“... how did football fans tolerate a celebrity named Dick Butkus?”
Go on YouTube and type in his name. He was one of the most feared players in football. Watch some clips about how hard the man hit. His name could have been “fairy twinkle toes” and the fans wouldn’t have cared a bit. The other players would have feared him the same.
Sound's like a butch's butch.
Hell,Joe Namath wore pantyhose and even did a commercial for them in the 70’s.