Eagles Calendar Features Riley Cooper for Black History Month
Photo Credit: Jeff Fusco
Ah, Riley Cooper. Just as people were probably starting to forget about that time that he was caught on video using the n-word at a Kenny Chesney concert at Lincoln Financial Field, TMZ happened to notice that Cooper is the featured player on the February section of the Eagles team calendar — February, of course, being Black History Month.
“If anything, it was an honest mistake,” Eagles PR rep Brett Strohsacker originally told TMZ, adding that he’d get to the bottom of it.
Later, the Eagles issued the following statement about the calendar, washing their hands of any responsibility:
The Eagles have issued a new statement saying, We do not oversee the production of the annual team calendar. We do not provide any input about the players who are featured or where those pictures appear in the calendar. The NFL licenses the production of that calendar to a third party and we do not have an opportunity to review the material.
The calendar does not acknowledge the fact that February is Black History Month.
The video of Cooper using the slur had turned up online in 2013 during training camp, and he was forced to take a brief leave of absence. Then-teammate Michael Vick defended him, while Vick’s brother Marcus announced a $1,000 bounty on Cooper’s head via Twitter.
After apologizing to teammates, Cooper also apologized on Twitter:
I am so ashamed and disgusted with myself. I want to apologize. I have been offensive. I have apologized to my coach, Jeffrey Lurie, and
— Riley Cooper (@RileyCooper_14) July 31, 2013
Howie roseman and to my teammates. I owe an apology to the fans and to this community. I am so ashamed, but there are no excuses. What I did
— Riley Cooper (@RileyCooper_14) July 31, 2013
Was wrong and I will accept the consequences.
— Riley Cooper (@RileyCooper_14) July 31, 2013
