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.

[ping2000]

Originally Posted by AdumbGuy

Not bad. Good read. I've used derogatory gay slurs before - had nothing to do with being homphobic - had EVERYTHING to do with saying something that I thought would anger the person I used them against as much as possible.

Ding Ding! This is totally right on. In a fight, you are going to insult who you are fighting. Your words are weapons. If the guy was short, he might have called him a midget or something. Doesn't excuse that he is a dumbass and lost his self control, but I see this as more of an anger control issue than a racist issue. The word is hurtful and shouldn't be said, but only he knows in his heart if he is a racist. I would have put the idiot through anger management counseling before sensitivity training. Also needs to watch the booze.

[Saul Good]

Originally Posted by AdumbGuy

Not bad. Good read. I've used derogatory gay slurs before - had nothing to do with being homphobic - had EVERYTHING to do with saying something that I thought would anger the person I used them against as much as possible.

Nailed it. I appreciate where Whitlock is coming from, but I think he's likely wrong about Cooper's motivations.

I n-bombed a dude at a bar one time about ten years ago. He had randomly poured a drink down the cleavage of a girl who was in my group at the bar. I confronted him, and he made a threat about he and his friends ****ing me up.

I responded with something along the lines of "if we have to take this outside, there's going to be one less n-word in this world, and those cops outside will help me dig the hole."

It wasn't about having racism in my heart. It was about holding a losing hand and having to make a big enough bluff that he couldn't afford to call it. I was a well dressed white guy in a club with a bunch of crew cut sporting white police officers standing outside by the door, and he and his friends left.

I'm not particularly proud of it, but I did what I felt I had to do at the time to get into his head. I think Cooper was trying to intimidate the guy, so he chose to call the guy the n-word at a concert full of white people. I'm sure the guy was intimidated. If I were working a NAS concert, and a huge back guy threatened to fight every cracker there, I'd shit my pants. It wouldn't mean the guy was racist. It would just mean he knew how to intimidate me given the circumstances.

[philfree]

Well Darren Sharper would go to management and tell them he couldn't play with the guy. I think maybe he should read this article.

[Rausch]

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.

Wow.

Dead on. I'm impressed.

[Rausch]

Originally Posted by Saul Good

Nailed it. I appreciate where Whitlock is coming from, but I think he's likely wrong about Cooper's motivations.

I n-bombed a dude at a bar one time about ten years ago. He had randomly poured a drink down the cleavage of a girl who was in my group at the bar. I confronted him, and he made a threat about he and his friends ****ing me up.

I responded with something along the lines of "if we have to take this outside, there's going to be one less n-word in this world, and those cops outside will help me dig the hole."

It wasn't about having racism in my heart. It was about holding a losing hand and having to make a big enough bluff that he couldn't afford to call it. I was a well dressed white guy in a club with a bunch of crew cut sporting white police officers standing outside by the door, and he and his friends left.

I'm not particularly proud of it, but I did what I felt I had to do at the time to get into his head. I think Cooper was trying to intimidate the guy, so he chose to call the guy the n-word at a concert full of white people. I'm sure the guy was intimidated. If I were working a NAS concert, and a huge back guy threatened to fight every cracker there, I'd shit my pants. It wouldn't mean the guy was racist. It would just mean he knew how to intimidate me given the circumstances.

Mostly this.

If I call you a "fat piece of $3it" in anger it doesn't mean I hate fat people.

I'm fat.

I'm just angry and picking the one thing I think will piss you off the most.

The idea that one insult is worse than another is your problem to deal with...

[Mav]

Originally Posted by Rausch

Mostly this.

If I call you a "fat piece of $3it" in anger it doesn't mean I hate fat people.

I'm fat.

I'm just angry and picking the one thing I think will piss you off the most.

The idea that one insult is worse than another is your problem to deal with...

great point

[jettio]

I saw Michael Wilbon on a PTI clip overly upset about Goodell not suspending Riley Cooper.

I like how FIFA soccer and the pro leagues suspend players and sanction teams who fans make racist cheers, but if the NFL were to adopt some policy for racial slurs that were said at work or away from work then there would be a big argument about whether racial epithets that refer to the player's own race should result in suspensions.

I don't see how the NFL could justify overlooking some use of forbidden racial words based on the race of the person who says it.

I remember Carl Pickens got into some hot water for saying something to Mike Woodson about his mixed-race parents during a game. That was years ago and may have been a fine, but I don't think there was a suspension.

[Rausch]

Originally Posted by jettio

I don't see how the NFL could justify overlooking some use of forbidden racial words based on the race of the person who says it.

I don't think the NFL should.

But he works for the owner, GM, and HC.

If they want to fire/fine him that's their choice...

[Mav]

Originally Posted by jettio

I saw Michael Wilbon on a PTI clip overly upset about Goodell not suspending Riley Cooper.

I like how FIFA soccer and the pro leagues suspend players and sanction teams who fans make racist cheers, but if the NFL were to adopt some policy for racial slurs that were said at work or away from work then there would be a big argument about whether racial epithets that refer to the player's own race should result in suspensions.

I don't see how the NFL could justify overlooking some use of forbidden racial words based on the race of the person who says it.

I remember Carl Pickens got into some hot water for saying something to Mike Woodson about his mixed-race parents during a game. That was years ago and may have been a fine, but I don't think there was a suspension.

The biggest difference is the time and place. The soccer players, are doing this stuff while in uniform during games. Not to excuse what Riley Cooper did. But in reality, the NFLPA could of fought this on Riley Coopers behalf, and probably won. He wasn't at an NFL event, or Facility, he was on his own time. Now, of course they wouldn't do that, the NFLPA player president, is Dominique Foxworth, and uh, he aint white, plus his is unacceptable behavior anyways. But I love Wilbon, and that's just Wilbon being Wilbon, its to be expected.

I find it hilarious though. I have HEARD during games, the N***A word thrown around at packers games, and at bucks games, during the games, between players of like races. I don't think that's acceptable EITHER. You are just encouraging inequity.......

[BlackHelicopters]

Impressive read.

[jettio]

Originally Posted by Rausch

I don't think the NFL should.

But he works for the owner, GM, and HC.

If they want to fire/fine him that's their choice...

I agree with that. I was commenting on Wilbon criticizing Roger Goodell for not suspending Cooper, but don't blame the team for doing anything that does not violate the CBA.

[Iowanian]

What is ironic to me is that Cooper, due to his ethnicity and position of choice in football, has probably been discriminated against due to his whiteness more than others in the same position. He's often referred to as a "white" wide receiver.

I'll wager that Cooper has endured FAR more insults regarding his race from black players in college and the nfl than he's given.

It doesn't make what he said right, but It would be interesting to have him mic'd up this season to see what the black players say to him week in and week out.

[Rausch]

Originally Posted by Iowanian

What is ironic to me is that Cooper, due to his ethnicity and position of choice in football, has probably been discriminated against due to his whiteness more than others in the same position. He's often referred to as a "white" wide receiver.

I'll wager that Cooper has endured FAR more insults regarding his race from black players in college and the nfl than he's given.

It doesn't make what he said right, but It would be interesting to have him mic'd up this season to see what the black players say to him week in and week out.

If he's dumb enough to let it get under his skin, throw him off his game, or make him act stupid they should.

He's a ****ing football player - not an international diplomat.

[ptlyon]

Originally Posted by Rausch

If I call you a "fat piece of $3it" in anger it doesn't mean I hate fat people.

To me, the fat reference meant more. Meaning you were more of a piece of shit than a normal piece of shit.

Ex. Rauch, you're a big, fat German.

[Halfcan]

I just watched the movie 42. They say the N word a million times as well as in Django unchanined. I think this is far more repulsive. Put on a rap record and it is filled with it- but does that make it okay since they are black? I guess I don't understand- the word is offensive and demeaning no matter who says it IMO.