Minnesota Vikings' punter Chris Kluwe is making a bunch of fans these days. Outside of family and friends, punters, kickers too, have few fans. It's the outcast nature of the positions. Punters and kickers are rarely seen as football players. Now, there may even be a few #5 Vikings jerseys floating around.
Kluwe has always been a pretty clever guy. Especially clever for a UCLA guy. Part-time rocker, most of the time punter, full-timer joker. Kluwe has been very critical of both sides in this never ending lockout. His criticisms have taken many forms. From cartoon drawings, to "Downfall" parodies, to pointed Twitter comments, he is often hilarious. With colorful language, his comments are not for all ages. His comments have especially found an ear with the fans as he is obviously on their side first, his fellow players second. He will call out players if their words and actions scream greed over reason. He doesn't hold back and has criticized players such as Peyton Manning, Drew Brees, Logan Mankins and Vincent Jackson. The fans have loved it. They can't help but smile to these sentiments:
"It makes all of us look like grasping, blackmailing, money-grubbing jerks whose only care is how much blood we can squeeze from the rock that is the fans-you know, the people who ultimately pay all of our wages."
Both sides, in the lockout, have become so entrenched in the "us" vs "them" that they can't see the other side or the third party, the fans. Both sides say that they are concerned about the fans, but their actions rarely show it. Short work days don't show it. Short work weeks don't show it. Long weekends don't show it. Perhaps business dealings are just so far out of my wheelhouse that I just don't see them realistically. I don't understand how you can negotiate with someone without at least trying to understand their side, and at the same time critically assessing your own. Kluwe is part of one side yet critically acknowledges all sides. It's refreshing to have at least one person do this, even at the risk of his own alienation.
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