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.

[ThaVirus]

Originally Posted by 9er guy

Dude. How the **** did I forget about Black Bush?

"THE ****A TRIED TO KILL MY FAAAATHAAA!!!!"

Originally Posted by Sorter

"oil?, bitch you talking about oil?"

"Who said anything about oil, bitch, you cooking?"

"You know what you should do? You should sanction me with your army.

Oh! You don't have an army! I guess that means you need to shutthe****up.

Shut. The. ****. Up!"

[Sorter]

Originally Posted by ThaVirus

"Who said anything about oil, bitch, you cooking?"

"You know what you should do? You should sanction me with your army.

Oh! You don't have an army! I guess that means you need to shutthe****up.

Shut. The. ****. Up!"

I got this yellow cake wrapped up in this special CIA napkin

[ThaVirus]

And the reparations episode was funny too. With pasty face ass Chuck Taylor.

"Crime has fallen 100%! How did that happen? Did the Mexican get money today, too?

D'I.... Shouldn't have said that."

[ThaVirus]

Originally Posted by Sorter

I got this yellow cake wrapped up in this special CIA napkin

"DON'T. DROP. THAT. SHIT.

Pray to God he don't drop that shit!"

[Sorter]

Originally Posted by ThaVirus

"DON'T. DROP. THAT. SHIT.

Pray to God he don't drop that shit!"

The old guy is awesome. Many Lulz, many lulz.

[stevieray]

Originally Posted by 9er guy

Remember, we've only really been a part of "True" American society for about 40 years. (give or take)

.

BS.

[ThatRaceCardGuy]

Originally Posted by stevieray

BS.

Lmao. How is that BS? Prior to civil rights Jim crow and separate but "equal" was the law of the land-do the math.

[Mr. Flopnuts]

Originally Posted by 9er guy

There is a difference between shows with black actors existing and having a channel dedicated to the culture.

And the fact that you're citing "The Jeffersons" and "Good Times" as "black culture", kind of illustrates my point.

BET was founded in 1982. At the time the only popular black show was
"The Jefferson's" and again that's a comedy show. It's not really reflective of black culture.

That's like me saying "Growing Pains" is a representative of white culture.



You're right about sports. But we seemed to be relegated to that domain for quite some time.

Show me that smile, oh, show me that smile!

[notorious]

I am tired of hearing about a 2nd string shitbag that's on a team I don't give a **** about.

[Halfcan]

Originally Posted by Clayton Bibsby

Half Can you don't say, "What's crack-a-lackin my cracka?" every chance you get. I am disappoint.

The first time I heard the word "Cracker" I was in Atlanta for a week with a company I worked for on business. I skipped out of some boring ass meetings to tour the city and got on the wrong bus.

When I say "wrong" bus- I mean- the bus that does not tour the city sites but takes you to all the run down neighborhoods around Atlanta for the next hour. I was the only white person and as soon as I got on- all eyes were on me. I sat up front and minded my own business. After 20 minutes of stop after stop- it was obvious I didn't know where the hell I was going. Some asshole yelled out- "Hey Cracker- what the **** you doing on our bus?"

I had no idea what that even meant so I just yelled back- "Maybe I like being a Saltine cracker in a box of Wheat Thins- you got a problem with it?" Stoopid response I know- but it is hard to come up with witty cracker humor, especially under those conditions. It was so quiet you could hear a pin drop- I am thinking they are going to mob me- then all of sudden the whole bus burst out laughing.

They stopped seeing me as the dumb lost white guy on "their" bus- and saw me as a regular person just like them. After that several of the ladies came forward and showed me on the map where I was. We talked the remainder of the trip and when the guy that yelled at me got off he stopped, shook my hand and wished me a nice trip. Racism goes both ways and through all walks of life.

People are people- some nice, some jerks, that it just the way it is no matter what color your skin is. It is what is on the inside that matters.

[stevieray]

Originally Posted by Thatguy

Lmao. How is that BS? Prior to civil rights Jim crow and separate but "equal" was the law of the land-do the math.

..you don't know your history.

sucks to be you.

it's a complete slap in the face to those who fought and died for future generations....

[vailpass]

Originally Posted by Sorter

The old guy is awesome. Many Lulz, many lulz.

My brother hauled Chapelle on one of his tours. Says he is one of the most cerebral guys he's ever been around. Says him and his business partner are wired solid, maybe too solid for the industry.

[Pitt Gorilla]

Originally Posted by scott free

You dont see that kind of pea brained bigotry here...

[Easy 6]

Originally Posted by Pitt Gorilla

I meant not from the mods...

[Mav]

Originally Posted by vailpass

My brother hauled Chapelle on one of his tours. Says he is one of the most cerebral guys he's ever been around. Says him and his business partner are wired solid, maybe too solid for the industry.

That makes a lot of sense. Honestly. That explains while having one of the greatest shows ever on comedy central, and having an extension for the show, he refused to bow down and do it their way. Which was awesome. Espeically when you see that no talent hack Tosh do way worse crap than was ever in The Chapelle Show...

KOBE!!!!