enjoyed increased support from female fans in the past year.
It also didn’t sit well with many people that Butker invoked Swift, the pop star who is dating Kansas City Chiefs star Travis Kelce and who was a frequent sight at Chiefs games this past season, including the Super Bowl.
Butker has likely become the first person in history to quote a Taylor Swift song while criticising Catholic priests for catering too much to the feelings of their parishioners. “As my teammate’s girlfriend says: ‘Familiarity breeds contempt,’” Butker said at one point, quoting Swift’s song “Bejeweled” (and, by extension, a common turn of phrase).
Conservative voices have praised Butker’s speech for being “100% correct” and for reflecting his self-professed deep Catholic faith. However, his reference to Swift — a childless, unmarried superstar and feminist figure who by Butker’s own definition is not living up to her potential — has prompted additional outcry.
Before his speech, Butker’s Instagram account was rather innocuous: Mostly photos of his gameday outfits paired with Bible quotes; posed shots next to conservative figures and bits of Christian wisdom. This was all met with generally hospitable commentary from fans.
Now, nearly every recent post on his account has been overrun with insults and some questioning how Butker feels about women like Swift. The deluge of criticism reached almost every corner of social media, and people took notice.
“As a woman, does watching Harrison Butker get cooked online count as being in the kitchen,” reads one popular post on X.
“I’ll let the Swifties handle Harrison Butker,” reads another.
Commenters and social influencers also picked up on another piece of information that appears at odds with Butker’s worldview. His mother, Elizabeth Keller Butker, is a medical physicist at Emory University’s Winship Cancer Institute in Atlanta and holds, among other academic accolades, a degree in chemistry from Smith College, a private women’s liberal arts college in Massachusetts.
“What does your mom think about your little speech, Harrison?” asked Vicki Chan, a doctor and TikTok creator with more than 500,000 followers.
In 2003, the New York Jets were losing 14-3 to the New England Patriots. This was when ESPN sideline reporter, Suzy Kolber, sought pearls of wisdom from Jets legend Joe Namath. Except at this moment, he didn't have very many. In a conversation that has haunted Namath for years to come, he drunkenly told Kolber twice that he wanted to kiss her, slurring his words considerably. Broadcasters immediately switched back to the ongoing game as Namath kept talking. Afterward, ESPN commentators tried downplaying the incident by calling Namath a "happy guy" (via YouTube).
In his 2019 memoir, "All the Way," Namath managed to find the positives in the situation. He struggled with alcoholism since his retirement from football in 1977. The embarrassment he felt in the aftermath of his drunken commentary was enough to stave him off of alcohol and he now credits it for saving his life, per the New York Post.
In 1989, Minnesota Vikings coach, Jerry Burns took to the podium. He goes off about the game, his staff and the players in a long-winded rant. All the while, he doesn’t censor himself in the slightest. Burns makes healthy use of some four-letter words and runs wild on the microphone without missing a beat. At one point, a reporter even asks him about the real outcome of the game considering the larger-than-life reaction.
Ryan Leaf was once advertised to be the next NFL golden boy. This comes after being drafted in the first round, picked only behind Hall of Famer, Peyton Manning. Leaf was predicted to take the San Diego Chargers to the Holy Land and perhaps surpass Manning, career-wise. These hopes soon crashed when it became evident that Leaf had behavioural issues, per News.com.au. No moment could epitomise his off-the-field struggles than an infamous locker-room video in which he physically threatened a reporter.
The interview came a day after what Leaf considered the worst game of his football career. He had one completed pass and four interceptions against the Kansas City Chiefs. The San Diego Union-Tribune writer, Jay Posner, reported that Leaf cursed at a television cameraman, which Leaf denied. Leaf later confronted Posner and told him to "knock it off." Leaf stood up and towered over Posner and had to be held back by a team-mate and a Chargers executive (as per The New York Times).
It was only the third week of his rookie season and Leaf showed the world that he was incapable of handling failure. The video went viral and was replayed on national television and talk radio. Leaf was reluctant to speak on it at the time but several years after he retired, he acknowledged it was the moment his career began to crumble. In 2017 (via The Herd), he described himself in the video as a "petulant child."
In another NFL game, this time in 2013, Seattle Seahawks cornerback, Richard Sherman, had a bone to pick with San Francisco wide receiver, Michael Crabtree. Like most football players who know their worth, he was incensed at a perceived slight from a fellow player. In this case, Crabtree refused to say that Sherman was the best corner in the league. When the two matched up at the NFC championship game and Sherman's team prevailed, he gave an impassioned and furious response in a post-game interview. When Fox sideline reporter, Erin Andrews, bore the brunt of it as Sherman yelled into the mic, warning other receivers not to talk trash about him and calling Crabtree a "sorry" receiver (as per Bleacher Report).
Criticism of Sherman's fierce delivery was swift and often harsh. He was called a "thug" by people on social media which he considered to be a coded racial slur (as per Business Insider). Unlike critics, Andrews was more concerned that she wasn't able to get a third question in and called the interview, "awesome" (via "Conan").
Sherman eventually apologised to Andrews and the two reunited seven years later on the field after Sherman's new team — ironically, the 49ers — advanced to the Super Bowl. They shared a photo of their hug on social media, with Andrews calling the interview the coolest moment in her career (as per The Washington Post).
In 2007, it appeared that UFC Hall of Famer Chuck Liddell committed the worst and easiest of modern sins: showing up to an interview drunk. He appeared on the WFAA "Good Morning Texas" show to promote the movie "300" and slurred through the interview, which mostly consisted of him praising IMAX theaters and discussing his MMA career incoherently (via YouTube). He sat most of the appearance leaning his head onto a fist. At one point, the host had to ask Liddell if he was okay and ended the interview by telling him to "hang in there."
The interview went viral and caught the attention of authorities, requiring Liddell to undergo a drug test in Nevada before his next fight. His boss, Dana White, didn't take too kindly to his drunken appearance. He and UFC co-owner Lorenzo Fertitta immediately flew over to check up on him. White attributed Liddell's behavior to partying all night and getting caught up in the fame and fortune that comes with being a UFC star.
Liddell dispelled the drunken theory. In 2021, Liddell explained that Ambien was the culprit. He had trouble sleeping and a friend gave him pills. However, he didn't remember making it onto the show, and he couldn't recall how he got home. Somehow, he flew from Texas to San Diego and was driven to San Luis Obispo before the effects of the pill wore off, per MMA Fighting.
When Brock Lesnar entered the UFC ring with Frank Mir at UFC 100 in 2009, He was an MMA newbie. The event was a rematch from Lesnar's debut promotion, which Mir won. A veteran WWE wrestler, Lesnar was used to an atmosphere with scripted conflict and contrived villainy — a "heel" — for the sake of entertainment, per Fansided.
So it was with this mentality and flair for drama that he hijacked his post-fight interview with Joe Rogan after beating Mir and began trash-talking and self-promoting. Perhaps spurred by the crowd's booing, he touted his vengeance and insulted Mir. He then tore into Bud Light by promoting Coors Light instead. Bud Light was one of UFC's biggest sponsors and they apparently hadn't paid him. He ended his interview by saying he would celebrate that night by hanging out with family and friends and maybe even "get on top of [his] wife" (via YouTube).
Dana White was aghast and said in the post-fight press conference that Lesnar's behaviour was unprecedented and distanced the organisation from it. He reassured reporters that Lesnar was usually a good guy who has made smart decisions. As for Lesnar, he arrived at the post-fight conference with a Bud Light in hand and a change in tune. He apologised for his speech and attributed his style to his WWE sensibilities, (as per Bleacher Report).
In 2011, Floyd Mayweather Jr. KO'd Victor Ortiz for the WBC Welterweight title. Mayweather had not fought in 16 months and the fight was meant to be a warm-up for a match with Manny Pacquiao (as per BBC News). His win was controversial because his decisive blows seemed unfairly timed. Ortiz had just been penalised for a headbutt and was in the midst of apologising and while not protecting himself well, Mayweather delivered the final punches. Ortiz felt blindsided and said Mayweather resumed punching before the referee made it legal.
In the immediate post-fight interview, HBO broadcaster, Larry Merchant, pointed this out to Mayweather, saying that his win didn't sit well with fans. Mayweather defended himself, saying it was a fighter's duty to protect himself at all times. After Merchant kept pushing for another explanation, Mayweather retaliated and said Merchant never gave him a "fair shake" in his commentary. It escalated from there.
Mayweather told Merchant that he needed to be fired from HBO and that he lacked expertise in boxing. Merchant then delivered the punchline of the exchange (via YouTube), "I wish I was 50 years younger so I could kick your a**." Mayweather later said that he apologised to Merchant and felt he was pushed to his limit during Merchant's questioning. They were able to conduct another interview without any yelling after Mayweather's win over Miguel Cotto the following year (as per Boxing Scene).
Phil Mickleson set the internet into ablaze when he gave his reasons for joining Saudi Arabia's LIV Golf tournament. Professional golfers now have two high-profile tournament options to compete in: the PGA Tour and the new Saudi-funded LIV Golf Invitational Series. The latter has been mired in controversy due to its ties with the Saudi Arabian government and its Public Investment Fund.
The PGA Tour has gone so far as to penalise players who choose to play for LIV, denying them PGA membership benefits, per ESPN. But LIV has managed to strip away top golfers, including Mickelson. In a conversation with the "Fire Pit Collective" podcast, Mickelson acknowledged Saudi Arabia's human rights violations, including its assassination of journalist Jamal Khashoggi and its crackdown on gay people. But citing LIV's abundant Saudi Arabian funding, Mickelson saw the tournament as an opportunity for leverage against PGA's monopoly. The tournament earned him $20 million (as per Sports Illustrated).
Mickelson apologised for his comments and said he needed time away from golf. He said his choice of words were reckless and didn't reflect the positive experiences he had with LIV Golf Investments (as per NBC Golf).
Pete Rose is a well-known figure in Baseball. His appearance at this World Series game gave interviewer Jim Gray a chance to challenge the former Cincinnati Red. Taking issue with the questions, Rose tried to address his gambling controversy without getting angry. Gray wondered if the former athlete would offer up an apology for his actions but the interviewee refused to do so in an adamant way.
The two men began to argue over details about Rose’s status with the league. It all becomes an interrogation of sorts as the conversation reached a stalemate. Ending on a sour note, the entire back and forth ended before the retired player could finish criticising the NBC Sports personality.
James Harden was playing his trade for the Houston Rockets when, in 2014, one game against the Portland Trail Blazers saw him struggle tremendously. The moment came after James Harden and his team went down two games against their opponents in a key series. Following some direct questions, the shooting guard revealed his true feelings after the relatively-normal interview ends. This includes some off-camera quotes about percentages and even some name-calling on the part of Harden. Clearly frustrated, the player apparently needed a little more time to collect his thoughts before continuing. It’s also funny to hear that he reportedly called one of the reporters a “weirdo” afterwards.
In tennis, Naomi Osaka has won multiple grand slams. During a press conference, the athlete teared up following a question about her career. It’s uncertain whether or not this was the official reason she was brought to tears but it was clear that she was struggling on this particular day. Her agent later attacked the journalist for his inquiry and the media debated the outcome. Osaka has been a champion for addressing mental health and its importance.
There's no telling what can take place when interviews go in this direction. There is one thing that is for sure: the interviewee will have a whole different outlook from the outside world. The once polished and clean athlete/coach will have a pernament mark on their record and publicity.
Source Material
Hammersmith, A. 2023. Top 10 Sports Interviews Gone WRONG. WatchMojo.
L, P. 2022. Sport interviews that got athletes in trouble. Grunge.
Willingham, A.J. 2024. Backlash over NFL player Harrison Butker’s commencement speech has reached a new level. CNN.
Reference List
GLAAD. (2024). [online]. Available from: https://glaad.org/ (Accessed: 18 May 2024).