Whitlock with a good article on the Riley Cooper situation

[Fat Elvis]

http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/story/w...d-learn-080113

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
RILEY'S RUNAWAY MOUTH



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.

Watch what he said. Warning: Language is universally considered to be offensive . . .

I don’t expect the media to respond as responsibly. Too many of us will think the solution is for NFL commissioner Roger Goodell to suspend Riley Cooper. Too many of us will think Riley Cooper in no way reflects on all of us.

Well, I’ve been young, drunk, filled with athletic testosterone and partying in a sea of blackness. I’m glad there were no cellphone cameras then. I’ve been middle-aged, drunk, filled with non-athletic cholesterol and partying in a sea of blackness. I’m glad no one recorded the foolish thoughts I’ve uttered when I assumed no one around me would be offended.

Maybe most of the people working in the media are perfect, immune to impure, biased thoughts or actions. I’m not. And no one I know is. What happens with age and maturity is we get better at combatting our biases and keeping them from spilling out of our mouths. When we intellectually evolve, we get better at seeing the stupidity of our biases and not letting them dictate our actions.

I’m extremely distrustful of anyone who claims they’re free of biases. They’re dishonest or delusional.

For the most part, Riley Cooper handled his apology flawlessly. He forthrightly expressed the proper remorse and humbly answered every question.

“This is the lowest of lows,” Cooper said. “This is not the type of person I want to be portrayed as. This isn’t the type of person I am. I’m extremely sorry.”

There’s no room for Cooper to be totally honest. The media — social and legitimate — won’t allow Cooper to be transparent. What was captured on tape is a reflection of what type of person Cooper is.

He’s flawed. He’s a product of America’s conflicted melting pot. That is not a knock on America. We have racial issues because we’re the most diverse nation on the planet. We have trouble working through those issues because dishonesty and simple-mindedness are rewarded.

Like all of us, Riley Cooper is biased. He needs to admit that to himself so he can adequately combat his biases and be a force for positive change.

I used to be proudly homophobic. I used the F-word regularly. In 1998, while sitting in the New England Patriots press box, I got in a back-and-forth exchange with Pats fans and cracked a “joke” that ended with me asking, “Drew Bledsoe gay?”

The ensuing controversy started the process of me recognizing and realizing the utter ignorance of my homophobia. I used to be offended when people analogized the struggle for gay equality with black people’s struggle for equality. I now get it and understand their struggle benefits our struggle and the overall fight for fairness.

I hope Cooper is allowed to evolve. I hope we don’t demonize him to the point that he becomes John Rocker II and more entrenched in bigotry. I hope Cooper confronts who he is. He didn’t threaten to fight every n****r because there’s no bigotry in his heart and mind. He did it because he has failed to deal with who he really is.

He’s in the same denial most of us are in. I’m talking about all of us — black, white, brown and yellow.

I want to make one other point before I finish. Cooper’s transgression isn’t much of a locker-room issue for the Eagles. There are bigots of every color on sports teams. The beauty of sports is that teams force participants to put aside their biases and work together. Working together is different from liking or respecting each other.

Cooper isn’t a coach or executive with the power to hire and fire people based on his racial biases. Cooper is a player. He’s a 25-year-old kid with immature thoughts. His teammates will move on as long as he plays at a high level.

Racial slurs fly on football fields somewhat regularly. It’s a violent game that brings out the worst in people. My junior season at Ball State, I played against a white Northern Illinois defensive tackle who N-bombed me most of the afternoon. I kept shouting at his mostly black defensive teammates about why they would tolerate such a flaming idiot. The next year, the same guy was the most courteous opponent I played against all season.

Let’s help Cooper evolve and mature. We might be surprised by the results.

['Hamas' Jenkins]

Originally Posted by TEX

WRONG! Blacks CAN get away with saying it because they are black and have experienced racism first hand from their own unique perspective. The rest of us aren't qualified because we are not black and do not understand. The media will tell you that. On the flip side, often times if blacks say something racist against whites, it's acceptable because that's how they talk so its not "really" meant as racist. The media will tell you that as well. There is clearly a double standard in this country regarding who says what and can get away with it but don't dare suggest that because then YOU will be considered RACIST. CLEAR???

[TEX]

Originally Posted by Maverick91579

Can I ask a question? What part of slavery, did any NFL player active today, have a perspective from to experience from it?

MLK wanted badly for both whites and blacks to move away from the animosity that was built over a word. When people still use it as a common slang you are defeating that purpose. You are hanging on to a negative that really has nothing to do with anyone alive today.


The original word was a derogatory word used to display the unequalness between slaves, and their owners. The slaves then embraced the word as their own, but for us to come together as a country, we have to move past such terms.

It seriously is blowing my mind that while Donte Stallworth killed a guy, Leonard Little killed a guy, yet they were barely blips on the radars as far as being public enemy number one, yet a word, a VERY STUPID ACT BY A DRUNK STUPID IDIOT, has incited this much of a controversy.....Unbelievable......This is getting more backlash, than the George Zimmerman trial, or that woman who got off in Florida.

Exactly. You nailed it. HOWEVER, if you want an answer to your question, you should ask "Reverand" AL Sharpton. He's been known to come up with some real doozies...Every time I listen to the guy I just say WTF and laugh.

[Bugeater]

I love race threads. They always deliver.

[Mav]

Originally Posted by TEX

Exactly. You nailed it. HOWEVER, if you want an answer to your question, you should ask "Reverand" AL Sharpton. He's been known to come up with some real doozies...Every time I listen to the guy and just say WTF and laugh.

respect, and agree as usual.

[Carlota69]

I love how Darren Sharper said he couldn't be on the team with the guy. Really? So, you mean to tell me he was on teams that never used derogatory language towards anyone?? Riiiighhhttt....

I love how high and mighty these people (in media and NFL) who are offended are. If you are offended by that kind of language from boys in the locker room, then you are in the wrong profession.

I also love how the Eagles are going to send him to 'pray the racist away" camp. Sensitivity training??? . So are they doing that for every player who says '****er" or 'Cracker" or "bundle of sticks". Every player in the league would be 'Sensitivity training".

Those players need to realize they **** up and say stupid racist, bigoted shit too, just like he did, and to give him some slack.

[ptlyon]

CARLOTA SMASH

[Sorter]

Originally Posted by ptlyon

CARLOTA SMASH

That was a beatdown.

[ChiefRocka]

Whitlock always goes against the grain on all issues. This was expected.

[ThaVirus]

Originally Posted by Maverick91579

MLK wanted badly for both whites and blacks to move away from the animosity that was built over a word. When people still use it as a common slang you are defeating that purpose. You are hanging on to a negative that really has nothing to do with anyone alive today.


The original word was a derogatory word used to display the unequalness between slaves, and their owners. The slaves then embraced the word as their own, but for us to come together as a country, we have to move past such terms.

A poster here, I think it was Micjones, actually dispelled that argument a while back. MLK Jr used the word himself, in jest, toward other blacks.

[DaneMcCloud]

I don't condone the use of that word, ever, but this shit has completely gotten out of hand.

Michael Vick killed dogs. Donte Stallworth killed a human being. Both played in the NFL afterward and neither were a distraction in the locker room.

Killers. Felons. Not a distraction.

But a drunk guy says the "N" word and he's on the verge of losing his job, forever, because he's now labeled a "distraction"? Yeah, that makes a lot of sense.



Riley's biggest mistake was saying "n****r" instead of "n***a". If he had said "n***a", it would have all been "okay", which makes this situation absolutely absurd.

[ModSocks]

Originally Posted by DaneMcCloud

I don't condone the use of that word, ever, but this shit has completely gotten out of hand.

Michael Vick killed dogs. Donte Stallworth killed a human being. Both played in the NFL afterward and neither were a distraction in the locker room.

Killers. Felons. Not a distraction.

But a drunk guy says the "N" word and he's on the verge of losing his job, forever, because he's now labeled a "distraction"? Yeah, that makes a lot of sense.



Riley's biggest mistake was saying "n****r" instead of "n***a". If he had said "n***a", it would have all been "okay", which makes this situation absolutely absurd.

I agree. The hypocrisy in regards to racism in this country lately has gotten out of control.

[blaise]

It is sort of interesting because I've heard media people make a huge issue of it and then when they've had athletes or African American writers or professors on they've been sort of like, 'Yeah, we need to just understand that he said I'm sorry and try to move forward."

[Halfcan]

Originally Posted by Maverick91579

Of course. They embrace the word, its like us saying BRO, or dude to each other, but how dare anyone not of their race say it. If you aren't comfortable saying it to anyone, it shouldn't be said period.....

If the word brings back 300 years of pain and suffering to African Americans- then why do they perpetuate the word even more and glamorize it in movies and rap lyrics?

Sorry I don't call my friends "cracker" lol "Hows my cracker doing today?" "You Crackers ready to party?"

[blaise]

Originally Posted by DaneMcCloud

I don't condone the use of that word, ever, but this shit has completely gotten out of hand.

Michael Vick killed dogs. Donte Stallworth killed a human being. Both played in the NFL afterward and neither were a distraction in the locker room.

Killers. Felons. Not a distraction.

But a drunk guy says the "N" word and he's on the verge of losing his job, forever, because he's now labeled a "distraction"? Yeah, that makes a lot of sense.



Riley's biggest mistake was saying "n****r" instead of "n***a". If he had said "n***a", it would have all been "okay", which makes this situation absolutely absurd.

That's another interesting thing - you have guys that have slapped women around, guys with multiple felonies, there's been guys that have killed people in DUIs and a host of other stuff, and they stay on rosters. But apparently being racist is worse. You hear people say he should basically lose his job.

[Discuss Thrower]

Originally Posted by blaise

That's another interesting thing - you have guys that have slapped women around, guys with multiple felonies, there's been guys that have killed people in DUIs and a host of other stuff, and they stay on rosters. But apparently being racist is worse. You hear people say he should basically lose his job.

Devil's advocate on this, but if he's too ****ing dumb to not keep his mouth shut as a high profile person, then he's too ****ing dumb to be playing professional football.