Farewell Kluwe

[PacificNorseWest]

Does anyone know if this helps the team with cap space?

Yes.

In a relatively flat salary-cap era, the Vikings had an opportunity for significant savings. Because of a rarely needed NFL rule, Kluwe has no acceleration remaining on his six-year deal. Thus, all of his projected $1.45 million cap figure has been erased. His replacement, Jeff Locke, will count about a third of that total. In two years, in fact, the Vikings have shaved 23 years off the combined age of their punter and place-kicker and have lowered their cap commitment for those roles by two-thirds.

[DanAS]

Face it - if you want to be a distraction in the coaches eyes, you had better UNQUESTIONABLY be one of the top two punters in the league. Kluwe is not, was not, and has shown (IMO) little desire to get there.

I am deeply saddened by this comment.

I don't have a problem with letting a punter go who is getting paid seven figures and can't get in the top half of the league statistically. In fact, I've said as much.

But saying that he needs to be in the top two punters if he wants to exercise his first Amendment rights about ... other people's civil rights?

That would be a truly sad commentary about this football team. Hopefully, if there was a "distraction," it was that Kluwe's writing and speaking was getting in the way of his productivity on the field. But if the Vikes were distracted by what Kluwe was saying, they deserve to lose. And I say that as a Viking fanatic for several decades.

[TeamChaplain]

Yes.

Awesome! Thanks!

[DanAS]

Thankfully this distraction is gone, now the team can focus on DUI's and beating their girlfriends.

Precisely. You nailed it, Odinspeak.

[PacificNorseWest]

Awesome! Thanks!

You're welcome.

[King James]

Does anyone know if this helps the team with cap space?

Yes, he was due over a mill. Too much for a punter in my opinion. Especially if we were able to draft a punter who we can pay cheaper and probably get better production out of.

[BGM]

When I first heard about this I was pretty saddened. And, I put on a happy Vikings face and figured the Vikings know what they are doing. But, I still don't like it. Yes, I'm going to vent for a little while. This sucks. Anyone who evaluates punters primarily on statistics like touchbacks, downed inside the 5, 10, 20 is someone who does not understand what a punter really does. The better question is did Kluwe do what he was asked to do. In my opinion, he did that and did it well. Did he shank a couple. Yes, he did. But he also did some beautiful directional punting and punting that allowed the coverage team to do their job. Nuances that are lost on casual fans and those enamored solely of statistics.

I'm going to veer into the land of speculation, so please take everything said here on with the grain of salt it deserves... I think there was a personality conflict between Priefer and Kluwe. They are both professionals and did not let it bleed into the public, much. I think Priefer getting huffy the one time was a chink in the carefully crafted PR armor. Some personalities just do not mix, and if there was enough friction, if it comes to your punter or your ST coach, chances are good the punter moves on. Especially when you can point to the statistics, no matter if they are in context or not. Speculation mode off.

So yeah, I really hate this move. And it is definitely due in part to the fact that Kluwe embodies a bit of the Renaissance Man. I like the fact that he is intelligent, musically talented, a voracious reader, and a better athlete than I could ever dream of being. Releasing him takes away some depth of character on this team, and I think it will be missed.

Anyway, venting complete, for now.

[Just Me]

I am deeply saddened by this comment.

You should get out more! (J/K)

I don't have a problem with letting a punter go who is getting paid seven figures and can't get in the top half of the league statistically. In fact, I've said as much.

But saying that he needs to be in the top two punters if he wants to exercise his first Amendment rights about ... other people's civil rights?

It's not that unusual. There are professions that are not extended full First Amendment rights. (IIRC you are an attorney, so you can kind of figure out what I'm talking about). "Football player" is not (nor should it be) one of those professions. *However*, I think psjordan's comment was spot on. It's not just about the 'civil rights' thing which is what everyone is getting caught up about. More generically (be it right or wrong - I think it's true), if you want to be a *repeated distraction* (whether that distraction is voicing your opinions about political/human rights issues, alleged criminal acts, or complaining about the buffet food) you *Had* better be unquestionably the best 1 or 2 people at your position.

Is it fair? Not always. Is it reality? Yep.

That would be a truly sad commentary about this football team. Hopefully, if there was a "distraction," it was that Kluwe's writing and speaking was getting in the way of his productivity on the field. But if the Vikes were distracted by what Kluwe was saying, they deserve to lose. And I say that as a Viking fanatic for several decades.

It is a sad commentary on all the teams in the NFL, but...it is what it is....

[Odlid]

I have much respect for Kluwe as a good punter and for standing up for his beliefs. I wish him well with his future endeavours.

[Mothman]

That was fast! I thought it would happen sometime during training camp or pre-season.

I think Kluwe either wanted a legitimate competition or to be released early so he could seek a job punting with another team.

[psjordan]

I am deeply saddened by this comment.

I don't have a problem with letting a punter go who is getting paid seven figures and can't get in the top half of the league statistically. In fact, I've said as much.

But saying that he needs to be in the top two punters if he wants to exercise his first Amendment rights about ... other people's civil rights?

That would be a truly sad commentary about this football team. Hopefully, if there was a "distraction," it was that Kluwe's writing and speaking was getting in the way of his productivity on the field. But if the Vikes were distracted by what Kluwe was saying, they deserve to lose. And I say that as a Viking fanatic for several decades.

Please Dan, do not meld sports with every and all social issues of the day. And please don't cherry pick quotes from posts.

I stated I doubt Kluwe's personality came into this decision. I still doubt it.

However, IF his personality came into the decision, from a front-office perspective, a distraction is a distraction is a distraction.

Distractions over social issues have little difference to a team and front office than distractions say over personal legal issues. If in fact distractions were part of the decision, this is no different TO THE FRONT OFFICE than Randy Moss bumping a traffic cop or AP hitting 100mph in a 45. Distractions TO AN NFL TEAM are distractions.

I also stated you and I do NOT get to decide what is a distraction to an NFL team and what is not.

Lots and lots of people on this board are stating Kluwe is a "great man" and a "great guy". They obviously have personal experience with the man that I do not. I don't think he's a "great man". I don't think he's a "bad man". Personally, (having a gay marriage in my family), I do not even think he's a distraction. Personally, to be honest, I find his opinions ho-hum, as many of his "stances" are commonplace in my family. To me, he is a punter. And I have zero issues with the team cutting him and replacing him with a drafted punter.

Do not extrapolate this into more than it is. This is not the "NFL's / Vikings stance against what Kluwe stands for".

This is a punter who was cut.

[VikeMike]

Yep. This was a punter who was cut. Even in the football world, it isn't THAT huge of a deal.

Although I don't think this has anything specifically to do with Kluwe's opinions on gay marriage or Ray Guy, in the corporate world of the NFL, it does have to do with how nice and tidy the league and the franchises like to have their "brand." It also has a lot to do with the $1.4M Kluwe was making. I don't think it has to do much with Kluwe's overall performance, either. He did shank a few punts last year, but it was clear that he was being told to attempt to punt the ball higher and with more hang time.

Hey, the higher salary and his ability to create buzz are the reasons he was cut.

That's a shame. I'll miss him as a Viking. There far too few true characters in the sport these days, and far too many divas and loudmouths talking only about themselves.

[Cliff]

Kluwe didn't generate enough buzz to be considered a distraction. The NFL has echoed his sentiments. Nobody from the team has said anything negative about him in that regard.

I'm a big Kluwe fan and I enjoy his writing ... but this was a move made by a team that has made similar decisions at many other positions. They did the same thing at kicker last season ... though perhaps Longwell's shortcomings were more obvious than Kluwe's to fans. Bad field goals are certainly more frustrating than punts being an average of 5 yards less than the league leader.

[NextQuestion]

You guys should check out the article that Deadspin wrote on Seifert. It was basically a response to Seifert's passive agressive-ness and how he doesn't dig Kluwe.

http://updates.deadspin.com/post/348462 ... hickenshit

[PurpleJarl]

You guys should check out the article that Deadspin wrote on Seifert. It was basically a response to Seifert's passive agressive-ness and how he doesn't dig Kluwe.

http://updates.deadspin.com/post/348462 ... hickenshit

WOW, now that's some passive aggressiveness!! Everything Seifert said is true. Owners and coaches can be effing turdballs at times, to be blunt. Kluwe IS fortunate that the vikings were not owned by some ultra right wing Conservative. Do you think he would have still been on the team if Rush Limbaugh was the owner and was "hands on"? Football is a different kinda of job because everyone know who you are and you are a 24 hour representative of your club. I am glad things worked out for Kluwe and I am glad that our club is the kind where players are allowed to have a life outside of it. But that article is hack material at best. Complete BS.


To clarify, everything Deadspin is saying about Seifert is true. He said all that, but the implication that there is an agenda is stupid and petty. Also, the whole implication that the NFL isn't petty about such thing, makes me question what little NFL knowledge I credited Deadspin with.