Earlier this week, the Minnesota Vikings announced punter Chris Kluwe had been released from the team, leading many to speculate if the athlete's outspoken support of LGBT issues contributed to the decision to cut him.
Now 1500ESPN reports that Gov. Mark Dayton has added his voice to those who believe the NFL team's reasons for letting Kluwe go were not strictly related to football.
"Yeah, I don't feel good about it," Dayton told the Associated Press when asked about Kluwe's release on Monday. "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. Well, they bring the one guy in, he kicks for a weekend and that's competition?"
Dayton then criticized the Vikings' management for what he perceived as blatant dishonesty. "I just think sports officials ought to be honest about what the heck is going on," he said, "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."
While Kluwe's vocal support of LGBT people may have contributed to his release from the Vikings, the athlete isn't letting that possibility keep him from his mission as an outspoken ally. Shortly after he was cut, he continued to advocate for equality while thanking fans on Twitter saying, "And thank you everyone for your support. Remember, one label does not define who you are as a person."
