Lainey Wilson Knocks 'Em Back, Paige Lorenze Is Winter Ready & The Dolphins Still Suck In The Cold

I am a popsicle. Frozen solid. Cannot function. Just call me Tua Tagovailoa.

But we'll get to that in a second.

My husband and I wrapped our annual Tour de Florida on Sunday, and after spending three full weeks in the Sunshine State, this bitter cold Tennessee air is hitting me like a ton of bricks.

I know — Stop your bitching and moaning, Amber!

That's fair. After all, some of you have to live in places like Michigan, where it looks like this right now:

But it's still a tough transition to wake up to that "feels like 11 degrees" alert on the ol' weather app when I've spent the last three weeks frolicking on a beach.

Speaking of, we had a wonderful time visiting my parents and the in-laws. Rocky — the world's greatest German Shepherd — had the most fun of all. He got to spend his days swimming in the ocean and sitting at breweries, where everyone asks to pet him and tells him what a beautiful, perfect boy he is.

Can't say I disagree.

But we're back home in Tennessee — just in time for Christmas. And more importantly, Christmas parties.

Not to brag, but my calendar is chock-full of holiday gatherings over the next week. Which is odd because my social calendar usually just consists of Tuesday night book club and occasionally having a conversation with someone at the gym.

But don't worry, I still have Tuesday night book club. Our holiday party is tonight, and we'll be discussing quite possibly the dumbest rom-com slop I've ever read. But at least it's Christmas-themed!

‘MeatEater Live: The Christmas Tour’ In Nashville

Last month, MeatEater founder Steven Rinella sat down with OutKick Outdoors to discuss everything from his new cookbooks to Thanksgiving turkeys and hunting wild game. It was a great conversation, and I appreciate the feedback we got from readers who are craving more outdoor content.

So that's what we will give you.

Steve and the MeatEater crew were kind enough to invite me to their live Christmas show in Nashville this Thursday, and I am pumped. I've never been to a live show of theirs, but I hear Steve and the guys will be talking hunting, fishing, conservation and wild foods (with a "holiday flair"), and there will also be prizes. Everybody loves prizes.

It's part of a six-stop tour down South that will also hit Alabama, Arkansas and Texas.

"Whenever we announce new live tour dates, we get complaints from Canadians and southerners who are mad that we skip them over," says Steve. "Well, you Canadians are getting screwed again."

Sincerest apologies to America's hat, I guess.

But anywho, I'm told a few tickets are still available, so if you Nashville folks are looking for a last-minute holiday gift for the outdoor lover in your life (or for yourself, no judgment), here's your sign.

I'll be there gathering content for OutKick Outdoors, so if you spot me, make sure to say hello and buy me a beer.

(I'm kidding about the beer part, but I also wouldn't be mad...)

Matter of fact, go ahead and pop one open from the garage fridge now. Let's do some Nightcaps!

I Hope Tua Tagovailoa Is Warm & Cozy Back In Miami

…sipping hot cocoa while snuggled up on his piles of money with his kids who still love him even though he sucks at football.

I know, I know. I promised y'all a couple of months ago that I was done complaining about the stinky Miami Dolphins until next season. It's bad for my mental health to get colossally bent out of shape over a football team that doesn't even know I exist (and clearly wouldn't care anyway).

But every addict relapses at least once, and here I am — doing exactly what I said I wouldn't do.

I mean COME ON, though. Did you see that game last night? Pathetic. Not that I had high hopes to begin with. I am not delusional enough to think the team who hasn't won a game in sub-40 temps SINCE 2016 was going to come into freezing Pittsburgh on prime time and smack the yellow pants right off the Steelers. I just think it's reasonable to ask them not to get flat-out embarrassed by a 100-year-old quarterback with a broken wrist.

I hated it. You hated it. Jason Kelce hated it.

In fact, I'm pretty certain the only people — outside of Steelers fans — who enjoyed last night's nationally televised monstrosity were Lainey Wilson and the Mannings, who were "swallering and hollering" shots of liquor to get them through it.

Set ‘em up, Lainey. I’ll take seven.

Seriously, though. If there was ever any doubt that Tua is simply NOT the answer in Miami, last night should have been the nail in that coffin. I don't know if it's the concussions or too much SPAM or what, but the dude is regressing at an alarming rate.

It's been a staggering 25 years since the Dolphins have won a playoff game. Make that 26 now that they're officially out of the 2025-26 postseason, too.

Tua's gotta go, man. I'm sure he's a real nice guy, but it's just not working out.

It's time for Stephen Ross to "swaller" that $212-million pill and let Zach Wilson and Quinn Ewers finish out the season. At least we'll know what we're working with.

Have We All Been Wearing Our Coats Wrong?

A woman is going viral on TikTok after revealing that we've all been wearing our fur-lined hooded parkas the wrong way like a bunch of idiots.

Instead of having the fur facing outward to frame your face like the majestic Lion King of the Serengeti, Jessica explains, you're supposed to flip the fur inward to warm your ears and form a seal around your head.

WATCH:

And here I've been all my life — fur flying all over the place — walking around with cold ears and no peripheral vision.

I am going to give this a shot next time I venture out into the frozen tundra of Murfreesboro, Tenn. (it's actually 48 degrees LOL), but I do question whether Jessica's method of hood-wearing is actually as the E̶s̶k̶i̶m̶o̶s̶ indigenous peoples of Alaska intended.

After all, I have never seen a photo of Inuit people who didn't have fur-lined faces. And I feel like they really are the experts on such matters.

Just check out these historical photos:

(Photo by Ivan Dmitri/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)

Getty Images

Just kidding, that last one was Tommy Paul's fiancée, Paige Lorenze, just yesterday.

But it's a free country, baby, and I'm proud to live in America — where we can all wear our winter clothing however we damn well please.

Right Joe?

Right!

Jim C. Is Proud To Be An American, Too.

Jim reached out about my Army-Navy Game story about Ryan Manion, Gold Star sister of 1st Lt. Travis Manion.

Jim Writes: Amber, this introductory video by CBS before the 2017 Army-Navy game is very touching. It can bring a tear to your eye.

Mark D. Shares His Hot Dog

Literally.

Mark Writes: Thought you might appreciate this, South African summers are notoriously hot. This is Jess, she turns 14 later this month.

Amber:

You are correct, Mark, that I always appreciate dog photos in my email inbox. And I have a soft spot for senior pups. You give that angel a hug and a nose boop from me!

Pour One Out For Bud, Say Hello to Lexi:

Gene in the Rock Writes: I'm sad to say that Bud, our little hero who I wrote you about, has gone to the Rainbow Bridge. He had a stupid old man accident trying to jump out of bed at 3AM and broke his back. He passed peacefully in his daddy's lap with heavy sedation prior, the only way we'll ever let a pet go.  

Not being the types to go dogless for very long, we just took in this 6-month-old cutie from Benton Animal Control.  My wife renamed her Lexi, she has legs for days and runs like a greyhound despite having been somewhat underfed in the shelter (not their fault, they do a fabulous job on a budget that's God's own shoestring). We don't know what Lexi is yet, but our daughter is buying us a Wisdom Panel as our Christmas present to find out. My unscientific bet at the moment is Basenji and Whippet.

Amber:

As we've discussed plenty of times here in Tuesday Nightcaps, saying goodbye to a damn good dog is one of the hardest things we ever have to do. 

But the very best way to honor the ones we've lost is to — when you're ready, of course — give another dog a loving home. God bless, Gene. And please keep us posted on Lexi's doggy DNA test.

Stuff I Liked

OutKick Nightcaps is a daily column set to run Monday through Friday at 4 p.m.

Follow me on X / Twitter at @TheAmberHarding or email me at Amber.Harding@OutKick.com.