Merry Christmas! It’s finally here. The big day. And I can’t believe I’m still working. What a patriot!
Wait, what? You mean we’re the only family in America celebrating Christmas today? Weird. I thought everyone opened gifts on Dec. 20.
Yeah, this is what happens when you head home for the holidays … nearly a WEEK … before Christmas. That’s the pickle we’re in right now. We leave tomorrow to head into the lion’s den, which means today is our last day at our actual house until after Christmas. Sad. Depressing.
It also means Santa had to make a special trip to DeLand last night for my toddler, because I will be damned if he skips our house this year.
So, this morning was Christmas morning for the Deans. Inexplicably, he got a skateboard for my three-year-old, who has insisted for weeks that she wants one even though she has no clue how to use it.
Should end well!
Anyway, welcome to a Friday Nightcaps – the one where we say Happy Birthday to Paulina Gretzky, and then head into the weekend with clear eyes and full hearts (can’t lose!).
What else? I’ve got Nightcaps OG Maggie Sajak gunning for woke Ryan Seacrest’s Wheel of Fortune job (good!), the best of the rest from a big week of #content, and sports anchor Alex Sims opening up her DMs to the public.
What a move from an industry vet!
OK, grab you something QUICK before the sun goes down on the shortest day of the year, and settle in for a Friday ‘Cap.
I can’t get enough of the #content coming out of DC right now
Might as well start with the looming government shutdown, because all eyes are on DC right now. Personally, I don’t get it. Any of it.
I literally have no clue what’s going on. I saw this tweet making the rounds yesterday and immediately checked out:
Could you even imagine having to read all of that? I’d quit so fast heads would SPIN on Capitol Hill. No shot. The second I got that dropped on my desk, I’d be out.
PS: The Dems printing all of that, but also being the party that tells us climate change is a real threat, is objectively hilarious. God, they’re dumb.
Anyway, gun to my head, I couldn’t tell you one thing about it. I had to Google « spending bill » just to make sure that was the right lingo.
Don’t know how it works, why we need it, who it benefits, etc … I assume the Libs are up to something nefarious, because that’s how they operate, but other than that? It ain’t my wheelhouse.
But the #content coming out of DC in response to all of this madness? It’s 100% in my wheelhouse. Love it. Crave it. Need it like I need air to breathe.
JD Vance is calling the Dems a bunch of bullshitters one minute, and the next you have a purple-haired Lib from Connecticut melting down in real-time.
What a 24 hours!
The week was loaded, once again!
Amazing. Tensions are HIGH in DC right now. Everyone is on edge. JD is firing up nasty words like « bullshit, » and totally sane Rosa DeLauro is losing her mind over President Musk.
An absolute war. You thought the college football playoff was gonna be electric later today in South Bend? Think again. This is where all the action is. Can’t wait to see how this ends in a few hours.
OK, let’s get to the #content from the week before we rapid-fire this sucker into a big, government-free weekend. First up? Might as well start in South Bend!
Alex, Paulina and Maggie, oh my!
What a week! Couple things …
1. Every single playoff game, minus the championship, should be played on a college campus.
2. Don’t forget, most playoff games tomorrow are inexplicably on TNT. That should go well.
3. Amanda Bynes? Holy cow. Frightening. Sad. Biden’s America.
4. Charlie Brown Christmas album is inarguably the greatest album of all time. Not just Christmas. All. Damn. Time.
5. Three days till Festivus! And RIP to Jerry Stiller. An absolute giant of the industry as both Frank Costanza and Arthur Spooner, and I’d argue that his airing of grievances is some of the best TV in the history of TV.
For example:
The best. God, we had it so good back in the 90s. TV stinks now. Oh well. Sad.
Rapid-fire time on this final-Friday-before-Christmas. First up? Sports anchor Alex!
Power move here from Alex. No beating around the bush. She’s ready to get back out there and meet someone for the holidays.
Go get ’em, fellas! And welcome to class, Alex. Good to have you aboard. You seem like a great fit!
Next? From a class newbie to a class vet, let’s all welcome Paulina Gretzky back to class on this holiday Friday!
Happy 36th, Paulina Gretzky! They grow up so fast. Looks like her and Dustin Johnson are doing well. Hard to believe given DJ’s most recent golf season, but I reckon when you have billions in the bank and a wife like Paulina, you probably don’t lose sleep over a couple missed cuts.
Finally … we’ve got DRAMA in the Wheel of Fortune world!
Fans of Wheel of Fortune are speculating that the show’s hosting duties may stay in the Sajak family.
Social media correspondent Maggie Sajak might take over Ryan Seacrest’s Wheel of Fortune hosting role if contract talks fall apart, sources say.
Ryan, 49, took the reins from Maggie’s father, Pat Sajak, this fall, following his 40-year run on the legendary game show.
While Ryan has boosted ratings since his arrival, his two-year contract leaves the future uncertain.
The insider reported: « Sony loves the ratings and wants to negotiate a much longer contract for Ryan. But right now, they have to have contingency plans in place in case Ryan simply decides to move on. »
I’m all the hell in on this. I thought Maggie should’ve gotten the job originally. She’s a pistol, has a huge following on social media (can’t imagine why), and her last name is Sajak.
Seemed like a no-brainer, but execs decided we needed more Ryan Seacrest shoved down our throats. God forbid we lose out on more Ryan.
Anyway, let’s hope this comes to fruition. Maggie deserves to spin the wheel full-time in 2025.
OK, that’s it for today. Take us home, Maggie!
Let’s go have a big ‘ol weekend.
OutKick Nightcaps is a daily column set to run Monday through Friday at 4 p.m. (roughly, we’re not robots).
You with me on Maggie? Email me at [email protected].
