Happy 37th to the Rams' All-Time Leading Rusher, @sj39!

His 11,438 career rushing yards is 18th all-time, and he’s one of six players in @nfl history to rush for 8 consecutive 1,000-yard seasons. Like to wish #SJ39 a happy birthday! pic.twitter.com/vxqhcn9sNH

— Rams Brothers (@RamsBrothers) July 22, 2020

American views on race relations have changed dramatically, NBC News/WSJ poll finds

https://news.yahoo.com/poll-more-acknowledge-symptoms-racism-102100158.html

WASHINGTON — Amid a moment of national reckoning on racial issues and the mourning of one of the country’s most revered civil rights leaders, new numbers from the NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll show that American voters have become significantly more aware of racial discrimination and more sympathetic to those protesting to end it, even as the country remains deeply divided over the prevalence of bigotry and its root causes.

The poll finds that voters in America are now more likely to say that people of color experience discrimination, to describe athletes kneeling in protest of racial inequality as appropriate, to view the Black Lives Matter movement as a positive force, and to support the removal of Confederate monuments in public spaces.

But at the same time, voters are deeply pessimistic about the current state of race relations, the country is sharply divided about whether racism is systemic or just perpetrated by “bad apples,” and partisan identity remains an overwhelming predictor of how voters view the experiences of people of color and the current movement for greater racial equality.

The poll — which was conducted July 9-12, before the death of Rep. John Lewis, D-Ga., the civil rights leader — found that a majority of voters, 56 percent, say American society is racist, while 40 percent disagree. That share is almost unchanged since The Associated Press found 55 percent of voters saying American society is racist in a July 1988 survey.

One thing that has changed dramatically, though, is the voters’ views of race relations. Just 26 percent say that race relations are good, down from more than 7 in 10 who said the same in several surveys throughout then-President Barack Obama’s first term.

Seven in 10 now say that race relations are bad, including majorities of Democrats (86 percent), Republicans (58 percent), white voters (69 percent), Hispanics (76 percent) and Black voters (80 percent).

Against the backdrop of those grim assessments of race relations, more voters also now say they believe nonwhite Americans experience discrimination.

In 2008, just 28 percent of voters said that Black Americans are discriminated against, while 51 percent said they are treated fairly and 16 percent said they receive too many special advantages. But in this latest poll, the share who say Black Americans experience discrimination has jumped to 59 percent, with just 27 percent saying they are treated fairly and 10 percent saying they receive special advantages.

Just over half of all voters — 52 percent —also now say that Hispanics are discriminated against, up from just 27 percent who said the same in 2008.

About a third — 34 percent — say that Asian Americans experience discrimination. That’s compared to 18 percent in 2000. (The 2008 survey did not measure attitudes about Asian Americans).

And, for the first time, the poll also asked the same battery of questions about the treatment of white Americans. About 3 in 10 voters overall say that white people receive too many special privileges, while 53 percent say white Americans are treated fairly and 15 percent say they experience discrimination.

The 29 percent of voters who say that white people receive too many special advantages includes 23 percent of white voters, 55 percent of Black voters and 35 percent of Hispanic voters. It also includes 44 percent of white Democrats but just 7 percent of white Republicans.

Despite the increased recognition of discrimination faced by racial minority groups in America, the country remains deeply divided on the root causes of racism.

Forty-six percent of voters say that racism is built into American society, including into the country’s policies and institutions, while 44 percent say racism is perpetrated only by individuals who hold racist views.

Those who describe racism as systemic in American society include majorities of Democrats (70 percent), Black voters (65 percent) and young voters (59 percent). Those who attribute racism solely to individuals’ behavior include 66 percent of Republicans and 48 percent of white voters.

“Where voters in general and Black voters disagree is on the root cause of racism,” said Brenda Lee of Vision Strategy and Insights, who worked on the survey along with Public Opinion Strategies and Hart Research. “Blacks are more likely to see systemic issues as the root of racism in the U.S., whereas whites see this issue as the result of the behavior of a “few bad apples.” This framing difference creates a schism in identifying the most appropriate and impactful solutions to address racism.”

Support grows for removal of Confederate statues, anthem protests
The survey finds that a majority of voters support the protesters who demonstrated in the wake of the killing of George Floyd, and a similar share say the recent outcry about discrimination against Black Americans has made them reassess their own views.

Fifty-seven percent of voters say they support the Floyd protesters, while 32 percent oppose them.

The same share — 57 percent — says the movement has made them personally more concerned about racial inequality in the United States, while 41 percent say they have not become more concerned.

Attitudes toward the Black Lives Matter movement overall have improved since 2018, when 38 percent viewed it positively and 34 percent viewed it negatively. Now, 49 percent of voters report positive views of the Black Lives Matter movement, while 33 percent view it negatively.

A small majority of voters — 52 percent — also say that they believe it is appropriate for athletes to kneel during the national anthem to protest against racial inequality, while 45 percent disagree. That’s a shift since a similar poll question in 2018, which found that 43 percent called such protests appropriate and 54 percent called them inappropriate.

The flip in public opinion since 2018 on the removal of Confederate monuments from public spaces is even more dramatic. Two years ago, voters supported allowing Confederate statues to stay by nearly a 2-1 margin, 63 percent to 35 percent, although a plurality supported the idea of adding plaques to the monuments to add historical context.

Now, 51 percent say the statues should be removed, while 47 percent disagree.

However, few voters — just 10 percent — support the wholesale destruction of pro-Confederate structures after their removal. And a similarly low share — 16 percent — want those monuments to remain just as they are.

Far more popular are two more moderate options; 41 percent say the statues should be removed from public spaces and placed in museums, while 31 percent support keeping the monuments where they are but adding plaques to offer historical context.

Republicans have moved little compared to the electorate at large
While this survey shows significant movement toward more recognition of racial discrimination and increased support for actions to address those disparities, one group is notable for the stability of its attitudes on race over the last 20 years.

While the share of those who say Black Americans are discriminated against has jumped by nearly 50 points among Democrats and about 13 points among independents since 2000, the share of Republicans saying that Black Americans experience discrimination is virtually unchanged, moving from just 23 percent two decades ago to 26 percent now.

There was no change from 2000 to now in Republicans’ views of the treatment of Asian Americans, with just 12 percent then and now saying they are discriminated against.

The same is true for Republicans’ views of the treatment of Hispanic Americans then and now. Just 17 percent now say that Hispanic Americans experience discrimination, while 20 percent said the same in 2000.

The lack of change on GOP voters’ views on race is perhaps highlighted by another datapoint in the survey. The racial group that Republicans are most likely to believe faces discrimination — with 28 percent stating that opinion — is white Americans.

In Teller County, #Colorado, following a Facebook post by the Sheriff's office directed against a car caravan in support of ICE detainees, armed Trump supporters attacked the protesters in full view of law enforcement. No arrests were made. Report coming. pic.twitter.com/8oxBHbVtKj

— It's Going Down (@IGD_News) July 22, 2020

OMG They dont even try to hide their hypocrisy anymore

Sen. Rick Scott (R-FL) wants schools to open in the fall, but told Fox News his grandchildren won’t be in them.

“My daughters are going to be more focused on distance learning right now to make sure their children are safe"

— stuart (@stuhunter1) July 21, 2020

@RamsNFL DL @AyyyeeeMoFox working a Long Arm/Fork lift getting tuned up for camp next week & trust he’s more than ready || @dlinevids1 🏠: @Futureeliteacad pic.twitter.com/YmPcEIg753

— Coach Ed (@DLcoachEd) July 21, 2020

CBS Sports HQ@CBSSportsHQ
NFL implications from zero preseason games:
• Major cap implications in future years
• Rosters have to be cut to 80
• No games to showcase skills for guys on the roster bubble

Tom Pelissero@TomPelissero
What does “general agreement” mean on opt-out and stipend? Details are still being finalized (i.e. who qualifies as high risk, how much they’re paid, etc.), but the NFL and NFLPA have agreed on the concept. Those will exist.

Jim Trotter@JimTrotter_NFL
One thing being negotiated under high-risk opt-out is # of categories a player would have to meet under CDC guidelines to be eligible for stipend. NFLPA is arguing for one (including cancer, obesity, diabetes, chronic kidney disease, sickle cell), but no agreement, I’m told.

NFL agrees to eliminate preseason, reaches deal with union on coronavirus testing
The NFL’s offer Monday of zero preseason games was accompanied by other player-friendly provisions.

https://www.boston.com/sports/nfl/2020/07/20/nfl-agrees-to-eliminate-preseason-reaches-deal-with-union-on-coronavirus-testing

The NFL on Monday agreed with its players’ union on a novel-coronavirus-testing program for players while offering to eliminate the preseason as the union has sought. The moves to resolve the key remaining issues between the two sides came as rookies for the Kansas City Chiefs and Houston Texans reported to their training camps.

The league’s concessions on the preseason and daily testing of players, at least at the outset of training camps, increased the likelihood that all teams’ camps will open fully by July 28 as scheduled. The NFL previously had cut the preseason from four games per team to two games per team and was planning for testing every other day. But the NFL Players Association had been adamant about daily testing for players and no preseason at all.

The NFL’s offer Monday of zero preseason games was accompanied by other player-friendly provisions. The acclimation period for veteran players arriving at training camps was increased from seven days to 18 days before they must start practicing, and any player is allowed to opt out of playing this season, according to a person familiar with the deliberations.

Under the testing agreement, players will be tested daily for the first two weeks of training camp. Daily testing will continue as long as the rate of positive tests of players, coaches and other team staffers is above 5%. If the rate falls below 5%, players will be tested every other day. The league expects to receive test results within 24 hours.

“I think that this latest agreement with testing protocols between the league and the Players Association reflects a continuation of the collaborative work that we’ve been doing,” said Allen Sills, the NFL’s chief medical officer. “We’ve had other protocols around treatment for new positive cases, around facilities, around travel, around education, around screening. So we’ve continued this work and it’s, again, reflecting a number of months of work that really began back in March.”

The NFLPA said in a written statement: “Our union has been pushing for the strongest testing, tracing and treatment protocols to keep our players safe. The testing protocols we agreed to are one critical factor that will help us return to work safely and gives us the best chance to play and finish the season.”

Sills also said the league plans to use tracking devices to trace people’s contact as part of its measures to attempt to limit spread of the virus within team facilities.

The arrivals Monday of the rookies for the Chiefs and the Texans, the two teams scheduled to meet in the NFL’s season-opening game Sept. 10 in Kansas City, Mo., amounted to a first step by the league toward opening teams’ training camps on time. Rookies for other teams are scheduled to report to their camps Tuesday, though some teams were postponing those arrivals.

The Texans said through a spokesperson that their rookies were undergoing coronavirus testing Monday by the firm BioReference Laboratories at an on-site testing facility outside the team’s stadium in Houston. The rookies had no other team-related activities planned for Monday, according to the spokesperson.

Many players, including star quarterbacks Patrick Mahomes of the Chiefs and Russell Wilson of the Seattle Seahawks, had taken to social media Sunday to question the league’s approach to opening training camps amid the pandemic.

The league and the union have agreed to all the necessary health protocols and, with the league’s latest offer Monday, appear close to resolving all the remaining noneconomic issues such as the structure of teams’ training camps and the opt-out rules. The major issue left for the two sides to resolve is economic: how to deal with a potential drop in revenue this season and what such a decrease would mean to the 2021 salary cap.

It was not immediately clear whether the league’s new offer for no preseason games and a longer acclimation period for veteran players was tied to specific economic provisions. The two sides have differed sharply to this point on how to keep a significant decrease in revenue this year from causing next year’s cap to plummet.

Sills confirmed that he had approved all 32 teams’ Infectious Disease Emergency Response (IDER) plans. The NFLPA’s ratification is pending for many teams’ plans.

“Everything that we’re doing is centered around the concept of risk mitigation,” Sills said in a conference call with reporters. “We know that we can’t eliminate risk. But we’re trying to mitigate it as much as possible for everyone. . . . I think that these protocols are very much living and breathing documents, which means that they will change.”

The NFL previously sent treatment protocols to teams for dealing with positive coronavirus tests. Sills declined to specify how many positive tests would dictate shutting down a team or the league, saying those issues must be discussed with the union and public health authorities. A player will be required to have two negative tests 72 hours apart after reporting to training camp before being permitted to enter a team’s facility.

Team owners spoke by video conference Monday afternoon. It was their second remote meeting since Friday as the league tries to keep training camps and the season on schedule. For most teams, that means rookies reporting Tuesday, quarterbacks and injured players reporting Thursday, and all other players reporting July 28. Individual teams can adjust reporting dates later but not earlier. Team doctors told NFLPA representatives Thursday they believe camps can be opened safely even in coronavirus “hot spot” cities.

Los Angeles Rams Coach Sean McVay told the “Helliepod” podcast before the deal on testing was announced that he suspected a delay remained possible.

“Usually when you get about a week out – and right now that’s exactly where we’re at – you start to get revved up, get excited . . . when you’re getting ready to kick off training camp and the preseason,” McVay said. “And there’s something about this time that you know the amount of things that have to take place for that to logistically get off and get going – something about it tells me maybe there’s a chance that things get moved back.”

Again (broken record here): paying elite QB contracts does not hamstring teams to field contenders. This does. https://t.co/lRfr7XRfpp

— Andrew Brandt (@AndrewBrandt) July 21, 2020

In their two-part negotiation it appears the NFL and NFLPA got the ‘easy part’ done, the health and safety protocols. Now comes the hard part, the economics. Translation: the owners will try to make the players feel their pain.

— Andrew Brandt (@AndrewBrandt) July 21, 2020

Adam Schefter@AdamSchefter
NFL offered the NFLPA today to play zero preseason games this summer, per source.

Judy Battista@judybattista
As an owner told me last week when I asked if they needed one game for roster evaluation and game day run through: “We can manage.”

Cameron DaSilva@camdasilva
This is smart, but also crushing for lesser-known guys fighting to make teams. NFL should just expand rosters

This would also be bad for the Rams in the sense that Brandon Staley will have zero games to practice calling plays, something he’s never done in the NFL

Andrew Siciliano@AndrewSiciliano
I’m going to miss the preseason.

Yes, I said it. Yes, I mean it.

I’ve had so much fun calling @RamsNFL preseason games since 2011. I was looking forward to that first one at @SoFiStadium

Geoff Schwartz@geoffschwartz
I feel awful for all late round and UDFA rookies. Almost no chance to make the team. 14 real practices and no preseason games. Teams will choose veterans over them for this season.

Sam Monson@PFF_Sam
Marc Bulger was so good for a while before the OL falling to pieces ruined him.

Rams cornerback Troy Hill welcomed a daughter in 2017 named Serenity.

It's fitting. Hill has has been on a long journey, since his childhood in Ohio, toward finding peace and confronting his own past actions | @JourdanRodrigue https://t.co/84l2WJtX6I

— The Athletic L.A. (@TheAthleticLA) July 20, 2020

==

from that:

Despite excelling on the field during the 2014 season, Hill went undrafted in 2015 and his domestic violence arrest and guilty plea were believed to be the main reason why. Hill’s NFL career began when he signed with the Cincinnati Bengals

==

Hill started to even out mentally, even as his playing time fluctuated. He was released by the Rams after his DUI charge, and then re-signed. He played just 33 percent of defensive snaps in 2017 — after he served a two-game suspension to start the season — then 42 percent in 2018 and finally, in 2019, just after signing a two-year extension, Hill began to break out.

When Jalen Ramsey joined the Rams in October 2019, it could have been a moment for Hill’s window to close. Ramsey, a former first-round pick, has elite, shutdown status. Hill had been “a good player” and not “the good player,” and so perhaps the arrival of Ramsey could have brought back certain memories for Hill, the overwhelming feeling of being overshadowed and overlooked once more. Perhaps he could have let those thoughts take over, knock him out of his rhythm.

But Hill and Ramsey hit it off. Hill told Ramsey that he felt like Ramsey would “get him paid” — a high compliment and a comment based on respect in the world of defensive backs. Hill was telling Ramsey that he knew quarterbacks wouldn’t throw his way for fear of getting picked. Hill was also telling Ramsey that he would step up to meet the challenge that undoubtedly would come from more throws coming toward his receivers — that Ramsey could trust him to pull his own weight.

Hill finished the year among the top outside cornerbacks in the league, according to various NFL data sites. Hill allowed just 20 catches on 50 targets for 263 yards in 2020. Someone scored against him only twice. He recorded two interceptions. In zone, in which the Rams played nearly 60 percent of the time, Hill allowed just seven catches in 20 targets