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TSR’s Punter of the Week:
Chris Kluwe – Minnesota Vikings

Who is he?
I’m a full two weeks behind on Punter of the Week. It’s too bad this installment got off track because Kluwe is probably the most interesting subject this feature will see all season. The first Kluwe trait that jumps out at you is his marvelous writing talent. His Twitter page @chriswarcraft is filled with sharp-edged, left-of-center political and life observations. It sounds as if he wastes some of his time on video games but much of his perspective is based on the real, here and now. He’s very opinionated. Even the football fan not much interested in the punt knows about Kluwe by now. He’s been written about in newspapers all across the country because of his outspoken advocacy on behalf of efforts to legalize gay marriage. Based on polling and actual ballot outcomes in many parts of the country, we’ve known for a decade or so that the tide was turning on marriage equality. Young people overwhelmingly support the notion love and commitment trumps outdated, religious-based hostility aimed at same-sex couples. While Kluwe’s voice emerged at a time the numbers favor his position, he still risks great backlash given his main occupation. Football locker rooms don’t have a lot of room for punters popping off about gay marriage. But because Kluwe’s positions are backed by such thoughtful and well-constructed verbal and written expression grounded in empathy, he finds himself in a spot you wouldn’t imagine possible. He’s a punter with a big pulpit and he’s pulling it off with great dignity and grace. At a community gathering sponsored by a group concerned about bullying, Kluwe said last week he was a voracious book reader as a youngster. Speaking in River Falls, MN (covered by the local newspaper), Kluwe said he will continue speaking out on issues of the day – mainly via Twitter. “I want to live in a society where people celebrate their differences, not penalize them,” said Kluwe. Three weeks ago, Minnesota voters rejected a proposed state constitutional amendment that would have codified marriage exclusively for heterosexuals. Kluwe was a prominent face in the movement opposed to that effort. While he was reluctant to accept credit for his role in the outcome, Kluwe applauded the result. “To say that we’re not going to have discrimination in the constitution…I think it’s great,” said Kluwe in a story on CBSsports.com. Kluwe plays bass in the rock and roll band Tripping Icarus. He went to UCLA. After going undrafted in 2005, the Seahawks brought him to camp. The veteran Leo Araguz ended up winning the Seahawks job that summer leaving Kluwe to latch on with the Vikes shortly thereafter. He’s been in Minny ever since.

The Kluwe stat line vs. the Lions 11-11-12:
Five punts. 243 yards total. 48.6 yards per. 35.0 net.

The punts in detail:

1. The Vikes jumped out to a quick ten-nil lead in this important divisional contest and so Kluwe’s first two visits to the playing surface in this game were to hold the football for kicker B. Walsh. Before the game, Kluwe participated in the coin toss as one of three team captains (Jared Allen and Adrian Peterson were the others). With three minutes to go in the first quarter, Kluwe came on to punt. The ball was snapped from the Minnesota 40 back to Kluwe who stood at his own 26 and a half. Before he caught the ball, Kluwe licked his left hand and flexed his hammies a bit. A couple of Minnesota safeties (Sendejo and Blanton) provide protection from the edge rushers. Kluwe’s approach to the ball after catching it appears to be a half-step shorter than typical but his powerful-looking lower torso more than makes up for whatever acceleration he‘s sacrificing in the name of brevity. There’s a real calmness to his demeanor. His right-footed drive carried to the Detroit 14. Stefan Logan waved two times for the fair catch and hauled it in. It was a 45-yard punt with no return. An offensive holding call on Detroit brought the ball back to the 8 with half-the-distance tacked on after the play.

2. If you like the boomer like I do, you get excited when the punter really airs one out. Tactically, the boomer isn’t always wise because of coverage concerns. But I can’t get enough of the boomer. Kluwe’s second puntski coming out of the two-minute warning before halftime was a boomer. It appeared effort-less. His hands were outstretched to receive the snap, and again with the short approach and solid strike. It didn’t hang as long as you’d like but it definitely qualified as a boomer. The football traveled all the way from the Vikes 20 to the Lions 10. That’s 70 yards in the air with a 57-yard credit given. Logan eluded a tackler and had a little daylight for a 15-yard return. So, the 42-yard net wasn’t ideal but that’s the risk you take when you unleash the boomer.

3. With just one minute of game clock elapsed since his last punt, Kluwe was back out there with 57 seconds left in the half. The Vikes were up ten with the ball at midfield. Minnesota wanted to go into the locker-room with their margin intact and so Kluwe’s job in this spot wasn’t difficult. He wasn’t performing surgery. A touchback isn’t a bad thing with Logan out there so that’s what Kluwe got. A 51-yard punt. 31 on the net.

4. After the Vikes offense stalled on its first possession of the second half, Kluwe came on and went into pooch mode. Standing at his 45, Kluwe barely stepped into it and kissed a nice dinker to the Lions five yard line. Logan smartly made an early decision to flee the scene. Gunner C. Robinson of the Vikes tried to keep the ball from going into the end zone but it bounced off his mitts and ricocheted dangerously into the hands of A. Smith of the Lions who took off with it and got tackled almost immediately. Nice punt from Kluwe. 36 yards. Two-yard return.

5. This was a fun one from a viewer’s perspective. Kluwe boomed one with his team up a TD early fourth quarter. The dangerous return man Logan fielded it at his 17 and surveyed the landscape in front of him. He found a seam up the left sideline and took off. Nearly loose as a goose, Kluwe caught Logan with a horse collar and took him down. No flag was thrown because Kluwe released a bit at just the right moment but it was enough to stop Logan. What was most impressive about the Kluwe tackle was his insistence and determination to make the stop. Most punters will sit back a bit and be the last resort of resistance but Kluwe darted into the scrum and sacrificed his body without hesitation. That says a lot about Kluwe as an all-around team guy. It was a 54-yard punt with a 31-yard return. A net-killer yeah, but Kluwe deserves props for going all out. He’s the first TSR punter of the week to make a tackle this season. Congrats.

The Sound of a Punt:

Paul Allen (not to be confused with the Microsoft co-founder) is the radio voice of the Vikes. Now in his eleventh season in that job, Allen has said he watches much of the game through a set of binoculars. His style is a bit unrefined but he landed the post without play-by-play experience. Allen has long hosted a popular sports talk radio show on KFAN-FM, the current flagship station on the Vikes radio network. Among the stations on the team’s network is a station in Des Moines, Iowa. Former Vikings punter Greg Coleman is the sideline reporter on the radio broadcasts. Coleman did an over-the-top tribute to military veterans just before kickoff of the Lions game. It bordered on the bizarre. The clip below is Allen’s call on the fourth quarter punt that ended with Kluwe’s horse collar tackle on Logan. As is his tendency, Allen got disgusted when Logan got loose. He also completely failed to mention the unique fact that Kluwe got the stop on the play.

The Punt-osis:
Kluwe is signed through the 2013 season. The extension he signed in 2007 is worth $8.7 mil in sum should he play next season. He likely has one more big deal left in him. Not being in the Twin Cities, it’s hard for me to say whether his outspokenness hurts his chances of staying there when he hits free agency. His involvement in the community runs deep. Yeah, he’s squarely on the left and that may rankle some but his brand of punditry is staked solidly to knowledge and compassion. What comes out of his mouth – and what he types on Twitter – stays true to a philosophy guided by strong support for freedom of expression. Kluwe is charitable with his time and money. Punting in a dome at home is nice but if you look at his career splits, Kluwe has great success launching ‘em on the road too. He’s the best punter in franchise history. When his playing days are done, Kluwe has a long list of unique career opportunities given his skill set. He has said he’s not interested in politics. But wherever he goes or whatever he does – expect Kluwe to make an impact on thoughtful discussion of progressive ideas.

Next week’s Punter of the Week:
Brandon Fields – Miami Dolphins

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I’ve joined my folks for a post-Thanskgiving visit to their Wisconsin getaway place.  It’s relaxing up here.  Very quiet.

To break up the solitude a bit, we drove down to Madison Saturday morning.  The first stop was the Dane County Farmers’ Market which is the largest of its kind in the US.  When the weather gets cold in mid-November, the market moves indoors from its regular set-up on the grounds of the state capitol into a large space at the Monona Terrace Convention Center a few blocks away.  We arrived at about 9:45 AM.  About fifty vendors were selling Wisconsin-grown/made products in strict adherence with guidelines from the market’s elected oversight entity.  This time of year limits the type of fruits and veggies available, but what we saw was still an impressive array of Wisconsin products.  There were several cheesemakers on hand.  One vendor sold fresh trout filets.

The Luna Circle Farm in nearby Rio, WI had a colorful presentation of root veggies including “watermelon radishes.”

Some producers could be heard telling customers that Wisconsin’s dry, hot summer was bad for their harvest.

The gentleman working the Snug Haven Farm stand was in good spirits, however.  He sold bags of beautiful-looking “frost-sweetened” spinach.  Grown in hoop houses (a style of green house) in Belleville, WI, the plants are deliberately exposed to cold temps to improve texture and flavor.

Music was performed on one end of the selling floor.  When the market shifts to a senior center location later in January, breakfasts made with market products are served for eight bucks.

I want to come back and see the market in its full glory on a Saturday morning in late summer at the Capitol grounds.

The Capitol building was open to the public all day Saturday as it is year-round, every day of the year.  We went in about 10:30 AM and took a free tour that included access to the Governor’s conference room, the state supreme court and both chambers of the state legislature.  The young woman who guided our group of about 40 people through the 55-minute tour threw a lot of good info at us but she was robotic and put too much emphasis on construction of the building.  I’ve taken a lot of state capitol tours in my day and I always enjoy it when the guide sheds light on the current workings and business of what happens in the seat of state government.  One need not get political to briefly describe key players in the three branches of state government and the current state of affairs.  Here we were in a building that had recently been the site of historically important hostile clashes between a segment of the citizenry and the state’s chief executive and the tour guide made not a single mention of any of it.

We had lunch at Mickies Dairy Bar across the street from Camp Randall Stadium.  Students from the University of Wisconsin packed the booths and counter seats.  The milkshake here is fantastic.  It’s thick and rich.  Sandwiches are inexpensive and tasty.

After lunch we headed over to the UW campus for an afternoon of women’s hockey at the newly-constructed La Bahn Arena.  The new athletic facility adjoining the Kohl Center (the primary on-campus indoor arena) includes an ice rink with room for about 2400 fans.  It’s a great place to see a hockey game.  Built mostly with private donor dough, the $30-million annex serves as the practice rink for both the men’s and women’s team.  It will be the regular home venue for the women’s team.  The Lady Badgers have four national titles and are coached by Mark Johnson, one of the more prominent heroes on the 1980 US Olympic hockey squad that won gold at Lake Placid.

Wisconsin beat St. Cloud St. 6-3.  It was $5 to get in ($1 for seniors).  The quality of hockey is high although the ban on body-checking in the women’s game takes some getting used to at first.  The game is meant to include contact as a means of slowing the player with the puck but that’s not allowed at this level.  The contact is so difficult for participants to refrain from, you see the occasional body-check.  In this game, five checking penalties were called.  Eleven other minor penalties were whistled for acts of aggression.  So while the ban is enforced, it’s not fully observed.

Speed and skating skill is valued perhaps even more in the women’s game given the freedom of movement.  The fastest skater in this game was Brianna Decker (pictured above).  Just five feet four inches, Decker flies up and down the ice.  She logs heavy ice time and won 21 of 33 faceoffs.

After junior Natalie Berg scored her first career goal as a Badger (it ended up being the game winner), Decker asked the referee for the puck and tossed it to the Wisconsin bench for safe keeping.  Decker scored two goals including a short-handed empty-netter with 1:41 to play in the game.  Decker wears the C and will walk away from Wisconsin next summer as one of the best players in the program’s history.  You’d hope she’s part of the US squad that plays for gold in Sochi fourteen months from now.

Attendance was 1767.  I loved how natural sunlight entered the arena from windows near the top of the building.  It was nice to be at a hockey game again, especially not knowing when the guys who play for pay come back again.

There’s no television up here at the cabin in Adams County, WI but we’ve been listening to lots of radio.  I brought along a small satellite receiver and feed the signal through a clock radio in a room on the main floor.  Relying on the radio call as the lone source of enjoying a big sporting event is right up my alley.  For ND/USC Saturday night, my Dad and I sat and listened to the Fightin’ Irish broadcast carried on the “Catholic Channel.”  Play-by-play man Don Criqui’s form has fallen off considerably.  He misses large chunks of action and often does little more than inform the listener where the ball is spotted after the play is over.  When he occasionally gains focus, sets the scene and has full use of his voice, Criqui sounds like he did twenty years ago.  It’s such an authoritative and kind-sounding delivery.  But Criqui’s voice is cashed now.  He crackles, chokes and gasps frequently without hitting the mute button in the booth.  Criqui doesn’t get much help from his partner Allen Pinkett either.  It’s an awful broadcast.  ND’s loyalty to the two alums in the booth likely keeps them around as long as they want but Criqui would benefit from some self-reflection on his performance.  Play the tapes.  Make way for somebody who can process and describe a play in real time.