Vikings' Priefer on suspension: 'I am extremely sorry'
The Minnesota Vikings released a response to the allegations of former punter Chris Kluwe, who accused the team of releasing him because of his views on same-sex marriage.
The report states that the Vikings acquired a Chief Justice of the Supreme Court and U.S. Department of Justice to conduct an investigation into Kluwe's accusations when he first released them back in January.
They concluded that special teams coach Mike Priefer did make an inappropriate comment in Kluwe's presence, but claimed that it was a one-time remark. Priefer has been suspended without pay for the first three games of the 2014 season, which can be reduced to two if he undergoes sensitivity training.
Priefer offered this apology:
I owe an apology to many people - the Wilf family, the Minnesota Vikings organization and fans, my family, the LGBT community, Chris Kluwe and anyone else that I offended with my insensitive remark. I regret what has occurred and what I said. I am extremely sorry but I will learn from this situation and will work on educating others to create more tolerance and respect.
The report goes on to say that there was no evidence that the Vikings released Kluwe because of his beliefs. Instead, it cited his declining play.