3:40 PM PT -- More from Gronk via Jay Glazer, "I’m back. I always said when I have that feeling and it feels right, I will be ready to take the field again. And I have that feeling. I’m ready."
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Gronk tells Jay Glazer he has already passed his physical and added, "I'm baaaaackkkkkk!"
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1:22 PM PT -- Rob Gronkowski is officially coming back to the NFL -- reuniting with Tom Brady in Tampa Bay ... and the deal should be done in less than 24 hours.
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Gronk had been coy about a possible comeback, but he's made up his mind -- and will return to the league for the 2020 season.
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The issue -- Gronk is still technically a member of the New England Patriots -- but the team has been in contact with the TB Bucs and worked out a deal to ship the future Hall of Fame tight end to Florida.
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The deal ... the Patriots are sending Gronk and a 7th-rounder to Tampa Bay for a 4th-round pick.
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Jay Glazer has already spoken with Gronk ... who says the deal should be wrapped up by Wednesday ... pending the results of a physical.
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Gronk had been dealing with back injuries -- but recently had been bragging about his recovery ... and proved he's back in playing shape by jumping off the Jumbotron at WrestleMania 36 earlier this month in a high-risk stunt.
Speaking of which, Gronk is the reigning WWE 24/7 Champion -- but we're guessing that won't get in the way of an NFL contract.
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We're guessing it's Tom Brady who pushed for the trade ... the guys have become super-tight friends over their 9 seasons together in NE ... where they won 3 Super Bowls.
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Tampa Bay is quickly becoming the TB Patriots ... all they need now is Julian Edelman.
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Get ready, Tampa!!!
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12:48 PM PT -- IT MIGHT ACTUALLY BE HAPPENING!!!
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Gronk has informed the New England Patriots he's interested in making a return to football with the intention of seeking a trade to play with Tom Brady in Tampa Bay, NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reports.
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"The #Patriots and #Bucs have had some communication, from what I’m told," Rapoport added.
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Of course, Gronk and TB12 played together for YEARS in New England ... and became one of the greatest QB-receiver duos EVER.
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And, with the Bucs shopping their current starting tight end O.J. Howard ... there would be room for Gronk if a trade went through.
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It would also make sense for Gronk personally ... as we've previously reported, he's owned property in Florida in the past -- and has spent time in the Tampa area recently for his WWE gig.
Just call Rob Gronkowskithe pancake man ... 'cause he's flipping AGAIN on retirement talk -- this time saying he's "not totally done" with football after all!!!
The NFL's greatest-ever tight end has been in a tug-o-war almost since the day he quit the NFL in 2019 ... going back and forth on whether or not he's officially done.
The latest? Gronk told Andy Cohen this week on "Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen" that a reunion with Tom Brady in Tampa Bay ain't totally out of the question.
"I'm feeling good right now," the Patriots legend said. "I'm happy where I'm at. You just never know, man. You just never know. You never know. I'm not totally done."
Gronk says the only thing that's holding him back is a passion for the game ... adding, "I like to stay in shape, but I've gotta get that feeling back."
Rob retired in March 2019 ... and has said injuries -- including roughly 20 concussions -- played a big role in him calling it a career at the age of 29.
The rumors of a return haven't stopped, though ... with Gronk playing a big role in the whispers -- flipping publicly between "I'm done" and "You never know" often.
As for those close to him ... TMZ Sportsspoke with Gronk's brother, Chris, just a few weeks ago, and he said he'd be surprised to see the tight end come back.
Killer Mike thinks Georgia's jumped the gun with reopening on Friday -- potentially risking lives -- so, he is NOT rushing to open doors at his chain of barbershops.
The rapper joined us Tuesday on "TMZ Live" and told us he's concerned about Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp's plan to lift much of the state's lockdown restrictions Friday, allowing barbershops, salons, gyms and several other businesses to reopen.
Killer Mike and his wife, Shay, own a string of barbershops in Atlanta, called The Swag Shop, but tells us they're opting to keep all the locations shuttered.
While he sees strong incentives to reopen the shops -- businesses are around to make money -- Mike says concern over the health and safety of his employees and customers outweigh the company's bottom line.
He also admits race is a factor, because African Americans are being impacted by COVID-19 at a very high rate, and that's the community he serves -- so he doesn't want to put anyone in danger by opening too soon.
Sounds like Killer Mike thinks Dr. Anthony Fauci is right when he says lifting restrictions too soon could backfire. Mike's hoping governors and mayors can get on the same page, and formulate a better plan. So far, that hasn't happened in Georgia ... where several mayors are vocally opposed to the Gov. Kemp's move.
Until then, Mike has a message for the average American worker who feels they might need to rush back to work.
Chipotle may need to start charging even more for guac -- the company is paying the largest fine EVER in a food safety case stemming from more than a thousand instances of food poisoning.
The Justice Department announced Tuesday, Chipotle's been ordered to pay a whopping $25 million fine to settle criminal charges over foodborne illness outbreaks at its restaurants.
You'll recall, more than 1,100 people across the U.S. claimed they got sick from Chipotle restaurants between 2015 and 2018. The feds charged Chipotle with 2 counts of violating the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act for selling tainted food.
According to the DOJ, Chipotle admitted to more than several instances that resulted in outbreaks. For example, in December 2015 an ill employee in Boston was ordered to continue working after vomiting inside the restaurant -- a clear violation of company policy.
The feds say 2 days later, the employee returned to work and helped package a catering order for a Boston College basketball team, whose members were among customers sickened by the outbreak.
Chipotle was also accused of failing to hold food at appropriate temperatures to prevent and control the growth of foodborne pathogens.
Aside from the 8-figure fine, the company also has to be under a food safety compliance program for 3 years.
Another complete loser deliberately coughing at someone during the coronavirus pandemic, but the good news this time is -- this one's already spending time in jail.
A British woman was caught on video coughing at a police officer earlier this month while he was arresting her on suspicion of assault and property damage.
The woman, 39-year-old Charlene Merrifield, was stopped by the cop in South Tyneside following a call that a woman had attacked a man with a knife and damaged his car.
Merrifield angrily questions why she's being arrested and not the other guy, and the cop points out she was "going absolutely berserk" while holding bricks when he showed up ... so that's why.
She continues protesting as she gets in the police van and bumps her head, then proceeds to wildly cough in the officer's direction without covering her mouth. The cop loses his patience with her at that point and threatens her with jail.
Turns out, he was just foreshadowing where she'd end up ... because about a week after the incident she reportedly admitted to the assault of an emergency worker along with other offenses. Merrifield was sentenced to 21 weeks in jail.
Rachel, Ross, Joey and the other "Friends" are the latest to dive into the All In Challenge -- the stars of the show are giving folks a chance to watch them reunite on camera at long last.
Jennifer Aniston and the rest of her costars made the surprise announcement Tuesday -- notifying their followers of the "The One Where You Meet the Entire Cast of 'Friends'" ... which, of course, might just be the biggest All In Challenge yet -- if you're a fan, that is.
Jen took to Instagram to explain, writing ... "We’re inviting you and five of YOUR friends to join the six of us on Stage 24. Be our personal guests in the audience for the taping of our @HBOMAX reunion, as we reminisce about the show and celebrate all the fun we had 🥳 ... and get the whole Friends VIP experience on the Warner Bros. Studio Tour."
She went on, "Can’t wait to meet and hug you guys when this is all over 🥰 Until then, keep Facetiming, calling, DMing, and texting your friends and family. We gotta stay connected 🙏🏼" Everyone else said something similar, and the official description's almost word for word the same thing. Bottom line ... a VIP "Friends" experience like none other.
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If you're unfamiliar at this point, the All In Challenge is pretty simple -- you purchase "entries" into any given contest (there's a lot now) in increments of $10, $25, $50 or $100 ... with the more you buy, the more the chances you get of getting selected to win. Most contests only allow one purchase of $100 per person, so you can't go crazy and guarantee a win.
All the money goes to a bunch of charities and causes pertaining to helping fend off COVID-19 and feed people in the process -- 76ers partner Michael Rubin got it started ... and the challenge has taken off since then with a bunch of celebs offering one of their own.
As for the "Friends" reunion prize ... it's a perfect combination of TV bliss and advertising for HBO -- which is rolling out its new streaming service, HBO Max, very soon. Great timing!
Sadly, it doesn't sound like this reunion will be an actual episode or anything -- just the cast sitting around reminiscing on the show. So, yeah ... we're still left with this final scene.
Jennifer Lopez and Alex Rodriguez are angling to join the movement among celebs to own a sports franchise -- like Magic, Jay-Z and Derek Jeter -- but insiders tell us it's strictly a business decision ... and we're told A-Rod has a vision for the New York Mets that will handsomely line his and his fiancee's pockets.
Sources familiar with the deal tell us ... A-Rod's weakness is also his strength -- he knows he doesn't have a background in business so he's going to leave the business part of running the team to people who know better than him. He's more of a "people manager" -- meaning his strength is inspiring players, but he's leaving the business part to people who know better than him.
We're also told A-Rod and J Lo are putting up a relatively small percentage of the cash necessary to make a deal. We're told they're looking for big investors who might put up somewhere between $25 million and $50 mil. At which point they could get financing from a bank for the balance.
As it was put to us ... the Mets have been "so mismanaged" that there is nothing but upside if he can right the organization. The danger -- we're told A-Rod has an interest in working with the players. The conventional wisdom ... Hall of Fame-level players typically screw up when they try to mess with the roster.
Our sources say it all comes down to money. There are reports the Mets are worth around $2.4 billion, but some of the financial people we've spoken with say that's way too high, and the team is worth more in the $1.5 billion range. Hedge fund manager Steve Cohen was previously in negotiations to buy the Mets in a deal valued at $2.6 billion, but that fell apart in February. Lots of people felt the offer was way over market.
As for A-Rod and J Lo, they've reportedly retained JPMorgan Chase to raise capital.
The man in charge of finding the money is JPMorgan Chase managing director Eric Menell, according to Variety.
Menell runs the company's North American media investment banking.
As we previously reported, the Wilpon family -- which currently owns the Mets -- are looking to sell in a big way.
If A-Rod and J Lo DID get the sale, it would be VERY interesting considering Alex played for the rival NY Yankees for years and Lopez brags about being from the Bronx, typically Yankees country.
Jesse Jamesis gonna have to wait a little longer to unleash the monster in his garage ... his reality show reboot is being put on ice because of the coronavirus pandemic.
Jessie is currently sheltering-in-place at his home in Austin, Texas and with a ban on large gatherings brought on by COVID-19 he can't assemble a crew for the return of "Monster Garage."
In an interview with Graham Bensinger, Jesse says 'Monster Garage' is being put on hold at least until the end of the month. Jesse says they already have a pilot episode in the can, but they are in a holding pattern until his crew of about 30 people is safe to congregate on set.
TMZ broke the story ... Jesse is returning to reality TV following a 14-year hiatus, bringing 'Monster Garage' back to Discovery Channel after traveling the world and expanding his skill set in forging and blacksmith work.
When the dust settles and restrictions are lifted, Jesse says he and his crew have 7 builds ready to go.
Blake Griffin's body might be in game shape ... but his jumper??? Not so much.
Here's video of the Detroit Pistons superstar comically airballing and bricking shots in a pickup game with his kids ... and it's adorable and maybe even a little embarrassing all at the same time!
BG got out of his L.A. pad with his daughter and son Monday ... but when it came time to score against the children -- Blake's ball was social distancing itself from the net.
Check out the clips ... Blake airballed one shot so poorly, he had to sheepishly go collect the rebound from a dude on another court.
HOPE YOU SANITIZED YOUR HANDS AFTERWARD, BLAKE!
Afterward, Griffin hit nothing but iron on two other shots as well.
Obviously, BG wasn't taking things too seriously ... he was out enjoying the day with his kids and getting in a little quarantine exercise
Plus, it ain't like Griffin's not in hoops shape ... did you see his bod over the weekend?!?!
Yeah, we all miss real basketball ... but thanks, Blake, for keeping us entertained in the meantime!
9:50 AM PT -- Tony's wife, Shaye, tells us her husband isn't guilty of any crime, and she claims his arrest is the result of harassment by an allegedly inappropriate protester outside of their church for weeks.
She also claims the DA's Office has been following Tony and her, along with other church members, hoping to catch them doing something wrong. She and a busload of parishioners are heading to where the pastor's locked up to protest.
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8:31 AM PT -- 4/21 -- Spell was just cuffed by police -- who apparently took his Bible in the process -- and hauled off to jail. Central PD tells TMZ ... the pastor turned himself in around 10 AM Tuesday and has been booked on the 2 misdemeanors, aggravated assault and improper reversing.
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Pastor Tony Spell is officially a wanted man -- cops have a warrant to arrest him for allegedly backing up a church bus toward a demonstrator.
According to Central Police in Baton Rouge ... the warrant was issued Monday based on video evidence caught by FOX 44 from a Sunday incident where Spell allegedly reversed the bus upon the shoulder of the road and nearly took out someone who was protesting his church gatherings.
Central Police Chief Roger Corcoran tells TMZ ... after speaking with Spell's attorney ... they expect the pastor to turn himself in Tuesday morning around 10:30 AM CT. We're told Spell is being charged with 2 misdemeanors, aggravated assault and improper reversing.
Spell and his attorney are not on the same page, because the controversial leader of the Life Tabernacle Church, tells us ... he will never surrender to authorities.
Video from the alleged incident shows a white bus reversing toward a protester holding a sign outside Spell's church. The bus does not hit the man.
You'll recall ... the pastor was driving a church bus last week while delivering food to people in his community.
And, as you know ... he's been stirring controversy all month, packing his church on Easter without concern for public health or the health of his congregation.
A parishioner from Spell's church has since died of COVID-19 and his attorney has also contracted the virus.
Teddy Riley and Babyface put their reading glasses back on for another round of IG Live battling, but even on take 2 ... the event was technology-challenged.
The two R&B icons hopped back on the 'Gram Monday night to pick up where they left off over the weekend -- which went down in a fireball in what proved to be a huge fail. Welp, fortunately, running it back turned out to be a bit more successful (the guys were actually able to play some music and hear each other this time) but eventually ... it came to a halt.
So here's the gist ... Teddy and Face were on the same page at first, and did exactly what artists are supposed to do for these Live battles -- namely, play their biggest hits back and forth, and let the audience tuning in to decide who takes the round. That went on for a solid hour -- IG Live only lets you broadcast for that long -- before the feed finally went dead.
The guys came back on for another session, but for one reason or another ... Teddy's feed cut out completely not too long after they booted back up -- which caused confusion. Babyface -- at first, not entirely sure why Teddy had hopped out -- eventually stopped down and logged off himself to go and see if he could get on Teddy's IG Live sesh.
At this point, it turned into a game of Who's On First -- Teddy had, indeed, started his own IG Live sesh, but was back with a full musical set-up with live instruments. As he was waiting for Face to join the session, he started playing music to kill time, and was going IN doing it. Sadly, he didn't realize Babyface was at the door asking to be let in -- Teddy was that distracted -- and finally, his team got through to him. Everyone in the comments was trying to tell Teddy too, BTW.
This is where the "breaking the Internet" part happened ... Teddy was not able to let Baby back into the chat, try as he did. People chalked it up to him being an elder and unable to figure out the tech, but that's not the case ... it was Instagram's fault. Their network was jacked up because of how many people -- several hundreds of thousands -- watching.
It got so bad, IG finally had to say, "We love how much you're all enjoying the #TeddyRileyvBabyface Live on Instagram! We're experiencing some technical difficulties on mobile apps but we're working on it. In the meantime, live is available on desktop!"
But, by then, the damage was done. Baby and Teddy cut the battle short ... again. At least this time, people got to hear them actually do their thang. Better than nothin' 🤷🏽♂️
1:08 PM PT -- Vince McMahon says he has his "reasons" for firing Luck -- and he's digging in his heels.
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In fact, Vince issued a statement through his attorney, Jerry McDevitt of K&L Gates ... and it's clear, he's ready for war.
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"Oliver Luck's services as Commissioner and CEO of The XFL were terminated by a letter sent to him on Apr. 9, 2020 which explained the reasons for the termination."
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"As to the lawsuit he filed, his allegations will be disputed and the position of Mr. McMahon will be set forth in our response to his lawsuit."
The league is dead ... but the XFL's behind-the-scenes drama is very much alive!
Oliver Luck -- who was the highly touted commissioner and CEO of the new XFL -- has sued Vince McMahon claiming he was wrongfully terminated after the league folded up shop.
In his suit, Luck -- father of NFL star Andrew Luck -- says he received a termination letter spelling out the case against him on April 9. Luck says the allegations are pure BS and he denies any wrongdoing.
Luck says he fulfilled his end of the bargain, running the league since its resurrection in January 2018 -- only to be "wrongfully terminated."
As for the specific allegations, Luck redacted the details in his lawsuit -- most likely due to a confidentiality agreement he signed with the company.
In other words, he doesn't want to breach the contract by dishing out the dirt ... at least, not yet.
Lululemon's cut ties with one of its art directors for promoting a "Bat Fried Rice" shirt many feel is racist and designed to push anti-Asian sentiment amid the coronavirus pandemic.
The popular exercise apparel brand apologized Tuesday for its involvement in the controversy, which ignited Sunday after Lululemon employee Trevor Fleming shared a link to the shirt for sale by California artist Jess Sluder.
As you can see, the white and red long-sleeve t-shirt features chopsticks with bat wings on the front and a Chinese takeout box with bat wings on the back ... along with the words "No Thank You" on the box and down the sleeves.
Sluder was selling the shirt for $60 and thanked buyers for their support and sense of humor in a now-deleted post, adding ... "Where did COVID-19 come from? Nothing is certain, but we know a bat was involved."
Though the COVID-19 virus is believed to have come from bats, reports of violence against Asians have increased since the start of the pandemic due to its apparent origin of China.
Lululemon responded to the outrage over its affiliation with the "Bat Fried Rice" shirt by firing Fleming and rebuking the shirt's message as inappropriate and inexcusable.
The company says, "We acted immediately, and the person involved is no longer an employee of Lululemon." It added that the shirt design is not a Lululemon product and it opposes "any discriminatory behaviours."
Diamond Dallas Page thinks Georgia's moving too fast when it comes to reopening businesses ... so don't count on him to do it.
The pro wrestling legend tells TMZ ... he's a big fan of Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp. In fact, he voted for him, but he's not down with Kemp lifting much of Georgia's lockdown restrictions. On Friday, gyms, barbershops, spas and several other businesses can reopen, but DDP says he's opting to remain closed.
Instead, he says he'll err on the side of caution with his Diamond Dallas Page Yoga Performance Center in Smyrna, GA -- about 20 minutes outside Atlanta. That being said, DDP isn't blasting other business owners who will open their doors.
As he put it ... "if it works for other people, then let them do it." But, personally speaking, he's advising friends to remain home and continue to social distance until health experts get a better grip of the coronavirus.
It's obvious DDP has been following the news closely, and he's pretty pissed about the way the small business loans were rolled out. He's hoping someone finds a vaccine soon -- but he's not holding his breath.
Drake's "Toosie Slide" dance challenge has brought much joy during the coronavirus pandemic, and he took it upon himself to help a group of African kids go viral for their moves ... and spread even more joy.
If you missed it ... the Masaka Kids, comprised of orphans from Uganda who have crazy dancing skills, posted their rendition of the 'Slide' on Friday. When Drake shared it on his Instagram Story the following day, it blew up ... as did the Masaka Kids' social media following.
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Suuna Hassan, founder of the organization, tells TMZ ... the children wanted to partake in the challenge because they love the song and hoped Drake would notice, even though it was a long shot.
Fortunately, the kids' rendition instantly began gaining traction on TikTok, Twitter and IG, and Drake did notice ... so he reached out directly to ask if he could post the vid, too.
Hassan says he and the children cried tears of joy at the gesture and spent the next day celebrating and doing what they do best ... more dancing. In fact, they're sharing their most recent performance -- which shows they got a lot more groovin' to do.
Even more awesome ... we're told since Friday, the Masaka Kids Africana account has gained more than 120,000 Instagram followers and the org has received hundreds of dollars in donations.
Hassan says many more have inquired about how to donate clothes and other items ... and Drake's shout-out to his massive following certainly gave them a much-needed boost.
The coronavirus put Lil Xan in the hospital this weekend, not because he contracted it, but because he's super stressed out over the stay-at-home orders.
The rapper tells TMZ he was rushed to the hospital by ambulance Sunday while at his mom's house in, of all places, Corona, CA. He's been quarantining there with her, and she's the one who called 9-1-1 after seeing Xan hallucinating so badly it was freaking her out.
Xan says doctors told him he'd suffered a panic attack, but he doesn't remember much of the episode. As for what might've triggered it ... he says he feels it was caused by anxiety he's been feeling while cooped up inside.
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He says he's been in and out of hospitals over anxiety issues for years, but this is the first time it's happened since the coronavirus pandemic hit ... and it was the worst one. Xan's been avoiding the news to keep his head straight, but tells us social media doesn't help.
And yes, he's been quarantining pretty religiously too, only going out for essentials, like groceries.
One of the reasons the crisis has been weighing heavily on him might be about being the breadwinner in his family. Like millions of Americans, and almost all artists, he's out of work right now. His shows have all been canceled, including a festival in Canada.
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Adding insult to injury, Xan says his album drop has been delayed and he can't even record now, either -- it's tough to get into a studio because they're not essential.
Safe to say, the 23-year-old is feeling the heat, professionally and personally. The good news is he's on the mend from this latest attack.
6:21 AM PT -- 4/21 -- Stephanopoulos revealed he's signed up for a clinical trial to donate plasma, which could potentially be used to help treat coronavirus patients in the future.
He also says he took a test that showed he's developed the antibodies needed to fight off COVID-19, meaning he's cleared the virus and is fully recovered.
George Stephanopoulos is out for a walk in East Hampton, and given he just revealed his COVID-19 diagnosis a week ago ... this looks like a good sign for his health.
The 'GMA' anchor was out and about Monday in the exclusive Long Island 'hood. George seemed pretty sporty in shorts and a windbreaker as he chatted on his phone, and while he had a face mask ... it was around his neck, not covering his nose and mouth.
As we reported ... George announced on 'GMA' last week he tested positive for coronavirus just weeks after his wife, Ali Wentworth, contracted it. We're guessing there was no one nearby. Since George is still within the 14-day window he could be contagious, and that mask would be key in protecting others.
George has continued working on 'GMA' from home, including on Monday. At least one of his neighbors isn't happy he's out and about. ICYMI ... someone went on social media and put the newsman on blast for allegedly not following social distance guidelines.
The NY Post reported the neighbor, who's since deleted the Facebook post, was pissed off after allegedly seeing George at a drug store and walking his dog on a golf course.
He's clearly feeling well enough for a walk, but it's debatable whether he should.
