The Rock Chalkboard

Why all-time KU great Kerry Meier chose not to use WR gloves
"You know, a lot of those commonalities carry over to a quarterback," Meier said on the Jayhawker Podcast, hosted by Brian Hanni. "Every snap, every play I was having the ball in my hands, so it was just that natural feel of catching a football, whether it's catching a shotgun snap or getting a snap under center. It's that same approach of having a natural feel toward the football."

Previewing 3-star D'Marion Alexander's college commitment
Wherever he commits, Alexander's impact will be felt. Alexander would rank in the top 10 of Arizona State's 2021 class and top five of KU football's and TCU's 2021 classes. With that ranking comes physical tools and a level of confidence not often found around the world of college football recruiting.

Bill Self joins Cameo to promote player-led equality initiatives
"We certainly have a ... shortage of minorities — primarily Black [people] — having the same opportunities that whites do in the sports that provide our livelihood, entertainment," Self said in the Star's forum. "We've got to have more opportunities for young people to get involved in our profession. If college basketball is primarily made up of Black kids at a high level that go on and want to play professional sports, basketball, whatever, and then they want to get into coaching, there's not opportunities for those guys to get into coaching now."

Countdown to KU football: A look at the 2020 QB spot (part 3)
Our look at the KU football quarterback position continues, and thus we have arrived at a true freshman who may not start to open the year — or at all — but could be a fun name to think about as a "what if..."

Report: Big 12 'divided on playing this season'
“The Big 12 remains divided on playing this season,” Thamel wrote on Twitter, citing a source. “Uncertainty about long-term medical impact looms as an issue. Expect the Big Ten and Pac-12 decisions to impact the the Big 12's decision.”

Brandon Huntley-Hatfield discusses his list of eleven
Kansas: “I just got offered by them recently. I haven’t done a Zoom or anything like that, they talked to me about how I would fit in their program, their style of play, it compliments my game. With them, they made my top 11 because they always stayed in contact with me so it was really good for me. I always wanted Kansas so that was good for me, they always stayed in contact and I was always on their radar.”

Bits o Chalk

Mountain West to postpone fall sports season
"We were hopeful we could carefully and responsibly conduct competition as originally scheduled with essential protocols in place," Mountain West commissioner Craig Thompson said in a statement. "However, numerous external factors and unknowns outside our control made this difficult decision necessary.

Heart condition linked with COVID-19 fuels Power 5 concern about season's viability
Myocarditis, inflammation of the heart muscle, has been found in at least five Big Ten Conference athletes and among several other athletes in other conferences, according to two sources with knowledge of athletes' medical care.

Scott Frost says Nebraska 'prepared to look at any and all options,' including playing outside Big Ten
"We're a proud member of the Big Ten," Frost said during a Zoom teleconference with reporters. "We want to play a Big Ten schedule. I think the only reason we would look at any other options is if for some reason the Big Ten wasn't playing and only a handful of teams from the Big Ten wanted to continue playing. I think if that's the case, I think we're prepared to look at any and all options."

Will there be college football this fall? A conference-by-conference breakdown
No decisions have been made by the Big 12 to this point, but league officials will meet on Tuesday, starting with the athletic directors, followed by the conference's board of directors.

Eraser Dust

Flathead hotels hit hard by pandemic see influx of visitors | KECI
Jackson says a survey shows hotels saw a 75% decrease in occupancy for the month of June in comparison to last year. However, they are expecting that to change.

Does Trump’s Executive Order Mean There’s No $1,200 Second Stimulus Check Coming?
“If we can get a fair deal we’re willing to do it this week,” Mnuchin said during an interview with CNBC.

Russia coronavirus vaccine approved, Vladimir Putin says. But questions over its safety remain - CNN
Russian President Vladimir Putin announced the approval of a coronavirus vaccine for use on Tuesday, claiming it as a "world first," amid continued concern and unanswered questions over its safety and effectiveness.

Belarusian election fallout: Opposition leader flees country amid protests
Belarusian opposition leader Svetlana Tsikhanouskaya says she has fled the country as protests sweep Belarus following the controversial re-election of authoritarian President Alexander Lukashenko.

Covid-19 cases in US children have increased by 90% in the last four weeks, report says - CNN
There has been a 90% increase in the number of Covid-19 cases among children in the United States over the last four weeks, according to a new analysis by the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Children's Hospital Association that will be updated week

Kalispell Chamber to host virtual update about return to school with Kalispell superintendent
The online event is free and open to the public. It will take place on Wednesday, Aug. 12 from 2 p.m. until 2:45 p.m. and will discuss what plans are being worked on for a return to school during the COVID-19 pandemic.