Former Minnesota Vikings Player Chris Kluwe Said He Was Fired For Supporting Same-Sex Marriage; Calls Old Club’s Officials 'Bigot' And 'Cowards'

The Minnesota Vikings shelters one bigot and two cowards - these are the accusations made by former team punter Chris Kluwe against his old team, creating a loud buzz in the whole National Football League. Kluwe played eight seasons with the Minneapolis squad (2005-2012).

On his Deadspin piece titled "I Was An NFL Player Until I Was Fired By Two Cowards And A Bigot", the free agent player called head coach Leslie Frazier and Vikings general manager Rick Spielman cowards. He also hit at special-teams coordinator Mike Priefer saying he is a 'bigot.'

In his article, he wrote:

It's my belief, based on everything that happened over the course of 2012, that I was fired by Mike Priefer, a bigot who didn't agree with the cause I was working for, and two cowards, Leslie Frazier and Rick Spielman, both of whom knew I was a good punter and would remain a good punter for the foreseeable future, as my numbers over my eight-year career had shown, but who lacked the fortitude to disagree with Mike Priefer on a touchy subject matter.

The undrafted 32-year old player said he was approached by a group called Minnesotans for Marriage Equality in 2012, asking if he was interested in fighting against the Minnesota Gay Marriage Amendment that defines as "only a union of one man and one woman." (It was voted down, and same-sex marriage is now legal in Minnesota.) He said yes but then asked to clear it with the Vikings management first.

Since letting the Vikings office know about it, Kluwe said that "Coach Frazier immediately told me that I "needed to be quiet, and stop speaking out on this stuff" (referring to my support for same-sex marriage rights).

 "Priefer would use homophobic language in my presence...He would ask me if I had written any letters defending 'the gays' recently and denounce as disgusting the idea that two men would kiss, and he would constantly belittle or demean any idea of acceptance or tolerance...Mike Priefer also said on multiple occasions that I would wind up burning in hell with the gays, and that the only truth was Jesus Christ and the Bible. He said all this in a semi-joking tone, and I responded in kind..."

Minnesota Vikings responded on Kluwe's accusations through Priefer who said that he does not "tolerate discrimination of any type and am respectful of all individuals.

"I personally have gay family members who I love and support just as I do any family member.

"The primary reason I entered coaching was to affect people in a positive way. As a coach, I have always created an accepting environment for my players, including Chris, and have looked to support them both on and off the field."