Sophie Cunningham Gets Caught In A Trap, Shania Twain Shows Love To A Goalie & Dogs Are Still The Best

I don't want to hear any whining out of y'all today.

No matter what ails you, I want you to take a moment on this sweltering hot Tuesday afternoon to hydrate, count your blessings, jot a few notes in your gratitude journal…

…and be really thankful you aren't No. 24 for the summer Chicago Bulls.

I'm not even going to name the kid. He's having a rough enough day already.

In any event, the show must go on. And this show is about to head to Indianapolis for WNBA All-Star Weekend. I know, I know. It's been on your calendar for months. And we've finally made it.

I, for one, am very happy to spend a few days in my hometown at the place where it all started — Gainbridge Fieldhouse (formerly Banker's Life, formerly Conseco). Because fun fact: My very first job in sports was as a PR intern for the Indiana Fever in 2009.

Things have changed a bit since then.

READ: Here's Everything You Need To Know Ahead Of A Wild WNBA All-Star Weekend In Indy

Admittedly, though, I am a little bummed. My trip to Indianapolis means I won't be able to use the VIP passes reader Jon D. sent me to the Lions Super Truck & Tractor Pull in Chapel Hill, Tenn., on Friday and Saturday. And I was looking forward to checking that out and getting some content for my Nightcaps family. I had my ear protection ready and everything.

Instead, you'll have to settle for Caitlin Clark draining threes and me getting dirty looks from all the Big J's who hate OutKick.

Their loss. I'm actually quite delightful in person.

Anyway, are we ready for some Nightcaps? I think so.

Flames Goalie Dustin Wolf Gets A Shania Twain Shoutout

Akin to the Super Truck & Tractor Pull, let's go to another sport white people love: the rodeo. 

The Calgary Stampede wrapped up on Sunday, and there were some celebrities in the crowd. That includes Calgary Flames goalie Dustin Wolf, rocking his "Let's Go Girls" T-Shirt.

In case you're an uncultured swine who doesn't get the reference, the shirt is a nod to the iconic 1997 Shania Twain song, "Man! I Feel Like A Woman." 

He completed the ensemble with a hat he's almost certainly never worn before, a black studded belt and jeans he probably bought at The Buckle. 

Who am I to be a hater, though? Because Queen Shania herself loved it, commenting on the photo: "He's the cutest!" with a heart eyes emoji.

And just in case you want to feel old today, here's the real kicker: Dustin Wolf was born in 2001. That's FOUR YEARS AFTER the release of "Man! I Feel Like A Woman." She had five GRAMMYs before Dustin was even a twinkle in his parents' eyeballs.

Does this sweet summer child even understand what an honor it is to be called "the cutest" by this real-life goddess?!

I'm sorry — Lainey Wilson could never.

But while we're feeling nostalgic…

Indiana Fever Play 'Name That ‘90s Toy’

The Indiana Fever social media team decided to have some fun with the players on Monday, scattering several popular '90s toys on a table and asking the players to name them.

Just a quick glance: I see Pogs, a beanie baby, a Tech Deck, a Chinese finger trap, Silly Bandz, Silly Putty, a cup-and-ball, a hacky sack and a Poke Ball.

Which gives me a score of 9 and Sophie Cunningham, Aaliyah Boston, Caitlin Clark, Makayla Timpson and Brianna Turner a combined score of… 0.

I take that back. I'll award Sophie a half-point for "Chinese finger something." (Who actually played with those, though, anyway? I mean, come on.)

While we're at it, would y'all mind settling something for me?

Thank you for your input.

Ron In Idaho Has Some Insight On Mountain Lions:

Last week, we posted a video from a woman who had a close encounter with a mountain lion while hiking in Southern California.

Ron Writes: I had the exact same thing happen some years ago, up by Lake Shasta. I picked up my bike and ran at the cat yelling. He couldn't take that, so off he went. 

Having spent a lifetime in the woods, prowling around, I have had half a dozen encounters. They are typically not dangerous, only curious. In general, only starving animals typically attack humans (old, young, sick). In California, they have no fear of humans, other than an innate one. They have not been hunted for over 50 years, and houndsmen can't even chase them with their dogs. They never learn to really fear us. And they are EVERYWHERE!

Amber:

I've been so fortunate throughout my hiking adventures. In all the time I've spent in the woods, the most dangerous wildlife I've ever run across are copperheads and rattlesnakes. And even though I do most of my hiking in Tennessee — not a single black bear has ever crossed my path. (Knocking on wood as we speak.)

I always worried about coming across a javelina when I lived in Arizona. Those little bastards are notorious for attacking dogs out there. And I'm the type of person who would fight an animal to save my dog — even if that animal is a demonic feral pig with razor-sharp fangs. Fortunately, it never came to that.

I'd like to do some exploring out West very soon, but I'll admit I'm a little bit terrified of grizzly bears. I'll be that weirdo trekking through the woods with an air horn in one hand and bear spray in the other. And a Glock in my pack that my husband can quickly grab if things get really hairy.

(I know it's illegal to discharge firearms in a national park, but I'd rather be alive with a misdemeanor than a corpse clinging to bearspray, ya know what I'm saying?)

Wayne U. On The Apostle Islands:

Last week, I wrote a recap of a hiking trip that my husband and I took to Northern Wisconsin's Apostle Islands, which might be one of the most gorgeous places you've never heard of.

(Amber Harding Snyder)

Wayne Writes: I just have to comment and ask you about your recent trip to the Apostle Islands. Great article!  BTW - I'm about a year into reading (just about) everything on OutKick. Love it!  Anyway, my wife and I were just there in mid-June! We are both from Wisconsin (live in Colorado now) and found ourselves visiting friends and relatives in Sconny - and realized we have never been to the Apostle Islands. Unfortunately, we only had a day - and we are in our early 60s so not as young and spry as you and your husband. So we hiked Houghton Falls (didn't see the falls.... dry spring??). Took a boat tour of the Islands. And then drove around the area and ... ate at the Fish Shed in Cornucopia! ... and actually headed back to Hayward where we were staying.  

So basically, we did the 60-year-old version of what you did. Couple of quick thoughts/questions. One - did you have problems with ticks on your hikes? We did. Spent way too much time picking them off each other - even had to ask the hotel for some rubbing alcohol to help get a tick unstuck off my wife! Two - the boat trip was cool and all that - but really until we saw the long coastline of sea caves on Devil's island - from the boat .... all the islands just look like normal northwoods scenery.  And since we wanted to see the whole thing - and wanted to do some hiking, we didn't have time for the ferry to Madeline Island. I think we missed out. Learned a lot of the history, though.

We are kinda spoiled living in Colorado. Nothing quite compares to hiking and exploring in the Rocky Mountains.  But I "get it" that Midwesterns love the Northwoods (we went to Minocqua last year - skipped the breweries but went to that nice Distillery right on the lake!) as a perfect summer getaway. Beautiful. Cooler. The lakes and waterfalls and scenery are just great. A good place to cool off in the summer. And .... we have a daughter and son-in-law in Chattanooga - which is a fine place for us to visit and hike in the fall and spring - but not summer!

Oh, and we have friends in Marquette MI - so Painted Rocks is on our bucket list too!

Amber:

To answer your questions,

1. No, we miraculously did not collect any ticks on our hike. Rocky is on flea and tick prevention meds (which work spectacularly well — I've only found two on him all season.) And my husband and I used a deep-woods bug spray specifically for ticks. I probably have brain damage from inhaling the fumes of that spray, but at least no bugs!
2. I can't speak on the boat tours because we didn't take any. The sea caves are certainly the main attraction here, so I think if you're going to go the water route, the best option is probably in a small boat (i.e., a kayak or canoe). I do believe there's a lot more to be seen on Madeline Island. Particularly, Big Bay State Park. Unfortunately, like Wayne and his wife, we were in a bit of a time crunch, so we didn't make it too far past the ferry landing.

Also, I appreciate Wayne for being a gracious Coloradoan. As an outdoorswoman myself, few things irritate me more than snobby West Coast people with a superiority complex about their scenery and hiking trails.

It never fails — I'll post a gorgeous photo from a peak in the Smokies or Blue Ridge and, inevitably, some asshat from Washington or Colorado will be in my comments like:

We can all agree that the western landscape is majestic. You don't have to be a dick about it.

So thank you, Wayne, for recognizing that while the Rocky Mountains absolutely rule, there are other nice places in the United States, too.

Michael P. Confirms Next Year's Summer Plans:

Saw your article about the Apostle Islands. I'm glad to see the Northwoods getting the love the deserve. My wife and I moved to the U.P. 4 years ago and absolutely love being here. 

You mentioned Pictured Rocks as a potential destination next, and I can verify that it is beautiful. We camped there a couple summers ago and had a great time. The only issue we had was that for a number of the trails, dogs were not permitted, which was a little problem since we had our dog with us. We were still able to have a great time and find plenty to do.

And if you have the dog, much better to look into a canoe than a kayak. Plenty of room for 2 people and a dog in a single canoe. Much harder in a kayak. The Au Train River is close by Pictured Rocks as a great place to canoe with plenty of rentals in the area.

Marquette is also a great town with multiple breweries and plenty of hikes and other outdoor activities surrounding it.

Don't forget about Isle Royale National Park, either. Absolutely spectacular if you are able to get out there. (No dogs allowed though, I believe). Have fun exploring the shores of Lake Superior. 

Amber:

The Pictured Rocks are definitely high on my list, but hearing that dogs aren't allowed on many of the trails is certainly a bummer. You try looking this big furry angel in the face and telling him he has to stay at the AirBnB!

(Amber Harding Snyder)

Thanks for the heads up, though, Michael. I'll make sure I find some dog-friendly trails, and if we have to do some adventuring without Rocky, I'll win back his affection with steak, potatoes and belly rubs.

Gerard W. Adds To My ‘Up-North’ To-Do List:

In last Tuesday's Nightcaps, I wrote about Kirk Bangstad, who is the owner of super woke brewery in Minocqua, Wisconsin. You can fill yourself in here if you missed it, but basically the dude is a giant left-wing turd sandwich who is always in legal trouble. And as another reader reminded me, he recently threatened to pop all the floats in the town's Fourth of July parade.

Gerard Writes: Glad you wrote about that dumbass brewing company up in Minocqua. He was a mask-hole during Covid and wanted all the local kids in masks and the schools closed down. I can’t believe he gets enough business to keep his brewing company going in that small little town. There must be enough tourists to keep him going.  The locals all hate him.

Did you happen to try a Leinenkugel Honey Lemon Light on your trip up north?  This is a great summer beer! Goes down like water. I unfortunately can’t find any in Northern Illinois. I’m going to have to make a trip to Monroe to get some before the summer is over.

Are you going to plan your annual trip to Dixon some year when Petunia Fest is going on? We were there on July 4th and let me tell you there is some content potential at Petunia Fest. Dixon really does put on a great Independence Day celebration! 

Amber:

I did not try a Leinenkugel Honey Lemon Light. I'm sort of a creature of habit when I visit Wisconsin, drinking mostly New Glarus Spotted Cow. But next year I'll have one — just for Gerard.

My father-in-law lives in Dixon, and we always stop there as part of our Tour-De-Parents every summer. While I have been told wonderful things about the Petunia Fest, I have never seen it firsthand. Perhaps next year, I'll check out the petunias then drive up to Minocqua to give Kirk a patriotic punch in the stomach.

(Just kidding. Don't do violence, kids.)

RIP To Kaia, A Very Good Girl.

Last week's Nightcaps also featured reader Ron's new puppy Sawyer, whom he adopted some time after the death of his longtime best friend, his lab Belle. Ron and I connected earlier this year when I lost my soul dog Lucy — my dog of nearly 16 years.

This past Saturday marked six months since we had to say goodbye to Lucy, and I'm not ashamed to admit it was a rough day. I miss my old girl every second. In fact, I've been working on writing her a proper eulogy, but every time I make progress on it, I turn into a blubbering mess and have to close my laptop. One of these days I'll get it finished, and it'll be my honor to share her story with you all.

Craig G. Writes: Reading NC from yesterday, and the section about your Lucy and Mr. Ron's Belle hit me right in the feels.

We lost our sweet girl Kaia a week ago today. She was only 8. Best German Shepherd ever. We are still saddened by her sudden loss, but wanted to pass along my condolences to you both on your losses.

Never gets easier, but we still adopt these beautiful creatures into our lives over and over, all the while knowing the outcome eventually because the immense joy they bring us is worth it.

RIP Kaia, Lucy, Belle...

Amber:

My heart breaks for you, Craig. We are so lucky to know the unconditional love of dogs. But man, it sure sucks when we have to let them go.

I don't want this Nightcaps to end on a sad note, but I'll share something that reader Tammy K. said to me back in January after I lost Lucy: "The only fault a dog has is that they don't live at our pace. But they love hard at theirs."

Now wipe your eyes and let's watch som funny videos.

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.