Youre not supposed to remember a breakfast with college friends that took place 25 years ago, but as Michael Gottlieb, Mike Rosenberg, Allen Lynch and W. Chip Eggers walk into the Local Yolk in Manhattan Beach, they immediately gravitate toward the same booth where they sat in 1994.

The old friends joke they have a hard time remembering what they had for breakfast yesterday, but remember every detail of the meals they ate when the idea for what would become Westcoast Sports Associates (WSA) was hatched over coffee, bacon and eggs.

We recognized there was a big void for youth sports in L.A. and we thought maybe we could help out and do our part, Rosenberg said. We had all been dealt a lucky hand in life and the commonality between us was the life lessons we learned from sports. We felt we had an obligation to give back.

Gottlieb, Rosenberg and Lynch graduated from UCLA while Eggers graduated from USC in the early 1980s. Theyre 57 years old now and have become successful businessmen outside of sports. None of them were accomplished athletes, but all believe the foundation for their success began in youth sports.

One of Lynchs business mentors was Steve Soboroff, who is currently the commissioner of the Los Angeles Police Commission but was then president of the Los Angeles Recreation and Parks Commission. Soboroff told him what they lacked was sports programs.

People talk about under-served kids, but these kids arent served at all, Lynch said Soboroff told him. They have no chance to participate in sports and get positive reinforcement and positive direction in their life. Many are on the freeway to jail, and sports programs funded by WSA can serve as an offramp.

Lynch toured several parks and quickly centered his focus on Jim Gilliam Recreational Center in South Los Angeles.

It had become an unsafe place to be, Lynch said. They were trying to get sports programs to drive kids back into the park and keep them away from bad influences.

WSA was founded as a nonprofit organization in 1995 with the goal to give economically disadvantaged children in Southern California the opportunity to play sports. The organization has awarded nearly $4 million since its inception and allocates more than $250,000 each year in grant funding to community-based partners. The funds help more than 10,000 kids each year play sports ranging from basketball and baseball to soccer and softball.

The biggest fundraising event for the foundation is an annual gala, which takes place Sunday at the Beverly Hilton and will honor Angels great and Hall of Famer Rod Carew. The inaugural event took place in 1995 and honored broadcaster Roy Firestone, who was contacted by Eggers friend and former USC quarterback Paul McDonald. When the event was over, McDonald suggested creating the Roy Firestone Award and making him a permanent part of the organization.

Roy was so great, and WSA needed someone like that in order for it to succeed, McDonald said. We couldnt cold call Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, who became an honoree. We didnt have a chance. This organization doesnt exist or certainly wouldnt be as successful without Roy.

Firestone has booked award recipients such as John Wooden, Vin Scully, Wayne Gretzky, Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus. Instead of having them accept the award and make a short speech, Firestone sits down with them and stages a long-form interview similar to his Up Close show on ESPN.

Im so proud of what we do, Firestone said. Its under the radar. I personally contact the honorees and acquire the sports memorabilia we auction off. Im hands on. I literally go to framers to get things framed. I dont know what my legacy is in broadcasting, but I hope this will be my legacy.

The four friends who wanted to raise money for youth sports when they sat down for breakfast 25 years ago now laugh when they look at the list of honorees going into Sundays event.

It still doesnt seem real, Eggers said. But you know its real when you talk to the kids involved with the programs. Thats the best part.

::

Whenever the Chargers have a home game in which the opposing fans take over, theres talk of moving the team back to San Diego, their home of 56 years. It makes sense, but theres simply no putting the toothpaste back in that tube. Its off the brush, spit out and already down the drain with the mouthwash.

The Chargers didnt move to L.A. because of the fans, theyre here to move into a new $5-billion stadium with lease terms as favorable as those they enjoyed at Qualcomm Stadium, where they also were tenants along with another team.

Look at Los Angeles 21 years without the NFL. The city lost two teams controlled by frugal owners who failed to get the public to pay for their new stadiums. The NFL returned when a billionaire, Stan Kroenke, gained control of the Ramsand then privately financed a new stadium. Maybe someone will come along and convince the Spanos family to sell the Chargers for at least $3 billion and move them from the second-biggest media market in the country to the 29th and privately finance a stadium.

That scenario doesnt seem possible for at least two decades. The Chargers have a 20-year lease to play at SoFi Stadium, which is opening next year, with options to extend it for another 20 years. Beyond the lease, the Chargers are tied to the new stadium through naming rights, advertisements, personal seat licenses and jointly sold suites.

For example, when SoFi became the naming-rights partner of the new stadium for 20 years, it also became an official partner of the Rams and Chargers. Similarly, when American Airlines became the naming-rights partner of the stadiums plaza, it also became the teams official airline. When Pepsi was recently named the official soft drink for the stadium, it also became the teams official soft drink.

This doesnt even take into account the fact that the Chargers are obligated to pay NFL owners a $650-million relocation fee over the next 10 years for the right to play in Los Angeles. It would be hard to imagine them doing that only to relocate to San Diego.

San Diego deserves an NFL team, but the chances of it being the Chargers are remote at best.

::

Its no surprise the Lakers with LeBron James and Anthony Davis enter this season with the most expensive ticket in the NBA at an average price of $286.97, according to TickPick, a secondary ticket marketplace. The Clippers made the biggest jump from last season to this season, with the average price of a home game jumping 209% after adding Kawhi Leonard and Paul George. Theyre currently fifth in average price at $173.97.

The Lakers are the most popular ticket on the road with an average price of $290.18, followed by the Clippers at $202.93. The cheapest ticket for Tuesdays season opener between the Clippers and Lakers is $150 with the get-in price for their Christmas Day rematch starting at $250.

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How four friends made plans over breakfast to aid L.A. youth - Los Angeles Times

It's critical that you get started on the right foot with new employees by developing an onboarding process that makes them excited -- not bored by the idea of working for your company.

October14, 20196 min read

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

The following excerpt is from Caroline Stokess book Elephants Before Unicorns. Buy it now from Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Apple Books | IndieBound

An impersonal, grindingly slow onboarding process is an unnecessary elephant keeping your unicorns (aka star employees) from reaching their full potential. Think of the excitement you felt when you got the yes from your new hire. Think of the excitement the new hire feels. Her enthusiasm and passion are likely what impressed you when you met her. But now, all that energy grinds to a halt.

You want to take advantage of your new hires excitement and work to maximize it. You can do this from day one. Here are some tips to make the onboarding process more personal -- and a lot more enjoyable.

Related: The Biggest Mistake You Can Make When Hiring for a Job (and How to Fix It)

No one likes to waste time with repetitive data entry. Look into software to streamline your onboarding so that new hires dont have to reenter information theyve already given you.

Just because you and your unicorn are now in a committed working relationship doesnt mean you should stop treating him with special care. How can you make your new hires first day memorable? Does your company have a quirky tradition that gets everyone in a loose, silly mood? Are you near an especially cool part of the city to which your new hire and his teammates can take a little field trip? You only have one first day at a new job. Do what you can to make your unicorns experience special from day one.

aving a connection to someone -- even a slight one -- can ease anxiety before a new venture begins. Is it possible for you to connect your new hire to their teammates before they start, via social media or some other tool? How can you encourage and incentivize your current team to reach out to the unicorn before his start date? Be creative.

If done right (rather than in a way that scares the new hire, the existing team, or both), your efforts can do more than simply make your unicorn feel welcome. If he feels more at home from the beginning, your unicorn is likely to deliver on his potential faster.

Related: Navigating Your Best Leadership Path with EQ

Lets take that previous suggestion a step further. Rather than just connecting a new hire to his team before day one, what else can be accomplished before the start date? If you dont yet have technology that allows for a quick and easy, automated paperwork crunch, can you have your new hire fill out these forms before his first day? Just like a doctors office asks new patients to fill out forms ahead of their visit, you can have new hires get their paperwork out of the way before beginning work. Other information to consider delivering to the new employee before day one includes:

The more information your unicorn has, the more in control of the process he will feel.

Hiring managers should consider developing a system for receiving feedback on the onboarding process, which will serve two purposes. First, candid feedback on whats working and what isnt will help you continually improve. Second, your unicorn will feel like his input is welcome from the very beginning. This will only work, of course, if youre actually interested in the new hires feedback and communicate this openly. Most people are scared to give criticism, no one more so than a brand-new employee. Yet the faster you can get to a place of honest sharing with your new hire, the more quickly youll be able to drive toward goals together.

I once coached a new hire at a large tech company who had worked there for months without meeting with the hiring manager. Everyone was plowing ahead with the best intentions, attempting to do their work without actually having formed relationships. In cases like these, its helpful to have a coach or another third party say, Everybody STOP! I was able to fill this role, reminding the chief people officer that the new hire was an actual person! Without this official coming together time, that hiring manager might have simply viewed my client as a number on a spreadsheet (How much are we spending on this person, anyway? Is he really worth it?) rather than as a teammate whose personal success is crucial to the larger success of the company.

Related: Are You Wasting Employees' Talent? Here's How to Know

Everyone needs a coach in their first 100 days, although this will look different depending on your level in the company. CEOs need an executive coach. For lower-level employees, a mentor is a must. The key is for all parties -- the new hire, the mentor/coach, and the boss -- to come together and determine what metrics they are going to hold themselves to. What will success in the first 100 days look like? How will it be measured? In what areas does the new hire need to grow, and how can a coach help her get where she needs to be? Then regularly set aside some time -- at least once a week -- so that the new hire can have sessions with her coach or mentor.

Can you imagine how connected and supported your unicorn would feel with this system as part of the onboarding process? With seasoned professionals, there can often be a dangerous assumption that weve all done this before. The new hire will be fine on her own and will reach out if she really needs help. The bigger the job, the less importance is given to onboarding. But you cant skip this crucial step. Employees who have strong relationships at work are more likely to stay and achieve their potential. The best way to help your unicorn feel supported is by showing her from day one that her team has her back.

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Why It's Time to Dump Your Outdated and Impersonal Onboarding Process - Entrepreneur

DALLAS (PRWEB) October 19, 2019

Dallas Citizens Council will host its annual meeting at the Hyatt Regency Hotel on Dec. 5, 2019 at 11:30 a.m. This years meeting will feature retired four-star general and 26th U.S. Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis, and The Carlyle Groups Co-Executive Chairman and Bloomberg and PBS host, David Rubenstein.

It is an honor for Dallas Citizens Council to welcome such distinguished guests at this years annual meeting, said Fred Perpall, Dallas Citizens Council chairman and The Beck Group CEO. General Mattis and Mr. Rubenstein are both well respected on an international level, and we look forward to hearing their insightful perspectives and experiences in leadership, success and todays political landscape.

Now in its 81st year, Dallas Citizens Councils annual meeting provides an opportunity to share the organizations policy priorities in Dallas and North Texas and to host admired leaders. Past speakers of the event include Secretaries of State Rex Tillerson and James Baker, JPMorgan Chases CEO Jamie Dimon, CBS News Bob Schieffer and Scott Pelley, former PepsiCo Chairman and CEO Indra Nooyi, and former University of Texas Chancellor and retired Navy Admiral William McRaven.

Individual tickets start at $100 per person, with corporate and individual sponsorship opportunities available from $3,750. To purchase sponsorships, tickets, or for more information, visit https://dallascitizenscouncil.org/annualmeeting. The annual meeting is expected to attract more than 1,000 attendees who will hear the speakers discuss their path to personal success.

About Dallas Citizens CouncilSince 1937, Dallas Citizens Council has provided leadership on the issues that move Dallas forward. A non-profit organization, its membership consists of more than 150 CEOs and top business leaders in the area. The organizations purpose is to lead and serve in the moments that matter most for the people of Dallas. For more information, visit http://www.dallascitizenscouncil.org.

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Dallas Citizens Council Welcomes 26th US Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis and The Carlyle Group's David Rubenstein for a Conversation on Leadership and...

Blake Shelton is bringing his friends and heroes back on the road again in 2020! The country superstar has announced the cities and dates for his Friends and Heroes 2020 Tour.

As he did in 2019, Shelton is bringing along special guest Lauren Alaina, along with support acts the Bellamy Brothers, John Anderson and Trace Adkins. The new tour is set to launch on Feb. 13 in Portland, Ore., and it will visit 16 cities before wrapping up in Detroit on March 21.

The Friends and Heroes Tour was so exciting and successful last year that I couldnt imagine not trying something like that again, Shelton says in a press release. Even though every night when the show wrapped, I would tell the audience that they might never see something like this again, with these legends, my plan all along was to at least try to make that happen."

Shelton wasn't sure he'd be able to pull together the same lineup again, so he's especially pleased to be able to bring the same show into new markets.

"We were only able to do a handful of shows last year, so were going to take the tour to different areas so that fans will get a chance to see what we did," he states. "I feel like it was the best concert experience that Ive ever been involved in, and Im ready to get fired up again.

Shelton is also releasing a new album titled Fully Loaded: Gods Country, on Dec. 13. The project features seven hits from previous albums and five new tracks, including "God's Country," Shelton's current single Hell Right," which features Adkins, and another new song titled "Jesus Got a Tight Grip."

Tickets for Shelton's Friends and Heroes 2020 Tour will go on sale in most cities on Oct. 25 at 10AM local time. Tickets for the shows in Los Angeles, Wichita and Detroit will go on sale at 10AM local time on Nov. 1. For more information regarding VIP packages and a special pre-sale, visit Shelton's official website.

Feb. 13 Portland, Ore. @ Moda CenterFeb. 14 Tacoma, Wash. @ Tacoma DomeFeb. 15 Spokane, Wash. @ Spokane ArenaFeb. 20 Bakersfield, Calif. @ Mechanics Bank ArenaFeb. 21 Fresno, Calif. @ Save Mart CenterFeb. 22 Sacramento, Calif. @ Golden 1 CenterFeb. 27 Salt Lake City, Utah @ Vivint Smart Home ArenaMarch 5 Glendale, Calif. @ Gila River ArenaMarch 6 San Diego, Calif. @ Pechanga ArenaMarch 7 Los Angeles, Calif. @ The ForumMarch 11 Wichita, Kan. @ INTRUST Bank ArenaMarch 12 Omaha, Neb. @ CHI Health CenterMarch 14 Denver, Colo. @ Pepsi CenterMarch 19 Chicago, Ill. @ Allstate ArenaMarch 20 Milwaukee, Wisc. @ Fiserv ForumMarch 21 Detroit, Mich. @ Little Caesars Arena

See Blake Shelton Through the Years

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Blake Shelton Plots Friends and Heroes 2020 Tour - Taste of Country

RESTON, Va.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Ellucian, the worlds leading provider of software and services built to power higher education, today published the findings of its new survey, Course Correction: Helping Students Find and Follow a Path to Success. The Ellucian survey, conducted in partnership with Market Connections, queried 1,000 U.S. students currently enrolled in two- or four-year public and private college programs.

The survey found that college students, especially those in Generation Z, struggle to pick a major, which increases the time and cost associated with obtaining a degree. Many incoming students are not confident in their career path and almost two-thirds of students feel overwhelmed by the process of selecting a major. The result can be that students change their majors without understanding the ramifications, take unnecessary courses and delay their expected graduation, sometimes by multiple semesters.

Students are looking for more support when choosing a major, selecting courses that work towards completion and transferring from a two-year to a four-year institution. While students most often turn to advisors for help, pathways approaches can simplify choices for students by providing structured, clear paths through college coursework and on to the start of their careers. Additionally, personalized technology tools can ensure that students have clarity into their individual goals and the requirements needed to achieve them.

The right technology can help bring institutions into the digital future, both encouraging and augmenting human interaction to better support students as they work towards their goals. Email nudges and predictive analytics help advisors better serve students needs with more frequent and personalized communication. Students also showed interest in virtual one-stop shops for all of their registration, advising and other administrative needs and an online what-if tool for majors and degrees that allows them to best plan their path to completion under any given circumstances.

Many students feel overwhelmed and confused about selecting a major, which ends up costing them serious time and moneyand for some students a one semester delay could put them off the track to completion entirely, said Ellucian Senior Vice President of Digital Transformation Kari Branjord. Its essential that institutions look at pathways approaches alongside technologies that scale the student-advisor relationship to help guide students as they work towards their personal successful outcomes.

The Findings

Todays college students are confused and anxious when it comes to selecting a major.

Changing majors increases the time and cost associated with obtaining a degree.

Students rely on advisors for support when choosing classes but could use more attention when transferring.

Students are finding value in pathway approaches and technologies that provide structure, clarity, and personalization.

To learn more, read the full survey report.

About Ellucian

Ellucian is the market leader charting the digital future of higher education with a portfolio of cloud-ready technology solutions and services. From student recruitment to workforce analytics; from fundraising opportunities to alumni engagement; Ellucians comprehensive suite of data-rich tools gives colleges and universities the information they need to lead with confidence.

Working with a community of more than 2,550 institutions in over 50 countries, Ellucian keeps innovating as higher education keeps evolving. Drawing on its comprehensive higher education business acumen and suite of services, Ellucian guides its customers through manageable, sustainable digital transformationso that every type of institution and student can thrive in todays fast-changing landscape. To find out whats next in higher education solutions and services, visit Ellucian at http://www.ellucian.com.

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New Survey: Student Confusion Selecting Majors Increases Higher Education Cost and Time to Earn Degree - Business Wire

(CNN/WINK News)

Representative Francis Rooney (R-FL) announced Saturday that he would not be running for re-election in 2020.

Rep. Francis Rooney is one of the few Republicans in the House of Representatives who seems open to the impeachment of President Donald Trump.

Rooney, a member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee at the center of the inquiry, said Friday that he had not yet come to a conclusion on whether the President committed a crime that compels his removal from office, a striking view among House Republicans defensive of Trump.

The Florida Republican said that Mick Mulvaney, the acting White House chief of staff, confirmed Thursday what Trump had denied, that the President engaged in a quid pro quo with Ukraine. Rooney also said he was eager to learn from the witnesses coming in next week.

Every time one of these ambassadors comes and talks, we learn a lot more, the congressman said.

Rooney is not a typical rank-and-file House Republican. Before winning his first election in 2016, the 65-year-old wealthy businessmans company oversaw construction projects including not only the presidential libraries for both George H. W. Bush and George W. Bush, and the stadiums for the Texas Rangers, Dallas Cowboys and Houston Texans, but the Capitol Visitors Center, where the witnesses of the investigation dash to enter a secure facility and give their testimonies. He is on now at least his third career, after serving as the US ambassador to the Holy See under the last GOP president.

He knows that speaking out against Trump may end his career as a Republican in Congress, but he wants to see where the investigation leads. The President has gone after other critics from his own party, including Sen. Mitt Romney of Utah, whom Trump in one Twitter post called a pompous ass.' He added #IMPEACHMITTROMNEY on another. But Rooney doesnt seem to be concerned.

Whats he going to do to me? He can say bad things but its it just is what it is, said the congressman. Lets just let the facts speak.

Rooney did acknowledge that some Republicans might be afraid of being rebuked by the party if they expressed skepticism about the President, saying it might be the end of things for medepending on how things go.

I didnt take this job to keep it, he said.

After receiving a government whistleblowers complaint last month, Democrats have alleged Trump used his public office for personal gain, holding up $391 million in military aid to Ukraine and then pressuring its leader on a July 25 phone call to investigate both a political rival and a conspiracy theory related to the 2016 election.

Theyve been particularly focused on the first ask, an investigation into former Vice President Joe Biden and his son Hunter, who sat on the board of a Ukrainian energy company, Burisma Holdings, whose owner had been probed by the former Ukrainian general prosecutor. There is no evidence of wrongdoing by either Joe or Hunter Biden.

They launched an impeachment inquiry in the House, gathering evidence from text messages between US diplomats and the sworn testimony of current and former officials. Other key witnesses are expected to testify in private before the House panels next week.

But so far, few Republicans have joined Democrats in even considering that the President committed a crime. Many GOP congressmen say there was no quid pro quo between Trump and Volodymyr Zelensky on that now-famous July call, while others say Trumps conduct was inappropriate but not impeachable.

Rooney had been a defender of the President following the investigation of Russian interference of the 2016 election. In December 2017, Rooney said he was pretty frustrated with FBI officials whom he believed displayed bias during the probe.

Now he is still thinking about whether the Presidents actions regarding Ukraine rose to a high crime or misdemeanor.

Im not considering anything right now other than getting all the facts and learning more about it, Rooney said. Im a business guy, okay? Im used to being open to all points of view and making the best decision I can. But theres a lot of water still to flow down under the bridge on this thing.

Rooney has been a relatively obscure member in the halls of Congress, pushing for initiatives that would benefit his district, like more funding for the Herbert Hoover Dike and Everglades restoration, while discussing US foreign policy through his perch on the relevant committee. Like other Republicans in Congress, Rooney recently criticized Trumps decision to pull US troops from northern Syria as a huge mistake.

Republican Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart of Florida said Rooney is a total straight-shooter.

Hes not here to waste time, he added.

Hes in the minority of the House, and neither a rabble-rouser nor a part of the leadership team. When asked by a reporter if he had any anecdotes to share about Rooney, Rep. Charlie Crist, a Democrat of Florida, asked whether the article would be for the local newspaper.

Rooney has carved out a reputation for not being shy in breaking from the party, particularly on environmental issues. Hes one of the few House Republicans devoted to combating climate change. He supports a tax on carbon emissions and is a critic of the states sugar industry. And he is one of about a dozen House Republicans to vote against Trumps emergency declaration diverting billions of dollars away from military construction projects towards the wall.

A House Republican leadership aide told CNN, Rooney has always been somewhat of a rogue member and the idea that the views hes expressing here are felt by a wider swath of House Republicans should be dismissed.

Rooney is free from much political pressure due in part to his vast personal wealth, driven by his success as the CEO of the investment company Rooney Holdings, the majority owner of Manhattan Construction Company.

The transition from business to elected official has not been entirely pleasant. Rooney has raised barely anything for his next congressional race and said Friday that he planned on deciding whether hed run again next month.

This is kind of a frustrating job for me, Rooney said. I come from a world of action, decisions, putting your money down and seeing what happens. This is a world of talk. Its very difficult for me to just stand up and talk.

The congressmans experience as a former ambassador in the George W. Bush administration has given him an appreciation for the witnesses who come before him. He said hes eager to hear from acting ambassador to Ukraine Bill Taylor next week, whom he called a very well respected career diplomat.

Taylor suggested in text messages released to the House investigation that Trump was holding back the package of military aid to Ukraine to influence Zelensky. Trumps personal lawyer, Rudy Giuliani, led the effort to pressure Ukraine to investigate Trumps political rivals, not career State officials.

Its painful to me to see this kind of amateur diplomacy, riding roughshod over our State Department apparatus, Rooney said. Ive got great respect for the professional diplomats that protect America around the world.

When asked about the State Department officials coming in as witnesses, Rooney said these are not partisan people but professional diplomats.

Rooney has also taken issue with Mulvaneys defense of the Presidents actions. The acting White House chief of staff said on Thursday that the Trump administration held up the money for Ukraine because the President wanted to investigate corruption related to a conspiracy theory involving the whereabouts of the Democratic National Committees computer server hacked by Russians during the last presidential campaign.

Democrats have argued that even if no favors were exchanged, Trump committed an impeachable offense in asking a foreign country to interfere in a US election. But Mulvaneys comments undermined a key GOP stance that the Presidents actions were not impeachable, asserting that there was no quid pro quo and the aid eventually went through to Ukraine. Hours after the news conference on Thursday, Mulvaney released a statement reversing his prior comments.

Rooney said Friday he was shocked by Mulvaneys initial comments.

The only thing I can assume is he meant what he had to say that there was a quid pro quo on this stuff, said Rooney, adding that Mulvaney could not change his position.

Its not an Etch A Sketch, said Rooney.

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Rep. Francis Rooney will not seek re-election in 2020 - Wink News

When he came into the league in 2017, cornerback Shaquill Griffin wasnt asked to be one of the leaders in the locker room for the Seahawks defense. And honestly, he didn't need to be.

With "Legion of Boom" members Earl Thomas, Kam Chancellor, and Richard Sherman still residing in the secondary, Griffin was able to work on his own game learning from the veterans and didnt have to focus on helping and teaching his teammates.

However, with Thomas and Sherman now playing for different teams and Chancellor retired, Griffin has transitioned into a leader for his secondary counterparts to rely on. Along with aiming to develop into one of the better all-around corners in the league, Griffin is also attempting to become a better man, which has become a very meaningful trait for the third-year pro.

I feel like I was being selfish in a way. Ive never been that type of guy, nowhere in my life have I ever been selfish. I feel like thinking the way I was thinking last year was kind of selfish, Griffin said before Thursdays practice. I feel like I had to change the way I was thinking for myself. Not just helping me become a better player, but a better person, a better man."

"Thats the type of mindset I was thinking in the offseason. I brought it into this season. Putting others before myself. Thats the type of mindset I came in with.

Griffin continued to say he prioritized his personal stats over focusing on what he could do to help his football team. The Central Florida graduate made it a priority to come into this new season with a changed mindset, wanting to help and encourage his teammates to succeed as well as focusing on his own success at the same time.

I feel like my last couple of years was about how many stats I had, or what I could get. Instead of keeping my focus on What can I do for this team, or how can I help this team win, Griffin said. Even if it was in practice, making the guy across from me better, or just doing what I need to do right for my play to make sure everything goes correctly. Thats the type of mindset that I brought in this year.

Specifically, Griffin has really enjoyed watching his teammates enjoy so much success through the Seahawks first six games of the season. As Griffin told reporters, not focusing on just himself has actually driven the 24-year old to play even better.

Not just myself, seeing Tre Flowers having the first pick of his career, things like that motivate me even more, Griffin said. Im having fun seeing those guys make plays. That just comes from not thinking of myself, being selfless, and watching guys do great.

Playing with an improved mindset has certainly benefited Griffin so far this season. Starting all six games for Seattle, he has recorded a total of 25 tackles along with six crucial pass deflections, including one that led to an interception by Tedric Thompson last Sunday in Cleveland.

With the Seahawks set to take on the 4-1 AFC North division-leading Ravens on Sunday, Griffin will need to play a major role in defending an explosive offense led by dual-threat quarterback Lamar Jackson. With there being a chance veteran safety Bradley McDougald won't be able to play, his newly-discovered leadership skills should come in quite handy.

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'Less Selfish' CB Shaquill Griffin Thriving On and Off the Field for Seahawks - Sports Illustrated

Over the past few decades, computers have changed the way pretty much every workplace does business. But in the early 1980s, that wasn't quite the case, as you were still far more likely to see an office full of typewriters than a computer on every desk.

At the time, Apple and its co-founder, Steve Jobs, were trying to change that. Jobs wanted to revolutionize the workplace by making computers more affordable and easier to use.

And according to an Inc. cover story that ran in October 1981 but was recently resurfaced by the magazine, Jobs envisioned a future with computers on every worker's desk, a progressive culture where technology creates more opportunities for employees and a workplace without secretaries.

In 1980, according to Inc., Apple's then-president Mike Scott sent out an office memo: "EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY!! NO MORE TYPEWRITERS ARE TO BE PURCHASED, LEASED, etc., etc. Apple is an innovative company. We must believe and lead in all areas. If word processing is so neat, then let's all use it! Goal: by 1-1-81, NO typewriters at Apple... We believe the typewriter is obsolete. Let's prove it inside before we try and convince our customers."

In addition to leading by example, Jobs who later became notorious for being a divisive boss, who could inspire employees one minute and tear them down the next also paintedthe decisionto stop using typewriters as an effort to improve workplace culture for Apple's then roughly 2,200 employees. (Today, the company has 130,000 employees.)

"Not only do our area associates have the freedom to do more rewarding, enriching tasks, they have the chance to get involved in solving problems that can ultimately affect the success of the entire company," Jobs told the magazine at the time.

It's also worth noting that, much like today, the issue of an automated workplace replacing human workers was already raising concerns. But Jobs said personal computers would open up new opportunities for employees while allowing them to work more efficiently.

(While that may be true, experts also cite ill effects of automation since the '80s, and there is debate as to what will happen moving forward. A 2017 McKinsey & Company report says up to a third of the U.S. workforce may need to find a new job due to automation by 2030, while a 2017 Gartner report says artificial intelligence will create more jobs than it eliminates.)

In addition to phasing out typewriters, Apple also eliminated the job title "secretary" at the company, replacing it with "area associate" a term the company felt better represented the wider range of job duties employees could perform with a personal computer, according to Inc.

Jobs even likened the personal computer to products that were then considered innovative: "In the past 15 years, there have been only a few tools that have actually increased the efficiency of the office worker the IBM Selectric typewriters, the calculator, the Xerox copier, and the newer, advanced phone systems," Jobs told the magazine.

Jobs and Scott were clearly correct in predicting the computer would replace typewriters, and it was far from the only time the Apple co-founder made a big prediction that eventually came true.

In 1985, Jobs predicted the eventual rise of home computer usage, and the use of computers for entertainment rather than just work projects, in an interview with Playboy. The tech icon also predicted that people would one day buy computers for the primary purpose of connecting them "into a nationwide communications network," aka the modern internet.

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In 1981, this was Steve Jobs' vision for the office of the future - CNBC

In 1969, hippies in Eugene did not trust the cops. More than that, they wanted a community service of their own. So a ragtag collective of like-minded activists, medics and social workers founded the White Bird Clinic.

When the prospect of the groups emergency response team working with the police to start the program CAHOOTS came up 20 years later, there was some uncertainty.

We were a bunch of hippies, and actually a fairly anarchistic bunch of hippies, said David Zeiss, a co-founder of CAHOOTS. It was really an interesting question, whether we could forge a working relationship with Eugene Police Department.

Despite original trepidation, the organizations now 30-year-old mobile crisis-response program, an odd marriage of police resources and counterculture philosophies, has found such success that leadership from nearly 20 cities has contacted the program to get a hold of its blueprint.

CAHOOTS stands for Crisis Assistance Helping Out On The Streets, but its a bit tongue-in-cheek. While the White Bird Clinicfrom its founding had unofficial relationships between police departments in the area and its mobile crisis teams, the birth of CAHOOTS marked the formal beginning of an unlikely pair.

After much hesitation and discussion on our side and probably a lot of hesitation and discussion on the police side also although they didn't share all that with us and we didn't share our discussions with them we decided to give it a try, Zeiss said.

Dispatched through the Eugene police-fire-ambulance communications center and through the Springfield non-emergency number, CAHOOTS provides a unique response to non-violent situations. In mostly 12-hour shifts, teams made up of a medic and a crisis worker respond to urgent medical or psychological crises. They attend to people suffering with addiction, disoriented people, mental health emergencies and sometimes homeless people in danger of getting a ticket, in order to assess, aid and make a plan to help. Between the two cities it serves, CAHOOTS responds to around 23,000 calls a year.

On July 4, 1989, CAHOOTS began its first shift funded by EPD with a second-hand beat-up van. When emergency dispatch received calls that required help but not law enforcement, they routed the call to CAHOOTS. At first, the group worked 40 hours a week, and they have since expanded to 24-hour service, four crisis vans and a total of nearly 50 employees.

The odd couple

Oftentimes, law enforcement has been thrust into the mental health field, said Sgt. Rick Lewis, the Springfield Police Departments CAHOOTS coordinator. (People) are calling for police because who else do you call, but clearly, itd be more beneficial for CAHOOTS to show up.

CAHOOTS relationship with EPD was fundamental to its creation, but it hadnt officially joined Springfield Police until 2015 when Lane County provided a grant for the program. Lewis said CAHOOTS has more flexibility when it responds to a crisis situation; the police can only transport people in handcuffs.

We're the police, we're not a taxi or an ambulance, Lewis said. Were being put into these situations more and more where we're dealing with mental health, transients or homeless people seeking services, etcetera. You can see where that becomes problematic.

Lewis, along with other public safety leadership, said the police are overwhelmed responding to issues that dont concern law enforcement and people who dont pose a threat to anyone other than themselves. White Bird Administrative Coordinator Ben Brubaker said this includes mental health emergencies, issues around homeless and issues around addiction.

It's all fallen on them, any place that our system is broken, it falls to law enforcement, and they're equally frustrated and don't know what to do, Brubaker said.

Enter CAHOOTS, a nonprofit, non-government and non-police organization that wants to support anyone in crisis. It has the freedom to provide transportation, the bandwidth to follow-up with clients and rapport within disenfranchised communities.

Our staff is honored to support and bare witness to people in their darkest hours, said Kate Gillespie, a clinical coordinator for CAHOOTS.

Gillespie has worked for CAHOOTS for nine years. She said the program goes beyond being altruistic its cost effective. They take up a little more than 1% of the EPD budget but respond to around 17% of the calls they receive. The group estimates it's saved $6 million in medical services costs alone.

Tentative start

But the relationship between White Bird and police began tentatively. White Bird members built an alternative to policing. They were a safe place for those who didnt trust the cops. The oddity of the pairing was spelled out in the groupsirreverent name they were now in cahoots with the police.

However, CAHOOTS co-founder Zeiss said the new team came together surprisingly well.

There was some resistance from some of the officers at the start because they knew that money was being paid to CAHOOTS that could have gone to cover more uniformed police officers on the streets and they were skeptical of that, Zeiss said. So we sort of had to prove ourselves. ... It took maybe a year or two for the police and the wider community to get the idea of what CAHOOTS was and how they could use us.

Suspicions and separate philosophies aside, cops tired of responding to situations outside of their training ultimately welcomed the help. The relationship between CAHOOTS workers and police officers transformed beyond being workable. Some people have worked for CAHOOTS and moved to EPD, and vice-versa.

Shared experiences fostered a level of understanding and sympathy that have inextricably bound one group to the other.

We think they're great. They provide a different avenue than just handcuffs, Lewis from Springfield police said. We have limited resources. For patrol, we typically are only staffing six or seven officers out there for our city and so to have this different group, CAHOOTS, come in and have the additional time to spend with these folks to try to get resources and services to them, it's beneficial most importantly to the person, but also to the department and the city as a whole. So we love them.

Demand for CAHOOTS services has increased significantly over the years. In 2014, CAHOOTS responded to 9,662 calls. In 2018, CAHOOTS handled 17,440 EPD calls. Some calls require a joint response or CAHOOTS is requested at a police or fire call after it is determined its services are a better match for the particular situation. Between Springfield and Eugene, CAHOOTS responded to a total of 23,000 calls in 2018.

Spreading the good word

Leadership from nearly 20 cities including Austin, Chicago, Oakland, Denver, New York City and Portland has reached out to learn more about Eugene's unique partnership.

I would love to see other cities apply something similar, said Matthew Eads, an EMT crisis worker who works with CAHOOTS. It doesn't have to be exactly what we do because we've been doing it so long, our scope of what we do is pretty enormous. But definitely if cities were willing to at least try and institute some sort of crisis response, that would make a huge difference.

Eads has worked at CAHOOTS for more than a decade. After college, he was looking for a job as an EMT when he saw an advertised job for CAHOOTS. When he was a teenager, the group had helped a family member through a crisis. He has the three qualities that Brubaker said make up a trifecta in this line of work: technical knowledge in the area of medical and behavioral health, a belief in client-centered care and personal experience in crisis situations.

That helps to make sure that they bring the level of empathy and compassion to the work that we expect of our workers, and that that's a really tricky mix to sometimes find, Brubaker said.

CAHOOTS has spent 30 years getting to where it is gathering employees like Eads and fostering relationships with community groups but Brubaker isnt that worried other cities will need 30 years to achieve similar success. He said theyve tested, improved and tweaked the CAHOOTS model enough that they can confidently offer it to other cities.

It's about resource alignment and better use of resources," said Robert King, the senior policy advisor on public safety for Portland Mayor Andy Wheeler. "Given what we've seen at CAHOOTS, the effectiveness of that program, it has demonstrated to us that this alternative approach is a good one.

King said the Portland mayors interest in the model was piqued when he saw an article about CAHOOTS in Street Roots, a Portland newspaper and media source that advocates for people experiencing homelessness. In January, Mayor Wheeler visited Eugene to take a look at CAHOOTSs system. A coalition of public safety professionals and nonprofits still are in the report-writing phase but hope to make a recommendation to the city by next month. The Portland City Council has set aside $500,000 for a pilot program. CAHOOTS 2018 budget was $1.8 million.

King retired from the Portland Police Bureau as North Precinct commander in 2017 after a 27-year career. He described evolving understandings of policing and evolving community expectations that demand a new solution.

The city of Denveralso has been in the news for it efforts to implement a CAHOOTS-style model. Denver police and community service groups visited Eugene to shadow CAHOOTS teams in May.

When you're holding a hammer, every problem looks like a nail. Police are holding hammers, they have paramilitary training and legal training. And when you have a schizophrenic young man who is disoriented, neither of those hammers are actually applicable, said Roshan Bliss, co-chair of the police accountability nonprofit Denver Justice Project.

The nonprofit and other community organizations and Denver law enforcement are participating in working groups to try to develop a pilot process and eventually launch a permanent system.

Police reform advocates in Denver, along with many cities across the country, have been reflecting on the role of police and an increasingly urgent need to help people suffering with mental illnesses and addiction outside of the law.

When you call the police, they use their hammers and treat the problem like a nail, Bliss said. And what we're trying to do is create screwdrivers and wrenches and backhoes and all kinds of different tools that we might need to address the issues that come up in our community that can't be handled by police.

Follow Tatiana Parafiniuk-Talesnick on Twitter @TatianaSophiaPT. Email Tatiana@registerguard.com.

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DifferenceMakers Gather to Showcase Entrepreneurship Program

When and where: Wednesday, Oct. 16, 5:30 p.m. University Crossing, 220 Pawtucket St., Lowell

What: More than 100 UMass Lowell students, faculty, staff and alumni who participate in the DifferenceMaker program will share the stories behind successful businesses and nonprofits launched by students in all majors. Founded in 2012, the program has led to 33 companies and eight patents and last year, expanded to include the Rist DifferenceMaker Institute, which supports student co-ops, fellowships and competitions. Speakers at the event are expected to include Chancellor Jacquie Moloney and Steven Tello, UMass Lowell vice provost for graduate, online and professional studies, who together created the program, and alumnus Brian Rist, for whom the institute was named in recognition of his support for the program and UMass Lowell initiatives. Note: Registration for the public event is complete but the media is invited to cover it.

Perry Hall Plaza Opens to Campus and Public

When and where: Thursday, Oct. 17, 11 a.m., Perry Hall Plaza, North Campus, 1 University Ave., Lowell

What: UMass Lowell leaders, students, faculty and staff will open the new Perry Hall Plaza, the latest phase of the beautification of UMass Lowells North Campus. The plaza which features lawns and pedestrian-friendly walkways where there was once pavement and a parking lot is located outside Perry Hall and is named for alumnus Barry Perry and his wife, Janice, who have generously supported both the new plaza and the extensive renovations to the adjacent engineering building unveiled earlier this year, as well as student scholarships and other initiatives.

125th Celebration Salutes UMass Lowells Legacy, Present, Future

When and where: Thursday, Oct. 17, 5:30 p.m. UMass Lowell Inn & Conference Center, 50 Warren St., Lowell

What: UMass Lowells 125th anniversary celebration gala will honor the institutions history and look at whats to come for the university. Speakers are scheduled to include Chancellor Jacquie Moloney, UMass President Marty Meehan and Rob Manning, chairman of the UMass Board of Trustees, all of whom are UMass Lowell graduates. More than 400 people are expected to attend the event, which will include this years University Alumni Awards, recognizing eight UMass Lowell graduates who have gone on to professional and personal success. Note: The event is sold out, but members of the media are invited to cover it.

Event Unveils Rist Urban Agriculture Greenhouse and Farm

When and where: Friday, Oct. 18, 10:30 a.m. UMass Lowell East Campus, 69 Pawtucket St., Lowell

What: UMass Lowell will dedicate the Rist Urban Agriculture Greenhouse and Farm at an event that is scheduled to include an announcement about sustainability efforts by UMass Lowell, which ranks No. 1 among Massachusetts colleges and universities. The greenhouse and farm where UMass Lowell partners with community efforts including the Mill City Grows urban agriculture program is one of the university initiatives supported by alumnus Brian Rist, a Stoughton native who committed $5 million last year for sustainability, entrepreneurship and other programs. Speakers are scheduled to include Rist; John Lebeaux, commissioner of the Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources; and UMass Lowell representatives including Chancellor Jacquie Moloney. Mill City Grows will have its mobile market on site.

River Hawks Soar into Homecoming

What: One celebration for every generation, River Hawk Homecoming will mark UMass Lowells 125th anniversary with events for alumni, students, parents, faculty, staff, friends and the public. Unless otherwise noted, all events will be held at the Tsongas Center at UMass Lowell, 300 Martin Luther King Jr. Way, Lowell. Family friendly activities include:

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