If you are having a bad day, just remember that you could always be a beer in the state of Wisconsin.
To say the Milwaukee Brewers had a good time at their World Series parade on Friday would be an understatement. Brewers right fielder Sal Frelick made one of the boldest declarations of the year at the rally.
"I’m going to have a beer for every single person here, I’m having 100,000 beers! Let’s go!" Frelick screamed into the microphone.
It’s been an incredible 24 hours for the 26-year-old, as he performed the Lambeau Leap when the Brewers brought the Commissioner’s Trophy onto the field during the Green Bay Packers game Thursday night. During his speech Friday, he made sure to let the raucous crowd know that captain Christian Yelich couldn't tackle him like a football player, either.
During Frelick’s speech, he said his best friends are all on the team and that they hang out with each other around the clock off the field. The Brewers displayed the power of friendship when they convinced the event organizers to bring hitting coach Daniel Vogelbach onstage to deliver a speech.
Now, to say Vogelbach may have had a few beers might also be an understatement. The Brewers players didn't just want Vogelbach to give a speech; they wanted him to sing karaoke.
Vogelbach, who surely won’t be on "American Idol" or "The Voice" anytime soon, then began singing a couple of verses from Fountains of Wayne’s hit. Despite Vogelbach’s less-than-ideal singing voice, the crowd and players were jubilant, dancing and singing along with the hitting coach.
Safe to say, the vibes were incredibly high in Milwaukee.
It is almost certainly over for Troy Aikman and Joe Buck as ESPN’s lead NFL broadcast team.
Reports that the ongoing drama is part of a leverage strategy now appear increasingly implausible. No one with knowledge of the situation expects Aikman to remain with ESPN beyond the end of this season.
In fact, there is more industry discussion about whether Aikman and Buck can work together through ESPN’s Super Bowl broadcast in February than about whether Aikman will re-sign with the network.
According to sources in and around ESPN, the prevailing expectation is that Aikman will leave, and the network will sign Greg Olsen to replace him in March.
Several outlets have reported on a confrontation between Buck and Aikman earlier this month before a Monday Night Football match up. Buck reportedly confronted Aikman for ignoring him, while Aikman accused Buck of sabotaging his contract negotiations by signing his own deal first.
Although the confrontation generated attention, it did not drive ESPN’s decision. The network decided this summer to move on from Aikman after re-signing Buck to a six-year, $108 million extension without offering Aikman a new contract.
It remains somewhat unclear why ESPN chose not to negotiate with Aikman, beyond his growing tensions with Buck in recent years. The best explanation is that ESPN viewed their relationship as irreparable and Buck as the more valuable asset.
If forced to choose, ESPN’s preference for Buck over Aikman is understandable.
For one, Buck and ESPN chairman Jimmy Pitaro share an interest in ESPN potentially acquiring the World Series after the 2029 season. If ESPN secures the event, sources say Pitaro wants Buck to call it, as he did for years at Fox.
ESPN also has more options to replace Aikman than it would have to replace Buck. The pool of potential replacements for the color analyst role extends beyond Olsen. In theory, Drew Brees, Jason Kelce, Eli Manning, Peyton Manning, Kurt Warner and Dan Orlovsky are also suitable options.
Further, Hall of Fame players and coaches retire every year, and many show interest in broadcasting. Several networks have already expressed interest in Sean McVay and Matthew Stafford if they eventually move into television.
No such farm system exists for elite play-by-play announcers. On paper, the gap between Buck and the rest of the field remains significant. Granted, Dave Pasch, who calls college football and NBA games, has impressed on ESPN’s NFL International broadcasts this season.
So, we understand why ESPN would choose Buck over Aikman. The point of contention is that the network could mend the fences and retain them both.
Even 25 years later, Buck and Aikman are still often recognized as the best duo in sports broadcasting. Whether Buck and Olsen, assuming Olsen is the replacement, can develop comparable chemistry is a question mark.
After years of disappointing rotations, ESPN finally established a top-level booth in Buck and Aikman. Breaking them up feels like an unnecessary risk.
We understand that relationships are difficult, especially work relationships that span more than two decades. But at $18 million to $20 million per year each, ESPN should have been able to make the partnership work if it believed they were still the best duo for the position.
Well, Miami Heat fans, you actually got a fixed-up Dwyane Wade statue before "Grand Theft Auto VI."
Just barely, and note that before "GTA VI" started taking over your arena, but still...
You may recall that two years ago, the Heat unveiled a statue honoring franchise legend Dwyane Wade. It quickly went viral, and not because it belongs in the Louvre.
At what point in human history did we stop making good statues? How did some dude with a chisel during the Renaissance make a perfect sculpture of a Greek god, but nailing the visage of an athlete — who we can all picture or you can physically look at a picture — is now hard?
We've seen it happen to Cristiano Ronaldo; Allen Iverson got one so small you could use it as a paperweight, and of course, there's Wade's.
By "enhancements," they mean it looks more like Wade than it used to, which it didn't feel like at all.
What an improvement, although, truthfully, a kid with a box of Crayolas (64-count, with the sharpener; the good one) could have made some improvements on that original one.
It's good they got that fixed, but it's not like everyone's mind is going to be wiped "Men in Black"-style so they forget the first abomination.
And, honestly, I think people are going to miss the original statue that was allegedly of Dwyane Wade.
Now, there's nothing remarkable, good or bad, about it, and I think in a few years, people will be clamoring for that statue that looks as if D-Wade stumbled into the "Backrooms."
Green Bay Packers running back Josh Jacobs said that his touchdown celebration was not intended to make light of his offseason arrest but was instead inspired by a gospel song.
After scoring his first touchdown of the game in the team's 27-19 win over the Carolina Panthers on Thursday night, Jacobs put his hands behind his back in celebration. Thursday's game was Jacobs' second since coming off the commissioner's exempt list, which he had been on since August following a May altercation with his then-girlfriend, who said he threw her to the ground.
Jacobs pleaded no contest last month to misdemeanor charges of battery and criminal damage to property. He insisted the celebration had nothing to do with his arrest as speculation spread on social media that the gesture referenced his off-field issues.
"They didn't even get the whole celebration. Um, s---, it was f------ one second that (the broadcast) just showed me," Jacobs told reporters after the game.
"But anyways, me and (wide receiver Savion Williams) came up with a celebration. They would have seen the whole celebration. Basically, last week we said the first celebration when I scored, I was going to thank God. That's what I did last week. The second was going to be break every chain. It's a gospel song. That was going to be the next celebration. It's just a correlation, but like I said, the media going to run with it. They going to make it that it wouldn't. But it is what it is."
After Jacobs scored his first touchdown last weekend in the team's loss to the Detroit Lions, he dropped to his knees and raised his arms. "Break Every Chain" is a gospel song written by Will Reagan in 2009 and popularized by a live recording by Tasha Cobbs Leonard in 2013.
Jacobs had not been allowed to play or practice while on the commissioner’s exempt list. He was removed from the list last week, allowing him to play again even though the NFL's investigation into his conduct remains ongoing.
In his two games since returning to the 5-3 Packers, Jacobs has rushed 32 times for 75 yards and a touchdown, averaging just 2.3 yards per carry. The three-time Pro Bowler has been more productive as a receiver, catching 11 passes for 68 yards and two touchdowns.
'Nightcaps' is a daily column that catches you up on the biggest sports, news and culture stories you may have missed while pretending to do work at your desk. It runs Monday-Friday on OutKick.com.
Happy Halloween Eve to all who celebrate! Big day. Big Friday. Big weekend in front of us.
Like I said earlier this week ... this is our last big push until the holiday season suffocates us starting Sunday morning. Everything will flip in the blink of an eye.
You'll go to bed with the Halloween theme song in your heads, and wake up to jingle bells. Whether you like it or not, it's coming. There is no stopping it.
I can already see Mariah Carey's stupid "All I Want for Christmas" social media post now. It's coming. There's nothing we can do about it. We're cornered.
That's a Sunday problem, though. For now, we respect the fall. We respect Halloween.
Let's roll.
Welcome to a Friday Nightcaps — the one where poor Billy Napier joined Mike Norvell in making some embarrassing history last night at James Madison.
What else? I've got Maggie Sajak looking like a million bucks for Halloween, Angel Reese giving us one more highlight reel before this WNBA season mercifully ends, and can we quit complaining about "injury protection" in sports gambling?
I'm admittedly at fault, too, but enough is enough already. You know what? Society went DECADES gambling on sports with no such thing as "injury protection," and it worked pretty well. And now every sports book is supposed to issue refunds if a player gets hurt?
Why?
Grab you your favorite Michael Myers mask (I'm partial to Rob Zombie's "Halloween" mask), and settle in for a Friday 'Cap!
Billy Napier's JMU tenure is going well!
I don't know how many "Halloween"buffs we have in class today, but those of you who have been around here long enough know it's my favorite movie franchise of all time.
I did the Mount Rushmore of Halloween movies a few weeks ago, so I won't rehash that today. BUT, I did find out this morning while doing the award-winning OutKick newsletter that the original "Halloween" mask from 1978 was ... a Captain Kirk mask?
Seriously:
The more you know ...
Anyway, I will be watching the original "Halloween" (1978) tomorrow night, as per usual. I save that one for Halloween night, like any sane person would do.
It's the only way to close out October. Sad. Winter is coming.
OK, let's get class started by checking in on someone who is very much looking forward to flipping the calendar ...
Billy Napier!
Angel Reese wasn't her best last night
Amazing stat.
James Madison joined Florida State last night as teams to lose back-to-back games as double-digit favorites. Incredible.
Do we have any Dukes fans in class today? I'd imagine so. I come from a James Madison family. My grandma went there way back when it was simply called "Madison." My dad went there. I toured the campus as a high school senior and loved it.
That town deserves way better than Billy Napier, and I'm speaking now as a Florida fan. I'm so sorry, JMU fans. We've been there before. I promise. We spent the last four years feeling exactly how you've felt the last two weeks.
What kind of play call was that on fourth down in overtime? Just awful. But, that's Billy Ball for you.
Embarrassing.
Speaking of ... let's check in with Angel Reese after yesterday's big Game 6 win!
Maggie, sports betting & election szn is almost over!
Lordy.
Look, it was a tough game for Angel Reese. No sugarcoating it. No hiding it. Just to show you how truly bad everyone else was, Reese somehow finished with a +/- of +10, which is stunning given she turned the ball over six times and made just 27% of her shots.
Feels like that shouldn't equate to positive play on the court, but what do I know?
Anyway, this will be my final non-Sophie Cunningham WNBA story for seven months. The season, mercifully, ends tomorrow night. It feels like it's dragged on FOREVER. It just won't end!
But at 8 p.m. tomorrow night — a COLLEGE FOOTBALL SATURDAY — we'll get a Game 7. Who's watching?!
Show of hands ...
Anyone?
Bueller?
Okeedokee! Moving on ...
Let's rapid-fire this Friday class into a big Halloween weekend, and start it off by celebrating the end of something else: Election season.
Four more days, folks. We're almost there.
That's one of the funnier pictures I've seen in a long time. Just amazing stuff. Well done to whoever took it.
Are you guys getting inundated with calls and texts right now? Lord knows I am. Hand to God, I got a text last night from James Talarico asking for money.
James Talarico! I live in Florida. These people are NUTS. They're just unrelenting. Freaking Byron Donalds texts me 14 times a day making sure I'm gonna vote.
Byron, you got my vote, pal. I promise. You're good. I'd prefer we just stick with DeSantis, but I realize that's not possible, so you're next in line.
For the love of God, please leave me alone. I'm begging you.
Next? Let's quickly check in with Christian Watson after last night's game in which he left in an ambulance, and then returned like nothing happened:
So, there's a big debate over on Elon's app right now about injury protection, which is a fairly new thing sports books have come up with over the past few years. Basically, they'll void straight bets and parlay lines if the player you bet on gets hurt and doesn't return to the game.
It sounds great on paper, right? Again, it's bailed me out a few times.
But now everyone is in an UPROAR because Watson looked to be voided last night, only for him to miraculously return to the game.
I think it's hogwash. About a month ago, I was complaining to my dad about a player getting injured and tanking one of my bets, and I mentioned injury protection.
"Huh?" he responded. "Why would the books refund you? You lost. Tough nuts."
He was right. The bellyaching over injury protection is insane to me. Frankly, I don't think any book should do it. I'm glad they do, but it seems like a lose-lose for them, no?
While the NFL Draft isn't until next April, that never stops general managers, scouts and even fans from opining on what their teams will do in the spring.
It's the main reason why mock drafts exist and are created nearly a year in advance, because everyone is dying to know who their favorite team is going to select with their first round pick.
Of course, because it's the most important position on the field, the quarterback draws the most amount of eyes when it comes to the first round of the draft, and the 2027 edition is no exception.
There are several draft-eligible signal callers who are generating plenty of buzz, but one expert thinks this might be the year to skip out on the position altogether if a team holds a top pick.
Brooks Austin has made a living studying college football film, so much so that he's earned the moniker "The Film Guy."
His YouTube channel, "The Film Guy Network," has over 135,000 subscribers, and he's recently parlayed that into a partnership with the college football media giant On3.
Suffice to say, Austin knows ball, so when I sat down with him to talk about the college game, and more specifically, the quarterback class for the 2027 NFL Draft, he gave a surprising assessment.
"Can I punt on the entire class," he asked, half jokingly.
As Austin points out, there are some solid quarterbacks in this class, but none are the "can't miss" prospects that would necessitate a top-five pick like in years past.
Most experts figured Oregon's Dante Moore would be the first QB off the board in '27, given he was already projected to go high last year before deciding to return to Eugene.
An injury might have derailed that for Moore, but as Austin points out, the injured Duck wasn't without some limitations of his own even before exiting for the season.
"Dante Moore is a really good football player," he explains. "But (he) gets stuck on reads and makes his mind up pre-snap, and that scares me. He's also a little up and down, like from a fundamental standpoint, from a mechanics standpoint, he just kinda gets away with a lot of it in college football."
Moore wasn't the only one giving Austin some pause.
Ole Miss's Trinidad Chambliss, one of the preseason Heisman favorites, has had a fine season statistically, but his build makes Austin nervous about him at the next level.
"I love him, but there are some physical questions about that one as well, like, is he gonna work at his stature when we get to the league?"
Other quarterbacks like Texas' Arch Manning and LSU's Sam Leavitt get mentioned as well, with Austin stating question marks about their decision making and turnover problems.
The prospect who Austin believes should go number one overall shouldn't come as a shock to anyone who watches football on Saturday.
"If I had the number one overall pick, I'd draft Jeremiah Smith," Austin admits. "And then next year I try to find a quarterback."
Austin explains that Smith, the Ohio State wide receiver, is a "guarantee" and one of the only truly generational prospects we've seen in the game since Andrew Luck in 2012.
"I would draft Smith, and I'd be like, 'I've got the best prospect and most known prospect that's come out of college football... since maybe like Andrew Luck,'" Austin claims. "I would just draft him if I was bad enough to be the number one overall pick."
The start of the NBA season has actually been a lot of fun. The teams have looked good; they are enjoyable, and the betting has gone very well for me. I have a major move tonight in the Hornets-Wizards game, and I'm looking to score more in another early-season matchup. We've already seen this one play out this season, but I have a lot of excitement for the game between the Lakers and Warriors that takes place tonight at Golden State.
The Lakers are now the Luka Lakers. There is no more LeBron, and the keys have been handed over to one of the top assets in the entire league. How has that worked out for Los Angeles through the early portion of the season? The team is 4-1, with the lone loss coming against a surprisingly good Portland team. To start the season, they've beaten the Warriors by 22, the Clippers by eight, the Jazz by nine, and the Clippers by 16. None of those three teams will be playoff contenders.
They now take on the Warriors for the second time in the early season as part of the NBA Cup Group Play. This is the third game in four nights for the Lakers, but not a back-to-back. Still, legs could be a bit tired. However, this is almost certainly a game that Luka circled on the calendar. On Opening Night, Warriors rookie Yaxel Lendeborg was yapping at Luka for much of the game, and then doubled-down with comments about him in the media. Luka does not back down, and Luka does not forget.
In fairness to Lendeborg he was quite effective when guarding Luka directly. However, the Lakers crushed the Warriors and moved on. Now the Warriors get a chance to return the favor. It hasn't been a great season for Golden State so far with two wins and three losses. However, the Warriors did win back-to-back games on the road with very good performances against the Nuggets and the Timberwolves. Lendeborg was the leading scorer in the win over the Nuggets, and Stephen Curry went ballistic in Minnesota.
The Warriors are not really in a rebuild, but they are in something much worse. They don't seem to really understand what they are trying to do with the roster. They still have Steph playing at an elite level. However, the rest of the roster is filled out with guys who would be better at filling roles than filling holes. Jimmy Butler and Kristaps Porzingis are both on the wrong side of 30 and have injury issues. If they do come back and play well, maybe the Warriors can compete, but until then, the team will have to lean on Lendeborg.
Tonight will be a challenge for the Warriors, but I'm excited to see what they do against Luka. I think the Warriors will try to back Lendeborg and not let Luka kill them, but it probably doesn't matter. Luka is playing in an NBA Cup game, he is playing on ESPN at primetime, and he has extra trash talk motivation. I'm taking Luka over 34.5 points for tonight, and I'll do a Luka Ladder. One full unit on 35+ points, .5u on 40+ points .2u on 45+, .2u on 50+, and .1u on 60+.
Bo Bichette is staying in New York, hoping to one day become the King of Queens.
While no one can take that title away from Doug Heffernan, if Bichette helps lead the New York Mets to a World Series title, there will certainly be a debate. The Mets third baseman exercised his $42 million player option to remain with the team on Thursday, according to multiple reports.
Last season, Bichette signed a three-year, $126 million contract with the Mets that included player opt-outs after each season. The 28-year-old decided to remain with the Mets after an uneven season.
Bichette, who had been a shortstop with the Toronto Blue Jays, switched positions to become the Mets' third baseman. The beginning of the season was a struggle, as he started at third base but then moved back to shortstop after Francisco Lindor got hurt.
While he was juggling positions, Bichette got off to a dismal start at the plate. Through June 10, Bichette had a .227 batting average with five home runs, 32 RBI and a paltry .597 OPS.
After that, the two-time All-Star finally turned it on and looked like the hitter baseball fans had become accustomed to seeing. From June 11 through the end of the season, Bichette hit .285 with 13 home runs, 46 RBI and a .779 OPS. For the season, Bichette played in 152 games and hit .260 with 18 home runs, 76 RBI and a .702 OPS, which was well below his career OPS of .788.
After his rocky season, Bichette would have been unlikely to find a free-agent contract worth more than the $42 million he is set to earn in 2027. Regardless, his return is a good thing for the Mets, who will have some continuity on the left side of their infield with Bichette and Lindor.
That continuity is especially valuable because the team's right side of the infield is not nearly as certain. Marcus Semien struggled last year and will likely compete with Brett Baty and prospects for the second-base job, while first base remains wide open after the team struggled to replace Pete Alonso.
There are few activities in this world more relaxing than fishing.
I think we all can agree there is something very zen—like in grabbing a line, a pole, and some bait and just being one with nature for a morning.
One man thought he was going to have a nice, peaceful afternoon on the ocean in his kayak until his day of solo fishing was rudely interrupted by someone with some serious personal space issues.
And this wasn't a fellow fisherman or some drunk guy in his Boston Whaler.
Hell, it wasn't even a human being.
That's right, a massive great white shark buzzed some poor kayaker just trying to enjoy his day off, and the whole thing was caught on the fisherman's helmet camera.
Footage from the fisherman, David Slavich, shows him getting startled as the giant predator closed in.
"The shark came incredibly close, swimming alongside me just beneath the surface," Slavich told Storyful, adding that he was "absolutely amazed" by its size.
"There was a moment when it seemed like we were looking directly at each other, and I had the distinct feeling that it was just as curious about me as I was about it," Slavich said.
"I felt more awe and fascination than fear," he said. "It’s an experience I’ll never forget."
You don't even see the shark coming at first, but you can hear the terrified words trembling out of Slavich's mouth.
"Oh my God! Oh my God," he repeats as the great white makes its way into the frame of the video.
In a split-second decision that might have saved his life - or at the very least, a limb or two - Slavich reels his line in quickly to ensure the shark doesn't take the bait and pull him in with it.
As the monster with teeth glides past, we get a full view of its size, appearing to be about as big as Slavich's kayak.
Once the shark passes by harmlessly, Slavich utters a phrase I think we can all relate to in a situation like that.
"Okay, we're getting the f--- out of here," he exclaims.
Costco really has it all. From bulk groceries and electronics to household goods, specialty services and even LeBron James’ game-worn shoes.
Yes, you read that correctly. Costco is selling an autographed pair of James’ game-worn shoes from March 22, 2024, for $69,999.99. For anyone who happens to have an extra $70,000 lying around, the shoes are hand-signed by the NBA legend himself and inscribed with "Prime Year 21."
According to Costco’s website, the shoes are authenticated with FanSecure Technology and come with a letter from sports investors showing a photo-match.
On March 22, 2024, James and Anthony Davis led the Los Angeles Lakers to a 101-94 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers with a fourth-quarter surge. James scored 20 points with eight rebounds and six assists in the win.
However, if you don’t have $70,000 in your back pocket for James’ game-worn sneakers, have no fear. Costco also has Giannis Antetokounmpo’s game-worn sneakers available for purchase for just $9,999.99.
Antetokounmpo wore the shoes as a member of the Milwaukee Bucks on Aug. 31, 2020, when the NBA was playing in the bubble during the COVID-19 pandemic. The shoes are autographed by Antetokounmpo and have "2019-20 GAME WORN, THE BUBBLE" inscribed on them.
Now, if you don’t have an extra $10,000 lying around and you were desperately hoping to purchase game-worn shoes from NBA stars on Costco’s website, you are out of luck. Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum’s game-worn sneakers were also available for $3,199.99, but someone already swooped in and ordered them.
Tatum wore the sneakers on March 28, 2023, and signed them. The sneakers also featured his son’s name, Deuce, on the back of each shoe, accompanied by a heart.
Costco provides quality goods and services, with a splash of game-worn shoes from NBA stars thrown into the mix.
In an era of Auto-Tune, artificial intelligence and endless opportunities to make music sound perfect, Terri Clark decided to leave well enough alone.
The country music legend released a new live album Friday, Oct. 30, capturing her long-awaited headlining debut at Nashville's Ryman Auditorium. But rather than return to the studio to clean up the performance, Clark was determined to preserve the night exactly as it happened — imperfections and all.
"We didn't even have the proper audience mics," Clark told OutKick OutDoors in an exclusive interview. "The audience was twice as loud as it sounds on this recording."
That's because the August 2024 performance wasn't originally intended to become a live album. In fact, it wasn't until roughly a year later that Clark and her team decided to piece together recordings captured by her concert engineers.
But she wasn't interested in making the show sound like something it wasn't.
"I decided that I didn't want to replace any vocals. I didn't want to replay anything," Clark said. "In a world of AI and tracks and Auto-Tune and all of the things that people do to sound perfect, I let the recording lie the way it was and stay exactly as it went down that night."
She concluded: "It's passion over perfection."
A ‘full-circle moment’ for Terri Clark
On Aug. 29, 2024, Clark finally checked off a lifelong bucket-list item when she headlined the Ryman Auditorium for the first time.
For the singer who once performed for tips at Tootsie's Orchid Lounge, just across the alley from the iconic venue, it was a particularly meaningful milestone.
"This was a full-circle moment," she said.
And even with more than three decades of performing under her belt, Clark wasn't prepared for the reception she received that evening.
"They came from all over the place, all corners of the world, and Canada, and fans from out west in the United States," she recalled.
"It was a room full of so much love, and we shared just a moment that I almost never want to headline the Ryman again because it'll never come close to that show, if that makes any sense."
The 17-track album, Terri Clark: Live From The Ryman, includes performances of her hits "Better Things to Do," "Girls Lie Too" and "I Wanna Do It All," along with appearances by Ashley McBryde and Trisha Yearwood. McBryde joined Clark for "Better Things to Do," while Yearwood performed "Poor, Poor Pitiful Me."
Clark said the evening's excitement is exactly why she refused to go back and polish the recording.
"I don't think I could duplicate the energy and excitement in my voice that night if I went in and redid anything," she said.
The frustrated parents of female athletes at Dakota Ridge High School are speaking out over an escalating locker room dispute, demanding answers after district officials placed a transgender player on the girls' junior varsity volleyball roster.
Four Dakota Ridge parents spoke with OutKick this week as tension in the gym turned into open opposition. Following the public outcry sparked by parents like Tanna Donalson, whose daughter and seven other juniors were cut from the volleyball program, outspoken fathers are now stepping forward alongside mothers to challenge state policies that elevate gender identity over female athletics.
Families are pressing Jefferson County Public Schools (Jeffco) for accountability, refusing to back down despite reported retaliation from school and district staff against those who question the policy.
The conflict centers on district leadership invoking state non-discrimination guidelines to open female locker rooms to the player, even as coaching staff cut more than 35 female athletes from the program, as OutKick previously reported.
OutKick observed the fallout firsthand during matches against Standley Lake on Monday and Littleton on Wednesday.
Colorado parents challenge Jeffco's leadership
Jefferson County Public Schools, Colorado's second-largest school district, has offered only one formal remedy for female athletes who object to sharing facilities: directing them to seek private changing spaces elsewhere in the building.
"The girls' locker room is a sacred space. What’s happening at Dakota Ridge is a slow burn to that sacred space," said Josh, a Dakota Ridge father in attendance at Wednesday's match who went on the record regarding the ongoing issue.
"The Jeffco School Interim Superintendent said that they need to respect the privacy of all students. I guess 'all students' aren’t the 50-plus girls on the volleyball teams that use the girls' locker room. Dakota Ridge said they will make accommodations for girls who are uncomfortable in the locker room. That should be the other way around."
Internal emails obtained by OutKick show district leadership anticipated the dispute, quietly preparing weeks in advance while leaving parents and players blindsided when the athlete was placed on the roster without warning.
In an Oct. 6 email to district leadership, Dakota Ridge Athletic Director Jeff Legault warned: "I heard that meetings were held weeks ago to discuss a plan for this scenario, which is unfolding exactly the way it was predicted."
With the JV season ending, parent concerns deepened after coaching staff threatened to bench players overheard discussing the freshman athlete.
"DR staff and the district knew about this issue and kept it a secret. It’s still the elephant in the room," Josh said, noting that a former coach whose daughters played for Dakota Ridge subsequently stepped away from the program.
Josh estimated varsity parents are fractured into three camps: "25% don’t care or somehow think this is a fight against Trump, 50% just want this to go away, and 25% are fighting."
Beyond locker room access, parents report a pervasive fear of retaliation.
Matters escalated when head coach Matthew Zeman allegedly threatened two players with benching after they were overheard discussing the situation in a school parking lot. Carey, the mother of one of the varsity athletes, sent a statement to OutKick, confirming details of the confrontation.
"A few weeks ago, my daughter and one of her teammates were told they couldn’t play in a volleyball game, nor could they attend the game after having a private conversation in the parking lot with a few other volleyball teammates about a transgender player they had heard of on the JV team," Carey said.
"After the other parent and I met with the coach and the athletic director, they reversed this, and they allowed them to play in the game, even though they didn’t even have any idea what the girls had said."
Carey said that the threat followed her daughter's earlier concerns regarding locker room arrangements.
"My daughter had also expressed concern about being uncomfortable in the locker room with this player. She was told that they could make accommodations for her, not the other player," Carey said.
"Now, as a parent, my number one concern is safety. Feeling safe and comfortable in a locker room is critical. Not only that, there’s fairness in female sports, and there’s the ability to speak up and talk about your concerns without feeling punished."
Carey, a Dakota Ridge mother who has worked with disabled individuals for over 30 years, emphasized that her concerns stem from basic fairness.
"I know all about inclusion, respect, fairness, and making things work. This situation has become out of hand, and I feel like we have to start asking better questions. We have to start coming up with better solutions while respecting everybody involved," Carey added.
"This isn’t about disrespecting anyone. This is about making it fair for everybody involved: primarily, safety in a girls’ locker room, fairness in sports, and making sure our girls are able to speak up and feel respected."
Josh backed up that account, noting that Zeman accused the players of "bullying" simply for talking amongst themselves, yet failed to cite a single broken rule.
"When the couple of girls were talking about it in the parking lot, the coach found out about that and immediately pulled two of the girls out and was gonna bench them because they were talking, [calling it] bullying," Josh said. "And they asked, 'What did we do wrong?' And he couldn't name anything. And I feel like they were actually bullied by the coach for that. They're just talking amongst friends, as kids do in a parking lot with their varsity teammates."
Both Zeman and Jeffco Public Schools ignored repeated requests for comment. Approached directly inside the gym on Wednesday, Zeman refused to comment on the parents' frustrations.
Following a road match at Standley Lake on Monday, the team returned home Wednesday to face Littleton under heightened security, including an armed guard inside the gym. Parents reported seeing up to three security personnel at recent games.
The cold shoulder from district leadership was unquestioned. Josh watched the interim superintendent visit warmly with the trans athlete's family, then walk straight past the parents of the female players without uttering a word.
"He was there for them," Josh said.
Aaron, a Dakota Ridge parent who spoke on the record about the ongoing dispute, criticized the district's lack of transparency from the start.
"I think it's a little ridiculous how Jeffco is handling the situation. There should not be biological males in the girls' locker rooms. At any school in Jefferson County, Colorado, or the state of Colorado, for that matter," Aaron said. "And for them not to disclose this earlier in the season, it's very disappointing. They waited so long to disclose this information, you know, they put these girls in a very hard situation with not knowing."
When parents pressed for answers through formal channels, Aaron said district attorneys shut down the conversation entirely.
"The school really hasn't been communicating very well at all. They've been leaving almost like they're trying to sweep it under the rug," Aaron added. "We had a meeting with Jeffco Legal and they kind of said that they would answer questions and didn't answer any questions at all, didn't give us any time. And they said they'd get back to us and we haven't heard anything since."
Zachary, a Jeffco father of three with a daughter in the district, didn't hold back when texting OutKick about the administration's backward priorities.
"The absurdity of trans girls (boys, in real life) playing on girls' teams is beyond lunacy," Zachary texted. "How did we get here? Why is Jeffco and these other districts so tied up in this fad? We have a mental health crisis and these school districts are manipulating and grooming these children without parental consent."
"What about women’s rights?" he added. "No boys in girls' sports unless they’re co-ed. Period. The government needs to step in and right this ship, ASAP."
And volleyball may be just the start for trans inclusion in Dakota Ridge girls' athletics.
"From what I hear, they are trying out for the basketball team this upcoming season," Aaron said. "I don't know if the coach has handled this yet or not, but from what I hear there are girls that aren't going to play or try out because of it."
With district administrators digging in, parents are taking their case directly to the November ballot. Grassroots momentum has coalesced around Proposition 134 to keep male athletes off female sports rosters, alongside Proposition 135, which would prohibit gender-affirming surgeries on minors.
It has been an uphill climb from the start, but parents say silence is no longer an option. Regardless of what policies future administrations roll out, these families are speaking up now. By exposing Jeffco’s failure to stand up for female students, they hope to fix a broken system and save girls' sports for their daughters.
The Carolina Panthers have made the first coordinator firing of the NFL season.
After the team's 27-19 loss to the Green Bay Packers on Thursday night at Lambeau Field, the Panthers announced Friday that they had fired defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero and defensive passing game coordinator Jonathan Cooley. The loss was the Panthers' second straight and dropped them to 3-4.
The Panthers named defensive line coach Todd Wash their interim defensive coordinator and play-caller.
Evero, 45, had been head coach Dave Canales' defensive coordinator since 2024. In his first season, the Panthers' defense allowed 31.4 points per game, which was last in the NFL, but the unit improved in 2025. Last season, the defense allowed 23 points per game, which ranked 16th in the NFL.
However, the unit has regressed this season, as its points allowed have climbed to 27.6 per game, which ranks 27th in the NFL. Unfortunately for Evero, his unit has been decimated by injuries.
The Panthers have played the last few games without starting cornerbacks Jaycee Horn and Mike Jackson. Backup cornerback Akayleb Evans joined them on injured reserve earlier this week. In addition, linebackers Nic Scourton (ACL) and Thomas Incoom (calf injury) and defensive tackle Cam Jackson (shoulder injury) are also on IR.
Despite being 3-4, the Panthers are still atop the lowly NFC South, and Canales is hoping Wash can spark the defense as they seek their second straight division title.
Wash joined Carolina’s staff in 2023 and has 31 years of coaching experience, including 20 in the NFL. He spent five seasons serving as the defensive coordinator for the Jacksonville Jaguars. The Jaguars had the second-ranked defense in the league in 2017 under Wash and advanced to the AFC Championship game.
So much for the narrative that French trans basketball player Julie Tetart couldn't make it in the WNBA. If the WNBA was true to its word that it's inclusive, a team would pull the trigger and bring in this unique player.
In a Round of 16 Coupe de France tournament showdown Wednesday night against Lyon-ASVEL Féminin, which is owned by NBA legend Tony Parker, Tetart put the doubts to rest. The 6'3 phenom put up 13 points and a game-high nine rebounds in an 81-71 loss to a team featuring 6'1 19-year-old Ainhoa Risacher, who is expected to be a top-15 pick in the 2027 WNBA Draft. Despite playing five fewer minutes, Tetart outscored and out-rebounded the big-time prospect while also shooting better from the field.
This is Angel Reese's worst nightmare - a top-level defender who can score and is built like a middle linebacker.
"If they contact me, I won't say no. But you have to be realistic: I'm old, and there are far better players than me!" Tetart told OutKick in French over Instagram direct messages in August.
Age is just a number based on how Tetart has started the 2026-27 season. Through five league games in the LF2 (France’s second division), where her team remains undefeated (5-0), Julie is averaging 13.8 points and 13.8 rebounds per game. A year ago, Tetart averaged a league-high 20.7 points and 20 rebounds a game while playing 31 minutes per game. Through five games, Julie is averaging 22 minutes of court time per game.
The loss to Tony Parker's team wasn't due to Tetart. The Monaco team shot 27% from 3 (6-of-22) while Lyon sank 11 threes. Game over.
Tetart more than held up in the paint while facing former University of South Florida rebound machine Bethy Mununga, who finished her career as one of the school's all-time best players. Tetart, who has never played outside of France and never played high-level basketball before declaring to be trans, dominated Mununga on the glass.
Could Tetart join the WNBA if a team actually practiced what it preaches about being inclusive? The WNBA isn't saying "no," at least not that we know of.
The league's current collective bargaining agreement currently doesn't include a clear legal definition of "women." WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert boldly declared that both Enes Kanter and Royce White are ineligible to play in the league because they're "both men," but she's still not giving a definition for "women."
As for this idea that Tetart is too old for the WNBA, that's nonsense. Alysha Clark just completed the 2026 season and she's 39. So is DeWanna Bonner. She averaged 10 points a game this season. A total of 14 players in the league are the same age as Tetart, or older. Brittney Griner is 35. She poured in 13 points a game for Connecticut.
Two Maine high school girls plan to ask federal officials to intervene over a transgender soccer player’s participation on an opposing team, alleging the state’s eligibility rules have denied them fair competition and hurt their teams’ results.
The player scored or assisted on roughly half of South Portland High School’s goals this season, according to a draft Title IX complaint prepared by Alliance Defending Freedom, provided to OutKick. A scoring chart supplied for the planned complaint credits the athlete with 15 goals and 10 assists.
ADF plans to submit the complaint Monday, Nov. 2, to the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights on behalf of Reagan Wilson, a junior at Fryeburg Academy, and Morgan Clark, a junior and varsity soccer captain at Windham High School. The draft has not yet been filed.
"Despite all their hard work and discipline, Reagan and Morgan may be denied the thrill of victory because Maine lets males with inherent biological advantages compete on girls’ teams," the draft states.
"Reagan and Morgan urge OCR to step in, stop this violation of federal law, and protect the right of women and girls to compete on a level playing field."
The complaint would target the Maine Department of Education, Maine Principals’ Association, South Portland School Department and Windham Raymond School District. It asks federal officials to investigate and require changes to eligibility policies, along with remedies for alleged past violations.
The allegations center on a freshman who identifies as female and joined South Portland’s girls’ varsity soccer team this fall.
The supplied chart credits the athlete with three goals in South Portland’s 7-0 season-opening victory over Portland, both goals in a 2-0 win over Gorham and two goals and two assists in a 9-0 victory over Biddeford.
It also lists three assists in a 6-1 win over Noble and a goal in a 4-1 victory over Falmouth.
The chart includes results through South Portland’s Oct. 27 playoff victory and lists an Oct. 30 matchup against Scarborough as upcoming. The source who supplied the document said it would be updated before Monday’s filing if the athlete scores additional playoff goals.
South Portland’s improvement has also drawn attention in local sports coverage. The Portland Press Herald reported that the team finished 2025 with a 3-9-2 record and reached 11-2-2 after winning its first regional quarterfinal in program history Oct. 27.
Wilson’s team lost to South Portland in an Aug. 29 match, according to the draft. Clark’s Windham team played South Portland to a 1-1 tie Oct. 1, a result the complaint alleges lowered Windham’s ranking.
Both girls intend to play varsity soccer next year and expect to face the athlete again, their attorneys say.
Wilson’s experience extends beyond soccer. The draft says she previously competed against a transgender runner who won the 2024 Western Maine Conference cross-country championship. It also alleges her indoor track team’s standing suffered when a transgender athlete won the girls’ pole vault at the 2025 state championships.
The attorneys describe those earlier competitions as evidence that Maine officials knew about the effects of their policies, although those events are not themselves the subject of this complaint.
At the center of the legal challenge is the Maine Principals’ Association’s gender identity participation policy.
The draft quotes that policy as allowing a transgender student to compete according to either birth sex or gender identity, "but not both." It also cites language stating that "[n]o medical records or official documents shall be requested or required to establish a student’s gender identity."
ADF argues that the policy fails to preserve equal athletic opportunities for female students.
"Under the policy, biological males can win not only in the male category but also in the female category, expanding opportunities for male athletes at the expense of female athletes," the draft states.
Maine officials have defended participation based on gender identity under the Maine Human Rights Act, which prohibits discrimination on that basis. The association previously said it would continue following state law despite Trump’s executive order restricting transgender participation in female sports.
The draft also invokes the Supreme Court’s June ruling in West Virginia v. B.P.J. , which upheld state restrictions on transgender participation in girls’ and women’s sports.
The court concluded that Title IX permits eligibility rules based on biological sex. However, it expressly left unresolved the separate question of whether schools may allow transgender athletes to compete on female teams — the issue ADF’s planned complaint seeks to challenge in Maine.
The planned filing follows a dispute that thrust Maine into national attention in early 2025.
After a transgender Greely High School athlete won the girls’ state pole-vault championship, Trump confronted Democratic Gov. Janet Mills at a Feb. 21 White House event and threatened to withhold federal funding unless Maine complied with his sports executive order.
Mills said she would follow state and federal law and told Trump, "See you in court." The Justice Department subsequently sued Maine’s education department in April 2025 over transgender participation in girls’ sports.
The girls are scheduled to speak Monday at a 10 a.m. press conference at the Capitol Building’s Welcome Center in Augusta, alongside ADF, the Independent Council on Women’s Sports and organizers seeking a 2027 referendum on school sports and facilities.
The Protect Girls Sports in Maine committee says it will submit nearly 5,000 additional signatures after its earlier petition fell 532 valid signatures short of qualifying for this year’s ballot.
The announcement will come one day before Republican Sen. Susan Collins faces Democratic former state Senate President Troy Jackson in Maine’s Senate election.
Collins has supported federal restrictions on transgender participation in female sports. Jackson voted in 2023 to reject proposed state restrictions and answered "No" in an April questionnaire asking whether he supported a transgender sports ban and dismantling other Maine Human Rights Act protections.
So, you thought this would be an average coaching carousel compared to previous years?
If history is any indication, it only takes one domino to fall in college football for the chaos to begin.
After Maryland decided to fire coach Mike Locksley, we now have three openings in college football (NC State, Baylor) before a weekend slate of games that could trigger further discussions on a number of coaches that are teetering on the edge.
But, as we've all seen over the past year, the financial aspect of making moves in this current climate of college athletics will also play a pivotal role in what this carousel looks like as we head down the final stretch of the regular season.
Also, the situation in Tallahassee continues to be in flux, with the Florida State administration pleading with fans to show up for the student-athletes, with no mention of head coach Mike Norvell in their statement earlier this week.
There are a number of folks around the Seminoles program that would prefer not paying a reported $50 million buyout, and potentially allocating those funds towards piecing a competitive roster for the 2027 season.
Here are two of the more intriguing situations currently taking place across college football, that could lead to a number of dominos falling.
So, let's take a look at where we are, after speaking with multiple sources across the country.
If Lincoln Riley loses to Ohio State this weekend, the temperature will only rise
After losing to Wisconsin last weekend, with a disastrous effort on offense, folks around the USC program are starting to wonder what the future holds for the Trojans head coach that made it clear this week he wants to remain in Los Angeles.
Well sure, a lot of coaches would love to keep their jobs at schools that are described as 'premier' in the sport.
For Lincoln Riley, the ongoing chatter among those within the industry is that if USC were to lose to a backup quarterback from Ohio State on Saturday, the situation could turn very quick.
Remember, athletic director Jen Cohen did not hire Lincoln. As we previously reported on this matter, there have already been questions as to whether Riley could find himself an escape hatch that opens back up in his home state of Texas.
We all know he's a competitor, but leaving USC for a return to the Big 12 at a school like Baylor might not be the worst thing for a head coach who is hanging on by a thread at his current employer. Also, what about a school like TCU, if they were to move on from Sonny Dykes?
The reported $70 million buyout for Lincoln Riley could be mitigated if he were to take another job within college football, so that number could actually drop, though it would be interesting to see by how much.
Yes, the USC head coach can say all of the right things about how much he loves his job, and that he's had opportunities to leave Los Angeles in the past. But, there is a real possibility that if USC were to lose on Saturday night, another two losses could be on the way against Indiana and UCLA.
And, pay attention to what happens if Lincoln were to be fired in regard to who could potentially be a top candidate. There are a lot of folks wondering if Kalen DeBoer would enjoy getting the band back together with his former athletic director, Jen Cohen at USC.
It's a mess at Colorado for the athletic department regarding Deion Sanders
OK, the honeymoon period ended two years ago for Coach Prime in Boulder.
It was the 2024 season that gave Colorado fans something to savor, thanks in large part to Travis Hunter and Shedeur Sanders, along with a group of teammates who bought into what Coach Prime was instilling within Boulder.
Then came a 3-9 season in 2025, followed by a squad that is currently 2-5 after additional collapses over the past few weeks.
Deion has spent more time getting into arguments with local media over the last two seasons than actually promoting his program. He thought things would go a different way after Shedeur Sanders and Travis Hunter left, with recruits and portal stars wanting to flock towards Colorado.
What we've seen since has been abysmal. Would athletic director Fernando Lovo be able to garner enough support to justify paying Deion Sanders somewhere around $25 million to go away?
We might find that part out sooner rather than later, especially if the Buffaloes were to lose again this weekend to Kansas State.
The celebrities are no longer showing up and the patience has run out in Boulder.
But, would Deion leave on his own, or force Colorado to pay his buyout while knowing it could become contentious?
There are a number of jobs around college football that could be forced open over the next month, as we enter a potential wild month of November and the end of the regular season.
Stay tuned to OutKick for the latest.
Let me know what you think. Email me your thoughts at Trey.Wallace@Outkick.com
NASHVILLE — Old Hickory Lake isn't handing out many favors this week. But apparently nobody told Matt Robertson.
The Bassmaster Elite Series pro hauled in a five-fish limit weighing an impressive 20 pounds Thursday to take the lead after Day 1 of The Champions, a historic tournament pitting 30 Bassmaster anglers against 30 Major League Fishing pros for a record $3.25 million purse and a whopping $1.25 million first-place prize.
And on a lake that's been downright stingy for much of the field, Robertson made it look almost easy.
"It was a pretty good day. A little rough, but once we got to where we wanted to go, it happened pretty quick," Robertson told OutKick OutDoors after Thursday's weigh-in.
"Caught two real quick, and then I started wanting to run around, but I just made myself sit there and grind it out. And yeah, we caught us a little bag today."
A little bag, indeed.
Robertson's 20-pound haul put him 4 pounds, 9 ounces ahead of second-place Fisher Anaya, who finished Thursday with 15 pounds, 7 ounces. MLF's Michael Neal sits third at 13-09, followed by Bob Downey (13-07) and Bryant Smith (13-03).
Anaya, meanwhile, had to work for his five-fish limit.
"Oh, it was tough, but it was fun," the Bassmaster rookie told OutKick OutDoors. "We caught three big ones, got two babies, but I think it's enough to kind of settle me in for tomorrow, so I ain't got to catch much."
But as the anglers hit the water again Friday morning, Thursday's leaderboard offers no guarantees.
LiveScope could shake up the leaderboard
One of the biggest wild cards heading into Day 2 is the tournament's restriction on forward-facing sonar, commonly known as LiveScope.
Anglers can use the technology on either Thursday or Friday, but not both. That means competitors who relied on their electronics to locate fish on Day 1 must go without them Friday, while those who saved their sonar day could have an advantage.
"It's going to make it tougher," Anaya acknowledged.
But with the field narrowing to 15 anglers for Championship Saturday, he's more concerned about catching enough weight to survive the cut.
"I think I'm going to need about anywhere from 5 to 7 pounds to make the cut," he said. "So that's what we're going to swing for. Hopefully, we catch them better than that. But we'll see."
Robertson, on the other hand, caught his tournament-leading bag without forward-facing sonar. That means he still has the option to use it Friday.
Not that he's particularly interested.
"We didn't use no LiveScope today. We'll have it tomorrow, but not really planning on using it," Robertson said. "So try to catch us one or two tomorrow and call her good."
And Robertson's successful Thursday has apparently attracted some attention. After traveling through a navigation lock to fish beyond Old Hickory Dam on Day 1, Robertson headed back in that direction Friday morning — this time with several other anglers following him toward the lock.
So yeah, the secret is out about that little honey hole.
The pressure is on to survive Friday's cut
The stakes extend well beyond the two anglers at the top.
Only the top 15 competitors after Friday's weigh-in will advance to Championship Saturday, when weights reset to zero and the remaining anglers battle for the $1.25 million grand prize.
And with much of the field struggling to find quality bites on Old Hickory, there's very little room for error.
After Thursday's competition, Team Stars (Bassmaster) held eight of the top 15 positions, while Team Stripes (MLF) claimed seven. That advantage could easily change Friday as anglers adjust to the sonar restrictions and the difficult conditions.
Reigning Bassmaster Angler of the Year Trey McKinney is among those facing a particularly tense second day. He finished Thursday in 16th place with 11 pounds, 1 ounce — just a single ounce behind Takahiro Omori, who currently occupies the final qualifying position.
And while Robertson has built himself a comfortable cushion, the race to make Saturday's final is considerably tighter.
Friday's weigh-in begins at 4 p.m. CT at Sanders Ferry Park in Hendersonville, where the Champions Cup team winner will be determined and the final 15 anglers will punch their tickets to Saturday's championship round.
OutKick OutDoors is on the ground at Old Hickory Lake, bringing readers exclusive interviews, tournament updates and behind-the-scenes coverage of the richest competition in professional bass fishing.
Follow OutKick OutDoors on Instagram, TikTok and YouTube for exclusive interviews, video highlights and coverage of The Champions all weekend long.
Welcome to Screencaps, "America's Best Daily Column," as named by the readers. Screencaps, which publishes seven-days-a-week, is a mix of sports, pop culture, and emails from sane readers from around the world. This column isn't for the coastal elites. Give us a week to steal your heart. Our track record is pretty good. Let's have some fun.
Welcome to one of the greatest times of the year for Screencaps
It's like shooting fish in a barrel right now for this column. I was telling Mrs. Screencaps this week that there are days of the year I don't like to take off work because the content is just so good. Those days include the holidays and Halloween.
Why wouldn't I take off the holidays? 1. It's my column. I don't feel like it's fair to SeanJo to tell him to work the holidays when I started this column. 2. The content is always great. July 4? Are you kidding me? The content is off the charts. Christmas? Instagram models dump out all sorts of content. New Years? Having to work in the morning tends to prevent me from going too nuts the night before. Thanksgiving morning is one of the easiest editions of Screencaps to produce. People are in a good mood. They want to show me what they're cooking.
And they're dialed into the content because they're not at work.
As for Halloween, I literally get paid to report on Halloween costumes. After being told this week by some idiot emailer that I should retire, my resolve is stronger than ever. No, I won't retire. I built this column into the greatest job on the Internet. You'd have to yank it out of my cold dead hands.
Thank you to retired tennis star Genie Bouchard for kicking off the weekend with a Brit Brit tribute. Well done.
– Jayson asks:A buddy of mine writes a mailbag column for a website. He said that occasionally, he will get emails from "psychos" who flip on him for not reading their questions. Have you ever received that kind of junk since starting Screencaps? If you do, do you answer them back, or simply ignore them?
Kinsey: I've never had emailers turn heel because I wouldn't publish their emails, but I've had guys who claimed to be fans and loyal readers who turned out to be total scumbags, especially after I left Busted Coverage and joined Clay Travis here at OutKick. There have been guys who felt like I should've given them freebies that brands used to send to me.
As for a--hole emailers, I like when people write and snap on me. It's great content. Typically, when I reply to their emails, the people disappear.
This is a career-low and she's playing COLLEGE golf
A quick Google search reveals that Elizabethtown College was having revenue trouble in 2024 when the school cut 13 faculty members. You know what they didn't cut? Women's golf, where members of the team are really killing it out on the links.
Do you let weirdos pick your groceries and dump them into your car?
• Legacy reader Jess in Alabama, who has been emailing longer than pretty much any other OutKick reader, says it's just convenient: The guy who wrote in that only the elderly or disabled should get delivery groceries is forgetting the time in his life with babies. I can get off my lazy ass, but y’all don’t want to see that diaper blowout spill on the aisle next to your shoe or hear the tantrum that happens 1 out of 4 trips. I’ll let the grocery guy pick out a bag of potatoes or mustard or random stuff I grab off the shelf. Then I’ll find time to stock my own meat and fruit when I get a chance. And I am not complaining about my life. I’m very grateful. And very grateful not to ruin your pleasant experience at the grocery store.
• Louie in Savannah pushes back on Chris A.'s email: I have been following along with the grocery pick up debate the last few days and have to weigh in, especially after the comment about those that do it are lazy and park in the fire lane.
We use it every week. We are quite able-bodied, just busy as hell.
My wife is the "Food and Beverage Coordinator" in our home and we have been using the Kroger "Click list" just about every week since it became an option years ago. I imagine every store in different parts of the country have varying experiences but there are so many benefits for us to ordering online and picking it up. My wife just submitted ours and I'm picking it up on the way home from work tomorrow. I'll be in the parking lot for no more that 15 minutes total. It's very convenient and actually saves money. There is no impulse buying when you pick it up, only what you ordered. We also aren't bringing our teen and pre-teen sons into the store who are suddenly starving (as always) and now want to throw everything they see into the cart and grab a sushi roll to devour while walking around. As an added bonus, once every two months or so, the store accidentally loads someone else's partial order into the car and there is no way to tell until you get home. It is like a bonus mystery box. We always call to let them know but they always say to keep the items.
Sure, there are issues with produce or other things sometimes but the customer service personnel are always nice and they will throw a $20 coupon into the next order for the inconvenience. Also, beer and wine purchases are allowed as well so that is one fewer stop while running errands.
With as busy as we are in my house with jobs, school and sports, grocery pick up saves a ton of time!
Everywhere is different I am sure but it's a huge benefit for our house.
• Voiceover Mike writes:To be honest, my wife will put in a weekly Target order, something of a holdover from Covid days, and I'm usually the one on pick-up duty. Do I feel a little emasculated, sitting next to soccer moms in their SUVs and Teslas waiting for their orders? Maybe a little. Will I let the Target order picker select produce for me? Nope. I hit the grocery store for that.
If it were my choice, I'd wander the aisles, list in hand, and pick everything myself, but I've been relegated to pick-up duty. Keep up the great work, and never underestimate the importance of what you do for us.
• Tom T. is fired up: Nice fall weather hare in VA. It’s a good day to shake my old man fist at the clouds.
Chris A. really nailed it! Get off your lazy butt and go get your own damn groceries! Also, if you are under 40 and would like to one day own a home, get off your lazy butt and go get your own damn groceries, and then COOK your own damn food. I just do not get the allure of Door Dash, unless you have been drinking beer all day, because nobody should be drinking and driving in this day and age. Also, make your own damn coffee in the morning.
I also LOVE the entitled losers who park in the fire lane while their spouse "runs" into the grocery store "for one thing". I always give ‘em the hairy eyeball as I walk into the grocery store.
• Bob in Cincy says: Our strategy for groceries is to leverage the Kroger pickup for staples such as canned good, frozen items and the like. No veggies or fruits. For those we go to Dorthy Lane or Fresh Thyme which are more expensive in general. The online shopping is convenient I’ll admit, and less expensive than DL or FT. It works well for us.
Resealable cereal bags were finally invented
• Joe in E. Tennessee checks in:What am I going to do with the twenty or so chip clips that are currently keeping my cereal fresh!?!? I'll run out of room on my refrigerator!!!
Kinsey: The Big Chip Clip lobbyists will not stand for these resealable bags. Just wait. Congress will intervene.
• Darren in NE ATL shares: Had almost forgotten a fall golf memory. Late fall in the 90's, with my dad, north of Dover, DE. Probably low 40's. Pushed a drive near a lake into clumped grass. Got there and a slow moving, big ass snake was right at my ball. Seeing as my one true phobia is snakes, I took a stroke penalty for a lost ball, and ran the he'll away.
That is it this morning. What a morning it has been. Mrs. Screencaps, whose birthday is Sunday, has been sick on and off all week and she's dealing with a sore back. It takes a village around here, that's for sure. But, we made it through another week of life.
Let's go have a great Halloween, if you celebrate. I have one more morning to go. Tomorrow morning will be 13 straight editions of Screencaps before I get to turn off the alarm Sunday morning. Let's finish strong.
Here's the bad news: The Atlanta Dream defeated the Golden State Valkyries on Thursday to force a Game 7.
The good news? Regardless of what happens on Saturday, there will be no more WNBA until next May. That's right. Our long, national nightmare of trans debates and Sophie Cunningham slander and national anthem nonsense will go into hibernation for seven glorious months.
And, frankly, we've earned it. It's exhausting. This whole season has been exhausting. It's also been the longest season in the history of sports. It just won't end!
Now, don't get me wrong — I enjoyed the content during the summer months. It kept the lights on around here when there was no football. We needed a spark, and Sophie Cunningham gave us one because she's a patriot.
Everyone else, though? I'm out on them. Thank goodness that league is on the doorstep of the offseason. It can't get here fast enough.
Before we go, though, I do have one final collection of Angel Reese highlights that are currently going mega-viral on social media in the wake of yesterday's win.
Reese ... did not have her best game:
Angel Reese has had a solid season, but Game 6 was a struggle
Thoughts? First impressions?
Look, it was a tough game for Angel Reese. No sugarcoating it. No hiding it. Just to show you how truly bad everyone else was, Reese somehow finished with a +/- of +10, which is stunning given she turned the ball over six times and made just 27% of her shots.
Feels like that shouldn't equate to positive play on the court, but what do I know?
Sometimes, you just have a tough day at the office. That's what Angel experienced yesterday afternoon in a potential close-out WNBA Finals game.
And yes — there was an actual WNBA Finals game played at noon yesterday. Amazing. That's another story in itself, and one I don't care much about.
What I do care about is Angel Reese. She was solid early on in these finals, but the last few games have been a struggle. Perhaps she's getting tired of having to field questions from OutKick's Dan Zaksheske every other night when the league actually grants us a question?
Will Angel rise to the moment? Will both teams disrespect our great national anthem for the 400th time? Will some gaslighting coach wear a "Trans Kids Lives Matters" shirt on the sideline? Better yet, will Angel wear another "Protect Black Women" shirt in 2026?
Most importantly, will anyone watch since it's at 8 p.m. on a college football Saturday night and it's also Halloween night?
Rob Gronkowski is calling for the NFL to institute referee punishments amid a slew of questionable officiating decisions this season. The New England Patriots legend also revealed he is skeptical of his long-time team's chances at getting back to the Super Bowl, and suggested they made it last year due to a weak schedule.
Gronkowki shared his bevy of strong takes, revealed some newly-unearthed secrets about Bill Belichick's strangest rules, and revealed a new technology he is using to heal his body from the wear and tear of football in an interview with OutKick.
'Put the referees on a pedestal'
Gronkowski believes officials should face consequences just as the players and coaches whose games they help decide do.
"So yeah, I think, you know, it would be fair and square to, you know, put the referees on a pedestal as well and — and have punishment just like any coach or any NFL player can be punished just like that," Gronkowski said.
Asked whether the NFL needs more accountability for officials, Gronkowski pointed to how quickly a player’s fortunes can change.
"I think so, actually, because players are accountable. Players can be cut the very next day and you’ve seen players cut," he continued.
Gronkowski’s comments followed Tom Brady’s criticism of several calls during the Detroit Lions’ 20-17 win over the Green Bay Packers during Sunday's NFL on FOX broadcast. Brady and FOX rules analyst Dean Blandino disputed multiple decisions, including roughing-the-passer penalties and an intentional grounding call.
Gronkowski agreed with his former quarterback’s broader concerns.
"I don’t think the referees are doing that great of a job. I think they can definitely improve," he said.
He identified pass interference and roughing-the-passer calls as areas that need improvement before the postseason, warning that incorrect flags could determine games.
"We want it to be fair and square. That’s what fans want to see," he said. "Yes, you call it when it’s appropriate, but when it’s not appropriate, you know, it doesn’t need to be called and affects the game in all ways."
The NFL already grades officials on every play, according to its Football Operations website. Those evaluations help determine postseason assignments.
Gronkowski also recalled his own frustration with offensive pass interference penalties when defenders collided with him.
"It was just me running and I was just a bigger body. So the guy would bounce off of me, you know, even though he ran into me and then I would get the flag. It just didn’t make any sense," he said.
Patriots have work to do before another Super Bowl run
The Patriots enter Week 8 at 4-3 after a 30-24 loss to the Chicago Bears, and have shown signs of regression after reaching the Super Bowl last year.
"Their schedule definitely was pretty, pretty simple last year. They’re playing tougher opponents this year, tougher defenses. I think that has more to play with it," Gronkowski said of the Patriots. "I definitely think the schedule plays a part in it for sure. It really does."
Gronkowski sees a playoff team in New England. He is less convinced he sees a championship team.
"The Patriots, I think, are a pretty solid, you know, football team. And I think they’re going to make the playoffs. They definitely have a chance at winning their division. They just got to pick it up," he said.
"I just don’t see enough right now for them to be a potential, you know, Super Bowl candidate."
Gronkowski also pointed offensive injuries and the need for more playmakers. He said New England’s offense had been clicking more consistently last season.
"They’re just having some problems right now, a couple injuries, injuries all across the offensive line. They’re depleted there. So I think the injuries, you know, to the offensive unit is playing a crucial part as well," he said.
"And once they get everyone back and AJ Brown gets fully healthy, I think they can start clicking at a high level then."
Asked what he would bring to the current locker room, Gronkowski emphasized experience and a belief that the team can win regardless of the circumstances.
"I would say just a mentality of bringing it at practice and also having just a winning mentality that, hey, no matter the situation, we’re going to come, we’re going to find a way to win this game," he said.
Gronkowski’s health after football, and what Brady and Belichick taught him for life
Gronkowski’s memories of the Patriots include Bill Belichick’s rules for what players could do away from the field — including a ban on burning incense in hotel rooms.
"He said, not even incense are allowed to be burned in your hotel room," Gronkowski recalled, explaining that Belichick wanted to leave no room for interpretation about burning anything.
But the rule that bothered him most involved where veteran players had to sleep during training camp.
"I would just say the most wildest one, though, was having veteran players stay at the hotel, even though their homes are closer to the facility than the hotel throughout training camp," he said.
"That definitely drove a couple of veteran players like myself crazy."
Still, Gronkowski said he understood the reasoning behind Belichick’s strict approach. He credited Belichick and Brady with shaping his habits, calling them "the two biggest leaders of my life."
Brady’s approach to food and preparation, in particular, offered a lesson Gronkowski could carry beyond football.
"He didn’t force it down anyone, but you just watch him. That’s what it’s all about is leading by example," Gronkowski said.
Now, Gronkowski’s own priorities include staying active and managing the physical toll of his playing career.
"If you have your health, you know, you have everything," he said.
He continues to work out and incorporates hot yoga, saunas and float tanks into his routine. He also discussed his partnership with DNA Vibe, whose Jazz Band wearable he credits with helping him manage aches and pains.
"You got to ask someone that truly knows the science behind red light therapy, but, you know, I just like to do it because I’ve tried it, you know, through my own experiences and it works," he said.
DNA Vibe founder and CEO Perry Kamel said the device combines red and infrared light, micro-vibration and magnetic pulses, which the company markets as supporting the body’s natural recovery processes.
"One of the things that I love about being at DNA Vibe is that the mission of the company is to help every single person live at their peak potential no matter who you are,"
Gronkowski is also promoting a 30‑Day free tryout for the product.
What JJ McCarthy shares with Tom Brady
Gronkowski sees a connection between McCarthy and Brady, but it has more to do with their response to adversity than their playing styles.
"They’re totally different quarterbacks, they really really are," he said. "The only similarities is that you’ve got to go through adversity to be great."
Both quarterbacks played in big games for Michigan, and then didn't have the smoothest starts to their NFL careers.
Brady was famously a sixth-round draft pick who had to spend a year climbing the New England depth chart just to reach the backup role at the start of year two. McCarthy, the No. 10 overall pick in 2024, had to work his way back into a starting role after losing his job in Minnesota and getting traded to the Giants.
The Vikings traded McCarthy to the Giants on Sept. 28 for a 2027 fifth-round pick. He completed 20 of 28 passes for 252 yards in his first Giants start, a 27-21 overtime win over the Houston Texans on Sunday.
Gronkowski said McCarthy had shown he was prepared when another opportunity arrived, drawing a comparison to Brady’s readiness when he moved from backup to starter.
"That’s also very similar as well is when your number is called and you’re ready to go," he said.
He believes McCarthy can help take New York to the postseason.
"I really do think he has what it takes to take the Giants team to the playoffs," Gronkowski said. "He has a resurgence, he has vengeance within his eyes and that’s what I saw."
The NFL’s growing celebrity couple culture
Gronkowski also defended the attention surrounding NFL players’ celebrity relationships, particularly Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift.
"I think it boosted it to a whole other level. I think it got more eyeballs on the game. I think it was great for the NFL to expand its broadcasts to expand to its fan base," he said of their relationship.
"Overall I just see that it was very positive and it helped out tremendously because NFL wants to grow. It wants to grow in the US. It wants to grow overseas and it couldn’t have been a better situation with those two."
Asked whether the focus on celebrity couples could annoy fans, Gronkowski rejected the idea that broadcasts have gone too far.
"I think it’s great for visibility and I don’t think it’s overexposed at all. It’s not like they’re sitting down doing interviews with them. They’re just showing their partner cheering for them and that’s just like any other relationship in life," he said.
"Every partner’s cheering for their partner and that’s what life is all about. I think it’s great and it’s not overexposed at all either and it’s just perfect where it’s at."
Gronkowski expects Jay-Z to ‘bring the heat’
Gronkowski is also optimistic about the entertainment planned for the NFL’s biggest stage.
Jay-Z was announced Monday as the Super Bowl LXI halftime performer. The game is scheduled for Feb. 14, 2027, at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California. His company, Roc Nation, has partnered with the NFL on the halftime show since 2019.
Asked about Jay-Z choosing himself for the performance, Gronkowski suggested that would be a reason to expect something special.
"You know, I can tell you this, if Jay Z is in control of picking the halftime show and he picks himself, I can tell you this, expect a hell of a show because I’m not picking myself unless if I know I’m going to bring the heat," he said.
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