The Rock Chalkboard

Jalen Wilson has bounce-back outing in loss at West Virginia
Arguably the team's top performer on the day, Wilson posted 16 points, 14 rebounds and four assists. He saved the best of his performance for a key stretch in the second period. Down 10 entering the second half, Wilson recorded an assist, a driving layup and another score in the first two minutes of the period, helping Kansas tie the game with a 9-0 run.

Preview: KU basketball seeks to avenge loss to OSU, Cade Cunningham
For a short period of time, Jerrance Howard was recruiting Cade Cunningham to Lawrence. The No. 1 player in the 2020 class was considering a number of schools — including Kansas — but the Jayhawks dropped off after Oklahoma State hired Cunningham's brother as an assistant coach.

The Drive: Kansas football hires OC; KU hoops still seeking turnaround
The 15th season of The Drive continues following KU basketball's loss at West Virginia, plus some football news. Kansas replaced previous offensive coordinator Brent Dearmon with new staff member Mike DeBord. DeBord is the fourth person to hold the role of offensive coordinator under Les Miles.

KU basketball at West Virginia: Who stood out and who didn't...
Wilson was not without his mistakes, committing three turnovers — including a bad pass out of the paint when he didn’t need to rush — and missing three free throws. But for the first time in a while he looked like the early-season Jalen Wilson. The KU basketball wing hit a couple of big 3-point shots and, perhaps more importantly, was all over the boards with plenty of bounce and energy.

Basketball Snap Judgments and Big 12 Power Rankings
The Big 12 Conference basketball season is going strong once more, with every team playing at least eight conference games, and programs that had games postponed working to make them up this week and next. This week including some marquee games that will have a major impact on the standings. So it seems like now is as good a time as any to release our next edition of snap judgments and Actually Accomplished Rankings of the year. First, we'll give a rundown of each team, what happened since our last update, and what's up next on the schedule.

KU basketball on doorstep of being unranked after fifth Big 12 loss
“We won’t be ranked next week, nor do we deserve to be ranked,” Self said. “Now we have a chance to get back in there if we start doing some consecutive things well. It's a pretty remarkable streak.”

Bits o Chalk

'Tompa Bay' is Titletown - Tom Brady, fierce defense lead Tampa Bay Buccaneers to Super Bowl 2021 victory
Eleven months ago, it was inconceivable that quarterback Tom Brady would choose, of all teams, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to continue his football journey.

ESPN baseball reporter Pedro Gomez dies at 58
"We are shocked and saddened to learn that our friend and colleague Pedro Gomez has passed away," said Jimmy Pitaro, Chairman, ESPN and Sports Content. "Pedro was an elite journalist at the highest level and his professional accomplishments are universally recognized. More importantly, Pedro was a kind, dear friend to us all. Our hearts are with Pedro's family and all who love him at this extraordinarily difficult time."

Kansas City Chiefs coach Andy Reid on son Britt Reid's crash - 'Heart bleeds for everybody involved'
"My heart goes out to all those who were involved in the accident, in particular the family with the little girl who's fighting for her life,'' Reid said Sunday night after the Chiefs lost Super Bowl LV to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 31-9. "I can't comment on it any more than what I am here. So the questions you have, I'm going to have to turn those down; but just from a human standpoint, my heart bleeds for everybody involved in that.''

Tampa Bay Buccaneers assistants Lori Locust, Maral Javadifar first female coaches to win Super Bowl
This week they became the first pair of female coaches on a single team to coach in the Super Bowl, while referee Sarah Thomas became the first official to work a Super Bowl. Last year, Katie Sowers became the first female coach to coach in the Super Bowl, when the San Francisco 49ers lost to the Chiefs 31-20.

Kansas City Chiefs (+550) installed as Super Bowl LVI favorite, with Tampa Bay Buccaneers at 11-1
Things didn't go Kansas City's way Sunday night, but oddsmakers have already installed the Chiefs as Super Bowl favorites for next season.

Patrick Mahomes says Super Bowl LV loss was 'worst I've been beaten in long time'
"They were the better team today,'' Mahomes said. "They beat us pretty good, the worst I think I've been beaten in a long time.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers' Tom Brady wins fifth MVP in seventh Super Bowl victory
Brady, the 43-year-old quarterback who went to Tampa Bay for the final chapter in a first-ballot Hall of Fame career, proved he's still the most dominant quarterback in the league by throwing for 201 yards and three touchdowns and earning his fifth Super Bowl MVP award and seventh ring as the Buccaneers beat the Kansas City Chiefs 31-9 for their first Super Bowl win since 2003.

Eraser Dust

The Weeknd and his bandaged army wrapped up Super Bowl halftime show - CNN
"The significance of the entire head bandages is reflecting on the absurd culture of Hollywood celebrity and people manipulating themselves for superficial reasons to please and be validated."

The Trump administration’s terrible restaurant guests.
Our owner’s then-wife had tried to boost morale by assuring us Republicans were typically pretty good for business once their administrations got staffed up. Sen. Ted Cruz, for his part, had been an impeccable regular: gracious wife (poor thing), amenable to Sancerre at any price point, takes literally 15 seconds to order, reliable tipper, doesn’t make you “work for it.” That’s how you knew he wasn’t a real Trumpist, because the Republicans who followed 45 to town were exhausting, impossible, often stingy, and—because the restaurant was never busy enough anymore to soothe the sting of a bad table with a full section—memorable.

Did The Weeknd get paid for Super Bowl 2021 halftime show?
Every Super Bowl halftime performer, from Beyoncé to Bruno Mars, has essentially worked for free. Despite selling out stadiums on world tours, most halftime A-listers are reportedly paid “union scale,” which is “a fraction of the six- and seven-figure sums” they rake in on the reg, according to Forbes.

$3,000-per-child benefit: Senior Democrats prepare plan for Biden stimulus - The Washington Post
Under the proposal, the Internal Revenue Service would provide $3,600 over the course of the year per child under the age of 6, as well as $3,000 per child of ages 6 to 17. The size of the benefit would diminish for Americans earning more than $75,000 per year, as well as for couples jointly earning more than $150,000 per year. The payments would be sent monthly beginning in July, a delay intended to give the IRS time to prepare for the massive new initiative.