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Scary revelation from Rob Gronkowski ... who says he's probably had 20 concussions in his life from playing football including 5 blackout moments -- but he feels like he's "fixed" now.

The New England Patriots legend was talking football to CBS News when he was asked if he'd ever let his child (if and when he has children) play the sport he loves.

“I would let my son play football, but first off I would educate him on the game," Gronk said ... "Educate him on what I went through."

But, here's the scary part ...

"I truly believe any injury that you receive is fixable though. I went through it. I had 9 surgeries. Probably had like 20 concussions in my life, like, no lie. I remember 5, like, blackout ones."

Of course, with CTE concerns at an all-time high, Gronk's statement is concerning, to say the least.

He also described having a pint of blood drained from his body following the Super Bowl loss to the Philadelphia Eagles ... an issue he chalks up to internal bleeding.

But, the NFL superstar -- who recently signed a deal with a CBD medical company which focuses on pain management -- says straight-up, "I'm fixed."

As we previously reported, Gronk has said he's open to an NFL comeback if he feels passionate about playing the game again ... and recently joked that he'd join the Pats in Week 14.

We love Gronk ... but man, 20 concussions is A LOT.

Be careful, bro.

Look out, NBA ... ISO JOE IS BACK!!!

Ex-NBA All-Star-turned-BIG3 dominator Joe Johnson just signed a new contract with the Detroit Pistons on Thursday ... agreeing to a partially-guaranteed 1-year deal.

Don't be surprised ... 38-year-old Johnson LIT UP the BIG3 this season -- averaging 21.9 points a game and 3.9 assists a game for the Triplets, hitting 6-game winners during the season while leading his squad to a BIG3 championship. He was also named league MVP.

As the season wrapped up, there was a buzz NBA teams were interested -- and Ice Cube told us straight-up Joe was getting serious looks. In fact, NBA owners were attending games just to check out Joe's talents.

Johnson had been flirting with teams since the BIG3 wrapped up a couple weeks ago ... working out for the Bucks, Nets and Pistons and ultimately Detroit pulled the trigger.

Just a few weeks ago, we spoke with Johnson about a potential NBA career and he told us he willing to play his ass off for whoever signed 'em ... telling us he still has a blast playing basketball.

The 7-time All-Star last played for the Rockets in 2018 before joining Cube's league this past season.

It's not just a big move for Joe, but it also proves the BIG3 is a real option for players looking to prove they can still compete in the NBA.

And, if you think the BIG3 is bitter they're losing their best player, you're wrong. This was always the point of the league -- to flex real talent.

Khabib Nurmagomedov sat down with Vladimir Putin on Thursday -- and the President of Russia showered him with praise for another impressive UFC victory.

It all went down in Khabib's homeland of Dagestan (which is part of Russia) -- and the leader of Dagestan, Vladimir Vasilyev, was on hand to honor the 30-year-old for his UFC 242 victory over Dustin Poirier.

Putin is known for being a massive combat sports fan -- and he's been a huge supporter of Khabib for years.

In fact, when Khabib smashed Conor McGregor back in 2018, Putin summoned the Eagle for a little celebratory snack in a dinky room with a dinky food spread in the city of Ulyanovsk.

But, this time, the gang upgraded to a nicer meeting spot with big leather chairs and a fancy table -- where Putin praised Khabib's father, Abdulmanap, for raising a champion.

"I'll start with you: I want to congratulate you on the victory of your son. A well deserved victory and a challenging opponent ... He's a strong fighter."

Putin continued with Khabib ... "I congratulate you, a very good match, beautiful, honest. I looked, a good asphyxiation."

Putin called Khabib an "excellent athlete" and said the victory over Poirier was "convincing."

If future Hall of Famer Joe Thomas wanted to make an NFL comeback, the dude wouldn't be returning to the O-Line ... 'cause the guy looks less like a hog and more like a GOD!!!

Remember ... the 34-year-old -- who holds the record for most consecutive snaps played -- usually weighed around 312 pounds during his 11-year career with the Cleveland Browns. But, the days of XXXL t-shirts are HISTORY -- Thomas says he's lost nearly 60 pounds since retiring in 2017!!!

So ... how did he do it??? Thomas says he's been swimming like a maniac ... and the results are incredible. Seriously, look at this physique. Abs. Arms. Shoulders. Is it getting hot in here???

The Browns legend (10-time Pro Bowler and future Hall of Famer) says he got back into the sport because he's had 5 knee surgeries and needed low-impact workouts to prevent more injuries.

To say the swimming is working would be an understatement ... and Thomas says he's hoping to swim for the rest of his life.

Get this man a Speedo contract!!!

The MLB barred the Mets from wearing NYPD hats during their game Wednesday ... so Pete Alonso took matters into his own hands, and bought his whole team custom 9/11 cleats instead.

The rookie MLB superstar wanted his squad to do something special to remember the tragedy Wednesday ... and thought wearing unique NYPD and FDNY hats would be awesome.

But, after the MLB told him no (they've denied teams from wearing the caps during actual game play every year) ... Alonso skirted the rules by getting his squad amazing spikes.

"It's really important and it's just a little gift from me to my teammates," Alonso said. "I'm really happy that everyone wore the shoes. We could've gotten fined for it, but everyone was willing to back up the cause."

The cleats were awesome ... some of them featured American flags, some had World Trade Center pictures on them, and some said, "We Will NEVER Forget."

"No one really knows how deep those emotional scars can be," Alonso said of the spikes.

"Living here, just kind of interacting with everybody, I've tried to immerse myself in the New York living. I see traces of it every single day. Little bits and pieces of it ... I just want to show recognition to all the people who are heroes."

DeMarcus Lawrence is clapping back at everyone attacking him for snubbing a little kid's autograph request ... saying he has zero regrets about telling the boy, "Get the right jersey, son!"

Lawrence and the Dallas Cowboys beat the hell out of the Giants on Sunday ... and after the game, a little kid in a Saquon Barkley jersey tried to get the superstar's autograph.

But, Lawrence just kept on walking, and eventually told the kid straight-up, "Get the right jersey, son!"

Video of the incident went viral, with people blasting Lawrence for not signing ... but he defended his actions Tuesday, saying, "suck it up."

"It’s crazy how you fans want to attack me for not signing for a kid," Lawrence said. "It’s more than one kid that come to the game with Cowboys jerseys and never get to meet any player."

"So if I’m honest with my own kids I will never treat your kid better than mine so suck it up. #SorryNotSorry."

Lawrence has been one the best players in the NFL over the last couple seasons -- he just signed a 5-year, $105 MILLION contract with the 'Boys earlier this year.

BIG PAPI'S BACK!!!!!!

David Ortiz is making his first appearance at Fenway Park since he was nearly killed in the Dominican Republic last June ... and Sox officials say he's going to throw out the first pitch!!!

Ortiz almost lost his life after a gunman fired a bullet into his lower back outside of a DR club on June 9 ... but after several surgeries -- Ortiz says he's been feeling MUCH better.

So much so, the guy decided to hit up the Red Sox game Monday night to give his former squad a little bit of a boost heading into a rivalry game with the Yankees -- and fans are fired up!!!

Unclear if Papi will take the mound for the first pitch or just throw the heat from the infield grass ... but either way, it'll be a welcome sight for EVERYBODY in the baseball world!!!

By the way, the Yankees have paid their own tribute to the Sox legend recently ... superstars Edwin Encarnacion and Gary Sanchez went to visit him before they started the series last week.

Props for the cool move!!!

Lynn Swann is OUT at USC ... the ex-NFL superstar just resigned his post, according to school officials.

67-year-old Swann took the job back in April 2016 -- replacing longtime AD Pat Haden.

No word as to why Swann is resigning.

USC President Carol Folt sent an email saying, "Lynn has been a leader on and off the field at USC for nearly five decades, and he will forever be a valued member of the Trojan family."

"Lynn has led our Athletics Department to five national championships in five different women’s and men’s sports during his tenure," Folt added. "Our student-athletes’ cumulative GPA for the past two years and our graduation rate of 86% last year were all-time highs for USC Athletics."

"We appreciate Lynn’s leadership of the department over these past three years and will continue to be grateful for his historic contributions to USC."

Swann has been under fire in his role as AD basically since he took the job. Most notably, he was heavily criticized for the infamous admissions scandal at USC where students were deceitfully using the Athletic Dept. to get into the school.

Remember, it was Lori Loughlin's daughter, Olivia Jade, who falsely claimed to be a rower to gain admission to the school as a member of the USC crew team.

Swann was never formally accused of wrongdoing -- but the whole thing was a bad look for his athletic dept.

USC says Dave Roberts, currently serving as special adviser to the President, will take over as interim AD. He's also the Vice-Chair for the NCAA's Committee on Infractions. He's reportedly been at USC since 2010.

Swann was a star WR at USC back in the '70s. He's a College Football Hall of Famer and won a championship with USC back in 1972.

He went on to be a superstar in the NFL, winning 4 Super Bowls with the Pittsburgh Steelers.

DeSean Jackson paid tribute to Nipsey Hussle before he LIT UP the Washington Redskins on Sunday ... and now his special cleats could be yours if the price is right.

As we previously reported, the Philadelphia Eagles star WR went to custom cleat designers and asked for NH-themed kicks for EVERY game in the 2019 season.

Jackson sported the first pair during pre-game warmups in Week 1 -- cleats that featured Nipsey's face and birthday with the words, "Rest In Paradise."

Jackson went on to TORCH the Redskins -- hauling in 8 catches for 154 yards and 2 TDs in the Eagles 32-27 comeback victory.

After the game, DeSean posted about the kicks ...

"Every game this year Im auctioning my @nipseyhussle cleats I wear in Pre game. Proceeds will go to his kids Kross & Emani !! Link will be up this week. Rest in paradise bro !!"

Next week, Jackson will rock another Hussle-themed pair during his "Sunday Night Football" match-up against the Atlanta Falcons to pay tribute to the rapper who was shot and killed in front of his L.A. apparel shop back in March.

Eyes up!!!

Lindsey Vonn made one helluva fashion statement at a Vanity Fair party in NYC on Thursday -- rockin' the hell out of a see-through top ... and yeah, she stole the show!!!

The Olympic downhill skiing legend definitely turned heads at Vanity Fair's 2019 Best Dressed List party at L'Avenue Sacks. Her NHL superstar fiance P.K. Subban didn't make the event, but the MASSIVE emerald engagement ring he gave her sure did!!!

The two announced their engagement last month. They've been together since 2018. No word on when the big wedding will go down.

34-year-old Vonn definitely ain't shy when it comes to showing off her body -- remember she posed in PAINT (and only paint!!!) for the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition a few years ago.

"You need to be terrified of me too, bitch."

Yep, the guy who uttered those words to the mother of his child just got PAID by the Kansas City Chiefs.

The NFL team just announced Tyreek Hill has signed a 3-year, $54 MILLION contract extension ... this just weeks after prosecutors ended an investigation into allegations the star WR had physically abused his 3-year-old son.

The 25-year-old -- arguably one of the 5 best WRs in the NFL -- has been mired in controversy all offseason stemming from an incident with his son back in the winter.

Prosecutors in Kansas say they believe somebody hurt Hill's child ... but after they couldn't determine whether it was Tyreek or his ex-fiancee, Crystal Espinal, they decided not to bring charges against either person.

Of course, shortly after prosecutors made that announcement ... secret audio of Hill and Espinal talking about their son's injuries was released -- putting Hill's NFL future in doubt.

Here's a partial transcript of that conversation ...

Crystal Espinal: "He is terrified of you. And, you say that he respects you, but it's not respect."

Tyreek Hill: "He respects me."

Crystal Espinal: "He is terrified of you."

Tyreek Hill: "You need to be terrified of me too, bitch. That's why you can't keep a f**king man."

The NFL also investigated the incident and ultimately decided NOT to discipline him saying, "Based on the evidence presently available, the NFL cannot conclude that Mr. Hill violated the Personal Conduct Policy."

The Chiefs reinstated him after the NFL's decision ... and clearly felt comfortable enough with him over the last few weeks to sign him to a new deal that will pay him $18 MILLION per year.

For his part, Hill -- who's still battling with Espinal in court over custody of their kids -- has adamantly denied the child abuse allegations, calling them "false."

"To the fans, friends, and family that I have made in Kansas City: I love you and thank you for your continued support," Hill said in a July statement.

"To the NFL, Commissioner Goodell and everyone who assisted in this investigation: thank you for your time and for conducting a thorough investigation. I will not let you down."

Add another shiny object to Jerry West's packed trophy case ... 'cause Donald Trump presented the Logo with the Presidential Medal of Freedom on Thursday.

POTUS invited the Hall of Famer to 1600 Penn to gift him the highest honor a civilian can receive ... praising West's basketball accomplishments on and off the court -- including helping the L.A. Clippers acquire Kawhi Leonard this past summer.

Trump also praised West's work away from the sport, saying "Jerry works harder than just about anybody I can imagine helping our nation's veterans."

"Jerry West is one extraordinary American."

West joins other huge sports stars like Michael Jordan, John Wooden, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Tiger Woods to receive the honor.

"I swear my name is going to look like a misprint on this list," West joked in the Oval Office.

Ariana Grande's brother is cleaning up the tea he spilled about her dating life -- that is to say, she is NOT dating Social House singer Mikey Foster.

Frankie Grande sent folks into a frenzy Wednesday when he said he went on a "double date" with Ariana and Mikey ... but now he says he was not implying Ariana and Mikey were an item.

Frankie started backstroking Thursday, saying ... "My sister is not in a relationship. Everyone relax. She is very much single."

Now, Frankie says his "double date" comment just meant Ariana and Mikey went out for dinner with him and his boyfriend, Hale Leon.

Aaaand breathe, everyone.

BTW ... Ariana and Mikey have been dogged by dating rumors ever since they collabed on her track, "Boyfriend" -- which probably explains why Frankie's comment caught fire.

As you know ... Ariana's got a long list of famous exes ... including Pete Davidson, Big Sean, Ricky Alvarez and Mac Miller. The bad news for Mikey is he's NOT dating AG (in case that wasn't clear), but on the other hand ... he won't be on her list of exes.

Drew Brees says he's NOT anti-LGBTQ -- despite working with an organization that opposes same-sex marriage and adoption by same-sex couples.

The New Orleans Saints quarterback recently appeared in a video to promote "Bring Your Bible to School Day" which was part of a campaign by a group called Focus on the Family.

In the 22-second video, Brees advises kids to "share God's love with friends" -- he makes no mention of same-sex marriage at all.

But, some people were furious that Brees would agree to work with Focus on the Family in ANY capacity considering the group's position on homosexuality.

According to Queerty.com, FOTF "supports gay conversion therapy and religious freedom laws, believes trans people are deranged, says anti-bullying groups promote homosexuality, and has lobbied for legislation allowing anti-gay workplace discrimination."

Now, Brees is responding to the backlash in a new video saying he's NOT homophobic and respects all people no matter their sexual orientation.

"There's been a lot of negativity spread about me in the LGBTQ community recently based upon an article that someone wrote with a very negative headline, that I think led people to believe that somehow I was aligned with an organization that was anti-LGBTQ and so on and so forth," Brees said.

"I'd like to set the record straight, I live by two very simple Christian fundamentals and that is love the Lord with all your heart, mind and soul. And, love your neighbor as yourself."

"I think the first one is very self-explanatory. The second one, love your neighbor as yourself, what does that mean?"

"It means, love all, respect all and accept all. So, that is actually how I live my life. That is what I try to do with my family, with my teammates, with people in my community, with my friends, all people. No matter your race, your color, your religious preference, your sexual orientation, your political [views]."

Ezekiel Elliott is making sure a whole lot of people eat after he got his chunk of Jerry Jones' pie ... telling reporters Thursday he's donating $100,000 to the Salvation Army!!!

Zeke just got a brand new 6-year, $90 MILLION contract from Jerry and the Cowboys ... and he just said at a press conference he'll be giving away a portion of it to help the needy in Dallas.

"In my time here in Dallas, I've formed a really good relationship with the Salvation Army," Zeke said ... "And, I wanted to pledge $100,000 to help them build their new facility to help support the people of need in Dallas."

Elliott's had a long -- and funny -- history with the Salvation Army since he joined the Cowboys ... remember, he famously hopped in the red kettle after scoring a TD back in 2016.

Then, of course, he followed that celebration up with a donation into the red kettle after scoring another TD in 2018!!!

Overall, Zeke's helped the Salvation Army raise thousands of dollars in his 3 years as a Cowboy ... but, clearly, he doesn't think that's enough -- and is throwing in more to the pot now.

Just suspend, baby.

The Oakland Raiders are about to put Antonio Brown on ice -- after the superstar WR "got into it" with general manager Mike Mayock ... so says ESPN's Adam Schefter.

"The Next Chapter: Antonio Brown and GM Mike Mayock got into it Wednesday, and the team is now planning to suspend its star wide receiver, league sources tell ESPN."

It's obvious what's happening here ... Mayock fined Brown roughly $54,000 for missing team workouts in August.

Brown posted the disciplinary letter from the Raiders on social media and said the team was "hating" on him.

Clearly, Mayock and the Raiders didn't take kindly to the public attack which apparently led to the confrontation between AB and Mayock.

Schefter elaborated ... "Antonio Brown posted the fine letter on social media that Raiders’ GM Mike Mayock sent him. It led to an exchange, which is now leading to further discipline. This is not going away anytime soon."

Mayock had expressed displeasure with Brown for missing practices while dealing with his helmet issue -- after the league told AB he couldn't use his old helmet because it didn't pass the NFL's safety protocol.

Brown had also missed time dealing with foot issues after he suffered extreme frostbite from a cryogenic chamber mishap.

Adjust your fantasy football roster accordingly ...