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Forget Le'Veon Bell and Adrian Peterson ... Eric Dickerson says if the Rams turn to a vet to help fill the RB void left after Cam Akers' injury -- they NEED to give Todd Gurley a call!

The former Rams superstar explained it all to TMZ Sports out at LAX this week ... saying Gurley would be the perfect runner to sign if L.A. doesn't like what it sees from Akers' backups this summer.

"That’s a no-brainer," Dickerson said of re-inking Gurley. "I mean, he knows the offense, he knows this offense. He doesn’t have to come in and try and learn it."

"He knows [Sean] McVay, he knows the guys on the team -- that would be an easy fit."

Of course, there are plenty of roadblocks both sides would have to get through to get to that point -- many of which Dickerson acknowledges himself.

First and foremost, the two parties didn't have the best breakup when the Rams moved on from their former star in 2020.

Gurley also didn't exactly look great in his lone season in Atlanta last year, rushing for just 3.5 yards per carry.

But, Todd is a free agent seeking an NFL home, and the Rams could use the help -- so Dickerson says "business decisions" could end up motivating both sides to reconnect and enjoy a new marriage.

"At the end of the day, football, this is business," Dickerson said. "That’s what it comes down to. You got to make business decisions."

"You got to make decisions that are good for the football team, and the player has to make decisions that’s best for him."

Before this smirking sweetheart was flipping out while competing in the Olympic Games, she was just another fruitful cute kid eating an apple in Old Bridge Township, New Jersey.

This beaming baby struck gold when she was coined one of the "Final Five" -- better known as the United States women's artistic gymnastics team -- during the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio.

After returning from her successful athletic achievements in the worldwide event, she also became a public personality when she joined the cast of "Dancing with the Stars" ... and took home the winning trophy there, too!

Michaela Coel is rumored to be in the new "Black Panther" sequel -- now being filmed after Chadwick Boseman's death -- and it's got fans wondering ... curtains for Letitia Wright???

Word of the casting just came down Wednesday via Variety, which says the "I May Destroy You" star is definitely in it ... but that her role, for now, is unknown/unnamed and being kept under wraps. The studio itself isn't confirming either ... SOP for stories like this.

The report -- assuming it's true -- might not seem like much on its face ... but there's a lot of background here causing some eyebrows to be raised in suspicion. Fact is, Marvel's been slow to formally announce who the heck is actually going to be in the new movie, like for sure for sure -- which is weird, because the flick is literally filming in Atlanta right now.

The assumption is that a majority of the cast from Pt. 1 will return -- like Lupita Nyong'o, Danai Gurira, etc. -- but none of them, including Letitia (who had a major role the first time around) are sure things at this point ... and in light of this news, it's giving folks pause for LW's sake.

Here's the deal ... Letitia is the only member of the OG cast who's been embroiled in controversy lately -- and there's a ton of circumstantial evidence that seems to point to her having bad blood with Marvel and perhaps Disney at large.

Based on tweets she's liked in the recent past -- before scrubbing all her social media entirely not too long ago -- all signs point to her possibly not returning ... and that recasting her might be on the horizon, which is why the Michaela addition is fueling theories.

Pile on the fact she was accused of being an anti-vaxxer just this past December -- this after retweeting what many called conspiracy theory videos questioning the legitimacy of the jab -- it just adds even more reason to believe that Letitia may be done with the franchise.

That's a huge deal, and a potential huge blow (for Letitia) if it turns out Michaela is, in fact, going to play an older version of Shuri (T'Challa's sister in 'BP'). The reason ... Shuri actually becomes the new Black Panther after T'Challa passes on the torch in the comic book series.

While the plot details of the "Black Panther" sequel have yet to surface -- ya gotta imagine they're going to go that route since their lead man isn't around to do it anymore.

The Philadelphia police officer who allegedly deleted witness video during an arrest just got hauled in by his own boys in blue over the incident ... now he's facing criminal charges and is soon to be out of a job.

Officer Burnett -- the Philly PD cop identified as the one who allegedly scrubbed Jacob Giddings' footage during a gas station stop in March -- was arrested and arraigned Wednesday on several charges ... according to the Philadelphia D.A.'s Office.

The D.A. tells us Burnett's been charged with evidence tampering, attempted official oppression and obstruction of justice. It's unclear at this point how exactly the arrest went down -- be it Burnett turning himself in, or cops coming to nab him.

Burnett was first placed on administrative leave, launching an internal investigation, not to mention a civil suit filed against him -- and now ... criminal charges against the officer.

Of course, the smoking gun seems to be the body cam video. You'll recall ... his body camera was rolling while he was attempting to get Giddings out of the car -- capturing what Giddings claims is brutality and assault -- and it was also rolling when he appeared to delete video Giddings was taking of him in the run-up to the actual detainment and arrest.

Giddings provided even more videos that he says help his case ... offering extra photos from other body cameras which show Burnett fiddling with the phone.

No word on whether Burnett has entered a plea or not. As for Philly PD ... they say their Commissioner, Danielle Outlaw, has suspended Burnett for 30 days -- and plans to dismiss him entirely as soon as that's up. They also say he's been on the force for all of 4 years.

Sam Asghari appreciates the congrats for his "engagement" to Britney Spears, but notes it's a tad late, 'cause they've been man and wife for a minute now ... insert tongue in cheek here, please.

Britney's BF was getting showered Wednesday with well-wishes from a pap outside a Jeep dealership in Westlake, CA. The photog was under the impression the couple would be walking down the aisle soon -- all 'cause of some pics that surfaced over the weekend.

ICYMI ... Britney was photographed flashing a big rock on THAT finger Sunday while picking up some java at a Starbucks -- which so very OBVIOUSLY means Sam popped the question, especially in light of Brit making it clear recently that this is exactly what she wants.

Well, that's certainly what this photog thought when he caught Sam on the way out -- but rather than correct him ... SA played it gracefully, busting out his acting chops and going along with the gag pretty convincingly. He even dropped (alternative) facts that the pap -- and the rest of us, for that matter -- are learning for the first time. #BREAKINGNEWS!!!

You gotta watch the clip to see what we mean -- long story short, Sam says the pap is about 5 years tardy on giving him props.

Before the #FreeBritney folk start celebrating too hard .. Sam's kidding, especially about the pair of mini-mes they brought into the world. 💀

Courtney Stodden insists Chrissy Teigen never reached out to them, but they're sending Chrissy a message ... some free advice on how to feel better about being in "cancel club."

Courtney's at a PETA event on Capitol Hill Wednesday, and talked to us about why they've been involved with the animal rights organization for several years -- the meat of the mission is to get folks to stop eating it.

Courtney -- who identifies as non-binary -- says major strides are being made, but there's still a long way to go, which brings us to their relationship with Teigen.

As we reported ... Chrissy was out in WeHo Tuesday when she suggested she might be in "cancel club" forever following her cyberbullying scandal, but she also told us she DID reach out to Courtney, via text.

Stodden tells us that's not true and they have no idea what Teigen's talking about, but they apparently want to move on from that issue ... and raise another one.

As we've told you ... Courtney still thinks Chrissy is a bully playing the victim in order to garner some sympathy, so they suggest Teigen do something to prove that's not the case.

Music legend Nile Rodgers is giddy talking about his roller disco event, which is truly on a roll 'cause Madonna's playing host for his grand opening event.

The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee joined "TMZ Live" Wednesday and told us about the awesome vibes going down at his new roller skating palace just outside L.A., dubbed the DiscOasis. Nile's described it as a theatrical journey, uniting "art, light, disco, dance, live performance, roller skating and good times."

So, yeah ... the experience has something for everyone, and it's a beautiful outdoor setting in the South Coast Botanic Garden of Palos Verdes Estates.

Nile, co-founder of the iconic band Chic, will serve as a "Groovemaster" ... and he says Madonna -- along with music mogul Jimmy Iovine and his wife, actress Liberty Ross -- will host the shindig tonight.

Don't roller skate? No problem! Nile says the 10,000-square-foot, outdoor space also offers a dance floor.

Now, he wouldn't spill the beans on whether Madge is gonna slip on a pair of skates, but whoever shows up will also be helping Nile's We Are Family Foundation ... a charity he founded in 2001 to empower youth who are changing the world with innovation.

DiscoOasis is gonna be open at least through Labor Day weekend ... and the Sunday shows include a "Sunset Series" -- with legendary DJs.

A former media executive for Major League Soccer claims she lost her job for speaking up about racial issues within the organization following the killing of George Floyd ... so she's suing.

Karine Travieso, who is Black, has filed suit against MLS along with 2 of her former bosses, alleging she was removed from job duties, excluded from meetings and unjustly blamed for other employee's mistakes after speaking at a Juneteenth event in 2020.

According to the legal docs, obtained by TMZ Sports ... Travieso began working for MLS in 2017 and worked her way up to a role of prominence ... despite what she describes as a work environment lacking diversity and inclusion.

She also describes multiple incidents of perceived racial stereotypes, such as one of her bosses allegedly implying in 2018 that there needed to be extra security at the 2 Chainz MLS All-Star Concert because Black people would be attending.

According to Travieso ... she mostly stayed silent about stuff like this until George Floyd's death on May 25, 2020, sparked nationwide protests and raised awareness about the plight of Black people.

She claims she encouraged MLS honchos to release a statement about Floyd's death like other major sports leagues after several days of silence, and they finally did ... but she points to it as another example of the soccer org dropping the ball.

Then, according to the docs, Travieso spoke at the Juneteenth event and "opened her heart about racial discrimination" and how she felt she couldn't raise race issues with MLS execs.

She says she cited the 2 Chainz incident as a reason MLS needed to incorporate unconscious bias training, called on "white allies" within the org to help, and pointed out there was "little to no Black representation in the decision-making positions and upper echelon of MLS."

According to Travieso ... her speech was met with praise by colleagues, but MLS did nothing to follow up on it. Instead, she claims she began to be treated differently by her bosses, was no longer invited to meetings she'd previously been a part of, and was removed from certain roles within the company.

She says she reported this to HR in October, and then a month later ... she was informed she was being laid off due to the circumstances with COVID-19 and some business restructuring.

Travieso's suing for race discrimination and retaliation, and she's seeking damages. We reached out to MLS ... no word back so far.

Harvey Weinstein's back on the West Coast, and just faced the judge in his L.A. sexual assault case -- he's now been formally indicted, and denied wrongdoing ... with an official plea.

The one-time movie producer appeared in person for a hearing Wednesday in an L.A. County courthouse where the 11 charges he's facing were read to him, one by one.

The charges are for alleged sexual assaults over several years, involving 5 different women. In response, Weinstein entered a not guilty plea -- something he was expected to do based on how he'd pled in the recent past.

Now, we're told Weinstein will remain in the custody of L.A. authorities while the case is pending. If it ends up going to trial -- which it appears it will at this point -- that could mean he'll be here for a long time.

As we reported ... Weinstein was extradited from NY to L.A. Tuesday. TMZ posted the first shots of HW getting off the plane, and he appeared to be in civilian clothes ... not a prison jumpsuit. Remember, he's already doing hard time in a NY state prison for sexual assault.

Devastating news from Bobby Bowden -- the legendary Florida State coach just announced he is suffering from a terminal medical condition ... saying he is "prepared for what is to come."

91-year-old Bowden -- who won 2 national titles with the Seminoles -- spoke out about his health status on Wednesday.

"I've always tried to serve God's purpose for my life, on and off the field, and I am prepared for what is to come," Bowden told the Tallahassee Democrat. "My wife Ann and our family have been life's greatest blessing."

"I am at peace."

Bobby is one of the best coaches EVER -- he earned more than 350 wins in his time as the Seminoles' coach ... and was so good, he was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2006 while he was still on the FSU sidelines.

Bowden has not fully recovered from his health scare last year -- he tested positive for COVID-19 while getting treated for a skin infection ... and spent time in the hospital.

The report says the coach is currently under supervised care and "resting comfortably" at his home in Florida.

Scooter Braun and his wife, Yael, have done all they can to try saving their marriage ... but now Scooter is throwing in the towel.

The uber-Hollywood manager for the likes of Justin Bieber, Demi Lovato, J Balvin and Ariana Grande filed for divorce Wednesday in Los Angeles.

According to the filing, Scooter is asking for joint custody of their 3 kids. He's also agreed to pay Yael spousal support. Given Scooter is willing to pay spousal support, it's almost certain he'll also pay child support.

As for dividing assets, there is a prenup ... drawn up by disso queen Laura Wasser, who is also repping Scooter in the divorce.

Our sources say ... at least so far, the divorce seems amicable. What's more, Scooter and Yael have gone back and forth, and this wouldn't be the first time a celebrity divorce was pulled after a reconciliation. That said, so far there is no reconciliation.

As we reported ... Scooter and Yael split earlier this month, after ongoing marital strife.

The ex-couple began dating in 2013 and wed in July 2014.

As for the date of separation, the docs simply say "TBD" -- to be determined.

Beary scary situation in Tokyo ... 'cause a wild bear has broken into the Olympic softball stadium -- and it's STILL ON THE LOOSE!!!

Officials in Fukushima are furiously searching for the wild animal with games underway ... after the Asian black bear was spotted twice inside the Azuma Sports Park earlier this week.

Security at the venue is reportedly trying like hell to find and capture the bear -- blaring music on the speakers and even letting off firecrackers in hopes of scaring it out of hiding ... but so far, no bear.

Of course, there are no fans in the stands at the games ... but ya gotta give props to the teams for being brave and still playing!

Fortunately, the bear didn't make an appearance as the opening round kicked off on Tuesday ... but here's hoping all the rest of the games don't get an unexpected visitor!

There are growing calls for a city councilman in Alabama to resign after he stood up in the middle of a meeting, and loudly asked, "Do we have a house n***er in here?"

John "Tommy" Bryant blurted out the racial slur in a Tarrant City Council meeting Monday night that was open to the public -- and he showed zero remorse afterward even as residents and city council members alike reacted with shock and disdain.

It all started when Mayor Wayman Newton, who is Black, brought up some of Bryant's wife's controversial social media posts. At one point you can hear a resident also chime in before Bryant finally stands up and, in a shockingly comfortable manner, drops the epithet.

You can hear gasps in the room after Bryant drops the n-word. Now, he claims he only repeated it because Newton allegedly used the word during a previous meeting.

Bryant doubled down and defended his actions ... telling CBS42 it's "ok for me to repeat it because as I said before, I wanted everybody to know what the mayor had said. He said it in a derogatory manner. I said it so that people would know what the mayor said."

Joe Pytka -- the director of Michael Jordan's original "Space Jam" -- is going off on LeBron James' reboot, calling it an uninteresting mess ... and that's about the nicest thing he has to say.

Pytka -- who's also known for directing popular music videos and commercials in the '80s and '90s, including the "I Am Tiger Woods" ad -- tells TMZ ... "Space Jam: A New Legacy" is so boring, he couldn't finish it in one sitting.

In fact, he says it took him 5 separate sessions to complete its 2-hour runtime.

The director has several issues with the reboot, starting with LBJ. Pytka points out when "Space Jam" was made in 1996, MJ wasn't just the best basketball player ... he was the biggest celebrity in the world.

Joe says LeBron's an incredible athlete and a very good actor, but adds ... "The truth is that LeBron ain't Michael." On top of that, Pytka says his film tied the plot to MJ's personal life -- retiring from hoops to play baseball -- while the new movie's missing a personal connection to LeBron.

Pytka's just getting started ... he feels the 1996 "Space Jam" featured a far superior supporting cast with Charles Barkley, Muggsy Bogues, Shawn Bradley and Bill Murray. In 'New Legacy' ... he says he can't even remember one thing Anthony Davis, Damian Lillard or the others did.

The director also thinks the reboot's soundtrack is "insignificant" while the OG's is classic, but his biggest beef is what happened to Bugs Bunny. No spoilers here, but Joe sees Bugs' role in 'New Legacy' as "heartbreaking."

Pytka says this new BB has no connection to previous depictions -- something they paid close attention to with the OG "Space Jam." In short, he says the new version "looked like one of those fluffy dolls you buy at an airport gift shop to bring your kid when your business trip has taken too long."

Take all this with a grain of salt, because Joe acknowledges his "Space Jam" was mostly panned by critics -- just like this reboot -- but it still became a cult classic.

Dozens of gunshots sent celebrating Milwaukee Bucks fans running for their lives after Tuesday night's NBA championship game ... and video from the scene is chilling.

It all happened near Fiserv Forum, where just minutes prior to the chaos, Giannis Antetokounmpo had helped earn Milwaukee an NBA title with a victory over the Suns.

Multiple cameras captured the terrifying images from the streets surrounding the arena ... and in footage from WISN12 News' broadcast -- you can see just how horrifying the situation was.

Gunfire erupted loudly and repeatedly near hundreds of fans who were celebrating the victory ... and it all grew so intense, people could be seen sprinting from the area in fear.

Milwaukee Police have not given specific details surrounding the shots yet -- but officials did say in a statement Wednesday that 3 people were injured in shootings shortly after the Bucks won it all.

According to cops, a 19-year-old woman, a 32-year-old man, and a 22-year-old man all suffered non-life-threatening injuries.

Police added they've launched an investigation into it all.

Just before the gunfire broke out ... the scene was epic in Milwaukee -- with more than 60,000 fans cramming into areas near the stadium to watch the game and then celebrate the win afterward.

Some were seen climbing on street poles after the victory ... while others were caught on camera leaping into the Milwaukee River.

"American Pickers" will remain a one-man show for the foreseeable future ... 'cause TMZ's learned it has no plans to bring back Mike Wolfe's ex-cohost Frank Fritz, and it has nothing to do with their fallout.

Sources close to the production tell TMZ ... Frank stepped away from the show a while back to deal with health problems that required back surgery. This, on top of already dealing with Crohn's disease. Frank hasn't appeared on the show since a March 2020 episode.

When Frank stepped away, we're told the show had to go on. They continued filming with just Mike at the helm.

Frank had been a staple on the show since 2010, but recently said he hasn't spoken to Mike in 2 years ... and his old cohost didn't reach out after the surgery. Frank's since lost nearly 70 pounds through exercising in an effort to have a better handle on his Crohn's battle.

It's no secret the ex-'Pickers' duo hasn't gotten along for years, but our sources say Frank's only off the show because he left to tend to his health. Although, he recently said he'd like to be back, we're told producers feel the show's doing fine with solo Mike.

Frank's speculated Mike's angling to get his own brother, Robbie, as a cohost -- he has been on the show lately -- but we're told that's not happening either.

The only replacement Mike's made in his life so far is with his new girlfriend ... after his wife filed for divorce.