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Colin Kaepernick's attorney just went off on NFL Commish Roger Goodell -- claiming his explanation that teams just don't think Colin can help them win is the biggest crock he's ever heard.

And, Kap's lawyer is using Mark Sanchez to make his point.

Mark Geragos appeared on "Today" Thursday and was asked about the comments Goodell made at his State of the NFL Address this week ... when Goodell said Kap's unemployment status is based on football, not politics.

"Anybody who believes that will believe that Mark Sanchez was a better choice," Geragos said ... noting several other QBs who are "well past their prime" were also signed this season.

Geragos also asked why NFL teams did NOT give Kap a workout in 2018 -- "Why didn't anybody ever bring him in and see where his skills were at? I think the whole thing is basically a ruse."

Geragos believes Goodell's statement will help Kap's collusion case against the NFL -- saying, "The collusion actually was the NFL kowtowing to [President Trump]."

He also says ... "There isn't anybody who's got a couple of neurons firing that wouldn't say this is collusive activity."

For the record, Mark Sanchez was signed by the Washington Redskisn at the end of the NFL season after starting QB Alex Smith went down with an injury.

Sen. Rand Paul was just awarded over a half a mil, 'cause he won his lawsuit against his neighbor who beat him up ... and came up big in damages.

The Kentucky U.S. senator was awarded $580k in total damages and medical expenses Wednesday by a jury of his peers out in Bowling Green. The jury reportedly deliberated for about two hours before reaching their decision. Here's the breakdown:

-- $375,000 in punitive damages

-- $200,000 for pain and suffering

-- $7,834 for medical expenses

As we reported ... Sen. Paul sued his neighbor, Rene Boucher, last summer after the 2017 attack. Paul said Boucher tackled him from behind during a heated argument that stemmed from landscaping beef. Boucher was pissed Paul kept leaving debris on his property.

Sen. Paul suffered 6 broken ribs from the attack. Boucher had already pled guilty in a criminal case and served 30 days in jail.

Jerry Rice is flexin' HARD in Atlanta -- rocking all 3 of his Super Bowl rings ... plus his Hall of Fame ring!!!

The 56-year-old NFL legend flossed his hardware on the plane to ATL -- just another classic Rice humblebrag.

Of course, Rice and the 49ers won Super Bowl 23, 24 and 29 ... with Jerry being named MVP of 23 with some insane receiving stats -- 11 catches for 215 yards and a TD.

Super Bowl week is funny when it comes to former NFL stars -- who often bust out their accolades to show off to other players and fans.

Jerry has been on a self-PR push lately -- remember, over the summer he went onstage with Charles Barkley at a charity event in Lake Tahoe and told the crowd, "I'm the f*cking best football player of all time."

He might be right.

Rice was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2010 and is widely regarded as the best WR ever.

Doesn't seem Tom Brady's got too many nerves heading into his NINTH Super Bowl ... 'cause the G.O.A.T. was nothing but smiles at Patriots practice Wednesday!!!

New England hit the field at Georgia Tech for the first time since landing in Atlanta earlier this week ... and Tom was as cool as ever during the workout.

In fact ... the 41-year-old seemed downright giddy -- laughing and smiling throughout the practice.

Begs the question ... what is he so thrilled about just a few days before yet another pivotal game in his 19-year career??

Perhaps it's that Rob Gronkowski was healthy and on the field practicing ... or maybe he's just that confident about a victory over the Rams????

Roger Goodell was just asked -- twice -- why he thinks Colin Kaepernick is not on an NFL roster ... and he pointed the finger at NFL teams who don't believe the QB can help them win games.

In other words, Goodell says it's about football -- not politics.

Goodell was addressing the media live from Super Bowl LIII in Atlanta -- in a crowd packed with reporters from all over the world and even a few NFL owners (ATL's Arthur Blank and NE's Robert Kraft).

When the subject of Kaepernick came up ... it was clear Roger had his answers ready -- hammering the same main talking point ... that roster decisions are made by individual teams looking to win games.

"Our clubs are the ones that make decisions on players that they wanna have on their roster," Goodell said.

"They make that individually. They make that in the best interests of their team."

He added, "They all want to win ... and they're all gonna do whatever they can to win."

When a second reporter pushed Goodell on the issue he reiterated his points.

"I think if a team decides that Colin Kaepernick or any other player can help their team win, that's what they'll do."

"They want to win and they make those decisions individually in the best interests of their club."

Goodell is clearly pushing the individuality of decision-making, because Colin is suing the NFL for collusion -- claiming NFL owners and key officials conspired to keep him out of the league because of his kneeling demonstration during the national anthem.

The thing that makes the least amount of sense ... is that guys like Nathan Peterman and other sub-par quarterbacks are getting multiple workouts and opportunities with NFL clubs while Colin is not.

Besides taking the 49ers to the Super Bowl back in 2013 -- Kaepernick has thrown for 72 TDs and only 30 INTs in his pro career.

Conor McGregor claims he landed the last -- and most brutal shot -- during the UFC 229 brawl back in October ... hitting Khabib's blood relative square in the jaw.

And, he claims 2 photos tell the real story.

After the first ring attacker (in a red shirt) climbed into the Octagon and cracked Conor in the face multiple times from behind -- another man attacked McGregor from the front.

"He attempted to use the big security guard that’s in all the movies as cover," Conor said ... "but I could smell him a mile away and landed flush down the pipe."

McGregor added, "It was not my intention to land the final blow of the night on my opponent’s blood relative. It’s just how it played out."

We got video of the post-fight attack ... it's hard to see if Conor lands as hard of a shot as he claims.

Here's another angle where you can see Conor fire the left.

As we previously reported, both Conor and Khabib were just hit with 6-month suspensions for the melee. Conor was fined $50k. Khabib was fined $500k.

Conor commented about the punishment -- explaining, "I am thankful for the Nevada athletic commissions fair assessment and handling of the brawl incident."

Charles Dion McDowell -- better known as Wide Neck -- is back behind bars after a judge revoked his bond ... TMZ has learned.

The viral sensation was arrested in Pensacola, FL Tuesday ... but isn't facing any new charges. Instead, his bond was revoked in a previous case. We're not sure why the judge made this call at this point, but it looks like Neck will have to sit in a cell 'til it gets sorted out.

McDowell's been arrested a few times the past few months, but he blew up on social media thanks to a mug shot featuring his massive neck when he was busted in Florida in early November. During that arrest, he was booked for eluding, possession of cocaine, meth and marijuana.

He was arrested again a week later in Lee County, Alabama for allegedly eluding law enforcement, reckless driving, driving with a revoked license, improper lane usage and a 2nd-degree possession of marijuana charge. And yes, there was another necky mug shot.

Maroon 5 will NOT be taking questions from the media about their Super Bowl halftime show -- the NFL just announced the pre-show press conference is officially OFF.

The halftime show press conference has been a tradition for YEARS -- Justin Timberlake held one last year, Gaga before that ... Prince famously busted out his guitar and rocked out at his back in 2007.

So, why scrap the presser? The NFL says Maroon 5 and the other artists like Travis Scott want to "let their show do the talking" -- but it seems pretty obvious it's all about Kaepernick.

There's been a strong push from big stars like Common and Nick Cannon for the halftime show performers to pull out over the way the league has treated Kap.

Other stars like Jay-Z, Rihanna and Kelly Rowland have said they wouldn't work with the NFL in the wake of Kaepernick's allegations he's been blackballed for taking a knee during the national anthem.

SportsBusiness Journal's Daniel Kaplan says the presser had been on the official schedule of events -- and NFL Network's Ian Rapoport essentially confirmed by saying the presser was "canceled."

The NFL issued a statement saying ... "Maroon 5 has been working hard on a Pepsi Super Bowl LIII Halftime Show that will meet and exceed the standards of this event."

"As it is about music, the artists will let their show do the talking as they prepare to take the stage this Sunday."

Instead of hosting a press conference, the NFL says the artists and the league will participate in a "social and digital media rollout" to promote the show.

Move over Ari Emanuel (he's a big agent), LeBron James is coming for your job ... 'cause now Hollywood star Octavia Spencer is crediting Bron with getting her equal pay on a new Netflix series.

Spencer -- an Academy Award-winning actress -- worked with LeBron on a biopic about Madam C.J. Walker (America's first black self-made millionaire) and spoke at the Hollywood Foreign Press Association panel at Sundance about how instrumental James was in helping her get fair pay.

"I have to say, when I was negotiating my deal for ‘Madam C.J.,’ LeBron James had to intervene."

Spencer has been incredibly vocal in the fight for equal pay for women in Hollywood, banding together with huge actresses like Jessica Chastain to demand their dollars, but Octavia told the press in Park City it has to be a group effort.

"We need all our male counterparts to be in the fight with us.”

Here's a tip for Jordan Peele ... DON'T MAKE THIS WOMAN ANGRY!!

The lady in the photo is Lorena Bobbitt -- who infamously sliced off her husband's penis back in 1993.

No, Peele's not making a new horror flick -- he's actually the executive producer of a 4-episode documentary series about her life called "Lorena."

The two are promoting the series at the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah -- and everyone seems to be having a good time.

The real-life story of Lorena and John Wayne Bobbitt is intense -- she claimed she cut off his junk after he had raped her, allegations John adamantly denied.

Lorena later drove away with the severed penis and threw it into a field before calling 911.

Officials found the penis and it was surgically reattached. John later showed off his surgically repaired wiener in a series of porno videos ... claiming it was back to normal.

The case went to trial and John was found not guilty of sexually assaulting his wife.

Lorena was charged with malicious wounding -- but was found not guilty of due to temporary insanity.

Both Conor McGregor and Khabib Nurmagomedov are effectively suspended for 6 months for their roles in the UFC 229 post-fight brawl.

Conor was hit with a $50,000 fine -- and will be eligible to fight again on April 6.

Khabib's suspension is a little different -- he was hit with a $500,000 fine and a 9-month suspension ... with the ability to get a 3-month reduction IF he makes an anti-bullying video.

Neither UFC star was present Tuesday when the case went in front of the Nevada State Athletic Commission. They each had lawyers appearing on their behalf.

The board agreed to a 9-month suspension for Khabib -- with the ability to reduce the suspension to 6 months if they're satisfied with Khabib's PSA video.

Khabib has about a month to complete his video if he wants to get the full 3-month reduction.

The suspension is retroactive to the Oct. 6 incident -- meaning if his PSA video is approved quickly, he'll be able to fight again in April.

Of course, Khabib went berserk after defeating Conor in the 4th round of his Oct. 6 fight at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas -- jumping out of the cage and fighting a bunch of people in Conor's corner.

Khabib's cousin, Abubakar Nurmagomedov -- an MMA fighter who was also involved in the brawl -- received a 1-year suspension and a $25,000 fine.

It's also worth noting ... the committee issued a stern warning to fighters regarding pre-fight trash talk -- saying possible suspensions could be levied if the heated rhetoric continues.

Remember, Conor fired off several offensive barbs toward Khabib leading up to the UFC 229 fight ... saying Nurmagomedov was a "little rat," a "fanboy bitch" and a "backwards c*nt."

Conor also went after Khabib's manager ... accusing him of being a terrorist who was pulled off a plane on Sept. 11, 2001 and detained by authorities.

Jamal Adams better sleep with one eye open ... 'cause Rob Gronkowski is vowing REVENGE on the Jets safety for his brutal attack on the Patriots' mascot!!!

ICYMI ... J.A. was playing around at Pro Bowl practices last week -- when he went after Pat Patriot and tackled the poor guy to the ground.

Turns out ... Adams really hurt the dude -- NFL Network's Ian Rapoport says the person in the costume is still "dealing with jaw, neck, and back soreness."

Enter Gronk ... who told reporters at Monday night's Super Bowl media day that he's not just gonna sit around and let a New York Jet do that to his team's biggest supporter.

"We're going to have to figure a way out to get the revenge. That was not nice what he did. I heard the guy got seriously hurt!"

The 2019 schedule hasn't been released yet ... but we know the Pats will play Adams' Jets TWICE next season.

Ya rarely ever see credible death threats in the WWE universe ... but Monday night, Ronda Rousey told Becky Lynch in no uncertain terms she could literally end her life without breaking a sweat.

Gangster.

Yeah, we know ... scripted ... but still -- murder?? Wow.

Here's the deal, Becky came out to the ring after Rousey destroyed Bayley in a match on 'Monday Night Raw' -- and challenged Ronda to a title fight at Wrestlemania.

That's when Ronda -- the former UFC women's champ -- grabbed the mic and spat out some homicidal trash talk.

"You, me and everyone else here knows that I could re-break your face faster than you can say, 'Nia Jax,'" Ronda said.

She continued ... "You, me and everyone else here knows that I have the ability to kill you with my bare hands without even breaking a sweat."

"And, the only thing stopping me is my decision not to!"

Rousey also bragged about being a household name for a decade while Lynch was still earning her stripes.

Then came the final threat ...

"You gotta learn something here honey -- any ring I step into is mine. I own the ground under my feet and I'm gonna own you at Wrestlemania."

The craziest thing about Ronda's night is the way she recovered from her awkward 2-minute rant before the match ... where she seemed legitimately rattled by the pro-Becky crowd.

Tennis superstar Andy Murray says he's in some serious pain after undergoing hip surgery in London early Monday morning -- but even worse ... the guy thinks he's fat.

The 31-year-old Wimbledon champ has been in so much pain from his messed up hip over the past 2 years that he's considered retiring from tennis if the doctors can't fix him up.

So, he went under the knife on Monday -- and seems to be optimistic.

"I underwent a hip resurfacing surgery in London yesterday morning...feeling a bit battered and bruised just now but hopefully that will be the end of my hip pain," Murray said.

"I now have a metal hip as you can see in the 2nd photo 👉👉 and I look like I've got a bit of a gut in photo 1."

Dude, you don't have a gut.

The good news for Murray, tennis star Bob Bryan has previously had the same procedure and returned to the court after only 5 months of recovery.

If Murray has the same results, he could compete at Wimbledon in July.

Tisha Campbell-Martin claims her estranged husband has been abusive for years ... alleging he flew into a violent rage as recently as last month.

The "Martin" star filed for a restraining order against Duane Martin ... alleging he once punched her in the chest with a closed fist. In the docs, she says in December, Duane "grabbed me by my arm to try to get me in the bedroom." She claims she filed a police report in January about multiple alleged physical altercations.

According to the docs, obtained by TMZ, Duane started physically, emotionally and mentally abusing Tisha at the start of their marriage in 1996. She says he berated her about her weight and inability to land roles because of it.

As for why she's speaking now ... Tisha says, "I can no longer live in fear of retaliation ... the need [to] press criminal charges for his acts overshadows the embarrassment of making his crimes against me public through this report."

He looks like he's straight outta "Kingpin" ... but pro bowler Kyle Troup is very much the REAL DEAL -- and when he hit a strike in a PBA tourney, he busted out one of the grooviest celebrations ever.

Troup -- sporting the kind of afro that would make Bob Ross proud -- was competing in the Lubbock Sports Open over the weekend ... when he started throwing rocks in the 2nd frame.

Out came the hair pick -- fused with some swaggy dance moves -- and it started the momentum that turned the match his way.