The Rock Chalkboard

Kansas basketball coach Bill Self in favor of Big 12 eliminating forfeits from COVID-19 protocols | KUsports.com
“That will change,” Self said Tuesday night. “I’m not going to say positively what the policies will be, but there’s no way, in my opinion, that you can have that policy in conference play with the thought that this can happen to anybody anytime like this.”

KU's Jenny Mosser named Big 12 volleyball Scholar Athlete of the Year | KUsports.com
Her ability as a relentless attacker from the outside hitter position at the net put her among the team’s offensive leaders. In 2021, Mosser led the Jayhawks with 388 points while playing in all 30 matches for the Sweet 16-bound Jayhawks.

Colorado basketball coach Tad Boyle likes Jayhawks, desires more support for Buffs | KUsports.com
“I’m looking forward to having the CU Events Center full of Buff fans,” Boyle said in the days leading up to Tuesday. “That’s what I’m hoping for and counting on. More than that, it’s having our team ready to play. … Hopefully this is a college basketball game that the state of Colorado can get excited about. I wish they got excited about every game. I’m watching Duke play Appalachian State the other night. The place was packed. The student section was packed. I wonder why (that isn’t the case) here.”

Bits o Chalk

Liverpool-Leeds United clash on Boxing Day postponed as Premier League COVID-19 crisis continues
Liverpool's clash against Leeds United at Anfield on Sunday has been postponed due to a COVID-19 outbreak in the visitors squad, the clubs have announced.

Joe Burrow believes low COVID-19 totals among Bengals partly due to Cincinnati's lack of nightlife
"Fortunately, there's not a ton to do in Cincinnati," Burrow said Wednesday. "Nobody is going out to clubs and bars and getting COVID every weekend. But we've been healthy."

Joe Johnson's 'fun' Celtics moment late in game vs. Cavaliers caps off 'surreal' journey back to NBA
The shot wrapped up what had been a wild 24 hours or so for Johnson, who at 40 years old became the second-oldest player in the NBA -- behind Miami Heat big man Udonis Haslem -- and is the only current NBA player who played against Michael Jordan.

Vincent Jackson died from chronic alcohol use, medical examiner says
TAMPA, Fla. -- The Hillsborough County (Florida) Medical Examiner said Wednesday that former NFL wide receiver Vincent Jackson died from chronic alcohol use and that the manner of his February death was "natural."

Eraser Dust

COVID omicron variant: IHME models predict 140M infections this winter
They found the U.S. may see a total of about 140 million new infections from Jan. 1 to March 1, 2022, peaking in late-January at about 2.8 million new daily infections.

Biden Promised 500 Million Tests, but Americans Will Have to Wait - The New York Times
Contracts to purchase tests could be signed as soon as next week, but relief could be weeks away for people trying to buy the hard-to-find tests.

Omicron Is the Beginning of the End - The Atlantic
And yet I wager that, whatever course Omicron—or future strains of the disease—might take, we are about to experience the end of the pandemic as a social phenomenon.

Capitol rioters hit with severe sentences and sharp reprimands from judges | US Capitol attack | The Guardian
US District Judge Royce Lamberth told Thompson, “The violence that happened that day was such a blatant disregard to the institutions of government … You’re shoving and pushing … and participating in this riot for hours.”

Third act of vandalism committed on Kalispell mural | Daily Inter Lake
Volunteers cleaned up the previous graffiti in early December. Roughly 120 community volunteers came together to paint the murals during summer 2021.

Whitefish woodcrafter joins Kalispell art cooperative | Daily Inter Lake
Whitefish woodcrafter Tim Hintze has joined Paint, Metal and Mud, a unique artists’ cooperative, and now has his work on display and for sale at the gallery located in downtown Kalispell.

Affordable housing project coming to Kalispell
KALISPELL — Much needed affordable housing is on track to come to Kalispell after the City Council approved a Conditional Use Permit for a new project.