Chris Kluwe looks set to file a suit against the NFL/Vikings.

[MyUncle]

Last edited Tue Jan 7, 2014, 03:31 PM - Edit history (1)

http://tracking.si.com/2014/01/06/former-viking-punter-chris-kluwe-retains-legal-counsel/

“Chris Kluwe stands up for what he believes is right, even if it costs him personally to do so,” Minneapolis lawyer Clayton Halunen, who will represent Kluwe, said in a statement. “It’s obvious to me, as it should be to most thinking people familiar with the situation, that Chris paid a steep price for speaking out in favor of same-sex marriage rights in 2012 while he was a Vikings player. Ultimately it may have cost him both his job with the Vikings and his career as an NFL player, along with much emotional anguish over what he believed to be a kind of personal attack on him for his views on a vital issue of human rights."

I believe and hope he will sue for wrongful termination, settle/win and consequently pick up a few more millions to augment his career NFL punter's earnings. The dramatic lawsuit will make Chris Kluwe a very high profile EX NFL player and will most likely lead to multiple media interviews, exposure and will hopefully lead to a more permanent media career. At that point, Chris can lead from the front and promote his political and social agenda.

Good for him, he has it figured out and I applaud his genius.

[TBF]

1. I hope he does - I've had it with these

bigoted dinosaurs killing folks' careers. I'd love to see a strong case on the books so employers are forced to diversity train and worry about it. It's the only thing companies seem to understand - fear of getting sued if they don't treat people appropriately. Otherwise they just continue to do whatever they want.

[stg81]

9. +1

[joeybee12]

2. Should be interesting...even if he doesn't prevail, this will certainly

bring a lot of the NFL's dirty laundry out.

[ProudToBeBlueInRhody]

3. If he was a better punter, he would have helped his case. nt

[FreeState]

11. Yeah - like maybe if he wasn't ranked 8th best punter of 2013

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1444318-br-nfl-1000-punters/page/26

[Upton]

12. Actually, the last year he punted was in 2012

where he ranked 20th in yards, 17th in net yards, and a woeful 31st at putting the ball inside the twenty..

http://espn.go.com/nfl/statistics/player/_/stat/punting/sort/puntsInside20/year/2012/seasontype/2

[hfojvt]

13. his net was 39.7

the guy they replaced him with had a net of 39.2.

Not that much different, and for a lower cost.

The Oakland Raiders had him in their training camp, and went with a younger, cheaper guy who had a net of 40.1.

Because of the Union Contract, Kluwe can NOT offer to work for less money (even though, logically a $405,000 a year job is better than none at all) "In 2013 the minimum pay for a rookie is $405,000 and for a veteran who has been at least 10 credited seasons its $940,000."

http://www.nyjetscap.com/2012_Articles/salary-cap-explained.html

Both the Vikings and the Raiders got equivalent performance from a rookie.

[LTR]

16. +1

Thanks for injecting some reality. As I stated below, punter is not a position teams will spend more than they have to on. These guys are easily replaceable. Especially when that extra mil added back to the salary cap can help bring in a key veteran at an impact position.

As for the impact of a punter, at least it is above long snapper, but not by much.

[Jenoch]

18. I wonder what the veteran minimum would be for Kluwe.

He has 8 years in the NFL.

[hfojvt]

20. well, if each year is worth $53,500

then that would be $833,000 versus $405,000.

If he made over $3.5 million over the last 8 years, he ought to be set for life.

Still, if he could have worked for four more years, he could have made another $3.2 million.

[Jenoch]

22. He got a 5 year contract after the 2007 season for $8 million.

He's a smart guy, money is not a problem. He's nothing like Vince Young who blew $30 million.

[ProudToBeBlueInRhody]

33. He was also the highest paid....

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/multimedia/photo_gallery/0807/nfl.average.salaries.by.position/content.10.html

[aggiesal]

14. He wrote a letter about a week ago explaining specifically that . . .

He wrote that his special teams coach asked him to sacrifice distance for hang time.
He wanted Chris to punt so that the punt returner would have call a fair catch,
because the Viking punt coverage team was so poor, they couldn't risk a return.

Also that his average for his final year was in line with his career average, and that
his relationship with the special teams coach didn't head south until after he started
his activism with LGBT civil rights pertaining to marriage.

Also that the special teams coach is a religious bigot that did not agree with Chris's
views toward marriage equality, and started riding Chris about his views during
practice.
his activism with LGBT civil rights concerning marriage♓♓

[Iggo]

4. In your previous thread and in this one, you misspelled Kluwe.

[MyUncle]

6. My bad on spelling, sorry.

I even looked at it again after you pointed it out and just did not see it. No not on purpose, just an oversight that I can't explain or figure out why.

[SidDithers]

5. I hope that the comments attributed to Mike Priefer are corroborated...

and that he's raked over the coals for the things he said about gays.

That asshole should never have another job in the NFL.

Sid

[SomeGuyInEagan]

17. IMO, the whole suit rides on that.

I live in the Twin Cities, love what Kluwe did as an activist. The punting stats can be twisted in favor of either party. It is going to be proving the actions of the special teams coach and head coach that counts. Kluwe said in one recent radio interview that he has talked with other(s) who will corroborate what was said by the ST coach in one particular meeting ("THE" meeting).

[Jenoch]

19. Which station and when?

I'd like to look for the podcast. I heard Kluwe on KSTP and KFAN last week, but at that time he did not say any teammates would corroborate the statements made by Preifer. I am under the impression the meeting was with Preifer, Kluwe, Walsh, and Loeffler and Walsh has already released a statement supporting Preifer. I wonder if a long snapper would really risk his career. Maybe there were more players at the meeting.

[SomeGuyInEagan]

28. MPR

http://www.mprnews.org/story/2014/01/03/daily-circuit-kluwe-talks?from=dc

I thought he said he has since talked with them. He only says he has witnesses but is really hoping that the Vikings file suit, so he is confident.

I thought I also heard the KFAN morning folks say that the kicker (Blair Walsh) say he did not hear it in that meeting. That was late last week when they had Kluwe on via telephone and one guy (former Viking) was really pressing him on specifics, but it was after Kluwe was no longer on the line. One of the things that guy was really trying to get Kluwe to answer was whether the meeting in which Preifer allegedly said that stuff was a meeting for just a small group (the specialists) or a general ST meeting and Kluwe woudl not answer. That ended up being a long interview, mostly the guy and Kluwe.

[Jenoch]

30. That was former linebacker Ben Leber.

I heard that one. I believe Kluwe's story. I also don't think he will win any sort of judgement against the Vikings.

[SomeGuyInEagan]

35. If based solely on stats ....

... I agree. The stats can be used to fit either side's narrative. Add that he was a high-priced punter in a league with a salary cap, and that makes it easier to see cutting him as it happens all the time "for cap issues" in the NFL. That argument is too subjective to take a side.

If you listen to the MPR story, he is pushing to be sued by the coach for defamation. But he is going to need witnesses to come forward and be convincing.

[Jenoch]

36. This whole thing depends on the litigation, if any and what Kluwe's teammates have to say.

Assuming it was the small meeting, if I were Walsh or Loeffler, I would be hoping there is no lawsuit. Since I believe Kluwe, I don't think the coach will file a defamation suit, because he can't count on those two players purgering themselves.

Did you see the City Pages story where Kluwe now says Priefer can coach in the NFL as long as he changes his beliefs and goes through counseling. I think everybody is now waiting for the investigative report by the outside lawyers.

[AngryAmish]

7. He may have to arbitrate his claim

[Vashta Nerada]

8. I'm glad for Kluwe.

He's doing the right thing.

And I hope he brings up Priefer in the trial. That homophobe needs to get fired.

[VWolf]

10. Yes, either get fired or

get a ..... Kluwe

[LTR]

15. Wrongful termination? In the NFL? Good luck with that.

Professional sports is not a reliable career, and is often pretty short. As a punter, Kluwe's job security was always fragile. Even more so with a $1.6 million annual salary. Especially when a rookie coming in can do the same thing for just less than half a mil. That can make a big difference on the salary cap.

It also happened in Oakland. He may very well have been the best punter in camp (actually, the rookie they signed had a great year). But the veteran's minimum is still more than a rookie's, so again, it came down to the bottom line.

Kluwe had a good, long career, but even the best punter in the game is no Peyton Manning. Wrongful termination does not apply in the NFL as it does in the real world. Welcome to show biz.

[bluestate10]

26. The same thing was said about Free Agency in Baseball before the Flood case. There is always a

first case that breaks the status quo.

[Jenoch]

21. Hey Uncle...

Nowhere in that story does it say that Kluwe is going to file a suit.

[MyUncle]

23. Jenoch, you are correct.

But, if you think he has retained an attorney without strongly considering a lawsuit, I have some Detroit Lions playoff tickets that I'm trying to sell, great seats and it is indoors!

[Jenoch]

24. The Lions in the playoffs is about as likely

as the Vikings playing a home game at Ford Field.

[bluestate10]

25. He should file suit. Then people like the Placekicker will be forced to make statements under

oath with penalties in play if he is found to be lying.

[mythology]

27. The inverse is also true

At this point, there is so far just his word that this went on. To win a case, he'd need more than that.

Is he being truthful? Perhaps, but I don't see enough here to call the coaches and general manager guilty yet.

[hughee99]

29. Based on the letter he wrote the other day, I don't see how he'd win this.

Maybe he could go for "hostile work environment" when he was there based on some of the comments from his position coach, but I don't think he'd have almost any chance to win a wrongful termination suite against the Vikings.

[Jenoch]

31. Kluwe has backtracked, a little...

http://blogs.citypages.com/blotter/2014/01/kluwe_backtracks_says_hes_okay_with_priefer_coaching_if_he_disavows_anti-gay_views.php

[William769]

32. Kick & recommended.

[Donald Ian Rankin]

34. What evidence does Kluwe have?

The burden of proof ought to be fairly firmly on his shoulders.

[Packerowner740]

37. Just one more reason I don't like the Vikings

Although I really don't need another one.