The Rock Chalkboard

Countdown to KU football (24): Phog.net preseason roundtable
Well, as we alluded to in yesterday's post, we have put together a roundtable of KU football predictions for you. The participants in this Q&A session were Michael Swain, previously of Phog.net, as well as current staff contributors Carlos Peterson and Jack Johnson.

2022 TE Josh McCarter recalls first offer from KU football
"I went home, took a nap," McCarter recalled to Phog.net. "I woke up and one of my coaches from my high school had called. ... He sent me coach [Joshua] Eargle's number for KU. He wanted me to give him a call, so I called him. And he offered me."

NCAA's confidence in college basketball is at a 'high level'
But the future of the 2020-21 season is somewhat in question. The pandemic has already altered the schedules for the Power Five conferences in college football, as most conferences are moving to a conference-only schedule and delaying the start of the season. That is a move that has many questioning the fate of the college basketball season this November.

Bits o Chalk

Carmelo Anthony's vintage effort for Blazers elicits strong reaction from Damian Lillard - 'He's a Hall of Famer'
Carmelo Anthony was standing by waiting for Nurkic to finish his postgame availability, and every question was about Anthony after some vintage crunch-time Melo moments sealed a critical 110-102 win over the Houston Rockets on Tuesday in Lake Buena Vista, Florida.

Big Ten to start 10-game conference slate on Sept. 3; Michigan-Ohio State to be Oct. 24
The Big Ten will play a 10-game, conference-only football schedule that begins Labor Day weekend and includes ample flexibility, the league announced Wednesday morning.

New NBA playoff projections - How the Grizzlies' woes change the West
On Tuesday, the Grizzlies announced that their second-year forward will miss the rest of the 2019-20 season because of a meniscus tear in his left knee. That appears to open the door for several teams chasing Memphis -- particularly the New Orleans Pelicans, Portland Trail Blazers and San Antonio Spurs and perhaps the Phoenix Suns.

UConn becomes first FBS team to cancel football season due to coronavirus
"After receiving guidance from state and public health officials and consulting with football student-athletes, we've decided that we will not compete on the gridiron this season," UConn athletics director David Benedict said in a news release. "The safety challenges created by COVID-19 place our football student-athletes at an unacceptable level of risk."

eraser dust

'Deadliest Catch' Deckhand Mahlon Reyes Dead at 38
Mahlon's wife tells us he died in his hometown of Whitefish, Montana after he suffered a heart attack last Saturday morning. Although he survived it, and was transported to a hospital ... he never regained consciousness.

Beirut explosion: Death toll at least 100, ammonium nitrate stash blamed
The government announced an investigation to determine within five days the exact cause of the explosion and "who was responsible."

Class-Action Lawsuit Claims TikTok Steals Kids' Data And Sends It To China : NPR
Dozens of minors, through their parents, are alleging that the video-sharing app collects information about their facial characteristics, locations and close contacts, and quietly sends that data to servers in China.

Kalispell City Council Meeting to Continue Aug. 4 - Flathead Beacon
The in-person Kalispell City Council meeting originally scheduled for Aug. 3 will continue to a virtual-only meeting on Tuesday, Aug. 4 at 7 p.m. after around 45 mostly unmasked community members entered council chambers on Monday night, according to City Manager Doug Russell.