The Rock Chalkboard

33 Days Until Kansas Football: Previewing the Linebackers - Blue Wings Rising
Each week, we will take a deep dive into one of the 10 main position groups, highlighting the key players to watch and giving you an idea of what to expect from the position this year. This week, we continue our series with more of the offense. Today, we jump into the position that found some unexpected depth at the end of last season: the tight ends.

Big 12 presidents attempting to recruit Pac-12 schools 'as recently as yesterday,' George Kliavkoff alleges
Pac-12 commissioner George Kliavkoff said Big 12 presidents have messaged Pac-12 presidents about Pac-12 schools joining the Big 12 "as recently as yesterday," Kliavkoff revealed to 247Sports Brandon Marcello Friday at Pac-12 Media Day in Los Angeles. Kliavkoff said he was forwarded messages of such that were sent to top officials at Pac-12 institutions.

College football recruiting: Where Big 12 classes rank for 2023
Summer is winding down, but the 2023 recruiting cycle is still heating up. With that in mind, we have decided to check in on the Big 12 Conference recruiting classes and how they stack up heading into August.

Eraser Dust

1st grain ship leaves Ukraine's Odesa port after months of Russian blockade
The breakthrough follows a United Nations-backed deal between Kyiv and Moscow last month and while intense fighting continues in the east and the south. The departure of the first shipment will raise hopes that the impact of the war — now five months old — might be eased for millions facing hunger and poverty across the world, though doubts over Russia's commitment to any deal will continue.

A Simpsons Writer Still Defends This Infamous Episode
Across the 700+ episodes of "The Simpsons," you'd be hard-pressed to find one which exists in as much infamy as the second episode of season 9, "The Principal and the Pauper." Principal Seymour Skinner (Harry Shearer) is revealed as an imposter named Armin Tamzarian, a former street punk who took the name of his MIA commanding officer after the Vietnam War. This deception is unveiled when the real Skinner (Martin Sheen) returns to Springfield, but by the episode's end, the townspeople have decided they like the fake Skinner better. Thus, they send the real thing packing and vow to forget the whole episode.

Pat Carroll, Emmy-Winning Actress and Voice of Ursula in ‘The Little Mermaid,’ Dies at 95
Pat Carroll, the gregarious Emmy-winning comedienne who was a television mainstay for decades before segueing to a voiceover career that included portraying the villainous sea witch Ursula in The Little Mermaid, has died. She was 95.

US’s proposed swap for Griner and Whelan met with skepticism and fury | US foreign policy | The Guardian
Aproposal by the Biden administration to exchange notorious Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout for WNBA star Brittney Griner and former marine Paul Whelan, two high-profile Americans currently detained in Russia, has been met with praise, confusion and fury.

Kalispell Council looks at housing and parking garage proposal | Daily Inter Lake
The Montana Hotel Dev Partners have submitted a proposal to the city that would turn the lot into a 239-stall parking garage with retail space on the street level. It would also include a 78-unit apartment project.

Judge Denies Injunction to Prohibit Overnight Camping at Blankenship Bridge - Flathead Beacon
A federal judge has denied an injunction that would have prohibited overnight camping at the gravel bar southwest of the Blankenship Bridge on the Middle Fork of the Flathead River, a dispersed camping area that has seen substantial increased use over the past few years.

Flathead cherry growers in final stretch of unusual season | KECI
“This year probably five to seven days later than years before. It just seems like we’re getting warmer and warmer, and the winters are different,” said Bruce Johnson, a member of the Board of Directors for the Flathead Cherry Co-op. “It just seems like the weather is changing a little bit on us, so I’m not really sure what normal is at times anymore.”

2023 Ford Maverick Tremor Gets a 1-Inch Lift and Yellow Accents
Ford has finally invited the charming Maverick into the Tremor club, whose membership requirements include “be a Ford truck” and “have accent badging.” The littlest truck in Ford’s lineup celebrates its membership in the Tremor club with a one-inch lift and a few new bits and bobs for off-roading.

Nichelle Nichols, Lt. Uhura on 'Star Trek,' has died at 89 - StarTribune.com
Nichelle Nichols, who broke barriers for Black women in Hollywood as communications officer Lt. Uhura on the original "Star Trek" television series, has died at the age of 89.

Chris Rock calls Will Smith ‘Suge Smith’ during stand-up act, refers to actor as playing the ‘victim’ - al.com
“Everybody is trying to be a (expletive) victim,” Rock said, per People. “If everybody claims to be a victim, then nobody will hear the real victims. Even me getting smacked by Suge Smith ... I went to work the next day, I got kids.”