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Golf legend Phil Mickelson says his family used Rick Singer's company to help his children navigate the world of college admission ... but the PGA star is adamant he did NOT participate in bribes.

Officials have named Singer as the ringleader in the college bribery scandal -- where stars like Lori Loughlin and Felicity Huffman are accused of making payments to get their kids into prestigious schools under false pretenses.

Singer ran a college prep business servicing tons of families. Mickelson says his business dealings with Singer's company were strictly above board.

"Our family, along with thousands of others, used Rick Singer’s company to guide us through the college admission process," Phil says.

"We are shocked by the revelations of these events. Obviously, we were not part of this fraud, our kids would disown us if we ever tried to interfere."

Phil has 3 kids -- including a 19-year-old daughter (who currently attends Brown University), a 17-year-old daughter and a 15-year-old son.

The funny part ... according to officials, Lori Loughlin coughed up $500,000 to make sure her kids went to USC and not Arizona State.

Phil went to Arizona State ... and he turned out just fine.

NFL star Sheldon Richardson says his days of speeding around in Bentleys are LONG GONE ... and it's all thanks to being a daddy!!

As we previously reported ... cops clocked Richardson speeding at 143 MPH with his 12-year-old nephew in the car when he was a member of the NY Jets back in 2015.

Oh yeah ... and he had a gun in the car.

He was charged with resisting arrest, excessive speeding, failing to obey traffic control device among other violations at the time ... but later copped a plea deal and was given 2 years of probation and 100 hours of community service.

The newest Cleveland Brown reflected on the incident with reporters on Thursday ... saying he's done a lot of growing up and can't be taking those kinds of risks.

"I was 24 in a Bentley, having a good time, that was it," Richardson said ... "I've got a daughter now, so I can't be doing 150 MPH on a highway."

Richardson welcomed his daughter, Riley Rose, back in 2016 ... and he says it completely turned his life around.

"I got a lot to live for."

Of course ... Richardson admitted his mistakes back in 2015 and vowed to make the right moves to get back on track ... and it sounds like he's still holding to his promise.

8:11 AM PT -- Jussie just pled not guilty to the 16-count indictment against him. He was advised he needs to be at every court date going forward, and is set to be back in court in mid-April.

In the meantime, he'll be allowed to travel to L.A. and NY for meetings with his lawyers. He's gotta notify the court 48 hours in advance before going to either location, and also needs to check back in within 24 hours when he returns to Chicago.

Jussie Smollett just showed up to court with the same confidence he had the other day -- the big difference now ... this appearance actually matters, 'cause he's being arraigned.

The "Empire" star once again strutted his way into a Cook County courthouse Thursday with his back straight and his head held high ... just like he did on Tuesday when he showed up for a procedural hearing he technically didn't need to attend.

He's expected to enter a plea one way or another at his arraignment.

As we reported ... a grand jury handed down the whopping 16-count indictment last week nearly two weeks after Jussie was arrested and booked for allegedly filing a false police report. Jussie's attorney, Mark Geragos, called the indictment "overkill."

Regardless of how Jussie pleads ... he may very well have more than his own fate in his hands. Folks working on "Empire" feel like the future of the show will very much be tied to how things shake out for him in court, and could possibly torpedo the series at large.

Wanna see what it takes to fix a broken face after getting hit with a 98 mph ball???

MLB pitcher Josh Ravin took a screaming line drive to the face while playing for the Atlanta Braves' Triple-A affiliate, Gwinnett Stripers, last June. It was a scary sight ... JR dropped to the ground in pain and had to be carted off the field.

Fast-forward to today ... and Ravin is showing off all the work that had to be put into fixin' his mug after the unfortunate incident ... and it's giving off Terminator vibes!!!

"This photo is the end result.. 5 fractures, a concussion, plastic surgery, 2 plates and 11 screws later," Ravin says, showing off an x-ray of the finished product.

"Here I Am! A bionic, terminator looking human, More determined than ever!..I've always considered myself a 'savage' but I never thought it'd be possible to become an even BIGGER SAVAGE!"

Ravin -- who's a flamethrower with a 99 mph fastball -- had a stint with the L.A. Dodgers before playing with the Braves organization in 2018.

Bali is known for its incredible views ... but Johnny Manziel's wife just made it MUCH better ... showing off her booty flexin' skills in a bikini by the pool!!

Bre Tiesi is in Indonesia with her friends celebrating Jordan Ozuna's birthday ... and naturally, that means everybody's ditchin' their clothes for their suits to get some fun in the sun.

No sign of Johnny on the trip ... and no offense to the QB, we're perfectly fine with that.

Of course, Johnny's had fun with the crew in the past -- who can forget their epic topless beach trip in Mexico in 2017?

The girls posted all the (clothed) fun this time around ... from impromptu photo shoots to celebrating the birthday with some cake.

As for Ozuna -- she's Bre's business partner and has been linked to Tyga and Justin Bieber in the past.

Happy birthday ... to everyone!!

Odell Beckham is NOT going scorched earth on the Giants now that he's leaving NY -- in fact, he's killing his old fans with kindness on the way out.

"So many mixed emotions and feelings," Beckham said in a statement Thursday morning ... "This is all, a lot to process but it is reality."

Of course, Beckham was traded from the Giants to the Cleveland Browns where he'll be reunited with his close friend and former college teammate, Jarvis Landry.

"I want to thank the NY giants organization for giving me an opportunity to do what God put me on this earth to do," Odell said.

"I want to thank the organization and the owners for everything and especially giving me my first chance to be a part of the NFL."

"I gave u my all every Sunday."

Beckham also had this note to his fans and haters -- "I just wanna thank u guys for making my experience in NY SOMETHIN ILL NEVER FORGET!"

"To the New Yorkers and REAL NYG fans... you guys will always have a place in my heart, a beautiful city .. a beautiful place Thank You for every last moment and experience. Without them, I wouldn’t be exactly who I am today ! LUV"

Beckham was drafted by the Giants in 2014. He just signed a monster 5-year, $95 MILLION contract extension with the Giants in August 2018.

5:57 PM PT -- Lamar just apologized for making "a bad decision" ... and says he'll "set a better example going forward."

Here's Baltimore Ravens superstar QB Lamar Jackson apparently breaking some laws ... speeding at 105 MPH -- all while holding his phone and recording!

C'mon man -- BE SAFE!!!

LJ posted the (not so smart) footage on his Instagram Story Tuesday ... presumably to show off his icy bracelet and fancy Mercedes.

The problem? You can see in the vid, the speedometer is PASSING 105 MPH ... with his phone locked in one of his hands.

Yeah, ain't exactly a look the Ravens want to see.

Plus, there's a seat belt light on the dashboard, which shows someone in the car ain't buckled up. It seems Lamar's alone in the car. We're HOPING it's a mistake and he's buckled up for safety.

What makes things even tougher for the Ravens to swallow? They've had an up-and-down offseason so far, losing studs like Terrell Suggs and Eric Weddle -- and Jackson also posted he isn't happy about that.

"Lol I wish we could've kept everyone," Jackson said ... "us players have 0 say so."

We've reached out to the Ravens for comment on Lamar's vids ... but so far, no word back yet.

Two members of the U.S. Women's National Soccer Team are more than teammates -- they're engaged to be married!!

Defender Ali Krieger and goalie Ashlyn Harris just revealed they've not only been dating for the last 9 years, but Ashlyn actually proposed in September ... and Ali said, "Yes!"

It all went down in Clearwater Beach, Florida -- where Ashlyn busted out a pretty impressive rock.

The two are now planning to tie the knot at the end of 2019, according to People.com.

Ali and Ashlyn met on the USWNT in 2010 -- with Harris explaining, "We always sat next to each other on the bus and on flights, and we kind of just talked about our dreams and our hopes and what we wanted to do one day when we grew up. Because at the time, we were kids."

The couple wasn't exactly hiding their relationship, but they didn't flash it around either because they didn't want to be a distraction.

"We wanted to be professional and make sure that we showed up every day and did our job and it wasn’t just because we were together, it was because we love what we do, and we’re really good at what we do,” Krieger told People.

"We became more and more confident within and ourselves and then clearly within our relationship," Harris said ... adding, "Finally, after all these years, I just feel like I don’t have to hide anything or feel like I’m not living up to the community I’m in."

Floyd Mayweather is finding new ways to get at Conor McGregor -- this time, he's mocking the UFC star's Miami meltdown by BEGGING paparazzi to shoot him in Beverly Hills.

Remember, McGregor was arrested this week for taking a fan's phone and smashing it because he didn't want to be shot on the way out of the Fontainebleau hotel Monday morning.

Enter Mayweather -- wearing a super bright yellow sweatshirt so everyone could see him -- instructing the photogs to "Shoot me, man! Shoot greatness!"

Floyd knew exactly what he was doing ... and so did everyone in his massive entourage -- just look at the smirks while Mayweather puts on his show in the middle of the most famous part of L.A.

Meanwhile, Conor is still in Florida where he's facing criminal charges for the cell phone incident.

Conor recently tweeted about wanting a rematch with Floyd after getting beat up in their boxing match back in 2017.

Conor says he realizes what he did wrong in that fight and believes he can make the adjustments to give Floyd his first loss.

Crazy story, crazy ending.

A Kobe Bryant high school basketball jersey -- stolen out of the school's trophy case in 2017 -- has been located by a fan in China who's returning the item ... for free!!

Here's the deal ... someone broke into a display case at Lower Merion High School in Pennsylvania on Super Bowl Sunday in 2017 and jacked the autographed #33 Bryant jersey he had signed for the school.

Bryant was a high school phenom at Lower Merion -- where he scored nearly 2,900 points during his 4 years. He also scored a date to his prom with Brandy, 'memba that?!

Well, there was a huge break in the missing jersey case ... when a Kobe superfan in China named Liu Zhe noticed the jersey he recently bought for $2,000 looked VERY similar to the stolen jersey.

Turns out ... it IS the same jersey.

So, 28-year-old Zhe ... being a good dude ... decided to send the jersey back to the school, free of charge, because he felt it was the right thing to do, according to ESPN's Dave McMenamin.

The good news ... Lower Merion has already received the jersey and reps are now working with police to see if they can track down the thief who jacked it in the first place.

So, what does Liu want for his role in the jersey recovery? Nothing really ... just for Kobe to know he did the right thing.

Felicity Huffman is free to move about the country, but that's it -- she had to hand over her passport Tuesday before she was released following her arrest in the college admissions bribery scam.

Felicity appeared in federal court in L.A. and her attorney tried to argue for her to be released on her own recognizance. Prosecutors shot that down, and the judge compromised with $250k signature bond. She didn't have to pay that amount, but her husband, William H. Macy, who was in court ... had to sign that he's good for it.

Although Macy was not indicted, prosecutors consider him a witness in the case. The judge instructed Felicity she could not travel internationally, and she has to be in Boston for a court appearance on March 29.

As we've reported, Lori Loughlin was not arrested Tuesday because she's out of town, but her husband, designer Mossimo Giannulli was and had to see the judge. His bond was set at $1 million, and he had to put up his primary residence as collateral.

3:01 PM PT -- USC has fired water polo coach Jovan Vavic and Senior Associate AD Donna Heinel.

11:08 AM PT -- The NCAA released a statement addressing the scandal ... saying, "The charges brought forth today are troubling and should be a concern for all of higher education. We are looking into these allegations to determine the extent to which NCAA rules may have been violated."

Multiple prominent members of the USC Trojans athletic department have been indicted in a far-reaching college admissions scandal ... where they allegedly took bribes to help students gain admission.

USC senior associate athletic director Dr. Donna Heinel, ex-USC women's head soccer coach Ali Khosroshahin and ex-assistant soccer coach Laura Janke are all named ... as well as current USC men's water polo head coach Jovan Vavic.

Vavic -- a 13-time national coach of the year -- has 14 national titles under his belt during his tenure at the University of Southern California.

The general allegations go something like this -- William Rick Singer, a guy who runs a college admissions prep service, would facilitate bribes to current and former USC coaches to designate prospective students as recruited athletes ... which would lower the academic standards for admission.

The problem ... officials say the students were NOT recruited athletes and the coaches and other USC officials LIED in exchange for big money donations to USC and other payments.

Here's a video of the U.S. Attorney's Office laying out the alleged scheme ...

According to court documents, USC ain't alone in this -- at least one soccer coach from UCLA is named, along with a coach from Georgetown, a sailing coach at Stanford, a tennis coach at Texas, a coach from Wake Forest and even Yale.

In regards to USC, officials say one of the parents involved in the scheme is Lori Loughlin -- whose daughters were allegedly recruited by USC's crew team, despite the fact they had no experience in crew.

You can bet your ass the NCAA has eyes on this -- especially considering USC's legendary history of bribery and scandal in their athletic department.

By the way, USC president Dr. Wanda M. Austin issued a statement saying USC is the VICTIM and not the bad guy here.

"The government has repeatedly informed us that it views USC as a victim and that these employees purposefully deceived USC."

She added, "It is immensely disappointing that individuals would abuse their position at the university in this way."

2:13 PM PT-- Westbrook has been fined $25k for “directing profanity and threatening language to a fan.”

1:54 PM PT -- The Utah Jazz just announced that they have permanently banned the fan involved in the verbal altercation with Russell Westbrook after they say a team investigation revealed the fan acted inappropriately.

The Jazz just released a statement ... saying, "The Utah Jazz and Larry H. Miller Group announced today a permanent ban of the fan who engaged in the inappropriate interaction with the Oklahoma City Thunder's Russell Westbrook last night at Vivint Smart Home Arena. The ban is effective immediately and includes all arena events."

"The organization conducted an investigation through video review and eyewitness accounts. The ban is based on excessive and derogatory verbal abuse directed at a player during the game that violated the NBA Code of Conduct."

"The Utah Jazz will not tolerate fans who act inappropriately. There is no place in our game for personal attacks or disrespect."

Jazz President Steve Starks also addressed the situation ... saying, "Everyone deserves the opportunity to enjoy and play the game in a safe, positive and inclusive environment."

"Offensive and abusive behavior does not reflect the values of the Miller family, our organization and the community. We all have a responsibility to respect the game of basketball and, more importantly, each other as human beings. This has always been a hallmark of our incredible fan base and should forever be our standard moving forward."

"I swear to God, I'll f*ck you up, you and your wife. I'll f*ck you up."

Russell Westbrook let the profanities fly at the OKC Thunder vs. Utah Jazz game on Monday ... verbally threatening physical harm on a fan in the 2nd quarter of the game.

So, what did the fan say to set Russ off??

If you ask the fan, 45-year-old Shane Keisel, he denies ANY inappropriate or racist words were said, claiming he yelled, "Ice those knees up!" to the MVP.

As for his wife being involved, Keisel says she never said a word ... and is pissed Westbrook went after her too.

"She never got up. She never stood up. She never said a word to him," the fan told ESPN after the game.

"I mean, it's all fine, we're having fun and games with the guy and we're talking, but at the end of the day, no man should threaten a woman, period."

"I'm not afraid of the guy. Come on up. But when you threaten a woman that's 5 feet tall and 110 pounds, you're a big man. So this guy needs to be exposed."

Brodie says he doesn't regret the blowup because he heard something completely different -- something racially charged -- "Get down on your knees like you're used to" ... and that's what made him go nuclear.

"For me, I'm just not going to continue to take disrespect for my family," Westbrook told reporters after the game.

"And if I had to do it again, I would say the same exact thing, because I truly will stand up for myself, for my family, for my kids, for my wife, for my mom, for my dad every single time.

"I expect anybody else to do the same. So that's kind of where I'm at with the whole situation."

"As for beating up his wife, I have never put my hand on a woman; I never will. Never been in any domestic violence before. Never have before, but once he said the comment, his wife repeated the same thing to me as well. So that's kind of how that started."

Russell has gotten support from ex-NBAer Matt Barnes ... who said, "I said it b4 @utahjazz have the most racist fans in the @NBA."

The Jazz released a statement ... saying, "We are continuing to investigate the unfortunate exchange at tonight’s game between Russell Westbrook and fans."

"Multiple warning cards were issued by arena security. Players and fans have a shared responsibility to create a safe and respectful environment. If it is determined that any fans violated the NBA Code of Conduct, appropriate action will be taken."

Conor McGregor went right back to business after getting released from jail Monday night ... hitting the streets of Miami for a late-night run!!!

As we previously reported ... the UFC superstar was arrested after he allegedly smashed a fan's phone for trying to take a pic of him outside the Fontainebleau hotel early Monday morning in South Beach.

He was booked for robbery/strong-arm and criminal mischief over $1,000 -- the price of the fan's phone -- and was released a few hours later, around 8 PM PT.

Now we know exactly what Conor did after getting out of the slammer ... 'cause we've obtained video of The Notorious going on a shirtless jog shortly after he posted his $12,500 bond.

Yeah, Conor (seemingly) ain't worried ... and maybe for good reason. He was initially charged with a felony after the NYC bus incident with Khabib -- but struck a deal and only ended up with 5 days of community service and an anger management course.

Conor's attorneys released a statement on Monday ... saying, "Last evening Conor McGregor was involved a minor altercation over a cell phone that resulted in a call to law enforcement.

12:32 PM PT -- The judge sided with Geragos and will allow cameras in the courtroom Thursday.

Jussie Smollett strutted confidently into a Cook County Courthouse for a hearing he did NOT have to attend.

Jussie, who's been laying low since he was arrested for filing a false police report, was rocking shades, gloves and a trench coat as he arrived Tuesday. The hearing is really for his attorney, Mark Geragos, to file the paperwork so he can rep Jussie in Illinois -- and also to determine if cameras will be allowed in court for the case.

He wasn't required to be there, but our sources say Smollett chose to attend because he intends to be an active participant in his defense ... and not just an observer. We're also told he's done hiding.

This is the first time we've seen him after the grand jury handed up the 16 count indictment last week.

After the indictment, Geragos told us, "The fact of an indictment was not unexpected. We knew that there is no way they would expose their evidence to a public airing and subject their witnesses to cross-examination. What is unexpected, however, is the prosecutorial overkill in charging 16 separate counts against Jussie."

Mike Tyson says he loved Michael Jackson ... but there's no way in hell he would've let his kids hang with MJ unattended.

The legendary boxer joined Michael Rapaport on his "I AM RAPAPORT" podcast (coming to Luminary this spring) ... where he was asked about the explosive "Leaving Neverland" documentary.

Of course, Wade Robson and James Safechuck -- the two centerpieces of the HBO special -- accused Jackson of sexually abusing them as children.

Tyson -- who was friends with Jackson and even visited him at Neverland several times -- says he believes a lot of the blame falls on the parents of the kids.

"The parents have to be responsible for that sh*t. I just thought the fact that these kids, Michael is telling them, 'if anyone knows about this we're both gonna go to prison forever.' It was just ... really horrible."

"I have an 8-year-old kid. I wouldn't let Michael hang out with my kid. I wouldn't let my kid go over Michael's house. I love Michael. Ya know what I mean. Michael has a reputation of this."

Tyson says "whatever happened when [Robson and Safechuck] was kids is wrong" ... but did critique the men for participating in the documentary.

"What you're doing now is even wrong. Coming out saying this stuff. It comes across that these are guys just out to get some money."