Kenny Chesney: Don’t judge my fans by one loud mouth, Riley Cooper
By Mike Dyce
Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver Riley Cooper was video taped making racial slurs at a Kenny Chesney concert. He has since quickly apologized, been fined and talked to his teammates about the incident. While we’ve heard the Eagles players reaction, we’re now hearing Kenny Chesney speak out.
“I’m as shocked as anyone to see the video of Riley Cooper that’s started circulating on the internet. I don’t believe in discrimination in any form, and I think using language like that is not only unacceptable, it is hateful beyond words,” Chesney said.
One bad apple isn’t representative of the whole crowd.
“To judge an entire audience by one loud mouth isn’t fair . . . not to the NFL, not to the city of Philadelphia and that awesome crowd, not to my band and crew and certainly not to me, who believes music is about bringing people together for friendship and forgetting about the things in life that bring you down,” Chesney said, via LZ Granderson of ESPN. “The music I make is about living life, loving life and loving everybody — no matter who they are. That’s how I was raised, and what someone else does or says doesn’t reflect who I am or what my fans stand for.”
Cooper went on stage with Chesney, but he downplayed that saying it’s a courtesy he extends to local athletes when he’s on tour.
“I don’t know everything about every player who comes to our shows,” Chesney said. “We invite the teams in the places where we play, and I’ve found the guys from the NFL are some of the most inspiring people I meet all year. They give back to their communities, work with children, hospitals and various charities, as well as raising awesome families.”