Chris Kluwe burning bridges

Baron -- Kluwe was pretty bad during the preseason.

Marquette King (not Smith) wasn't very good either during the season. He ranked very low in inside-the-20 and fair-catch totals, very high in touchbacks, and the gap between his gross and net was one of the largest in the league.

This is all part of the larger point, though. We're parsing out numbers regarding a middle- or lower-tier punter. It is a minimum-salary job under almost all circumstances. Kluwe as a nine-year veteran would have been guaranteed a minimum of $940,000. He is not worth that when a team can get the same performance out of a rookie for $405,000.

 

If I was a special teams coach, I would want all punters who make or ask for a dime over the minimum salary to be banished to an island. Then I would nuke that island til it glowed.

 

I didn't know how badly Kluwe was in preseason, which is why I qualified it by "if he was truly awful".

My mistake on King/Smith. A mistyping. I noticed the gap between gross and net, and figured it might have just been the Raiders' coverage unit sucking.

 

The Vikings are taking the allegations seriously.

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2014/01/02/vikings-say-they-take-chris-kluwes-allegations-seriously/

 

When a firm or organization writes that "we take these allegations very seriously", I can't help but picture the higher-ups rolling their eyes and demonstrating the universal wanking motion with their cupped right hand.

 

Kluwe spoke with Chip Scoggins:

http://www.startribune.com/sports/blogs/238469381.html

 

I did find it funny in Kluwe's piece in that Frazier is quoted as saying two things are not talked about in the NFL, and religion is one of them.

This coming from a league in which teams host prayers in the workplace (lockerroom) and some even have religious chaplains on the payroll.

 

Priefer doesn't mention a dead gay son, but he does deny the allegations and says he loves his "gay family members."

http://www.kfan.com/pages/psn_paulallen.html#ixzz2pHtgOLfd

Kluwe says there are witnesses. Could be a popcorny kind of story.

 

Blair Walsh issues statement:

http://www.startribune.com/sports/vikings/blogs/238524261.html

Let the discovery phase begin.

 

Needs more commas.

 

Considering that Frazier's been fired and presumably that means the end for Priefer, there is no brown-nosing motive for Walsh to make this statement.

 

Except that Priefer is being interviewed for the head coaching position.