Ben Tracy boosted former Minnesota Vikings player Chris Kluwe on Tuesday's CBS This Morning for his activism in favor of same-sex "marriage." Tracy hyped that "Kluwe was one of the best punters the Minnesota Vikings ever had", and that despite being let go from the football team, "Kluwe continues his advocacy, wearing an anti-bigotry hat."
The correspondent slanted towards Kluwe by featuring soundbites from the athlete-turned-activist exclusively, and did little to question his allegation that his former coaches are anti-homosexual "bigots." However, Tracy also hinted that Kluwe could have done more for his left-wing cause by speaking up while he was still with the Vikings: [MP3 audio available here; video below the jump]
CHRIS KLUWE, FMR. MINNESOTA VIKINGS PLAYER: (laughs) So that's the damned if you do, damned if you don't part – is that if I had done it when it was happening, people would be like, why are you trying to bring a distraction on the team? Why are you trying to ruin...the team's chances this year?...why don't you just be quiet and play? And then, if I wait, it's the – well, why didn't you say it then?
Anchor Charlie Rose introduced the CBS journalist's report by touting the football player's "explosive accusations against the Minnesota Vikings. Chris Kluwe, a former Vikings punter, claims the team released him last season for supporting same-sex marriage." Tracy led with his "one of the best punters the Minnesota Vikings ever had" claim about Kluwe, and played his first clip from his interview of Kluwe. He continued with two snippets from the political ads that the former NFL player did in opposition to a pro-traditional marriage amendment in Minnesota.
The correspondent then spotlighted Kluwe's "anti-bigotry hat," and outlined his accusations against his former coaches. He did bring up with his guest that his "bigot" label was "pretty harsh," but took the allegations for granted in his follow-up question:
TRACY (voice-over): ...He [Kluwe] says in 2012, Vikings owner Zygi Wilf supported his activism; but head coach Leslie Frazier asked him to stop, and special teams coach Mike Priefer became openly hostile. In his letter, Kluwe calls Frazier a 'coward' and Priefer a 'bigot.'
TRACY (on-camera): That's pretty harsh.
TRACY: Factually accurate?
KLUWE: Yup!
TRACY: When did it cross a line for you – when you said, this isn't just about disagreeing with me; this is a bad environment?
KLUWE: It would be when Mike Priefer made his statement about we should round up all the gays and put them on an island and nuke it until it glows – because the tone in which he said it was very, very serious. I mean, it was – it was – he meant every word.
Tracy did read an excerpt from Coach Priefer's own statement, where he denied Kluwe's accusations, as well as part of a statement from the Vikings' management, but didn't play any soundbites from the team or their supporters. The CBS correspondent also failed to mention that the player himself made a lewd critique of a Democratic state legislator in Maryland for his opposition to same-sex "marriage" in 2012, and questioned the Christianity of Pope Benedict XVI that year as well.
Back in June 2013, Tracy played up the "long night of celebrating in West Hollywood," California, after the Supreme Court ruled against the Golden State's Proposition 8. He also prominently featured a homosexual couple's informal ring ceremony, who "after being blocked by Proposition 8...will now get re-married in their home state."
