People, people, people, have we become so sensitive that everything some bonehead says becomes fodder for society to squabble about? Freedom of speech, press, assembly and petition of government. Sounds familiar? It should because it is The First Amendment of the United States Constitution!
No matter how offensive or degrading comments are by celebrities or athletes on social media or interviews, as long as no one is physically being harmed we should turn mute to these idiots! Riley Cooper’s recent racial slurs that have been circulating over the internet and throughout various news outlets, are indeed offensive and appalling but he has the right to his opinion. His demeaning opinion didn’t injure anyone or cause anyone bodily harm.
Courtesy: CSN Philadelphia
I don’t understand how his words at a Kenny Chesney concert, can be viewed as “conduct detrimental” to the Philadelphia Eagles. He didn’t make those comments at the Eagles practice facility, or on any other NFL property. With that being said, how can the NFL or the Eagles fine him in this situation. Is his words going to have such an affect on the team, that they will not be able to win football games this upcoming season? I wouldn’t quite put that blame on Riley Cooper’s comments. The Eagles atrocious defense and turnover ratio may have something to do with that.
I’m seeing more and more athletes apologizing for comments they have made either in interviews or through social media and I’m sick of it! Have some stones about yourself. If you’re man enough to think it, say it, or type it, be man enough to stand behind whatever consequences may follow it. Don’t let endorsement dollars sway your way of thinking. After all, did you get into your chosen profession for the money or for the love of the sport?
The First Amendment was created so we may have our voices heard and our words read. It was not created so that society can dictate what we say or feel. That’s why the United States of America is the greatest country in the world! Remember the land of the FREE and the home of the BRAVE? Those words should mean something to each and every American citizen.
The over sensitive nature in which society is currently functioning in, will ruin the future of our nation. Just imagine if great sports figures like Paul Robeson, Jim Brown, Muhammad Ali, Arthur Ashe, Charles Barkley, Edwin Moses, Wilt Chamberlain and a host of others would have been politically correct? The landscape of professional sports may not have been as interesting or entertaining, and at the times when most on that list played the game, America was experiencing some of its most difficult transitions. Yet we persevered and became stronger. Let us not forget that great sports moments aren’t always on the fields or courts, but through interviews and media outlets. Drop some of the sensitivity and let’s put the main focus back on the games we love.
