Tuesday, August 6, 2013

Is Riley Cooper's NFL Career Finished?

When I first heard about the Riley Cooper incident I didn't feel the need to comment on the subject.   I figured the media would blow things out of proportion for a few days and then the story would die down.  Riley Cooper would issue a heart felt, well rehearsed, media friendly apology that fans and teammates would begrudgingly accept.  To my surprise the latter did not occur.

The Philadelphia Eagles players did not come to the defense of Riley Cooper choosing instead to express their displeasure, distrust, and disappointment.  Michael Vick tried to rally the team together and after one day realized the situation was hopeless.  The day following his apology Riley Cooper spent the entire practice standing by himself.   After being excused from team activities to undergo counseling for his insensitive remarks Cooper returns to the practice field today.  Will things be different?

Absolutely not.  Him teammates have spoken.  The damage is done and the players are unwilling to forgive and forget.  It will always be in the back of their minds that Riley Cooper is a racist.  Anyone that comes to his defense or gives him the benefit of the doubt will be looked upon as a traitor.  His mere presence in the locker room is a distraction and a source of irritation.

Personally, I question how long Riley Cooper can last in the NFL.  If the team that knows him the best has chosen not to embrace him why would another team take on that can of worms?  It's unlikely his talent level would push a team over the hump and most likely his presence would rip a team apart.  His affect would make Terrell Owens look like a walk in the park by comparison.  I can't see a team taking the risk of ruining their franchise for a marginal player.  Your thoughts?

4 comments:

  1. My thoughts of you comparing Cooper to Owens is stupid. Cooper is not a threat to his team in any way. What person has not said something out of anger as Cooper did in the video. Also he will help the eagles if he can step up his game now that their number one receiver is out for the season. as for pushing the team over the hump, they need to get to a hump to get over one. Their are many problems with this franchise and team.

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  2. Thanks for the read. The comparison to Cooper was the level of distraction and dissention his presence causes in a locker room. Sure Owens was a selfish #1 diva wide receiver, but he also had Hall of Fame talent and didn't offend teammates along racial lines. Perhaps you don't fully understand the magnitude of the comments and what they represent to African American people.

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  3. I agree with you 100% Cleavie. Your commenter above is under estimating how the black community and his teammates are going to carry that with them for a long time. I think anonymous wants to minimize Coopers rant to just using the "N" word. the video to me was quite telling on what he probably really feels about black people and his teammates. It will die down to a degree. However, he is in a sport that is very minority dominated and I can't imagine opposing defenders are not going to remember what he said. Great post!

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  4. @Butler Way: Thanks for the support. I understand race is still a sensitive issue and although many strides have been made in the past decade it still exists. A difference in perception and interpretation isn't surprising. You can't give someone else your experiences and in that vein you can't tell someone how to feel or react to a given situation.

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