Multiple NFL Teams Cancel Practices Drew Brees Puts 'Jacob Blake' Name on Helmet

UPDATE

10:16 AM PT -- The New Orleans Saints decided to have practice Thursday -- but a bunch of players, including Drew Brees, put the name "Jacob Blake" on their helmets to show support for the movement.

UPDATE
UPDATE

It's an interesting move for Brees who publicly changed his stance on the national anthem kneeling protest earlier this year -- admitting he didn't really understand that it was about putting a spotlight on police brutality and not meant to disrespect the flag or the military.

The Arizona Cardinals, Tennessee Titans and Green Bay Packers have also canceled their Thursday practices.

Several NFL teams -- including the NY Jets and the Indianapolis Colts -- are canceling practice Thursday so players can focus on social justice issues.

Just one day after multiple NBA teams refused to take the court for their Game 5 playoff games as a "boycott" to show outrage over the Jacob Blake shooting, NFL players are also taking action.

The Washington Football Team is among those canceling team activities Thursday.

Head coach Ron Rivera says the decision came after a conversation with new team president Jason Wright.

"Jason Wright and I worked this afternoon to develop a response that has the right balance between the business of football and being truly thoughtful about the social injustice we witnessed with this latest incident in Wisconsin."

"We went to Mr. Snyder with our plan for tomorrow and we were given his complete support and approval."

Rivera says the plan is to return to football on Friday -- but Thursday will "be about reflection instead."

"In place of our practice at FedExField, the players, coaches and football staff will meet as a football family and we will continue our open dialogue on the issues of racism and social injustice in our country."

Not all NFL teams scrapped practice Thursday -- the Ravens, Giants, Patriots and Buccaneers proceeded as scheduled.

The Ravens explained, "Our team decided to practice this morning. After practice, the team will come together for a meeting to discuss and work on a plan for continued social justice reform efforts."

Originally Published -- 6:56 AM PT

Jennifer Lopez Owning Mets Would Be 'Amazing' ... MLB Needs Women!

GROUNDBREAKING POTENTIAL
Barstool Sports - The Corp

Jennifer Lopez says owning the NY Mets would not only be "amazing" for her ... but extremely beneficial for MLB to have a strong woman in a position of power.

Both J.Lo and Alex Rodriguez have been laser-focused on trying to buy the team from the Wilpon family -- raising millions of dollars from high profile investors in the hopes of closing a deal.

Jen's main competition is from Wall Street titan Steve Cohen -- who reportedly made a $2.6 billion bid ... though word on the street is the Wilpons would rather sell to J-Rod's group if they can get close to that number.

Jennifer appeared on Barstool Sports' "The Corp" podcast -- where she was asked about the latest developments with the ownership pursuit.

"Listen, in this day and age, that would be something that would be so amazing," Lopez said.

"We don’t, I don’t have anything to report on that end right now. But, I think in every field, especially in institutions like Major League Baseball that are so American in this moment in time, it is important for diversity and it is important for women to have positions of power that they’ve earned and deserve and can contribute in a way that is just as good as any man on the planet."

She adds, "So of course I am for it."

There are currently zero women listed as a principal owner of a Major League Baseball franchise.

Also, Lopez wouldn't just be a silent partner -- she has a reputation as a savvy self-made businesswoman who's made a fortune over the years ... and she's not afraid to speak her mind.

So far, a bunch of NBA and NFL stars have joined the J-Rod investment group including Travis Kelce, DeMarco Murray and Brian Urlacher.

Waiting for your permission to load Spotify episode.

R. Kelly Allegedly Attacked by Pissed Off Inmate

R. Kelly got a taste of jailhouse justice -- a frustrated inmate went on the attack and jumped Kelly in his cell ... TMZ has learned.

Federal law enforcement sources with direct knowledge tell us the incident recently went down inside the Metropolitan Correctional Center in Chicago where Kelly was sitting on his bed when another inmate walked in his cell and started punching the crap out of Kelly.

Our sources say the inmate went on the attack because he was angry about the detention facility being placed on lock down a couple of times largely due to Kelly protesters outside the jail.

We're told the fight didn't last long, and it's unclear if another inmate or guards broke it up. Our sources say Kelly was examined by a doctor, who determined the singer was okay ... no broken bones or serious injuries.

A spokesperson for the Federal Bureau Of Prisons tells TMZ ... it cannot comment on an individual inmate's conditions of confinement or medical status due to privacy and safety reasons. We also reached out to Kelly's attorney, Steven Greenberg, for comment but he declined to discuss the incident and said Kelly's been a model inmate.

Back in 2019 when Kelly turned himself in at the Cook County Jail, the facility's 6,100 inmates had to sit tight whenever Kelly was on the move there.

Trevor Noah Trump's Gonna Need a Lawyer ... Hire My Team!!!

Trevor Noah, Esq. is ready to defend President Trump against a flood of lawsuits once he's out of office ... that's if POTUS can't get Larry H. Parker on the line.

'The Daily Show' host took out this hilarious full-page ad in Thursday's Washington Post ... although we doubt anyone in the White House is laughing. In it, Trevor Noah & Associates & Sons say they'll defend an unnamed "Soon-to-be-ex-President" against "Corruption, mega corruption, shady rich guy tax stuff and mail murder."

Hell, Trevor says they'll even stand up for Trump because "You told people to inject bleach for some reason."

Yes, Dems will laugh it up, and the GOP will hate the ad -- which wasn't coincidentally taken out the day the Prez accepts his party's nomination.

Anyway, when/if Trump's interested ... the number's easy enough to remember: 1-210-WH-CRIME.

BTW, the "No habla español!" and $130k Stormy Daniels check references? Comedy gold.

Katy Perry & Orlando Bloom Welcome Baby Girl!!!

Katy Perry's officially a mama for the first time ... she and Orlando Bloom welcomed a baby girl, Daisy Dove Bloom!!!

The couple shared the news through UNICEF, an organization they're both Goodwill ambassadors for. "We are floating with love and wonder from the safe and healthy arrival of our daughter."

"But we know we’re the lucky ones and not everyone can have a birthing experience as peaceful as ours was. Communities around the world are still experiencing a shortage of healthcare workers and every eleven seconds a pregnant woman or newborn dies, mostly from preventable causes. Since COVID-19, many more newborn lives are at risk because of a greater lack of access to water, soap, vaccines and medicines that prevent diseases."

You may recall ... Katy revealed they were expecting a girl back in April, when she posted an Instagram photo with Orlando's face smeared with what appeared to be pink frosting. She captioned it, "It's a girl" with the geotag, "Girls Run This World." 💪🏽

As for being pregnant ... the singer made the big reveal a few weeks earlier when she dropped the "Never Worn White" music video. She was seen in the vid cradling her baby bump.

Just days before that, Katy was out shopping and it looked like she was trying to keep the news under wraps ... literally.

After the announcement ... Katy seemed pretty ecstatic to have finally let the cat out of the bag, taking to Twitter to say, "omg so glad I don't have to suck it in anymore" with an eye-roll emoji.

She looked pretty comfy earlier this month in an Adidas hoodie and maternity pants too.

As for Daisy's name, Perry recently released a single called "Daisies" ... unclear if baby inspired the song name or maybe it was the other way around.

This is Katy's first child. Orlando's got a son, Flynn, with Miranda Kerr. Katy and Orlando got engaged on Valentine's Day last year but are not yet Mr. and Mrs. One thing they definitely are now though ... is Mommy and Daddy.

Congrats!!!

Jacob Blake Traumatized Kids Desperately Need Therapy After Watching Their Dad Get Shot

Jacob Blake's children who witnessed him being shot are understandably shaken to the core -- and the process of healing will begin sooner than later ... TMZ has learned.

Jacob's uncle, Justin Blake, tells us the three kids who saw their dad shot 7 times in the back are in desperate need of professional help, and the family is already looking for an appropriate therapist or team of therapists.

8/23/20
SHOCKING AND BRUTAL
Raysean White via TMX.news

So far, Justin says they've reviewed two services which make sense for them, and they'll decide as a family which route to go in a matter of days. Fact is ... the kids are extremely emotional, and waiting will only exacerbate the situation.

The kids haven't visited their dad since the shooting, because the family says it would be too traumatic. As for FaceTiming their father, we're told it hasn't happened yet ... even that would be too difficult for the kids to handle. The only ones who've seen Jacob in person thus far are his own parents.

Jacob's children -- including the other three -- are all being cared for by his relatives.

SCARRED FOR LIFE
FOX 6 Milwaulkee

Jacob's father says the 3 children are scarred for life after what they've been through. Remember, they were no more than a few feet away inside the car when a cop unloaded at least seven rounds into their dad's back. Jacob is now paralyzed from the waist down, though hopefully, it's not permanent.

A GoFundMe for all expenses incurred by the Blake family has already been started, and raised more than $1.5 million.

Stressed Elephants CBD Oil to the Rescue??? Zoo Testing Experimental Treatment

Stressed out, anxious and depressed ... it turns out elephants are a lot like us, and a zoo in Poland is going to see if medical marijuana can help them out ... just like us.

The Warsaw Zoo lost one of its 4 elephants in March -- the alpha female named Erna -- and her death has had a significant impact on the others ... especially another female named Fredzia.

The zoo says Fredzia has displayed signs of grieving, stress and depression, and it can take months or even years for her and the others to cope with the loss and get over the behavioral issues caused by the change to the group's structure.

Unless ... medicinal marijuana can help.

The zoo and its doctors have launched a project to test whether CBD oil can reduce anxiety in the animals, starting with the elephants.

The first stage of the trial -- taking blood samples to monitor cortisol levels -- has already been completed ... so now it's time to start giving them the good stuff.

No, the elephants won't be taking bong rips, they'll simply be given drops of CBD via their trunks or mixed into their food ... and no serious side effects are expected.

The zoo doctors believe the project is the first of its kind, but it could take up to 2 years to have conclusive results.

Weather Channel Reporting Live ... Hurricane Laura's Kicking Our Ass!!!

BRAVIN' THE STORM
The Weather Channel

Weather Channel reporters take their job seriously ... maybe too seriously, 'cause they were seriously in danger while reporting from the eye of Hurricane Laura, and this intense video proves it.

A couple of reporters braved the elements beginning late Wednesday night from Lake Charles, Louisiana as Hurricane Laura picks up hurricane gust winds. Check out the video ... eventually, you see the poor reporter holding on for dear life as she struggles staying on her feet.

The winds eventually reach 104 MPH just before 1 AM CT. Things get so bad ... the winds send glass shattering everywhere, prompting the reporter to run for cover. There's another reporter out there who says he's in the eye of the storm at around 1:39 AM CT. Dude's wearing a helmet as debris is flying everywhere.

The storm is causing enormous problems along the Gulf.  They're setting up shelters for an untold number of people who may now be homeless, but in COVID times that adds an additional layer of danger.

Kanye West Sues Ohio Election Head ... Last-Ditch Effort to Make the Ballot

Kanye West is going after the top election official in Ohio for allegedly going out of his way to keep Ye off the presidential ballot ... according to a new lawsuit.

Kanye's suing the state's Republican Secretary of State Frank LaRose days after the election head rejected nearly 15,000 signatures and other paperwork submitted by Kanye's campaign, which deemed him unqualified as an independent candidate for Prez.

LaRose cited mismatched info on the documents as the reason for tossing them out, but according to Kanye's suit ... he didn't have the right to do that in the first place.

Kanye's lawyers claim it's LaRose's duty to accept any petition for an independent candidate as long as there is no protest filed and it doesn't break any Ohio laws.

The emergency filing to get Kanye on Ohio's ballot comes as his presidential bid is reeling -- he was booted off the crucial Wisconsin ballot last week, along with coming up short in Montana.

He was also removed from the ballot in his home state of Illinois -- even after dropping at least $30k to get on it -- because election officials said more than half his submitted signatures were invalid.

On the plus side, he is currently on the ballot in the states of Arkansas, Colorado, Oklahoma, Utah and Vermont ... but that's not gonna get the job done. The fact is ... if Ye's campaign lasts, he'd end up being a spoiler candidate, so Ohio is important because it's a swing state.

Stormy Wedding Lighting Strike During Ceremony As Groom Curses 2020!!!

2020 STRIKES AGAIN
@asawitsky/Instagram

This is what ya call wedding fireworks, but not the scheduled kind -- Mother Nature dropping a lighting bolt on a happy couple when the groom dares to talk smack about 2020. Best. Timing. Ever.

Ya can't blame Aaron Sawitsky for saying, "Let's face it, 2020 has not been the best year" during the vows of his Marion, MA wedding. He and his bride, Denice, had already postponed their nuptials 3 times this year due to the pandemic.

Last weekend they decided to go for it with an outdoor ceremony, and of course ... there had to be a thunderstorm brewing in the area. So, what are the chances of lighting striking juuuuust as Aaron bemoaned their luck? 100%.

Luckily, the lighting strike came down across the lake behind them -- and no one was harmed -- in fact, it made for a seriously badass photo opportunity.

Aaron and Denice didn't take the bolt as a bad omen, and finished their vows. The ceremony ended without any fires, floods or hurricane winds.

Congrats?

Barack Obama Praises NBA Player Boycott ... You're Great Role Models!!!

Barack Obama says he "commends" the NBA players who participated in Wednesday's "boycott" -- saying they're setting a great example for the rest of the country.

"I commend the players on the [Milwaukee Bucks] for standing up for what they believe in, coaches like [Doc Rivers], and the NBA and WNBA for setting an example," Obama said.

"It’s going to take all our institutions to stand up for our values."

The Milwaukee Bucks were the first team to refuse to take the court for their playoff game Wednesday -- saying they were still so upset over the shooting of Jacob Blake, they wanted to send a message to the rest of the country.

8/23/20
SHOCKING AND BRUTAL
Raysean White via TMX.news

Other teams followed suit -- and the league eventually announced all of Wednesday's playoff games had been postponed.

Of course, Obama's message to the NBA and its players is much different than the message the current U.S. President has delivered to the league recently.

Donald Trump has repeatedly bashed NBA players and owners -- including LeBron James -- for the way it's dealing with the social justice issues in America.

Trump has said he will boycott the league if players continue to kneel for the national anthem -- something he considers to be disrespectful to the flag and the military.

Trump has not yet commented on the most recent NBA work stoppage -- but everyone it's just a matter of time before he weighs in on Twitter.

Kris Jenner Wants to Cash in on Catchphrase ... 'You're Doing Amazing Sweetie'

Kris Jenner's done amazing work as a momager, and now it looks like she’s eyeing another sweet business venture based on something she says to her daughters.

The Kardashians matriarch filed trademark docs last week to lock up the rights to what she likes to say ... "You're doing amazing sweetie" ... first delivered way back on a 2007 episode of "Keeping Up with the Kardashians."

Kris is looking to slap the catchphrase on a slew of products, ranging from cosmetics and clothing to baby supplies and home goods ... and even books and magazines.

As you may recall, Kris was on set for Kim Kardashian's nude Playboy shoot on the 'KUWTK' episode and snapped a few pics herself before offering the words of encouragement ... "Kim, you're doing amazing, sweetie."

The phrase got the meme treatment for years, but has also made a comeback of sorts after Kylie Jenner appeared in the much-talked-about music video for Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion's "WAP."

Waiting for your permission to load the Instagram Media.

As you can see ... Kylie's sexy guest spot on the vid gave Kris the perfect setup for the callback.

This isn't the first time Kris has aimed to capitalize on her famous reality TV mom status. She also scored a "momager" trademark in 2017, and parlayed that into an unforgettable cameo in Ariana Grande's "Mean Girls"-esque vid for "thank u, next."

Porsha Williams Activism, Arrests to Get Spotlight On New 'RHOA' Season

Porsha Williams will have a new storyline on the upcoming 'Real Housewives of Atlanta' series ... her activism and arrests protesting Breonna Taylor's death will be heavily featured.

Production sources tell TMZ ... producers want to shine a light on Porsha's fight for social justice as much as possible in the new season, because Bravo knows viewers would be riveted by Porsha's commitment to racial justice.

As we reported ... Porsha was arrested in July during a Breonna Taylor protest outside the home of Kentucky's Attorney General, with cops hauling her off Daniel Cameron's front lawn in zip ties. She was hit with a felony charge, which was later dropped.

Porsha was arrested again Wednesday at another Louisville protest demanding justice for Breonna.

SEEKIN' JUSTICE
Nicole Hayden of @FriendsofNicole via TMX.news

Our sources say there were no 'RHOA' camera crews on the ground when Porsha was busted -- the pandemic made it impossible to send a crew. Producers will rely on raw cellphone footage to tell her story.

As we first told you ... 'RHOA' is filming again with extra precautions in place because of COVID-19, and Porsha and the other housewives will use their platform to talk about injustice in America and what they can do to affect change.

MAGA Hats Celebs Make It Gay, Gothic, Healthier!!!

President Trump's MAGA hats are trenched in the right-wing of the Republic Party ... but Hollywood's flipping that script with one helluva twist.

A bunch of celebs are proudly wearing their own version of MAGA hats ... whether it's Ashton Kutcher, Miley Cyrus or Nev Schulman looking to change it up with Make America Gay Again or Jermaine Dupri craving better taste in music with his Make Hip Hop Great Again.

Check out the pics ... Lakers superstar LeBron James had the best MAGA hat remix when he demanded justice for Breonna Taylor by wearing a fake MAGA hat that reads, "Make America Arrest the Cops Who Killed Breonna Taylor" with the words "Great Again" crossed out.

Waiting for your permission to load the Instagram Media.

BTW ... props to Alec Baldwin for his brilliant Russian trolling. The rough translation of his hat read, "Make America Cool Again."

Jake Paul Heads to Mountains for Fight Camp ... Uncertain About FBI Case

MOVIN' FORWARD

Jake Paul is taking a cue from "Rocky IV" and heading to the mountains to train for his upcoming boxing match ... and TMZ Sports has the video.

He's confident about the fight -- but when it comes to the FBI investigation surrounding him ... not so much.

The 23-year-old was on a hardcore mountain bike ride early Wednesday morning with his team in Mammoth Lakes, California.

FYI, top fighters like UFC star Rafael dos Anjos and others have trained in Mammoth in the past because of the altitude  -- it sits nearly 8,000 feet above sea level and many athletes feel it helps with conditioning.

Paul -- who's set to fight 36-year-old ex-NBA star Nate Robinson on Nov. 28th -- clearly feels the training location will give him an advantage.

TALKIN' TRASH
TMZSports.com

In fact, when asked for a fight prediction, Jake's promising a 1st round knockout of the 3-time NBA Slam Dunk champion.

But, when asked if he'll also be able to beat the FBI's case against him stemming from an incident in Arizona back in May, Jake replied, "I don't know about all that."

As we previously reported, the FBI says it's investigating allegations of criminal acts surrounding the incident at Scottsdale Fashion Square.

The feds even raided Jake's Calabasas home earlier this month and confiscated several firearms.

Jake has played down the investigation -- telling his fans not to worry ... and plans to make a music video about the situation.

Gotta hand it to Jake Paul ... always finding ways to stay busy.

Guess Who This Cute Kid Turned Into!

Before this smiling sweetheart was an A-list actor with Academy Award-winning talent, he was just another picture-perfect pipsqueak showing off his country roots in Uvalde, Texas.

This little lad made a name for himself in a confusing comedy role filled with partying and mayhem -- he even made an on-screen appearance in the 1993 movie with Ben Affleck. His impressive filmography shows off his skilled range, starring in romantic comedies, sci-fi adventures, dramas, and even car commercials.

This notable Texans fanatic has had plenty of stellar performances that will have you saying "alright, alright, alright".

Can you guess who he is?

Old news is old news!
Be First!

Get TMZ breaking news sent right to your browser!