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Washington family requests SCOTUS injunction after daughter was allegedly sexually assaulted by trans athlete
EXCLUSIVE: A Washington family has asked the U.S. Supreme Court to step in after lower courts refused to let a teenage wrestler compete this season without being matched against a male athlete.
Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) filed an emergency application with Justice Elena Kagan on behalf of K.M.K. and her mother, Stephanie Lynne Brown. The filing asks for an injunction pending appeal in K.M.K. v. Washington Interscholastic Activities Association (WIAA). The plaintiff is listed only as K.M.K. She is Kallie Keeler, the Puyallup-area wrestler who has spoken publicly about here experience in being allegedly sexually assaulted by a trans athlete during a match.
Keeler has been on the mat since she was 4. Wrestling was the season she waited for all year. She has not competed in a WIAA event since leaving the team in January, and she has said she is unsure she will return if she can be paired against a male again without notice.
The application says Keeler was 15 when she wrestled for third place at the Lady Jag Kickoff on Dec. 6, 2025, a girls’ tournament at Emerald Ridge High School. She and her mother say they were not told her opponent was male. During the match, they allege, the opponent penetrated her. Another team’s coach told her afterward that the opponent was male, the family says.
When Brown asked for a guarantee that her daughter would not have to face a male without penalty, and for notice so she could opt out, the district refused. It offered forfeiture if Keeler already knew the opponent was male. It said gender-identity information would be kept confidential.
"No girl should have to choose between playing the sports she loves and her safety," the application says. It asks the Court to bar officials from forcing Keeler to wrestle a male while the appeal goes forward, or at least to require notice and a no-penalty opt-out.
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INSIDE THE SUPREME COURT BATTLE TO 'SAVE WOMEN'S SPORTS'
The defendants are the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association, the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction, Superintendent Chris Reykdal, and the Puyallup School District. The athlete and the athlete’s family are not parties.
A federal judge in Tacoma denied a preliminary injunction on Aug. 23. The Ninth Circuit denied an emergency injunction on Sept. 25, calling the request a mandatory injunction and finding no likelihood of success strong enough to justify relief before the season. Wrestling in Washington opens in mid-November. ADF says that without an order now, Keeler loses the season Title IX is supposed to protect.
The filing leans on the Supreme Court’s June 30 decision in West Virginia v. B.P.J., which held that states may limit girls’ teams to biological females, and on Mirabelli v. Bonta, a March parental-rights order.
The U.S. Department of Education opened a Title IX investigation into the district in February. Two Rogers High School administrators were later charged with failing to make a mandatory report. Prosecutors did not charge the opponent.
The district has previously declined to comment, citing student privacy and litigation. OutKick sought comment from the WIAA, the Puyallup School District and the Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction on the Supreme Court application.
Karoline Leavitt joins Fox News as contributor after leaving White House press secretary role
Former White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt is joining Fox News Channel as an on-air contributor, FOX News Media CEO Suzanne Scott announced on Monday.
Leavitt, 29, who will provide commentary across the Fox News lineup, starts on Nov. 1. She most recently served as the 36th White House press secretary during President Donald Trump’s second administration, from January 2025 until August 2026.
"Karoline’s firsthand experience in the White House and on the presidential campaign trail gives her a distinct understanding of today’s political landscape. We look forward to her providing our audience with authentic and sharp insight across all FOX News Media platforms," Scott said in a statement.
TRUMP SAYS KAROLINE LEAVITT WILL LEAVE WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY ROLE, BECOME OUTSIDE ADVISOR
Leavitt added, "I am grateful for the opportunity to continue appearing on Fox News Channel as an official member of the extraordinary team at FOX News Media. I look forward to bringing my unique perspective from my experience as White House press secretary, along with the same energy and candor that defined my tenure, to Fox’s millions of viewers across their many platforms."
Leavitt served as a spokesperson for MAGA Inc., before joining Trump’s 2024 presidential campaign and later becoming the youngest White House press secretary in history. She quickly developed a reputation as an unwavering messenger of the president’s agenda.
As the administration’s chief spokesperson, she regularly addressed the White House press corps and represented the administration on a wide range of domestic and foreign policy issues.
DAVID MARCUS: KAROLINE LEAVITT’S LASTING LEGACY IS OPENING THE WHITE HOUSE TO INDIE PRESS
In August, Leavitt confirmed her departure from the White House in a lengthy post on X, saying she made the "bittersweet decision" after concluding she could not balance the demands of serving as press secretary with being the mother she wants to be to her two young children.
Leavitt worked in Trump’s first administration as a presidential writer and assistant press secretary. She previously ran as the Republican candidate for Congress in her home state of New Hampshire’s 1st Congressional District in 2022 and served as communications director for then-House Republican Conference Chair Rep. Elise Stefanik.
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Leavitt, who graduated from Saint Anselm College in 2019 with a degree in politics and communication, interned at Fox News during the 2016 presidential election.
She resides in New Hampshire with her husband, Nick, and their two young children.
Former Republican House Speaker Dennis Hastert dead at 84
Former Republican Rep. Dennis Hastert, who was the longest-serving GOP House Speaker, died on Monday at the age of 84.
Hastert died peacefully of natural causes at his home, according to Kendall County Coroner Jacquie Purcell. The longtime politician represented Illinois' 14th Congressional district for 20 years and served as Speaker of the House for eight years before retiring in 2007.
His career was later tarnished by a bank fraud conviction linked to his efforts to quash the story of a former student who accused him of sexual abuse during his time as a high school wrestling coach. He was sentenced to 15 months in prison in 2016.
Hastert also underwent sex offender treatment, two years of supervised release after his time behind bars and paid a $250,000 fine to a crime victims fund.
HOUSE DEMS PLOT TRUMP INVESTIGATION BLITZ IF THEY SEIZE MAJORITY
Hastert pleaded guilty in the case to attempting to pay $3.5 million to an unnamed individual to keep the alleged sexual abuse a secret.
Before he sentenced Hastert, Judge Thomas M. Durkin described the then-74-year-old Illinois Republican as a "serial child molester," and that "accusing Individual A of extorting you was unconscionable."
Multiple alleged victims and their family members read victim impact statements prior to Hastert's sentencing.
STEWART EXPECTS SCHUMER, JEFFRIES TO DISAPPOINT IF THE DEMS WIN BACK THE HOUSE AND SENATE
Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven Block called Hastert's conduct "horrendous." But because of the statute of limitations, Hastert could only be charged with a financial crime related to the payments he was making to one of at least four victims of sexual abuse.
Block said the sentence should take into account that Hastert "continues to deny what should now be obvious to everyone," that the payments were to conceal sexual abuse.
Defense attorney Thomas Green said he "acknowledges and respects" the pain of the man who described being molested as a teenager. He urged the judge to take into consideration the "entire arc" of Hastert's life, asserting that he reshaped his life as a public servant during his political career.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Highest-ranking US official to ever serve jail time, former House Speaker Dennis Hastert dead at 84
Former House Speaker Dennis Hastert, R-Ill., "passed away at his home due to natural causes," according to Kendall County, Illinois, Coroner Jacquie Purcell.
The brief statement was posted on the coroner’s website early Monday morning.
Hastert was 84 and one of the most ignominious figures to serve in American politics.
He was the longest-serving Republican speaker in history, wielding the gavel from 1999 to 2007. But Hastert’s career featured one of the most disgraceful falls from grace, becoming the highest-ranking U.S. official to ever do jail time.
The scandal involving Hastert emerged years after he left Congress — but dates back to the 1960s and 1970s when he served as high school history teacher and wrestling coach in Illinois. Hastert admitted in 2015 that he sexually abused teenage students and athletes as young as 14 — long before he entered Congress in the mid-1980s.
Hastert was an accidental speaker.
He served as chief deputy whip in the Republican hierarchy in late 1998 when House Speaker Newt Gingrich, R-Ga., decided to step aside. Gingrich was controversial. Some GOP members had knives out for him and believed Gingrich overplayed his hand pushing for impeachment of President Clinton. This, coupled with Republicans nearly losing control of the House in the 1998 midterms, set the table for Gingrich to step aside.
Republicans tapped then-Rep. Bob Livingston, R-La., Chairman of the Appropriations Committee, to become Speaker in 1999.
But in late 1998, as the House voted to impeach Clinton, it came to light that Livingston had an inappropriate relationship with a lobbyist. Hours before the House voted to approve two articles of impeachment for Clinton linked to his relationship with Monica Lewinsky, Livingston stepped aside and said he would not stand for speaker in the new year.
By nightfall, Republicans picked Hastert, a backbencher, to serve as speaker in 1999.
Hastert was criticized in late 2006 for not moving more aggressively to protect teenage House pages after it was discovered that then-Rep. Mark Foley, R-Fla., sent inappropriate text messages to the pages. The scandal led to the end of the House page program, which dates back to the beginning of the republic.
Hastert lost the speakership when Democrats seized control of the House in the 2006 midterms. Hastert did not serve in the GOP leadership in early 2007 and resigned from office later that year.
FMR DEM REP BARNEY FRANK, SHARP-TONGUED LIBERAL TRAILBLAZER AND DODD-FRANK CO-AUTHOR, DIES
Hastert was often quiet and shunned interviews and the press.
Known as "Coach" to fellow lawmakers because of his wrestling background, Hastert often proclaimed that he was more of a "listener" than a "speaker."
But Hastert’s career took a dark turn in 2015.
Federal banking regulators flagged Hastert’s curious withdrawals of staggering amounts of cash at peculiar intervals. Banking regulators suspected the transactions signaled that someone may be blackmailing the former Speaker.
But that’s how it came to light that Hastert was actually paying millions of dollars in hush money to the family of a student he abused in the 1970s.
Hastert admitted to sexually abusing students decades before at his trial for illegal bank transactions, saying he "mistreated athletes" and "took advantage of him." The judge in the case called the former speaker "a serial child molester."
Hastert served 13 of 15 months of his federal sentence for banking crimes at a facility in Rochester, Minn. However, Hastert never faced legal ramifications for sexual conduct.
Hastert is also known for the "Hastert Rule." When Hastert served as speaker, he would not bring a piece of legislation to the floor unless it had the support of a majority of House Republicans. House GOPers continued to use that standard for bills for many years after Hastert left office.
But that terminology fell out of favor after Hastert was convicted and information about his past became public.
Country music trio The Castellows hint at something big with new unreleased song preview
The Castellows continue to amp up fans by teasing new music.
The Castellows are a very popular neo-traditional country music trio consisting of sisters Ellie, Lily and Powell Balkcom.
While they might not have the popularity of someone like Ella Langley (who does these days?), there's no doubt that they have a very successful career.
MORGAN WALLEN SAYS MORE MUSIC IS ON THE WAY AS HE WINDS DOWN THE 'I'M THE PROBLEM' ERA OF HIS CAREER
All signs now point to something big coming.
I wrote last week that The Castellows went viral after teasing the trio cooking up some new music in a recording studio.
MORGAN WALLEN TEASES NEW MUSIC WITH VIRAL INSTAGRAM POST THAT HAS THE COUNTRY MUSIC WORLD BUZZING
Well, I think it's now safe to say there's no doubt at all they're whipping something up.
The official Instagram page for the trio recently posted a video of Lily singing an unreleased song, and captioned it, "Heartbreak songs incoming…"
I guess that settles any debate or speculation about whether new music is on the way. You can check it out below, and let me know your thoughts at David.Hookstead@outkick.com.
The Castellows really first arrived on the scene in 2024, and they've only increased their profile with every passing year.
MORGAN WALLEN AND ELLA LANGLEY HOLD THE TOP TWO ALBUM SPOTS IN AMERICA FOR FIRST HALF OF 2026
In 2026, there's no question the trio has cemented itself as a major player in the genre, and the group might be ready to take things to a new level with whatever music is on the way.
That's good news for the country music industry. It's going through a revival, and every solid music only helps advance the cause.
What do you think about The Castellows' music? Let me know at David.Hookstead@outkick.com.
Human vs humanoid robot cage fight goes viral
We've watched humanoid robots play soccer, run races and even fight other robots. Now, content creator Frankie LaPenna has taken things in a much wilder direction by stepping into a cage to fight them himself.
The event was staged by REK, a robotics entertainment company that puts remotely controlled humanoids into live combat events. In San Francisco, LaPenna faced three robots in a series of bouts, including two full-size EngineAI T800s, as part of what REK billed as the first human-versus-humanoid robot cage fight.
The viral footage getting most of the attention comes from one of those T800 fights. LaPenna moves toward the robot and throws several punches. The machine fires back with punches and kicks before one shot sends him flying across the cage. And if the robot looks like it walked straight out of "The Terminator," that was clearly the point. But the bigger story here is what these machines can actually do, who was controlling them and how much of the fighting was really driven by AI.
HUMANOID ROBOTS PERFORM LIVE SURGERY IN WORLD FIRST
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After facing a smaller Unitree G1, LaPenna went up against two modified EngineAI T800s, built by Chinese robotics company EngineAI. EngineAI lists the standard T800 at about 5 feet 8 inches tall and roughly 165 to 187 pounds, depending on the version. REK describes the modified machines used in its fights as about 6 feet tall. For the event, REK also gave the T800 a much more intimidating look. The mechanical head and glowing red eyes lean heavily into "The Terminator" theme. Put a machine that size inside a fighting cage and you can see why the video grabbed so much attention.
Here's the big thing to know about this fight: there was a human behind the controls. REK's technology partner Reflex Arc says pilots operate the humanoids in real time using VR gear or a gamepad. AI helps with balance and trained movement, while the human pilot directs the action. So when you see a T800 throw a punch or launch a kick, the robot is carrying out the pilot's commands. It is not independently deciding how to fight LaPenna. That still leaves plenty to be impressed by because the machine has to stay upright, recover from contact and turn those commands into real physical movement inside the cage.
HUMANOID ROBOT VIDEOS SHOW MACHINES LASHING OUT
The viral clip getting most of the attention only shows part of what happened that night. According to REK CEO Cix Liv, LaPenna faced three robots during the event. He reportedly started against a smaller Unitree G1 before moving on to two modified EngineAI T800 humanoids. REK says its modified T800 machines can kick with up to 850 pounds of force, which helps explain why the footage looks so intense.
LaPenna was knocked down during one of the T800 bouts, but Liv said he recovered, knocked the robot off balance and ultimately ended the fight with the robot's head coming off. REK has continued teasing more footage, and the short clips circulating online still do not show the full sequence of all three bouts. So what most people are seeing online is only one part of the event.
The physical side of the fight became pretty clear once LaPenna started trading punches with the robots. Liv said LaPenna originally wanted to fight without protective equipment, but REK insisted that he wear it. He ultimately entered the cage in motorcycle-style protective gear and gloves. According to Liv, LaPenna injured his hand while punching one of the robots but otherwise avoided a serious injury. Even with a human controlling the machine remotely, LaPenna was still trading blows with a heavy metal robot capable of putting real force behind its movements.
REK has been building toward this kind of event for a while. The company stages live fights where people remotely control humanoid robots against other humanoid robots. It also has a simulator that lets players learn the controls before some get the chance to pilot the real machines. Reflex Arc says REK's first simulator championship generated 3,670 matches, with the winners flown to San Francisco to pilot real robots at REK2 in August. The simulator uses the same basic controls and trained balance system as the physical robots. That helps explain where REK is going with all of this. The idea is to take something that feels like a video game and put it into a real fighting cage with actual humanoid robots. Then LaPenna stepped inside and raised the stakes by putting a person on the other side.
LET'S LOOK BACK ON THE BEST MOMENTS (READ: CRASHES) FROM THE WORLD HUMANOID ROBOT GAMES
Robot combat itself is nothing new, and we've been following that evolution closely. In 2025, four Unitree G1 humanoids fought in a boxing-style tournament in China. Those machines were also controlled by human operators, and the matches included punches, kicks and knockdowns. We have also watched humanoid robots play soccer without human control, rally on a tennis court and kick soccer balls hard enough to leave visible dents in a wall. REK's event takes that progression in a different direction. This time, the person sharing the cage with the machine can actually feel what happens when that robotic strength comes back at them.
Strip away the Terminator head and the social media theatrics, and there is a pretty remarkable robotics demonstration underneath it. The larger T800s weigh as much as about 187 pounds, yet they can stay balanced in a confined fighting area, absorb contact and execute punches and kicks under human control.
The hardware is clearly becoming more capable. Compare today's humanoids with the awkward walking robots we were watching only a few years ago, and the change is dramatic. And something tells me Frankie LaPenna will not be the last person crazy enough to climb into the cage with one.
I've watched humanoid robots do some pretty wild things, but seeing one kick a person across a cage definitely got my attention. The big thing to remember is that there was still a human pilot behind the controls. These robots were not independently deciding how to fight LaPenna. AI helped with balance and trained movement while a person directed the action in real time. What stands out to me is how quickly the physical side of this technology is advancing. These machines can stay upright through contact, recover and put some serious force behind their movements. REK even required LaPenna to wear protective gear before sending him into the cage. It makes for a viral video, but there is a more serious side to this, too. As humanoid robots become stronger and more capable, we are going to have to think carefully about who is controlling them, what safeguards are in place and where this kind of power should be used.
Would you be comfortable living or working around a humanoid robot this powerful if you knew a person could control it remotely? Why or why not? Let us know by writing to us at Cyberguy.com
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Madison Beer is being accused of ruining Justin Herbert's career, sad Eagles fans & Yankees fans fighting
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.
Since getting engaged to Beer, Herbert is 0-4 and has the second worst QBR in the league, according to ESPN. Only Kyler Murray is worse. At NFL.com, Herbert's passer rating is 70.6. Of full-time NFL QBs, that's the worst rate. We're talking Jameis Winston territory. Herbert's six interceptions is only surpassed by Drake Maye's pitiful start to the season.
Add it all up and even the Big J blue checkmark journalists are starting to wonder if off-the-field activities are starting to catch up with Herbert. Has there been too much focus on fiancée Madison Beer and not enough on reading defenses?
Remember, I wrote about how the NFL used training camp to push the narrative that Beer was going to be the next Taylor Swift. The league openly admitted to a social media campaign where Herbert had at least two interactions with Beer that were seemingly cooked up for TikTok groupies.
As someone who wishes Jim Harbaugh nothing but the worst with his career, I'm laughing over this 0-4 start, but this should serve as a warning to the other 31 teams. If the NFL starts trying to socially construct TikTok content with members of your team, RUN. Lock your doors. Tell Goodell's social media goons to go away.
Trust me, as a Bengals fan, Joe Burrow got caught up in the same social media content construction and now he's a mess.
How do we feel about doing a "D–k in a Box" routine at a tailgate? Guys, I don't think this is as good of a look as you think it is. Maybe go back to the drawing board with all those other dudes standing around. Maybe spray ketchup and mustard on each other.
Or throw a huge block of cheese into a wood chipper and get sprayed with the cheese. Now that's content.
• If you're a Lions fan, it's bad. Real bad. You're witnessing yet another historically BAD defense and it's even worse than 2018 when the team went 0-16.
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– CF in Kansas writes: Just read an article about Gen Z college freshmen quitting school and returning home to live with mom and dad. I find this more than a little disturbing. While some of the kids made it a point they simply opted to take college classes online, there seems to be a common denominator among them. Several have anxiety issues.
There is a better way to get these kids to stay in college and experience the growth they need to take the next step into the working world. Start with junior college or a 4 yr college campus located in or near the city where you live. Most cities have small colleges where kids can attend as day students without leaving home. I would be remiss not to mention trade schools as an option. The goal is to get a job, move out of the house and start a life of your own.
Joe, since Screencaps Jr will (I assume) someday go to college, what are your thoughts?
Kinsey: My thoughts are that this isn't exactly a new trend. I just talked to a parent this weekend whose freshman son is dealing with the stress of living in a dorm unit with 11 guys and very little space for studying. The son isn't coming home, but there are adjustments to be made. My thoughts are that you tough it out during fall semester, and then, if the son or daughter is absolutely miserable and a change needs to be made, you make it. I came home for a semester my sophomore year in college due to a complete idiot roommate.
After a semester at a community college, I realized I had to get out of there and I went right back to Toledo where my life started to change.
BTW, trade schools are great. Save the emails. I like having plumbers and electricians available to call on short notice.
Thank you to the multiple readers who sent me this link to the Wall Street Journal on the outlet's latest report on rising costs associated with travel baseball.
https://www.wsj.com/sports/baseball/kids-baseball-costs-travel-teams-19254050
– Ryan K. writes: House ball is the only dam holding back the flood of VC profiting off the lie of travel ball. Keep holding the line with your megaphone.
"Frequent participation in baseball has fallen 28% since 2014 in families with annual incomes of less than $100,000, according to data from the Sports & Fitness Industry Association."
"Participation in Little League, meanwhile, where a four-month season averages between $110 and $170, has dropped more than 30% in the past 20 years."
Kinsey: As I have written over and over the past year or two is that I fully expect public school districts to eventually end their sports programs and lease out their facilities to clubs who will be in charge of high school sports –– for a fee.
Yes, IMG has been around for years and now there's the SPIRE academy –– it's a sports factory –– in northeast Ohio that is just the beginning of what I expect to be the norm in the very near future. Right now, SPIRE doesn't have a high school football team, but it's just a matter of time.
Ohio public schools continue to be squeezed of cash from Columbus. Teacher salaries go up. Administration costs go up. The schools then call for tax levies to pay for the increases. More and more schools have threatened to chop sports.
My prediction is that we're going to see multiple schools in the state cancel sports and then farm out their facilities to groups like SPIRE. Save this post. The Wall Street Journal will be writing about this in 3-4 years.
It was $30 Sunday at MacQueen Orchard here in NW Ohio. Is that a good deal? The kids love picking, and eating, and picking, jumping up, having me lift them up for apples at the top of the trees and eating more as they go.
Mrs. Screencaps and the boys were happy. I guess it was worth the $30.
– Chris S. emails: I'm sure you know of Harry Chapin and his one hit song, "Cats In The Cradle". And you being from Dayton you may have heard of his bittersweet song about Mr. Tanner, but just in case you haven't, click on the below.
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Keep up the good work Joe,
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=geP6UrkHQcM
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And with that, it's time to get another week started. It's supposed to be a perfect weather week if you're into fall. Low 70s. Full sun. Apple crisp evenings.
Let's go get after it.
NASCAR star rips sport for being slow and soft, another makes a shocking comeback & scorned wife bites back
Monday Morning Pit-Stop is a weekly NASCAR column that runs on OutKick.com and Fox News Digital. If you're looking for a normal NASCAR recap, go check out insufferable ESPN ... assuming they still know NASCAR exists.
Five races down, five to go in the NASCAR Cup Series postseason. That's right. Feels like we just started these playoffs, and now this new version of The Chase is nearing the finish line.
Serious question ...
How do we feel about it? This is the first year NASCAR hasn't had it's usual win-and-advance format in over a decade, and I'm genuinely curious how everyone feels.
Have you watched more? Less? The same? Do these races have the same fire they used to when every third race was an elimination race? Has it made any difference at all for you?
I'll be honest ... I miss the old format. I do. I knew I would. Chase Briscoe won yesterday at Las Vegas. Kyle Larson and Tyler Reddick crossed the line while wrecking after Larson hit the wall trying to chase down Briscoe on the final turn.
It was a decent race, and a fun finish ... but I just feel like it's lost some juice. The stakes don't feel quite as high to me. I still enjoy it, but these playoffs — or Chase, whatever NASCAR wants us to call them — have just felt sort of neutered.
And yes, I stole that word from Tony Stewart, who is currently viral right now for some eyebrow-raising comments he made about NASCAR earlier this year. You'll see.
RISING NASCAR STAR JUMPED, ATTACKED & BEATEN AT AMERICA'S MOST FAMOUS HOT DOG SHACK
What else? I've got Kasey Kahne, amazingly, coming out of retirement, a scorned wife going after a NASCAR driver after she seduced her husband (true story), and Brad Keselowski has been pushed out the door by his own team, which makes no sense given the team stunk before Brad got there and was actually respectable the past few years.
Dummies. I'm not surprised, though, given his partners are associated with my Red Sox, and they're run just about as poorly as any professional sports team on the planet right now.
Four tires, a splash of that Sunoco racin' fuel, and maybe a few more horses for Tony Stewart ... Monday Morning Pit-Stop — the 'NASCAR's Been Neutered' edition — is LIVE!
Look, we're gonna break down yesterday's race at Vegas here in a bit. I promise. It was an OK race, with a decent finish that probably would've been a lot better if the cars weren't horrible.
Take a look at Saturday's O'Reilly Series ending to see what I mean.
But first, I do want to dive into these comments from Tony Stewart, which made the internet rounds over the weekend. Tony, who retired from full-time Cup racing in 2016, has never been known to mince words.
I agree with a lot of his takes. I don't agree with others. For instance, he weirdly bashed fans and the media for mourning Kyle Busch earlier this year because he claimed we didn't care about Kyle Busch "the person" when he was alive. It was odd.
So no, I don't always agree with the man they call "Smoke," but I do 100000% agree with him here.
Take a look:
"I’ll be honest, I don’t even watch anymore," Stewart told the Oil and Whiskey podcast. "It is, it is so neutered. I mean, they’re driving cars with 500 horsepower. When I, at the peak when I was running, we were at 875 horsepower, those things. And then they cut the nuts off of them. We went down to a 775 horsepower package and I was miserable. I’m like, these things are pieces of s–t.
"I’m going to do a commercial tomorrow with Dodge and Ram and we’re promoting a truck that has 777 horsepower that you can buy off a showroom floor. And you can go to Talladega to the truck race and outrun that thing by theory with more power from a street truck that you can buy.
"It’s like, NASCAR, wake the f–k up. What are we doing?"
Yeah, I mean — it's tough to argue with Tony Stewart on anything he just said. It's all true. It's all correct. The funny thing is, Tony is actually getting back in a car later this month! He's set to race the No. 25 Ram for Kaulig Racing in the Truck Series race at Talladega on Oct. 23.
It's funny because Tony notoriously HATED restrictor plate race when he drove. HATED them. Mocked them all the time. And now he's gonna be back in a truck at 'Dega because he needs to promote Dodge.
Everyone has a price!
Speaking of drivers making stunning comebacks to the sport ...
Where in the world did THIS come from?
Per Jordan Bianchi of The Athletic, Kasey Kahne, now 46, is set to come out of retirement and drive a Spire truck full-time next season.
Why? I have no earthly idea. None.
Kahne hasn't raced since 2018, and he's only made six Truck Series starts over his career. For those who forget, the 31-time race winner retired at the end of that 2018 season due to health reasons, pointing towards dehydration as a big factor. As Bianchi noted, the Truck races are the shortest of all three, so it does make sense for Kahne to return to that specific series.
Personally, I just hope we get more commercials like this next season with NASCAR's biggest heartthrob back behind the wheel:
Man, we had it so good back then, and we just pissed it all away. Remember how great NASCAR commercials used to be? Heck, any commercial, for that matter.
Now, they're all just Ozempic ads and Big Pharma crap. Disgusting. What a fall from grace.
OK, let's quickly jam the pedal to the floor and rapid-fire through a couple quickies on the way out ...
First? Here's how yesterday's race ended, which is extra special because you get to see Kyle Larson racing Kyle Busch's iconic No. 5 Kellogg's scheme from back in the day:
See? Solid finish. Solid race! Could you make an actual pass? Not really. Dirty air still rules all, unfortunately. It's undefeated in this Next Gen car, and I fear it will always be.
But it is what it is at this point. Not much you can do about this until the offseason:
Ooooooooooof. Just a brutal clip. Don't let Tony see it! He'll freak out.
Next? On the way out, let's go ahead and check in on Brad Keselowski, who is leaving his own RFK race team after this month:
Pretty shocking news out of the NASCAR world late last week. Brad Keselowski came in to Roush-Fenway Racing five years ago and really, I thought, turned that place around. They were pretty irrelevant before Brad arrived, and this year they had two of the three cars in the Chase.
Brad said his five-year contract expires this year, so that's part of the reason he's leaving. Obviously, there's a lot more meat on this bone, because the results have been good. I've seen some rumblings that the organization wanted him to transition into a more managerial role, while he preferred to keep racing.
If that's the case, I'm with Brad. He's a NASCAR champ and a future Hall of Famer. If you wanna keep racing ... keep racing. Don't let anyone else tell you otherwise!
OK, that's it for today. Solid week. A weird one, but a solid one.
On the way out, here's NASCAR Truck Series driver Jennifer Jo Cobb owing the wife of spotter Clayton Hughes a whopping $850,000 after she won a civil court case in which she accused Cobb of seducing her husband before their ultimate divorce in 2021.
Most expensive sex ever, if you ask me!
See y'all at Charlotte.
HARDY's new single 'Man In The Box' blends country music and rock into one roller coaster track
HARDY gave fans a unique song with his latest release.
The popular country music singer has carved a nice lane for himself in the industry with his country rock style.
His music is much more aggressive than your stereotypical country tracks, but there's no question it's worked well for him.
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Now, he's done it again.
HARDY released his latest single – "Man In The Box" – late last week, and to call it a roller coaster of a song would be an absolute understatement.
The song successfully blends essentially two completely different vibes into one.
The first half is more traditional country music, but as the track advances, it turns into a true rock tune. It's also just very fun.
Give it a listen below, and let me know your thoughts at David.Hookstead@outkick.com.
As you'd expect, people in the comments on YouTube had plenty to say. One fan wrote, "If you’re a country music fan you’ll dig the first part of the song. If you’re a rock music fan you’ll dig the 2nd half of the song. If you’re a music lover you’ll dig the entire song."
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Another commented, "Hardy is a lyrical genius."
A third added, "I’ve said it once and I’ll say it time and time again. Hardy doesn’t miss!"
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Like I said above, HARDY managed to do it again by releasing a new song that has country music fans going crazy. Let me know your thoughts on "Man In The Box" at David.Hookstead@outkick.com.
WWE star Blake Monroe reveals heartfelt inspiration behind entrance gear on SmackDown debut
Blake Monroe made her in-ring debut on "Friday Night SmackDown" as WWE fans eagerly awaited her entrance and what she would be able to do against an opponent like Giulia.
When Monroe was in NXT, her entrance was lauded. The cameras would show Monroe looking at herself in a vanity mirror before turning around and entering the ring. Fans had hoped the mirror would eventually come with her when she made her SmackDown debut. It didn’t happen on Friday.
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Monroe came out with a sheer robe around her shoulders with showgirl-style feathers on the ends. Needless to say, fans were disappointed, but they didn’t know the story behind it. Monroe explained all of it in an Instagram post.
"My journey started 9 years ago. I remember the night before my first class - I was so nervous. I had done theatre for years and never felt anything close to this level of fear," she wrote. "I pulled up outside the school gym that morning and didn’t even want to get out of my car. My heart was thumping and my stomach was in knots. I was ready to turn back, and then I saw a feather on my windshield.
"A few months earlier, after years of battling illness, my grandmother passed away. She was the coolest, toughest woman I had ever met. She wore a mini skirt and rollers in her hair until the very end. They say feathers are a message from someone in heaven. It sounds silly, but in that moment I felt like my grandmother was with me, telling me to step through those doors and give my dreams a chance."
She said chasing her dreams was the "best decision I have ever made."
"Now here we are, my Smackdown debut," she continued. "I know you waited 5 months… I waited 9 years, and pretty much my whole life for this moment! But sadly, a few weeks before my debut, my lovely grandad passed away. I didn’t get to say goodbye. It was heavy in my heart.
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"I didn’t tell anyone, I didn’t cancel anything. I just tried to push on as normal because I didn’t know how to handle the grief. I sat in the salon the next day getting my hair done for TV, trying to hold in tears, when my hairdresser found a feather in my hair. I truly have no idea how it got there. But I felt like it was my grandad saying hello.
"My new beautiful feathered fan entrance on Smackdown might seem like a burlesque and Great Gatsby dream, but it’s also so much more. Last night I felt like my grandparents, who are together again now, were holding my hands for one of the biggest moments in my life. In a country where I am all alone, following such crazy dreams. It’s easy to feel lonely and scared, but last night I had never felt so strong. They were with me in those wonderful feather fans.
"Thank you for supporting me in my dreams. Last night was for you. I love you and miss you so deeply."
Monroe defeated Giulia in her first WWE main-roster match. Monroe thwarted Giulia’s attempt at a move from the top turnbuckle. Giulia hit her head and was knocked out. Monroe scored the pin.
Monroe joined WWE last year and made her NXT debut in June 2025. She was an NXT women’s North American champion before getting called up.