NASCAR's Hailie Deegan Is All Smiles As She Slips Into A Fire Suit & Goes Racin', Happiest Cities & MEAT

Hailie Deegan is attempting to rebuild her NASCAR career this year by driving on the ARCA circuit.

PublishedMarch 14, 2026 9:40 AM EDT•UpdatedMarch 14, 2026 9:40 AM EDT

What a night: 70 mph winds, power outages, trees down everywhere

All I wanted to do last night was play 18 with Canoe Kirk at TPC Sawgrass on the Meta VR headset. Instead, I got to watch Canada-USA via my laptop by candle light because our power was out for a couple of hours. Half the town was dark.

What a day. The roof of one of our local schools blew off. Semis were blown over on the highway.

After publishing this post, I need to put our yard back together. The pool toy box is ravaged. I have patio chairs flipped over. Limbs will need burned. It's a mess.

Hopefully Canoe Kirk is ready to play 36 at some point today — via VR.

My take that the beach is overrated seemed to hit a nerve with the community

— Brian in New Jersey says I'm not crazy:

The beach is dreadful. One of the most boring events in life. Let’s sit in the sun and bake, while being reminded we need to reapply this sticky substance every hour. Even sooner if we hit the water to cool off from the 130 degree sun/sand combo. If we’re lucky, seagulls will try to snatch our food, the yahoos sitting an arm’s length away will be blasting terrible music and kicking up sand - that the wind carries into your food - and the parade of Jersey Shore castoffs processing up and down the beach will be caterwauling loud enough while butchering the English language. It was terrible as a child, even worse as an adult. Now, sitting on a sailboat, sipping a Dark and Stormy and puffing on a Cohiba? That’s goddamn bliss.

— Craig C. disagrees and thinks I have an issue:

I hate to say it, but maybe you have mental problems when it comes to the beach issue.

I kid of course, but when we go to the beach my wife and I enjoy the peace and quiet and downtime from the hectic pace of everyday life. We can sit there for hours with books or just stare at the water while the sounds of waves and birds are our background music. Phones stay in the truck (The beaches we go to in the Outer Banks of NC are 4wd accessible so you just drive out there, find a great spot, park and set up your chairs and canopy. No lugging all your shit over miles of hot sand through hundreds of other people. We live in Virginia, 30 minutes from the Va Beach oceanfront, but never, I mean absolutely never go there. It is awful) and we just live in the moment. Disconnect so to speak. It is very soothing and recharging. We definitely also go in the water a lot and she enjoys looking for shells as well. It is just the best day.

Have a great weekend.

— Thomas S. checks in:

You nailed it with your assessment of what to do at the beach but you forgot couple of things...Go into the water! I remember when my kids were your age we spent most of our time in the water, body surfing, tossing footballs or just goofing around in the water. You can only do any of the things you mentioned for 15-30 minute increments so break them up by going into the water after each of them.

The other thing you forgot is people watch. I'm always amazed by what other people do, what they wear (or don't wear).

— Deb from Marco Island says come on down:

Come to Marco, Joe. Great shelling there as long as you get to the beach early enough to get the rare ones. We are members at the Residents' Beach and it has tiki huts along the back of the beach area for members to sit under. During the Season, you need to get there early to find a good spot not too far from the boardwalk. If you want the water front, there is plenty of space there for even late comers. If your dad has his car registered in Florida, specifically Collier County, he can get a Collier County beach pass and park at Tigertail or one of the other lots further down the beach for free. Water is a little cool right now, but being from up North, you should find it perfect.

When we head for the beach, we'll either read, nap or people watch. Sometimes it's better than Walmart. It's always fun to watch the larger groups with two or three beach carts, a passel of kids, plus two or three coolers. No glass or cooking is permitted on county beaches. You need to take out what you bring in.

Kinsey:

Actually, we will be down there in late March. I've already instructed my dad to have the boat ready to go over to Keewaydin Island where the kids can go shelling and not just sit there telling me the waves are boring. I get it kids, the Gulf doesn't have the waves you're looking for.

This brings me to a list that I saw this week of the Happiest Cities in the US. Look at how happy people are in North Dakota. I had no idea people in such harsh conditions, with no beaches within thousands of miles, could be so happy.

I contend that this list shows us that beaches don't actually make us happy. Beaches, I believe, make us happy for a quick moment, like taking a quick hit of drugs, and then it wears off.

By the way, I don't know how San Jose makes the list. I've been there on two trips and it didn't seem overly happy. It seemed dreadful. I saw plenty of squalor that didn't exactly scream happiness.

— Kevin W. tells me:

I'm with you, I can't just sit there all day, but if you go to a beach where you can bring beers, then it's not much different than tailgating for a few hours. Having a beach to go look for seashells definitely helps, and if you can bring your dog, that's fun too.

I recommend going to Sanibel Island, where all of this qualifies. They have great shelling, you can bring your dog, beer, food, and make a day of it. You can even fish, which I see people doing a lot.

— Brett checks in from the beach:

I just finished reading today's edition of SC while sitting on the beach. That's all my wife and I, along with another couple, have done all week while we've been in Mexico.

We actually had this exact conversation last night, how much we love just sitting at the beach all day. We pack the cooler and get to our spot around 10 or 10:30. We read our books, listen to music, people watch, float in the water and take the occasional walk. But that's it and it's amazing! I know it's not for everyone but we love it!

— Jim F. checks in:

Following your question about who hates beach vacations and the Players going on at Sawgrass, I recalled past kid vacations that worked well. We began an almost annual beach vacation when the kids were small because that was the easiest activity to take under 5 year olds on (this began in 1995 and ran to around 2010). Rented a small condo with a pool and beach in the back, outside St Augustine FL. I never liked sitting on the beach, seemed really boring, so we had to find things in the area that we could do with the kids and not just sit around.

The town has grown too much since then, too crowded most of the year, it was and still is a tourist trap, but there are plenty of things to do, and we had fun together. Always tried to get some hiking or other outdoor activities, including my wife’s favorite- shell hunting.

As the kids got older, we stayed in South Ponte Vedra, had a great time running trails nearly every day at Guana Preserve with my sons- once two wild turkeys busted out of the bush and ran down the trail for about 30 yards in front of us! Never played at Sawgrass, did attend a wedding there a couple years ago and my oldest son (wedding party) played a round there (he shot an 82 and par on 17, big highlight for him).

So there’s some great golf in the area as well, pricey at Sawgrass unless you can get a group rate. There are other courses in the area that are reasonably priced.

In addition to the tourist trap stuff there’s some great beaches and parks for easy family hikes/ walks in the area:

https://www.floridastateparks.org/anastasia

https://www.southernliving.com/guana-beach-fl-11921330

https://gtmnerr.org/

https://www.floridastateparks.org/parks-and-trails/washington-oaks-gardens-state-park

— Otis in Mobile got in on this topic:

1. You nailed it on the beach. I can do it for maybe an hour but then I am just bored senseless. Even if you take a book it is almost impossible to find a position that is comfortable AND doesn't have glaring sun on one half of the page, and darkness on the other. And no, I am not taking 200lbs of umbrella down so that I can read a book on the beach that I could enjoy just as much back in the condo.

2. Regarding gas station foods, there can be some good finds. For instance, the local gas station by me has chicken livers just like I used to eat when I was a kid. The one in my area that everyone raves about (although I have not been) is a Chevron Station that is supposed to be divine. The Breakfast Gumbo is famous and I believe has been featured on some food shows on television. Have a look.

https://satsumabreakfastandbbq.com/breakfast-menu

And those prices? Unbelievable. Who is still making Tomato Gravy? I thought that was a bygone of the past.

3. If you are doing a Peter Luger's photo, need to do one of the bacon appetizer

4. It was not in the column, but it has been all over Outkick. I am baffled by all the hate the Ravens are getting over the Crosby deal. Personally, I think it was a genius move and I do not think they had buyer's remorse, I think they planned this from the start. If Hendrickson wanted to go somewhere else or the going rate was too high, they had Crosby in their pocket. When the market for him became palatable, they kept their two #1s. I also think that all the hate is based on them being the Ravens. If a more popular team or GM (John Schneider in Seattle, for instance) pulled this move it would be lauded as "3-D Chess" or "being 3 steps ahead of every other GM". I am not a Ravens fan, but good for them for doing what is best for the team AND Ravens fans. They owe no loyalty to the Raiders. As a Bucs fan, I am jealous. My team cannot even get a sniff of a good free agent OR keep a HOF receiver in the building because of the toxic environment in that locker room by retaining a head coach that clearly has no idea what he is doing.

— Jim T. in San Diego lives in one of the happiest cities in America and he's anti-beach:

Growing up in Dayton, the first beaches I ever went to as a kid were at lakes - and they sucked. Cowan Lake still sticks in my mind as a complete waste of a day for a 10-year-old. Could have been worse, of course, as we'd see people laying out on the "beach" along the Great Miami River near downtown.

When I was about 12, we spent three days with cousins in Ocean City, Maryland in a beachside condo - but it was right after the remnants of a hurricane had swept through, and so there were dead stingrays and manta rays and other fish everywhere. It was pretty disgusting.

Moved to San Diego at 17, and even bought a surfboard and a wetsuit that first summer. Decided surfing was an idiotic way to spend a morning, but sold both the suit and the board at a profit, so that wasn't all bad.

When I was in college, it was still legal to drink on the beach in California (cans only, no glass), and so many evenings were spent at various beaches watching Navy ships glide by in the distance while downing a beer or eight. (Not Coronado, though - Coronado cops were famous for hassling any non-locals on what is the most spectacular beach in the area, the one just north of the historic Hotel Del.)

After I graduated college, I lived a couple blocks from the beach. When our oldest was born, I'd take her for a walk in her stroller down to the beach and out to the end of the pier.

Today I live maybe 30 minutes from the beach - and haven't been in a couple years. Like you, I get bored just sitting there. I tan like a lobster, you can't even really "people watch" on the beach itself as everybody picks a spot, lays down their towel, and settles in for a few hours. (The people watching can be entertaining when you get on the boardwalk in Pacific Beach.)

But just going to the beach to sit and sun?

I'd much rather be golfing ...

— Brandon in NW Houston agrees with me here:

I don't really understand the appeal of just sitting at the beach for hours on end. I mean, maybe if it was a really busy beach and there was stuff going on, but if it was busy I wouldn't want to be there anyway.

However, I greatly look forward to the annual Frio river trip with a group of college buddies. The activity of choice? Plopping a chair in the river, under a canopy, and sitting...for hours on end, sipping on cold beer. So I guess it's all about the location?

— Kevin in Toboso is pro-mountains:

I don't need a sunburn, dont need to read 10 books in a week, don't need touristy crap souvenir tshirts, don't need a nutsack rash from the sand, don't need eaten by a shark, don't need stung by jelly fish, don't need shoes/flip flops covered in sand and I definitely don't need to see some of the folks in bathing showing off their cellulite collection.

Mountains or a lake any day of the week

Contact me this weekend if you're at the beach

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OutKick founder Clay Travis could've blown $10 million on another house in Florida along the beach, but, instead, he donated it to Vanderbilt

In case you missed the big donor news on Friday, Clay and Lara stepped up for Vandy in a big way. I do wonder if Clay gets to name a building or at least some lecture hall after such a healthy donation.

Dicks

— Bill C. sent over this headline:

Kinsey:

You know, I might take Screencaps the III to Dick's this weekend to see just how high the prices have gotten. I will no longer buy gloves from Dick's. The last glove I purchased was a Rawlings for Screencaps Jr. — from eBay. It was already broken in. Beautiful glove. He loves it.

Next up: A new, used bat for Screencaps the III. I will be buying it from eBay.

Screw Dick's and the other dicks who have destroyed the game I grew up loving.

On straight white males having male friends

— Chris in Boise says:

We have a group of 11 of us who try to get together every year for a golf trip We're all around 50. It started out as friends playing fantasy football and now we've been doing it for over 25 years now.

We lost somebody several years ago unexpectedly and I believe that got us closer as he was too young to just be gone. The group chat on texts can range from anything to sports and making sure to get your colonoscopy done.

I've never had a hard time making friends, but definitely glad this group has stayed together even though people are more spread out and busy with family. If you're not shy, can talk to pretty much anybody about anything on your mind.

Volunteers keep sending reports The Players

— Bill C. adds:

Volunteer work has been tough so far working hospitality at 17 which involves scanning spectator tickets to the Pete Dye pavilion. I did get to follow Rory’s group on 10-18 before my shift today and ran into these Ludvig groupies. Great people that love the game and are extremely friendly.

I asked what the 59 was for and they said that’s the optimal score they always want Ludvig to shoot. I think they even got some airtime on the TV broadcast today. I hope they come back tomorrow. The Players tournament needs this Ryder Cup like passion.