I Was An NFL Player Until I Was Fired By Two Cowards And A Bigot

[Dustin]

http://deadspin.com/i-was-an-nfl-player-until-i-was-fired-by-two-cowards-an-1493208214?utm_campaign=socialflow_deadspin_twitter&utm_source=deadspin_twitter&utm_medium=socialflow

[PrincetonTiger]

I don't think his views had anything to do with it

[Andy]

Damn, strong words. 

 

As much as I applaud his activism, his efforts and this informative article, I think he took it a step too far and this doesn't really put him in a good light. 

 

I'm interested to see if the Vikings will respond (probably not).

[Valpo2004]

Don't have time to read the whole thing, but considering he's likely going to be the first guy to scream for the Duck Dynasty dude to be fired, it's not like he could complain even if the only reason he was released was because of his views.  

 

And I'm not so sure that's the reason for his release.  From what I've heard he wasn't doing so well on the field.

[NewColtsFan]

I think his views had a great deal -- but not the only thing -- to do with his release.....

 

That said, I'm sorry he went public with this now.

 

Because this story almost flat-out guarantees that he won't kick again in the NFL.

 

He might've gotten another tryout or contract with another team if he had just flown under the radar.

 

I applaud his desire to effect social change and impact society.   And I agree with his views........

 

But, from a team's perspective,  he's not putting the team first.   His high profile comments and such are a distraction.   They have an impact on the franchise, and not for the better.   He exercised his first amendment rights,  but alienated the people he worked with.    You just can't do that.     The NFL doesn't like distractions.   And at some point,  if you become more trouble than your worth,   you become expendable.....

 

And that's what happened, IMO, to Chris Kluwe.

 

I hope he saved his money and invested well.

[Jason_]

Damn, strong words. 

 

As much as I applaud his activism, his efforts and this informative article, I think he took it a step too far and this doesn't really put him in a good light. 

 

I'm interested to see if the Vikings will respond (probably not).

 

 

He did what he felt was right while knowing full well what the possible repercussions would be.  I applaud him.

[SilentHill]

Damn, strong words. 

 

As much as I applaud his activism, his efforts and this informative article, I think he took it a step too far and this doesn't really put him in a good light. 

 

I'm interested to see if the Vikings will respond (probably not).

 

If I went into my job and started to become an activist for something that could be considered negative by any higher ups in my company I would surely get fired, why should he be any different? I applaud him for speaking his mind, but he made himself a martyr and he knew exactly what he was doing.

[HarassedOffTheSite]

Hmgh...seems like a bit of an emotional response.

 

Leslie Frazier is a good man. And judging by the comments made by the Vikings' owner about Frazier regarding letting him go versus none he made when he let go of the 'kicker' speaks loudest to me.

[The Fish]

I'm so over people trying to trump other people with name calling, like "Bigot". 

I couldn't care less about this, but he did make sure that he won't work again in the NFL.

[Andy]

He did what he felt was right while knowing full well what the possible repercussions would be.  I applaud him.

 

I'm not upset at him for being upset or explaining his story. 

 

The headline is the first thing people see, and calling people cowards and bigots is not the right approach to the action.

 

Again, I applaud him for all his activism, and I think this story needed to be said. It was an outstanding read.

 

EDIT: Also, must add that what some of these guys said is completely unacceptable.

[Thewholefnshow28]

As with the Duck Dynasty guy the first amendment is there to protect you from the government not any personal or professional consequences that may come from what you say and do.  A&E had every right to do what they did to the Duck Dynasty guy and the Vikings have every right to cut this punter if they feel his views jeopardize alienating some of their fanbase.

 

I applaud him though for standing up for what he feels is right and I completely agree with his beliefs, but sometimes there will be consequences to your actions.

[chad72]

Here is the deal, does anyone remember Adrian Peterson talking about the gay lifestyle stating that it was not for him but he has relatives that are gay and he would never do anything that would be mean to them.

 

The problem here is Chris Kluwe was a punter and was disposable. He was not Adrian Peterson, period. That is why they could get away with firing him.

 

The activism did have had something to do with it but at the end of the day, he was disposable as a player and that was a bigger factor.

 

Another guy who is just as active talking about it is Jared Allen, who is a well proclaimed Republican, though not nearly as active. He is still on the team.

[Jason_]

As with the Duck Dynasty guy the first amendment is there to protect you from the government not any personal or professional consequences that may come from what you say and do.  A&E had every right to do what they did to the Duck Dynasty guy and the Vikings have every right to cut this punter if they feel his views jeopardize alienating some of their fanbase.

 

I applaud him though for standing up for what he feels is right and I completely agree with his beliefs, but sometimes there will be consequences to your actions.

 

The problem though is that no matter what they do they're going to alienate some of their fanbase.  

 

I'm not upset at him for being upset or explaining his story. 

 

The headline is the first thing people see, and calling people cowards and bigots is not the right approach to the action.

 

Again, I applaud him for all his activism, and I think this story needed to be said. It was an outstanding read.

 

Eh, that's subjective.  He is likely getting the response he was looking for and he knew what the repercussions would be yet decided to go ahead with that title anyway.  I say more power to him.

[Andy]

 

Eh, that's subjective.  He is likely getting the response he was looking for and he knew what the repercussions would be yet decided to go ahead with that title anyway.  I say more power to him.

 

That's true, I can tell you as a writer, that you want your title to stand out. 

 

This stands out, to say the least. I'm just trying to figure out if it would be better for him had he approached it in a more respectable fashion. I don't know. Maybe this brash approach was the best approach.

[Balzer40]

I think by him throwing a fit because somebody else disagree's with his views on gay rights makes him every bit as much of a bigot as the man he's accusing. Everybody is entitled to their opinion and those who support gay rights that get angry at those who don't are no more righteous than anybody else. If (and IMO thats a big IF) the coach expressed his opinions like Kluwe's claims he did, then the languade he used isn't politically correct and shouldn't be brought into the work place, but neither should Kluwe's opinions.

[dgambill]

And I try to keep my "PERSONAL" opinions just that...personal. To me they don't belong anywhere in the workplace. So I won't post them on a forum but I wouldn't hesitate to live or act in a manner outside of work with how I believe nor do I think someone else should. As for this issue...I think there is A WHOLE lot below the surface to what happened....like an iceberg...you only see 10%.

[amfootball]

The title says it all. An activist for social equality and tolerance calls his superiors cowards and bigots. Talk about missing the mark before you even begin. smh.

[Thewholefnshow28]

The problem though is that no matter what they do they're going to alienate some of their fanbase.  

 

 

Eh, that's subjective.  He is likely getting the response he was looking for and he knew what the repercussions would be yet decided to go ahead with that title anyway.  I say more power to him.

 

A&E just figures they will alienate less people who are offended and watch the show versus the people who are not offended by what he said and watch the show. Though if his video about saying you should marry girls at the age 15-16 gets out there then that might change.

 

I think people on both sides fail to really grasp what free speech is.  Yes, you can say what you want.  You can say the most vile and ignorant stuff and you are protected from the government, but that does not stop your friends or your employers from reacting negatively towards your comments.

[Jason_]

I think by him throwing a fit because somebody else disagree's with his views on gay rights makes him every bit as much of a bigot as the man he's accusing. Everybody is entitled to their opinion and those who support gay rights that get angry at those who don't are no more righteous than anybody else. If (and IMO thats a big IF) the coach expressed his opinions like Kluwe's claims he did, then the languade he used isn't politically correct and shouldn't be brought into the work place, but neither should Kluwe's opinions.

 

I think you missed the point.  Kluwe didn't write the article because someone disagreed with his opinion, he wrote it because of the way he was treated by someone who a) was in a position of authority over Kluwe and b) who disagreed with Kluwe's opinions.

[Jason_]

The title says it all. An activist for social equality and tolerance calls his superiors cowards and bigots. Talk about missing the mark before you even begin. smh.

 

Well, 1) they're no longer his superiors and 2) if what Kluwe said about is accurate, especially as pertains to Preifer, then "bigot" is not an incorrect word to use to describe him:

 

Full Definition of BIGOT

:  a person who is obstinately or intolerantly devoted to his or her own opinions and prejudices; especially :  one who regards or treats the members of a group (as a racial or ethnic group) with hatred and intolerance

 

 

ps.  What's the over/under for how long it'll take this thread to get locked? lol

[amfootball]

Well, 1) they're no longer his superiors and 2) if what Kluwe said about is accurate, especially as pertains to Preifer, then "bigot" is not an incorrect word to use to describe him:

 

Full Definition of BIGOT

:  a person who is obstinately or intolerantly devoted to his or her own opinions and prejudices; especially :  one who regards or treats the members of a group (as a racial or ethnic group) with hatred and intolerance

 

 

ps.  What's the over/under for how long it'll take this thread to get locked? lol

I say 3,2,1 .... ;)

[Balzer40]

I think you missed the point.  Kluwe didn't write the article because someone disagreed with his opinion, he wrote it because of the way he was treated by someone who a) was in a position of authority over Kluwe and b) who disagreed with Kluwe's opinions.

 

 

 

No I get that, but we are only hearing Kluwe's side of the story. IMO he is just a little butthurt that he lost his job because he wasn't very good but is making it sound like he was only cut because of his views on gay marriage. Seems to me he has an agenda that will personally benefit him in some way.

[Blackhawk4]

No I get that, but we are only hearing Kluwe's side of the story. IMO he is just a little butthurt that he lost his job because he wasn't very good but is making it sound like he was only cut because of his views on gay marriage. Seems to me he has an agenda that will personally benefit him in some way.

If you believe that I suggest you read the article thing again and take a moment to view it outside of "he is just a little butthurt" view. If he really had an agenda, he could have been a lot more selfish with this and decided to have this published at an earlier date. He is walking a very fine line by putting this up, but it does raise questions that need to be answered.

 

 

The title says it all. An activist for social equality and tolerance calls his superiors cowards and bigots. Talk about missing the mark before you even begin. smh.

 

Read the article again and then make the statement "The title says it all" without it sounding stupid. I'll wait. If anything what you said shows how some readers likely missed the mark.

 

It's a good thing Kluwe put this at the end cause it's perfect for those people who just read the title and didn't bother to read the entire article or any of it past the title.

 

tl;dr—It's been a fun eight years; sometimes people do crappy things to each other.

 

 

 

[amfootball]

 

If you believe that I suggest you read the article thing again and take a moment to view it outside of "he is just a little butthurt" view. If he really had an agenda, he could have been a lot more selfish with this and decided to have this published at an earlier date. He is walking a very fine line by putting this up, but it does raise questions that need to be answered.

 

 

 

Read the article again and then make the statement "The title says it all" without it sounding stupid. I'll wait. If anything what you said shows how some readers likely missed the mark.

 

It's a good thing Kluwe put this at the end cause it's perfect for those people who just read the title and didn't bother to read the entire article or any of it past the title.

 

tl;dr—It's been a fun eight years; sometimes people do crappy things to each other.

 

 

 

 

I did read it and the title misses the mark - by a lot. If you want to tout yourself as a social activitist who was willing to toe a very tight corporate line then having a title that does not name call would be a logical start. Not in this case apparently.

[Dustin]

I did read it and the title misses the mark - by a lot. If you want to tout yourself as a social activitist who was willing to toe a very tight corporate line then having a title that does not name call would be a logical start. Not in this case apparently.

Pretty sure the deadspin editors came up with the title.

[amfootball]

Pretty sure the deadspin editors came up with the title.

50/50. They may have but given it is Kluew story he could have also written it. He would have def. seen it before it was published or have the right to change it if he felt it was not appropriate.

[Blackhawk4]

I did read it and the title misses the mark - by a lot. If you want to tout yourself as a social activitist who was willing to toe a very tight corporate line then having a title that does not name call would be a logical start. Not in this case apparently.

 

The title grabs attention and gets views. It's getting the site hits and that's arguably as important as the content written by Kluwe. 

 

Pretty sure the deadspin editors came up with the title.

 

This happens more in writing than some think.

[amfootball]

The title grabs attention and gets views. It's getting the site hits and that's arguably as important as the content written by Kluwe. 

 

 

This happens more in writing than some think.

So his purpose was to get attention and views. Gotcha. I suppose writing it for Deadspin probably says it all anyways ...

[Dustin]

50/50. They may have but given it is Kluew story he could have also written it. He would have def. seen it before it was published or have the right to change it if he felt it was not appropriate.

Meh. It's an accurate title nonetheless.

[Blackhawk4]

So his purpose was to get attention and views. Gotcha. I suppose writing it for Deadspin probably says it all anyways ...

Bad assumption right there. Sure deadspin wants to get the word out, but they also have to think about their website and how they can get something out of it as well. Don't get it mixed thinking it's just Kluwe trying to get attention and views for a selfish reason.

[amfootball]

Meh. It's an accurate title nonetheless.

I will leave you with this thought and be done with this thread. Not sure if you saw the Reggie White football life show but Reggie had a ministry within the poor neighborhoods of Philly. He would go and give food to the poor and preach given he was a Christian. No doubt he saw all sorts of injustices on the streets. A local Philly reporter had asked him one day if he could go with him into the neighborhoods to witness his minstry. White say sure on one condition though that the reporter NOT write a story. Pretty powerful. Those that are truly trying to enact change do so in a way that does not draw attention themselves and often have the most effect in causing real change and certainly do not need to name call even when they are mistreated. They understand the world is flawed and seek more productive ways to make it better.

 

Kluew says he chose now to publish this story so not to disrupt the Vikings season yet Frazier was just fired. It must be great for him to have lost his job AND get to read this story. Timing really is eveyrthing in life and while Kluew thinks he was somehow doing a noble thing by "sharing" his story, really he did just the opposite. A pity.

[Blue Horseshoe]

Don't publicly take unpopular, controversial, stands on issues unless you are prepared to face consequences for doing so. 

[GoColts8818]

This isn't going to go well...

[The Peytonator]

Well it definitely looks like he was cut for his views, I don't see how anyone could disagree with that. What I don't get is how the owner, who is obviously not a bigot, never heard anything about this and took action. If Frazier, Spielman, and Zygi Wilf all had differing views from the Special Teams Coordinator, how could they allow him to walk all over them? He must be the best damn ST Coordinator in the game for them to let him wear the pants in the relationship.

[Nadine]

A&E just figures they will alienate less people who are offended and watch the show versus the people who are not offended by what he said and watch the show. Though if his video about saying you should marry girls at the age 15-16 gets out there then that might change.

 

I think people on both sides fail to really grasp what free speech is.  Yes, you can say what you want.  You can say the most vile and ignorant stuff and you are protected from the government, but that does not stop your friends or your employers from reacting negatively towards your comments.

 

that is really true.  These days employers watch and have say over what you post on social media........

for a while there it was legal for them to require you to fork over your facebook log in so they could poke around in your personal life.

and yet everybody calmly goes about posting anything and everything to the interweb

[MAC]

I had one impression after reading the article, and then another after reading a link to a different article regarding the punter publishing a foul mouthed bitter diatribe to an elected official early in the 2012 season. It kind of leaves me with the impression that his termination wasn't so much about his views but about the loud and confrontational manner in which he expressed them. He probably ticked off a lot of people in a manner that reflected badly on his employers, and cost them endless aggravation. What NFL team really wants to spend THAT much time handling their punter.

 

That doesn't mean that the special teams coach isn't a small minded primitive who should slip quietly from any position of authority, just that Kluwe became more trouble than he is worth. If he had simply lobbied for the issue in a politically correct manner while going to lengths to minimize the impact on the team, he might still be playing.

[Malakai432]

As with the Duck Dynasty guy the first amendment is there to protect you from the government not any personal or professional consequences that may come from what you say and do. A&E had every right to do what they did to the Duck Dynasty guy and the Vikings have every right to cut this punter if they feel his views jeopardize alienating some of their fanbase.

I applaud him though for standing up for what he feels is right and I completely agree with his beliefs, but sometimes there will be consequences to your actions.

That's exactly what I believe. If you exploit your religious or political ideaology, wheather it's for OR against any controversial topic, one better be aware of the repercussions. Unfortunately a lot of people don't understand this and tend to become highly hypocritical. In short many think, "It's fine for me to express my views, but you shouldn't express your views because they're different from what I believe they should be."

[danlhart87]

 http://deadspin.com/i-was-an-nfl-player-until-i-was-fired-by-two-cowards-an-1493208214

[danlhart87]

mods delete this didnt know there was another thread

 

[MAC]

mods delete this didnt know there was another thread

I just reported it. Making a second post wouldn't bring it to their attention.