The Rock Chalkboard

How The Kansas Jayhawks Will Win The Big 12 – LandGrant Gauntlet
The most difficult part about writing this article was deciding whether to be serious or satirical. Sure, the Kansas Jayhawks CAN win the Big 12, in the same way that I COULD win the lottery or Coach K COULD get caught up in a college basketball scandal, but none of those are likely to happen anytime soon.

Preview & details: Les Miles to be featured on E:60 this weekend
KU coach Les Miles has never shied away from having fun in coaching his football team, and he'll be back on camera doing so this Sunday as part of an E:60 episode that will premiere at 8 a.m. CT (9 a.m. ET) on ESPN.

Velton Gardner impressing, 'has a role' in KU football offense
Gardner, a three-star prospect, came to KU from Skyline High School in Dallas and was recruited primarily by Emmett Jones — who Gardner said he’s known since he was in middle school. Standing at 5 foot 9, Gardner was a dual-threat quarterback at Skyline, throwing for 2,459 yards and rushing for 842 more as a senior. But at KU, Gardner has made the switch to running back.

Ryan Willis officially named the Starting Quarterback for VT
Ryan Willis has been officially named the starting quarterback by Justin Fuente during Thursday's Virginia Tech Media Availability session. Willis will pilot the Hokies offense heading into the 2019 season. The Virginia Tech Hokies will open up their schedule away from home against Boston College on August 31 in an ACC-season opener.

KU forward David McCormack thankful for trying freshman season, ready for more in Year 2 | KUsports.com
Few moments are more valuable to the Kansas basketball program than the early days of summer when returning sophomores offer help to incoming freshman trying to figure things out for the first time.

Talented freshman LB Steven Parker acclimating quickly with help of Emmett Jones | KUsports.com
It was Jones — not only a Dallas native like Parker, but also the former head coach at South Oak Cliff High, where Parker blossomed into a four-star prospect in the Class of 2019 — that helped get the 6-foot-4, 225-pound freshman to Lawrence. And the way Jones sees it, now that the prized recruit is here, it’s his responsibility to help Parker become comfortable, so that the youngster will be set up to thrive sooner rather than later.

Predicting 2019’s top Jayhawks: No. 8, O-linemen Malik Clark and Hakeem Adeniji | Smithology | KUsports.com
“I think it’s just the chemistry me and Hakeem have,” Clark said of a major factor in his development. “Like on our double teams, our communication and all of that, that’s making us better.”

Bits o Chalk

Source: Left ankle sprain for Panthers' Newton
Cam Newton's surgically repaired shoulder has been the focus for much of the Carolina Panthers' preseason, but the focus turned to the franchise quarterback's left foot and ankle after a first-quarter sack in Thursday night's 10-3 preseason loss at New England.

McGregor -- 'I was in the wrong' for punching man
"I was in the wrong," McGregor said. "That man deserved to enjoy his time in the pub without having it end the way it did. ... I tried to make amends and I made amends back then. But it doesn't matter. I was in the wrong. I must come here before you and take accountability and take responsibility. I owe it to the people that have been supporting me. I owe it to my mother, my father, my family. I owe it to the people who trained me in martial arts. That's not who I am. That's not the reason why I got into martial arts or studying combat sports. The reason I got into it was to defend against that type of scenario."

NFL preseason Week 3 takeaways - O Canada, land of the shortened field
It's Week 3 of the NFL preseason, when we're supposed to get the most serious look at teams before the regular season begins. Unless, of course, you're playing on an 80-yard field in Winnipeg -- as the Oakland Raiders and Green Bay Packers did Thursday -- and you sit the majority of your starters. Elsewhere, Daniel Jones continues to impress for the New York Giants, Tom Brady showed off his "speed" for the New England Patriots and Cam Newton of the Carolina Panthers was sidelined after an injury to his left ankle.

MLB bans playing in Venezuela amid Trump order
"MLB has been in contact with the relevant government agencies regarding the Executive Order issued by President Trump on Venezuela," the league said in a statement. "MLB will fully adhere to the policies implemented by our government. With respect to the Venezuela Winter League, MLB will suspend its involvement in that league until it receives direction from the relevant agencies that participation by affiliated players is consistent with the Executive Order."

Eraser Dust

Macron Says 'Our House Is Burning' As Amazon Fires Continue : NPR
"Our house is burning. Literally. The Amazon rain forest – the lungs which produces 20% of our planet's oxygen – is on fire," Macron wrote in a tweet Thursday. "It is an international crisis. Members of the G7 Summit, let's discuss this emergency first order in two days!"

Nigerian men targeted elderly women in romance scams worldwide, feds say - CNN
But in reality, Garcia did not exist. It was all an international online scam ran by two Nigerian men in the Los Angeles area with the help of associates in their home country and other nations, federal officials say.

Liam Gallagher Recounts Comeback in New ‘As It Was’ Doc Trailer – Rolling Stone
Liam Gallagher recounts his post-Oasis fall from grace and his re-emergence as a solo artist in the new trailer for the documentary Liam Gallagher: As It Was. The film was directed by Charlie Lightening and Gavin Fitzgerald, and is set to arrive in theaters September 13th, digital HD September 17th, and video-on-demand platforms October 8th.

Daily Inter Lake - Local News, 2 lions killed in Columbia Falls park
Two young mountain lions were shot and killed near River’s Edge Park in Columbia Falls over the weekend.

Smoke and Sizzle - Flathead Beacon
Smoked with Flathead Lake cherry wood, the pulled pork is just one of McGrew’s specialties and now available at his eatery, Ed McGrew’s BBQ in Whitefish.

Song of the Day