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The Riley Cooper Saga is Far From Over for Philadelphia Eagles

August 14, 2013 1:42 pm EDT by
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Howard Smith-USA TODAY Sports

While it seems as if the public outrage and extensive scrutiny directed towards Philadelphia Eagles WR Riley Cooper’s ignorant and aggressive use of an all-too-familiar racial slur has dissipated, you can rest assured that Cooper is far from forgiven in the eyes of many NFL fans, analysts and players alike.

There are plenty of misgivings committed on a regular basis by a litany of professional athletes every year; including arrests, social media debacles, infidelity (sorry, Tiger) and general rifts with coaches as well as teammates. And for some reason, sports fans are incredibly quick to forgive their favorite athletes almost immediately as long as they are still able to perform on the field.

But racism is a whole different issue.

The use of racial slurs and any sort of discriminatory behavior should not, and will not, be tolerated in the arena of professional sports. And this is not limited to athletes while they’re on the field, but instead it extends outside the lines into everyday life as well.

Especially in this day and age, where everybody is a journalist and everybody has a video camera or cell phone primed and ready to catch anything they can on tape. So as a public figure, Cooper has to know that anything he says or does off the field can easily be captured and broadcast to the nation.

I will say that Cooper has seemed genuine in his apologies, but the manner in which he used the word still lingers in the back of my mind, and prevents me from exonerating him from scrutiny. He didn’t say the word in a joking or playful manner; he said it with an obvious intent to demoralize, and seemed to have a disgusting, seemingly passionate tone behind it.

Because there are currently so many headlines around the NFL with the 2013 preseason underway, the hoopla surrounding Cooper has certainly quieted down in recent weeks.

But I can guarantee you that Cooper will never, and should never, hear the end of it from opponents, and possibly even teammates, for the remainder of his NFL career.

 

Follow Joe on Twitter @EaglesSunday, or on Google+, for all Philadelphia Eagles/NFL insight. Click here to view Joe’s 250+ article portfolio for Rant Sports.


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  • captaindandan

    8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 go

    GIVE ME A FRIGGIN” BREAK!!
    #1: HE WAS D-R-U-N-K !!
    #2: He had a ‘little audience’ to show off for
    #3: He said the n-word ONE friggin’ time!! ONE TIME.
    HOW about a dose of reality? = Michael Richards (I LOVED him as Stanly Spudowski in the move “U.H.F.”) Richards called two African-Americans the n-word 30 times and said, “___x____ NUMBER of years AGO they’d be hanging in trees!” I don’t know whether he meant they were Neanderthal apes swinging from trees or OR if they had been LYNCHED and hanging from trees. Richards went to see Jessie Jackson and Al Sharpton and expressed extreme remorse and was exonerated.
    Cannot we do the same for Riley Cooper?? Come’on man–the guy’s not a racist; the word slipped out.
    P.S. GOOGLE “nigger trigger” is a condition where epileptics will see a black person and yell “NIGGER”. True story. It’s a mystery of why this happens. I have epilepsy so I know about the “nigger trigger” and Tourette Syndrome and struggle with my mouth on a daily basis. Leave Riley Cooper alone. He is remorseful and NOT NOT a racist. Sheeeesh .
    2 4 6 8 10 that’s all fffffolks !!!

    • djtorchMusic

      You’re kidding right? Let’s forget about the “N” word. I have seen and heard of people going to jail for making a violent threats towards a person or , in this case a group of people. He said, ” I will jump over this fence and FIGHT all you Niggers”!! << —IT'S NOT ONLY WHAT HE SAID. BUT THE WAY HE SAID IT AND THE CONTEXT IT WAS IN. People are so quick to use ignorance as a tool to attempt to "prove their point" African Americans don't use the word "Nigger". Either your hearing is bad or you just don't care to noticed but the common use of the word is in a total different context and is said with an "A". It could be Nigga, Nicca, Nigah, Nugah, etc. That "ER" makes a BIG difference. Cooper used the "ER" version and that nuance is completely in a different category. I've heard other non-African Americans say "Niggah" and it didn't in the least bit insult me because of the context and the way he was using the word. The way Cooper said the word, It would be hard to convince me he does not have "Racist Issues" he needs to work out(if he wants to). He said that shit with some conviction and intent. Either you're trying to Lobby for the guy, no matter what, or you don't fully have a grasp on Cultural differences here and around the world.

      • captaindandan

        NO I AM NOT KIDDING:

        There is no room for neutrality here.
        Either R.Cooper is a closet racist and HATES black people OR
        R. Cooper is NOT a racist, enjoys & appreciates people who just happen to be black.
        The N-word slipped out of MY mouth ONE TIME.
        Example: My pharmacist LaMarr Burress: I didn’t pick him cuz he’s black. He was my pharmacist / store manager who I enjoy visiting with, sharing stories, etc.
        Like I said, I didn’t go out hunting for a black manager; LaMarr was there at the store near my house. We get along fine.
        My ‘bestest’ friend and law professor (German / white guy) Hans Poepplau got married a couple of years ago. He fiancee Linda Maddox is black. I was best man. I had no qualms about his marriage to someone of a different race…..and everybody seemed to get along wonderfully. Black or white.

        Does this prove to YOU that I’m NOT a racist?
        Probably not; people with your mind-set are impossible to convince.
        Yep, there’s probably a RACIST hiding under every rock and behind every wall. = Great attitude and great way to go thru life! NOT.

        NOW regarding the n-word:

        My son & I were pulling into the U.S. Post Office in Fullerton, CA. It said ‘entrance only’–as did the other driveway say ‘ EXIT only”. I was driving correctly.
        This dude in his car coming OUT the entrance gave me a dirty look followed by his middle finger.
        We rolled our windows down.
        He YELLED at ME: “What’s your problem?”
        I said, “I don’t have a problem–you do. You are driving out the entrance.”
        He said “Well, that’s NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS.”
        I said, “Yes it IS. I’m trying to get into the post office and here you are blocking the WHOLE dam driveway.”
        He wanted to get out and fight and I just called him a foreigner and a “sand-nigger”. It appeared as if he came from Saudi Arabia –I don’t know.
        I admit: I was wrong to insult him.

        But that was it…..

        Until I pulled to the exit only drive.
        There he sat! In traffic facing the wrong way! He was stopping traffic so he could threaten me some more~”"
        He said he was “going to kick my ass.” = there is the threat.

        I told him “I weigh 265# and I will pound you.”
        We separated; event over.

        I felt really BAD for using the n-word.
        I bowed my head and prayed to the LORD for forgiveness.
        If I had seen the man again, I would have apologized for my language.
        Bottom line: I was right. I was driving in the ENTRANCE-only driveway.
        I was exiting the EXIT ONLY drive.

        Do YOU know the first time I ever heard the word “nigger”? I was about 9 y/o and my sister was 5 y/o. Our BABYSITTER from the deep south said a prayer before a meal. She ended the prayer with “….and God bless everybody; except the niggers.”
        I didn’t know what a nigger was–but I probably ought to know.
        I asked mom & dad when they got home. They were shocked; They NEVER used the n-word.

        They explained to my sister and me that some backwards, ignorant people (like Mrs. Lemon) use the n-word. It’s a bad thing to say.
        It is not my habit, pattern and practice to use this word. Period.

        Now, I read the crap you wrote about Zimmerman and I’m wasting my time with you.

        So to quote that great debater William Jeffries,
        “This conversation is ENDED!”

        • djtorchMusic

          Not only does your “story” not make sense. But it has NOTHING to do with the subject, NOTHING. You still didn’t get what I was saying either, probably because you don’t want to. Cooper made a violent threat and he used the word in a way that convinces me he’s got “social issues”. So we have two parts here.

          1. Violent Threat
          2. Use of the word “nigger” in a violent way

          Obviously someone who “sides with Killer/Rapist/Molester Zimmerman has a ” mind set” that’s not worth communicating with. Next time reply with some sense and stop avoiding the original subject.

          • captaindandan

            Sir:

            I do not know what YOU are talking about!

            Let me tell you What the sports story is about: RILEY COOPER. He said something that you quoted…he’s “gonna kick all those n-word asses…” Doesn’t THAT sound braggadocio to YOU?? Sound like he was DRUNK on his buttocks. So he went to a concert drunk, got drunker and made a BOLD statement in front of his little audience.

            NOW, the big mouths from the black community want to make it MORE that it was.

            Riley Cooper is NOT a racist period. I posed the question to the mayor of Philadelphia: “WHAT must Riley Cooper to regain the respect & trust of the city of Philadelphia, the Philadelphia Eagles and the NFL?”

            NO ANSWER—because nothing Riley Cooper is good enough.
            Maybe he can sit down with the Rev. Jessie Jackson and the Rev Al Sharpton and apologize to the black community again. But will THAT be enough?

            Sports fans everywhere have forgiven Michael Vick’s dog issue.

            .
            Now, as far as your statement, let ME quote YOU: I supposedly side with “…with Killer/Rapist/Molester Zimmerman and I have a “mind set” that’s not worth communicating with”

            First of all, YOU wrote ME, jack.
            So where is YOUR documentation??

            A: Where is your documentation that Zimmerman is a rapist?
            B: Where is your documentation that Zimmerman is a child molester?
            C. Zimmerman is now a ‘killer’ but NOT a MURDERER. He shot Trayvon in self defense. So says the jury.
            So where are you getting the other crap? Sources.??

            If I were grading your paper, you’d get an F.
            ANYBODY can make a statement-doesn’t mean it’s true.
            I’ve given you several instances from MY past: Mrs. Lemon’s prayer to bless everybody except the N-word: TRUE story. I didn’t buy into it.

            And in your response it sounded like if Riley had said “nigga”, or other variations of the n-word then THAT would somehow be acceptable. WTF?

            This is a tiny little blog with no audience and you can say anything you want.
            Accuse EVERYBODY of being a racist / murderer / molester .
            YOU are STUCK in YOUR mindset; not me.

            I have lots of nice black friends & acquaintances–but I did NOT go out of my way to befriend them simply because of the color of their skin.
            Conversely, my mechanic and my handyman are both white guys. They were just at the right spot and the right time.

            So I apologize to YOU if you misunderstood what I said. The whole reason for the argument / discussion was RILEY COOPER: punished enough, NOT enough? What should Riley Cooper do?
            Quit the team–would that make you happy? HUH??
            Take a cut in pay? Play with one arm tied behind his back?
            What do you propose??

            During this season you can bet Riley Cooper w (a wide receiver) will collide with a black defensive back. Hopefully the collision and punching and crap that goes on will satisfy those who think Cooper is a racist.

            You being obstinate and not even knowing what the article is about is distressing? Heard of ‘context’, ‘syntax’, ‘hyperbole’??

            If I ran into you, f
            the irst thing I’d do is shake your hand and

            tell you it’s a pleasure to talk to someone with an opposing point of view.
            But the TRUTH is:

            Cooper’s not a racist.
            Zimmerman’s not a racist.

            When you start out with the apriori that they are BOTH racist, the conversation gets harder because you’ve already assumed what you want to prove which is circular reasoning and illogical.

            TO ANALYZE situations there are only three ways: Actually four.
            1: Inductive reasoning
            2: Deductive reasoning
            3: Retroductive reasoning
            and

            4: Nonsense “reasoning”

            Unfortunately you are in #4–nonsensical ‘reasoning’.
            WHERE is your proof?

  • jay

    Go Fuck yourself Joe !!!!!!!

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