The Rock Chalkboard

WR Kwamie Lassiter talks offseason growth, up-tempo offense
“Hopefully we contend,” said Lassiter. “When the team comes together, that’s really the No. 1 thing I’m thinking about and looking forward to.”

Countdown to KU football: So what about that eligibility ruling?
But one apparently major ruling has come in the form of a blanket eligibility waiver. Essentially, for every single player who plays this fall, this year doesn't count. If you're a sophomore entering 2020, you can play in 10 football games, score 150 touchdowns (and probably win the Heisman in the process) and you're still a sophomore entering 2021.

Kyron Johnson embracing leadership role for KU football defense
“Yeah, as usual I play the way I practice,” Johnson said. “It is what it is. At the end of the day, these incoming freshmen need a leader, so I decided to be that type of leader.”

What summer workouts looked like for 4-star KU commit Devin Neal
“I’m super blessed to be a part of it," Neal said, noting he was able to travel to a couple tournaments with the baseball club. "Playing ball games and getting better and seeing really good competition, playing with some really good guys — that’s really exciting for me. I’ve just been super blessed to play with the team in getting ready for my college ball.”

Bits o Chalk

The reality of Black pain is breaking American sports' status quo
Six years later, when an entire slate of playoff games was canceled as players refused to play in the wake of the shooting of Jacob Blake by police in Kenosha, Wisconsin, a different truth emerged: In surviving Sterling, as well as the faction that felt basketball was irrelevant following the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis and that the players should not play, the league had simply been granted a reprieve.

Sources -- NBA board of governors, players to hold separate meetings on next steps
- The NBA's board of governors and the players still inside the NBA's bubble at the Walt Disney World Resort will each meet at 11 a.m. ET Thursday as both sides continue to discuss how to proceed with the postseason, league sources told ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski and Malika Andrews.

Naomi Osaka won't play in W&S semi in protest of Jacob Blake shooting; tourney pauses play
"As a sport, tennis is collectively taking a stance against racial inequality and social injustice that once again has been thrust to the forefront in the United States," a statement from the USTA, ATP and WTA said. "The USTA, ATP Tour, and WTA have decided to recognize this moment in time by pausing play at the Western & Southern Open on Thursday, August 27. Play will resume on Friday, August 28."

Kenny Smith walks off TNT 'Inside the NBA' set in solidarity with player protest
"And for me, I think the biggest thing now as a Black man, as a former player, I think it's best for me to support the players and just not be here tonight."

Eraser Dust

Hurricane Laura bringing "catastrophic storm surge" to parts of Louisiana - live updates
Several hours after it came ashore, the storm was downgraded to a Category 2 hurricane, although the storm was still extremely dangerous. The hurricane center said life-threatening storm surge was continuing early Thursday along much of Louisiana's coastline.

Fauci says he was in surgery when task force discussed CDC testing guideline - CNNPolitics
"I was under general anesthesia in the operating room and was not part of any discussion or deliberation regarding the new testing recommendations" at that meeting, Fauci told CNN Chief Medical Correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta.

19-year-old says he's sleeping in his car because he can't afford rent in Myrtle Beach | WPDE
Miller said he's working two jobs-- 70 to 80 hours per week. However, he shared that's still not enough to comfortably pay rent in the area.

New Zealand's Christchurch Mosque Shooter Sentenced To Life Without Parole : NPR
The 29-year-old Australian national's sentence marks the first time New Zealand has imprisoned someone without the possibility of release.

Enola Holmes sued due to giving Sherlock "copyrighted" emotions
The public domain is a tricky concept—which is to say, there’s a lot of money wrapped up in it, and so people like to argue about it, often to frankly absurd lengths. For instance! A lawsuit—launched back in June, but getting more attention now that the film’s just released its first trailer—alleging that Netflix’s Enola Holmes infringes on the copyright of Arthur Conan Doyle’s family, because it shows Henry Cavill’s Sherlock having legally actionaable feelings.

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