Media Firestorm Over N-Word said by Third String Wide Receiver Riley Cooper Goes Viral

Should he be suspended, cut from the team, or left alone?

Media personalities Stephen A. Smith of ESPN's First Take, Bomani Jones of the ESPN program Highly Questionable, FOX Sports columnist Jason Whitlock, and others chime in on the word n*igger used by Philadelphia wide receiver Riley Cooper.

It was used towards an African American security guard at a Kenny Chesney country music concert at the home stadium of the Eagles. Cooper was reportedly drinking and upset that he couldn't get backstage access.

I am so ashamed and disgusted with myself. I want to apologize. I have been offensive. I have apologized to my coach, Jeffrey Lurie, and
— Riley Cooper (@RileyCooper_14) July 31, 2013

Howie roseman and to my teammates. I owe an apology to the fans and to this community. I am so ashamed, but there are no excuses. What I did
— Riley Cooper (@RileyCooper_14) July 31, 2013

Was wrong and I will accept the consequences.— Riley Cooper (@RileyCooper_14) July 31, 2013

Riley's my friend Our relationship is mutual respect. He looked me in the eyes and apologized. I believe in forgiveness and I believe in him
— Mike Vick (@MikeVick) August 1, 2013

Stephen A. Smith makes excellent points in his commentary

Bomani Jones not buying it

Jason Whitlock says Cooper should be forgiven "Let's all learn from Cooper's gaffe"

We, the media, will blow this Riley Cooper teachable moment. It’s what we do when it comes to race. We look for good guys and bad guys, villains and heroes. We choose the politically correct path rather than the road to understanding.

Riley Cooper, a receiver for the Philadelphia Eagles, did and said something very, very stupid and disgusting. Drunk and partying in a sea of whiteness, Cooper apparently lashed out at a black security guard and threatened to "fight every n****r here".

A cellphone camera captured Cooper’s ignorance. It took a month, but the blogosphere unearthed the video and broadcast it to the world. The Eagles reacted responsibly, fining Cooper and forcing him to confront his mistake publicly with the media and privately with his teammates. Read more of this article...

John Smallwood Philadelphia Daily News - "Don't Rush to judge Eagles WR Riley Cooper"

I DON'T KNOW Eagles receiver Riley Cooper, so I certainly don't know him well enough to judge whether his apology for using a racial slur was from his heart or from his head. What I have learned, however, is that it is usually best to let emotion and shock value wear down a bit before drawing any true opinion on what an incident may or may not truly mean.

...Personally, as a member of the community to whom Cooper said he wanted to apologize, that's enough for me. I've seen enough of these situations to realize that it is rarely as simple as a person being racist by virtue of having uttered a racial slur - particularly when it comes while a person is in a highly agitated state, as the video clearly shows Cooper was. Read more of this article..

Dave Warren - Philadelphia talk radio personality

Mr. Smallwood,
I’m actually flabbergasted by your comment above but I’m going to bypass it because like you to Riley Cooper – I don’t know you… and I certainly don’t know you well enough to judge you by your in response to Cooper’s viral n-word episode.
I do wonder however if you took time to consider why would Riley want to jump the fence and fight “every ni**er” there if he only had an confrontation with one (1) African-American Security Guard?

I mean if you were at the concert and he jumped the fence why would he fight you? Especially if you had nothing to do with his altercation again with that one (1) African-American Security Guard. It puzzles me why would he want to fight you and “every ni**er” with in punching distance because of that one (1) African-American Security Guard? Kinda puts me in the mind of the movie Rosewood. You remember that film by John Singleton where racist lynch mob attacked an entire African American community based on the assumption of wrong-doing by one (1) African-American resident in the community.

You know that movie right? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rosewood_film

So I have just been wondering why he was mad and want to fight “every ni**er” there? I mean did every ni**er there accost Riley Cooper? Was “every ni**er” there on the other side of the fence picking on Riley Cooper? Did every ni**er there complain about Rile Cooper’s play last year? Did “every ni**er” there challenge Riley Cooper to a fight? Why on Earth would Riley Cooper want to jump the fence and fight “every ni**er” there if his problem was with just one (1) African-American Security Guard???

I’m going to gather that Riley was asked to adjust a behavior or to move from a specific area by this one (1) African-American Security Guard and because of “white-entitlement” and “white-privilege” and yes I’m going to say it “white-supremacy” mindset… Riley Cooper did not appreciate the instructions by this one (1) African-American Security Guard. Again this is just my assumption. I was not that but if I had to guess why Riley Cooper would want to jump the fence and fight “every ni**er” there I’m assuming this as the reason.

So this one (1) African-American Security Guard instructed Riley to adjust a behavior or to move from an area that was off-limits or blocking ingress and because of “white-entitlement” and “white-privilege” and a “white-supremacy” Riley Cooper was none-to-pleased at the instructions of this one (1) African-American Security Guard.

Moreover I’d like to suggest that in addition to a hearty helping truth juice (liquor) and some “good ole boy” “ribbing” by his friends, including Eagles Center Jason Kelce that probably included comments like “the ni**er told you what for” or “that ni**er was about to kick your butt” or any number of altercation driving racist filled rant and comments lead to Riley Cooper’s "I will ... fight every n- here, bro." remark.

My point – Riley Cooper like most white people are innately racist -- they do a pretty good job of masking those feelings but at any moment it will just come out. When their white-entitlement” and “white-privilege and “white-supremacy” mindset is challenged...

I do not agree with you that his apology was enough or with Rich Hoffmann’s commentary that the fine was punishment enough. His apology was just empty words in my opinion and the NFL and Eagles show a lack of respect to African-Americans by letting him go unscathed!

BUT… we in the African-American community are known for our forgiveness and I’ll move on… especially if my assumptions are correct - hell I even understand! I mean we’ve all said stupid shyt when drunk and angry right? … Riley Cooper just showed who he is and how he reacts in certain situations – you ni**ers better just stay clear of him when he gets mad or let the lynching party begin… like I asked earlier, remember Rosewood?

{...was that last line over the top? my bad… I apologize – that’s not who I am…}

John Smallwood response to the above commentary
Smallwood, John wrote:
you can be whoever you want to be. if you want to say you are over the top, who am I to argue with you. I don't know anything about you.

as far as riley cooper, you've made a long list of assumptions based on a 10-second video clip. there is no context to what may have happened before that led up to the confrontation. I don't know because I wasn't there, but it is possible that the security guard said things to cooper that helped heighten the situation.

maybe he said, "i'll kick your cracker ass if you don't do what I say," I don't know. I don't know how many security guards he was arguing with. I find it hard to believe that cooper just walked up and said "I kick every n*ggers' ass." maybe he did. I wasn't there.

I don't know riley cooper but I have had several interactions with him over the past three years with the eagles. he's always been cordial and polite to me. I also know that athletes only let you see the side of them they want you to see.

given the lack of context of the video, I choose to give cooper the benefit of the doubt when he says he is not a racist and was not raised that way. I know I am not racist, but I also know that I have been in situations where if someone took a 10 second video clip with no context, I could be viewed as being racist.

Dave Warren responds:
Yea soooo that's kinda why I asked the question... in his comments to reporters and in your article he's quoted as saying and altercation with "A" guard… again that’s why I asked.

Yea I took some liberties on the assumptions because it was only a 10 second video but that was to frame my question and make my point... it was all hypothetical.

Unlike you I haven't met or even spoken with Riley Cooper so I don't know him even remotely but I have been in the presence of white folk in similar situations and experienced being the victim (yes victim) of that hate-filled racist commentary that we saw in that clip first hand.

I vividly recall walking down second and South St. with a couple of buddies and out of no-where this white dude yells I HATE N*GGERS! Naturally I proceeded to engage in a discussion with him to find out why... and as my buddies were pulling me back one of his friends says in the middle of his apology "Oh this isn't who he is..." "He's not really like that..." Well if he's not why would crazy shyt like that come out his mouth? The same question I’m asking about Riley.

I'm not going to argue with you bro and I'm not going to assume to know where you are coming from because I don't - I simply disagree with you and I do not think he should be given the benefit of the doubt. -- When people show you who they are - that's exactly who they be!

Thanks for the response.

What a few months it has been for former Florida Gators teammates Aaron Hernandez (charged with murder) and Riley Cooper. Also pictured quarterback Tim Tebow.The NFL's offseason, summed up in one photo (via @johnbreech): pic.twitter.com/4a7pFD9Ajw