The Rock Chalkboard

Emmett Jones: Kansas quarterbacks understanding new offensive system
It is an all-out battle for the Kansas football quarterback spot, according to Emmett Jones at least. Asked about the position at an availability on Saturday, Jones, the program's interim coach, listed six passers in contention for the job: Jalon Daniels, Miles Kendrick, Miles Fallin, Ben Easters, Conrad Hawley and Torry Locklin.

VIP takeaways: Kansas football spring practice No. 5
Kansas football's spring practice slate is underway. Normally, we'd have the chance to check out practices in person for about an hour or so a few times a week, but that obviously has not been the case this year due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

Cam Martin excited for chance to play at Allen Fieldhouse
“I have not; I’ve never been,” Martin said in a recent call with Phog.net. “I’ve been to Lawrence a few times for AAU events and stuff like that, but I’ve never been to the campus.”

Kansas' Kenny Logan 'becoming a better leader' in spring slate
Two years into his football career, there's no question Kenny Logan has the skills to play at the Big 12 level. As a sophomore, Logan made a team-best 58 tackles in nine games, recording two interceptions, three additional pass breakups, one forced fumble and one sack.

Five-star big man Kijani Wright updates his recruitment
Due to COVID19 guidelines in California, 247Sports has not been able to see top ten nationally ranked prospect Kijani Wright in action for some time. After watching the five-star big man compete this weekend, it is evident he did not take any time off towards working on his body, conditioning, and his game.

Report: NCAA recruiting dead period to end June 1
It might finally be over as the summer approaches. The NCAA recruiting dead period, which was continually extended due to the COVID-19 pandemic, is soon to end according to CBS Sports’ Dennis Dodd.

College football's 10 toughest schedules in 2021
Games vs. potential Top 25 teams: 5

Given the uphill climb Kansas is facing with from a talent standpoint and a first-year coach, the 2021 schedule — from the outside looking in — is awfully frightening. No team in the Big 12 Conference has a tougher road schedule next fall, a slate consisting of Iowa State (ranked), Texas (ranked), Oklahoma State (ranked), Coastal Carolina (ranked) and TCU. Oh, and the Jayhawks will have to try and fend off Oklahoma, too. It's hard to imagine this program taking a forward step under a new regime when it's up against this meat-grinder of a slate.

Bits o Chalk

Stephen Curry tops Wilt Chamberlain as Golden State Warriors' all-time scoring leader, then caps night by dropping 53 in win
Stephen Curry became the all-time points leader in Golden State Warriors history on Monday night, passing Wilt Chamberlain's previous record of 17,783. It's a feat that even Curry himself had a hard time wrapping his head around because of Chamberlain's historical significance to the game.

Star receiver Julian Edelman, 34, retires, ending 12-year career with New England Patriots
Patriots star receiver Julian Edelman, who helped New England win three championships and was the MVP of Super Bowl LIII, announced his retirement in a video posted on social media Monday.

Dallas Mavericks' Luka Doncic critical of NBA's play-in tournament concept
"I don't understand the idea of a play-in," Doncic said Monday after a 113-95 loss to the visiting Philadelphia 76ers, the Mavs' third defeat in four games. "You play 72 games to get into the playoffs, then maybe you lose two in a row and you're out of the playoffs. So I don't see the point of that."

Denver Nuggets guard Jamal Murray helped off court after late-game knee injury
Denver Nuggets star point guard Jamal Murray went down in immediate pain after injuring his left knee on a drive to the basket in the final minute of a 116-107 loss to the Golden State Warriors on Monday night.

Former Kansas City Chiefs assistant Britt Reid charged with felony DWI
Former Kansas City Chiefs assistant coach Britt Reid has been charged with felony driving while intoxicated for his involvement in a car crash earlier this year that left a 5-year-old girl critically injured.

Eraser Dust

The Avengers Flip Their Shawarma Scene, Revealing a Heartbreaking Truth
A new comic, Black Knight: Curse of the Ebony Blade #1, features a moment that provides a sad spin on the shawarma scene from the 2012 Avengers film (written by Si Spurrier and Sergio Dávila, inks by Sean Parsons, colors by Arif Prianto, letters by VC's Cory Petit). While fighting monsters who invaded Earth with the Avengers, Black Knight suggests that they all go out for mescal afterwards. On behalf of the team, Captain America declines, citing that it is "10 AM," and too early for alcohol. This provides a dark spin on the Avengers film, where Iron Man suggested that they go get shawarma after fighting the Chitauri, providing a moment for team bonding.

Macaulay Culkin, Brenda Song welcome baby. Twitter is shook - Los Angeles Times
Actors Brenda Song and Macaulay Culkin, best known for their respective breakout roles in “The Suite Life of Zack & Cody” and “Home Alone,” announced the birth of their baby boy Monday, and the internet is sufficiently shook. Dakota Song Culkin, named after Culkin’s late sister, was born April 5 in Los Angeles.

Johnson & Johnson vaccine should be paused in U.S. after 'extremely rare' blood clots, FDA and CDC say
Some 6.8 million people have received the single-shot vaccine in the United States. Of these, six have experienced the clot, the agencies said, adding: "Right now, these adverse events appear to be extremely rare."

Japan says to release Fukushima treated radioactive water into sea
Japan's government decided Tuesday to start releasing treated radioactive water from the wrecked Fukushima nuclear plant into the Pacific Ocean in two years — an option fiercely opposed by fishermen, residents and Japan's neighbors.

CDC Studies 'Breakthrough' COVID Cases Among People Already Vaccinated : Shots - Health News : NPR
"Essentially, these are cases that you see amongst vaccinated individuals during a period in which you expect the vaccines to work," says Dr. Saad Omer, a vaccine researcher at Yale University. This incomplete protection that some people experience occurs to some extent with a vaccine against any disease.

Japan says to release Fukushima treated radioactive water into sea
Japan's government decided Tuesday to start releasing treated radioactive water from the wrecked Fukushima nuclear plant into the Pacific Ocean in two years — an option fiercely opposed by fishermen, residents and Japan's neighbors.

Here's the biggest myth in the Republican Party today - CNNPolitics
In the wake of Donald Trump calling Mitch McConnell a "dumb son of a b*tch" over the weekend at an event for major donors to the Republican National Committee, the big storyline has been of the ongoing struggle between the two men for control of the GOP.

This is a dumb storyline. Or, to put it more precisely, an inaccurate storyline. Because there is not really a fight between Trump and McConnell to control the party. Trump controls the party. Period.

Social media use under Kalispell council spotlight again | Daily Inter Lake
The topic came up in February when council member Ryan Hunter attracted attention for offensive comments left by members of the public on his Facebook page. Some of his fellow council members urged Hunter to discontinue use of the page as a result of the inappropriate commentary.