The Rock Chalkboard

Kansas' Colin Grunhard emerging as leader, interior O-line fixture
Grunhard, a walk-on who earned his way onto scholarship at Notre Dame, was likely to hold the center position for Kansas until Mike Novitsky transferred in from Buffalo. Novitsky was ranked in the top-five nationally at center in 2020, per Pro Football Focus. He joined Kansas not only with the talent of a future pro, but also some familiarity with the Jayhawks’ new coaching staff — including head coach Lance Leipold, offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki and O-line coach Scott Fuchs, all of whom came from Buffalo.

Taliban tell Afghan women to stay home because soldiers are 'not trained' to respect them - CNN
(CNN)Fear is mounting for women and girls in Afghanistan after the Taliban told working women to stay at home, admitting they were not safe in the hands of the militant group's soldiers.

Countdown to KU football (8): Add a player to the Kansas defense
Here's the 2019 edition of "add a player to the offense" and the 2019 version of "add a player to the defense." And here's the 2020 version for the offense (VIP link) and the defense (VIP link), too.

Eddie Wilson helping Kansas D-line adjust to new coach, system
“I knew he could turn a program around,” Wilson told Phog.net. “I watched him do it firsthand at Buffalo. I started this thing out, so why not finish it?”

CBS Sports releases never-too-early 2022 Bracketology
Gonzaga and Baylor ran rough-shod through the college basketball world last year after COVID changed the college basketball world and allowed studs to return for what turned out to be a "free year." Gonzaga and Baylor were ranked No. 1 and No. 2 basically all year long and they met in the National Championship game. But this year, the playing field might be a little more level, which could lead to an incredible regular season and an even better NCAA Tournament.

Bits o Chalk

Cristiano Ronaldo wants to leave Juventus - Massimiliano Allegri
"Yesterday, Cristiano Ronaldo communicated to me that he has no intention of remaining at Juventus," Allegri told a news conference ahead of Saturday's Serie A clash with Empoli. "For this reason, he has not been selected."

Cristiano Ronaldo to Man United? Ole Gunnar Solskjaer hints at shock move over Man City
Ronaldo looks set to leave Juventus after telling the club he wants to move before the deadline on Aug. 31 and asked about a return to Old Trafford, Solskjaer refused to categorically rule out a move for the 36-year-old, who has been heavily linked with Manchester City.

Manchester United legend Rooney questions Ronaldo's potential Manchester City transfer
"If you're asking me if I think it's possible then I have major doubts that it is a possibility. Cristiano has got a great legacy at United. I don't think he's going to move somewhere for financial reasons.

Cristiano Ronaldo, Manchester City close to finalising agreement over stunning Premier League return - sources
Juventus would want around €28 million before allowing Ronaldo to leave but there is a keenness to get the 36-year-old off the wage bill.

Eraser Dust

First Thing: Joe Biden vows retaliation for Kabul airport attack | US news | The Guardian
The pace of evacuation flights out of Kabul accelerated today after a double suicide-bomb attack that killed 13 US troops and 72 Afghans – the deadliest day for US troops in more than a decade.

Trump says his administration killed ‘bigger’ terrorists than 9/11 mastermind Osama bin Laden - The Washington Post
Trump implied on a conservative radio show that Osama bin Laden struck the United States only once.

South Dakota Attorney General Won't Get Jail Time After Pedestrian Death : NPR
Circuit Judge John Brown had little leeway to order jail time. Instead, he fined the state's top law enforcement official $500 for each count plus court costs of $3,742. Brown also ordered the Republican to "do a significant public service event" in each of the next five years near the date of Joseph Boever's death — granting a request from the Boever family. But he put that on hold pending a final ruling after Ravnsborg's attorney objected that it was not allowed by statute.

Noel Gallagher says his son taught him to play AC/DC on guitar
Gallagher continued: “He showed me, and I genuinely did not know how to play this riff, ‘Back In Black’, which is a famous riff.”

Supreme Court blocks Biden administration's latest ban on evictions - CBS News
"It would be one thing if Congress had specifically authorized the action that the CDC has taken. But that has not happened," the court said. "Instead, the CDC has imposed a nationwide moratorium on evictions in reliance on a decades-old statute that authorizes it to implement measures like fumigation and pest extermination. It strains credulity to believe that this statute grants the CDC the sweeping authority that it asserts."

Latest Flathead Covid surge strains hospital, health department | Daily Inter Lake
ON TUESDAY Logan Health Medical Center was treating 41 patients who had been admitted for complications of Covid. Previously, the most Covid patients the hospital treated at one time was 38, at the height of the pandemic in November 2020.

Justice Department Watchdog Levels Misconduct Charges Against Former Whitefish Police Chief - Flathead Beacon
According to the Aug. 25 POST complaint against Dial, which the Beacon obtained through a public records request, the former police chief “engaged in, condoned, and/or failed to disclose to appropriate authorities, acts of corruption.” The sprawling complaint accuses Dial of colluding with Marshall to entrap a fellow Whitefish police officer; falsifying information and lying to city, state and federal investigators; and allowing Marshall, an “unvetted civilian with no POST certification or law enforcement credentials,” physical access to the Whitefish Police Department, access to information on confidential and ongoing police investigations, and access to confidential criminal justice information that is protected by state law.

Why Does Everybody Hate ‘Ted Lasso’ All of a Sudden?
Some think the show has become too nice, or too Ted Lasso-y. To those who have had their souls healed, hearts fortified, and lifespan elongated by the pleasures of this series, there is a narrative steeped in that hyperbole and those fan hysterics: that this show somehow saved us.