MINNEAPOLIS -- Former Minnesota punter Chris Kluwe says his special teams co-ordinator made anti-gay comments while Kluwe was with the Vikings, an allegation the coach "vehemently denies." In an article posted Thursday on the website Deadspin, Kluwe wrote that coach Mike Priefer made several anti-gay comments in objection to Kluwes outspoken opposition of an anti-gay marriage amendment in Minnesota. Kluwe also says former Vikings coach Leslie Frazier and current general manager Rick Spielman encouraged him to tone down his rhetoric in an effort to reduce distractions to the team. At the same time, Kluwe said, Vikings owner Zygi Wilf expressed support for Kluwes championing of gay rights. Hours later, Priefer issued a statement disputing Kluwes portrayal of the events. "I want to be clear that I do not tolerate discrimination of any type and am respectful of all individuals," Priefer said. "I personally have gay family members who I love and support just as I do any family member." The Vikings said in a statement that they take the allegations "very seriously and will thoroughly review this matter." "As an organization, the Vikings consistently strive to create a supportive, respectful and accepting environment for all of our players, coaches and front office personnel," the team said. "We do not tolerate discrimination at any level. "The team has long respected our players and associates individual rights, and, as Chris specifically stated, Vikings ownership supports and promotes tolerance, including on the subject of marriage equality. Because he was identified with the Vikings, Chris was asked to be respectful while expressing his opinions. Team ownership and management also repeatedly emphasized to Chris that the Vikings would not impinge on his right to express his views." Kluwe called Priefer "a bigot" and Spielman and Frazier "two cowards" for releasing him in May after eight seasons with the Vikings. He was due to make $1.45 million, which was more than the cap-strapped Vikings wanted to spend on a punter. So they drafted Jeff Locke in the fifth round and parted ways with Kluwe, bringing to an end his colorful and outspoken stay in Minnesota. "Any notion that Chris was released from our football team due to his stance on marriage equality is entirely inaccurate and inconsistent with team policy," the Vikings said Thursday. "Chris was released strictly based on his football performance." In his article, Kluwe alleged that Priefer grew more and more impatient with the various causes Kluwe supported and several times made anti-gay remarks during team meetings. Kluwe said wanted to post his article now in hopes of discouraging the Vikings, or any other team, from employing Priefer, who is widely respected at Vikings headquarters and is viewed by some as a potential head coach one day. Priefer was hired by the Vikings in 2011. He served previously as the special teams coach in Denver and Kansas City. "If theres one thing I hope to achieve from sharing this story," Kluwe wrote, "its to make sure that Mike Priefer never holds a coaching position again in the NFL, and ideally never coaches at any level." The Vikings did not respond directly to allegations against Priefer in their statement, but did say they "will have further comment at the appropriate time." "The primary reason I entered coaching was to affect people in a positive way, Priefer said. "As a coach, I have always created an accepting environment for my players, including Chris, and have looked to support them both on and off the field. "The comments today have not only attacked my character and insulted my professionalism, but they have also impacted my family. While my career focus is to be a great professional football coach, my number one priority has always been to be a protective husband and father to my wife and children." Kluwe averaged 44.4 yards per punt over his career in Minnesota, including a career-high 39.7 yard net average in 2012. But he ranked just 17th in the NFL in punting that season before he was cut and he lost a competition for the punting job with the Oakland Raiders in the preseason in 2013. He had several tryouts during the season, but was never signed. Kluwe said he wanted to wait to air his grievances until after the season so as not to provide a distraction to his friends on the team during the season. The Vikings finished this year 5-10-1 and Frazier was fired Monday. Several Vikings players took to Twitter to defend Priefer. "Coach Mike Preifer has always been professional and one of the best special teams coaches I have been around!" fullback Jerome Felton tweeted. "In any meeting I have been in, I have never witnessed him say anything close to whats been alleged. Thats just my experience!" Tweeted safety Harrison Smith: "Since Ive had the privilege of playing for Mike Preifer he has been nothing but a class act coach and a respectful human being." Nike Shoes Outlet . Monta Ellis had 30 points and nine assists, Nowitzki was another of seven Dallas players in double figures with 11 points and the Mavericks beat the Los Angeles Lakers 123-104 Tuesday night. Fake Nike Shoes From China . The Raptors (15-15) posted six road victories last month and have won seven of their last nine games overall. Toronto visits the Washington Wizards on Friday night. https://www.fakenikeshoeswholesale.com/. He was 40. Firefighters were called about 11 a.m. Friday because Brown was unresponsive at his home near the Inner Harbor, fire spokesman Battalion Chief Kevin Cartwright said. He said Brown was dead when firefighters arrived. Nike Shoes China . -- The Val-dOr Foreurs made it to the Memorial Cup semifinal thanks to their workhorse goaltender and their ability to hang around like a bad cold. Cheap Nike Shoes . -- Patrick Kueng of Switzerland was nearly flawless as he captured his first World Cup and halted Aksel Lund Svindals streak of four straight super-G victories on Saturday.SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. - Three previous trips were enough for Tiger Woods to leave quite an impression at the Phoenix Open. The hole-in-one on the most raucous hole in golf. Fans moving a half-ton boulder. A kid tossing an orange onto the green when he was putting.The most recent memory might have topped them all.He shot 82.Five hours Friday that were a blend of sadness and shock produced his highest score ever.We all have days like this, Woods said after a day he had never experienced in nearly two decades as a pro.He flubbed one chip about 5 feet. He tried to hit a flop shot 35 feet from the pin and hit it 47 yards into a bunker. He hit one bunker shot woefully short. Another sailed over the green and nearly into the water. He made two double bogeys and a triple bogey.He had no answers for a game that never looked to be in more disarray.Did he feel lost?Woods quickly reverted to a familiar explanation that he was caught between swings — the steep version from Sean Foley and a more shallow swing under Chris Como, with whom he just began working two months ago.He missed the cut by 12 shots with his highest 36-hole score at 155. He missed back-to-back cuts on the PGA Tour for the first time in his career, though it should be noted that those two tournaments were six months apart.Nothing summed up his week like the message from the fans.Welcome back! they yelled at him Thursday. It was his first time in the Phoenix Open in 14 years.Thanks for coming! they shouted him to Friday after Woods trudged off the ninth green.The only record-keeping left for Woods Saturday morning was whether he would finish last for the first time in his career. He was at 13-over 155 when play was suspended by darkness. Of the 15 players still to finish, one of them was at 12-over par with two holes to play. That was Michael Hopper, a club pro in Arizona.Not everything goes according to script when the Super Bowl is in town.The plan was for a record crowd in the Phoenix Open for Saturday, the biggest and loudest day of the most rowdy event on the PGA Tour. Woods was back at the TPC Scottsdale for the first time since 2001. He planned to go to the Super Bowl when the tournament ended on Sunday.ddddddddddddExcept that Woods wont be around for the weekend, and it wasnt even close.And if that wasnt bad enough, Phil Mickelson wont be around either. He shot a 76 on Friday and missed the cut by two shots. The two biggest names in golf decided to go home — Woods to Florida, Mickelson to San Diego.Both are playing at Torrey Pines next week.Hopefully, we will be able to get it turned around for next week, Mickelson said.For star power, the Waste Management Phoenix Open is lacking. For golf fans, it might be a chance to see the future of golf.Martin Laird ran off four birdies in a five-hole stretch when the rain finally subsided, and not even his first bogey of the tournament on his last hole of the second round could dampen his spirits. He had another 5-under 66 and was at 10-under 132, two shots ahead of Daniel Berger.More intriguing was the peach fuzz behind him.Berger is 21, the son of an Olympic tennis coach, a rookie on the PGA Tour who received a sponsors exemption. A big hitter — most kids are, these days — he birdied his last two holes for a 69.Another shot back is Justin Thomas. He is 21, the son of a club pro in Kentucky, a rookie who also got an exemption. Only a week ago, Thomas was in position to win the Humana Challenge until he drove an iron into a fairway bunker, hit the next shot in the water and made double bogey on the 16th hole.Skip past a trio of Masters champions — Bubba Watson, Zach Johnson and Angel Cabrera — and former U.S. Open champion Geoff Ogilvy to find yet another 21-year-old. This one has some star power. Jordan Spieth already is in his third year, has three wins worldwide and is No. 9 in the world ranking.Berger, Thomas and Spieth are proudly past of the class of 2011 — thats high school, not college.Our graduating class, 2011, has probably eight or nine tour players that will come out of it, Spieth said. Theres what? Three or four on the PGA Tour, another couple of the Web.com already? And we should still be in school. Its cool to see peers we grew up with for a while all making the transition pretty easily. ' ' '