The Rock Chalkboard

How Bill Self, KU players found out NCAA Tournament was canceled
“We were preparing to go over there just like everybody else is,” Self continued. “I get the final word saying it’s canceled, so I text the guys and tell ‘em. And that was not as big a deal for us as it would be for some others because we knew there’d be bigger fish to fry. But our guys were very disappointed and all the families that traveled and all that stuff were just ridiculously disappointed."

Ochai Agbaji explains why he's returning for junior hoops season
“I looked into the NBA and was given some great feedback on ways I can be a better basketball player,” Agbaji said. ”I know there are a lot of areas of my game I can improve and look forward to working with our coaches to reach that next level. We have some unfinished business to take care of and I’m looking forward to returning to KU for my junior season.”

Bits o Chalk

UFC president Dana White eyes May 9 for next event at TBD location
UFC president Dana White has promised that his company will be the first major sports organization to return to a normal schedule amid the coronavirus pandemic, and he is already planning his next event for May 9 at a location to be determined.

Frustrated with fallout from his weekend gathering, Cowboys QB Dak Prescott clarifies, says fewer than 10 people were at house
"I understand and accept that there are additional responsibilities and media scrutiny that come with being an NFL quarterback, but it is very frustrating and disappointing when people provide completely inaccurate information from anonymous sources, especially now," he said in the statement. "To set the record straight -- I know that we all need to do our best to socially distance and like everyone else, I am continuing to adjust to what that requires, but the truth is that I was with fewer than 10 people for a home dinner -- not a party -- on Friday night.

Isaiah Todd's mother -- Five-star forward decommits from Michigan basketball, will look to play pro
Five-star forward Isaiah Todd has decommitted from Michigan basketball and will look to play professionally next season, his mother told ESPN on Tuesday.

Yankees co-owner Hank Steinbrenner dies at 63 after lengthy illness
A chain smoker and miniature drag racer, Hank hoped to succeed his father as the team's controlling owner. Between the 2007 and 2008 seasons, he became the public voice of the Yankees' ownership.

Vikings QB Kirk Cousins - Playing football without pomp and circumstance could be 'refreshing'
"Honestly, we practice every day in an empty grass area and pump in fake crowd noise for away games," Cousins said on a conference call. "But more often than not, you're used to it. OTA practices don't have a lot of pomp and circumstance to them. So honestly, to go out and just play the game would kind of be refreshing, a breath of fresh air, to just let us know that we don't have to have all the smoke and the fire. We can just play football. So as long as we're playing the game, I won't have a lot of complaints, and hopefully if it's still not returned to normal, we can find a way to make it work."

Five FBS conferences, including AAC and C-USA, ask NCAA to relax Division I requirements
Five major football conference commissioners have asked the NCAA to relax requirements to compete in Division I for four years, including the minimum number of sports a school must sponsor.

Eraser Dust

Stimulus Checks May Be Delayed As Trump Requires U.S. Treasury to Print His Name on Them
Late Monday evening, the U.S. Treasury Department ordered the Internal Revenue Service to print President Donald Trump's name on the stimulus checks it is sending to millions of Americans nationwide, reports The Washington Post.

Coronavirus: German zoo may have to feed animals to each other - BBC News
A zoo director in northern Germany has even admitted that some animals might soon have to be fed to others, if the zoo is to survive.

Stimulus check tracker now live: When will you get your check? Use new IRS tracker - al.com
The online link went live Wednesday just as millions of checks were deposited into people’s accounts. As many as 70 million Americans are expected to receive their money – designed to blunt the economic impact from the coronavirus pandemic – by today.

Trump directs halt to payments to WHO during virus pandemic | WTOP
President Donald Trump said Tuesday that he was cutting off U.S. payments to the World Health Organization during the coronavirus pandemic, accusing the organization of failing to do enough to stop the virus from spreading when it first surfaced in China.

Photos: Kila Parade - Flathead Beacon
Kila School students, teachers and other community residents gathered for a physically-distant car parade through town on April 10, 2020, as a way to connect during the COVID-19 outbreak.

J&J eyes 'imminent' coronavirus vaccine production, aims for a billion doses worldwide
Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) said on Tuesday it plans to begin imminent production of its trial COVID-19 vaccine on an “at risk” basis, as the coronavirus pandemic infects nearly 2 million people around the world.

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