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Vote for the greatest sports movies of all time

By Noah Frank

WASHINGTON — It’s time for you to help WTOP decide the greatest sports movies of all time.

After combing through the massive lists of sports titles in Hollywood history, WTOP’s crack staff has narrowed the field to 64, because the only proper way to vote on a sports movie list is with a bracket.

The four regions break down according to what was determined to be the fairest allotment. Baseball and football each snag their own region. We found that neither basketball nor boxing deserved a full 16-seed field, but were deep enough not to be lumped into a general category, so they share the third region.

Everything else — led by hockey and golf — fits into the final region. Say what you will about our selections, but we managed to squeeze billiards, bobsledding, bowling, car racing, cycling, horseracing, martial arts, poker, soccer, skateboarding and track and field titles into the bracket.

To trim the list to 64 involved some tough cuts. No doubt some of you will quibble with our omissions. Titles like “Finding Forrester” and “The Big Lebowski” were left off because of the fact that, while each included a central sport, the narrative did not revolve around it. Others, like “Little Big League,” “The Wrestler” or “The Mighty Ducks,” simply didn’t make the final cut.

You can debate the seeding, too, but ultimately, as in any tournament, the cream will rise to the top.

Before the voting even begins, we can already declare some winners. Dennis Quaid (“Any Given Sunday,” “Breaking Away” and “The Rookie”) appears in three of the four regions. Wesley Snipes does as well, covering baseball (“Major League”), basketball (“White Men Can’t Jump) and football (“Wildcats”). Kevin Costner, meanwhile, has four entries (“Bull Durham,” “Field of Dreams,” “For Love of the Game” and “Tin Cup”) with three titles in the baseball bracket.

Denzel Washington appears three times between two brackets, as a boxer in “The Hurricane,” a basketball father in “He Got Game” and a football coach in “Remember the Titans.” Bill Murray shows up twice, as a deranged groundskeeper in “Caddyshack” and a detestably villainous bowler in “Kingpin.”

Author Michael Lewis also sees two of his books-turned-films make the field, with “Moneyball” in the baseball bracket and “The Blind Side” in the football lot.

But enough with the pomp and circumstance. Let your voices be heard! Vote now and check back every day this week to see if your favorite flicks advanced, and to vote them on another round.

Monday, July 21: Round of 64 Tuesday, July 22: Round of 32 Wednesday, July 23: Sweet 16 Thursday, July 24: Elite 8 Friday, July 25-Sunday, July 27: Final 4 Monday, July 28: Championship

Follow @WTOP and @WTOPSports on Twitter and WTOP on Facebook. .

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

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