‘Nightcaps’ is a daily column that catches you up on the biggest sports, news and culture stories you may have missed while pretending to do work at your desk. It runs Monday–Friday on OutKick.com.

Final Friday of July … Final DAY of July.

Has this been the longest month ever? I feel like we get two months every year that seemingly last forever.

January and July.

The rest fly by. But those? They just drag. I don’t mind July dragging a bit because we respect summer around here (until Labor Day Monday), but January is always such a grind.

Luckily, that’s not a today problem. There are no problems today. We’re on the brink of August, which is the true calm before the storm.

Let’s ride this out together and end the month strong.

Welcome to a Friday Nightcaps — the one where Paulina Gretzky celebrates the rumored LIV deal on a yacht in a watermelon dress. As one does, of course.

What else? I’ve got Tony Romo getting put on leave (any guesses on when he’ll be back?!), insufferable ESPN analyst Monica McNutt somehow becoming even more insufferable, and would you ever go back to a job that fired you just for the love of the game?

Karl Ravech did it last night, and I couldn’t believe my eyes. What a move.

Pro’s pro.

Grab you whatever you need to get you through the rest of this day — dealer’s choice! — and settle in for a Friday ‘Cap!

Monica McNutt smiles during the 2026 WNBA draft on April 13 at The Shed in New York. (NBAE via Getty Images)

Monica McNutt and ESPN continue to give the people what they want

Let’s spin the wheel and start with … OutKick fan-favorite, Monica McNutt! You didn’t think we’d go a whole day without talking about the WNBA, did you?

To be fair, we’re not really going to talk about it today. Don’t worry. Don’t leave! I promise, this has nothing to do with that shameful league.

Instead, it has to do with McNutt, ESPN’s WNBA analyst, who is pretty much hated by everyone. Somehow, she still has a job after all the layoffs earlier this month (more on them in a bit), which means we’ll get plenty of racial Caitlin Clark takes over the next month or two.

Thank goodness.

Anyway, McNutt joined a version of SportsCenter that nobody watches last night, and decided to give her hot take(s) from a nail salon, which was, frankly, the most pathetic thing I’ve seen from that network in a while.

Imagine this coming on your screen and not changing the channel:

Now, to an ESPNer who actually deserves some screen time

Lordy. What a time to be alive. What a world we live in at the moment. This isn’t the first time we’ve heard from McNutt this week, by the way.

Don’t forget, just a few days ago, she stuffed Caitlin Clark in a locker and insisted she was to blame for the negative headlines surrounding the WNBA because she lacks “accountability” and “self-awareness.”

Seriously:

Goodness gracious. And Ryan Clark had the audacity to blame racism on his firing when Monica McNutt is still employed and allowed to spout off takes like that.

Yeah, OK, Rhino! Whatever you say.

Monica McNutt attends the 2026 ESPYS at the David H. Koch Theater at Lincoln Square in New York, N.Y., on July 15, 2026. (Variety via Getty Images)

Anyway, who else is looking forward to another drama-free weekend out of the WNBA!? Sophie Cunningham plays tonight in lefty Portland. Surely nothing will happen.

OK, moving on …

… From one ESPN staffer to another (former?) ESPN staffer:

Paulina, Romo & Paige, oh my!

Whoaaaaaaaa Nellie! Imagine my surprise last night when I flipped to the Nats-Braves game, and heard Karl Ravech on the call.

Yes, the same Karl Ravech that was part of those layoffs a few weeks ago. He’s back! He just showed back up to work like nothing happened.

No explanation. No comment. No nothin’. Just put his hard-hat on and acted like he never left. Amazing.

Some context:

1. Sources tell OutKick that, in addition to last night’s assignment, Ravech will do a few remaining assignments in the coming weeks, including another MLB game and his usual Little League World Series work.
2. What we don’t know is why. I would assume this is Ravech’s choice. Duh. He was laid off, along with Ryan Clark, Cam Newton, and others. The only way he’d essentially finish out his duties would be if he decided to come back.
3. My biggest takeaway? Pay attention to how Ravech responded to his firing, compared to Ryan Clark, who ran to his podcast, sobbed like a child, and then shouted “RACISM.”

Should tell you everything you need to know.

ZERO BS. JUST DAKICH. TAKE THE DON’T @ ME PODCAST ON THE ROAD. DOWNLOAD NOW!

OK, let’s rapid-fire this Friday class into a big Friday night. First up? Amazingly, LIV Gold reportedly has an interested investor who is willing to step in and essentially save the league. Nothing is official, but that’s the word on the street right now.

Paulina Gretzky — wife of Dustin Johnson — seems to be celebrating the news appropriately:

Welcome back to class, Paulina! Been a while. Remember when Dustin Johnson used to be good at golf and actually in contention? Seems like a lifetime ago.

DJ, by the way, is coming off a literal no-show at the British Open earlier this month. He skipped his last qualifier, and decided to start vacation a few weeks early.

Paulina Gretzky returns to the Masters Par 3 Contest caddying for Dustin Johnson

Paulina Gretzky, wife of Team Captain Dustin Johnson of 4 Aces GC, is seen during Day Three of the LIV Golf Invitational – Chicago at Rich Harvest Farms on September 18, 2022 in Sugar Grove, Illinois. (Charles Laberge/LIV Golf via Getty Images)

Seems like Paulina approves.

Next? Let’s check in with Tony Romo on the heels of last weekend’s OWI arrest:

On leave “indefinitely.” Yeah, OK. Hogwash! Quick, who wants to guess when this “leave” gets lifted?

IIIIIIIIIIIIII don’t know, Jiiiiiiiiiim!

Sure you do! Sept. 4 — one day before the NFL season kicks off. CBS has said that JJ Watt will replace Romo alongside Nantz, but I’ll believe that when I see it.

There’s a Packers-Vikings 4:25 game calling his name that Sunday.

OK, that’s it for today — and this week. Good week. Great month. Time to turn the page and really start to crank things up.

Here’s Paige Spiranac promoting some new golf #content to take us into August.

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See you Monday.

When will Romo be back? Email me at Zach.Dean@OutKick.com.