The Rock Chalkboard

Unranked Jayhawks ready to attack rare back-to-back battle with Iowa State | KUsports.com
Technically, this will mark the third time that a Self-coached Kansas team has played the same team in back-to-back games. But it will be the first time they’ve done it in the regular season and in a three-day span.

Preview: Iowa State could be deceptively-tough test for KU basketball
"Whenever we've won the league, I've always taken the league two games at a time; I've always done it a week at a time," Self said on Wednesday. "It's coach speak, but really it's the two most important games because it's the next two games. [And] I think it adds value that it's the same team back-to-back. Playing well or poorly, either one, certainly creates momentum at a time where you need positive and you don't need negative."

Bits o Chalk

Minnesota Timberwolves' Karl-Anthony Towns back in action for first time since COVID-19 absence
"I am a high-risk case," Towns said of his experience with the coronavirus. "COVID did not treat me well whatsoever. A lot of scary nights. One of the things that I told my sister when I got COVID was that, 'Hey, I got it, and I don't got a good version of it. I got a lot of COVID in me, but I am going to fight and beat it.'"

Late non-call leaves Trae Young, Atlanta Hawks fuming after 1-point loss to Dallas Mavericks
"I'm not going to run away from the ball with four seconds left and we're trying to win the game," said Young, who had 25 points and 15 assists in the loss. "I'm not going to fall just to fall at the end. That's just the most frustrating part. Not really having an opportunity to make a play at the end is just really frustrating."

Tampa Bay Buccaneers celebrate Super Bowl LV title with boat parade
At one point during the parade, quarterback Tom Brady was captured on video tossing the NFL's Lombardi trophy from his boat across the water to another boat carrying Buccaneers players. His completion to shirtless tight end Cameron Brate brought wild cheers from fans and players.

Eraser Dust

Short On Syringes, Japan May Waste Millions Of Pfizer Vaccine Doses : NPR
Japan may have several million fewer coronavirus vaccine doses than originally planned because the country does not have the appropriate syringes, in another setback to one of the slower vaccination rollouts among developed economies.

George Harrison's elaborate prank on Phil Collins may be the funniest joke in rock history - GOOD
Harrison clearly didn't lose his sense of humor for the rest of his life. Shortly before his death in 2001, he played an elaborate prank on Phil Collins that shows how the "Here Comes the Sun" singer would go the extra mile for a laugh.

CDC recommends double masks to help protect against COVID-19 - CBS News
After months of demands for federal health officials to update mask recommendations, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced new guidelines Wednesday that include wearing well-fitting face masks or two masks at a time to help curb the COVID-19 pandemic.

'The Mandalorian' Star Gina Carano Fired Amid Social Media Controversy | Hollywood Reporter
Gina Carano will not be returning to The Mandalorian or the Star Wars galaxy after sharing a post on social media implying that being a Republican today is like being Jewish during the Holocaust.

Larry Flynt, Hustler magazine editor and First Amendment champion, has died at 78 - CBS News
Flynt scored a surprising U.S. Supreme Court victory over the Reverend Jerry Falwell, who had sued him for libel after a 1983 Hustler alcohol ad suggested Falwell had lost his virginity to his mother in an outhouse.

Governor will lift Montana's state-wide mask mandate on Friday
Governor Greg Gianforte said on Wednesday that he will let Montana’s state-wide mask mandate expire as of Friday, February 12th.