The Rock Chalkboard

'Kansas made a great hire': Big 12 head coaches talk Lance Leipold
“Lance is somebody I’ve been very familiar with, met him several times,” Klieman said. “Kansas made a great hire. Lance Leipold is a great football coach but is a first-class guy. I was happy for Lance.”

Advice for Devin Neal? What Big 12's top RBs learned from playing early
When Pooka Williams made the jump to Kansas, coach David Beaty said the Jayhawks would want him to be involved in the offense, but that the coaches had to be careful not to put too much on his shoulders. Williams still rushed for over 1,000 yards as a freshman and earned All-Big 12 honors, even if there were times the staff wanted to use him more.

Four questions for Lance Leipold to answer at Big 12 Media Days
One of the biggest challenges for a new staff — especially one that joins after the spring — is building familiarity with the roster. That extends beyond things on the field, as coaches need to know which players to lean on and trust in the locker room, and they need to know how best to deliver messages to those on the roster.

Where incoming, outgoing Kansas transfers stand in 247Sports rankings
Perhaps most notably, the highest-ranked player either joining or departing Kansas was Mike Novitsky, Lance Leipold's center at Buffalo. Novitsky graded out as the No. 3 center nationally by Pro Football Focus last year and is expected to take the starting position in Lawrence. He is the No. 41-ranked player in the transfer rankings.

Bits o Chalk

Richard Sherman was 'drunk' and threatened to kill himself before arrest, according to 911 caller
Richard Sherman was intoxicated and threatened to kill himself during a confrontation with family members before his arrest early Wednesday in a Seattle suburb, according to a 911 caller who identified herself as the free-agent cornerback's wife.

Sue Bird on WNBA All-Star Game loss - Team USA learned it's 'not a team yet'
LAS VEGAS -- Dallas Wings guard Arike Ogunbowale smiled broadly but didn't take the bait. After she helped Team WNBA beat Team USA 93-85 Wednesday and won the league's All-Star Game MVP award, she didn't say, "Yeah, maybe I should have been on the Olympic team" when asked if that went through her mind.

Coronavirus cases surge to 6-month high in Tokyo a week before Olympics
TOKYO -- New coronavirus cases surged to 1,308 in Tokyo on Thursday, a six-month high, as fears rise of a possible dramatic increase that could flood hospitals during the Olympics that start in eight days.

Police arrest 4 over racist abuse of England players Marcus Rashford, Jadon Sancho and Bukayo Saka
Four people have been arrested over online racist abuse aimed at members of the England team after Sunday's Euro 2020 final, British police said on Thursday.

Khris Middleton, Giannis Antetokounmpo lead Milwaukee Bucks to critical Game 4 win over the Phoenix Suns with clutch performances down the stretch
MILWAUKEE -- Teams don't become NBA Finals contenders overnight. The same goes for players developing into All-Stars and league MVPs. Making those kinds of gains, and reaching that kind of rarified air, takes time and pain, sweat and tears.

Eraser Dust

Stephen Breyer tells CNN he hasn't decided his retirement plans - CNNPolitics
Plainfield, New Hampshire (CNN)Justice Stephen Breyer has not decided when he will retire and is especially gratified with his new role as the senior liberal on the bench, he told CNN in an exclusive interview -- his first public comments amid the incessant speculation of a Supreme Court vacancy.

Sony Music backs new Oasis documentary, produced by Noel and Liam Gallagher - Music Business Worldwide
All tickets sold out in less than 24 hours, breaking every UK box office record in the process. Organisers estimated the band could have sold two or three times as many tickets. Over 2% of the population of the UK reportedly attempted to buy tickets.

MIT Predicted in 1972 That Society Will Collapse This Century. New Research Shows We’re on Schedule.
A remarkable new study by a director at one of the largest accounting firms in the world has found that a famous, decades-old warning from MIT about the risk of industrial civilization collapsing appears to be accurate based on new empirical data.

Under the Big Sky Festival to bring more people to busy town | KECI
Organizers say they’re expecting 20,000 people per day at the three-day event.

Joint Chiefs chairman Milley feared Trump coup over election loss
The top brass was so disturbed by Trump's rhetoric casting doubt on the legitimacy of the election before it was held that the leaders discussed contingency plans for how to thwart any illegal power grabs by the president, including how and when to resign in protest over his actions.

Britney Spears wants dad Jamie investigated for conservatorship abuse
As a throng of supporters cheered her on from outside, Britney Spears scored a victory in court Wednesday that might be the first step in ending her conservatorship. It was another emotional day as the singer broke down in tears, telling Judge Brenda Penny she's "extremely scared" of her father, Jamie Spears, and accused him of "conservatorship abuse."