The Rock Chalkboard

WATCH: Devon Dotson shows off improved game
In order for Kansas to reach its goals this season, Jayhawk sophomore point guard Devon Dotson will have to take the leap that many are projecting of him.

'4.2 is definitely noticeable': Jayhawks raving about returner Jamahl Horne's speed | KUsports.com
The Jayhawks had gathered on a typically hot Lawrence summer day at the team’s turf practice fields near David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium for a conditioning session when Horne first made a name for himself. They already had put in some serious work when it came time to run the 40-yard dash.

Les Miles tells fans Jayhawks 'need to play dominant football' | KUsports.com
Les Miles didn’t have any grand announcements or bold declarations to make Friday night while addressing a large contingent of University of Kansas fans at the athletic department’s annual KU Kickoff at Corinth Square.

Matt Tait: Kansas football coach Les Miles determined to make KU rebuild about more than him | KUsports.com
“I’ve always kind of enjoyed me (being) taken out of the picture,” he admitted Tuesday. “Because what I’m going to do is I’m going to set up an environment that allows players and coaches to play and coach and an environment that encourages success.”

After making strides this offseason, Davon Ferguson poised to make impact in KU's secondary | KUsports.com
"I think I just try to push my limits. Go as hard as I can go,” Ferguson said. “Even try to push my teammates when I can."

Manny Miles enjoying 'family atmosphere' he associates with all of his dad's football teams | KUsports.com
“And you respect him like he’s going to run you after practice, even though he’s your dad,” Miles, a reserve quarterback and holder, said recently. “Then you get home and you think, ‘Oh, he’s going to turn into the dad now.’ But the coaching never stops with him.”

Les Miles, Jayhawks greet fans at KU Kickoff at Corinth Square
The KU coach, along with athletic director Jeff Long, spoke in front of the crowd and mingled with fans following the event. Players also worked their way through the crowd, with Mike Lee entertaining a group of kids and Manny Miles actually participating in a throwing game of sorts with some of the younger fans.

Bits o Chalk

Mets strike out 26 in 14 innings to tie MLB record
The Mets are the fifth team to record 26 strikeouts in a game, and they're the second of those five to lose the game, according to ESPN Stats & Information research. The Braves join the 2004 Brewers as the only teams to win a game after striking out 26 times. Milwaukee won 1-0 in 17 innings against the Angels on June 8, 2004.

Timbers, Sounders fan groups protest silently
The supporters groups contend that the Iron Front symbol is intended to promote inclusion, anti-fascism and anti-racism. MLS has stated the symbol is connected to the antifa movement in the U.S. and thus constitutes a link to a political organization.

Lions lose starters Davis, Ragnow to injuries
"There's nothing really to report right now," Lions coach Matt Patricia said after his team's 24-20 loss to the Buffalo Bills. "We'll see what it looks like tomorrow and go through the normal procedures the day after the game and try to see what that looks like and then we'll go from there."

Golden rings -- Vonn engaged to Devils' Subban
"I just want to enjoy the moment and the engagement," Vonn told Vogue. "We're not in a big hurry to get married. It kind of depends on his playing schedule, and when we have time to sit down and go through it. I don't want to stress him out because he has a big season coming."

Sources -- Howard to join Lakers with stern caveat
After completing a contract buyout with the Memphis Grizzlies, Dwight Howard will sign a non-guaranteed contract with the Los Angeles Lakers that comes with a clear message, league sources told ESPN: Disrupt this team -- and you'll be gone.

Australia stuns Team USA, snaps 78-game streak
For the first time in nearly 13 years, a U.S. roster of NBA players played an international game -- and lost. Patty Mills scored 30 points, and Australia rallied from a 10-point deficit in the second half to stun the Americans 98-94 and snap a 78-game U.S. winning streak that started with the bronze-medal game at the 2006 world championships.

Eraser Dust

Earth Might Not Be the Most Hospitable Planet out There
But new computer models suggest that there could be exoplanets even better suited for life than Earth, according to ScienceAlert. While there’s no guarantee that those exoplanets exist or that their hospitable environments inevitably lead to the proliferation of extraterrestrial life, the research hints at the possibility that maybe we’re not entirely alone in the universe after all.

Star Wars The Mandalorian TV Show Gets Its First Trailer At D23 - GameSpot
The first full trailer for The Mandalorian is here. The first-ever live-action Star Wars TV show will premiere on Disney+ in November, and the trailer was revealed during the studio's annual D23 convention.

Enjoying Glacier National Park’s quiet season - The Washington Post
But more leg room is only one of the reasons that autumn is the perfect time to visit Glacier. Come late September and early October, the vista-obscuring haze from wildfires near and far that can occasionally affect the region during the summer has (hopefully) lifted for the year. The snowdrifts that can render some trails inaccessible early in the season have finally melted, meaning all 734 miles of hiking trail are accessible. And by late September and early October, the fireworks of autumn ignite the mountainsides.

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