‘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.
Dukes fans aren’t thrilled today!
CASUAL BASKETBALL FANS GOBSMACKED AT HORRIBLE ANGEL REESE HIGHLIGHTS FROM AN ACTUAL WNBA FINALS GAME
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!
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!
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!
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.
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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?
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Toughen up, buttercup! Gambling ain’t for the faint of heart!
OK, that’s it for today — and this week. And this month.
Happy Halloween, everyone. Farewell to October.
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And, of course, hello to Maggie Sajak.
See y’all Monday.