As the battle for marriage equality heated up in New York this month, former New York Giants receiver David Tyree expressed his opposition to same-sex marriage, saying allowing it would cause â┚¬Å”anarchy.â┚¬ÂÂ
Appearing in a video produced for the National Organization for Marriage, the former Super Bowl star remembered for his famous â┚¬Å”helmet catchâ┚¬Â spoke candidly on his stance against same-sex marriage.
“If they pass this gay marriage bill, what I know will happen is this will be the beginning of our country sliding toward â┚¬Â¦ it’s a strong word, but, anarchy,” Tyree said. “That will be the moment itself where our country loses its grip with what’s right. Marriage is one of those things that is the backbone of society. So if you redefine it, it changes the way we educate our children, it changes the perception of what is good, what is right, what is just.”
The comments were first reported in the New York Daily News.
Tyree earned a place in sports history with the helmet catch that helped the Giants shock the previously undefeated New England Patriots in Super Bowl XLII. It turned out to be his final catch, as injuries curtailed his seven-year career. He was elected to the Pro Bowl for his special teams efforts in 2005. He re-signed with the team for one day in 2010 so he could retire a Giant.
Tyree’s feelings stand in sharp contrast to recent statements by Giants co-owner Steve Tisch and former All-Pro defensive end Michael Strahan in support of gay marriage legislation. A devout Christian, Tyree was inspired to release a video containing his opinion after learning of Strahan’s public support of New York’s same-sex marriage bill.
“How can marriage be marriage for thousands of years and now all of a sudden because a minorityâ┚¬â€Âan influential minorityâ┚¬â€Âhas a push or an agenda and totally reshapes something that was not founded in our country?” he asked. “It’s something that’s holy and sacred and I think there’s nothing more honorable than fighting for it.”
