Minnesota Vikings P Chris Kluwe is no stranger to controversy and he has stepped into it again with his recent letter published in Deadspin.com.
Kluwe’s letter takes to task Maryland state Del. Emmett C. Burns Jr. for the legislator's comments to Baltimore Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti, urging him to "inhibit such expressions from your employee.”
Burns’ comments referred to Ravens linebacker Brendon Ayanbadejo’s recent support of gay marriage and for voting against the amendment that defines marriage as only between a man and a woman. Kluwe excoriated Burns in print and the comments struck a chord with readers.
“It’s been very heartening, because (the response) has been very positive,” Kluwe said. “I would say over 6,000 replies and maybe five or six negative ones is a very good ratio of good to bad. It gives me hope that when our kids look at us 50 years from now they will be able to say we fought for freedom instead of oppression.”
Kluwe’s comments have received national and international attention -- he was interviewed by the BBC -- and he was asked Wednesday if all the attention conflicts with his day job.
“Our focus, when we are in this building, is on helping the Vikings win football games,” Kluwe said. “That’s why they employ us. That’s why we get paid. The organization has been very supportive of my right to be able to speak what I believe in, but when we’re here in the facility, my focus is on winning games -- and that’s where the focus should be.”
Kluwe was very complimentary about the support he has received from the Vikings, and he does regret the difficult position he has put the team in with the off-color language that he used in the letter.
If there is a line that Kluwe can cross, he knows it and believes he hasn’t crossed it yet. But he also says that the organization’s tolerance of him publicly sharing his opinions may be tied to his performance on the field.
“It’s always dependent on how you perform on Sunday -- that’s what it boils down to,” he said.
For more Vikings news and notes, follow Joe Oberle on Twitter @CBSVikings.