The Rock Chalkboard

Silvio De Sousa 'better' in KU basketball's win over UMKC
Silvio De Sousa wanted the ball in his hands in the final seconds of KU basketball’s 98-57 win over Kansas City (formerly UMKC). Nobody was going to take it from him, not even his own teammate.

ESPN apologizes for ESPN+ broadcasting issues in KU vs. UMKC
KU football played two games on ESPN+, meaning to watch every football game in 2019 fans would've needed subscriptions to the ACC Network, Longhorn Network, ESPN+ and Fox Sports. KU basketball has already played multiple ESPN+ games, and the men's basketball team has several ESPN+ contests to go, including the first two Big 12 games and the senior-day meeting with TCU.

'Everything' goes right for Kansas' David McCormack vs. UMKC
The efficiency of a 28-point, seven-rebound, two-steal outing in any college game would be off the charts. To do it in 17 minutes and on only 14 shots — like David McCormack did in KU's 98-57 win over Kansas City — would be even more impressive.

Feleipe Franks visits Kansas Jayhawks campus
Franks made that known on his Instagram account on Saturday, posting a video with a location tag. The Florida transfer is in town for a visit with Kansas Football and head coach Les Miles. The quarterback recently followed Miles and Jayhawks offensive coordinator Brent Dearmon on Twitter.

Auburn now last undefeated Power Five college basketball team
Only four of the 353 Division I men's college basketball teams remain undefeated following No. 3 Ohio State's upset defeat to the Minnesota Golden Gophers on Sunday evening. Auburn (9-0) is the only remaining unbeaten program in the Power Five conferences. The other three teams without a loss are No. 25 San Diego State (10-0), Duquesne (9-0) and Liberty (12-0).

Christian Braun impresses Bill Self, KC crowd with UMKC outing
The reported attendance for Saturday’s KU basketball game at Sprint Center — a 98-57 win over Kansas City (formerly UMKC) — listed 17,702 fans in the building. If that number of fans stuck around late in the No. 2-ranked Jayhawks’ blowout win, then there were about 17,701 people who cheered, applauded or otherwise admired the athletic display of a Christian Braun two-handed dunk in transition as the Jayhawks went up 41 points with two minutes to go.

Sunday Snap Judgments and Big 12 Hoops Power Rankings
College football season is over and all the focus is on basketball now. Teams around the league are at least eight games into their season - a fourth of the way through already! - and that's enough time to start forming an opinion on each of the teams. Each week, we'll recap what happened for each team in the Big 12 Conference over the previous seven days, then update our Actually Accomplished Rankings, a version of a power ranking that does not take into account who we "think" is better, but rather who has done the most on the court.

Bits o Chalk

2019 NFL playoff picture - AFC, NFC standings, seeds, scenarios and outlook in Week 15
Five teams clinched spots in the NFL playoffs on Sunday, bringing the total to eight and leaving four spots remaining to be filled over the final two weeks of the regular season.

Patriots' footage of Bengals' sideline aired on TV
Footage of the Cincinnati Bengals sideline shot last week by a freelance videographer hired by the New England Patriots, which prompted an NFL investigation, was aired Sunday by Fox Sports.

Derek Carr booed as Raiders lose final game in Oakland
The jeers were noticeable as Derek Carr jogged to the Black Hole to thank fans for the support they had shown him since he arrived with the Oakland Raiders as a second-round draft pick in 2014.

Champions League draw: Real Madrid vs. Man City Atletico vs. Liverpool
The draw in Nyon on Monday brought up some fascinating ties, with the heavyweight clashes between England and Madrid's top clubs arguably the pick of the bunch.

NFL office steps in amid confusion over Rams-Cowboys coin toss
The NFL officiating department stepped in Sunday to reverse the team set for the second-half kickoff in Sunday's game between the Los Angeles Rams and Dallas Cowboys, an unusual move that corrected a mistake made during the pregame coin toss.

Eraser Dust

Protests Spread Across India Over Divisive Citizenship Law - The New York Times
Several people have been killed as the unrest spreads to new corners of the country, and security forces have cracked down.

Court Challenge To The ACA Could Overturn More Than You Realize : Shots - Health News : NPR
"Billions of dollars of private and public investment — impacting every corner of the American health system — have been made based on the existence of the ACA," said a brief filed by a bipartisan group of health policy experts. Declaring the law null and void "would upend all of those settled expectations and throw health care markets, and 1/5 of the economy, into chaos," they wrote.

Daily Inter Lake - Local News, Outside company to manage Gateway center
hanges are underway at Northwest Montana United Way and the Gateway Community Center as the organizations’ Board of Directors and other stakeholders determine how the center, where two-dozen resident agencies offer vital services, will be managed and maintained following the recent resignation of longtime United Way Executive Director Sherry Stevens.

Boeing considers halting or further cutting 737 Max production
Boeing shares fell Monday as the company is expected to soon decide whether to further cut or suspend production of the 737 Max as the timeline for the beleaguered plane’s return to service slips into 2020.

Daily Inter Lake - Local News, Watchdog group restarts with new board and campaign
Since 1992, the watchdog organization has focused on addressing various challenges that rapid growth has brought to the Flathead. In addition to encouraging public participation in “planning for the future of the Flathead,” the organization ran two programs that sought to promote sustainability — the WasteNot Project and Go Local Flathead. The organization also has been involved in litigation regarding land-use planning decisions.

Glacier High Students Explore Culinary Careers - Flathead Beacon
Glacier is working to become the first high school in Montana with a certified culinary arts program, which will give students the opportunity to receive ServSafe and ServSuccess certifications, as well as certifications with the National Restaurant Association. Students could also become Certified Fundamental Chefs through the American Culinary Federation.