Back in July, Deadspin posted a video that showed Eagles wide receiver Riley Cooper uttering the N-word at the camera during a Kenny Chesney concert.
The thing spread like wildfire and within 30 minutes Cooper was on Twitter apologizing.
The Eagles fined Cooper before announcing that he would seek "outside assistance" for whatever it was that compelled him to call out black people at a country music concert.
The was the nadir of Riley's 2013. He went on to have a solid season, starting 15 games, catching 47 passes for 835 yards and 8 touchdowns. And on Thursday, the Eagles rewarded him with a five-year, $25 million deal.
In somewhat related news, the Washington Post reported later Thursday that the league might not need a new rule to penalize players for using the N-word during games. Under the current rules, it would fall under "unsportsmanlike conduct" and carry a 15-yard penalty. To which Cooper says:
Riley Cooper said that he thinks that the NFL's plan to penalize use of the n-word during games is a good idea.
— Jeff McLane (@Jeff_McLane) February 27, 2014
Whether the rule can be enforced is another matter entirely.
