The Rock Chalkboard

Confident, comfortable David McCormack makes strong season debut at Late Night | KUsports.com
“You know, that’s the worst thing that could happen, is a 6-10 guy make a 3 in front of people so now that’s all he’s going to want to do,” KU coach Bill Self said after the scrimmage.

Dropped pick six, controversial flag part of Mike Lee's Saturday
If Les Miles' post-game diagnosis was indeed exact, Mike Lee gutted through his Saturday performance — one that saw him make two solo tackles with one pass breakup in KU's 45-20 loss to OU — with a broken hand.

Kansas' Brent Dearmon might be CFB's next great offensive mind
As the legend goes, Dearmon was in his last collegiate game. He took a nasty hit — a dirty hit some might say — which split his chin open. If the tale is to be believed, Dearmon’s teeth were actually visible through his chin, or perhaps it was his bottom lip.

Kansas fires OC Les Koenning, Brent Dearmon promoted
“Brent is one of the brightest individuals I have encountered in all of my years coaching. His experience as a record-setting coach and quarterback at the collegiate level will benefit our offense immediately. I believe our players will be naturally drawn to Brent’s leadership and coaching ability. I have the utmost trust in his ability to lead young men and this move puts our players in the best position to be successful moving forward.”

Smagina advances to ITA All-American Championships qualifying draw | KUsports.com
Kansas sophomore Sofia Smagina advanced to the qualifying draw of the Saint Francis Health Systems ITA All-American Championships on Sunday.

Bits o Chalk

Cowboys' Jerry Jones irked by 'little darling' ref's flag on Jason Garrett
Normally reserved coach Jason Garrett initially was unsure why he had been penalized for unsportsmanlike conduct in the Dallas Cowboys' 34-24 loss to the Green Bay Packers on Sunday, and Jerry Jones was exasperated when he learned it was for abusive language.

Source - LaMelo Ball, RJ Hampton practices off limits
Representatives from NBA teams were expected to attend five New Zealand Breakers practices in Memphis and Oklahoma City this week as part of the National Basketball League team's trip to the United States for preseason games against the Grizzlies and Thunder. Teams were informed Sunday afternoon that NBA scouts are not allowed to be present to watch Hampton and the Breakers practice, a source said, though the league may reconvene Monday to discuss further clarification, as no final decision has been made regarding the rest of the season.

James Harden apologizes as controversy grows - 'We love China'
"We apologize. You know, we love China. We love playing there," Harden said. "For both of us individually, we go there once or twice a year. They show us the most important love."

Raptors guard Kyle Lowry gets 1-year, $31M extension
"We are so appreciative of how Masai and Bobby handled every aspect of this negotiation," Bartelstein told ESPN. "Once again, they displayed how they look after their players in a first-class manner, especially someone like Kyle who they recognize has such a legacy with the franchise."

Winless Redskins fire coach Jay Gruden
Gruden entered the season on the hot seat, and after Sunday's 33-7 loss to the New England Patriots dropped the Redskins to 0-5, it became clear he would not continue as the team's coach beyond this year. Team owner Daniel Snyder and team president Bruce Allen met with Gruden early Monday morning at Redskins Park to deliver the news.

Eraser Dust

Trump pulls back troops from northern Syria ahead of Turkish assault, Pentagon officials 'blindsided' | Fox News
The decision sent shockwaves through the region and Washington, with U.S. officials telling Fox News that top Pentagon officials were “completely blindsided” and “shocked” by the order to pull back hundreds of U.S. troops, a move that effectively green-lights the Turkey operation. President Trump spoke with Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan by telephone.

GE freezes pension plan for 20,000 employees | Fox Business
Seven hundred employees who became executives before 2011 will have their supplementary benefits frozen, and no changes will be made for retired employees. The changes will reduce GE’s pension deficit by about $5 billion - $8 billion and net debt by approximately $4 billion - $6 billion.

Light Pollution Is Destroying the Environment - The Atlantic
Beneath the surface of one of Germany’s deepest lakes, researchers are studying the hidden effects of artificial light.

Whiskey-Bursting Capsules Spark Throwback to Tide Pod Challenge - Bloomberg
The Glenlivet, a top-selling brand of Scotch, made 23-milliliter pods from seaweed bursting with whiskey, evoking a throwback on social media to the infamous Tide Pod-eating debacle.