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Giants enjoy interaction with Philadelphia fans

By WTOP Staff

TOM CANAVAN
AP Sports Writer

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) — Zak DeOssie vividly remembers his first trip to Philadelphia to play the Eagles.

It was late in the 2007 NFL regular season. The New York Giants long snapper walked on the field and took in some of the talk being directed at his team.

His father, Steve, had played for the Giants from 1989-93, so the younger DeOssie knew the Eagles’ fans would not hold anything back. They let opponents know how they feel about their team, and your team.

While warming up, DeOssie made eye contact with an Eagles fan in the front row and rest is one of those things he will never forget.

“He says: ‘Hey DeOssie, your old man is a bum and so are you,'”

Everyone within earshot laughed , even DeOssie. However, the rookie wasn’t going to let it go.

“I said right back to him: ‘Your old man is a bum,'” DeOssie said. “He laughed right back and it sort of eased the tension.”

While the NFC East game between the Eagles (4-1) and the Giants (3-2) at Lincoln Financial Field will be the main attraction on Sunday night, Giants players know there always will be a sideshow before and after the game with the Eagles’ fans.

They will yell things at the players’ in warmups, some silly, some harsh. They will throw things at the Giants’ team bus and even do things that leave the Giants players shaking their heads.

“I remember driving out of the stadium one time,” defensive end Mathias Kiwanuka said. “It was a night game and we were leaving the stadium, coming out of that lot and making the first right turn and there were five or six fights going on the side, on the street. I was a young guy thinking: ‘Whoa, we need way more security.'”

Fourth-year linebacker Spencer Paysinger, who will not play on Sunday because of a hamstring injury, said fans threw bottles at the team bus as it was driving away from the stadium one year.

“That’s one of the places you can feel the hate,” he said. “You can feel the tension between the teams coming through the fans. When we leave, whether we win or lose, those fans are going to be vicious to us. It makes it fun, that much more extra because when we win and they are throwing those bottles, They truly did not want to see us win.”

Many of the Giants enjoy the antics of the fans.

“It’s always a great atmosphere, especially for a defender,” linebacker Jon Beason said. “There is nothing better than going into someone’s place, everyone is booing you, the odds are against you, and you stop them. That’s the kind of atmosphere you want and their fans do a great job.”

Receiver Victor Cruz said the Eagles fans can be relentless. However, he laughs about his first trip there in 2011. No one knew him. That changed after he caught two touchdowns, did a couple salsa dances and tallies 110 yards.

“The most I get there now is: ‘No dancing today,'” said Cruz. “Then I proceed to dance as much as possible.”

Linebacker Jameel McClain and defensive tackle Mike Patterson have ties to the Eagles fans. McClain was born in Philadelphia and Patterson played for the Eagles and still owns a home there.

“I’m a Philly guy,” McClain said. “I know exactly what to expect. I know someone’s going to crack a joke at my mom, something.”

And she will laugh, McClain said.

Patterson said fans keep asking him when he is coming back.

Offensive tackle Will Beatty said the Eagles fans can be creative.

“As soon as you go out there for the pregame warmups these fans are full go at you,” Beatty said. “And some of it is literally funny. You wonder where they come up with it. They really put a lot of research into some of stuff they say.”

German-born defense tackle Markus Kuhn enjoys watching the fans in Philadelphia.

“They have nothing on German soccer fans,” he said.

NOTES: Paysinger and running back Rashad Jennings (knee) are out for Sunday’s game. …Beason (foot) and DE Robert Ayers (neck spasms) are questionable. Ayers developed his injury after Thursday’s practice and did not practice on Friday. …TE Larry Donnell laughed when asked if he went out to QB Eli Manning to complain about not catching any passes in the win over Atlanta on Sunday. “Yeah, right! Never. Never. Never.” …Coach Tom Coughlin said he was a little disappointed some of his players exchanged a little trash talking with the Eagles this week. …DE Jason Pierre-Paul was asked about the trash talking and he used a Coughlin quote: “Talk is cheap, play the game.” After saying it a second time, he added one other thought: “and we don’t like Philly.”

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

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

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