The Rock Chalkboard

Jayhawks football signs QB, could be in line for one more | The Kansas City Star
Let’s start with the known: KU added Jalon Daniels to its 18-person recruiting class on Wednesday, as the three-star 247Sports quarterback flipped his choice after originally committing to Middle Tennessee State.

⚾ Jayhawks Release 2020 Schedule – Kansas Jayhawks
The Jayhawks host Creighton March 4 for their home opener and start the season at Belmont Feb. 14-16. KU welcomes West Virginia on March 20-22 for its Big 12 opening series.

Jayhawks Outlast Gaels, 86-81 – Kansas Jayhawks
Sophomore guard, Brooklyn Mitchell, posted a career-high 24 points as Kansas women’s basketball (9-0) battled to an 86-81 win over Saint Mary’s (4-5) Sunday afternoon inside Allen Fieldhouse. Five Jayhawks joined Mitchell scoring in double-digits.

⚾ Jayhawks Add Kardell To 2020 Class – Kansas Jayhawks
Kansas baseball head coach Ritch Price announced the addition of Trevor Kardell to the 2020 class. Kardell signed as a member of the 2020 football signing class Wednesday, and will also play baseball for the Jayhawks.

Brent Dearmon 'fired up' by KU football QB signee Jalon Daniels
"I almost did a backflip, but I realized I probably would have broke my neck," Dearmon answered. "I was really excited from being able to talk with him and mom and dad and just to hear their excitement as well."

Les Miles building 2020 signing class through high school talent
“What we're looking for is that guy that's going to be able to make a commitment over time and improve,” Miles said at his signing day press conference, “get involved with the system, stay with the system, and come out the other end a much better player.”

Big 12 Superlatives from Early Signing Day
The first day of the 2019 Early Signing Period for the 2020 football recruiting cycle has largely concluded. Now 247Sports presents a conference-by-conference breakdown of superlatives to conclude Wednesday’s action.

3-star WR Luke Grimm reopens recruitment, will not sign early
Three-star wideout Luke Grimm announced on Wednesday evening that he was going to hold off on signing and explore his options over the next six weeks. Grimm told Phog.net Tuesday evening that he would not be signing early, and he affirmed that comment on Wednesday.

Here is KU football's announced 2020 early-signing class
KU football is coming off Les Miles' first season as coach, as the team went 3-9 and 1-8 in Big 12 play in 2019. Miles took over the program after David Beaty finished his final season as coach in 2018. Miles was hired late in the 2018 season, so Beaty was allowed to coach out the year with his squad.

KU football flips 2020 3-star quarterback Jalon Daniels
On Wednesday, which was the start of the early-signing period, Jalon Daniels was announced to have committed to the Jayhawks on KU football's signing day show. Daniels was previously committed to Middle Tennessee State before flipping to KU football. He had two KU Crystal Ball picks from 247Sports before announcing his commitment.

Bits o Chalk

15 NFL surprises nobody saw coming in 2019, from Lamar Jackson's rise to crummy kicking
August seems like forever ago in NFL terms, but it really has been only 15 weeks. So much can change in the course of four months, and what might have seemed controversial or even absurd over the summer has turned out to be obvious and factual. In going back through the 2019 season, I can sit here now and say things that would have absolutely shocked me back in the preseason.

Jaguars fire Tom Coughlin just days after NFLPA's warning to players
Jaguars owner Shad Khan fired executive vice president of football operations Tom Coughlin on Wednesday, two days after the NFL Players Association warned players of potentially signing with the franchise because of excessive fines and player grievances.

Herman Boone, high school coach who inspired 'Remember the Titans,' dies at 84
Herman Boone, the Virginia high school football coach who inspired the 2000 film "Remember the Titans,'' has died. He was 84.

Chris Paul outfits Oklahoma City Thunder teammates with custom suits
Initially, the last time Steven Adams could remember wearing proper pants -- non-sweatpants division -- he was about to be drafted into the NBA.

Sources -- Three Oklahoma players suspended for CFP semifinal game vs. LSU

The Oklahoma Sooners will be without at least three players for their College Football Playoff semifinal game against LSU at the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl on Dec. 28 because of suspensions, sources confirmed to ESPN on Wednesday.

Heat rely on zone defense to deal 76ers first loss at home this season
Miami employed the zone liberally Wednesday night, using it on 39 possessions, per Second Spectrum -- more than any team in a single game this season -- as the Heat built a 16-point fourth-quarter lead before hanging on to win 108-104 at Wells Fargo Center in front of a sellout crowd of 20,715 fans who went home after a loss for the first time this year.

Eraser Dust

Worst Passwords of 2019 Still Include "123456" and "Password"
Security services firm SplashData has released its ninth annual Worst Passwords of the Year list, which assesses more than 5 million leaked passwords to determine those most commonly shared by hackers. This year’s list has revealed that people are still using easily guessable and common passwords to guard their data, including those frequently cited in past reports as being particularly susceptible to attacks.

'Tis the season to remember this theory that Kevin from 'Home Alone' was dead the whole time - Golf Digest
Here are some things to remember this holiday season: Mom likes candles, Dad hates everything, cousin Joey is allergic to nuts, uncle Randy voted for Trump, the cat is in the box you just threw out, eggnog isn't a food group, you can't buy happiness, Holiday Inn has a blackface scene, the turkey needs to come out of the oven, and, last but not least, Kevin from Home Alone was dead the whole time.

Trump says he knows dishwashers today are the pits because “women” told him so.
On the night of his impeachment, President Trump was in Battle Creek, Michigan for a rally. It was a typical Trump affair, a two-hour meandering address that was nonsensical to its core, touching on all of the most important issues of our time: the 2016 election, the funeral arrangements of a deceased Democratic congressman, and how dishwashers aren’t what they used to be. “Remember the dishwasher? You’d press it, boom! There’d be like an explosion,” Trump said of the kitchen appliance that he 100 percent has never used in his life. “Five minutes later you open it up, the steam pours out.”

Timing of Trump Impeachment Trial in Limbo as Pelosi Holds Out for Assurances - The New York Times
In declining to say when she might send the articles of impeachment to the Senate, Speaker Nancy Pelosi suggested she might keep them as leverage for negotiations on the rules for a trial.

Trump implies that the late Rep. John Dingell is 'looking up' from hell - CNNPolitics
President Donald Trump attacked Democratic Rep. Debbie Dingell and her late husband, Rep. John Dingell, during a rally on Wednesday, implying the former congressman was "looking up" from hell.

Letter to Santa: 7-year-old boy in domestic violence shelter pens heartbreaking note to Santa - CBS News
Children have been writing letters to Santa Claus for generations, but this 7-year-old boy's note is a bit different. Blake is living with his mother in a Texas domestic violence shelter, and asked St. Nick to bring him a "very, very good dad" for the holiday.

Man found dead in a freezer for 10 years may have planned to keep death a secret to help his wife | FOX40
Police in Utah are getting closer to solving the case of a man found dead in a freezer for more than 10 years.

Song of the Day

Trivia of the Day

What 80’s rocker wrote the song today’s song of the day?