The Rock Chalkboard

Kansas basketball coach Bill Self unsure of how he'll proceed with handing out starting nod at the 5 | KUsports.com
“Me and him (McCormack) were joking, that’s kind of what you want to see out of that 5 spot, isn’t it,” Lightfoot said of the 23 points and 19 rebounds the two veteran KU big men produced in Tuesday’s 74-63 win. “There’s a lot of people online that were saying some stuff, but it’s all good. We’ll take that and we’ll move on and we’re going to help this team win games.”

Bits o Chalk

Antonio Brown releases lengthy statement, tells his side of story days after leaving Tampa Bay Buccaneers game
TAMPA, Fla. -- In his first statement since leaving the field in the third quarter of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' game at the New York Jets on Sunday, Antonio Brown said he was forced to play on an injured ankle that will require surgery, which is why he exited so abruptly.

Green Bay Packers QB Aaron Rodgers sounds off after reporter calls him 'the biggest jerk in the league'
"I think he's a bum," Rodgers said Wednesday. "I think he's an absolute bum. He doesn't know me. I don't know who he is; no one knew who he was, probably, until yesterday's comments. I listened to the comments, but to say he had his mind made up in the summertime, in the offseason, that I had zero chance of winning MVP, in my opinion, should exclude future votes. His problem isn't with me being a bad guy or the biggest jerk in the league. He doesn't know me."

Dallas Mavericks retire Dirk Nowitzki's No. 41 in postgame ceremony
DALLAS -- Dirk Nowitzki watched and listened to two tribute videos and three high-profile speakers Wednesday night before he finally took his place behind the lectern, which featured "41 FOREVER" on the front and was set up in the center of the American Airlines Center court for a postgame ceremony in which the Dallas Mavericks raised his number to the rafters.

Brooklyn Nets' Kyrie Irving shows early rust, finishes with 22 in debut vs. Pacers
"Just a lot of gratitude just to be present tonight with everyone," Irving said. "Just go out there and have fun doing what we love to do. It was a not-so-good first half for us, and we came in the locker room and we knew that in order to build this identity that we want to have later in the season we got to start now."

Man City's Pep Guardiola tests positive for COVID-19, to miss FA Cup clash at Swindon
City announced on Thursday that Guardiola and assistant Juanma Lillo have both returned positive tests ahead of the FA Cup third round tie at Swindon Town.

Eraser Dust

Biden to criticize Trump, warn of threats to democracy on Jan. 6 anniversary
WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden will mark the anniversary of the deadly Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol with a speech Thursday taking aim at former President Donald Trump's involvement in the riot and warning of the ongoing threats to democracy.

One year after Jan. 6, signs of a nation deeper in peril : NPR
In the immediate aftermath of the riot, the energy behind it appeared to have been driven underground. Key voices, Trump principal among them, were removed from Twitter. Online gathering spaces such as Parler went offline. Paranoia about increased surveillance by law enforcement led groups such as the Boogaloo Boys to cancel public gatherings.

The 12 most infamous gigs of all time, from Oasis at Knebworth to the Rolling Stones at Altamont | The Independent
From a concert that launched the punk era to emotional farewell shows, Kevin E G Perry explores some of the most notorious nights in music

CES 2022 opens for business in Las Vegas | Las Vegas Review-Journal
The Silverado showing highlighted the morning events at The Venetian Expo kicking off the 55th edition of the largest consumer technology trade show in the world.

1st recreational marijuana sales in Montana top $1.5 million | Daily Inter Lake
HELENA (AP) — During the first weekend of legal recreational marijuana sales in Montana, customers purchased more than $1.5 million in products, the Department of Revenue said....

1st Recreational Marijuana Sales in Montana Top $1.5 Million - Flathead Beacon
The 20% sales tax raised over $313,000 in revenue for the state.

Another $443,000 in medical marijuana was sold on Saturday and Sunday, the agency said, brining in another $17,300 in tax revenue, the Montana State News Bureau reported. Medical marijuana is taxed at a 4% rate.