Kentucky AG Daniel Cameron We Got Ballistics on Breonna Taylor ... But It's Not Conclusive
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Kentucky's Attorney General says his office has finally received the ballistics report he's been waiting for in the Breonna Taylor case ... but he says it's not conclusive and it seems there's still no end in sight.
Daniel Cameron revealed Sunday on CBS's "Face the Nation" that he's now gotten hold of a crucial FBI ballistics report he's been saying for weeks was one of the last things he needed before deciding if he'll bring charges against the cops that shot and killed her. He said the report was not "the end-all, be-all," though he would not elaborate.
Cameron made it seem like he was still a ways away from coming to any sort of conclusion. He says he still needs to meet with the FBI to review the report, on top of going through further witness testimony and other analysis ... with no clear end in sight.
Cameron did say he and his team will be meeting with the FBI this upcoming week but didn't indicate how long it would take to review the ballistics, or anything else that might follow. It's been 5 months now since Breonna was killed, and yet ... the waiting continues.
Her family's attorney, Ben Crump, said Sunday ... word of Cameron receiving the ballistics report was welcome news, but he also made it clear, he's expecting this to come to an end with a final decision sooner than later, adding Cameron's hyped up this report as damn near the last piece of the puzzle.
Cameron says he wants to do a thorough investigation before any announcement on possible charges. Just recently, Breonna's family told us they were reassured to Cameron's commitment to resolving her case and getting justice after finally meeting with him.
Unclear how they might feel now that he's saying he's actually not all that close after all.
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Washington D.C. Cops Yank 2 Out of BLM-Tagged Van
Cops in Washington D.C. pulled two people out of a van that was tagged with Black Lives Matter signage ... and the encounter was caught on camera.
The wild scene was captured by a journalist on the ground Saturday night, and it shows officers in riot gear forming a wall with shields and batons out ... while chanting "move back." It's pretty eerie, almost like twisted, futuristic Orwellian dystopia playing out in real life.
Anyway, the officers quickly come upon a white van that's been spray-painted with 'BLM' lettering all over -- which is just sitting there in the middle of the road. The cops tell the driver and his passenger to get out, but they refuse ... so they rip them out by force.
It sounds like police even break their windows to get them out, and you hear screaming in the background. The person filming appears to have gotten injured during the chaos. The reporter also says the two people in the van were arrested.
Law enforcement sources told the Washington Post officers were compelled to confront BLM protesters in this fashion because they claim projectiles were being thrown at police.
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Jacob Blake Riots Kenosha Home and Store Owners Rush To Buy Guns
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The civil unrest triggered by Jacob Blake's shooting has many citizens in and around Kenosha rushing to stock up on guns to protect themselves and their businesses.
Gun and ammo stores in the area are seeing a huge surge in folks trying to buy firearms, with many customers coming from neighborhoods smack in the middle of the unrest.
Joesph LaJoy, owner of LaJoy Precision Inc in nearby Pleasant Prairie, WI, tells TMZ ... he completely sold out of every handgun, shotgun, and all ammunition after fielding at least 150 phone calls per day in the wake Blake's shooting.
LaJoy says the majority of sales were from people who did not previously own guns or ammo, and they're looking to protect themselves and their homes.
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Meanwhile, at Red Dot in Lake Villa, IL near where "vigilante" shooter Kyle Rittenhouse hails, the gun store manager tells us they sold nearly 100 firearms in a single day this week, and they're getting close to selling out completely.
We're told folks were frantic and scared coming into Red Dot, and many became upset when they learned there's a 72-hour waiting period to obtain a firearm in Illinois.
Over at 5 Star Firearms in Zion, IL, the manager, Clinton, tells TMZ ... the store is sold out of all rifles, handguns and ammo, and it only took 2 days to clear the shelves.
Clinton says thousands of people were coming in ... saying they're looking to protect their businesses and homes. Most customers lived in Kenosha and Lake County, where Rittenhouse is from.
A similar scene unfolded at Outdoorsman Sports Shop in Winthrop Harbor, IL, where manager Paul tells us thousands of people flooded the shop this week, cleaning him out of .380 ammo -- the bullets used for handguns.
It's a big summer for firearm sales in the wake of civil unrest ... as we first told you, there were lines around the block at gun stores in L.A. earlier this summer following the George Floyd riots.
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President Trump at Lake Charles, LA OK, I Saw the Damage So Who Wants My $10,000 Autograph???
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President Trump's trip to hurricane-ravaged Louisiana capped off with an unseemly sight -- him handing out his autograph to city officials ... telling them to sell it for $10k a pop.
DT flew down to Lake Charles Saturday -- which was just torn through by Hurricane Laura -- and after holding a news conference with some FEMA officials on hand, 45 stuck around to give his John Hancock to fans, notably ... LC officials.
He's done it before, but this time it looks terrible for 2 reasons. First, there are people who lost everything in the storm, so jokes not appreciated. Second, the idea that the President is signing autographs and telling recipients to sell it on eBay ... well, as they say, it is what it is.
Aside from the fact Trump's acting like he just rolled out of a limousine to an 'Apprentice' premiere, throwing around autographs haphazardly and acting more like a celebrity than POTUS tending to a city that desperately needs help ... well, that's whatcha call tone-deaf.
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Police Brutality Officers Patient With White Suspect ... Black Suspect Brutalized
These 2 videos are circulating, showing 2 very different interactions between civilians and cops, and it's pretty eye-opening.
This policeman in Washington state is super patient with a suspect of white persuasion.
— Rex Chapman🏇🏼 (@RexChapman) August 28, 2020 @RexChapman
Man, I wish Jacob Blake, and George Floyd, and Breonna Taylor, and so many more had been given this much consideration as human beings... pic.twitter.com/ZsrmFYwhKI
Check out the white guy in the pickup truck screaming at a cop in Washington state who has a gun pointed at him. The driver is enraged and uncooperative, hurling profanities, jumping out of the truck and even threatening to kill the cop ... all as the officer patiently listens. It never escalates into physical contact.
I thought all you had to do was comply and you wouldn’t be shot or brutalized by police. 🤔🤔 pic.twitter.com/b1lVsuRx5i
— shannon sharpe (@ShannonSharpe) August 28, 2020 @ShannonSharpe
Now compare that with the second video, where a black man is stopped by Sacramento County Sheriff's deputies. His hands are up in the air ... he is clearly surrendering peacefully, yet one of the cops kicks the guy in the back and then the other cop joins in, pummeling the man.
The incident went down in March, and this month the Sheriff announced a deputy in the confrontation was disciplined. The announcement was in the singular, so it appears the only deputy who was disciplined was the one who kicked the man in the back.
It can't be dismissed as a one-off anymore. There are clear, systemic inequities in the way too many cops treat black vs. white civilians.
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Royce White Draymond Green Is Wrong ... NBA Players Should Leave Bubble Now
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Ex-NBA player Royce White says his friend Draymond Green is just wrong to say NBA players should continue the playoffs ... explaining why the right move is for everyone to exit the bubble ASAP!!
White spelled out his case during an episode of TMZ Sports Roundtable featuring NFL player Brandon Marshall, and WNBA star Angel McCoughtry.
The video is awesome ... the group gets into a spirited conversation about how professional athletes should move forward after demonstrations from players in the NBA, WNBA, MLB, NFL and more.
In other words ... what's the next step?
Royce White -- a former 1st round NBA draft pick -- says he thinks the NBA needs to ditch the bubble and head back to their communities and get out there with the people.
It's exactly the opposite of what Draymond Green said earlier this week when he encouraged players to stay and use the NBA platform to effectively send their social justice messages to the masses.
"He's mistaken, he's off the path with that," White said about Draymond ... "This is not about awareness campaigns anymore. Report to the front lines. If you can't report to the front lines, then send aid."
White also had advice for LeBron James -- "Go to Akron Ohio. March with the people. Stay there until something really changes, and If they choose to be all the way violent, let your body be laying in the street when it's over."
As for McCoughtry ... she weighed in on everything from the WNBA's plan of action, to the rift between Atlanta Dream co-owner Kelly Loeffler and the players.
As we previously reported, Loeffler is strongly against the league support of the Black Lives Matter movement.
Some players have called for Loeffler to sell the team ... claiming she has different values than the players she is profiting off of.
Angel -- who played 10 years for the Dream -- tells us why she does NOT believe Loeffler is a racist ... but could better educate herself on social justice issues.
Brandon Marshall -- one of the first NFL players to kneel with Colin Kaepernick back in 2016 -- told us why he still doesn't fully accept Roger Goodell's Mea Cupla about how the league treated the QB back in the day.
Marshall says he doesn't feel progress can truly be made until Kaepernick has a job in the NFL again.
One thing Marshall makes perfectly clear, Kaepernick has been training like a maniac ... and is still deadly serious about wanting to resume his NFL career.
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Bulletproof Vests Unrest, Violence & Cops Stoke Fears ... Demand's Sky-High
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Bulletproof vest sales are soaring for one black-owned company that says people are seeking heightened protection during these turbulent times.
A spokesperson for the bulletproof vest business called Thyk Skynn, tells TMZ ... it's seen an increase in sales of nearly 400 percent over the past few months, and this week -- in the wake of the Jacob Blake shooting and the ensuing violence -- orders are again skyrocketing.
The company was founded by a former Atlanta cop who says he started the business for innocent people craving protection.
The vests look different from traditional Kevlar vests ... they're more fashionable for starters.
The function, however, is the same ... Thyk Skynn's vests are meant to keep its customers from becoming the next victim of a senseless shooting ... whether by a cop or a citizen with a sick gun fantasy.
As you know ... protests against racism and to promote social justice reached a fever pitch this summer following the killing of George Floyd, and the movement's been reinvigorated after a white Kenosha, WI cop shot Blake in the back 7 times.
Protests and riots in the days following turned deadly when a 17-year-old white male named Kyle Rittenhouse opened fire on protesters and killed 2 while injuring another.
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George Floyd Case You Killed Him In Front Of Kids!!! Prosecutors Seeking Harsher Sentence
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Derek Chauvin -- the ex-Minneapolis cop charged with murdering George Floyd -- deserves an especially harsh sentence because, among other things, he killed Floyd in front of kids ... according to prosecutors.
Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison just informed the judge in the Floyd murder case he'll be seeking a harsher sentence for Chauvin, for several reasons.
The AG says the alleged murder was especially heinous because there were a number of children around who had to watch a man die.
In legal docs, obtained by TMZ, Ellison says Floyd was in a "particularly vulnerable" state because he was handcuffed and chest down on the pavement, repeatedly telling Chauvin and the other officers he could not breathe.
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Ellison also claims Chauvin treated Floyd with "particular cruelty," by ignoring Floyd's pleas that he couldn't breathe and was going to die. Prosecutors also say Chauvin was heartless because he ignored horrified onlookers, and kept his knee pinned on Floyd's neck for nearly 9 minutes, including 4 minutes where Floyd was motionless.
The AG says the knee to the neck inflicted great pain on Floyd and claims Chauvin did not offer Floyd any medical assistance and discouraged others from doing so while witnesses watched him die.
As we reported ... Chauvin is facing up to 40 years in prison if convicted on his second-degree murder charge. The AG's new docs suggest he'll be going for the max.
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Florida Panthers NHL Investigating Ex-GM Dale Tallon ... Over Alleged Racist Comments
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The NHL has launched a probe into ex-Florida Panthers general manager Dale Tallon over allegations he used racist language as recently as the past few months.
One source with knowledge of the investigation tells us the league is looking into multiple alleged incidents -- including a recent exchange that took place during Tallon's final few weeks as GM of the team.
The Panthers parted ways with Tallon earlier this month -- after the team's season came to an end following a loss to the Islanders.
But, according to FloridaHockeyNow.com, the league is actively looking into allegations Tallon used racial language while the Panthers were still competing in the Toronto hub.
We're told the scope of the investigation goes beyond the most recent alleged incident -- there are accusations he's used offensive language in years past.
There was no mention of racial allegations from the Panthers when the team let Tallon go on August 10.
In fact, team owner Vinnie Viola praised Tallon on the way out.
"For the last decade, Dale raised the team’s profile, attracted key players to South Florida and brought character and class to our franchise."
We're out to the NHL and the Panthers for comment-- and will update as information comes in.
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D.C. Protests Man in Blackface Punched Outside White House ... Three Suspects Detained, Arrested
12:42 PM PT -- The man in blackface has been identified by cops as Michael David Pion from Annandale, VA. According to a police report ... Pion was allegedly punched in the head and face by the first suspect. Cops say they identified the man but did not name him in the police report. He was released, but we're told cops are now seeking an arrest warrant.
Cops say 2 other suspects -- Mahadi Lawal and Jonathan Gartrelle -- were also busted for their alleged involvement. Lawal was arrested for simple assault for allegedly striking Pion in the face with his fist ... and when cops tried to break that up, cops allege Gartrelle pulled an officer to the ground and then tried to resist arrest by laying on his stomach and locking his arms under his body. Gartrelle was arrested for assault on a police officer.
A white man wearing blackface pissed off protesters in D.C. and got sucker-punched as cops were leading him away ... which sparked a wild police chase on foot.
A crowd of mostly Black Lives Matter and anti-Trump protesters gathered near the White House late Thursday night after President Trump accepted the presidential nomination to close the Republican National Convention.
However, one guy in blackface stood out like a sore thumb, angering some of the protesters who shouted he was racist and loudly encouraged him to get the hell outta Dodge.
As a few cops were intervening, a man recording the incident shouts "Blackface!" as another man came from behind and punched the guy in blackface.
The officers took off running after the attacker, and caught him on the street after a short pursuit -- but it was a crazy scene as they tried to nab him.
It's unclear if he was arrested, or what happened to the white guy in blackface. We've reached out to law enforcement.
Originally Published -- 6:40 AM PT
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Jacob Blake's Dad Son's Fighting for His Life But These Brothers Are Holding Me Up
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Jacob Blake's father arrived to the "Commitment March" locked armed with supporters ... telling TMZ his son's fighting for his life.
We got Jacob Blake Sr. marching at the 'Get Your Knee Off Our Necks' event Friday at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. and he said his brothers -- and the event itself -- are holding him up.
Jacob's family -- along with the families of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor -- will be joined by thousands expected to show up for this march. It comes on the 57th anniversary of the March on Washington where Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his historic "I Have a Dream" speech.
As you can see in the pics and video ... most attendees are socially distancing and wearing face coverings.
Martin Luther King III -- who was just 5 years old when he attended his father's speech -- and Rev. Al Sharpton are attending the event to push for an end to police violence, systemic racism and advocate for voting rights. All eerily similar goals to the historic 1963 march.
The event is that much more poignant as it comes on the heels of yet another Black man, Jacob Blake, who was shot in the back 7 times at point-blank range by police in Kenosha -- and Friday's march was organized after the funeral for George Floyd.
Trayvon Martin and Ahmaud Arbery's families are also expected to attend.
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Dell Loy Hansen MLS Team Owner Accused Of Racist Incidents ... 'It's Like Donald Sterling'
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Horrible allegations of racism being hurled at Real Salt Lake owner Dell Loy Hansen -- with former players and staff describing him as an n-word-dropping racist, akin to Donald Sterling.
Andy Williams -- a former RSL player, who later worked for the team -- told The Athletic, "He's a f**king racist, to be honest."
"I’ve been in situations where it’s like Donald Sterling. He says something, and it’s like, ‘Oh my God, what did he just say?’ It’s Donald Sterling part 2."
"It’s just unbelievable. It’s crazy how he doesn’t see that the stuff that he says affects people."
The bombshell report also describes a 2014 incident in which Hansen used the n-word twice when speaking with the team equipment manager.
Two years later, The Athletic reports Hansen made racially charged comments to FC Dallas player Kellyn Acosta, who scored a goal in the club's victory over RSL.
After the game, Hansen allegedly told his general manager, "When are we gonna lynch this guy?" while directly in front of Acosta.
Former RSL defender Aaron Maund described another disturbing incident when Hansen saw him wearing a hoodie on an elevator in the stadium and told him, "Oh my God, I thought you were a thug."
As we previously reported, Hansen has been under fire over the past few days for comments he made about protests and demonstrations surrounding the Jacob Blake shooting.
Hansen compared watching the protests to being stabbed and said the player demonstrations had "taken a lot of wind" out of his sails.
NBA star Donovan Mitchell was furious about DLH's comments ... and publicly called for him to sell the team.
We've reached out to RSL ... and the team declined to comment.
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Tom Brady I'll 'Listen, Learn' From Teammates On Social Justice Issues
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Tom Brady says he'll look to his teammates to help him address social issues ... saying he'll "listen and learn" from their experiences to face them head-on.
TB12 was asked about the protests, boycotts and other actions taking place around the league and throughout the world of professional sports ... and Brady did his best to give the safest answer he possibly could.
Brady didn't offer his opinion on the Jacob Blake shooting -- nor did he reveal his personal feelings about superstars like LeBron James refusing to take the court for NBA playoff games this week.
Players around the league look to Brady as a leader and we know there are people looking to take their cues from him as the most high-profile athlete in football.
But so far, he's not really saying much.
Meanwhile, Drew Brees wore Jacob Blake's name on his helmet during practice this week in a show of support with his New Orleans Saints teammates.
Hell, even Cincinnati Bengals rookie QB Joe Burrow offered a strong opinion this week, saying, "How can you hear the pain Black people are going through and dismiss it as nothing?"
"How can you hear the pain and respond with anything other than 'I stand with you?'”
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Jacob Blake's Dad Milwaukee Bucks Reached Out ... Sent Signed Jersey
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The Milwaukee Bucks didn't just boycott for Jacob Blake -- they reached out to his family and sent an autographed jersey to lift their spirits.
"I'm from Chicago, but now I am truly a Milwaukee Bucks fan," Jacob's father, Jacob Blake Sr., said on CNN.
"They reached out to my son, sent him a jersey that was signed by the whole organization ... that made him smile."
Blake was shot in the back 7 times during an incident with the police in Kenosha, Wisconsin. He's paralyzed from the waist down -- but his father says he's still handcuffed to his hospital bed.
With so much negativity still swirling around him, Jacob's father says he's committed to only bringing positivity to the bedside ... and credited the Bucks for helping him out.
"The thing that made him smile was the Milwaukee Bucks. That made him smile."
Jacob Sr. says he's a former athlete and what makes the gesture from the Bucks even more special is the fact they're currently in the playoffs,
"I understand the sacrifices those young men made, and I understand that it's playoff time and they're making these sacrifices."
The NBA playoffs are expected to resume either Friday or Saturday -- and it's clear the Blake family will be pushing hard for Milwaukee.
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Jacob Blake's Dad Convo with Biden, Harris ... Felt Like Talking to Uncle, Sister
Jacob Blake's dad says he spoke to Joe Biden and Kamala Harris for a full hour and he found it comforting because it felt like he was talking to family.
Blake's father, who's also named Jacob, says he and Blake's mother's were nervous at first to talk with the Democrats' Presidential ticket ... but says Biden and Harris calmed them down. The elder Jacob said, "I don't think people understand the worry of a mother. That's her baby."
He revealed how the conversation went down Friday morning on CNN's "New Day" ... saying it felt "like I was speaking to my uncle and one of my sisters -- literally, literally." Jacob's father added, "It felt like they knew what was going on. And, they didn't act like they were in a hurry to go anywhere. They spent time with us."
When asked if President Trump has reached out, Jacob said, "That's a negative." Trump also never mentioned Jacob Blake's name during his RNC nomination acceptance speech.
Jacob's father, who referred to Biden and Harris as President and Vice President, also touched on his son's leg being shackled to his hospital bed.
As we reported ... Blake's dad was furious after finding out his son was handcuffed to his hospital bed during a Wednesday visit. He questioned why that was even necessary since Jacob's paralyzed from the waist down after taking 7 shots to the back from a cop. Jacob's father said his son asked, "Why did they shoot me so many times?"
Jacob's dad pointed out ... "He can't go anywhere. Why do you have him cuffed to the bed?"
Jacob's parents had already gotten emotional Tuesday when the family's lawyer revealed it would be a miracle if Jacob ever walks again.
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NY Mets GM Rips Rob Manfred On Hot Mic ... 'He Doesn't Get It'
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4:32 PM PT -- Van Wagenen just released a statement on the video ... clarifying it was actually Wilpon's idea to play an hour later, not Manfred's.
"Jeff Wilpon called Commissioner Manfred this afternoon to notify him that our players voted not to play," the statement says.
"They discussed the challenges of rescheduling the game. Jeff proposed an idea of playing the game an hour later. I misunderstood that this was the Commissioner's idea. In actuality, this was Jeff's suggestion."
"The players had already made their decision so I feel the suggestion was not helpful. My frustration with the Commissioner was wrong and unfounded."
"I apologize to the Commissioner for my disrespectful comments and poor judgement in inaccurately describing the contents of his private conversation with Jeff Wilpon."
Shocking hot mic video of NY Mets general manager Brodie Van Wagenen trashing MLB commish Rob Manfred over a proposed social justice stunt ... saying Manfred "just doesn't get it."
Van Wagenen was speaking with people at the Mets media podium Thursday -- and clearly doesn't realize the mics are on.
Boosted audio version of the leaked video that @NickCocco18 originally posted revealing that Manfred and MLB are trying to manufacture a moment and make the Mets play a game that they don't want to play. pic.twitter.com/ziAuDioI1O
— Rich MacLeod (@richmacleod) August 27, 2020 @richmacleod
He proceeds to detail a conversation with Manfred in which the Commish proposed a compromise where Mets players make a symbolic gesture to acknowledge the Jacob Blake shooting during Thursday's game ... but then ultimately play the game instead of boycott.
Van Wagenen says Manfred's proposal went like this -- "You know what would be really great? If you just have 'em all take the field [at 7:10], then they leave the field and then they come back and play at 8:10."
Van Wagenen claims he pushed back against Manfred's plan -- telling Mets COO Jeff Wilpon, "Jeff, that's not happening."
Van Wagenen says he made it clear the player would not be playing -- but explained, "That's Rob's instinct. And, Rob -- exactly what you and I were talking about -- at leadership level he doesn't get it. He just doesn't get it."
"Anyway, we're waiting -- Jeff wants to hear, as soon as we hear from the Marlins, whatever we do we need to coordinate with the Marlins. So as soon as Conforto hears from Rojas -- Miguel Rojas -- let me know because Jeff is standing by for that call ..."
We're out to MLB for comment. So far, no word back.
Originally Published -- 3:26 PM PT