The Rock Chalkboard

Basketball Snap Judgments and Big 12 Power Rankings
The Big 12 Conference meatgrinder continues. Teams are cannibalizing each other left and right across the league, with upsets and big wins happening nearly every day. After two more games since our last update, now's the time to update our snap judgments and the Actually Accomplished Rankings. First, we'll give a rundown of each team, what happened since our last update, and what's up next on the schedule.

KU big man Zach Clemence could be facing a spell on the sidelines following injury suffered vs. ISU
Kansas forward Zach Clemence could be set for a stint on the sidelines after he suffered a knee injury in KU’s road loss to Iowa State on Saturday. Postgame, Bill Self said that Clemence had suffered “a bruised knee” and his timetable for a return is unknown. With Clemence’s status for KU’s games against Texas and Oklahoma next week in doubt, there’s a very real chance KU could go into those two games with only two healthy big men in KJ Adams and Ernest Udeh Jr.

Everything Bill Self said after KU's road loss at Iowa State
Kansas dropped to 6-4 in conference play on Saturday with a 68-53 loss to Iowa State on the road. The Cyclones led wire to wire and controlled nearly all 40 minutes of the contest as the Jayhawks struggled mightly on both ends of the floor. Iowa State led by as many as 19 points in the second half. In the end, Jalen Wilson scored 26 points on 7-for-16 shooting from the field, while grabbing nine rebounds and drawing nine fouls. No other Jayhawk scored in double figures and the next leading scorer was Joseph Yesufu with eight points. As a team, KU turned the ball over a season-high 20 times. Iowa State also out-scored KU in the paint 36-16.

Three observations from Kansas' 68-53 loss at Iowa State
KU has made a habit out of starting conference games slow. Earlier in conference play, Bill Self equated it to wrestling when someone has someone else pinned. It’s a lot harder for the person that’s pinned to get out from under it than it is for the person pinning to keep the other one down.

Bits o Chalk

The Dallas Mavericks have crossed the point of no return with the Kyrie Irving trade - Mavs Moneyball
The deep, dark truth about the Dallas Mavericks before today’s massive Kyrie Irving trade was that they were stuck — stuck with a roster that didn’t fit the timeline of its young superstar, stuck with limited ways to get out of it due to years of mismanagement and bad luck.

Premier League Charges Manchester With Financial Violations - The New York Times
The Premier League accused City, one of the most successful teams in soccer, with persistently breaking rules about reporting its revenues, sponsorships and costs.

NBA bans some from FedExForum after probe
The NBA said it investigated a postgame incident after the Memphis Grizzlies' home game against the Indiana Pacers on Jan. 29 and banned some from attending games at the FedExForum after its probe.

Eraser Dust

George Santos accused of sexual misconduct by prospective staffer - CBS News
Myers said he declined the invitation, and that Santos then allegedly "proceeded to take his hand and move it down my leg into my inner-thigh and proceeded to touch my groin." Myers said Santos told him that his husband was out of town, and then invited him over.

Best and Worst Moments From the 2023 Grammys - The New York Times
The big news at the 65th annual Grammy Awards: Beyoncé broke the record for most wins in the event’s history. But her four victories didn’t come in the major, all-genre categories — album, record and song of the year. (Those went to Harry Styles, Lizzo and Bonnie Raitt.) Beyoncé, who led the night with nine nominations, did not perform; neither did Kendrick Lamar (eight nods) or Adele (seven). So how did the show fill nearly four hours of airtime? With some spectacular performances, bizarre fan moments and powerful speeches. Here are the show’s highlights and lowlights as we saw them.

Subway Won’t Have Pre-Sliced Meat Anymore
If you’ve ever ordered a $5 footlong at Subway (or maybe even a hot dog), you might have noticed something peculiar: Subway restaurants don’t have deli slicers on site. Other popular quick-service shops like Jimmy John’s and Jersey Mike’s slice their meat in-house, but Subway receives its deli meat pre-sliced. The privately owned chain recently announced, however, that it will soon be adding deli slicers to every location, and CNN reports that this change might have bigger implications than a slightly better sandwich.

Attack Of The Clones Deleted Scene Supports A Mace Windu & Anakin Theory
The scene sees Mace walking Obi-Wan Kenobi to his starfighter, during which time the two have a conversation about Anakin, his arrogance, and his status as the Chosen One, a prophecy many Jedi did not understand. There are many conversations had about Anakin in this regard throughout the prequel era, but this is perhaps the best (or even only) example of Mace truly sticking up for Anakin. It is even more fascinating as Obi-Wan seems to be against Anakin. On top of all that, the scene adds to a theory many fans have about the pair in Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith​​​​​.

Mountain Valley Inn purchased by hospitality company | KECI
Currently in disrepair, the Mountain Valley Inn will receive a full renovation of all rooms, hallways and common areas.

Pamela Anderson’s Documentary Completely Flips A Netflix Controversy
In some ways, Pamela, A Love Story is similar to Netflix's The Hatchet Wielding Hitchhiker. Although The Hatchet Wielding Hitchhiker is a true-crime documentary, it initially shows how, just like Pamela Anderson, its titular hitchhiker, Kai, shows no interest in monetizing his newfound internet fame. However, as the two documentaries progress, their differences become more evident, which reveals why The Hatchet Wielding Hitchhiker was considered controversial by audiences while Pamela, A Love Story was commended for its honest portrayal of Pamela Anderson's life.

'Dances With Wolves' actor appears in court in abuse probe | KECI
He is believed to be the leader of a cult known as The Circle whose followers believed he could communicate with higher powers, according to an arrest warrant.

Police said he abused his position, physically and sexually assaulted Indigenous girls and women, took underage wives and led the cult.