CNN: Chris Kluwe - "An openly gay player in the NFL is not a distraction"

Chris Kluwe continues to impress the hell out of me with his smarts, clarity and passion.

Chris Kluwe, punter for the Minnesota Vikings of the NFL, is an ambassador for Athlete Ally, an organization working to end homophobia in sports. And he's an all-around great guy.

After the above appearance with Anderson Cooper on CNN, he penned this special op-ed for CNN.com. Here's just a bit of Chris Kluwe's fabulosity:

Why do people care so much about someone else's sexuality? Why do people give two s***s how someone else lives his life? Why do people have this absolutely idiotic notion that being gay has any sort of effect on how well a player can play football, or basketball, or baseball? Why the f*** do I even have to write this column for a major news organization to talk about something that shouldn't even remotely be a factor in sports? Well, the reason is simple. I'm writing this because no gay player is currently out, and the first gay player who eventually does come out needs to know that -- despite all the indoctrination from the league about not being a distraction -- if he's the one to take the first step, he will have allies. He will have support. He will have those of us who realize that people's sexuality doesn't define who they are, just as their jobs don't define who they are, and that guys who bring our wives and children to games and team events are no different than those who would bring their husbands and children. Most importantly, I'm writing this so that coaches, managers, players, owners and fans realize that the first gay player who comes out won't spontaneously cause rainbows to erupt out of everyone's rear.

Make sure you read the entire essay. And follow Chris on Twitter @ChrisWarcraft

Chris Kluwe - you rock. Period.

And - thank you.