Riley Cooper fined by Eagles for racial slur caught on video

Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver Riley Cooper has come under heavy criticism for his use of a racial slur in a video that went viral Wednesday afternoon.

In the video, which first appeared on the local sports blog Crossing Broad, Cooper is seen at a Kenny Chesney concert in a confrontation with an African-American security guard. Holding a beer in his hand, he said, “I will … fight every n—– here, bro.”

Backlash against the player has been swift since the video became public yesterday. Cooper himself has apologized on Twitter, to the media and to his teammates, and has somewhat explained the incident.

“I got into a confrontation with one of the security guards,” Cooper said to reporters. “I’m not going to get into what happened, but I said something that was absolutely disgusting and terrible … I don’t use that. I was raised way better than that.”

“I know no one in Philadelphia is happy with me right now,” he added. “I accept that. I just hope they see the true me and accept my apology.”

Team owner Jeffrey Lurie said in a statement Wednesday: “We are shocked and appalled by Riley Cooper’s words. This sort of behavior or attitude has no place in a civil society. He has accepted responsibility for his words and his actions. He has been fined for this incident.”

The team has fined Cooper an undisclosed amount for his actions but has not taken any further disciplinary action at this time.