NFL player Chris Kluwe speaks onstage at the fifth annual PFLAG National Straight for Equality Awards at Marriott Marquis Hotel on April 4, 2013 in New York City. (Photo: D Dipasupil Getty Images for PFLAG) Minutes after the Minnesota Vikings selected a punter in this year's NFL draft, Chris Kluwe cited a quote from the movie Dodgeball that included the line, "Let's see how it plays out." It has now played out, and it apparently ended with Kluwe's release. The outspoken punter tweeted his goodbye Monday, an indication he's been let go by the Vikings. "So long, Minnesota, and thanks for all the fish!" Kluwe wrote. "Thank you to all the fans, my teammates, and the Wilf family for the past 8.5 years. I wouldn't have traded it for anything." Kluwe has drawn headlines for his stance in support of gay marriage a nd his outspoken nature on many issues. Many believe a punter is supposed to be a lot quieter. Count Vikings special teams coach Mike Priefer as a member of that group. "Those distractions are getting old for me, to be quite honest with you," Priefer said after Kluwe was fined $5,250 for putting a "Vote Ray Guy" patch on his jersey last December. "Do I think Ray Guy deserves to be in the Hall of Fame? Absolutely. But there's other ways of going about doing it, in my opinion." Statistically, Kluwe is getting cut after one of the best seasons of his eight-year career. His net average of 39.7 yards was his highest in his career. But Kluwe had a bad stretch in the middle of the season and shanked a few punts. He finished in the bottom half of the league in gross average, net average and punt inside the 20-yard line. Kluwe's struggles — and, while the Vikings would never admit it, surely the distractions that come with his outspoken nature — led to the team's drafting UCLA's Jeff Locke in the fifth round. Nevertheless, Kluwe apparently has no intentions of toning down his rhetoric in hope of landing another job. "Thank you everyone for your support," he tweeted. "Remember, one label does not define who you are as a person :)"
Source : http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nfl/vikings/2013/05/06/minnesota-vikings-chris-kluwe/2138795/