Minnesota governor questions Vikings' release of Chris Kluwe
Chris Kluwe attended the 24th Annual GLAAD Media Awards in March. (Nelson Barnard/Getty Images)
Minnesota Governor Mark Dayton has been busy trying to secure funding for the new Minnesota Vikings stadium, hinting at a secret plan that does not make the Vikings or the public pay more.
He also offered his opinion on the release of Vikings punter Chris Kluwe. Dayton said Kluwe should have been given the opportunity to compete for his punting job and says the Vikings were not completely honest in divulging their reasons for his release.
Kluwe has been one of the NFL's most outspoken voices on Twitter, particularly regarding LGBT rights. Some have speculated that Kluwe's release was tied to his activism. The Vikings and general manager Rick Spielman have maintained the cut was strictly based on football factors and done early to give Kluwe time to catch on with another team. Kluwe said the Vikings had supported his activism in the past. Dayton was not buying it.
"Yeah, I don't feel good about it," said Dayton when asked about the Minnesota Vikings decision to release outspoken punter Chris Kluwe.
"I'm not in a position to evaluate the relative punting abilities, but it seems to me the general manager said, right after the draft, they were going to have competition," Dayton recalled. "Well, they bring the one guy in, he kicks for a weekend and that's competition?
"I just think sports officials ought to be honest about what the heck is going on, same way I think public officials should be honest about what's going on, so that bothers me probably as much, if not more, than the actual decision," Dayton said.
