Kenny Britt doesnt sugarcoat it: Training camp and everything that comes with being an NFL player in the month of August is the toughest part of life as a professional football player

The ninth of Britts career wasnt any easier than the previous eight. Even with a modified practice schedule that limited his usage, Britt joked he can no longer just show up for the day ready to go, instead needing a warm-up before warm-ups to get his body right for the grind that awaits him.

Every ounce of motivation counts, and Britts family ensured he had more than enough to power through the dog days and come out as fresh as possible as he embarks on his first season with the Browns.

Britts wife, Sabrina, sent her husband off to training camp with a detailed care package. Along with various candies and snacks, Britt had an envelope to open each week. Themed for each chapter of training camp, the notes reminded Britt just how capable he was to make it to the end and reap the ultimate award of more time with his tight-knit family.

Training camp is the hardest part of playing this game, especially going year after year, Britt said. As your body tires down, it's a little motivation and stuff, little tips and reminders to get my mind right and go play.

She understands how training camp is and what my mindset is. She tries to plans everything out with my schedule so I can just focus on football and mainly football. She does a great job with the kids. Even the off-the-field stuff, family back home and taking care of the house.

The first note this year was titled Nervous, but the contents didnt match its title. Britt had nothing to fret.

Hey lets be honest. Are you ever really nervous? LOL no, Sabrina wrote. Thats because you are so sure of yourself and your capabilities as you should be. You have been cooking ... from Bayonne High to (Rutgers) and now here at the Browns.

On the final day, Britt opened an envelope titled The Ender.

You did it! You made it through training camp for the 9th time! Sheeeesh! We are all so proud of you and who you have become on and off the field.

Sabrina has been by Britts side for 11 years and the couple has been married for the past five. Their daughter, Ava, arrived when Britt was in the first stage of his career with the Tennessee Titans and is now old enough to make her own contributions to the care package.

Before a recent preseason game, Ava delivered Britt a box of cookies that came with a heart that said Love u Dad and a note of her own.

The game has become even more fun for Britt ever since Ava started understanding what he did for a living. She was at the center of a moment Britt describes as one of the best of his career in 2015, when he hand-delivered a ball to her after catching a 60-yard touchdown pass.

Before each game, Britt finds Ava in the crowd and gives her a kiss.

I go up and give her a kiss and motivate her and she motivates me, Britt said. She doesn't like the big rockets and explosions so she's always crying, so I go calm her down.

Kenny Jr. is still too young to grasp what his father does for a living. His sad reactions whenever Britt has to retreat to the hotel to beat curfew are some of the toughest moments Britt experiences throughout training camp.

Soon, though, hell be just like Ava, who is already starring as the only girl on her flag football team.

I told my wife as I'm getting older, I'm starting to feel my body and I don't know if I've got another two-three years in me, Britt said with a laugh. (Sabrina) told me you can't retire until he understands you played in the NFL. It's pretty cool.

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Kenny Britt's family ensures he's always close to home with constant motivation - ClevelandBrowns.com

There is some extra motivation for Rochester to push deep during this years finals series.

Club legends Elliot Bowen, Sam Brennan and Heath Aitken have all announced this season will be their last.

Aitken celebrated his 200th game during Saturdays win against Shepparton Swans, with Bowen reaching the same milestone in round eight this season.

Brennan notched up the same games tally in 2015 and claimed the clubs best-and-fairest award last season.

Rochester playing coach James Flaherty said the club made sure to announce their retirements before the end of the regular season for added incentive in the lead in to the Tigers elimination final against Euroa.

That was the reasoning behind it and not just the only reason, but we wanted to do it properly and celebrate their careers, not just for them to put their hand up after our last game this season and say by the way, were retiring, he said.

We wanted to do it properly and now I suppose its up to the playing group and what they can do (during finals).

Aitken and Bowen came to their decision in the past month, with Brennan coming to the same conclusion earlier in the year.

Flaherty said Aitkens issues with concussion this season played a part in his call, with the forward suffering a host of injuries during his 15 years at Rochester.

At a club function on Saturday night supporters had a chance to acknowledge the trios contribution.

Some might have seen it coming, for others it was a bit of a shock, but it seemed like the right thing to do, a lot of people were going up to them and shaking their hand to congratulate them and were understanding of their call, Flaherty said.

A hole of more than 600 games from the senior team will be left next season.

Its going to be hard to replace three quality players and quality people, but I suppose you look at this year and weve had the opportunity to play some of the younger kids and play five or six from the thirds, Flaherty said.

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Retiring champs motivation for finals - Shepparton News

The Delores Huerta Foundation's lawsuit against the Kern High School District was successful because the district caved in to the pressure and in a sense admitted it targeted minority students for suspensions and expulsions. I'm a substitute teacher with a California teaching credential who has worked on every campus in the district for the last eight years. One of my assignments was teaching students serving in-school suspensions. I've done this at six different high schools.

Attorneys for the Foundation drew their conclusions from statistical information and interviews from "targeted students" and their families. Let me give you a perspective from somebody who is in the game. I, along with seven different deans, dealt with defiant students about 2 percent of the overall population.

Students at some schools come to my class with schoolwork knowing they will sit for six periods, have three supervised restroom breaks and eat lunch together. One girl referred to ISS as being on "lockdown." That's the feeling the dean wants them to have.

Students at other schools, under the same restrictions, show up with no schoolwork. One dean gave me educational packets with essays, questions and word puzzles. I would give one to each student and 98 percent of the time I got this reaction: "I'm on lockdown, you can keep your packet." I don't believe we have an administrative problem, Ms. Huerta. I see a motivational issue with how some students view their education.

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Letter to the editor: It's motivation, not administration - The Bakersfield Californian

Holly Moore, working mom of two girls, shares how she motivates herself to go to the gym each morning.

Holly Moore, manager of network engagement at USA TODAY and mom to 2-year-old Penny (center) and 4-year-old Lucy (right), has three excuses why she goes to the gym.(Photo: USA TODAY)

Complicated equipment. Fit, confident people. And, sweat. A lot of sweat.

Gyms can be intimating. Holly Moore, working mom of two girls, knows that all too well. She's talked herself out of going to the gym in the past. But, after her second daughter Penny was born, she wanted to face her fears for fitness' sake.

Moore, USA TODAY's manager of network engagement, said she hates the way running leaves her gasping for breath, the feeling that everyone at the gym might be judging her and the way her sweat instantly turns her hair frizzy.

Plus, who has the time between work deadlines, swim lessons and doctor's appointments to even get to the gym?

"I can probably come up with literally a million excusesto not go to the gym," Moore said. "Which is why I've come up with excuseswhy I have to goto the gym."

More: Mom says babywearing helped her lose added weight

More: Mom shares 3 tips for becoming more confident

Here are Moore's "excuses":

1. Quiet time. Gym time is the only time that Moore is alone, away from kids, coworkers and chaos. It's her time to focus on herself.

2. Music. She can blast her Britney Spears soundtrack instead of Moana.

3. Wine. "The longer I spend on that elliptical,the larger my pour gets to be," Moore said.

Bonus: She can wear her comfy yoga pants at the gym. Who knew they could be used for more than Netflix-watching attire?

More: To-do list hack helps this working mom stay focused, organized

More: Mom of twin boys says this keeps her stress, anxiety under control

Mom Bod is a USA TODAY video series featuring tips from moms on fitness, nutrition and mental health. The goal? Let's be real about the struggle to "healthy" and learn to love our mom bods.

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ALLENTOWN J.P. Crawford was starting to figure out his life as an 18-year-old graduate of Lakewood (Calif.) High School.

His first tattoo came on his right bicep in memory of a close friend.

He took ownership of his first dog, a white Husky.

And, he was drafted by the Phillies in the first round of Major League Baseballs amateur draft.

Crawford was transitioning into adulthood like he had dreamed. He spent his first summer as a professional baseball player leading the Gulf Coast League in hitting with a .345 average, then spent the next three years universally rated as the Phillies No. 1 prospect.

Then came another first: a slump.

It started during the final month of his first season (2016) in Triple-A.

Things got worse in the first two-plus months of the 2017 season with the IronPigs, when the 180-pounder struggled to hit above his playing weight.

Several dogs and several tattoos later, Crawford took the next step in his maturation process. He rediscovered his hitting stroke one day in the batting cage in late June, and has hit like a future MLB shortstop since July 1.

Crawford has a .291 batting average with a .938 OPS and 11 home runs which equals his career high for a season in that stretch. He also is learning to play second and third base in the last week or so while maintaining his impressive streak at the plate.

It all comes on the heels of his most difficult stretch as a baseball player.

Oh, yeah, he said, By far the [biggest slump]. Ive learned a lot about myself, that I can overcome.

Im glad to be able to do what Ive done.

What Crawford has done lately is restore the faith Phillies fans have had in him since the club took him with the 16th overall pick on draft day 2013.

The 6-foot-2, 180-pounder rarely struggled as he climbed his way through Class-A ball, pushing his way to Double-A Reading after batting .392 in his first 21 games of 2015 at high-A Clearwater.

After playing 122 games in 2015-16 in Reading, he was promoted to Triple-A Lehigh Valley on May 20.

He hit .260 in his first 64 games with the IronPigs through Aug. 1.

Then came the wall.

The California native hit only .200 with three extra-base hits in his final 21 games of 2016, then opened this season with a .189 average and seven extra-base hits in 55 games through June 9.

Everybody hates sucking, he said, but you know its going to come sooner or later. You just keep putting in the work, putting the effort.

Youre going to get knocked down. You have to keep getting back up. That shows the man you are.

Through all the hot streaks and promotions, Crawford continued to collect dogs and tattoos.

He had as many as four Huskies before his mother took one. The two males, who came from the litter of his girlfriends Husky, now weigh 70 pounds each at age 3.

They are all calm together and so much fun, Crawford said. They are playful and cuddly all at the same time.

His right arm is now fully covered with ink. He and one of his sisters got matching tattoos. He had his two sisters names inked on, then some tribal stuff and a wolf that stretches to his chest.

Hes not sure whether hell continue with the tattoos, but hes certain he's eager to take the next step.

Crawfords performance the last two months has given his desire credence.

He was trying to do too much at the plate at times," said IronPigs manager Dusty Wathan, who also saw him for parts of 2015-16 when he was Readings boss.

He was a little too passive when he was ahead in the count. Now he is confident in his swing and being aggressive when he gets ahead. Hes not just hitting the ball, but driving it. Trying to do some damage.

There was some desperation before breaking out.

Crawford looked at video prior to a road trip to Buffalo, something he does little of. He adjusted his hand position after that, but saw little results.

He also had a nagging groin injury, which gave him the perfect opportunity to rest physically and mentally.

That time off helped big time, he said. It cleared my head, took the stress off my shoulders. I took a nice, deep breath.

Once I got back from that, I worked on my swing and something just clicked in the cage. It started to work and here I am now.

Shortly after Crawford returned to Lehigh Valleys lineup, Baseball America's midseason prospect rankings came out. He plummeted from 19th to 92nd and deemed no longer an impact player.

That fueled Crawford further.

Seeing all the social media stuff, its sad to say but I had a reality check, he said. I dont really care about the rankings. All I care about is getting out of here.

But seeing them say that Im not an impact player, it kind of lit a fire. I was like, All right, lets go.

Crawford has taken his hot bat to places it has not gone since turning pro, displaying a knack for extra-base hits a career-best 36 through Friday. He has sacrificed a few strikeouts for the opportunity to consistently drive the ball while maintaining is strong eye at the plate.

It feels comfortable knowing what I can do is finally showing on the field, he said.

Come September, Crawfords girlfriend and three dogs now back in California will be watching the 22-year-old make his major league debut.

thousenick@mcall.com

Twitter @TomHousenick

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Crawford talks tattoos, dogs, slumps and motivation during breakout ... - Allentown Morning Call

Aaron Ramsey gives a candid, and dejected, account of Arsenal's showing vs. Liverpool, and their need for vast improvement. Craig Burley lambastes Arsenal's display against Liverpool in his player ratings. ESPN FC's Craig Burley recaps the Premier League table after Week 3 closes out, with Arsenal sitting way down in sixteenth.

Petr Cech said Arsenal's lack of fight against Liverpool was "quite simply unacceptable," but insisted they could still compete for the Premier League title.

Arsenal were demolished 4-0 at Anfield after a lacklustre performance saw them dominated by Liverpool throughout, failing to muster a shot on target.

The Gunners could not cope with Liverpool's energy and were repeatedly beaten in duels and challenges, which Cech said was the most disappointing aspect of their display.

"It was quite simply unacceptable for the size of the club we are and for the team we have," the goalkeeper told Sky Sports.

"Obviously you can come here and lose 4-0. OK, it can happen on a bad day when you fight but you are unlucky and your opponent is playing well and scores with every shot they have. Then it can happen.

"But not like it happened today. The way it happened today is unacceptable.

"We were not fighting, we were not running enough, we were not winning any individual battles and as a team we completely failed to respond to their way of playing, and that is the most disappointing thing.

"But we have only ourselves to blame."

The loss leaves Arsenal in 16th place in the Premier League table with three points from three games, having also lost at Stoke last weekend.

But while many fans and critics are already writing off their title chances, Cech said: "I would say the only positive out of the game is that we have to respond, and we have time to respond.

"It's very early doors in the season, and with two defeats you can still win the league.

"If I didn't believe that we could do that I would probably retire and not play football any more. But I believe that this team has everything to compete and to win the title.

"I think we have shown that in many games and we need to make sure we are consistent and that, when the games come, we are always on top."

Mattias is ESPN FC's Arsenal correspondent. Follow him on Twitter: @MattiasKaren.

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Petr Cech slams 'unacceptable' Arsenal performance in Liverpool loss - ESPN FC

Chelsea had Everton absolutely locked down at Stamford Bridge as Alvaro Morata set up one and scored the other.

Chelsea coasted to a comfortable 2-0 victory over Everton at sun-drenched Stamford Bridge as first-half goals from Cesc Fabregas and Alvaro Morata maintained the London club's momentum restored by last weekend's win over Tottenham Hotspur at Wembley.

The Mediterranean weather seemed to benefit the Blues' Spanish contingent of players in particular, with Morata providing the assist for Fabregas' goal and Cesar Azpilicueta setting up Chelsea's new No. 9, whose header sealed the points for Antonio Conte's side.

Positives

A comfortable clean sheet was as pleasing as Morata's goal and assist. Admittedly, Everton looked a little jaded, understandable given their Thursday night Europa League exertions in Split, but games still have to be won and it was mission accomplished for Conte.

Negatives

Chelsea's failure to add to their first-half goal tally was frustrating given the fact that Everton were there for the taking. Victor Moses, Pedro and substitute Michy Batshuayi all had decent chances to score. Conte will be mindful of this profligacy in the final days of the transfer window.

Manager rating out of 10

8 -- Conte's big call of the day was restoring Fabregas to his starting line-up ahead of Tiemoue Bakayoko, who had featured against Spurs with the Spaniard suspended. The Italian's faith in the midfielder was repaid with a goal and a composed performance.

Player ratings (1-10, 10 = best, players introduced after 70 minutes get no rating)

GK Thibaut Courtois, 7 -- The fact the Belgium international goalkeeper was scarcely involved in the game is a measure of Chelsea's dominance. He stayed focused and was well-positioned to make his only save of the game three minutes from time, tipping a speculative Everton effort over the bar.

DF Cesar Azpilicueta, 8 -- Captaining Chelsea for the first time at Stamford Bridge, Azpilicueta clearly enjoyed the responsibility of keeping Chelsea's back-line organised. Playing centre-back doesn't mean Azpi forgets his craft down the flanks and it was his peachy cross that picked out Morata's head for what proved to be the goal that put the game beyond Everton.

DF David Luiz, 7 -- Spent much of the first half in an advanced sweeper role and was involved in some fantastic give-and-go football with his teammates. Largely untroubled in defence with Everton offering very little through the middle of the park.

DF Antonio Rudiger, 8 -- Rudiger is going to be a great player for Chelsea. The quality of the German international's blocking tackles, interceptions, pace and positioning was first-class throughout the contest.

MF Victor Moses, 7 -- Moses cannot be faulted for trying. The Nigeria international is the player perhaps most at risk from any last-minute transfer activity that Chelsea may get involved in and once again he put in an energetic performance at right-wing-back which on another day might have brought goals and assists.

MF N'Golo Kante, 8 -- Ran the show from midfield for Chelsea, bossing proceedings enough to enable Fabregas to steel forward. Hugely influential in the latter stages of the game when Conte made his substitutions, and when Bakayoko entered the fray the Blues had an impregnable look to them that will surely serve them well in the future.

MF Cesc Fabregas, 8 -- A surprise choice perhaps given his foolish dismissal for a couple of needless cards in the season-opener against Burnley, Fabregas found his magic hat and the back of Everton's net in what was a pleasingly composed performance. Conte will be delighted that the Spaniard's form has not deserted him and that the Clarets debacle was just an aberration.

MF Marcos Alonso, 7 -- The two-goal hero of Chelsea's Wembley triumph over Spurs enjoyed another afternoon buccaneering down the left flank. Every time Alonso was on the ball within sight of Everton's goal, the home crowd urged him to shoot -- which, of course, he did. But on this day his timing and targeting was less precise.

FW Pedro, 7 -- Effusive if somewhat mercurial performance from the man in the mask. A Pedro bicycle kick that came at the end of a wonderful Chelsea move would surely have been a candidate for goal of the season had it found the net instead of sailing over the bar, and the miss was just one of several that the Spaniard was culpable of before being subbed off in the 75th minute.

FW Willian, 8 -- Indefatigable performance from the Brazilian who was at the hub of much of Chelsea's forward creative play. Initiated the move that led to the Fabregas goal and worked well with Morata. On this showing it would be harsh for Willian to lose his place to Eden Hazard, who is ready to return to first-team action, but that's the likely scenario.

FW Alvaro Morata, 9 -- Chelsea bought Morata to score goals and the club-record-signing striker making his first start at the Bridge didn't disappoint against Everton playing in Fabregas for the Blues opener and looping a smart header past Toffee's keeper Jordan Pickford to seal an impressive personal performance.

Substitutes

MF Tiemoue Bakayoko, NR -- Galvanised Chelsea's midfield when replacing Pedro. Athletic physicality saw him win every challenge contested.

FW Michy Batshuayi, NR -- A late substitute for Morata, Batshuayi saw plenty of the ball but goal-scoring opportunities eluded him.

DF Andreas Christensen, NR -- Replaced Moses for the final minutes of the game as Conte shored up his defence to close out the game.

Mark Worrall is one of ESPN FC's Chelsea bloggers. You can follow him on Twitter: @gate17marco

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Morata stars in Chelsea win vs. lifeless Everton to maintain momentum - ESPN FC (blog)

BUFFALO BILLS

Head Coach Sean McDermott

(on QB Tyrod Taylor) Hes in the protocol at this point. Nothing further at this time.

(on DT Marcell Dareus) As you know, it was a violation of a team rule. Im disappointed; were disappointed. My hope is hell learn from this, and well move forward. Im not going to get into what he did. Well address it and revisit it when we get back.

(on offensive game plan being derailed when Taylor went out) It was an unfortunate situation with Tyrod. I never want to see anybody go down, particularly with a head injury. But I liked the way we were able to handle the sudden change. Nate [Peterman] was poised. All reports from the huddle were that he was very composed and handled himself well. The offense moved at times, and, at other times, we didnt move well enough. We still have a lot of work to do in all three phases.

(on the penalties that hurt his offense) You cant do that. Youve heard me say that before. Fundamental football, taking care of the football, we didnt do a good enough job of that at the end to win the game. But there were a lot of positives. We gave great effort. We gave ourselves a chance to win the game at the end. We need to win those games. And that becomes a mindset, a winning mindset, an eye of the tiger mindset. And thats how our team needs to grow in that area.

(on his teams run defense) I thought the defense played well, actually, overall. They werent in great situations with field position. We knew it was going to be a field-position game, quite frankly. And it was. They gave us a chance to win the game by forcing field goals for the most part. By taking bad situations and turning them into a positive, they played hard, and well continue to grow in that area also.

(on additional punishment for Dareus) Im not going to get into that. Well head back to Buffalo and revisit that at that time.

(on when they decided to send Dareus home) It was just before the game.

(on the three illegal formation penalties against the offensive line) Its disappointing. Like all situations, we have to learn from those, and those are valuable lessons. You cant do that in a game. Weve got a lot of work to do in a lot of areas, and penalties is one of them. Well continue to work until we get it right. Theres no magical solution or magic way fixing it other than to work hard. And thats what we plan to do.

(on whether QB Nathan Peterman can get into the mix for the starting job) Tyrods our starter. I thought Nathan came in and did a good job, at times moved the ball. But we had some penalties that stalled some drives. The biggest thing I wanted to see Nathan do is handle the situation. And he did that. The whole team did that. Sometimes going through a situation like this, as unfortunate as it is, watching your team respond to it makes me proud. The offense embraced him; he did some good things in the huddle.

(on the battle at the RCB position) Great competition. The thing you love about it is just like the game. The guys battled. For the third game in a row, the guys battled to win the game again. It doesnt happen every week. But, that said, weve got to win those games; we have to handle those situations. I thought E.J. [Gaines] played at an extremely high level, and thats going to make for some tough decisions.

(on his level of frustration with Taylors injury) This is a contact sport. Injuries are a part of the game. They happen. Would I have liked to have seen him out there for the duration that we had planned for him? Sure. But, that said, we have to take everything in stride as a football team. The next man stepped up and did some good things. He stepped up, got his first action with the ones. And that was good to see.

(on if the lack of RB Jonathan Williams playing time was injury-related) Jonathan has been battling that. Were trying to look at some things offensively in the back field in general. Jonathan will get his touches moving forward. But we wanted to get a look at Mike [Tolbert]. Mike did some good things, and then Joe Banyard ran the ball well. Jonathan, coming off this injury, we wanted to give him a little more time. So, Thursday night will be important.

(on the quarterbacks comfort level with TE Charles Clay) Thats important. The tight end can be, if used the right way, a quarterbacks best friend. They know where to find him, he knows where to be in third-and-short situations. He can also get vertical. He provides a good skill set for us, including in-line blocking. Hes been working really hard at that. I really like where Charles is in his development and getting himself ready for the end of the season.

(on why RB LeSean McCoy was in the game so late) Its really what we need to do as an offense, and, in this case, LeSean, ready for Week 1. Theres an acclimation period. Im right there with him. When he touches the ball, I hold my breath and say a lot of prayers. That said, he needs his touches to get himself ready and acclimated for Week 1. We are fortunate that he got some good touches and came out healthy tonight.

QB Nathan Peterman

(on his possible larger role) All I do is just try to do my best when they send me into the game. I dont know how much Im going to play, but when I do I just want to keep the offense on the field.

(on the number of batted balls at the line of scrimmage) They have a very big defensive line, and they know when to put their hands up. I need to do as better job with my eyes finding the passing lanes.

(on the Bills difficulty on third down) We need to do a better job as an offense. We have to be more discipline so we can make plays. We just need to get better

(on his reaction to entering the game so early) That is what you prepare for. When youre the number two quarterback, youre always one play away. Im extremely grateful for the chance to play

FB Mike Tolbert

(on the competition for playing time at running back) We all know who is No.1 [RB LeSean McCoy]. The rest of us are just working hard to see what we can get. We are all trying to eat.

(on his touchdown run) I knew I got in. It was no doubt in my mind. There arent too many teams that can stop me from the 1-inch line.

RB LeSean McCoy

(on QB Tyrod Taylor being injured) Its always tough when you lose your starter. You want to keep everybody fresh and healthy, so well see what it is. Hopefully hell get better, and well get him for the opener.

(on the play of QB Nathan Peterman) Hes going to be alright. He looked good. The whole camp hes looked sure. Hes a young guy who demands a lot of respect and confidence. Hes making all the right reads and throws. I think hell be good.

(on DT Marcell Dareus being sent some) I dont know about that, as far as the game went today. On offense, we didnt play well. Myself, I didnt play well at all. This was one of my worst preseason games. I have to get to some drawing boards this week and learn from our mistakes, especially myself. I have to get back to playing ball and get ready for our opener.

TE Charles Clay

(on the Bills defense) They were good. They were physical. Theyve been doing good, pretty much all of camp, so it comes as no surprise. Starting with the front four, theyre a bunch of hard working guys. They carried us, unfortunately. We just couldnt put enough points on the board. Well go back to the drawing board and get some things corrected. I thought they played well tonight.

(on him being targeted in this game and whether it will continue into the regular season) Who knows? You just have to wait and see. Playing tight end sometimes you get these kind of games and sometimes you have to help a little more in the running game. You just have to see.

(on his ability to go downfield) However I can help. I feel like thats something Ive definitely worked on and I feel like thats something I can help. Theres multiple things that I can do, so whatever they ask me to do Ill do it.

(on being 0-3 in preseason) You come out here and you want to win every single game, but its preseason, and weve got to get some things corrected. Hopefully well have it nipped in the bud when the regular season gets started.

CB Shareece Wright

(on the defenses play) I think it was good overall. We had our good plays and we had a couple times where they were able to run the ball a little bit on us. But for the most part, I thought we did pretty well.

(on being in the visiting team locker room) Different. Its different. I was telling guys Ive never been on this side of the locker room. Its not as nice and its a little more packed.

(on being 0-3 in the preseason) Its preseason. Theres a lot of things that go on in the preseason that are different than the regular season. Were just playing hard and trying to come together as a team, gel as a team, and hopefully we can do that.

LB Preston Brown

(on the first team defensive performance) We had a good showing against their offense, keeping them out of the end zone. Its a big emphasis throughout the year. The defense as a whole did a great job limiting the points throughout the game.

(on whats working well for the defense) The coach is doing a good job getting the best plays in. Were getting our personnel in. Everybody is out there talking and communicating well. Guys are making plays when theyre presented to them.

(on the team defensive effort) Everybody is running to the ball, so its always a big crowd. When weve watched film, everybody is getting in the picture.

(on his personal performance in preseason) I think Ive done alright. I never grade myself higher than a C. Ive got a lot to improve on, get some turnovers sand help this offense get more points on the board.

LB Lorenzo Alexander

(on the defense needing to improve) We definitely must continue to step up. Theres plenty of adversity to overcome. I think the defense played well, but we still need to take the ball away. Thats something huge that we will have to do this year. Our goal is to have two every game. We had one tonight. We need to continue to work in that area.

(on the starting defense not allowing a touchdown) Thats huge. At times, we had short fields. Our goal is takeaways and make them kick field goals. We were able to do that tonight.

(on the defenses performance in the pre-season) Were able to play fast, that suits our personnel. Guys are able to fly around. We need to understand what our assignments are so we can execute. Were definitely meshing well from the front, to the back end. Were really creating some chemistry. We need to get more hands on balls, and create more opportunities by forcing fumbles, so we can create short fields for our offense.

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Transcripts: Bills Postgame Transcipts - BaltimoreRavens.com

Perhaps the most astonishing thing about Donald Trumps victory last November was that, according to exit polls, 60 percent of the voters had an unfavorable impression of Trump on the day he was elected president of the United States.

Now, its remarkable that after all that has happened, Trumps favorable and unfavorable rating not his job approval, but whether people hold a favorable or unfavorable view of him is virtually the same as it was on election day.

A new Marist poll found that 60 percent of those surveyed have an unfavorable view of the president, versus 34 percent who have a favorable view and 6 percent who dont know.

In the RealClearPolitics average of all polls on the favorable/unfavorable question, Trump is now at 55.2 percent unfavorable versus 39.6 percent favorable. That is little changed from his average on November 8: 58.5 percent unfavorable, versus 37.5 percent favorable.

Considering all that has gone on in the Trump presidency, the stability of the Trump favorable/unfavorable rating is notable.

The other measure, Trumps job approval rating, has fallen since he took office; it was 43.8 percent in the RCP average in his first week in office and is 38.6 percent now. Pollsters and strategists believe the job approval rating is much more important than personal approval.

In every model I am familiar with over the past 40 years, job approval has been a more influential predictor than a personal favorable rating and I believe that will be true for President Trump as well, Bill McInturff, the Republican pollster who, along with Democrat Peter Hart, conducts the Wall Street Journal-NBC poll, said in an email exchange. Long ago, presidents could have some gap between how we perceived them personally, with Carter and Reagan, for example, having stronger personal ratings than job approval at various points. An exception was President Clinton in 1998, who had terrible personal ratings, but high job approval.

Right now, Trumps job approval and personal favorability ratings are very close, as are the job disapproval and personal unfavorable ratings. But is that disastrous for the president, or not? Theres still what happened on election day to consider.

In another email exchange, David Winston, a pollster who has done extensive work for House Republicans, agreed that job approval is a more important measure than personal approval, but also noted that Trumps polls are hard to interpret.

Trying to compare Trump numbers with prior presidents at this point is very difficult, particularly given that he started with 60 percent unfavorable on election night, Winston said. He also had a significant amount of support coming from people who had an unfavorable view of him. Of the people that voted for him, 20 percent had an unfavorable view, according to the exit polls.

Winstons comments suggest that the old way of viewing job approval as the pre-eminent measure of a presidents performance might be lacking when it comes to Trump. Yet nobody has come up with a better measure.

Though much of the political reporting and commentary at the moment focuses on Trumps excesses, McInturff also sees something bigger than Trump at work.

We are at the logical end of a generation of change in American politics, McInturff said. Political scientists measure polarization by the gap between how the presidents party rates a president versus the opposition party. President Clinton was the most polarizing president in polling history, followed by Bush 43, who took over the mantle of most polarizing until replaced by President Obama, with the largest gap now being held by President Trump.

McInturffs conclusion: President Trump did not begin this trend, but he has become its logical end point. Hence, its hard to change numbers when 85 percent of your own party likes you and functionally no one does in the other party.

I think two polarizing presidencies in a row have broken this measuring stick, Brad Todd, a Republican strategist who has worked with many congressional candidates, wrote in an email. Job approval is more important than personal favorability, but neither is as important as what we call the gas pedal/brake pedal question.

Trump is a conundrum, Todd concluded, because voters see him as a brake pedal on both parties. So it is unclear whether they will put a brake pedal on the brake pedal in the next midterm.

The bottom line is that evaluating Trumps standing is probably more complicated than simply citing a falling job approval number. This is a presidency like no other, and it should be no surprise that measuring it presents new problems.

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York column: Job performance metric too simplistic to rate Trump - Baraboo News Republic

A special performance and some good sports.

SPECIAL SHOW: St Joseph's students attended the performance of Saltbush at Bathurst Memorial Entertainment Centre.

THE students and staff thoroughly enjoyed the Saltbush performance which took place at the Bathurst Memorial Entertainment Centre.

It was a very personal Aboriginal performance that took us all on a special journey through years gone by and years to come.

All of the students were involved and displayed the utmost respect. Thank you to Mrs McKean for organising this wonderful experience.

CONGRATULATIONS to our students who were invited to attend the principals morning tea earlier in the month. The students, along with their parents, enjoyed morning tea to celebrate receiving fiveCARE awards for their efforts and hard work in term two.

CONGRATULATIONS to Skye Ryan-Long, Maddie Gibbs, Zac Sheehy, Riley Murphy, Grace ONeill, Neive Hogan and Ella Mangan who represented St Josephs at the Diocesan Carnival in Dubbo.

It was agreat effort by our students to make it to this level.

Excerpt from:
News from St Joseph's School - Oberon Review