FINNEY COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a suspect for alleged assault of a police officer.

Just after 3 a.m. Friday, police were at the 900 block of Safford Avenue in Garden City investigating a reckless driver who fled from a vehicle, according to officer Lana Urteaga.

While at the scene, officers observed a man identified as Braulio Guy Ortiz, 31, Garden City, who was agitated and intoxicated. He was carrying a Roman Candle style firework and yelled obscenities at the officers.

Ortiz went inside his residence and returned with a blow torch and attempted to light the firework. He allegedly pointed the firework at one of the officers and approached the officer. Ortiz refused to listen to instructions to drop the firework.

Police arrested Ortiz on requested charges of Aggravated Assault of a Law Enforcement Officer. The case is under review by the Finney County Attorney.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/9/1599252674633.png" alt="Ortiz-Finney County" />
 <figcaption>Ortiz-Finney County</figcaption>
 </figure>FINNEY COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a suspect for alleged assault of a police officer.Just after 3 a.m. Friday, police were at the 900 block of Safford Avenue in Garden City investigating a reckless driver who fled from a vehicle, according to officer Lana Urteaga.While at the scene, officers observed a man identified as Braulio Guy Ortiz, 31, Garden City, who was agitated and intoxicated. He was carrying a Roman Candle style firework and yelled obscenities at the officers.Ortiz went inside his residence and returned with a blow torch and attempted to light the firework. He allegedly pointed the firework at one of the officers and approached the officer. Ortiz refused to listen to instructions to drop the firework.Police arrested Ortiz on requested charges of Aggravated Assault of a Law Enforcement Officer. The case is under review by the Finney County Attorney.

SW Kansas man threatens officer with firework

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Kansas City Chiefs Head Coach Andy Reid spoke with the media Friday. Following are his comments from <a href="https://www.facebook.com/KansasCityChiefs/">The Kansas City Chiefs</a> Facebook page.

You can listen to the Chiefs' games on KINA (910 AM and 107.5 FM) and 99KG (99.9 FM), your local Chiefs Radio Network stations.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Kansas City Chiefs Head Coach Andy Reid spoke with the media Friday. Following are his comments from <a href="https://www.facebook.com/KansasCityChiefs/">The Kansas City Chiefs</a> Facebook page.<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FKansasCityChiefs%2Fvideos%2F763365967783935%2F&show_text=1&width=560" width="560" height="411" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowTransparency="true" allow="encrypted-media" allowFullScreen="true"></iframe></div>You can listen to the Chiefs' games on KINA (910 AM and 107.5 FM) and 99KG (99.9 FM), your local Chiefs Radio Network stations.

📹Chiefs' Reid fields media questions Friday

With COVID-19 and all the resulting economic problems, do you have any advice for what a young person can do to prepare for the future?

Regardless of the coronavirus or any economic situation that might arise, there are always a few smart, simple things people can do to protect themselves financially. The number one thing is to live on a written, monthly budget. When you give every dollar a name, and write it down on paper, you’re telling your money what to do, instead of scratching your head and wondering where it went.

Staying out of debt and saving as much money as possible are two other great ideas. Remember, your income is your biggest wealth building tool. If you’re saddled with a bunch of debt, your money goes to creditors—not into your pocket. Saving prepares you for the future and all the unexpected things, both good and bad, life will throw at you. Even though you’re young, investing is a key component in creating a stable financial outlook for yourself. In your twenties, just $100 a month invested properly in good growth stock mutual funds can make you a millionaire by the time you’re ready to retire.

Like I said, these are all simple things. But they’ll make a huge difference in your financial situation now and in the years to come!

My only debt right now is a car payment. I still owe $12,000 on the vehicle, and currently I have $25,000 in savings. I’m in a very stable line of work, but my income can vary somewhat from month to month. Should I hang on to my savings, or pay off the car?

Dear Erik, Debt is a bad thing to have in your life, especially when your income can vary from paycheck to paycheck. You’re in good shape, except for the car note, though. It’s like a ball and chain around your neck.

You’d still have $13,000 left if you paid off the car. And with the money you’d free up, you could rebuild your savings in no time. Pay off the car, dude!

<a href="https://www.daveramsey.com/">Dave Ramsey</a> is a seven-time No. 1 national best-selling author, personal finance expert, and host of The Dave Ramsey Show, heard by more than 16 million listeners each week. He has appeared on Good Morning America, CBS This Morning, Today Show, Fox News, CNN, Fox Business, and many more. Since 1992, Dave has helped people regain control of their money, build wealth and enhance their lives. He also serves as CEO for Ramsey Solutions.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/8/1596845065840.jpeg" alt="Dave Ramsey" />
 <figcaption>Dave Ramsey</figcaption>
 </figure>Simple stepsDear Dave,With COVID-19 and all the resulting economic problems, do you have any advice for what a young person can do to prepare for the future?KyleDear Kyle,Regardless of the coronavirus or any economic situation that might arise, there are always a few smart, simple things people can do to protect themselves financially. The number one thing is to live on a written, monthly budget. When you give every dollar a name, and write it down on paper, you’re telling your money what to do, instead of scratching your head and wondering where it went.Staying out of debt and saving as much money as possible are two other great ideas. Remember, your income is your biggest wealth building tool. If you’re saddled with a bunch of debt, your money goes to creditors—not into your pocket. Saving prepares you for the future and all the unexpected things, both good and bad, life will throw at you. Even though you’re young, investing is a key component in creating a stable financial outlook for yourself. In your twenties, just $100 a month invested properly in good growth stock mutual funds can make you a millionaire by the time you’re ready to retire.Like I said, these are all simple things. But they’ll make a huge difference in your financial situation now and in the years to come!DavePay that thing off!Dear Dave,My only debt right now is a car payment. I still owe $12,000 on the vehicle, and currently I have $25,000 in savings. I’m in a very stable line of work, but my income can vary somewhat from month to month. Should I hang on to my savings, or pay off the car?ErikDear Erik, Debt is a bad thing to have in your life, especially when your income can vary from paycheck to paycheck. You’re in good shape, except for the car note, though. It’s like a ball and chain around your neck.You’d still have $13,000 left if you paid off the car. And with the money you’d free up, you could rebuild your savings in no time. Pay off the car, dude!Dave<a href="https://www.daveramsey.com/">Dave Ramsey</a> is a seven-time No. 1 national best-selling author, personal finance expert, and host of The Dave Ramsey Show, heard by more than 16 million listeners each week. He has appeared on Good Morning America, CBS This Morning, Today Show, Fox News, CNN, Fox Business, and many more. Since 1992, Dave has helped people regain control of their money, build wealth and enhance their lives. He also serves as CEO for Ramsey Solutions.

DAVE SAYS: Simple steps, pay that thing off!

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- The Super Bowl champions received their rings today! From <a href="https://www.facebook.com/KansasCityChiefs/">The Kansas City Chiefs</a> Facebook page:

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- The Super Bowl champions received their rings today! From <a href="https://www.facebook.com/KansasCityChiefs/">The Kansas City Chiefs</a> Facebook page:<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FKansasCityChiefs%2Fvideos%2F321344455747176%2F&show_text=1&width=476" width="476" height="572" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowTransparency="true" allow="encrypted-media" allowFullScreen="true"></iframe></div><div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FKansasCityChiefs%2Fvideos%2F3355184741191060%2F&show_text=1&width=267" width="267" height="718" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowTransparency="true" allow="encrypted-media" allowFullScreen="true"></iframe></div>You can listen to the Chiefs' games on KINA (910 AM and 107.5 FM) and 99KG (99.9 FM), your local Chiefs Radio Network stations.

📹Celebrating their Super Bowl victory, the Chiefs receive their rings

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Kansas City Chiefs Head Coach Andy Reid and Chiefs players spoke with the media today. From <a href="https://www.facebook.com/KansasCityChiefs/">The Kansas City Chiefs</a> Facebook page:

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Kansas City Chiefs Head Coach Andy Reid and Chiefs players spoke with the media today. From <a href="https://www.facebook.com/KansasCityChiefs/">The Kansas City Chiefs</a> Facebook page:<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FKansasCityChiefs%2Fvideos%2F310752790020142%2F&show_text=1&width=560" width="560" height="411" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowTransparency="true" allow="encrypted-media" allowFullScreen="true"></iframe></div>You can listen to the Chiefs' games on KINA (910 AM and 107.5 FM) and 99KG (99.9 FM), your local Chiefs Radio Network stations.

📹Chiefs' Reid, players talk football, rings

Eagle Communications Inc. continues to grow its Midwest footprint. The employee-owned company announced Monday the acquisition of two western Nebraska radio stations.

Eagle, which operates 31 stations in three states, has acquired Paxton, Neb.-based KZTL-FM (93.5) and Sutherland, Neb.-based KRNP-FM (100.7) from Legacy Communications Inc., who was represented by Kalil &amp; Co. Inc.

"At Eagle Radio, serving our communities is what we do best, and we're proud to serve the Midwest from Kansas to Missouri, Nebraska to South Dakota and into Colorado," said Olivia Hasenauer, Eagle Regional Manager North Platte, Alliance and Chadron. "With the addition of these two new stations, it only strengthens our footprint and our ability to grow the communities we serve, our clients, as well as our listener and viewer engagement." &nbsp;

Eagle currently operates 7 Nebraska stations in North Platte, Alliance, and Chadron. Multiple stations within the Nebraska footprint were recently honored for on-air excellence by the Nebraska Broadcasters Association.

All current employees of the two new Eagle stations will become employee-owners of Eagle Communications, which is based in Hays, Kan., and employs 170.

"Eagle Communications is excited to continue to grow, and these new stations will be important pieces of our growth strategy in 2020 and beyond," Eagle Chairman Gary Shorman said. "And we are just as excited to bring these stations' listeners Eagle's commitment to quality entertainment, news, sports and information."

Country station KZTL-FM operates at 93.5 FM, and rock station KRNP-AM operates at 100.7 FM.

"This is an exciting time for our Nebraska team and Eagle Radio, and we look forward to what the future will bring with the continued expansion in western Nebraska," Hasenauer said.

Founded in 1948, Eagle Communications Inc. is a Kansas-based media company with over 165 employee-owners. The company operates more than 30 radio stations in Kansas, Nebraska and Missouri. In addition to radio, the company offers online solutions, web development, video production and creative services. Eagle is the parent company of the Post News Network. For more, visit <a href="https://eagleradio.net/">eagleradio.net</a>.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/8/1598910820070.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Eagle Communications Inc. continues to grow its Midwest footprint. The employee-owned company announced Monday the acquisition of two western Nebraska radio stations.Eagle, which operates 31 stations in three states, has acquired Paxton, Neb.-based KZTL-FM (93.5) and Sutherland, Neb.-based KRNP-FM (100.7) from Legacy Communications Inc., who was represented by Kalil &amp; Co. Inc."At Eagle Radio, serving our communities is what we do best, and we're proud to serve the Midwest from Kansas to Missouri, Nebraska to South Dakota and into Colorado," said Olivia Hasenauer, Eagle Regional Manager North Platte, Alliance and Chadron. "With the addition of these two new stations, it only strengthens our footprint and our ability to grow the communities we serve, our clients, as well as our listener and viewer engagement." &nbsp;Eagle currently operates 7 Nebraska stations in North Platte, Alliance, and Chadron. Multiple stations within the Nebraska footprint were recently honored for on-air excellence by the Nebraska Broadcasters Association.All current employees of the two new Eagle stations will become employee-owners of Eagle Communications, which is based in Hays, Kan., and employs 170."Eagle Communications is excited to continue to grow, and these new stations will be important pieces of our growth strategy in 2020 and beyond," Eagle Chairman Gary Shorman said. "And we are just as excited to bring these stations' listeners Eagle's commitment to quality entertainment, news, sports and information."Country station KZTL-FM operates at 93.5 FM, and rock station KRNP-AM operates at 100.7 FM."This is an exciting time for our Nebraska team and Eagle Radio, and we look forward to what the future will bring with the continued expansion in western Nebraska," Hasenauer said.Founded in 1948, Eagle Communications Inc. is a Kansas-based media company with over 165 employee-owners. The company operates more than 30 radio stations in Kansas, Nebraska and Missouri. In addition to radio, the company offers online solutions, web development, video production and creative services. Eagle is the parent company of the Post News Network. For more, visit <a href="https://eagleradio.net/">eagleradio.net</a>.

Eagle expands with the acquisition of two new stations

Contrary to tweets, the Pledge of Allegiance broadcast on each of the four nights of the Democratic Convention contained “under God” each night. What most listeners may not know is the origin of that pledge and when that phrase was added.

The American Pledge of Allegiance was written by Christian socialist minister Francis Bellamy in 1892 and formally adopted by Congress in 1942. Bellamy would later state that he “viewed his Pledge as an ‘inoculation’ that would protect immigrants and native-born but insufficiently patriotic Americans from the ‘virus’ of radicalism and subversion.” Bellamy’s version did not include the term “under God” insofar as he was very aware of the many different religious viewpoints for which the U.S. became a shelter from religious intolerance elsewhere.

The “under God” was added under President Eisenhower in 1954. This came at a time of Joe McCarthy fear-mongering and pressure to contrast the United States from the “godless” Soviet Union.

Advocates for the addition of this phrase pointed to Lincoln’s use of it in the Gettysburg Address. But in 2004, linguist Geoffrey Nunberg demonstrated that in Lincoln’s time, “under God” would have meant closer to “God willing.”

Today, adequately-trained school administrators know that they cannot compel public school students to pledge allegiance to the flag or stand during that time. Challenges from Jehovah’s Witnesses and others eventually resulted in a legal understanding that the phrase is not a promotion of religion. In the 2010 Newdow v. Rio Linda Union School District case, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals found the words “under God” were of a “ceremonial and patriotic nature.”

In 2014, the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court also found the words “under God” represented a patriotic and not a religious exercise.

As much as politicians today want to argue over the Pledge of Allegiance, they seem totally clueless about the author of the Pledge being a Christian socialist minister. And so was his extended family. His cousin Edward Bellamy was a Christian socialist who wrote the utopian novel “Looking Backward” which was the third most-published book in America in the 1800s, after Uncle Tom’s Cabin and Ben-Hur.

Although both Edward and Francis Bellamy were socialists, they recognized the knee-jerk response to the term “socialist” even back in the late 1800s. This was the so-called “Gilded Age” when railroad barons and bankers could charge exorbitant rates and ranchers and farmers who needed to get cattle and crops to market had no options. Edward Bellamy’s utopia would have stopped this capitalist extortion. It attracted a large number of followers, especially in the Great Plains. But Edward explained the problem with the term “socialist” to a colleague in 1888.

“Every sensible man will admit there is a big deal in a name, especially in making first impressions. In the radicalness of the opinions I have expressed, I may seem to out-socialize the socialists, yet the word socialist is one I never could well stomach. In the first place it is a foreign word in itself, and equally foreign in all its suggestions.... [W]hatever German and French reformers may choose to call themselves, socialist is not a good name for a party to succeed with in America.”

Over 160 “Nationalist Clubs” were formed based on Bellamy’s socialist ideas (taken from his proposal to “nationalize” most companies). But he never used the term “socialist.” These clubs were eventually absorbed into the People's Party. For a while, they won elections in the Great Plains regions, but not at the national level.

Nevertheless, many of the ideas voiced by the Bellamy cousins and later socialists eventually made it into the mainstream: minimum wages, price supports, free public schooling, unemployment insurance, social security, an end to monopolies, an end to child labor and more. Indeed, without unemployment insurance and social security, this current pandemic would have resulted in a dramatic and long term Second Great Depression by now.

And without socialist Francis Bellamy, we would not have our Pledge of Allegiance.&nbsp;&nbsp;

John Richard Schrock has trained biology teachers for more than 30 years in Kansas. He also has lectured at 27 universities in 20 trips to China. He holds the distinction of “Faculty Emeritus” at Emporia State University.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/11/1573490075841.jpeg" alt="John Richard Schrock" />
 <figcaption>John Richard Schrock</figcaption>
 </figure>By JOHN RICHARD SCHROCKContrary to tweets, the Pledge of Allegiance broadcast on each of the four nights of the Democratic Convention contained “under God” each night. What most listeners may not know is the origin of that pledge and when that phrase was added. The American Pledge of Allegiance was written by Christian socialist minister Francis Bellamy in 1892 and formally adopted by Congress in 1942. Bellamy would later state that he “viewed his Pledge as an ‘inoculation’ that would protect immigrants and native-born but insufficiently patriotic Americans from the ‘virus’ of radicalism and subversion.” Bellamy’s version did not include the term “under God” insofar as he was very aware of the many different religious viewpoints for which the U.S. became a shelter from religious intolerance elsewhere. The “under God” was added under President Eisenhower in 1954. This came at a time of Joe McCarthy fear-mongering and pressure to contrast the United States from the “godless” Soviet Union. Advocates for the addition of this phrase pointed to Lincoln’s use of it in the Gettysburg Address. But in 2004, linguist Geoffrey Nunberg demonstrated that in Lincoln’s time, “under God” would have meant closer to “God willing.” Today, adequately-trained school administrators know that they cannot compel public school students to pledge allegiance to the flag or stand during that time. Challenges from Jehovah’s Witnesses and others eventually resulted in a legal understanding that the phrase is not a promotion of religion. In the 2010 Newdow v. Rio Linda Union School District case, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals found the words “under God” were of a “ceremonial and patriotic nature.” In 2014, the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court also found the words “under God” represented a patriotic and not a religious exercise. As much as politicians today want to argue over the Pledge of Allegiance, they seem totally clueless about the author of the Pledge being a Christian socialist minister. And so was his extended family. His cousin Edward Bellamy was a Christian socialist who wrote the utopian novel “Looking Backward” which was the third most-published book in America in the 1800s, after Uncle Tom’s Cabin and Ben-Hur. Although both Edward and Francis Bellamy were socialists, they recognized the knee-jerk response to the term “socialist” even back in the late 1800s. This was the so-called “Gilded Age” when railroad barons and bankers could charge exorbitant rates and ranchers and farmers who needed to get cattle and crops to market had no options. Edward Bellamy’s utopia would have stopped this capitalist extortion. It attracted a large number of followers, especially in the Great Plains. But Edward explained the problem with the term “socialist” to a colleague in 1888. “Every sensible man will admit there is a big deal in a name, especially in making first impressions. In the radicalness of the opinions I have expressed, I may seem to out-socialize the socialists, yet the word socialist is one I never could well stomach. In the first place it is a foreign word in itself, and equally foreign in all its suggestions.... [W]hatever German and French reformers may choose to call themselves, socialist is not a good name for a party to succeed with in America.” Over 160 “Nationalist Clubs” were formed based on Bellamy’s socialist ideas (taken from his proposal to “nationalize” most companies). But he never used the term “socialist.” These clubs were eventually absorbed into the People's Party. For a while, they won elections in the Great Plains regions, but not at the national level. Nevertheless, many of the ideas voiced by the Bellamy cousins and later socialists eventually made it into the mainstream: minimum wages, price supports, free public schooling, unemployment insurance, social security, an end to monopolies, an end to child labor and more. Indeed, without unemployment insurance and social security, this current pandemic would have resulted in a dramatic and long term Second Great Depression by now. And without socialist Francis Bellamy, we would not have our Pledge of Allegiance.&nbsp;&nbsp;John Richard Schrock has trained biology teachers for more than 30 years in Kansas. He also has lectured at 27 universities in 20 trips to China. He holds the distinction of “Faculty Emeritus” at Emporia State University.

EDUCATION FRONTLINES: Origin of the Pledge of Allegiance

By RON WILSON Kansas State University

The thank-you note came from the office of former President George W. Bush, expressing appreciation for the wonderful pork rinds provided by this remarkable business. &nbsp;

Thaddeus and Kelly Perry are owners and founders of Perry’s Pork Rinds in Bronson.&nbsp;&nbsp;They grew up in southeast Kansas, married and moved to Bronson to be near family.

Thaddeus, a butcher, would occasionally fry pork rinds in the backyard as a hobby. Kelly remembered delicious pork rinds from the Ozarks.&nbsp;

When Kelly and Thaddeus wanted to earn some extra money for a cruise, they decided to sell pork rinds and funnel cakes at an upcoming fair in Missouri. &nbsp;

They looked online for seasonings and USDA-inspected pork rinds, borrowed a kettle, and set up a tent at the fair. Then a thunderstorm came through and ruined any chance of cooking. “I cried,” Kelly said. “But my husband is the hardest-working guy I know.&nbsp;&nbsp;After the storm passed, he cooked more pork rinds all night long.”&nbsp;

The pork rinds were a big hit. Kelly and Thaddeus were soon headed to his niece’s wedding in Manhattan and she posted on Facebook about the few bags of pork rinds they had remaining. When she checked messages after the wedding, she realized the rinds were in high demand. “We sold all we had left and paid for our cruise in full,” Kelly said.&nbsp;

Kelly and Thaddeus set up their own LLC as Perry’s Pork Rinds in September 2017. “We haven’t stopped since,” Kelly said.&nbsp;

“Several customers were interested in nutritional facts so we contacted Dr. Elizabeth Boyle and Dr. Fadi at K-State. They were so helpful with our nutrition labeling,” Kelly said. The Perrys also joined the Kansas Department of Agriculture’s From the Land of Kansas program.&nbsp;

“We use soybean oil and we heat it to just over 400 degrees,” Thaddeus said. “Soybean oil is a heart-healthy oil and it smells better than lard,” Kelly said. “We hand-season them. Our pork rinds are unique flavors, a very fresh, light crunch that’s not hard, a really good, low-carb snack option,” she said.&nbsp;

Perry’s Pork Rinds now offers this tasty snack in 10 flavors and three seasonal ones. “Everything we do is because we listen to our customers,” Kelly said. “I would post different flavors on Facebook and ask our customers to vote on them,” she said.&nbsp;

Today, Perry’s Pork Rinds come as original, spicy, ranch, barbecue, cinnamon sugar, sour cream &amp; onion, cheddar cheese, chili cheese, chili lime, and garlic parmesan. (Is your mouth watering yet?) Product sales got another boost when posted on the Shop Kansas Farms Facebook page. Sales boomed and two full-time employees were hired.&nbsp;

Kelly likes to experiment with recipes using pork rinds. “I made a bacon, jalapeño,&nbsp;cheddar-cheese, pork-rind meatloaf,” she said. “Anything that calls for breadcrumbs, you can use pork rinds for. They’re great in chili, taco salad, and other dishes,” she said. “It’s more than just a snack, it can help make a family meal,” Kelly said.&nbsp;

Perry’s Pork Rinds have gone to all 50 states plus Canada and as far away as Saudi Arabia. The office of former President Bush ordered products and sent a complimentary thank-you note afterward.&nbsp;

Sales in 2019 were up 328%. Perry’s Pork Rinds was named the Kansas Department of Commerce Minority-Owned Business of the Year in Sales and Distribution.&nbsp;

The Perrys plan to open the Famous Perry’s Pork Rind Country Store and production facility in a new building along Highway 54 at the site of a former gas station. This will feature other Kansas products including in-house made fudge, saltwater taffy, jerky, smoked cheese, popcorn and more.&nbsp;

That’s exciting to see in a rural community like Bronson, population 323 people. Now, that’s rural.&nbsp;

For more information, go to&nbsp;<a href="http://www.perrysporkrinds.com/" target="_blank">www.perrysporkrinds.com</a>&nbsp;or follow them on&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/PerrysPorkRinds" target="_blank">Facebook</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.instagram.com/perrysporkrinds/" target="_blank">Instragram</a>.&nbsp;

The note came from the office of former President George Bush, thanking them for the product. We commend Thaddeus and Kelly Perry for making a difference with hard work and entrepreneurship with this tasty snack. For that, I am thankful.&nbsp;

Audio and text files of Kansas Profiles are available at&nbsp;<a href="http://www.kansasprofile.com/" target="_blank">http://www.kansasprofile.com</a>. For more information about the Huck Boyd Institute, interested persons can visit&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="http://www.huckboydinstitute.org/" target="_blank">http://www.huckboydinstitute.org</a>.

Ron Wilson is director of the Huck Boyd National Institute for Rural Development at Kansas State University.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/6/1592753893213.jpeg" alt="Ron Wilson. Photo courtesy KSRE" />
 <figcaption>Ron Wilson. Photo courtesy KSRE</figcaption>
 </figure>By RON WILSON Kansas State UniversityThe thank-you note came from the office of former President George W. Bush, expressing appreciation for the wonderful pork rinds provided by this remarkable business. &nbsp;Thaddeus and Kelly Perry are owners and founders of Perry’s Pork Rinds in Bronson.&nbsp;&nbsp;They grew up in southeast Kansas, married and moved to Bronson to be near family. Thaddeus, a butcher, would occasionally fry pork rinds in the backyard as a hobby. Kelly remembered delicious pork rinds from the Ozarks.&nbsp;When Kelly and Thaddeus wanted to earn some extra money for a cruise, they decided to sell pork rinds and funnel cakes at an upcoming fair in Missouri. &nbsp;They looked online for seasonings and USDA-inspected pork rinds, borrowed a kettle, and set up a tent at the fair. Then a thunderstorm came through and ruined any chance of cooking. “I cried,” Kelly said. “But my husband is the hardest-working guy I know.&nbsp;&nbsp;After the storm passed, he cooked more pork rinds all night long.”&nbsp;The pork rinds were a big hit. Kelly and Thaddeus were soon headed to his niece’s wedding in Manhattan and she posted on Facebook about the few bags of pork rinds they had remaining. When she checked messages after the wedding, she realized the rinds were in high demand. “We sold all we had left and paid for our cruise in full,” Kelly said.&nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/8/1598756206383.jpeg" alt="Thaddeus and Kelly Perry. Photo courtesy KSRE" />
 <figcaption>Thaddeus and Kelly Perry. Photo courtesy KSRE</figcaption>
 </figure>Kelly and Thaddeus set up their own LLC as Perry’s Pork Rinds in September 2017. “We haven’t stopped since,” Kelly said.&nbsp;“Several customers were interested in nutritional facts so we contacted Dr. Elizabeth Boyle and Dr. Fadi at K-State. They were so helpful with our nutrition labeling,” Kelly said. The Perrys also joined the Kansas Department of Agriculture’s From the Land of Kansas program.&nbsp;“We use soybean oil and we heat it to just over 400 degrees,” Thaddeus said. “Soybean oil is a heart-healthy oil and it smells better than lard,” Kelly said. “We hand-season them. Our pork rinds are unique flavors, a very fresh, light crunch that’s not hard, a really good, low-carb snack option,” she said.&nbsp;Perry’s Pork Rinds now offers this tasty snack in 10 flavors and three seasonal ones. “Everything we do is because we listen to our customers,” Kelly said. “I would post different flavors on Facebook and ask our customers to vote on them,” she said.&nbsp;Today, Perry’s Pork Rinds come as original, spicy, ranch, barbecue, cinnamon sugar, sour cream &amp; onion, cheddar cheese, chili cheese, chili lime, and garlic parmesan. (Is your mouth watering yet?) Product sales got another boost when posted on the Shop Kansas Farms Facebook page. Sales boomed and two full-time employees were hired.&nbsp;Kelly likes to experiment with recipes using pork rinds. “I made a bacon, jalapeño,&nbsp;cheddar-cheese, pork-rind meatloaf,” she said. “Anything that calls for breadcrumbs, you can use pork rinds for. They’re great in chili, taco salad, and other dishes,” she said. “It’s more than just a snack, it can help make a family meal,” Kelly said.&nbsp;Perry’s Pork Rinds have gone to all 50 states plus Canada and as far away as Saudi Arabia. The office of former President Bush ordered products and sent a complimentary thank-you note afterward.&nbsp;Sales in 2019 were up 328%. Perry’s Pork Rinds was named the Kansas Department of Commerce Minority-Owned Business of the Year in Sales and Distribution.&nbsp;The Perrys plan to open the Famous Perry’s Pork Rind Country Store and production facility in a new building along Highway 54 at the site of a former gas station. This will feature other Kansas products including in-house made fudge, saltwater taffy, jerky, smoked cheese, popcorn and more.&nbsp;That’s exciting to see in a rural community like Bronson, population 323 people. Now, that’s rural.&nbsp;For more information, go to&nbsp;<a href="http://www.perrysporkrinds.com/" target="_blank">www.perrysporkrinds.com</a>&nbsp;or follow them on&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/PerrysPorkRinds" target="_blank">Facebook</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.instagram.com/perrysporkrinds/" target="_blank">Instragram</a>.&nbsp;The note came from the office of former President George Bush, thanking them for the product. We commend Thaddeus and Kelly Perry for making a difference with hard work and entrepreneurship with this tasty snack. For that, I am thankful.&nbsp;Audio and text files of Kansas Profiles are available at&nbsp;<a href="http://www.kansasprofile.com/" target="_blank">http://www.kansasprofile.com</a>. For more information about the Huck Boyd Institute, interested persons can visit&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="http://www.huckboydinstitute.org/" target="_blank">http://www.huckboydinstitute.org</a>.Ron Wilson is director of the Huck Boyd National Institute for Rural Development at Kansas State University.

Now That’s Rural: Kelly and Thaddeus Perry, Perry’s Pork Rinds

A fun look back at the Kansas City Chiefs' Super Bowl wins. From <a href="https://www.facebook.com/KansasCityChiefs/">The Kansas City Chiefs</a> Facebook page:

A fun look back at the Kansas City Chiefs' Super Bowl wins. From <a href="https://www.facebook.com/KansasCityChiefs/">The Kansas City Chiefs</a> Facebook page:<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FKansasCityChiefs%2Fvideos%2F2633572646892063%2F&show_text=1&width=560" width="560" height="411" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowTransparency="true" allow="encrypted-media" allowFullScreen="true"></iframe></div>You can listen to the Chiefs' games on KINA (910 AM and 107.5 FM) and 99KG (99.9 FM), your local Chiefs Radio Network stations.

📹Chiefs provide a look back at their Super Bowl wins

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- At the conclusion of the final practice of training camp today, the Kansas City Chiefs took time to once again celebrate their Super Bowl victory by raising the championship flag over Arrowhead Stadium. From <a href="https://www.facebook.com/KansasCityChiefs/">The Kansas City Chiefs</a> Facebook page:

Following the flag raising,&nbsp;Clark Hunt, Andy Reid, and Patrick Mahomes addressed the media.

You can listen to the Chiefs' games on KINA (910 AM and 107.5 FM) and 99KG (99.9 FM).

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- At the conclusion of the final practice of training camp today, the Kansas City Chiefs took time to once again celebrate their Super Bowl victory by raising the championship flag over Arrowhead Stadium. From <a href="https://www.facebook.com/KansasCityChiefs/">The Kansas City Chiefs</a> Facebook page:<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FKansasCityChiefs%2Fvideos%2F742434336301581%2F&show_text=1&width=380" width="380" height="658" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowTransparency="true" allow="encrypted-media" allowFullScreen="true"></iframe></div>Following the flag raising,&nbsp;Clark Hunt, Andy Reid, and Patrick Mahomes addressed the media.<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FKansasCityChiefs%2Fvideos%2F762122141254367%2F&show_text=1&width=560" width="560" height="430" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowTransparency="true" allow="encrypted-media" allowFullScreen="true"></iframe></div>You can listen to the Chiefs' games on KINA (910 AM and 107.5 FM) and 99KG (99.9 FM).

📹Chiefs raise championship flag over Arrowhead Stadium

Marches, protests and demonstrations, on the street or now online, are how the United States talks to itself. And, to the benefit of the nation, we are doing a lot of talking these days.

Propelled and protected by the First Amendment freedoms of speech, assembly and petition, we have taken to the streets today and in the past to call the country to consider national challenges and solve national inequities, to press for change or to voice opposition to policies, plans and practices.

Our next national moment: Friday, Aug. 28, the planned commemoration of the 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. It could not come at a more appropriate time.

If 2020 is to be remembered for more than the COVID-19 pandemic, it will be as a year in which our fellow citizens — and, very often, those among us who see themselves as outside the majority in one way or another — demanded to be heard in matters of freedom and social justice and, even more, demanded more loudly than ever to see positive change as a result.

The planned commemorations will include&nbsp;Rep. John Lewis, the youngest speaker at the ’63 event and all but certain to be the patron-in-absentia for the event and others now planned:

The marches, however they mesh, will be about more than memories. Some will be demonstrating that day against continuing police brutality targeting Black citizens or other people of color. Others will press for major reforms in policing and funding for police overall, and for sentencing and prison reform.

Consider for a moment the lasting impact of the critical moment of the 1963 march, when&nbsp;Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his historic “I Have a Dream” speech, with words that have resounded through the years.

King’s speech, some 10 minutes longer than the six minutes he was allotted, didn’t include its memorable title until gospel singer&nbsp;Mahalia Jackson, recalling earlier King speeches as she stood behind him at the podium on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, said to him, “Tell ’em about the dream, Martin, tell ’em about the dream!”

Setting aside his prepared remarks, King told an estimated 150,000 at the memorial and nearby Reflecting Pool that “ … even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream … that … we will be able to speed up that day when all God’s children, Black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual, ‘Free at last! Free at last! Thank God Almighty, we are free at last!’”

It may not be a focus of this year’s commemorations, but the march 57 years ago was rooted in a similar event planned but not held more than two decades earlier. In 1941,&nbsp;A. Philip Randolph, founder of the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters labor union, called for a march on Washington, D.C., to protest exclusion of Black workers from defense industry jobs. In return for cancelling that event, Randolph gained an executive order issued by&nbsp;President Franklin D. Roosevelt&nbsp;forming the Fair Employment Practices Commission to investigate racial discrimination in the national defense industry.

Lest we forget, commemorations around the 1963 march likely won’t be the only calls for a “redress of grievances” on that day. Ongoing national protests include groups opposing each other in public over COVID-19-related issues — back-to-school plans, government orders to wear face coverings in public, the renewal of limits on store hours or openings, restrictions on worship services and social public gatherings, even the very nature and extent of the pandemic itself.

The breadth of current public outcries may be surprising, but the depth of emotion behind them shouldn’t be — protest is backed into the nation’s civic DNA: From pre-revolutionary times, when colonials took to cobblestone streets to protest taxes and British rule, to rallies and marches by pro- and anti-slavery advocates in the early- to mid-1800s; from anti-draft demonstrations during the Civil War to a decade of anti-war rallies during the Vietnam War; from suffragette marches in the late 1800s and early 1900s to the ERA battles of the 1970s; from marches that led to a Prohibition amendment in 1920 to marches that led to its repeal in 1933; from white-robed Ku Klux Klan demonstrations across the nation peaking in the 1920s to the civil rights movement peaking in the 1960s; to the LGBTQ movement, from Stonewall in 1969 to recent demonstrations over marriage laws and employment equality.

“We Protest” may well stand next to “In God We Trust” as a national motto. Certainly, the founders saw those core freedoms of speech, assembly and petition as central to keeping the nation safe from the “tyranny of the majority,” where minority voices and calls for change were stifled before having any real chance to produce reforms or form a new majority, seen all-too often in the European nations of their time.

There’s no guarantee under the First Amendment that when America talks to itself, Americans will listen. But our history is marked by those moments when as a nation we do hear, sometimes belatedly, what protesters, demonstrators and marchers are saying. And we are a fairer, more honest, more just country as a result.

As King said in his last public speech in 1968, nearly five years after the March on Washington: “Somewhere I read of the freedom of assembly. Somewhere I read of the freedom of speech. Somewhere I read of the freedom of press. Somewhere I read that the greatness of America is the right to protest for right.”

March on, citizens, on Aug. 28 and the days after. Use your freedoms.

Gene Policinski is a senior fellow for the First Amendment at the Freedom Forum, and president and chief operating officer of the Freedom Forum Institute. He can be reached at&nbsp;<a href="mailto:gpolicinski@freedomforum.org" target="_blank">gpolicinski@freedomforum.org</a>, or follow him on Twitter at&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/@genefac" target="_blank">@genefac</a>.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/7/1593729871227.png" alt="Gene Policinski. Photo courtesy Freedom Forum" />
 <figcaption>Gene Policinski. Photo courtesy Freedom Forum</figcaption>
 </figure>By GENE POLICINSKIMarches, protests and demonstrations, on the street or now online, are how the United States talks to itself. And, to the benefit of the nation, we are doing a lot of talking these days.Propelled and protected by the First Amendment freedoms of speech, assembly and petition, we have taken to the streets today and in the past to call the country to consider national challenges and solve national inequities, to press for change or to voice opposition to policies, plans and practices.Our next national moment: Friday, Aug. 28, the planned commemoration of the 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. It could not come at a more appropriate time.If 2020 is to be remembered for more than the COVID-19 pandemic, it will be as a year in which our fellow citizens — and, very often, those among us who see themselves as outside the majority in one way or another — demanded to be heard in matters of freedom and social justice and, even more, demanded more loudly than ever to see positive change as a result.The planned commemorations will include&nbsp;Rep. John Lewis, the youngest speaker at the ’63 event and all but certain to be the patron-in-absentia for the event and others now planned:<ul>
 <li>The&nbsp;Rev. Al Sharpton’s&nbsp;National Action Network (NAN), in collaboration with several other sponsors, plans a march with as many as 100,000 participants and tents on or near the National Mall and other events, according to permit information made public in June. Officially, it’s the “Get Your Knee Off Our Necks” march, recognizing the death of&nbsp;George Floyd.</li><li>The NAACP plans a Virtual March on Washington, streamed across key social media platforms and television networks starting Thursday evening, Aug. 27 and concluding the next evening. At midday Friday,&nbsp;Martin Luther King III&nbsp;and representatives of the families of Black people who have died at the hands of police, will march online, bolstered by an actual march in Washington, D.C.</li>
 </ul>The marches, however they mesh, will be about more than memories. Some will be demonstrating that day against continuing police brutality targeting Black citizens or other people of color. Others will press for major reforms in policing and funding for police overall, and for sentencing and prison reform.Consider for a moment the lasting impact of the critical moment of the 1963 march, when&nbsp;Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his historic “I Have a Dream” speech, with words that have resounded through the years.King’s speech, some 10 minutes longer than the six minutes he was allotted, didn’t include its memorable title until gospel singer&nbsp;Mahalia Jackson, recalling earlier King speeches as she stood behind him at the podium on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, said to him, “Tell ’em about the dream, Martin, tell ’em about the dream!”Setting aside his prepared remarks, King told an estimated 150,000 at the memorial and nearby Reflecting Pool that “ … even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream … that … we will be able to speed up that day when all God’s children, Black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual, ‘Free at last! Free at last! Thank God Almighty, we are free at last!’”It may not be a focus of this year’s commemorations, but the march 57 years ago was rooted in a similar event planned but not held more than two decades earlier. In 1941,&nbsp;A. Philip Randolph, founder of the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters labor union, called for a march on Washington, D.C., to protest exclusion of Black workers from defense industry jobs. In return for cancelling that event, Randolph gained an executive order issued by&nbsp;President Franklin D. Roosevelt&nbsp;forming the Fair Employment Practices Commission to investigate racial discrimination in the national defense industry.Lest we forget, commemorations around the 1963 march likely won’t be the only calls for a “redress of grievances” on that day. Ongoing national protests include groups opposing each other in public over COVID-19-related issues — back-to-school plans, government orders to wear face coverings in public, the renewal of limits on store hours or openings, restrictions on worship services and social public gatherings, even the very nature and extent of the pandemic itself.The breadth of current public outcries may be surprising, but the depth of emotion behind them shouldn’t be — protest is backed into the nation’s civic DNA: From pre-revolutionary times, when colonials took to cobblestone streets to protest taxes and British rule, to rallies and marches by pro- and anti-slavery advocates in the early- to mid-1800s; from anti-draft demonstrations during the Civil War to a decade of anti-war rallies during the Vietnam War; from suffragette marches in the late 1800s and early 1900s to the ERA battles of the 1970s; from marches that led to a Prohibition amendment in 1920 to marches that led to its repeal in 1933; from white-robed Ku Klux Klan demonstrations across the nation peaking in the 1920s to the civil rights movement peaking in the 1960s; to the LGBTQ movement, from Stonewall in 1969 to recent demonstrations over marriage laws and employment equality.“We Protest” may well stand next to “In God We Trust” as a national motto. Certainly, the founders saw those core freedoms of speech, assembly and petition as central to keeping the nation safe from the “tyranny of the majority,” where minority voices and calls for change were stifled before having any real chance to produce reforms or form a new majority, seen all-too often in the European nations of their time.There’s no guarantee under the First Amendment that when America talks to itself, Americans will listen. But our history is marked by those moments when as a nation we do hear, sometimes belatedly, what protesters, demonstrators and marchers are saying. And we are a fairer, more honest, more just country as a result.As King said in his last public speech in 1968, nearly five years after the March on Washington: “Somewhere I read of the freedom of assembly. Somewhere I read of the freedom of speech. Somewhere I read of the freedom of press. Somewhere I read that the greatness of America is the right to protest for right.”March on, citizens, on Aug. 28 and the days after. Use your freedoms.Gene Policinski is a senior fellow for the First Amendment at the Freedom Forum, and president and chief operating officer of the Freedom Forum Institute. He can be reached at&nbsp;<a href="mailto:gpolicinski@freedomforum.org" target="_blank">gpolicinski@freedomforum.org</a>, or follow him on Twitter at&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/@genefac" target="_blank">@genefac</a>.

FIRST 5: We march, demonstrate and protest; we're America

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Some of the Kansas City Chiefs fielded media questions Friday during a training camp presser. Following are their comments.

Chiefs Offensive Coordinator Eric Bieniemy

OPENING STATEMENT:&nbsp;“Good morning.&nbsp;We've had some guys competing their asses off in training camp. It's been a great ride so far. We've had some guys come&nbsp;off of&nbsp;injuries and contribute. Got a few players down, but you know what, we understand, hey, the next man is up. It's been a very competitive camp. Guys are having fun and I'm just enjoying the energy and the competition between both our units. It's been a lot of fun&nbsp;to be a part of, and it's just been fun to watch.&nbsp;So,&nbsp;with that said, any questions to start.”

Q:&nbsp;Yesterday, Coach Toub and Coach Madison shared with us that Andy Reid always allows his players to have open dialogue, even more so now with everything going on in the country. Being a former player, how much have you shared with some of the guys of your experiences, not only being a black athlete, but also as a black man on and off the field? And what are your thoughts on guys using their platform to spread awareness on social injustices in this country?&nbsp;

BIENIEMY:&nbsp;“First of all, Coach Reid has been the same ever since I've known him. Since playing for him in 1999, he was always that way. He wanted to allow guys to let their personality show. He wanted the true man&nbsp;to sit there and shine if he had something on his heart and on his mind. One thing with our players, they've done a hell of a job of just expressing to one another, having an open dialogue, and I'm very proud of the fact of what we're doing. It's about time that we start having voter registration talked about.&nbsp;How about kudos to Pat. Kudos to Tyrann, you know.&nbsp;How about having the back of the organization with Clark&nbsp;(Hunt), Mark Donovan, also with&nbsp;(Brett)&nbsp;Veach. It's just a testament to the environment that we have. And like I said, the chemistry here—and you guys have heard me say this before—it's&nbsp;a unique situation&nbsp;because the guys like each other. We may not always agree, but you know what? They find a way to respect one another and come together with&nbsp;a&nbsp;decision&nbsp;that's going to&nbsp;be best for the organization and for us moving forward.”

Q:&nbsp;Do you guys feel confident and where&nbsp;Clyde Edwards-Helaire is&nbsp;at&nbsp;with pass protection&nbsp;now, within two weeks&nbsp;to&nbsp;go&nbsp;until&nbsp;the regular season,&nbsp;that&nbsp;he’s going to&nbsp;be OK to&nbsp;protect&nbsp;Pat?&nbsp;

BIENIEMY:&nbsp;“Oh yeah.&nbsp;In fact, I’ll&nbsp;say&nbsp;this,&nbsp;Deland (McCullough)&nbsp;has&nbsp;done a hell of a job and I’ll&nbsp;tell you what, he has a great room of people to work with.&nbsp;So, Clyde&nbsp;is not only receiving some coaching from&nbsp;Deland, he's also received some coaching from the veterans,&nbsp;Sherm&nbsp;(Anthony Sherman),&nbsp;who's been helping him out tremendously. And then on top of that, you know we&nbsp;have&nbsp;a bunch of&nbsp;backs that have played&nbsp;a little while,&nbsp;so&nbsp;young&nbsp;Darrel&nbsp;Williams has been outstanding and helping him with his technique and just teaching him all of calls and the things he should expect versus coverages&nbsp;or&nbsp;just certain things that he’s seeing. So, am I going to&nbsp;say he's perfect? No, he's not perfect, but I've enjoyed watching the progress that he has made&nbsp;each and every&nbsp;day. Then,&nbsp;when you’ve&nbsp;got a kid that can explain to you why he made a mistake, that's when you know he's getting it. So,&nbsp;he's doing a heck of a&nbsp;job. I know he's going to&nbsp;do everything under the sun to help us to do better&nbsp;in&nbsp;what we need to,&nbsp;but also too, he understands the importance if you don't protect that damn quarterback, you can't play.”&nbsp;

Q:&nbsp;First, how has it been trying to see the players in the live atmosphere, knowing that you're not going to get&nbsp;a preseason&nbsp;game,&nbsp;and&nbsp;how&nbsp;do&nbsp;you make your decision on who makes the final cut?&nbsp;Then,&nbsp;there are NFL players who have talked about possibly boycotting the first&nbsp;game of the season. I don't know if the players&nbsp;are going to go to that extent,&nbsp;but if the players decide to take a knee, will you as an individual,&nbsp;as a Chiefs coach,&nbsp;along with your colleagues,&nbsp;take a knee&nbsp;with them?&nbsp;

BIENIEMY:&nbsp;“So,&nbsp;first of all&nbsp;to answer your&nbsp;question about training camp, our&nbsp;guys have done a heck&nbsp;of&nbsp;a job. It's been a little different due to the&nbsp;times that we’re&nbsp;living&nbsp;in&nbsp;due to&nbsp;the pandemic and everything. But the thing that our guys have done a heck&nbsp;of a&nbsp;job&nbsp;of&nbsp;is just&nbsp;improvising and adapting. One thing that we've learned here together collectively as a staff is to remain flexible. That's one thing that you&nbsp;have to&nbsp;be when you're coaching with&nbsp;Coach Reid.&nbsp;But also,&nbsp;our&nbsp;players have remained flexible and they've been poised under pressure, and they've adapted to the schedule, and they've caught on&nbsp;and they’ve excelled.&nbsp;They've been working their tails off. Like I said, it hasn't been perfect. There's no such thing as perfection, but one thing that we always want to do, we want to strive for perfection in order to achieve excellence. And I think our guys have the focus and the mindset to do it the right way. We’ve&nbsp;got plenty of vets who are guiding us&nbsp;and&nbsp;leading. Now, we're talking about what's going on in the world. I mean, there's a lot.&nbsp;I'm 51 years old&nbsp;this year.&nbsp;I've seen a lot. I've been around a lot.&nbsp;But here's the thing that I love that&nbsp;our&nbsp;guys are doing a great job&nbsp;of,&nbsp;there's nothing that gets me more excited than watching what Pat&nbsp;and Tyrann&nbsp;have done with the voter registration deal. I mean, that is outstanding.&nbsp;That is huge.&nbsp;That is a huge step in the right direction. We’ve&nbsp;got players donating money in the black community,&nbsp;making sure not only that their&nbsp;finances can make a change, but also being there.&nbsp;We have&nbsp;a number of&nbsp;guys who understand the difference between&nbsp;what's right and what's wrong.&nbsp;And I'm going&nbsp;say this again,&nbsp;we’ve&nbsp;got a bunch of guys on this team that like each other. They care about one another. We have a great&nbsp;culture&nbsp;and it starts from the top.&nbsp;It starts with a great owner&nbsp;in&nbsp;Clark&nbsp;Hunt, and it just trickles down. It trickles down to Mark Donovan giving guys a voice.&nbsp;It also trickles down to Brett&nbsp;Veach&nbsp;and&nbsp;the things that he does, making sure that these guys are confident in&nbsp;their&nbsp;actions and what they're doing and what they're saying. But also,&nbsp;more importantly, it's with Coach Reid&nbsp;allowing these guys to allow their personalities to show and understanding that regardless of what decisions that we're going to&nbsp;make, we're going to&nbsp;make&nbsp;them together.&nbsp;Those guys are going&nbsp;take care of that and we're going to support our players 120% in everything that they do.”&nbsp;

Q:&nbsp;You may not know all 32 owners, but what do you think makes Clark such a model representation for where the League should go in terms of ownership right now&nbsp;based on the things that have gone on?&nbsp;&nbsp;Then secondly, speaking of the voter registration, if the Chiefs&nbsp;are able to&nbsp;have Arrowhead Stadium be a place for people to vote, what emotions will that invoke in&nbsp;you?&nbsp;

BIENIEMY:&nbsp;“You ask the question about Clark,&nbsp;I mean,&nbsp;just look at the history.&nbsp;One of&nbsp;the&nbsp;original AFL teams.&nbsp;Look at the names of the people that were&nbsp;drafted here.&nbsp;A&nbsp;lot of those guys came from historical black colleges. A lot of those guys&nbsp;have&nbsp;represented themselves not only as excellent athletes on the field, but off&nbsp;the field&nbsp;as commendable citizens, and they’re&nbsp;in&nbsp;the Hall of Fame as well. So that says a lot, not only&nbsp;about Clark,&nbsp;but just the family that he's been a part of. And that's&nbsp;one thing that we appreciate,&nbsp;that the&nbsp;Hunts understand exactly what has been going on in this world because they've seen it.&nbsp;They've inherited it.&nbsp;And I guarantee you when Lamar Hunt was alive, bless his soul,&nbsp;during that&nbsp;particular time,&nbsp;I'm sure he experienced&nbsp;a number of&nbsp;things when he first started off with those&nbsp;particular players&nbsp;playing&nbsp;for his NFL&nbsp;team.&nbsp;So,&nbsp;that's what Clark&nbsp;has&nbsp;and Clark has lived through that.&nbsp;And&nbsp;what better person to be a role model?&nbsp;Then,&nbsp;as&nbsp;you&nbsp;talked about, trying to get the&nbsp;stadium here&nbsp;as a place where people can come and vote, that would be just historical.&nbsp;Why? I just remember growing up as a young kid,&nbsp;when I turned 18&nbsp;there were&nbsp;two things I was&nbsp;going&nbsp;to&nbsp;do. Well, a few things.&nbsp;First&nbsp;of all,&nbsp;I had to get a job, I had to go to school,&nbsp;I was going to join the service.&nbsp;But on top of that,&nbsp;my mother told&nbsp;me, ‘Your ass is going to&nbsp;vote.&nbsp;You are&nbsp;going to vote because we fought for this right.’&nbsp;And how about that? These guys have stood up. They said, ‘Hey, let's make this right. Let's make it where everybody can have an opportunity to come to the stadium and vote.’&nbsp;I'm proud of the people that we have in this building, but I'm also proud of the people that have provided the light and the way for them so they can come out and be free&nbsp;to be who they are and&nbsp;speak freely to the world about what's going on and making a&nbsp;change.”&nbsp;

Q:&nbsp;A&nbsp;common term you see is a lot of black men say&nbsp;that they’re&nbsp;exhausted,&nbsp;they’re&nbsp;tired. My question to you is simply are you tired? Are you tired of everything that you see, and&nbsp;have&nbsp;the sports kind of provided a little bit of a distraction&nbsp;for you?&nbsp;

CLARK:&nbsp;“Yes,&nbsp;I am.&nbsp;I’ve&nbsp;got a family. I‘ve&nbsp;got kids and they're going to be forced to learn about this stuff and I have to explain it to them at some point in their life,&nbsp;and that's the most difficult part.&nbsp;That's the most difficult part that I&nbsp;have to&nbsp;deal with—I can only speak for myself—because I know, one, that I’m going to&nbsp;have to explain this. They're going to&nbsp;ask and I&nbsp;have to explain it at some point&nbsp;where they understand, and&nbsp;that's the most difficult part because&nbsp;a lot of this stuff is going to&nbsp;be hard to keep it real&nbsp;and&nbsp;explain&nbsp;to&nbsp;them.&nbsp;I wasn't educated like I should have been, growing up on these things that were&nbsp;happening in the&nbsp;times in the past. You know, Rodney King and stuff like that. But it's just having to educate my kids on this stuff, and, you know,&nbsp;it's on the&nbsp;internet. This is a world where everything is on the&nbsp;internet now, so they’re&nbsp;going to&nbsp;be able to see it on the&nbsp;internet and see&nbsp;not just what's going on today, but things have been going on the last&nbsp;few&nbsp;years&nbsp;to be&nbsp;more specific.”&nbsp;

Q:&nbsp;Following up on that,&nbsp;a lot of guys on this team have sort of acknowledged&nbsp;the historical moment you guys are going to have to raise a banner on opening night,&nbsp;but also you're going to play the first major football game in the country since the Super Bowl.&nbsp;How much do guys understand the significance of what you guys are going to&nbsp;have in front of you&nbsp;less than two weeks from now?&nbsp;

CLARK:&nbsp;“I mean, some guys don't have a clue because most of them haven't played on the opening night.&nbsp;You’ve&nbsp;got guys&nbsp;that&nbsp;have&nbsp;stood&nbsp;in their roles and&nbsp;they come&nbsp;in and they play in big games, so it's going to&nbsp;be a lot of pressure on&nbsp;them. But to that,&nbsp;I can say that you&nbsp;have to&nbsp;just take it all in. You're coming off a good season&nbsp;where we won&nbsp;a Super Bowl—not&nbsp;as good as we should have started the&nbsp;season, but when you finish winning&nbsp;the Super Bowl,&nbsp;it&nbsp;kind of&nbsp;takes away all the bad.&nbsp;But&nbsp;we just want to&nbsp;start strong.&nbsp;We came&nbsp;off of&nbsp;last year&nbsp;starting kind of slow off the success they had the year before.&nbsp;Then,&nbsp;myself coming in&nbsp;with everything,&nbsp;all the distractions&nbsp;of&nbsp;getting paid or&nbsp;other&nbsp;stuff going on around with the injuries and stuff,&nbsp;me starting slow.&nbsp;Me being&nbsp;the&nbsp;player who I am and me knowing who I am,&nbsp;I can't afford to start&nbsp;slow&nbsp;because I know it can jeopardize&nbsp;the&nbsp;team.&nbsp;Then,&nbsp;with everybody else,&nbsp;just pushing our offense to get back.&nbsp;Not letting them get complacent and settling into that complacency thing.&nbsp;And then for us,&nbsp;it’s humbling ourselves. I understand now&nbsp;there’s&nbsp;more work to do.&nbsp;We understand that we&nbsp;have&nbsp;a great offense,&nbsp;but&nbsp;we want to be an even better defense—see some more flash,&nbsp;what happened&nbsp;towards the second half of that season rather than&nbsp;the first half.”&nbsp;

Q:&nbsp;What sort of conversations have you guys had as far as potential demonstrations or protests on opening night?&nbsp;

CLARK:&nbsp;“It's too early for that.&nbsp;There’s been&nbsp;conversations, of course, but&nbsp;there's been a lot of focus on football, too.&nbsp;We spent so much time away from this and dealing with it—this is something that we&nbsp;are going to&nbsp;continue to deal with. That’s what&nbsp;you&nbsp;have to&nbsp;understand. That's what I understand. Our country, if they think that another black man isn't going&nbsp;to get killed by a police officer,&nbsp;I feel like everyone is confused.&nbsp;If we don't think that it's going to&nbsp;happen again and continue to happen,&nbsp;then&nbsp;we’re&nbsp;confused.&nbsp;It's just at this point, we&nbsp;have to&nbsp;do something about it. And like you said, it's just—we're going to&nbsp;be confused. This is just crazy, you know.”&nbsp;

CB RASHAD FENTON&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

Q:&nbsp;What parts of your game&nbsp;do&nbsp;you feel have&nbsp;come a long way since the end of last season?&nbsp;Do&nbsp;you feel like there are some areas of your game that you've really worked on and tried to&nbsp;improve&nbsp;and it&nbsp;shows in training camp?&nbsp;

FENTON:&nbsp;“Of&nbsp;course, just more so just learning the defense. Getting a better grasp&nbsp;of the&nbsp;defense and how everything is flowing, not&nbsp;just my parts but also the&nbsp;other players I'm&nbsp;on the&nbsp;field with.”&nbsp;

Q:&nbsp;In light of&nbsp;everything that's been going on with not only the Jacob&nbsp;Blake&nbsp;shooting, but everything else&nbsp;that&nbsp;has&nbsp;happened,&nbsp;there's the common expression going around that everyone says that&nbsp;“I'm exhausted. I'm tired.”&nbsp;How tired are you?&nbsp;

FENTON:&nbsp;“Too tired,&nbsp;you know what I mean? It's just&nbsp;the&nbsp;fact&nbsp;that can be my father,&nbsp;that can be my uncle,&nbsp;that can be me,&nbsp;you know&nbsp;what I mean, so just putting that into perspective of just treating everyone equal,&nbsp;man it&nbsp;–&nbsp;I don't know why it’s so hard, why it’s a&nbsp;discussion to&nbsp;get treated fairly.”&nbsp;

Q:&nbsp;You saw some action on defense last year. You saw some action on special teams.&nbsp;How do you feel your time on special teams helps you as you prepare to probably assume a bigger role this year?&nbsp;

FENTON:&nbsp;“Special teams helps me get my edge. It&nbsp;helps&nbsp;me feel&nbsp;out the&nbsp;energy.&nbsp;It just helps me defense wise in general. You&nbsp;got to&nbsp;start the game off and finish the game off with special teams. So being on that&nbsp;special teams,&nbsp;you're special and it just helps me, like I don't know,&nbsp;it just&nbsp;brings&nbsp;out more fuel after you did a special teams&nbsp;rep or just did anything special teams&nbsp;wise. It's&nbsp;great.”&nbsp;

Q:&nbsp;When you were in college and a lot of this, the demonstrations and things first started&nbsp;in&nbsp;the National Football League with Colin&nbsp;Kaepernick, what were your thoughts about that&nbsp;and&nbsp;evolving your thoughts on those things as you become a pro?&nbsp;What do you think is going to happen when you guys hit the field on that Thursday night against the Texans?&nbsp;

FENTON:&nbsp;“You know,&nbsp;I am a young player so, Mr.&nbsp;Kaepernick&nbsp;was demonstrating&nbsp;those&nbsp;type&nbsp;of things and I was at the University of South Carolina and there were some things going on there as well. They still had the Confederate flag at the State House when I was a freshman&nbsp;there&nbsp;at Carolina, so it was a real eye opener. I'm coming from Miami, Florida, where&nbsp;it's&nbsp;a&nbsp;really diverse&nbsp;place, it’s a&nbsp;melting pot.&nbsp;Everyone treats each other equally&nbsp;there and&nbsp;that's how I was born and raised.&nbsp;You’re&nbsp;down there, it's hard to point fingers at anyone because your parents weren’t&nbsp;even born here, you know what I mean so it just&nbsp;goes to say whatever you want to represent.&nbsp;It’s a&nbsp;free country man, I can't hate one man for being different to me or demonstrate anything different if that's what you feel you need to express yourself on as a man, you should be able to do so without any judgement. That should just go a long way and&nbsp;just to go somewhere with us,&nbsp;I feel like this team is good – it’s a unity, we are the&nbsp;brotherhood and everything we’re doing&nbsp;– we&nbsp;stick in strong with what's going on in&nbsp;society,&nbsp;so I feel like everything that just goes smoothly here, it won't be too much of a chaos here, I don't think. We all have the same vision here.”&nbsp;

Q:&nbsp;We&nbsp;had an opportunity to talk to Sam Madison and he said that coming into camp you knew that you'd be more of a dual guy inside,&nbsp;outside. You played a lot of inside last year.&nbsp;You're going to be a critical part of this team considering you're doing both things. Just how has that gone this training camp? What's made you feel confident that you'll be able to pull that off&nbsp;going into the regular&nbsp;season?&nbsp;

FENTON:&nbsp;“It’s going&nbsp;good. My coaches prepared me for this moment, you know.&nbsp;I mean,&nbsp;don't get me wrong, offseason wise&nbsp;of course,&nbsp;I had to take things into my hands&nbsp;this offseason.&nbsp;But, just&nbsp;like last year man when my number is&nbsp;called,&nbsp;I'm&nbsp;going to&nbsp;do my job well done from Miami,&nbsp;Florida.&nbsp;I'm prepared for whatever the coaches have&nbsp;for me&nbsp;whenever my number gets called, I’m going to be ready to do it to the best of my ability. That's all I can do.”&nbsp;

P TOMMY TOWNSEND &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

Q:&nbsp;How has training camp gone and what makes you think you're&nbsp;ready for your first&nbsp;professional opportunity here?

TOWNSEND:&nbsp;“Yeah, training camp's been awesome so far. I mean it's super exciting. I mean, it's my rookie season,&nbsp;rookie training camp and&nbsp;obviously it's not how I would have expected my rookie training camp to go as far as you know, like the&nbsp;COVID precautions and stuff like that, you know our staff’s been&nbsp;doing a great job of&nbsp;keeping us socially distance and keeping everybody safe. But yeah, no training camps&nbsp;been&nbsp;going great and I'm&nbsp;really excited&nbsp;to get&nbsp;it&nbsp;going for the season.”&nbsp;

Q:&nbsp;What have you learned&nbsp;about social injustice&nbsp;in the discussions the team has?&nbsp; Has it been eye opening for you?&nbsp;

TOWNSEND:&nbsp;“Yeah,&nbsp;definitely. The biggest thing for me I think is just listening and learning&nbsp;from my teammates. You know, it's always good to step back and learn and I think that's been something that's been happening a lot recently and our vets and team leaders have been doing a great job of bringing awareness and doing everything we can&nbsp;to start moving forward and create change.&nbsp;So, you know that's something I'm looking forward to. Just, you know, keeping this, the discussions going and just continuing to learn.”&nbsp;

Q:&nbsp;From an&nbsp;outsider's&nbsp;perspective, it seems like the punter’s job making the transition from college&nbsp;to&nbsp;the NFL doesn't really change all that much, but you're living it right now. What does change when you make this next step here?&nbsp;

TOWNSEND:&nbsp;“The biggest thing is scheme.&nbsp;In college we usually have spread punts, but you know, we were using the&nbsp;pro&nbsp;punt&nbsp;formation&nbsp;so&nbsp;it's just a bit different. I mean I'm used to having&nbsp;shields and a couple&nbsp;O-Linemen as&nbsp;blockers, seven&nbsp;yards in front of me and now it's a little bit more open.&nbsp;And&nbsp;also,&nbsp;you know just the speed of the game.&nbsp;Everybody in the NFL, super talented and you know they're great players and they play hard.&nbsp;So,&nbsp;I think that's the biggest difference is just talent all across the board, it's just tremendous.&nbsp;So,&nbsp;it's just just being ready and staying on my toes.”&nbsp;

Q:&nbsp;How important has it been for you to work with&nbsp;James Winchester&nbsp;and&nbsp;Harrison&nbsp;Butker&nbsp;and&nbsp;developing that relationship and some of the things that you're benefiting from&nbsp;and learning&nbsp;from those guys?&nbsp;

TOWNSEND:&nbsp;“That's been the biggest thing is just learning from them. You know,&nbsp;they're both veterans in the NFL now. They've&nbsp;been super successful&nbsp;in&nbsp;what they do, so it's just sitting back and learning as much as I can when I can. I mean, I talked to James everyday about what&nbsp;stuff that I can do differently when punting and&nbsp;same thing with talking to Harrison. Just trying to figure out what I can do to help him out the most and help him and make him the most successful kicker he can be. So yeah, it's just a process of continuing to learn,&nbsp;like I said, as a rookie, so I'm excited to keep progressing and keep moving forward and&nbsp;take it into the season.”&nbsp;

--<a href="http://chiefs.com">CHIEFS</a>--

Several Chiefs chat with the media on Friday

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Several Kansas City Chiefs assistant coaches fielded media questions Thursday. Following are their comments.

ASSISTANT HEAD COACH / SPECIAL TEAMS COORDINATOR DAVE TOUB

Q:&nbsp;When you guys make roster decisions this time of year, how much of a factor is what you see on film in preseason games in a typical year?

TOUB:&nbsp;“Really a lot. When we had preseason games, it was a big factor, especially on special teams because that was the only time we really went live and saw somebody tackle or block live. Now, we have to make decisions off of practice, like I said last week. We meet every night as a staff and we go over each guy and we evaluate each guy and we put grades on them. Obviously, all we're doing is looking at practice, and that’s all we really can do. Everybody's in there and everybody hears what each guy says, so we know where everybody stands.”

Q:&nbsp;The fifth or sixth wide receiver position often comes down to their ability to contribute on special teams. What specific traits do you look for in order to determine they're pulling away from the rest of the pack?

TOUB:&nbsp;“Well, what we’re looking for is guys like (Byron) Pringle, guys like (Marcus) Kemp, guys like (Gehrig) Dieter. We are so fortunate our wide receiver crew is really good on special teams, all the way down the line from Demarcus (Robinson) on down. So, it’s a solid group. I love Mecole (Hardman), I love all those guys. The only guy we really don’t use is 14 (Sammy Watkins). Besides that, everybody has a role on special teams and everyone one of them brings something to the table.”

Q:&nbsp;Around the league, a number of teams chose not to practice today, and Coach Reid talked about the conversation that was had yesterday. What was the tone like, and was there a conversation today? What is your personal opinion on teams not practicing?

TOUB:&nbsp;“I really feel for what's going on. It’s really a shame that we're still dealing with this. That's really how I feel about it. But our team is a solid group. They love each other. We talk all the time, and I think coach really has a great handle on the whole situation. He talks with the leaders of our team and if something is said behind closed doors, I don’t hear about everything that goes on, but I know there's a lot of great conversations going on within our football team right now.”

Q:&nbsp;What are you seeing right now at the gunner position?

TOUB:&nbsp;“The gunner position is looking pretty good. We have some good, solid depth there. We brought Antonio Hamilton in from the Giants, who probably was the Giants’ number one gunner last year. When you put the tape on, he made a lot of plays for them and we're really happy to add him to the mix. So, right now I’d probably say Antonio is in the lead, with Pringle—obviously, Pringle was our gunner all year last year—and then we have a number of guys behind them. Kemp, he was a starting gunner for us and he's really looking good this offseason. Coming off his knee injury, he’s looking good. Other guys that can play it—Robinson can play it, (Rashad) Fenton can play it. There’s a number of guys that can play gunner for us, and some of these young guys look good too—the (L’Jarius) Sneeds of the world and BoPete Keyes. They're all contributors and they're all going to help us this year.”

Q:&nbsp;What are the things you talked to Mecole Hardman about improving on during this off season and how efficient do you feel he’s been in training camp?

LEWIS:&nbsp;“I want him to work on becoming bigger, being more explosive. Obviously he was explosive last year, but he has more in him and just understands all facets of the offense.&nbsp; I think he did a wonderful job this offseason of doing those things and coming back prepared&nbsp;and&nbsp;ready to get to work, so I'm excited where he is right now and what’s to come.”&nbsp;

Q:&nbsp;Curious about the system and I know there was an emphasis always put on learning each position in the offense. How do you balance, we want you to learn every position but at the same time really&nbsp;hone in on&nbsp;what might be something&nbsp;particular that&nbsp;you really want them to focus on?

LEWIS:&nbsp;“Well, it's a juggling act with all the receivers that are involved here. My big thing and what Coach&nbsp;preaches&nbsp;to me is make sure everybody knows every position because in a game situation you never know who could go down and what not and we need to continue to put the guys in position to be successful.&nbsp;So&nbsp;understanding everything is big and then just technique wise just making sure everybody's on the same page and able to do the same things, some may be better than others, but we're able to get the job done with whomever is out there.”

Q:&nbsp;Jody Fortson is a guy that had a great camp this year. What do you think is the biggest difference that you see between him last year and him this&nbsp;year?

LEWIS:&nbsp;“Understanding the offense. Jody came in as a tryout guy and we released him and then he came back and he was playing tight end, then moved to receiver so just really being able to focus on one position, understanding what's going on with the offense&nbsp;at&nbsp;the receiver position. That’s allowed him to play faster and play more physical and let his natural talent show, and I think he’s done a tremendous job of that throughout this offseason and up through training camp thus far. He's a guy that's a workaholic, he wants to be great. He's going to do everything possible to give yourself the best opportunity to be a part of what we we’re doing.”

Q:&nbsp;Sammy Watkins did&nbsp;a number of&nbsp;interviews during this offseason.&nbsp;What was your reaction to hearing some of his comments?&nbsp;

LEWIS:&nbsp;“Nothing, I didn't have a reaction to it whatsoever. I'm around all the guys a lot. I know their personalities. I&nbsp;know how they act and how they react to different situations. Sammy’s a team guy just like every other receiver within the group, it’s team oriented.&nbsp;If&nbsp;Sammy is called upon, he's ready to answer the bell. If Tyreek (Hill) is called upon,&nbsp;he's ready to answer the bell. Same with D-Rob (Demarcus Robinson) same with Mecole (Hardman) and on down the line with everybody that we have.&nbsp;So,&nbsp;everybody in the NFL, all players want to have success. That's why we're here. We're competitive and they want to be shown that way. But at the end of the day, we're all team here and&nbsp;that's how our guys approach it and that's what they believe in. That's what got us where we were last year and last&nbsp;year is&nbsp;last year, obviously, but we had that same mentality of whatever it takes for us to be successful. That's what I'm willing to do and you saw it.&nbsp;In the first game last year, it was Sammy for 300 yards and then in the playoffs he's&nbsp;dominating each playoff series or each playoff game that we had.&nbsp;So,&nbsp;when his number is called, he's ready to answer.”

QUARTERBACKS / PASS GAME COORDINATOR MIKE KAFKA

Q:&nbsp;How have you seen Patrick Mahomes develop as someone that can evaluate opponents, evaluate film, and is there any story that you can remember about an incident where Patrick saw something on film and then was able to apply it on the field?&nbsp;

KAFKA:&nbsp;“Yeah, it's a great question. Pat does a phenomenal job in the film room, watching, studying tape, you know, very intricate details of defenders and/or indicators. One example that comes to mind was last year against Denver (Broncos). They had brought one pressure. We were playing Denver late in the season and they had brought pressure maybe midway&nbsp;to&nbsp;early in the season and really it was only one time they had shown it and we had watched it. You know, we would watch it throughout our blitz cut up, but you know them only bringing it&nbsp;one time,&nbsp;Pat was able to diagnose it.&nbsp;Actually,&nbsp;brought it in a game. I think we hit Tyreek (Hill) on the sideline one of them, but he was able to at least see it at post snap, identify it, get the ball out of his hands, ended up being a big play, big third conversion for us.”

Q:&nbsp;As you learn from Eric Bieniemy and Andy Reid, when you&nbsp;are able to&nbsp;finally get that opportunity as Offensive Coordinator, what type of things have they shown you that will stick with you and that maybe you'll take on when you get that&nbsp;chance?

KAFKA:&nbsp;“Yeah, I think the most important part is the attention to details that Coach Bieniemy, Coach Reid they bring to the offense. You know, really no detail is spared as far as what we want to do on offense from up front. The receiver room, running back room, tight ends, quarterbacks, so it's very well thought out.&nbsp;You know, it's&nbsp;sound to&nbsp;the offensive mind, and we put it into where we can get the quarterback answers and allow him to play freely and&nbsp;give our receivers and ballcarriers answers as well, you know so&nbsp;we try to build that into the system and&nbsp;that's one thing I've learned since being here over the last several years.&nbsp;Being able to give the quarterback answers and give our skill players answers within the offense.”&nbsp;

Q:&nbsp;What's&nbsp;the biggest loss backup QB-wise? They're going to get a lot of the reps and not having these preseason games, is that the part that becomes the most difficult to&nbsp;either get them ready or to evaluate?

KAFKA:&nbsp;“Yeah, the game situations and being out there with the live bullets&nbsp;is&nbsp;definitely the&nbsp;biggest part for a quarterback. Everything is faster in the game and so you really can't replicate that to a certain extent, and in practice we try to, whether it's drills or, you know, giving the quarterbacks fast mental&nbsp;games and mental drills throughout practice to make him think fast and shoot the ball fast.&nbsp;So,&nbsp;you try and simulate that as best you can throughout practice. But at the end of the day when the games going and, we're&nbsp;rolling on offense, you&nbsp;got to&nbsp;be able to make quick decisions. It's tough to replicate that in practice.”

Q:&nbsp;Looking at the tape of last year knowing that Texans personnel, knowing how you're trying to work with Willie&nbsp;Gay, is there a specific sub package? Maybe you don't want to give away necessarily what it is, but are there sub packages or roles that you think&nbsp;he&nbsp;may be able to contribute more to?&nbsp;

HOUSE:&nbsp;“I’ll be honest with you. We're in the very&nbsp;preliminary,&nbsp;preliminary deal with the Texans and we're careful not to flip the script too quick. You know what I mean? Because two reasons, one, we're still evaluating. We're still competing to improve.&nbsp;And two, we don't want to get stale by getting into it too quick.&nbsp;So,&nbsp;we're still working through that process.”

Q:&nbsp;How much do you lose in the evaluation process not getting to go up against a team that you don't know what they're doing, you don't know their&nbsp;personnel?

HOUSE:&nbsp;“Yeah, I think you&nbsp;definitely lose&nbsp;the aspect of&nbsp;guys reacting, but that's one of the advantages of going against our offense day in and day out. They’re so multiple.&nbsp;They do so&nbsp;much,&nbsp;and they challenge your eyes. They challenge you with different personnel groups, multiple formations, shifts, and motions.&nbsp;So,&nbsp;to be honest with you, we're very fortunate to be able to compete against that offense as compared to some teams.”

Q:&nbsp;I&nbsp;wanted to ask you about Darius Harris since he didn't practice for you guys all last year. What have you learned about him in the few weeks of practice?&nbsp;&nbsp;

HOUSE:&nbsp;“Yeah, I think he's some of the other young guys. He's trying to knock some rust off at the beginning.&nbsp;As we got into camp, he's slowly gotten better and better every day.&nbsp;You know, certainly, for a guy that hasn't played in a year, there's&nbsp;some growing pains, but he's&nbsp;definitely improved&nbsp;throughout the camp.”

Q:&nbsp;Coach Reid said last week that the biggest thing he's seeing out of Ben Niemann from last year to&nbsp;this year is his strength. What are some of the things you're seeing out of Ben as we get ready to closeout camp?&nbsp;

HOUSE:&nbsp;“Yeah, I’ve got to&nbsp;agree with Coach&nbsp;on strength and then also just the&nbsp;confidence. I think last year, as he developed a bigger and bigger role, he grew more confident.&nbsp;This year being&nbsp;his&nbsp;second year doing similar things, his confidence is improved.”

Q:&nbsp;Ben Niemann&nbsp;has&nbsp;just&nbsp;shown a lot of flexibility for him being able to play multiple positions. How valuable is that?&nbsp;How valuable it is to have a guy like that behind&nbsp;Anthony Hitchens that can be your quarterback out there?&nbsp;

HOUSE:&nbsp;“I think it's huge, one.&nbsp;Ben’s&nbsp;just got a good feel for the game. He sees the game from a wide,&nbsp;wide lens and that&nbsp;definitely helps&nbsp;you.&nbsp;The more flexibility you have, the more you can get a guy ready with limited reps, which helps too.”&nbsp;

DEFENSIVE BACKS / CORNERBACKS COACH SAM MADISON

Q:&nbsp;I was curious about Antonio Hamilton and now that you guys have been able to work with him for a few weeks, do you see him more as an inside guy or an outside guy? Maybe a little bit of&nbsp;both?&nbsp;&nbsp;

MADISON:&nbsp;“Yeah, you know, since Hamilton&nbsp;has&nbsp;been&nbsp;here, he's very smart. You know we talked to a lot of people where he came from,&nbsp;the Giants,&nbsp;and just understanding&nbsp;his&nbsp;strong points. But you know, right now we're using him in multiple roles. We use them on the inside, we're using them on the outside&nbsp;because&nbsp;he&nbsp;has&nbsp;done both&nbsp;in his career.&nbsp;Just trying to find the best pieces to the puzzle to put out there on the football field so we can win some games. He's&nbsp;definitely going&nbsp;to have opportunity to be able to help us in multiple positions, and that was&nbsp;the same thing that Kendall Fuller was able to do for us last year.”

Q:&nbsp;With everything that's going on between yesterday and today, teams boycotting for change causing games to be cancelled across sports and some NFL teams canceling practice,&nbsp;being a black coach&nbsp;in pro sport,&nbsp;was it&nbsp;hard for you to come in today?&nbsp;What have&nbsp;some of the conversations been like within the team within the last 24-48 hours?&nbsp;

MADISON:&nbsp;“Yeah, well, you look at this team and you know, just playing&nbsp;under Coach Reid,&nbsp;man.&nbsp;I tip&nbsp;my hat off to&nbsp;Coach&nbsp;Reid. He really opened up&nbsp;the locker room,&nbsp;as well as the coaching staff,&nbsp;to be able to communicate about this issue. Just seeing what&nbsp;the NBA players are doing,&nbsp;around the National Football League and just listening to our players, our leaders who&nbsp;we have&nbsp;a&nbsp;number of guys on this roster that put their best foot forward over the last couple of months&nbsp;really to talk about this issue.&nbsp;It just was something that we're open to,&nbsp;we’re&nbsp;very open to understanding and making sure that we're doing the right things and making sure the guys are able to express themselves about this situation.&nbsp;Coach Reid has&nbsp;been&nbsp;really good&nbsp;about that and the players,&nbsp;they’re&nbsp;definitely doing&nbsp;their due diligence and making the right decision for our football team,&nbsp;but as a whole,&nbsp;as&nbsp;a group,&nbsp;as one.&nbsp;Playing in this League for 12 years in the past, I really tip&nbsp;my hat off to these young guys&nbsp;for really taking a step forward.&nbsp;Still the organizations understanding and&nbsp;finally, seeing the things that we've been able to talk about over the last 50-60 years and now it's starting to come to the forefront.&nbsp;I&nbsp;just really hope that as a country we continue to pray, and hopefully, be at&nbsp;one,&nbsp;but as of right now, our players,&nbsp;they're doing their due diligence and&nbsp;Coach Reid is giving them the opportunity and the platform to be able to do that&nbsp;and be able to express themselves as well.”

Q:&nbsp;I wanted to ask you about&nbsp;Bashaud Breeland.&nbsp;Obviously,&nbsp;you guys are going to be&nbsp;losing him here in a little bit. What's your advice for him? For those four weeks between the time his suspension starts and the time he can rejoin you guys?&nbsp;

MADISON:&nbsp;“Yeah, just&nbsp;to&nbsp;keep his mind&nbsp;and&nbsp;his mental in check.&nbsp;Last year we had a guy as well&nbsp;that was in a similar situation.&nbsp;Breeland is looking back on what he&nbsp;did,&nbsp;and he was always engaged with the players,&nbsp;being able to have opportunity to give them those little titbits of what they should and what they shouldn't.&nbsp;We're going to have a lot of young guys out there that's going to&nbsp;be playing that don't have many years in the&nbsp;league.&nbsp;We're going to need his veteran presence and his voice just as much as if he was here.&nbsp;For him, just continue to stay in shape because once he does&nbsp;come back, we're expecting him to come back and be that veteran presence&nbsp;to be able to come in and help us out.&nbsp;On&nbsp;a continual basis, just wanting him to come out there, be a leader&nbsp;like he's been so far in helping these young guys because he knows that his reps are going to be limited. He's continued to get his work on the side and staying after practice to&nbsp;get running in.&nbsp;He's doing all the right things, knowing that you know that this is&nbsp;a marathon,&nbsp;not a&nbsp;sprint and&nbsp;he understands&nbsp;because he's been through it last year before.&nbsp;Just being there mentally&nbsp;for our young guys, but&nbsp;still keeping&nbsp;his mental in check as well,&nbsp;knowing that he is a part of this&nbsp;organization,&nbsp;but he just has a&nbsp;four-game&nbsp;suspension. He's just going to&nbsp;have to go, he's going to&nbsp;have to do it and we're going to&nbsp;hold him down until he comes back.”

Chiefs' assistant coaches talk football

I’ve been with my company almost four years. Currently, I
make the same money as a co-worker with the same title and the same amount of
time on the job. But since we’ve both been there, I have taken on many more
responsibilities than he has. What’s your advice on asking for a raise? I feel
that I have the right to complain about the situation, and think I should make
more money than he does.

If you honestly feel like you deserve a raise because of your
effort and performance on the job, that’s fine. Sit down with your leader, and
make an objective, logical, and reasonable argument for why you deserve more
money. I wouldn’t mention your co-worker, because it’s just not relevant. What is
relevant is the value you bring to the company.&nbsp;

I understand how you feel right now. But no, you don’t have
the “right” to complain. You agreed on your pay when you took the job, and you
should perform your duties with <a href="https://www.daveramsey.com/blog/ways-to-be-a-leader-in-your-community">integrity and character</a>. What someone else does, or doesn’t
do, isn’t tied to your personal compensation.

If you think you deserve a raise, and you’ve got the results
to prove it, sit down and have a respectful conversation with you leader. Show
him or her the numbers, and the value you bring to the company, and explain why
you feel you should <a href="https://www.daveramsey.com/blog/how-to-make-the-most-of-your-raise">get more money.</a>

You’ve got to change the person in the mirror

I’m just starting to pay off my debts. How do you feel about
moving credit card balances to other companies in order to get lower rates? It
seems like that would help me get out of debt faster.

I get what you’re saying. It might help speed up the process
a tiny bit, but the habits that got you into debt in the first place won’t
change just because you’ve switched credit card companies. What you’re talking
about is an easy way to lower the interest rates—temporarily, in most cases—but
it doesn’t keep you from taking on more <a href="https://www.daveramsey.com/blog/debt-consolidation-truth">debt.</a>

Many people think they’ve really done something to solve
their debt problems when they do this. But you’ve got to remember that getting
out of debt, and gaining control of your finances, is all about changing the
person you see in the mirror. You’ve got to make a commitment to getting out of
debt, staying out of debt, and sticking to a written, <a href="https://www.everydollar.com/guide-to-budgeting-dave-says">monthly budget</a>—that means keeping track of every,
single dollar and living on less than you make.

In many cases, when people have problems with debt it’s the
result of unwise lifestyle and financial choices. But guess what? When you change, interest rates don’t matter
nearly as much. And when you shift your mindset about money, that will make a
difference in a way that changing <a href="https://www.daveramsey.com/blog/credit-card-rewards-yeah-right">credit card</a> companies and chasing lower interest
rates can’t!

Dave Ramsey is CEO of Ramsey Solutions. He has authored seven best-selling books, including The Total Money Makeover. The Dave Ramsey Show is heard by more than 16 million listeners each week on 600 radio stations and multiple digital platforms. Follow Dave on the web at&nbsp;<a href="http://daveramsey.com/">daveramsey.com</a>&nbsp;and on Twitter at @DaveRamsey.&nbsp;&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/8/1596845065840.jpeg" alt="Dave Ramsey&nbsp;" />
 <figcaption>Dave Ramsey&nbsp;</figcaption>
 </figure>Show them your value!Dear Dave,I’ve been with my company almost four years. Currently, I
make the same money as a co-worker with the same title and the same amount of
time on the job. But since we’ve both been there, I have taken on many more
responsibilities than he has. What’s your advice on asking for a raise? I feel
that I have the right to complain about the situation, and think I should make
more money than he does.VincentDear Vincent,If you honestly feel like you deserve a raise because of your
effort and performance on the job, that’s fine. Sit down with your leader, and
make an objective, logical, and reasonable argument for why you deserve more
money. I wouldn’t mention your co-worker, because it’s just not relevant. What is
relevant is the value you bring to the company.&nbsp; I understand how you feel right now. But no, you don’t have
the “right” to complain. You agreed on your pay when you took the job, and you
should perform your duties with <a href="https://www.daveramsey.com/blog/ways-to-be-a-leader-in-your-community">integrity and character</a>. What someone else does, or doesn’t
do, isn’t tied to your personal compensation.If you think you deserve a raise, and you’ve got the results
to prove it, sit down and have a respectful conversation with you leader. Show
him or her the numbers, and the value you bring to the company, and explain why
you feel you should <a href="https://www.daveramsey.com/blog/how-to-make-the-most-of-your-raise">get more money.</a>Good luck, Vincent! DaveYou’ve got to change the person in the mirrorDear Dave,I’m just starting to pay off my debts. How do you feel about
moving credit card balances to other companies in order to get lower rates? It
seems like that would help me get out of debt faster.ElizabethDear Elizabeth,I get what you’re saying. It might help speed up the process
a tiny bit, but the habits that got you into debt in the first place won’t
change just because you’ve switched credit card companies. What you’re talking
about is an easy way to lower the interest rates—temporarily, in most cases—but
it doesn’t keep you from taking on more <a href="https://www.daveramsey.com/blog/debt-consolidation-truth">debt.</a> Many people think they’ve really done something to solve
their debt problems when they do this. But you’ve got to remember that getting
out of debt, and gaining control of your finances, is all about changing the
person you see in the mirror. You’ve got to make a commitment to getting out of
debt, staying out of debt, and sticking to a written, <a href="https://www.everydollar.com/guide-to-budgeting-dave-says">monthly budget</a>—that means keeping track of every,
single dollar and living on less than you make. In many cases, when people have problems with debt it’s the
result of unwise lifestyle and financial choices. But guess what? When you change, interest rates don’t matter
nearly as much. And when you shift your mindset about money, that will make a
difference in a way that changing <a href="https://www.daveramsey.com/blog/credit-card-rewards-yeah-right">credit card</a> companies and chasing lower interest
rates can’t!DaveDave Ramsey is CEO of Ramsey Solutions. He has authored seven best-selling books, including The Total Money Makeover. The Dave Ramsey Show is heard by more than 16 million listeners each week on 600 radio stations and multiple digital platforms. Follow Dave on the web at&nbsp;<a href="http://daveramsey.com/">daveramsey.com</a>&nbsp;and on Twitter at @DaveRamsey.&nbsp;&nbsp;

DAVE SAYS: Show your value, change the person in the mirror

Today is Friday, Aug. 28, the 241st day of 2020. There are 125 days left in the year. 

On August 28, 1963, more than 200,000 people listened as the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his "I Have a Dream" speech in front of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. 

In 1917, 10 suffragists demanding that President Woodrow Wilson support a constitutional amendment guaranteeing women the right to vote were arrested as they picketed outside the White House.

In 1944, during World War II, German forces in Toulon and Marseille, France, surrendered to Allied troops. 

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/11/1573488868914.jpeg" alt="Photo of old book courtesy <a href="http://shutterstock.com">shutterstock</a>" />
 <figcaption>Photo of old book courtesy <a href="http://shutterstock.com">shutterstock</a></figcaption>
 </figure>By THE ASSOCIATED PRESSToday is Friday, Aug. 28, the 241st day of 2020. There are 125 days left in the year. Today's Highlight in History: On August 28, 1963, more than 200,000 people listened as the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his "I Have a Dream" speech in front of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. On this date: In 1917, 10 suffragists demanding that President Woodrow Wilson support a constitutional amendment guaranteeing women the right to vote were arrested as they picketed outside the White House.In 1944, during World War II, German forces in Toulon and Marseille, France, surrendered to Allied troops. In 1955, Emmett Till, a Black teen from Chicago, was abducted from his uncle's home in Money, Mississippi, by two white men after he had supposedly whistled at a white woman; he was found brutally slain three days later. In 1964, two days of race-related rioting erupted in North Philadelphia over a false rumor that white police officers had beaten to death a pregnant Black woman.In 1968, police and anti-war demonstrators clashed in the streets of Chicago as the Democratic National Convention nominated Hubert H. Humphrey for president. In 1996, Democrats nominated President Bill Clinton for a second term at their national convention in Chicago. The troubled 15-year marriage of Britain's Prince Charles and Princess Diana officially ended with the issuing of a divorce decree. In 2005, New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin ordered everyone in the city to evacuate after Hurricane Katrina grew to a monster storm. In 2009, the Los Angeles County coroner's office announced that Michael Jackson's death was a homicide caused primarily by the powerful anesthetic propofol and another sedative, lorazepam.In 2013, a military jury sentenced Maj. Nidal Hasan to death for the 2009 shooting rampage at Fort Hood that claimed 13 lives. On the 50th anniversary of Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" speech at the Lincoln Memorial, President Barack Obama stood on the same steps as he challenged new generations to seize the cause of racial equality. In 2014, comedian Joan Rivers was rushed to New York's Mount Sinai Hospital after she suffered cardiac arrest at a doctor's office where she'd gone for a routine outpatient procedure (Rivers died a week later at age 81).In 2017, floodwaters reached the rooflines of single-story homes as Hurricane Harvey poured rain on the Houston area for a fourth consecutive day; thousands of people had been rescued from the flooding. In 2018, a white former police officer, Roy Oliver, was convicted of murder for fatally shooting an unarmed Black 15-year-old boy, Jordan Edwards, while firing into a car packed with teenagers in suburban Dallas; Oliver was sentenced the following day to 15 years in prison. Ten years ago: Conservative commentator Glenn Beck and former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin headlined a "Restoring Honor" rally attended by tens of thousands in Washington. U.S. and Afghan forces repelled attackers wearing American uniforms and suicide vests in a pair of simultaneous assaults before dawn on NATO bases near the Pakistan border. A gunman in Lake Havasu City, Arizona, shot and killed the mother of his two children, the woman's boyfriend and three other people before fleeing with the children to Rancho Cucamonga, California, where he killed himself (the children were unharmed).Five years ago: President Barack Obama compared tensions between the U.S. and Israel over the Iranian nuclear deal to a family feud, and said in a webcast with Jewish Americans that he expected quick improvements in ties between the longtime allies once the accord was implemented. A jury in Concord, New Hampshire, acquitted Owen Labrie, a prep school graduate, of rape but convicted him of committing lesser sex offenses against a 15-year-old freshman girl in a case that exposed a tradition in which seniors competed to see how many younger students they could have sex with.One year ago: New York Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand dropped out of the race for the Democratic presidential nomination; the campaign collapsed amid low polling and major fundraising struggles. Hurricane Dorian strengthened as it moved toward the U.S. Southeast coast; the storm left little damage in its wake in Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson maneuvered to give his political opponents less time to block a chaotic no-deal Brexit, winning Queen Elizabeth's approval to suspend Parliament. (Britain's highest court later ruled that Johnson broke the law by suspending Parliament.) Today's Birthdays: Actor Sonny Shroyer is 85. Actor Marla Adams is 82. Actor Ken Jenkins is 80. Former Defense Secretary William S. Cohen is 80. Actor David Soul is 77. Former MLB manager and player Lou Piniella is 77. Actor Barbara Bach is 74. Actor Debra Mooney is 73. Singer Wayne Osmond (The Osmonds) is 69. Actor Daniel Stern is 63. Olympic gold medal figure skater Scott Hamilton is 62. Actor John Allen Nelson is 61. Actor Emma Samms is 60. Actor Jennifer Coolidge is 59. Movie director David Fincher is 58. Actor Amanda Tapping is 55. Country singer Shania Twain is 55. Actor Billy Boyd is 52. Actor Jack Black is 51. Actor Jason Priestley is 51. Actor Daniel Goddard (TV: "The Young and the Restless") is 49. Olympic gold medal swimmer Janet Evans is 49. Actor J. August Richards is 47. Rock singer-musician Max Collins (Eve 6) is 42. Actor Carly Pope is 40. Country singer Jake Owen is 39. Country singer LeAnn Rimes is 38. Actor Kelly Thiebaud is 38. Actor Alfonso Herrera is 37. Actor Sarah Roemer is 36. Actor Armie Hammer is 34. Rock singer Florence Welch (Florence and the Machine) is 34. Actor Shalita Grant is 32. Country-pop singer Cassadee Pope (TV: "The Voice") is 31. Actor Katie Findlay is 30. Actor/singer Samuel Larsen is 29. Actor Kyle Massey is 29. Actor Quvenzhane Wallis is 17. Reality TV star Alana Thompson, AKA "Honey Boo Boo," is 15.