The Rock Chalkboard

A post-Signing Day look at the top 10 transfer classes in college football
Kansas has secured five total transfers at it attempts to flip its roster under Lance Leipold. They Jayhawks' top incoming player (so far) is probably former Ohio State linebacker Craig Young.

College basketball AP Top 25 rankings updated for Dec. 20
COVID-19 unfortunately held a large presence in this week’s college-basketball news, but there was plenty of excellent action regardless of cancellations and postponements across the country. AP Top 25 college basketball voters had a lot to consider from forfeits to upsets, and the new rankings are here as most teams prepare for a small holiday break.

IARP ruling in NC State case includes probation but no postseason ban | KUsports.com
It was the first decision issued through the Independent Accountability Resolution Process, which was created out of proposals from the commission led by former U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice in 2018 to reform college basketball amid the federal corruption investigation into the sport.

Bits o CHalk

Bears' Robert Quinn sounds off on officiating after chippy game vs. Vikings - Refs 'controlling the game a little too much'
"Some of these calls are starting to get a little crazy," said pass-rusher Robert Quinn, who earlier Monday was named to his third Pro Bowl. "These refs seem like they're controlling the game a little too much. So, when a play is clean and they're throwing a flag for something that they thought they could change a game [with] just by one flag ... let guys play ball. If this was a couple years ago, half of this stuff wouldn't even be called. But now, they got so many of these stupid rules, they dang near in a ref's hands [and] could change the game in any given moment.

No. 1 Alabama implements safety protocols ahead of College Football Playoff game vs. No. 4 Cincinnati
Crimson Tide coach Nick Saban said Monday that the team is back to wearing masks in the facility and social distancing during meetings. He noted that more than 90% of players are vaccinated and have received their booster shots.

NHL to pause season Wednesday, resume as scheduled after Christmas break, amid COVID-19 cases
All NHL team facilities will be closed from Wednesday through Saturday as the league tries to weather several COVID-19 outbreaks. Players are set to report back to team facilities on Sunday and resume daily testing. The NHL schedule is set to resume on Dec. 27.

FIFA's biennial World Cup proposal has majority backing - president Gianni Infantino
FIFA president Gianni Infantino believes he has majority backing for his biennial World Cup plan, after national football leaders were told the switch would create an extra $4.4 billion in revenues for the world body.

Eraser Dust

Japan hangs 3 death row inmates in first executions since 2019 - CNN
"These are extremely brutal cases, taking precious lives for selfish reasons. I think these are terrible incidents not only for victims who lost their lives but also for bereaved families," Justice Minister Yoshihisa Furukawa said at a news conference.

Biden’s omicron battle plan includes at-home tests, hospital support - The Washington Post
The Biden administration will start delivering a half-billion free rapid tests to homes next month, according to the statement, and health officials will set up a website where Americans can order them. New federal testing sites will also be established across the country, starting with one in New York City this week.

Texan believed to be first US fatality from Omicron variant
A Texas man with underlying conditions is believed to be the first person in the US to die from COVID-19’s Omicron variant, a report said.

The Beatles: every song ranked in order of greatness
Among them you’ll find songs which caused seismic shifts in pop, psychedelia and rock and the formative roots of punk, metal and electronica, amongst a panoply of other styles they pioneered and popularised in such a short time. It’s a feat unmatched by any act before or since, and with Peter Jackson’s Get Back reviving interest in their achievements, let’s pile back in to the most magical mystery tour pop music has ever known, ranked in order of greatness.

Neil Young Left Buffalo Springfield and CSNY for the Same Reason
Neil Young said he left both Buffalo Springfield and Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young for the same reason: He felt the groups “started drifting away” from the reason he was a member.

Trump sues NY attorney general in bid to block investigation into company | WKRC
WASHINGTON (TND) — Former President Donald Trump is suing New York's attorney general in an attempt to block a probe into his company and business practices.

Bigfork chef finds his niche after Covid upends career in LA | Daily Inter Lake
“It was Christmas break. I was going to visit my dad in Missouri...my uncle was the executive chef at Harrah’s Casino and he happened to have the day off and wanted to hang out, and said ‘why don’t you help me cook something?’ So he pulled out this recipe and we were cooking together, and he said ‘you’re pretty good at this, have you considered doing it as a career?’ and it just sort of hit like a light bulb. I went back to California and told my mom that I wanted to go to culinary school,” Matheros recalled.

Kalispell weighs option to join opioid settlement agreement | Daily Inter Lake
Montana and its local governments are eligible to receive payments totaling $80 million over a period of years from four major opioid distributors — McKesson Corporation, Cardinal Health Inc., Amerisource Bergen and Janssen — if all 56 counties and Montana’s six largest cities by population join the settlement. The agreement won’t be applicable if Kalispell or any of the other governments involved do not join the agreement.