Kluwe rips Frazier, Spielman, Priefer

[dead_poet]

Wow. Just...wow.

I Was An NFL Player Until I Was Fired By Two Cowards And A Bigot
http://deadspin.com/i-was-an-nfl-player ... 1493208214

If there's one thing I hope to achieve from sharing this story, it's to make sure that Mike Priefer never holds a coaching position again in the NFL, and ideally never coaches at any level. (According to the Pioneer Press, he is "the only in-house candidate with a chance" at the head-coaching job.) It's inexcusable that someone would use his status as a teacher and a role model to proselytize on behalf of his own doctrine of intolerance, and I hope he never gets another opportunity to pass his example along to anyone else. I also hope that Leslie Frazier and Rick Spielman take a good look in the mirror and ask themselves if they are the people they truly profess themselves to be.

[NextQuestion]

Wow, I'm not even that sold on Preifer anyways. Blessed with Walsh and electric return guys the past couple of years. What he said was pretty unacceptable no matter your views on same sex marriage.

[maembe]

It was fairly obvious that he got fired for his speaking out, which was completely bogus.

Mike Priefer is an awful person and hopefully he never gets a chance to coach in NFL and I hope he is not with the team next year.

[The Breeze]

Not even finished with the article but,

Fire that POS Priefer ASAP.

Damn, I bet Kluwe feels good airing this stuff.

[smoothoperator]

pfeirer sounds like a real dick, he should probably be fired.

kluwe was told to shut up and he wouldn't, so he was fired for the combination of being mediocre, a distraction and overpaid. i think he just is trying to become relevant again and get signed somewhere.

[maembe]

pfeirer sounds like a real dick, he should probably be fired.

kluwe was told to shut up and he wouldn't, so he was fired for the combination of being mediocre, a distraction and overpaid. i think he just is trying to become relevant again and get signed somewhere.

Nah, he has no chance of ever playing again after this. He is still relevant though, just not as an NFL player. He's relevant because he's an awesome, super-intelligent person who everyone know because he was once an NFL player.

[dead_poet]

Sounds like sour grapes.

Kluwe was cut for 2 reasons:

1. His play was diminishing.

2. He was a distraction. It doesn't matter what his cause was, it was he was in the news for stuff other than fumble. He was in the news for stuff other than football and the team felt that drama wasn't worth from a Punter, especially one on the decline.


Hey Chris, is it the Vikings fault no other team signed you after you were cut?

I'm not sure his play was diminishing. He made a pretty compelling case against that. FWIW, Locke's performance this year was actually a bit worse than Kluwe's. I think in the end he just didn't have enough talent to justify keeping him. If he was a top-5 punter, perhaps this or another team would've given him a chance. But he has baggage and it's clear he doesn't think he'll get another opportunity, especially by publishing this piece. He seems torn as to whether or not to accept it. On one hand, it seems like he'd really like another chance and provides some evidence that he probably could be a fine option for someone (not great, but not bad). But he's nothing if not a realist. He understands what publishing this will do to his career. Obviously looking at the bigger picture than his own self-interest. But I will say that it does come across as a bit like sour grapes. Of course, how could it not?

[mansquatch]

I'm sorry but I have trouble with this line of thinking. If Kluwe was truly cut just because of his mouth then why did he not catch on with another club?

IMO, this is the Pioneer Press trying to stir the pot and in Kluwe they have a willing accomplice who is too foolish to realize how idiotic he is making himself look.

[Mothman]

Wow. Just...wow.

I Was An NFL Player Until I Was Fired By Two Cowards And A Bigot
http://deadspin.com/i-was-an-nfl-player ... 1493208214

Thanks for the link. Perhaps Chris Kluwe should take his own advice and look in the mirror. Referring to Frazier and Spielman as cowards based on the story he presented comes across as the view of a bitter man, and not one without significant bias. Maybe his bitterness is wholly justified and maybe not. It would be interesting to get some perspectives on Kluwe's story from Priefer, Frazier, Spielman and especially from some of Kluwe's teammates. I'm certainly not willing to just accept Kluwe's side of the story at face value.

If what he wrote IS accurate, it certainly makes Priefer sound awful.

[S197]

Wow.

I'm really glad he finally decided to speak out. It sounds like he could sue the Vikings for discrimination if he wanted since multiple teammates heard Preifer's comments. The only thing that left me feeling good coming away from that article is Wilf's comments and now that is out, hopefully Preifer goes along the way of Frazier.

[Mothman]

I'm sorry but I have trouble with this line of thinking. If Kluwe was truly cut just because of his mouth then why did he not catch on with another club?

IMO, this is the Pioneer Press trying to stir the pot and in Kluwe they have a willing accomplice who is too foolish to realize how idiotic he is making himself look.

Kluwe's statement was published on Deadspin, not by the Pioneer Press.

[The Breeze]

Priefer comes out of this looking like a bigot.

But it's hard to fault Frazier or Spielman. No coach or GM wants distractions, especially political/religious ones, and from the Punter of all people.

I think, when you have a guy telling younger people that every so and so should be put on an island and nuked, that the distraction is not the punter....nor should the fact that the messenger being a punter should have any bearing on the relevance of the message itself.

I would think that this team would do itself a great favor in removing the spineless religious idealogues from it's foundation.
Kluwe is correct in calling them cowards....especially when ownership supports his position.

This is exactly the same dynamic that took place in Happy Valley.....bootlicking cowards afraid of rocking the boat.

As far as it being a team distraction....I would think it would galvanize a team behind a coach and FO to make stand of tolerance like this.

What happens if QB does this?

A real interesting story IMO.

[mansquatch]

Kluwe's statement was published on Deadspin, not by the Pioneer Press.

My Mistake, I thought I saw a reference to the press in one of the posts. My opinion on Kluwe still stands though, nothing but sour grapes.

[Mothman]

My Mistake, I thought I saw a reference to the press in one of the posts. My opinion on Kluwe still stands though, nothing but sour grapes.

No worries...

[dead_poet]

I'm sorry but I have trouble with this line of thinking. If Kluwe was truly cut just because of his mouth then why did he not catch on with another club?

Probably because his mouth/views and potential distraction are > what he brings to the table as a punter. Look at it from an ownership or even coaching perspective. Would you take the 17th best punter in the league and the possible non-football media attention that comes with him for a, what, measly 3-4-yard net yards more per punt than a guy you already have on the roster or somebody else at the position? The cost-benefit doesn't make him worth signing.