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Raiders-Cowboys practice gets heated

By WTOP Staff

JOSH DUBOW
AP Sports Writer

OXNARD, Calif. (AP) — The joint practice between the Oakland Raiders and Dallas Cowboys went just about how the coaches scripted it Tuesday with high intensity in an emotional environment.

Then things went a bit over the line when a hard hit by Dallas cornerback Morris Claiborne on Oakland tight end Mychal Rivera led to a brawl that nearly spilled over into the stands and featured a Raiders fan swinging a helmet at a Cowboys player and cornerback B.W. Webb retaliating with a swing at the fan.

“It’s definitely a dangerous situation,” Webb said. “I don’t know why fans would want to jump on this side of the fence. I don’t think they’d like it too much on this side.”

But even that brawl and a smaller one on the other field involving Cowboys running back J.C. Copeland and Raiders linebacker Justin Cole couldn’t mar the day.

“I don’t like the fights. I want to come out and practice football,” Raiders coach Dennis Allen said. “We don’t have any time for that, and we certainly don’t want to get anybody injured in fisticuffs. I thought both teams came out and competed and got a lot of good work in.”

Cowboys owner Jerry Jones praised the enthusiasm and atmosphere of the practice that was watched by 8,326 fans, many of whom lined up early in the morning for the chance to watch.

“It was hard to believe that this was a practice,” Jones said.

The practice was more physical than anticipated with players frequently being brought down to the turf despite both coaches saying before it started that they did not want any live tackling.

But after nearly three weeks of practicing against each other, the players were excited for the chance to hit players in another jersey.

That’s how the first brawl started. Claiborne felt as if Rivera lowered his shoulder to try to break a tackle so he responded by throwing Rivera to the ground.

That raised the ire of Raiders receiver Greg Little, who came flying in to protect his teammate, leading to the fight on the sideline in front of a boisterous group of Raiders fans.

Players even ran over from the other field to get involved before everything was broken up.

“When I came to the sideline, guys were still talking about it and talking about how it amped them up,” Claiborne said. “It should have happened a little earlier in practice and maybe we would have gotten a little more noise out here.”

This was a homecoming of sorts for the Raiders, who held training camp at this exact site from 1985-95.

Celebrities such as Magic Johnson and Tommy Lasorda even came out for festivities.

The Raiders had many fans from their time in Los Angeles on hand and officials were extra careful to keep the two teams’ supporters on opposite sides of the field.

The Raiders fans seemed to outnumber the Cowboys supporters and there were derogatory chants from both sides and a chant from Raiders fans of “Bring them back! Bring them back!” in hopes of a possible return to Los Angeles.

“It’s a reality check for all the new guys who thought they knew what the Raider nation was all about,” Raiders fullback Marcel Reece said. “They’d heard the stories and put on the jersey one time for a preseason game, and it’s a reality check for them. They have no idea what it is, and they come here to another team’s training camp and they out-show their fans.”

The teams will hold another joint practice on Wednesday.

NOTES: Raiders TE Nick Kasa injured his left knee when he got tangled up with Cowboys S Ryan Smith in a drill. Allen said Kasa will have an MRI to determine how much damage there is. … Oakland owner Mark Davis said he had no discussions with Cowboys owner Jerry Jones about his recent visit to San Antonio when he met with city officials. The Raiders are in the final year of their lease in Oakland and are looking for a new stadium.

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AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and www.twitter.com/AP_NFL

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
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