Did Mike Tomlin defend Harrison Butker's controversial comments about women?

A Facebook post with over 40,000 likes has claimed that the head coach of Pittsburgh Steelers, Mike Tomlin, defended the comments of Kansas City Chiefs Harrison Butker. But is it true?

Butker's commencement speech at Bendectine College, where he told women they would be most fulfilled as "homemakers", that LGBT+ pride was a "deadly sin", and issues such as abortion and IVF were "degenerative cultural values".

Now, a Facebook page called SpaceX Fanclub, has claimed that Tomlin not only defended Butker's comments but also threatened to leave the NFL if Butker is fired.

The post from SpaceX Fanclub links to an article from the website espots.com and claims Tomlin called Butker "a true patriot", and that he said, "if they get rid of Harrison, they get rid of me."

Whilst the post got widely shared, it is in fact not true.

The SpaceX Fanclub Facebook page states in its description, "We post SATIRE, nothing on this page is real." Similarly, the esspots.com website also has a disclaimer letting readers know that it contains "satire, parody and humour."

The rumour was shared by other satirical websites, with slightly altering quotes.

Butker has faced backlash for his comments, including from the senior vice president of the NFL, Jonathan Beane, who said Butker's comments did not reflect "those of the NFL as an organisation". The Los Angeles Chargers also mocked the kicker for his comments during a video announcing their schedule for the season.

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