Skip to main content

Houston’s Foster criticizes Thursday night games

By WTOP Staff

KRISTIE RIEKEN
AP Sports Writer

HOUSTON (AP) — Arian Foster isn’t a fan of Thursday night games, and doesn’t think anyone else is either.

Foster was asked what he thought about the midweek games as the Houston Texans prepare to meet AFC South foe Indianapolis in the weekly matchup this Thursday.

“Thursday night football is pretty — it’s annoying for players,” he said. “I don’t know one player that likes it. I really don’t know a fan that likes it, either. I think it’s just the league’s way of trying to generate more revenue.”

And Houston’s star running back, who is coming off a season-high 157 yards rushing in an overtime loss to the Cowboys, didn’t stop there.

“They emphasize concussions when they start getting hit with lawsuits and they care about the players’ safety, but Thursday night football is putting every player on the football field in danger,” he said, referring to the NFL. “Nobody is ready to play physically after a Sunday game. But you’ve got to go out there and do it.

Players around the league have long criticized the Thursday games and Green Bay offensive lineman Josh Sitton said he hated the game days before his team faced Minnesota in last week’s Thursday night game.

Since there is such a negative sentiment for the games around the league, the question becomes whether the NFL Players Association plans to approach the league about eliminating these games. Foster doesn’t think that would help.

“Union and the league kind of same thing, man,” Foster said. “So they do what they told.”

NFLPA President Eric Winston, who played for the Texans from 2006-2011, said that he would never discourage Foster from speaking out, and that he hopes he becomes more involved in the union. He also addressed Foster’s comment about the NFLPA and Thursday night games.

“We don’t take health and safety things lightly, and we always address such protocols as we see fit,” Winston said in an interview with The Associated Press. “We will always go with the medical data. If a majority of players say we need to get rid of this, it is not good, we are going to listen to this, and look into if it is time to make a change.”

Meanwhile, first-year Houston coach Bill O’Brien is trying to find ways to limit the stress on his players and their bodies this week. He noted that his team isn’t special and the Texans really can’t complain about midweek games since every team in the league has to do it once a year.

“You have to do a good job of making sure they get the proper amount of rest,” O’Brien said. “You really can’t have a very physical week as far as the practice field is concerned. It’s much more of a mental type of (preparation); trying to get ready for the game.”

The game is Houston’s first this season against a divisional opponent and with both teams entering the game with 3-2 records, the winner will have an early leg up on the AFC South race. Veteran left tackle Duane Brown agreed that the quick turnaround is tough, but said playing Indianapolis on Thursday should help.

“The good thing about the Colts is that we’re very familiar with them,” Brown said. “Of course you have a different game plan than we’ve had in years past, but as far as the personnel and things like that we kind of know what to expect. So that makes it a little bit easier, but it’s never easy.”

___

AP Pro Football Writer Barry Wilner contributed to this report from New York.

___

AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and http://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
Read Next Story

Related News

Frustration grows in Venezuela as earthquake death toll reaches 1,430

Israel and Lebanon sign framework agreement with US in ‘first step’ toward peace, Rubio says

Trump-endorsed populist poised to become Colombia’s next president as rival challenges vote