PHILLY EAGLES EXCUSE RILEY COOPER

We almost went a whole week without a story. Thanks, Riley! He’s done, by the way. Use the N-Word as a pejorative and no amount of blaming hip hop artists that use it will save you!

USA Today

It seems that in hopes of moving forward from the controversy surrounding wide receiver Riley Cooper, he and the Philadelphia Eagles are taking a step back from football.

The team, possibly biding time to make a decision whether to keep Cooper on the roster, announced Friday that the fourth-year player is essentially taking a leave of absence from training camp to meet with counselors. It’s been two days since video from a Kenny Chesney concert in June showed Cooper, intoxicated at the time, using a racial slur toward an African-American security guard.

“As we have said, Riley Cooper will be seeking counseling and we have excused him from all team activities,” the Eagles said in a statement. “This is all new territory and we are going to evaluate this timetable every step of the way. He will meet with professionals provided by the Eagles during this period of time to better help him understand how his words have hurt so many, including his teammates.”

Cooper practiced Thursday but often seemed isolated and alone between repetitions. Before the scandal broke, he seemed on track to win a starting job after Jeremy Maclin suffered a season-ending knee injury. Now his employment seems further jeopardized as other players take his first-team practice reps.

Quarterback Michael Vick expressed forgiveness of Cooper on Wednesday. The reaction of other teammates has ranged from supportive to tepid.

Cornerback Cary Williams said Thursday that slur “puts a damper to my spirits to what type of person (Cooper) is. I’m more cautious now to approach him.”

Tailback LeSean McCoy accepted Cooper’s apology, but hedged: “Ican’t really respect somebody like that.”

Cooper seems to clearly be struggling to come to grips with his actions and the subsequent fallout, which has included angry responses from other NFL players.

“The last few days have been incredibly difficult for me,” Cooper said in a statement Friday. “My actions were inexcusable. The more I think about what I did, the more disgusted I get. I keep trying to figure out how I could have said something so repulsive, and what I can do to make things better.

“Right now, I think it’s important for me to take some time to reflect on this situation. The organization and my teammates have been extremely supportive, but I also realize that there are people who will have a tough time forgiving me for what I’ve done. The best thing for me, and for the team, is to step away for a period of time.

“During this time I’m going to be speaking with a variety of professionals to help me better understand how I could have done something that was so offensive, and how I can start the healing process for everyone. As long as it takes, and whatever I have to do, I’m going to try to make this right.”