Riley Cooper's N-Word Controversy

(The Root) β€” The n-word just can't stay out of the news lately. Suggested Reading Post #3 6-18-2025 Post #2 6-18-2025 Post #1 6-16-2025 Video will return here when scrolled back into view To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Earlier last month, Philadelphia…

(The Root) β€” The n-word just can't stay out of the news lately.

Video will return here when scrolled back into view

Earlier last month, Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver Riley Cooper was caught fighting outside a Kenny Chesney concert. On Wednesday, video surfaced of Cooper inside the same event, huffing and puffing inside, threatening to "fight every nβ€”ger" there.

For many, this raised the obvious question: How many black people are really going to Kenny Chesney concerts?

Cooper apologized for using the slur in a series of three tweets.

https://twitter.com/RileyCooper_14/statuses/362672311092002816
https://twitter.com/RileyCooper_14/statuses/362672504944336896
https://twitter.com/RileyCooper_14/statuses/362672589581193217

But it was too late. Twitter had already gotten hold of the video and was on its way to ripping into the player with the hashtag #RileyCooperWillFight. It's easy to threaten to beat up a bunch of black people when none are around, Cooper. Why not threaten to fight every lion at the North Pole while you're at it?

https://twitter.com/NsisongLBF/status/362676723508187137
https://twitter.com/fivefifths/status/362672027003404288
https://twitter.com/brokeymcpoverty/status/362672910533529600
https://twitter.com/desusnice/status/362677374476763137
https://twitter.com/JamilahLemieux/status/362678494016184320
https://twitter.com/StephBMore/status/362672607503458304
https://twitter.com/ethiopianboy/status/362671325325705216

Tracy Clayton is a writer, humorist and blogger from Louisville, Ky.

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