The Rock Chalkboard

ESPN analyst: Paul Pierce 'arguably the greatest foil' to LeBron
"'The Truth' may not have looked flashy doing it, but he was one of the most durable and smooth scorers of this century. He also proved to be arguably the greatest foil of LeBron James' career, besting him in both the 2008 and 2010 NBA playoffs — eventually winning a title in '08 and falling one game short of doing so in '10 — alongside Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett."

3-star OL William Reed enjoys phone call with KU coach Les Miles
“I think we’re in a very interesting time in our country right now, and there’s for sure a lot of hectic things going on," Reed, listed at 6-5, 260 pounds, began to Phog.net. "I know it’s not that big of an issue when everything is in perspective, but it has affected recruiting as well. So things kind of sped up along the way because of that.”

Former KU football DE John Zook passes away at age 72
John Zook, who spent a decade in the NFL, passed away after a long battle with cancer, the outlet reported Sunday. His brother confirmed the news to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Zook was in his native state of Kansas when he died.

Former KU WBB star Tamecka Dixon recalls Kobe Bryant memories
"We celebrated together," Dixon said. "When the Lakers won their championships we were in town. We were just starting our season. So we were able to celebrate with them, and then they were around to celebrate with us and very supportive of us, came to a lot of games. Kobe, Shaq, Derek Fisher, all of those guys were regular fixtures at our games."

KU football among 'top choices' for 3-star DT Jaydon Wannstedt
Jaydon Wannstedt, a 6-foot-2, 290-pound defensive tackle from St. Charles, Mo., received his first offer from Les Miles and the KU football program out of the class of 2022. Wannstedt is the No. 15-ranked recruit in the state of Missouri and a three-star prospect by the Top247.

Scouting Sunday: '21 Kendall Brown has versatile, athletic game
Brown has made several visits to KU, and we at Phog.net have published several exclusives on his recruitment as he's continued to hear from the KU program. Brown also has a healthy library of film available on the web, whether it's from his time at Sunrise or performances at DC Hoopfest, the Adidas summer championships or Team USA events

'I just can't be silent anymore' - College football players speak out, and they are being heard
"You'd walk on campus and a group of white guys or white girls would cross the street," Simon recalled this week. "That happened on a daily basis, and they don't think anything of it, but it hurts every single time."

Bits o Chalk

President Donald Trump reopens anthem debate with tweet aimed at Roger Goodell
The tweet read: "Could it be even remotely possible that in Roger Goodell's rather interesting statement of peace and reconciliation, he was intimating that it would now be O.K. for the players to KNEEL, or not to stand, for the National Anthem, thereby disrespecting our Country & our Flag?"

Iowa strength coach Chris Doyle disputes claims of biased behavior based on race
Longtime Iowa strength and conditioning coach Chris Doyle, in a statement Sunday, denied ever having "crossed the line of unethical behavior or bias based upon race," claiming, "There have been statements made about my behavior that are not true."

NASCAR vows to do better job addressing racial injustice
Bubba Wallace donned a black T-shirt with the words "I Can't Breathe" and NASCAR paused before Sunday's Cup race at Atlanta Motor Speedway to acknowledge the country's social unrest. The governing body vowed to do a better job of addressing racial injustice in the wake of George Floyd's death

U.S. Soccer to consider repealing ban on players kneeling - sources
The U.S. Soccer Federation's (USSF) board of directors is considering the possible repeal of its policy requiring national team players to stand during the national anthem, according to multiple sources.

Eraser Dust

New York City Starts Easing Stay-At-Home Order For The Coronavirus Crisis : NPR
After a nearly three-month lockdown because of the coronavirus pandemic, New York City is taking its first steps to reopen parts of its economy amid unrest over police brutality and racial injustice.

New Zealand is lifting almost all its coronavirus restrictions, after no active Covid-19 cases reported | CNN Travel
Almost all coronavirus restrictions in New Zealand will be lifted tomorrow, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has announced, after the country reported no active cases.

Meg Mathews divorce from Noel Gallagher left her with PTSD
“I used to get terrible PTSD. In 1997 I was the third most written about woman. It was Lady Diana, The Spice Girls and me.”

CrossFit CEO's George Floyd Tweet Makes Reebok Drop Partnership
On June 4, the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation tweeted a statement which called racism and discrimination “critical public health issues that demand an urgent response.” In his June 6 response to the tweet, Glassman replied “It’s FLOYD-19.” Glassman’s tweet refers to George Floyd, a black man who died on May 25 when a police officer knelt on his neck for over 8 minutes.

Treasure chest worth millions in the Rocky Mountains found after decade-long search
The treasure, placed in a 13th-century Romanesque bronze chest, was hidden between 2009 and 2010 with an estimated $2 million of gold, jewelry and gems, the 89-year old said.

Ken Cuccinelli says he believes even if George Floyd had been white his life would not have been spared - CNNPolitics
Acting Deputy Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security Ken Cuccinelli said Sunday that he does not believe that George Floyd's life would have been spared if he were white.

Large crowd gathers for Black Lives Matter protest in Kalispell
“Just because we’re a small community and just because we don’t have a large number of people of color here that does not mean that we can’t stand up for them," said Parmar.

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