Hilary Duff makes her SI Swim cover debut, Carrie Underwood rocks out with Mötley Crüe & defending Banana-ball

There's something I'd like to get off my chest: I do not understand the hate for the Savannah Bananas.

Every time a new Banana-ball video starts making its way around the internet machine, all the b*tchers and moaners come out of the woodwork to complain: It's so silly. It's corny. It's not real baseball!

Obviously. That's sort of the point.

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That would be like getting mad at the Harlem Globetrotters for not demonstrating proper basketball fundamentals. Or attending "The Book of Mormon"on Broadway and expecting a church service.

So, naturally, when country star Riley Green sang a tune and knocked a single for the Bananas in Atlanta yesterday, all the macho men took to Twitter/X to hurl some insults and carry on about "get the dancing and singing out of my baseball!"

In fact, most of the comments I cannot repost. Because they are insinuating, in not such nice words, that everyone in the Savannah Bananas lineup is a homosexual.

Don't be bitter just because your wife thinks Riley Green is hot.

Now, I'm not saying the Bananas are for everyone. It's perfectly fine if you're not into them. I, personally, have never bought tickets for a Banana-ball event. But I'm also not turning my hatred for them into a personality trait. If you have small children and are looking for a fun way to spend an afternoon, why not check out a game?

Besides, if they're good enough for Maggie Sajak...

Anyway, all I'm saying is that some of the miserable people on the internet need to learn to welcome a little joy and whimsy into their lives. There are much bigger problems in this world than grown men doing choreographed dance numbers on a baseball diamond.

And I look forward to ignoring all of those problems starting on Friday when I fly down to Florida to firmly plant my barely-clothed behind in the sand for a week.

So I regret to inform you that I will not be joining you for next week's Tuesday Nightcaps. The good news, though, is that my pal and colleague Matt Reigle will be here, and he is one hell of a pinch hitter.

Even better than the Savannah Bananas.

So grab yourself a fruity rum drink with a little umbrella in my honor. And let's get to it.

What a comeback year it's been for Hilary Duff. She was a superstar 20 years ago — with a hit Disney Channel show and a music career. Then, she just sort of... went away. She had a few kids, enjoyed the private life and then came bursting back onto the scene in the last few months.

She's got a revamped music career, she's a muscle mommy and... officially an SI Swim cover model.

Hilary was one of four women announced as the 2026 cover models. And don't worry, I've got the rest of them for you, too.

Alix Earle:

Tiffany Haddish:

Nicole Williams English:

I actually had no idea who Nicole Williams English was until today. But I did learn she's 41. Goals.

Oh, and I learned something else recently. People still watch "American Idol." Unbelievable, right?

Last night after work and the gym, I stopped by my local watering hole to grab a beer with a girlfriend. And when I first walked in, I thought my eyes and ears did deceive me. Surely they aren't showing "American Idol" on all the TV screens with the sound on full blast booming through the speakers? At a bar. Surely not, right?

Well, friends, they absolutely were. Apparently a big group of people came in so excited to watch the season 24 (!!!) finale that the bartender just put it on all the TVs and cranked it on up.

A woman named Hannah Harper took home the crown. Or the record deal, or whatever it is that they win on that show. And this is, I'm told, a big deal because she's the first female country singer to win "Idol" since Queen Carrie Underwood won season 4 in 2005. 2005!

Speaking of Carrie, the real highlight of the night was her taking the stage with Mötley Crüe.

Oh, and it turns out I'm a dumbass. The reason everyone at my local drinking establishment was so into this particular "American Idol" finale is because one of the finalists, Jordan McCullough, is from right here in Murfreesboro, Tennessee! The whole dang town — except for me — apparently got the memo to tune in and cheer him on.

Embarrassing, since I'm supposed to be on top of the news or whatever.

So please forgive me, Jordan. I had no idea you were a local hero. And congrats on your second-place finish!

Last week, I revealed that I went hang gliding for the very first time at Lookout Mountain Flight Park in northwest GeorgiaGeorgia.

When I posted the photo on Instagram everyone had questions. What was it like? How does that thing even stay in the air? Are you insane?

Probably. But since inquiring minds wanted to know, I went ahead and documented the whole experience. You can read about it below and also watch the footage on YouTube. Check it out and let me know what you think! Would you try it?

HANG GLIDING LOOKOUT MOUNTAIN: WHAT IT’S REALLY LIKE TO BE AERO-TOWED 1,700 FEET ABOVE GEORGIA

Check out GoPro footage from the flight:

Let's open the mailbag.

???? Email: amber.harding@outkick.com (Send your thoughts, stories, tips, rants and photos of your dog.)

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Eric P. Writes: I appreciate the pics and videos of the idiots at the Met Gala that for some reason think they look good, edgy or .I don’t know.. What I do know, is that I am off the hook for being the last person on the end of a Cabo bar conga line and looking at myself in the mirror and thinking "you are the dumbest son of a bitch in the world."

Amber:

Could not agree more, Eric. Seeing all the very stupid outfits at the Met Gala has given me the confidence to leave my house barefoot wearing a lamp shade as a hat.

Last week, Candace Parker and Aliyah Boston said they both let their dogs sleep with them in their beds. And while I certainly get it, my husband and I (very cruelly) require our 80-pound fur missile of a German Shepherd to sleep elsewhere... like on our giant comfy couch or on his expensive memory foam dog bed.

So I asked y'all: do dogs belong in the bed?

Cindy F. in KS Writes: A resounding YES! Sure there's dog hair all over the bed, bruises from dogs climbing all over me and pushing me out of bed in the middle of the night. But there's also the comforting feeling of a dog curled up next to me, doggie cuddles and kisses, and a companion when I'm sad or sick in bed. The love, joy and entertainment a dog gives far outweighs the extra cleaning and bruised body. Dogs are special...there's a reason dog is God spelled backwards. ☺️

Fred H. Writes: This is Tate, my Hangin Tree dog. He's a cow dog and like a lot of cow dogs he is totally devoted to the wife and me. Everyone else not so much. His life is going with me. I'm a rancher so there's no job involved where he can't go. I go outside he goes. He's not underfoot but he's around. I check cows, which is his favorite, he goes. I go in the house he's coming in. You really think I'm going to tell him he can't sleep in bed?

Nebraska Niemo Writes: First off, thanks for all you do for this community. You definitely make me smile! As the owner of three Golden Retrievers (one Red, one Tan and one English Cream…we like to think of ourselves as multi-cultural) I will absolutely not let our dogs onto the bed. Yes, we give couch cuddles. I do not have enough room for three 75 lb muscle balls with legs/nails…

Gene in the Rock Writes: Lexi topped out at 38 pounds, a little heavier than I would have liked but it's all good, she's still light enough that I can pick her up. She's not a bed hog but would definitely be upset if she couldn't sleep at our feet. The fun part is that some portion of her doggy brain thinks she needs to occupy the exact spot where I'm about to lay down, so every night I need to pick up the edge of the blanket and literally roll her out of the way like Kvapil at Kansas. Hilarious. I suppose she thinks it's some sort of doggy carnival ride, but I'd sure hate to have to try that with an 80 pounder like Rocky!

Jon C. Writes: We currently have two Shih Tzu mixes and they sleep in the bed. They both have their blankets/spots at the foot. Until her passing a couple years ago, we also had a shepherd mix. But she had her own doggie bed by our bed. Except for whenever thunderstorms or fireworks were going off  Then it was just one big pile up in the middle of the king size bed.

Jeff M. Writes: Attached is exhibit A why our dogs aren't allowed in bed. This is how they spend their days, and it's a chore just to get them clean enough to walk around the house. Plus, with their diet of goat skittles, horse turds, and their favorite treat chicken poop, their gas is industrial strength toxic waste. Wouldn't be ideal waking up to that in the middle of the night. 

Mike L. Writes: This little guy is Arlo, and at 16 lbs. is small enough for the bed. He camps out between my wife and I and has stairs to get up on the bed.

That last one is my doggo. ????

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