Minnesota Vikings Punter Chris Kluwe has proven to be one of the most interesting players in the NFL this season, speaking publically about gay marriage equality and by creating a popular social media presence on the Internet.
Kluwe continued to show why he is one of the most progressive and thoughtful athletes in sports on Tuesday night when he appeared on Comedy Central's The Colbert Report. He appeared on the show during the interview segment and spoke with host Stephen Colbert about a range of topics, including his stance on gay marriage, the Vikings' loss to the Green Bay Packers on Saturday as well as other issues.
Colbert mentioned that the Vikings got beat bad by the Packers, saying: "You, no offense, got your Lutefisk handed to you."
Kluwe was affable when talking about his job as the punter, saying: "Yes, yes. In my defense, though, I played well...I'm a professional surrenderer. They call on me and say 'Chris, go give the ball to the other team, but do it in a way so that we're not hurt too badly," he said on the show.
This season Kluwe has been one of the most consistent punters in the league, averaging 45.0 yards per punt on 75 attempts in 2012. He has spent nearly his entire career with the Vikings and had a season-long punt of 59 yards in 2012. During the loss against Green Bay on Saturday, Kluwe punted five times for an average of 49.6 yards in the 24-10 loss. He became one of the highest paid special teams players in the NFL after he signed an $8.3-million contract extension in 2007.
During the interview, he called the game against Green Bay in Wisconsin the "the cholesterol bowl," due to the cheese heads and also spoke about his stance on gay marriage.
Kluwe made news earlier this year when he responded to remarks by Maryland state assembly delegate Emmett Burns, who had made derogatory and controversial remarks towards Baltimore Ravens linebacker Brendon Ayanbadejo, who said he supported gay marriage equality. Burns asked the owner of the Ravens to silence Ayanbadejo due to his views on the subject.
He wrote a piece for Deadspin that served as an open letter to Burns, writing: "I find it inconceivable that you are an elected official of Maryland's state government. Your vitriolic hatred and bigotry make me ashamed and disgusted to think that you are in any way responsible for shaping policy at any level."
During the interview with Colbert, Kluwe said that he believed Burns was wrong to try and stifle someone's free speech and added that he believes "that people are people and deserve to be treated the same as everyone else."
Colbert was his usual self during the interview and Kluwe played along perfectly, appearing in sandals and an NFL equipment beanie. Kluwe is a popular player online, including with his Twitter, which is @ChrisWarcraft.
Kluwe has also been a prominent gamer during his NFL career and during the interview he spoke about his interest in online gaming, saying that about playing World of Warcraft while appearing on the show. Kluwe also spoke about gun control towards the end of the interview, saying that he believed guns are okay, but that they should be controlled and regulated better.
Check out the video by clicking on the LINK. A great interview.
