Look, I don’t condone what he said, I don’t know anything about the situation and nobody on this site does either. But we have ALL said stupid and hurtful things when the adrenalin is pumping, not pumping, under the influence, etc. I believe deep down we all have a little prejudice no matter who we are. I also believe there is a double standard to the use of the word. If you hear it all the time in your life or profession, you’re likely to use it in a way that those around you use it. We ALL screw up and you’ve got to give a man an opportunity to correct his mistake.

 

When I was a kid growing up in inner city 60s-70s, I heard “the word” a lot. I had many friends of assorted races. One of my good friends was a black teammate. We were getting dressed for the school basketball game when a group of kids kept pounding on the locker room door, interrupting our team meeting and running off. After about the 4th time I ran to the door, saw the kid and told him we’d all kick his rear if he did it again. We were pissed. My buddy asked who it was and I remember saying, just some little n-----. I didn’t realize what I said until the look on my buddy’s face. I said it, could not take it back. My buddy didn’t call me a white whatever, didn’t threaten to kick my rear or anything. He just stood up, looked me in the eye and said, “Man, I thought you were different.” I cannot tell you how much that affected me. I eventually made amends and we were good friends all through high school. I have never forgotten that incident. Thank goodness my buddy gave me a second chance.

If this was a black player who said he would “fight every whitey here” while attending a Jay-Z concert would it garner this much attention.

 

I am in no way condoning what he said, but really, it's only a "WORD"........move on. JMO

What scenario would change people's perceptio?

Petty tough to come up with one.

If this was a black player who said he would “fight every whitey here” while attending a Jay-Z concert would it garner this much attention.

 

I am in no way condoning what he said, but really, it's only a "WORD"........move on. JMO

 

 

Said in the same context and caught on video? Yes. I think it would. Especially if it was a much maligned player like Michael Vick, James Harrrison, Terrell Owens, Randy Moss, etc.

 

It would be one thing if he said it in the locker room cutting up with teammates. The way he used it is the absolute worst way for anyone to use it.

Cooper was disgraced Wednesday when Internet video surfaced of him telling a black security guard that he would “fight every (n-word) here” while attending a Kenny Chesney concert in Philadelphia in June.

 

 

Philadelphia Eagles options may have been limited in punishing WR Riley Cooper for racial slur - NFL News | FOX Sports on MSN

 

 

At a Kenny Chesney concert? What was there like 3 black guys there? What a tough guy.

McCoy: "I Can't Respect a Guy Like That"

 

Of course, in the same interview, McCoy says he's forgiven Cooper. :idunno:

 

Just a tough situation all the way around.

 

At a Kenny Chesney concert? What was there like 3 black guys there? What a tough guy.

 

Haha

Said in the same context and caught on video? Yes. I think it would. Especially if it was a much maligned player like Michael Vick, James Harrrison, Terrell Owens, Randy Moss, etc.

 

It would be one thing if he said it in the locker room cutting up with teammates. The way he used it is the absolute worst way for anyone to use it.

 

You get no argument out of me on this .

I think what he will face amongst his teammates will be punishment enough. He made a mistake and he will pay for his mistake for a long time. A suspension may hurt him in the wallet but that hurt will end eventually.

 

I agree with Stephen Naismith, eradicate the word. I may sing an NWA song alone in the shower but would never venture to peep the word in public. I absolutely cringe when I'm playing hoops and I hear the variation of the word spoken like it's nothing. Eradicate it.

 

At a Kenny Chesney concert? What was there like 3 black guys there? What a tough guy.

 

I was genuinely concerned that this part of it had passed unnoticed.

 

I'm really struggling to imagine what horrible racial harassment prompted him to say that during a concert amongst what was surely 20,000 of his own kind. Brad Daugherty is about the only black guy I can picture going to see Kenny Chesney.

 

Yeah, he says it a lot. White people tend to do that in homogeneous company, from my experiences in the redneck world.

What Cooper did was reprehensible. I do think his apology is genuine and that, along with the fine should be enough. As some others have mentioned, it wasn't just the word, but how he used it that made it so bad. However, as Stephen A. Smith said, it is a word that needs to be eradicated--by all races. As long as variations of it are used by the black community in song, movies or in a joking manner it will be picked up by the people that they interact with each day. I'm 43. I was raised to see that word as a bad word that was not to be used under any circumstances. But when you hear your black friends use it while talking to each other it reduces some of the stigma associated with it. Couple that with alcohol and I can see where it could slip out. Especially from someone like Cooper who grew up when that word was no longer acceptable except when a person of color was referring to a person of color. For the younger generation a lot of the stigma that I was raised to associate with that word has disappeared. I'm not condoning it and I'm not blaming this situation on the use of the word by the black community. In spite of what he said I don't know Riley Cooper and I don't know how he was raised. If he is telling the truth and he was raised not to use that word then he learned if from somewhere else. It could just have easily been in a locker room and slipped out in a way he didn't plan on it to. Until people of all races quit using that term in ANY context then situations like this will continue to happen. It isn't acceptable for anyone to use and its use needs to end.

What Cooper did was reprehensible. I do think his apology is genuine and that, along with the fine should be enough. As some others have mentioned, it wasn't just the word, but how he used it that made it so bad. However, as Stephen A. Smith said, it is a word that needs to be eradicated--by all races. As long as variations of it are used by the black community in song, movies or in a joking manner it will be picked up by the people that they interact with each day. I'm 43. I was raised to see that word as a bad word that was not to be used under any circumstances. But when you hear your black friends use it while talking to each other it reduces some of the stigma associated with it. Couple that with alcohol and I can see where it could slip out. Especially from someone like Cooper who grew up when that word was no longer acceptable except when a person of color was referring to a person of color. For the younger generation a lot of the stigma that I was raised to associate with that word has disappeared. I'm not condoning it and I'm not blaming this situation on the use of the word by the black community. In spite of what he said I don't know Riley Cooper and I don't know how he was raised. If he is telling the truth and he was raised not to use that word then he learned if from somewhere else. It could just have easily been in a locker room and slipped out in a way he didn't plan on it to. Until people of all races quit using that term in ANY context then situations like this will continue to happen. It isn't acceptable for anyone to use and its use needs to end.

 

 

An interesting comment I heard about this situation was that if they are going to fine or suspend Riley Cooper then they need to fine or suspend everyone who uses it not just him.

Marcus Vick apparently has put a 1,000 dollar bounty on Riley Cooper.

 

 

The best comment I saw on that was, "come on Marcus. We know Mike is going have to give you that money to pay off the bounty."

Marcus Vick apparently has put a 1,000 dollar bounty on Riley Cooper.

 

 

The best comment I saw on that was, "come on Marcus. We know Mike is going have to give you that money to pay off the bounty."

Marcus Vick is about as dumb as they come.

An interesting comment I heard about this situation was that if they are going to fine or suspend Riley Cooper then they need to fine or suspend everyone who uses it not just him.

 

Not that it is realistic but it is a valid argument. You really need to listen to the Stephen A. clip (referring to everyone here if you have not listened to it). It is a long exchange but he brings up an interesting perspective. One point he gets across is that black people cannot use that word so freely in the presence of others and amongst themselves then let it consume their lives if a white person says the word. Then the whole race struggle becomes even more heightened and thwarted because of their reaction.

 

I will not be shocked if Cooper is gone from the Eagles at some point. I think he may take off a year to regroup.