WASHINGTON -- Washington police chief Cathy Lanier, the first woman to lead the department permanently and one of the nations longest-serving and most popular big-city police chiefs, announced Tuesday that she is stepping down to become head of security for the National Football League.Lanier, 49, started her career with the Metropolitan Police Department as a patrol officer and rose through the ranks. She served as chief for nine-and-a-half years, under three mayoral administrations, overseeing reductions in crime as the nations capital experienced an influx of wealth that transformed once-troubled neighborhoods.Lanier said at a news conference that she has rejected numerous offers to lead other big-city police departments, but she saw the opportunity to handle security for the nations favorite sport to be too good to pass up.To women who think that there are limitations to what you can do and where you can work, the NFL reaching out to me for this position says that there are not limitations for where you can work because of your age, your race or your gender, Lanier said.In her new job, Lanier will oversee the security of all 32 NFL teams and their venues, working with federal, state and local law enforcement and handling security for the Super Bowl.We are excited to welcome to our team an individual of Cathys talent and extensive record of accomplishments, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said in a statement. Cathy joins us with a well-deserved reputation of being a tremendous communicator, innovator and relationship builder.Lanier, a Maryland native who dropped out of high school in 9th grade and became a mother at age 15, was an inspiration to many as she rose to the departments top job. She came from a family of police officers and joined the department after earning a high-school equivalency diploma. She later earned a bachelors degree and two masters degrees.Lanier was head of homeland security and counterterrorism for the department when then-Mayor-elect Adrian Fenty called and offered her the job of chief, without an interview.This city gave me an opportunity when many would not have, Lanier said. I owe my life to this city, to the residents and to the department. ... Its bittersweet, its heartbreaking to leave the city I grew up in.Polls consistently ranked her as the most popular public official in the city, and she had a frank, easygoing manner on television and in testimony before the D.C. Council. She was an early advocate of officers wearing body cameras, saying they would increase transparency and promote good policing. The department is in the process of outfitting all patrol officers with cameras.Washington was dubbed the nations murder capital during the crack epidemic of the 1990s -- with more than 300 slayings a year in the city of roughly 600,000 -- but violent crime had already decreased significantly by the time Lanier became chief amid the citys booming post-9/11 economy. Homicides continued to drop to a low of 88 in 2012, although, slayings increased last year by more than 50 percent, and killings this year are continuing at 2015s pace.Lanier said she was most proud of restoring the departments commitment to community policing.The most important legacy is we have a community that supports us, she said. People will talk to us now and give us the information we need.Lanier clashed periodically with the citys police union, particularly over a wave of retirements that some officers said left the department -- which now has 3,700 officers -- dangerously understaffed. Union treasurer Gregg Pemberton said nearly 1,000 officers had fled the department in the past two-and-a-half years.Lanier should be ashamed that shes leaving the department in disarray, Pemberton said. Morale has never been worse.Laniers last day will be Sept. 17. Democratic Mayor Muriel Bowser said she will appoint an interim chief in the coming days, and she said its possible the next permanent chief will be promoted from within.The National Football League, youve got a good one here, Bowser said. She leaves the department and the city in very good hands.Lanier made $253,000 annually as police chief. Because her departure is considered a retirement, she will receive an annual pension of roughly $177,000. She declined to disclose what her salary with the NFL will be.---Follow Ben Nuckols on Twitter at https://twitter.com/APBenNuckols.---This story has been clarified to reflect that Lanier was the first woman to lead the department permanently; the department previously had a woman serve as interim chief. Swell Bottle Black . -- Ohio States Urban Meyer has never had any issue acclimating to the biggest stages in college football. sWell Bottle Stockists Nz . Coach Tom Thibodeau says the former MVP will probably start travelling with the team in the next few weeks. Rose tore the meniscus in his right knee at Portland in November and was ruled out for the remainder of the season by the Bulls. http://www.swellbottlesnz.com/ . Andrew Luck lost his favourite target and the Indianapolis locker room lost one of its most revered leaders when Reggie Wayne was diagnosed Monday with a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee that will cost him the rest of the season. Swell Bottle 17 Oz Sale . The defending champion beat Gael Monfils of France 7-6 (6), 6-3, while second-seeded Andy Murray of Britain dispatched Edouard Roger-Vasselin, also of France, 6-3, 6-3. Making his first appearance since injuring his wrist a month ago, Del Potro had difficulty with his service games in the first set. Swell Wood Bottle Nz . Dusautoir, the former World Player of the Year, sustained a torn bicep playing for Toulouse in the Heineken Cup on Saturday. The flanker, who has played 65 times for France, is expected to be out for up to four months. The Bottom 10 inspirational thought of the week:In a lifetime made of memories I believe in destiny Every moment returns again in time When Ive got the future on my mind Know that youll be the only oneMeet me halfway Across the sky Out where the world belongs To only you and I-- Meet Me Halfway by Kenny Loggins from Over The TopThe 2016 college football season is trucking through its halfway point. The nations best handful of teams are beginning to separate themselves from the pack. Here at Bottom 10 headquarters, located in the attic above the octagon where Kirk Herbstreit spars with his Twitter followers, we dont care for such neat, clean breakaways. We like messy. We prefer to hit the midway portion of the calendar face-first, like Tim Tebow into an outfield wall.In our world, teams dont separate and depart upward and away like a rocket stage. They drop off the bottom like a discarded booster, doomed to either burn up during re-entry or sink to the bottom of the sea. To most football fans, by mid-October those teams are already doomed to be forgotten. To us, they shall never be forgotten. We shall continue to watch them and admire them, even when others become incredulous and believe they are entirely too awful to be worth our time. These teams are like a movie about a truck-driving deadbeat dad who seeks redemption through arm wrestling.With apologies to Lincoln Hawk and Steve Harvey, heres this weeks Bottom 10.1. FA(not I)U?(1-6)These Owls are firmly nested on a branch of a tree that overlooks Heartbreak Ridge. On Saturday, they lost to Bottom 10 Waiting List member Marshall 27-21 after surrendering a touchdown pass with less than two minutes remaining. Thats their fourth straight loss by six points or fewer. All but one of those losses came at the hands -- more accurately the talons, paws and hooves -- of current and/or former members of this years Bottom 10. The countdown is on for next months Pillow Fight of the Century (PFOC!) against ...2. Rice (0-6) The Other Owls lost Pillow Fight of the Week of the Year VI (PFOWY6) to R-O-C-K in the UTSA. This week, they host Prairie View, and the following week, they travel to Louisiana Tech. But honestly, those games are mere garnish for the Nov. 5 visit from FA(not I)U, aka The Owl Bowl. Its fitting that Halloween is here, and Tootsie Pop is running the old TV ads with the kid and the owl because the old, wise bird might as well be answering the question, How many weeks before the Pillow Fight of the Century? Wah-one ... tah-hoo ... tha-ree! Three.3. Kansas Nayhawks?(1-5) KU suffered its 38th consecutive road loss, breaking a tie with Wichita States 1964-71 teams for the longest road losing streak by any FBS team since the division was established in 1937. In related news, a pickup truck full of old dudes was spotted driving into Lawrence from Wichita flipping birds and blasting Kansas Carry On Wayward Son.dddddddddddd.?4. I-Ow!-A State?(1-6) Assuming Earth survives the Owl Bowl on Nov. 5, it will need to brace itself for what happens the following weekend, when Iowa State travels to Kansas for the You Cant Expand The Big 12 House Until You Fix The Basement Bowl.5. Notre Dame ... again?(2-5)After much debate about what to do with this weeks coveted fifth spot, we took to the streets, posting a Bottom 10 poll of people on Twitter. The choices were: Tennessee for turning the third Saturday in October into early Halloween, Purdue for a midseason coaching change, the ACC Coastal for reverting back to its standard spaghetti pile mode and the Irish. Just like a Stanford strength coach during postgame handshakes, the people spoke loud and clear.6. UMess?(1-6) In the time it takes you to read this sentence, Louisiana Tech wide receiver?Carlos Henderson?will have most likely broken free for another touchdown reception of 40-plus yards.7. Bowling Green (1-6) Its on like Donkey Kong in the MAC East. Not the original Donkey Kong, but rather, Donkey Kong Jr., the rightfully forgotten sequel in which Mario is a total jerk. There are six teams in the division, and three have one-win records. BGSU is 1-6 after losing to Toledo and next week takes on Kent, which is 2-5 after losing to My Hammy of Ohio, which is also 1-6 and next week takes on Bowling Green. Meanwhile ...8. Buffalo Bulls not Bills?(1-5) Buffalo, which is also in the MAC East, will travel to Northern Illinois, which is the lone 1-and-something member of the MAC West. The next weekend, NIU will host Bowling Green. Over the final three weeks of the season, Buffalo plays both My Hammy and Bowling Green, but only after Bowling Green plays Kent. Just imagine if UMass were still in the MAC this year.9. In a Rut-gers?(2-5)Look on the bright side, Scarlet Knights, youll still be uber-relevant when the postseason arrives. The College Football Playoff selection committee loves to talk about the importance of the common opponent component (say that 10 times fast, Condoleezza). When their meetings begin in a few weeks and they throw Washington, Ohio State and Michigan up on their computer screens, theyll have to have the Who beat Rutgers worse, and what does that mean? debate.10. Pur-dont?(3-3)If you had the Boilermakers in your offices Who Will Fire Their Coach First To Get The Inside Track On Les Miles? pool, then congratulations. Also, I need to come to work at your office because your pools are awesome.Waiting list: UTEP (1-5), My Hammy of Ohio?(1-6), NI-Whew?(1-6),?Fres-No State (1-6), Georgia State Not Southern (1-5), getting smacked in the face by a ref, failure to expand. ' ' '