Chris Kluwe turns down a White House invitation for the team

Chris Kluwe is dedicated to many things in his life. He is a family man, an avid Twitter enthusiast, an activist in many things but most notably as a supporter for gay marriage, and he is a member of the Raiders. He has reminded everybody that despite his activism goals and achievements, being an Oakland Raider still comes first.

The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender (LGBT) Pride Reception is being held at the White House on June 13th and Chris had received an invite to the reception from President Obama. Mr. Kluwe's stance on gay marriage is well documented and led to his invitation to such an event.

If you want an example of Kluwe's activism then check out this letter that he wrote to a US Senator. It is a stunning display of mixing intelligence and profanity. No matter your stance on the topic, if you like profanity you will enjoy reading it.

Unfortunately Chris Kluwe is unable to attend the LGBT event due to a scheduling conflict, which is that the Raiders mandatory mini-camp is being held at the same time. The dates the mini-camp will be running are from June 11-13th and the word mandatory alongside it is not open to interpretation. If you are on the team then you are expected to attend.

Those expectations might be able to be surpassed with permission from the coaching staff, but to get that permission you have to ask them for it. That is something that Chris had zero intention of doing, especially while in a competition with fan favorite Marquette King for the job. He wrote a letter to the White House turning down the invitation, but before sending it he presented it on Twitter as Exhibit A.

Lest anyone EVER question my commitment to a team that employs me, I present exhibit A. #focus, #SOFOCUSED twitter.com/ChrisWarcraft/…

— Chris Kluwe (@ChrisWarcraft) May 31, 2013

And no, I did not ask if I could skip practice. Mandatory minicamps are mandatory, and I'm here to help the team win. So it goes.

— Chris Kluwe (@ChrisWarcraft) May 31, 2013

The picture of the letter is zoomed in plenty to read the humorous but polite denial of the LBGT's request. It is another fine example of the entertaining personality of Chris Kluwe but also one that shows that he is dedicated to this team and his teammates.

In the aftermath of the Shane Lechler era it is important for his replacement to be a leader for the team since Lechler had provided that role for many years. Marquette King is also a person with an energetic personality and a busy Twitter account so the Raiders have two players fighting for the position that will help fill the talkative void that Shane has left on the team.

Unfortunately for Marquette King he is watching Chris Kluwe come in with a 44.4 yard punting average and him showing he knows what it means to be a professional. Even when things you really want for yourself are dangled in front of you, the team still needs to come first. For Chris Kluwe that even means before an invite from the President to be a guest at the White House. That sound you just heard is Marquette's uphill battle for the punting position having officially begun.