Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker ruffled feathers after his commencement speech at Benedictine College's graduation went viral.
News organizations scooped up the story as millions of people, including teammates, voiced their opinions on his address, in which he spoke out against "dangerous gender ideologies" and LGBTQ+ Pride month, among other topics. Celebrities spoke up, too — mostly criticizing Butker for his regressive comments.
Eddie Vedder, lead vocalist of the rock band Pearl Jam, shared his disapproval at one of his concerts in Las Vegas.
"The irony was that the football player — well, kicker; you see, the kicker doesn’t have the pads because he doesn’t tackle anybody or get tackled — but he started telling men, ‘Don’t forget to puff up your chest and be more masculine. Don’t lose your masculinity.’
"There’s nothing more masculine than a strong man supporting a strong woman,” Vedder said.
Not long after the Pearl Jam show in Las Vegas, a viral Facebook post claimed the band was canceling its upcoming Kansas City shows. The Sporting News debunks that post and explains how it connects to Butker.
MORE: Why Harrison Butker double downed on his statements
Pearl Jam cancels Kansas City shows, debunked
After Vedder criticized Butker at his Las Vegas concert, a May 21 post on Facebook falsely proclaimed: "Kansas City cancels three Pearl Jam shows at Arrowhead Stadium."
The post and others similar to it originated on a satirical website, and Facebook flagged the related page as "satire/parody." Facebook flagged the post as fake, which helped users realize the rumor was baseless.
If this wasn't enough proof, Pearl Jam did not even have concerts scheduled in Kansas City. Indeed, the band is about to embark on a European tour.
Yes, Vedder disagrees with Butker's opinions. But there were never Kansas City shows to cancel in the first place.
Pearl Jam 2024 tour dates, locations
| Date | Locations |
| May 30 | Seattle, Washington |
| June 22 | Dublin, Ireland |
| June 25 | Manchester, England |
| June 29 | London, England |
| July 2 | Berlin, Germany |
| July 3 | Berlin, Germany |
| July 6 | Barcelona, Spain |
| July 8 | Barcelona, Spain |
| July 11 | Madrid, Spain |
| July 13 | Lisbon, Portugal |
| Aug. 22 | Missoula, Montana |
| Aug. 26 | Indianapolis, Indiana |
| Aug. 29 | Chicago, Illinois |
| Aug. 31 | Chicago, Illinois |
| Sept. 3 | New York, New York |
| Sept. 4 | New York, New York |
| Sept. 7 | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |
| Sept. 9 | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |
| Sept. 12 | Baltimore, Maryland |
| Sept. 15 | Boston, Massachusetts |
| Sept. 17 | Boston, Massachusetts |
| Sept. 27 | Dana Point, California |
| Sept. 29 | Dana Point, California |
| Nov. 8 | Auckland, New Zealand |
| Nov. 10 | Auckland, New Zealand |
| Nov. 13 | Gold Coast, Australia |
| Nov. 16 | Melbourne, Australia |
| Nov. 18 | Melbourne, Australia |
| Nov. 21 | Sydney, Australia |
| Nov. 23 | Sydney, Australia |
