The Rock Chalkboard

Jeff Long seeing improvement from two KU basketball sophomores
"Well, [the Jayhawks] have two of the five first-teamers — there’s only five first-team [players] — to have two for Kansas is a pretty good indication," Long said. "You know, I’m excited to see [preseason Big 12 player of the year] Udoka [Azubuike] play. Rarely do you get to see a big man like that play in college anymore. I was excited to see him last year, but then the injury [happened]. But I’m really excited to see him. He shed some excess poundage so he’s lighter on his feet, he’s quicker, he’s more athletic than he was before, so I think the fans are going to see a lot of improvement."

Les Miles has big comparison for Texas quarterback Sam Ehlinger
Tebow was largely used as a rusher in his first national championship season in Florida (2006 season) — though he did throw two touchdown passes and rush for an additional score against Miles' LSU team that year — but it was the 2008 season when he really put it all together.

KU's Azubuike named to Abdul-Jabbar Watch List | KUsports.com
For the second season in a row, Azubuike on Friday was named one of 20 watch list candidates for the 2020 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Center of the Year Award by the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.

Over/under prop bets for KU's matchup with Texas | Jackson's Journal | KUsports.com
For four of the first six weeks, Twitter voters led the way in this series. I took the lead after Week 1, and have been at the bottom ever since. This is Matt Tait's first lead in the series, as we head into the second half of the season.

Jayhawks blank Wildcats in Sunflower Showdown | KUsports.com
The game winner came just two minutes in, but the Kansas women’s soccer team added two more goals for good measure to claim a 3-0 win Friday night over in-state rival Kansas State at Rock Chalk Park.

Bits o Chalk

Astros, Yankees to feature bullpens in ALCS Game 6
Houston Astros manager AJ Hinch had not formulated his full pitching plan for Game 6 of the American League Championship Series when he sat at the podium for his postgame news conference Friday night. But he did shed light on the pitcher everyone was wondering about: Ace Gerrit Cole will not start Saturday, meaning Game 6 will be a bullpen game.

Reports -- MLB proposes overhaul of minor leagues, elimination of 40 teams
Major League Baseball is in negotiations with its minor league teams about efforts to "reorganize elements of the system" that could reduce the number of affiliated teams from 160 to 120, according to reports.

Source -- Chiefs get 'best-case scenario' on MRI results for Patrick Mahomes
The Kansas City Chiefs received a "best-case scenario" for quarterback Patrick Mahomes after an MRI showed no damage other than a dislocated right kneecap, an NFL source told ESPN's Adam Schefter on Friday.

Greg Hardy win vs. Ben Sosoli changed to no-contest amid inhaler controversy
A heavyweight bout between Hardy (5-1) and Ben Sosoli (7-2) ended in a no-contest Friday at UFC Fight Night in Boston because of Hardy's unapproved use of an inhaler between the second and third rounds of the three-round bout. The fight was initially ruled a unanimous decision win for Hardy but was quickly overturned to a no-contest by the Massachusetts State Athletic Commission.

Kyrie Irving addresses China issues, closed-door meeting with Adam Silver
"I don't know whose notes, or who is in there that you can't really depend on to keep a conversation like that in house -- especially when it is about the NBA brand and the NBA players being impacted by it," he said. "I stand for four things, man: inner peace, freedom, equality and world peace. So if that is being conflicted inside of me, I am definitely going to have something to say, and I left it in that room."

Eraser Dust

Tropical Storm Nestor: Heavy rain, gusts up to 35 mph expected in north Georgia | WSB-TV
Severe Weather Team 2 Meteorologist Katie Walls says north Georgia and metro Atlanta are NOT in the threat for severe weather. But you can expect on-and-off downpours and wind gusts up to 35 mph, according to Walls

Listen to Liam Gallagher's "biblical" isolated vocals on 'Supersonic' from Glastonbury 1995 - NME
The a cappella clip was edited by Oasis Youtube fansite user Maxi Gonzales, and has been hailed as “biblical” and “historic” by fans of the Britpop veterans.

Barstool Racing Movie to Premiere at Stonefly Lounge - Flathead Beacon
The movie tells the story of Whitefish retiree Mike Murray, who won his third world barstool racing championship at the annual Cabin Fever Days earlier this year. Paugh calls Murray “the Michael Jordan of barstool racing,” a reputation he has earned thanks in part to a unique racing style in which Murray rides his barstool down Sugar Hill almost completely flat on his back for most of the race.

Tom DeLonge Lands Army Contract for UFO Study
To the Stars Academy of Arts and Sciences (TTSA)—the UFO research organization founded by former Blink 182 star Tom DeLonge—has struck a research deal with the U.S. Army filled with eye-popping references to exotic technologies.

New Orleans Prepares To Explode Unstable Cranes At Hard Rock Hotel Collapse Site : NPR
Following the partial collapse of a Hard Rock Hotel construction site in New Orleans last weekend, city officials are preparing to stage a controlled explosion that will bring down two badly damaged cranes towering over the city. The detonation is planned for Saturday close to midday, according to authorities.

Kalispell city planners want input on new pedestrian, bicycle plan | KECI
Kalispell city planners hosted an open house at Wheatons for their pedestrian and bicycle plan on Friday.