‘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.
Final Hump Day of August. Seriously. Weren’t we just doing this in July? And now, we’re six days away from September.
Lordy. Be careful. You blink, and it’ll be Halloween. Blink again, and we’ll be rocking around the Christmas tree. Summer goes by faster and faster each year, doesn’t it?
As you get older, you really do understand what your grandparents meant when they said “it goes by faster each year.” My grandma used to say that all the time. I rolled my eyes. Not anymore.
We’re 72 hours away from kickoff in Dublin. Red Sox-Yanks this weekend in the Bronx for what is essentially a playoff series to decide who hosts who in October. I’ll be in Daytona for the Firecracker 400.
Summer is certainly going out with a bang. Let’s finish strong.
Welcome to a Hump Day Nightcaps — the one where little leaguer Kinley Rasmus throws her hat in the ring for greatest LLWS player of all time.
LITTLE LEAGUE TEAM GETS ABSOLUTELY SCREWED ON FINAL PITCH OF NO-HITTER, FANS STUNNED BY CALL
Seriously. This girl is insane. Wait till you see her bloodline, too.
What else? I’ve got a beaten and battered Caitlin Clark, new CBS college football sideline reporter Jordan Giorgio reporting for duty ahead of Week 1, and this sports question is getting a lot of traction over on Elon’s X today. Feels right in our wheelhouse. You’ll see.
OK, grab you a drink, pour it out for Tim Curry, and then settle in for a Hump Day ‘Cap!
Goodness, what a week. First Dolly, now Tim. Brutal. And how about the year for Home Alone II cast members?
We lost Catherine O’Hara in January. We lost Brenda Fricker — AKA the Pigeon Lady — last month. And now we lose Tim Curry.
Obviously, Tim is most well-known (I think?) for his work in “Rocky Horror Picture Show,” but, for me, he’s the hotel manager in Home Alone II. Other notable roles for Tim?
How about the original IT? Terrifying movie for us ’90s kids to walk past in the horror section at Blockbuster Video. It gave me nightmares for WEEKS. And how about this for a real deep cut?
He was also the voice of Ben Ravencroft in the cult classic, “Scooby-Doo! and the Witch’s Ghost.” If you knew that, you get a gold star for today’s class. Extra credit!
Anyway, we lost a good one in Tim. We lost a good one in Dolly. We’re losing too many good ones right now. Not great.
OK, let’s get this class started with Little League World Series star, Kinley Rasmus, who last night became the record-holder for most hits in the LLWS (5) for a girl, and also tied the all-time LLWS record for strikeouts by a girl (14), set by Mo’ne Davis.
What a phenom:
Amazing. I can’t get enough of this story. I’m a sucker for a good LLWS story, and Kinley checks all the right boxes.
And how about this family tree:
Not a bad little family tree! Kinley, 12, is currently 5 for 8 in four LLWS games, and has 14 Ks in two starts.
There’s a lot of talk right now about girls and guys (and … others …) playing in sports, and the fairness of it all. It’s well documented. Sophie Cunningham. Ever heard of her?! Of course you have.
This is a nice way to veer off that path and cleanse the palette with something genuine. We all need it. Trust me.
I’m so tired of the WNBA stuff. It’s why I led with Kinley today. She deserves it. Phenix City Little League (Alabama) plays again tonight at 7 p.m., for those looking to kill time before college football returns on Saturday.
OK, let’s keep this class moving … with the WNBA! Yes, that league.
I know it’s exhausting, but when Caitlin Clark emerges from a game looking like she just got clawed to death, I have to report on it:
Lordy. Look at her! Just beaten and battered, and she still managed to put up 37 points.
Look, it’s basketball. I get it. I’m not here trying to sound soft or whiny. Sports are violent. They’re physical. I’d imagine the ’80s and ’90s Bulls and Pistons looked a lot like this after games. I assume a lot of players who went up against the Pistons back then did. I get it.
Now, replace the Bad Boy Pistons with the Mean Girls in the WNBA, and give them all fingernails and enough hate in their hearts to fill an ocean. That’s what Caitlin is going up against every night.
They really do hate her. It’s amazing.
OK, let’s rapid-fire this Hump Day class into a big Hump Day night. First up? This sports question has gone mega-viral on Elon’s X today, and it’s perfect for this group:
“oh yeah you like sports? name five times your team has made you want to ….” You know the rest. I’m not going to finish the post here for legal reasons.
But you get the question.
It’s a great topic because everyone has answers that immediately come to mind. For me?
It’s a weird list, admittedly, but it’s a solid one in terms of heartbreak. I’d also throw in Tim Tebow getting absolutely boat-raced by Alabama in his final SEC championship game in 2009. That one hurt, too.
OK, shoot me yours. I know we’re all sickos here, so I’m expecting a full mailbox tomorrow morning.
STAY “FEARLESS” ON THE GO! TAKE TOMI LAHREN WITH YOU. DOWNLOAD THE TLIF PODCAST NOW!
On the way out, here’s new Big Ten on CBS sideline reporter Jordan Giorgio celebrating getting called up to the big leagues before Week 1. Congrats, Jordan!
See you tomorrow.
Top five heartbreaking moments in sports for you? Email me at Zach.Dean@OutKick.com.
