Breaking News

UCF quarterback McKenzie Milton won't lose his leg after suffering a devastating knee injury last week ... his family announced Tuesday.

Milton dislocated his right knee after taking a vicious shot in a game against USF last Friday ... and there was some worry that the injury was so gruesome, he might lose his leg.

But, Milton's parents said in a statement that while there is nerve damage and he will later require reconstructive knee surgery ... blood flow has been restored to the leg.

"We want to thank the doctors and nurses at Tampa General Hospital and the University of South Florida and UCF medical staff and athletic trainers for their teamwork and prompt attention to McKenzie’s injuries," Milton's parents wrote.

"His blood flow has been restored to his right leg and his nerve is injured but intact. He is recovering and healing and is receiving the best medical care."

Mark and Teresa Milton added, "McKenzie and our entire family are so touched and grateful for the prayers, support, and well wishes. McKenzie is in good spirits and has a very positive attitude.”

UCF plays next in the American Athletic Conference Championship Game against Memphis on Saturday ... and Milton's family says the QB will be cheering them on.

Remember the two field goals Adam Vinatieri made that won Tom Brady and the Patriots two Super Bowls??

Yeah ... A.V. says they aren't the best of his career.

"As proud as I am of those two kicks, I think the one that I'm probably the most proud of is the one in the Snow Bowl game in the divisional playoff game against Oakland."

That's right ... the dude who's made over 575 kicks in his career and owns the most points in NFL history says his 45-yard, 4th-quarter boot back in 2001 tops 'em all.

"There were five, six, seven inches of snow on the ground, we’re down by three and it’s a 45-yard field goal," Vinatieri said on the Talk of Fame Network.

"And, if you miss, the season’s over and you’re cleaning out your locker."

Adam continued: “To be able to put that one through the posts … to be able to tie the game up and then go into overtime and have a shorter field goal to win … I think that’s probably the one I’m most proud of just because of the sheer difficulty."

Of course ... that WAS the field goal that kicked off the whole Pats dynasty -- so maybe Adam's got a point.

Then again, if the Tuck Rule never happened -- neither does the kick.

Sorry, Oakland.

There's no joy at the Krusty Krab -- Stephen Hillenburg, the creator of "SpongeBob SquarePants," died Monday after battling ALS.

Stephen first revealed his ALS diagnosis in 2017. He's survived by his wife, Karen, and his son, Clay.

Nickelodeon called him "a beloved friend and long-time creative partner to everyone at Nickelodeon, and our hearts go out to his entire family."

Steve created 'SpongeBob' in the late '90s, but he took a circuitous route to his TV and movie success. Hillenburg started out teaching marine biology in Orange County ... but eventually combined that knowledge of ocean creatures with his artistic talent.

He broke into TV as a director and writer on the Nickelodeon show, "Rocko's Modern Life" -- and then eventually started creating his 'SpongeBob' ... which debuted in 1999.

In addition to the TV series, Steve wrote both hit 'SpongeBob' feature films. The first one grossed more than $140 million.

Variety first reported Hillenburg's death. He was 57.

Enjoy a Krabby Patty today in his name.

Sorry, Logan Paul, you ain't gettin' a crack at CM Punk in the UFC Octagon -- Punk just slammed the door on the possibility ... and then dissed the YouTube star for good measure.

Logan's brother Jake Paul had been lobbying Dana White to make the fight happen -- claiming Logan is a real athlete who could compete with guys on the UFC roster, including Punk.

In fact, Joe Rogan said he was impressed with Logan's talent during his boxing match with KSI earlier this year ... and made it clear he thinks Paul would whoop Punk in the UFC.

Now, Punk sat down with MMAFighting's Marc Raimondi and told him straight up -- ain't happening.

"I’m not fighting Logan Paul."

Then came the shade ...

"I think this is one of the avenues where people will be like, ‘I don’t even know who Logan Paul is.’ Logan Paul is apparently a popular guy, but it’s not in any kind of avenue that I drive my car on. The only thing I know about him is he’s the guy who filmed the dead body in the Japanese suicide forest, which is don’t get me started on that, because I’ll say a bunch of stuff and then I’m sure somebody will make a YouTube video about it."

There's more ...

"When you fight somebody, when you enter into a fight camp, you have to spend a lot of time thinking about that person ... And, I’m not into sharing that much of my time and my headspace and my life with somebody that did something that I feel is so reprehensibly disrespectful to the people of Japan, who I love."

"They’ll always have a special place in my heart. So, no. I’m not fighting him. I have no interest to."

Dana White just went scorched Earth on Oscar De La Hoya -- blasting the head of Golden Boy Promotions as a "f*cking cokehead" who irresponsibly let Chuck Liddell fight Tito Ortiz this past weekend.

"I love Chuck Liddell and I don’t ever want to bad mouth Chuck Liddell,” White said on the "UFC Unfiltered" podcast on Tuesday.

"People even think I’m remotely bad mouthing Chuck Liddell, but the reality is -- first of all, I heard last week the cokehead ‘Oscar De La Weirdo’ is talking sh*t that I don’t have any place to tell guys when to retire."

"First of all, it’s called ‘friendship’ you f*cking cokehead."

"I’ve been friends with Chuck Liddell for 20 years and the reality is that Chuck Liddell retired when he should have retired. Eight, nine years ago, however long it was. And, Chuck Liddell’s almost 50-years-old and has no business fighting anymore."

"The fact that the state of California even let that fight happen is disgusting. Disgusting."

He continued ... "Chuck Liddell has an incredible legacy. He’s a huge superstar in this sport, so of course as a friend, anybody who claims to be a friend of Chuck Liddell and was anywhere near this fight is full of sh*t. They’re not a friend of Chuck Liddell. To let him go in and fight this fight is terrible."

Of course, Chuck was knocked out in the 1st round of his fight with Ortiz -- and after the bout, he told TMZ Sports he's not sure if he'll step in the cage again.

Clearly, he knows how Dana feels about the situation ...

Dana and Oscar have been publicly feuding for a while -- ever since Oscar blasted Dana for the Mayweather vs. McGregor boxing match.

Oscar said the fight could kill the sport of boxing.

Jameis Winston has "reached an agreement" to settle the sexual battery lawsuit filed against him by an Uber driver in Arizona ... this according to court docs filed in U.S. District Court.

As we previously reported, the Uber driver claimed she picked up a drunk Winston from the Scottsdale bar scene in 2016 ... and during the ride, he reached over and grabbed her vagina over her yoga pants.

Two years later, the woman -- who goes by "Kate P." in legal docs -- filed suit against the Tampa Bay Bucs quarterback.

In new docs filed in federal court in Arizona on Nov. 26, the woman's lawyer says "Plaintiff has reached an agreement with Defendant to resolve her claims."

"The parties are in the process of finalizing a settlement agreement but need approximately 10 days to complete this process."

The terms of the settlement were not disclosed in the court docs. We've reached out to Winston's camp for comment, so far no word back.

For his part, Jameis has previously publicly apologized to the Uber driver and claims he has "eliminated alcohol from my life."

Two smokin' hot tennis stars have been tapped to be Armani's newest underwear models ... and so far, seems like it's working out!

Check out 31-year-old Fabio Fognini and his wife Flavia Pennetta -- a real-life married couple who happen to look great in their skivvies.

Armani announced Fabio -- the #13 ranked player in the world -- will be the face for the new EA7 Emporio Armani sports line and Emporio Armani Underwear worldwide.

And, because they're not stupid, they also signed his smokeshow wife, Flavia, to appear in the ads as well -- she's the 2015 U.S. Open champion.

36-year-old Flavia has since retired from pro tennis -- but obviously, she still works out!

The two began dating back in 2014 -- got engaged in 2015 -- and tied the knot in 2016. Then, Flavia gave birth to their first child in 2017!

And, now they're underwear models in 2018!

You still waiting 'til January to hit the gym?

DeAndre Hopkins had nothing but love for late Houston Texans owner Bob McNair on Monday ... despite the fact the two clashed hard after McNair's infamous "inmates run the prison" comment.

Remember, while NFL owners held a meeting to find a way to stop the kneeling protests last year ... McNair was quoted as saying, “We can’t have the inmates running the prison.”

Hopkins was reportedly VERY offended by McNair's comment and sat out a full practice in protest.

But, after torching the Tennessee Titans on "Monday Night Football", DeAndre couldn't have been more respectful when talking about McNair in the locker room.

In fact, when asked about the team's decision to give the game ball to Bob's son, Cal McNair, DeAndre explained ..."That was very special. Cal and their family deserve it with everything they've done for this city."

"Everything they've been through ... Bob was at practice. Bob was active, and Cal is the same way. So you got to love those guys."

In addition to giving Cal the game ball after the victory ... the Texans honored Bob with helmet decals and a pregame video tribute.

WWE superstar Kairi Sane -- former NXT women's champ -- says she's debating whether or not to go to the hospital after coming down with a case of hand-foot-and-mouth disease.

Sane tweeted (translated from Japanese) -- "Although high fever went down, mysterious eczema in hands, feet and mouth this time ... Ouch."

"So when you go to the hospital (hand foot/mouth disease) do you?! (Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease as it is in the United States) If infants are examined Infants under 5 years old suffering illness. Why did you get in my body by mistaking a virus? Lol."

According to the Mayo Clinic, HF&M is a "mild, contagious viral infection common in young children" and it's usually characterized by sores in the mouth and a rash on the hands and feet.

Treatment?

"There's no specific treatment for hand-foot-and-mouth disease. Frequent hand-washing and avoiding close contact with people who are infected with hand-foot-and-mouth disease may help reduce your child's risk of infection."

The good news ... Mayo says the symptoms should only last a few days. (Drink lots of water).

L.A. Dodgers pitcher Kenley Jansen says he's "fine" after undergoing heart surgery on Monday -- and even posted woozy post-procedure video from the hospital to prove it!

"Guys, I'm fine," Jansen said from his hospital bed alongside his wife, Gianni ... "The anesthesia is finally out of my system. I'm doing good. Enjoying the Christmas spirit. We'll see you guys soon in 2019, stronger than ever."

The 31-year-old was previously diagnosed with a condition that essentially put him at a higher risk for an irregular heartbeat at high altitudes ... not ideal when you fly all the time and play the Rockies in Colorado several times a year.

In fact, Jansen suffered an atrial fibrillation back in Denver in August after he was told he was at "high risk" for another medical incident.

So, on Monday he went under the knife for an "ablation procedure" to correct the condition -- and the surgery was a success. He should be ready to pitch again by Spring Training.

Amanda Bynes is opening up about her past issues with drugs, acceptance and a deep battle with depression brought on by one of her most famous movie roles.

Bynes starred in "She's The Man" back in 2006, playing a teen girl who dressed like a boy, pretending to be her brother. Amanda sported short hair and sideburns for the role, and the film grabbed a ton of attention.

In a new interview with PAPER -- Amanda's first in a long time -- she reveals the movie left her in a deep depression, saying, "When the movie came out and I saw it ... I didn't like how I looked when I was a boy." She called seeing herself in the role a "super strange and out-of-body experience. It just really put me into a funk."

Bynes shares she's been sober for the last 4 years and blames a lot of her past issues -- including her infamous tweet where she said she wanted Drake to "murder my vagina" -- on drugs.

TMZ broke a number of stories about the tragedy of mental illness that Amanda was coping with for years. As we reported, she was diagnosed with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder and was in and out facilities and trouble for years. She had times of lucidity and would then lapse back into a dark place.

Amanda remains under a conservatorship that started in 2014, and was recently extended until at least 2020. Her parents, who were her conservators, tried to help her but handed the conservatorship off to a mental health professional.

She's currently a student the Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising in L.A. -- but says she'd eventually like to get back into acting if the opportunity presents itself.

Ex-NFL star Aldon Smith was just convicted in his domestic violence case in which he allegedly roughed up his fiancee ... but he will NOT go to jail if he keeps his nose clean.

As we previously reported, the former Oakland Raiders defensive end was arrested back in March after his fiancee (now ex-fiancee) claimed Smith attacked her at their Bay Area home during a booze-fueled rage.

Smith was initially hit with 4 misdemeanor charges -- domestic violence, assault w/ force likely to produce great bodily injury, false imprisonment and vandalism and faced several years in jail.

But, on Monday, the 29-year-old struck a deal with prosecutors in which he pled no contest to 2 counts -- violating a court order and false imprisonment.

In exchange, he was sentenced to 90 days in county jail -- but he got credit for time served for the days he already spent in jail and also for his stint in a live-in alcohol treatment facility.

He also got 3 years probation, 1 year of domestic violence counseling and 25 hours of community service.

During the hearing, the judge allowed a victim statement to be read out loud in court -- in which Smith's ex said, "I may never be the same" but also wished him luck in getting/staying sober.

Tom Brady's fed up with Michigan losing to Ohio State ... saying the game was "pretty crappy to watch" ... and now he's gotta wear a "ridiculous" outfit because of it.

TB12 unloaded on his alma mater's ugly 62-39 loss to the Buckeyes -- appearing on WEEI's "Mut and Callahan" show and griping, "Man, freakin’ Wolverines. They can’t win a big game, man."

"We gotta figure out how to beat those guys," Brady says.

It's true -- Michigan has lost 14 out of the last 15 matchups with OSU ... and the current losing streak is at 7.

But, it's a double-whammy for the Pats superstar ... 'cause Tom had "a couple hundred bucks" with his teammate on the line.

"Unfortunately, I lost a bet to Nate Ebner and already paid him his money," Brady said ... noting he'll have to wear a "ridiculous outfit" to practice on Wednesday as part of the bet.

Obviously, Tom can afford to lose the money -- but having to wear an OSU jersey??

The Red Sox players are STILL winning ... 'cause the bonus checks for their World Series "W" were just announced -- and Boston got paid!!!

Major League Baseball just announced the postseason bonus pool totaled $88 MILLION to be divided by all of the teams that made the 2018 playoffs.

The total pool number -- essentially made up of playoff stadium ticket sales -- is the largest pot in MLB history. It's divided by the 10 playoff teams based on how far they got.

The biggest payout was obviously Boston -- the champs split $31.7 million between 66 players, which came out to $416k each!

Not too shabby, but slightly LESS than the $438k each Houston Astros player got last year for winning the 2017 World Series.

Don't feel too bad for the 2018 losers ... Los Angeles will get a cut of the bonus money too -- with their checks coming in at $267,027.49 per player.

Here's how the rest of the playoff bonus money was distributed ...

Houston Astros -- $154,656.05 per player.

Milwaukee Brewers -- $122,957.13

Atlanta Braves -- $40,375.74

Cleveland Indians -- $37,040.29

Colorado Rockies -- $40,335.96

New York Yankees -- $43,081.55

Chicago Cubs -- $16,155.34

Oakland Athletics -- $19,760.35

Yeah, it still pays to be good.

12:35 PM PT -- The person who posted the image has now been FIRED from his job ... according to a statement from Hilton Grand Vacations.

"Our concern regarding this situation has been a top priority. The person responsible for posting this information has been terminated."

"His behavior was in violation of multiple company policies and the furthest example from being a reflection of our company’s values."

A disgusting, racist depiction of Florida State football coach Willie Taggart being hanged from a tree has triggered a state attorney investigation in Florida ... officials have announced.

The image was posted to Facebook after FSU's 41-14 loss to Florida this weekend. It's a photoshopped pic of Taggart's head pasted on top of a black and white photo of an African American man being hanged.

A caption on the image reads, "Believe In Something Even If It Means Sacrificing Your Rep."

The person who posted the image reportedly works for Hilton Grand Vacations in Orlando -- and the company has already issued a statement saying the employee has been suspended.

Second Judicial Circuit State Attorney Jack Campbell has confirmed his office is aware of the post and they've connected with the FSU Police Dept. -- and other law enforcement agencies -- to investigate.

Campbell issued a statement to Tallahassee.com saying. "Any threat of violence to anybody in this community – he’s a father, a husband and a member of our community – we’re going to investigate it to the fullest extent possible."

FSU President John Thrasher also weighed in ... saying, "I speak for the entire FSU community in expressing our disgust and extreme disappointment, and I am glad the state attorney is investigating."

Could Tim Tebow's days as an unmarried man be numbered?!?!

Certainly seems that way ... 'cause the ex-NFL superstar brought his Miss Universe girlfriend to the Tebow Family Thanksgiving -- a sure sign that things are getting THAT serious.

Tim and Demi-Leigh Nel-Peters -- Miss Universe 2017 -- have been dating for a while now ... and they've been getting super cozy with each other the last few months.

Remember ... the South African model wished him a very public "happy birthday" back in August AND the two had a date day in New York with DLNP's fam in September.

In fact ... Demi even hinted she was "falling in love" with the minor league baseball star after the two hit up a Florida game last month.

But, the couple took things to another level last week ... when Tim brought her to the fam's turkey dinner.

"My first American style Thanksgiving with the sweetest family," DNLP said of the holiday ... "Grateful for an incredible year and everyone I got to share it with."

Tim never got a ring in his 3 years in the NFL ... but we wouldn't be shocked if he bought one pretty soon!!!