Kansas City Chiefs

The controversial commencement speech Harrison Butker gave over the weekend has apparently made him one of the most popular players in the NFL ... as his jersey sales have exploded in the days following the polarizing talk.

According to NFL.com, Butker's red Chiefs No. 7 uni is now amongst the league's "Top Sellers" -- right up there with C.J. Stroud, Saquon Barkley and Caleb Williams.

In fact, the league's website appeared to indicate that Butker's threads are an even bigger seller than those belonging to his star teammates, Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce.

Harrison Butker's critics are on the move, but so are his defenders -- 'cause 2 different petitions are floating around ... one wants him off the Chiefs, another wants him to stay.

A Change.org petition is circulating and going viral -- as it demands his dismissal from the Chiefs over what they believe to be discriminatory remarks ... and at this point, it's got a helluva lot of signatures, nearly hitting its 150,000 goal since it started a few days ago.

The petition, which popped up 2 days after his polarizing commencement speech, really goes after HB ... accusing him of using his platform to spread harm instead of unity, and pushing harmful stereotypes that threaten progress. However, there's an opposite movement in his favor.

Harrison Butker's speech is uniting much of Kansas City against his controversial views, but the Chiefs still need to make a statement disavowing their kicker's beliefs ... so says a prominent city leader.

Justice Horn, the city's former LGBTQ+ commissioner, joined us Thursday on "TMZ Live" to share his thoughts on HB's commencement speech ... and, he says citizens are pretty much in lockstep in challenging his views.

Horn says the opinions Harrison expressed -- about women and the LGBTQ+ community -- are not part of mainstream discourse, and, quite frankly ... he says they shouldn't be.

Whoopi Goldberg is coming to Harrison Butker's defense following his controversial college address -- but she's not so much agreeing with what he said ... more so his right to say it.

The TV star came out swinging on Thursday's episode of "The View" ... saying the Chiefs star was technically right to speak his mind during his speech this past weekend, especially since he's a devout Catholic addressing a Catholic college.

WG says that while she doesn't agree with Butker -- noting that the women at the commencement didn't have to either -- she still feels like he was within his right to speak his views.

More bad news for the Chiefs this offseason ... the team's first-round pick, Xavier Worthy, had his car stolen in Kansas City earlier this week.

According to the Kansas City Police Dept., Worthy's ride was reported missing on Monday morning ... after it had been "parked, secured and intact" at the Two Light Apartment complex in K.C. just hours earlier.

Pro Football Talk reported Thursday those close to Worthy believe it was lifted "by a professional group of criminals who 'knew exactly what they were doing.'" No arrests have been made in the case, however.

Cam Newton just delivered an impassioned speech to Rashee Rice ... warning the Chiefs star that if he doesn't shape up soon -- his time in the NFL could be over in a flash.

The former Carolina Panthers quarterback sent the message loud and clear on his "4th & 1 with Cam Newton" podcast this week ... going off on Rice for around five minutes over the recent decisions that have led to police investigations.

Newton advised the wide receiver to lay as low as possible going forward ... explaining that's the only way he can now guarantee himself the best possibility at a long-term future in the NFL.

Harrison Butker got disowned by Kansas City following his controversial commencement speech -- at least briefly on social media -- with the city's official X account dissing the Chiefs kicker amid the backlash ... before later issuing an apology.

The @KansasCity page -- which dons the gray badge for government-verified handles -- shaded the hell outta the three-time Super Bowl champion on Wednesday ... saying, "Just a reminder that Harrison Butker lives in the City of Lee's Summit."

FYI -- Lee's Summit is about half an hour outside of Kansas City, and a solid 20 from Arrowhead Stadium. Essentially, the account was saying "dude's not one of us!!!"

Travis Kelce's teammate, Harrison Butker, is in a bit of hot water with some Swifties ... who are furious with the Chiefs kicker for the way he evoked Taylor Swift's name during a controversial commencement speech over the weekend.

The polarizing talk with graduates happened Saturday at Benedictine College -- a Catholic school in Atchison, Kansas -- and some of his comments have people outraged, to say the least.

The Kansas City special teamer railed against Joe Biden, COVID policies, the LGBTQ community and abortion during his 20 minutes at the dais ... and even at one point, he said he believes a woman's "most important title" should be "homemaker."

Travis Kelce has seen Taylor Swift's "Eras" show in five different cities, but he's nowhere close to getting tired of it just yet ... 'cause he said her most recent gig in Paris blew him away!!

The Kansas City Chiefs superstar gushed over his girlfriend's performance on the latest episode of "New Heights" with his brother, Jason, on Wednesday ... going into detail about all the changes she's made to include her latest project in her set.

"I had a blast at Tay's show, her new rendition of the 'Eras' tour," Travis said. "I suggest everybody go see it. It has her new 'Tortured Poets Department,' a handful of those songs in the new show, which means there's a new segment and new lights and new dancing and new everything to the f***ing show."

Brittany Mahomes just gave her followers a deeper look into her Sports Illustrated Swimsuit photo shoot with some behind-the-scenes pics ... and check 'em out, they're steeeaaaaamy!!

Patrick's wife posted the shots on her Instagram page late Monday night -- in a clear attempt to hype up this week's release of SI's annual bikini edition.

In one image, Britt can be seen rockin' a cowboy hat while in a barely-there red two-piece. In another, the 28-year-old mother of two donned a similar red 'fit -- capped off with a big smile. A third image shows the Chiefs star's boo in a body of water while wearing a tiny fuchsia bathing suit.

Rashee Rice has been accused of hitting a photographer so hard in the face during an altercation outside of a Texas nightclub earlier this week, he left the man with swelling on his jaw ... this according to new police documents, obtained by TMZ Sports.

Dallas Police Dept. officers wrote in the docs the incident took place at around 2 AM on Monday at Lit Kitchen in Dallas ... after the photog said he and Rice had been at the hot spot for "an after hours party."

Cops say in the docs the grapher told authorities he had left the venue in his car, but returned a short time later after Rice sent him a message that indicated the Chiefs star might want to hire him.

Gypsy Rose Blanchard believes in her heart of hearts she's Taylor Swift's new muse -- she's convinced one of the singer's new songs is all about her, or at the least ... inspired by her.

Sources connected to Gypsy tell TMZ ... GRB thinks Taylor’s new song "Fresh Out The Slammer" -- from her 'Tortured Poets Department' album -- might be about her December release from prison.

The reason she even suspects that ... we're told Gypsy sees a lot of similarities between the song lyrics and her real life -- almost to a T.

Jana Kramer said Travis Kelce is "always drunk" and a bad influence on Taylor Swift -- but she might as well be J Lo to Mariah Carey for him ... 'cause he doesn't even know her.

Sources connected to Travis tell TMZ ... he's taken aback by her inflammatory comments about him on her podcast -- where she characterized him as a party animal and as someone who reminded her of an ex ... in a bad way.

We're told Travis has never met Jana ... and before Tuesday, he wasn't familiar with her whatsoever -- even though she's technically famous from her "One Tree Hill" days, etc.

Travis Kelce's entertainment endeavors won't be a problem within the Chiefs' locker room ... so says fellow acting athlete Thomas Q. Jones, who believes the Kansas City tight end's teammates will have zero issue with him pursuing his Hollywood dreams.

TK landed a role in Ryan Murphy's new horror series, "Grotesquerie" ... adding to his growing list of ventures off the gridiron -- including hosting "Saturday Night Live" and the new "Are You Smarter Than A Celebrity?" game show.

Jones -- who's built quite the impressive acting résumé himself after retiring from the NFL in 2011 -- joined Charles and Courtney on "TMZ Live" to discuss the three-time Super Bowl champ's news ... and he thinks there are only positives that'll come of it.

If you miss Travis Kelce on the football field, in the podcast world or on a game show ... don't worry, there's now yet another way you can see the NFL star -- on the small screen in a new FX horror series.

The Kansas City Chiefs tight end revealed Tuesday he's scored a role in Ryan Murphy's upcoming show, "Grotesquerie."

It's not clear how big Taylor Swift's boyfriend's part will be ... although his co-worker on the project, Niecy Nash-Betts, appeared to indicate in videos from the set that he ain't exactly an extra.

Kansas City Chiefs star Rashee Rice is reportedly under police investigation yet again ... this time after he was allegedly accused of assaulting someone at a club in Dallas earlier this week.

According to WFAA, a photographer claimed Rice struck them during an altercation at Lit Kitchen ... in the early hours of Monday morning.

The Dallas Police Dept. would not confirm to TMZ Sports Rice's alleged involvement in the matter ... although it did say detectives are looking into a reported assault that occurred near the establishment at around 2:30 AM Monday.