Kevin Hart Comedians Should Be Respectful ... But Haters Have Chappelle All Wrong!!!

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Kevin Hart says standup comedy should change in the wake of all the buzz about Dave Chappelle's alleged transphobia -- but he insists most of the critics don't have a clue who Dave really is.

We got Kevin out Friday morning in NYC, and asked if he planned to change anything in his standup routines due to the backlash against Dave's "The Closer" -- and it sounds like he will. Kev said, "We all have to adjust. We all gotta make sure we're operating and managing in a respectful manner."

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WALKING OUT

Watch how KH says it, because it comes off like a criticism of his pal Dave. As you know, Chappelle's been adamant his special was not transphobic, and he has nothing for which to apologize ... despite protests and a walkout staged by Netflix employees.

However, before ya start thinking there's a rift ... Kevin also came out swinging for Chappelle, telling us Dave is a very loving guy and "the narrative that's being attached [to Dave] doesn't necessarily have to be true without knowing the individual."

He also shouted out Chappelle directly, and sent him some love.

The takeaway here ... Kevin isn't gonna be as edgy or controversial as Dave the comedian -- never has been, really -- but he's still a ride or die for Dave as a person.

Marilyn Manson Sells Home In Hollywood Hills

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Marilyn Manson's unloaded his mansion in the Hollywood Hills just weeks after listing it ... TMZ has learned.

The shock rocker just sold his 3-bedroom pad for $1,835,000 this week ... after putting it on the market in October for $1.75 mil ... so he got about 5 percent above the original asking price.

Marilyn's former digs feature 20-foot beamed ceilings and two master suites, complete with their own tiled bathrooms and walk-in closets. The place is 2,711 square feet and it's surrounded by private patios and gardens.

The pad also has French doors, wrought iron railings on the staircase, the garage was converted into a gym, and there's a recording studio and home office.

Worth noting ... this is NOT the place MM allegedly locked women in a soundproof room ... as we reported, that allegedly went down in his West Hollywood apartment. So the new owner doesn't have to worry about any of that.

Jon Grauman from The Agency had the listing.

Cleveland Guardians Team Store Sign Breaks First Day of New Branding

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Guess you could say this is a bad ... sign.

The Guardians era is off to a piping hot start ... with Cleveland's new team store sign falling off the stadium wall and breaking into a bunch of pieces.

The Land's MLB team officially said goodbye to its old controversial nickname for good on Friday ... and the Guardians welcomed the change by releasing its new merch for fans to purchase at 9 AM.

As diehard Clevelanders lined up to get their swag, the new sign that was being placed on the Progressive Field wall tumbled to the ground. Luckily, no Guards fans were injured during the incident, according to Tom Withers of the AP.

It's yet another hiccup for Cleveland since the name change was announced -- as we previously reported, the organization was sued by the Cleveland Guardians roller derby team last month ... being accused of bullying the OG Guardians into changing their name.

Here's hoping it's smooth sailing from here -- 'cause someone could get hurt.

Be safe out there, Guards fans ... maybe keep a hard hat handy just in case?!?

President Joe Biden U.S. 'Considering' Diplomatic Boycott ... Of 2022 Olympics

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President Joe Biden says the United States is "considering" a diplomatic boycott of the 2022 Beijing Olympics ... as a result of China's human rights abuse issues.

It's tradition for the U.S. and other nations to send high-profile delegates to represent their respective countries at the Games -- Biden's wife, Jill Biden, participated in this past summer's Olympics in Tokyo.

But, as concerns continue to grow over China's human rights issues ... many across both sides of the political aisle have petitioned the Biden administration to boycott the upcoming Olympic Games in Beijing.

Sen. Tom Cotton of Arkansas addressed the situation on Wednesday ... saying, "I call on the Biden Administration to mount a complete and total boycott of the Beijing Winter Olympics -- no athletes, no administration officials, no corporate sponsors."

Even the Celtics' Enes Kanter -- an outspoken critic of #46 -- challenged Biden to maintain his campaign promise and "prioritize human rights" before he met with Chinese leader Xi Jinping.

While hosting Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau at the Oval Office on Thursday, POTUS wouldn't go as far as to say a total boycott was something the U.S. was considering ... but a diplomatic boycott is on the table.

If Biden and the White House were to engage in a diplomatic boycott, it would mean the U.S. would not send an official government delegation to the Games ... but athletes would still be able to participate.

As for whether the topic was brought up when Biden virtually met with Xi this week, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said ... "They didn't talk about the Olympics during the meeting. It wasn't a topic that was discussed during the meeting."

Travis Scott Legal Woes Grow ... $2 Billion Lawsuit

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5:09 PM PT -- Travis' attorney, Edwin F. McPherson, tells TMZ ... "There has been multiple finger-pointing, much of which has been by city officials, who have sent inconsistent messages and have backtracked from original statements."

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He continues ... "Houston Police Chief Troy Finner was quoted in the New York Times as saying, 'You cannot just close when you got 50,000 and over 50,000 individuals. We have to worry about rioting, riots, when you have a group that’s that young.' Yet, just a short time later, Chief Finner states the responsibility to stop the show falls on Travis."

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Travis' lawyer adds ... "It was reported that the Operations Plan designated that only the festival director and executive producers have authority to stop the show, neither of which is part of Travis's crew. This also runs afoul of HPD's own previous actions when it shut down the power and sound at this very festival when the performance ran over 5 minutes back in 2019."

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And there's this ... "Investigations should start proceeding over finger-pointing so that together, we can identify exactly what transpired and how we can prevent anything like this from happening again."

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Sources close to Travis tell TMZ ... the incident caught on video from the crowd in which a fan is seen on a camera platform asking a camera operator to stop the show occurred 50 yards from the stage and was impossible for Travis to see.

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We're also told not only was it far from the stage, but the man operating the camera was from a separate company and did not have a direct line of communication with Travis and his team.

The Travis Scott legal saga surrounding Astroworld has just reached a new orbit ... an attorney representing more than 200 alleged victims just filed a $2 billion lawsuit against the rapper and others.

In what has become an apparent rat race among Houston attorneys to scoop up clients in the festival fallout, attorney Thomas Henry just upped the ante. We should note, this is Henry's 5th amended complaint he's filed, but now, he's asking for $2 billion in damages.

The lawsuit, filed against Travis, Drake, Live Nation, NRG Stadium and others alleges fans were "incited into a frenzy" when Travis started to perform and started a surge toward the main stage, trampling and crushing some in attendance.

Henry's latest filing represents 280 plaintiffs and blames organizers for not taking Astroworld safety concerns from 2019 into account when planning 2021's version.

Clearly, Henry's been paying attention to the media coverage from the festival, pointing out the fact fans even climbed platforms during the chaos, begging concert organizers to stop.

The lawsuit is asking for $2 billion, saying, "The Defendants stood to make an exorbitant amount of money off this event, yet they chose to cut corners, cut costs, and put the festival attendees at risk."

Originally Published -- 12:46 PM PT

Drake Pulls Song from French Montana Album ... Will Drop on Deluxe Version

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Drake isn't ready to roll out any new music ... whether it's on his own or with others, so he's decided to pull his song from French Montana's upcoming album in the wake of what happened at Astroworld.

French is set to release his highly-anticipated "They Got Amnesia" on Friday, and fans were hyped about a song on the project called "Splash Brothers" featuring Drake. However, the single was pulled without warning from Apple Music and other streaming services where the album will drop.

Sources with direct knowledge tell us Drake asked for the song to come down before release because he's still reeling from what happened at Astroworld ... and didn't think it was appropriate to put out new music right now.

We're told French had no problem with the song being taken off the album -- Drake's his brother, and he totally understood his reasoning. Our sources say the single will still be released on the deluxe version of "They Got Amnesia" down the road.

A quick snippet of "Splash Brothers" apparently leaked online where Drake rapped, "I f*** a rapper's wife. She ain't even my type but I make the sacrifice."

Of course, many people assume the lyric is another shot at Kim and Kanye -- and the reason the track was pulled is because of their recent peace summit in Toronto -- but our sources say that just isn't the case, and this is strictly related to the Astroworld tragedy.

Tracy McGrady On NBA 75 List ... Dwight Should've Had AD's Spot!!!

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The debate over the NBA's anniversary team rages on ... this time Tracy McGrady has big beef with the list -- saying he believes it's insane that Anthony Davis made the squad over Dwight Howard.

“You're trying to tell me if Anthony Davis was to retire right now he has a better career than Dwight Howard?!" McGrady said this week. "No way."

The former NBA superstar went in on the NBA 75th Anniversary Team to Sports Illustrated ... saying Howard's exclusion from the list is a straight-up "travesty."

"Dwight Howard deserves to be on that list," McGrady said. "For eight straight years that kid was extremely dominant. And I just can't believe some of the guys they have on the list."

The former Magic and Rockets great -- who also did not make the list -- made it clear that he wasn't shading AD with his comments ... saying he means "no disrespect" to the Lakers star.

But, he did add, "Before [Davis] got to LeBron James and won that Championship with the Lakers, I mean ..."

The league revealed their highly controversial list at the beginning of this season ... and some of the snubs had players like Howard and Klay Thompson furious.

Howard claimed he was kept off due to politics ... while Thompson questioned if he was naive to think he's earned his spot.

Bottom line ... Howard was one of, if not, the most dominant big men in the league during his tenure in Orlando -- so maybe T-Mac has a point.

Travis Scott $750M Astroworld Lawsuit ... Drake, Apple, Live Nation Sued Too

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Travis Scott, Drake, Apple, Live Nation and others will now need to answer to a massive $750 million lawsuit brought against them by more than 125 fans, including the family of one who died at the festival.

The suit, filed by Houston attorney Tony Buzbee, is the first of others to come and places the blame on Travis and concert organizers for negligence in failing to properly plan the concert, train security personnel and host a safe event.

Among the plaintiffs is the family of Axel Acosta, a 21-year-old who was allegedly crushed by an "incited, unruly and out-of-control crowd with such force that he could no longer breathe."

As for the staggering $750 million, the lawsuit claims it's to cover both physical and mental health injuries as well as the loss of life.

Buzbee says, "No amount of money will ever make these Plaintiffs whole; no amount of money can restore human life. But, the damages sought in this case attempts to fix, help, or make up for the harms and losses suffered by these Plaintiffs -- nothing more and nothing less."

Travis and Live Nation offered refunds almost immediately to concertgoers, and the lawsuit addresses that offer, calling it, "... a transparent and grotesque effort of the Defendants to limit their liability, after the fact, to the families of those killed or injured."

As we reported ... 10 people have now lost their lives as a result of the Astroworld Festival -- the most recent was a 9-year-old boy.

Law enforcement continues to investigate what caused the deaths, but those in the audience say a crowd crush trapped, trampled and suffocated fans.

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POLICE PRESENCE

Sources close to Travis have maintained he didn't realize the severity of what was happening in the crowd while he performed. Photos of cops taking photos and watching Travis' show more than 25 minutes after the HFD Chief declared the concert a "mass casualty event" seem to back Scott's claim up.

Naomi Osaka Addresses Missing Chinese Athlete Disappeared After Accusing Politician Of Sex. Assault

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Naomi Osaka and Novak Djokovic -- 2 of the greatest tennis players alive -- are speaking out on the disappearance of tennis player Peng Shuai ... who suddenly vanished after accusing a powerful Chinese politician of sexual assault.

"Hey everyone, not sure if you've been following the news but I was recently informed of a fellow tennis player that has gone missing shortly after revealing that she has been sexually abused," the 4x Grand Slam winner wrote on social media.

"Censorship is never ok at any cost, I hope Peng Shuai and her family are safe and ok. I'm in shock of the current situation and I'm sending love and light her way. #whereispengshuai"

The case is disturbing. Shuai -- formerly the #1 ranked doubles player in the world -- hasn't been seen in nearly 2 weeks after she claimed Zhang Gaoli, a powerful, retired politician sexually assaulted her around 3 years ago.

Gaoli was at one time the vice premier of the People's Republic of China ... making him essentially 2nd in command of all of China.

In Peng's post, the former Wimbledon and French Open winner accused Gaoli -- with who she admits to previously having a sexual relationship -- of inviting her to Beijing to play tennis with him and his wife. However, after the game, Shuai claims the situation took a frightening turn, alleging the 70-something-year-old politician pressured her into sex.

The disturbing post was removed shortly after it was posted by Peng. She has not been heard from since.

Stars from across the tennis world, including Billie Jean King and Chris Evert, have raised concerns over Peng's whereabouts.

Even Novak Djokovic, the world's #1 ranked tennis player spoke out, saying, "When I heard the story of Peng Shuai I was shocked. I hope she is well and that we can find her as soon as possible."

Peng is still missing ... and many people around the world are calling for answers.

Rockmond Dunbar Leaves '9-1-1' Over COVID Vax Mandate ... Exemptions Denied

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Rockmond Dunbar is OUT as an original cast member on "9-1-1" ... and it's all because of the TV show's COVID-19 vaccine mandate.

Rockmond, who plays Michael Grant on the FOX drama, saw his character suddenly written off in this week's episode.

Produced by Disney TV Studios 20th Television, the show reportedly requires all actors to be inoculated against the coronavirus ... and Rockmond was denied vaccine exemptions.

Rockmond explained his departure in a statement to Deadline, saying ... "I applied for religious and medical accommodations pursuant to the law and unfortunately was denied by my employer."

He adds ... "My sincerely held beliefs and private medical history are very intimate and personal aspects of my life that I do not publicly discuss and have no desire to start now."

Rockmond also told the outlet while he enjoyed his 5 seasons on "9-1-1" his acting gig comes second to his role as a husband and father to his 4 kids, and he's looking forward to what's next for him and wishing everyone on the show the best.

RD's not the only one in Hollywood losing work because of vaccine mandates ... Ice Cube passed on a $9 million movie role, shooting in Hawaii with Jack Black because he didn't want to get vaxxed.

George Clooney Blasts 'Rust' Over Fatal Shooting ... Pins It On AD, Production

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George Clooney is speaking his piece on the fatal shooting that claimed Halyna Hutchins' life -- and he's torching the entire "Rust" crew over the tragedy, especially the assistant director.

The legendary actor weighed in while he was on Marc Maron's 'WTF' podcast and he didn't hold back one bit ... lighting up AD Dave Halls, armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed and the producers at large, who he says clearly skimped.

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NOT FOLLOWING PROTOCOL

GC's biggest gripe is the gun that was handed to Alec should never have been handled by Halls ... but rather, Hannah herself or the head prop master.

George says there's been strict protocol for gun use on every set he's been on, and notes ... the protocol was grossly violated on "Rust," going on to say he's never even heard of the term "cold gun" -- while labeling the whole saga "insane" and "infuriating."

Now, while Mr. Clooney stops short of criticizing Alec Baldwin directly -- whom he says he doesn't know well -- he does make a stark comparison in how he's dealt with guns on set, and how AB apparently did.

George explains that anytime he's used a gun on camera, he's always checked it himself -- and does so extensively too ... saying he opens it, examines the chamber, shows it to whoever he's pointing it too and even fires six times at the ground as a final safeguard.

According to Santa Fe authorities, Alec didn't do any of that -- and ended up pointing the gun at Halyna and director Joel Souza during a blocking setup, and firing.

There's more George touches on -- including the producers of this film allegedly cutting crucial corners that allowed for an unsafe environment to fester, which is unfathomable to him considering the tragedy that killed Brandon Lee in the '90s.

His entire convo is worth a listen ... but the bottom line is, GC thinks this was amateur hour.

Miles Teller to Swifties Enough You Haters ... I'm Vaccinated!!!

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Miles Teller feels a little bullied by Taylor Swift fans who called him out for shooting a music video with TS and allegedly risking her well-being by being unvaxxed ... but Miles is calling BS.

Miles had a starring role in Taylor's video, "I Bet You Think About Me," with Blake Lively behind the cam in her directorial debut. Swift's fans were apoplectic ... one saying, "Why are so many people happy that Miles Teller is in the music video when he is a selfish jerk that isn't vaccinated?" Another groused, "Why would Taylor use Miles Teller? Isn't that dude a big anti-vaxxer who caused a movie set to be shut down because he refused to get vaccinated and then got f***ing COVID?"

Miles decided to shut them all up, saying, "Hey guys, I don’t usually feel the need to address rumors on here but I am vaccinated and have been for a while. The only thing I’m anti is hate."

Rumors had surfaced back in September, when Teller was shooting "The Offer," a series about the making of "The Godfather." Production was shut down after someone tested positive for COVID, and several media outlets claimed it was Miles, citing a source on the set. Teller's publicist said the reports were bogus, but never addressed who caught the virus.

It's interesting ... Miles hung out with Aaron Rodgers back in May when Miles, his wife Keleigh, Aaron and Shailene Woodley were all vacationing in Hawaii. As you know, Aaron is famously unvaccinated.

Celtics' Enes Kanter Challenges Joe Biden On China ... 'Stop Playing Games With Bullies'

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Enes Kanter has a strong message for President Joe Biden -- ahead of POTUS' scheduled virtual summit with Chinese prez Xi Jinping -- do what you promised and "Prioritize Human Rights".

Joe and Xi will take part in a 2-day online summit, starting today. White House press secretary Jen Psaki said the leaders will discuss relations between the countries, but added Biden won't avoid difficult topics.

"Throughout, President Biden will make clear U.S. intentions and priorities and be clear and candid about our concerns with the PRC," Psaki said.

But, the 29-year-old Boston Celtics center -- a 12-year NBA vet -- isn't so sure that'll actually be the case.

"@potus Stop playing games with bullies & do what you promised to the world! Prioritize Human Rights!" Kanter wrote on social media.

"Will Joe Biden ask about Uyghur Genocide or assault on Tibetans in Hong Kong?", continuing ... "Or will they pat each other on the back?"

It's interesting ... talking about China in an unfavorable way has become a third-rail issue for the NBA.

Daryl Morey, then Houston Rockets GM, was forced to apologize in 2019 after he tweeted support for protestors in Hong Kong. Even after saying sorry, Morey -- who now works for the 76ers -- is on China's bad side. The country doesn't feature Philadelphia's games or highlights for its 1.4 billion citizens.

But, Enes -- who has long been outspoken about human rights issues across the world -- clearly isn't intimidated.

Kanter specifically pointed to the Uyghur population in China ... a group of over 1 million mostly Muslims who have been kept in "re-education camps," according to the BBC.

He also raised human rights issues facing Tibetans.

The Biden-Jinping summit is scheduled to start shortly.

Ahmaud Arbery Murder Trial Jesse Jackson Shows Up in Court After Lawyer's 'Black Pastors' Complaint

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8:47 AM PT -- Gough reiterated his complaint, once again asking the judge to boot Rev. Jackson, and presumably other Black pastors, from the courtroom. The attorney said, "How many pastors does the Arbery family have??? We had the Rev. Al Sharpton here earlier... uh, last week. I'm not keeping track, but I don't know who Rev. Jackson's pastoring here."

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He also said, "The Arbery family is giving up seats in the public gallery so that these gentlemen may be present. The seats in a public gallery of a courtroom are not like courtside seats in a Lakers game."

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The judge was not swayed. Motion denied. Again. Jesse's still in court.

The Rev. Jesse Jackson is following through on his promise to attend the Ahmaud Arbery murder trial, and sticking it to one of the defense attorneys ... who openly griped about "Black pastors" in court.

Rev. Jackson was in the Brunswick, GA courtroom gallery Monday morning -- shoulder-to-shoulder with Ahmaud's family members -- showing the kind of support Kevin Gough complained about on Friday.

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NOTHING PERSONAL, BUT...

ICYMI ... Gough, defense attorney for William "Roddie" Bryan, said he wanted the judge to limit the number of Black pastors allowed in the courtroom because he feared it could be "consciously or unconsciously an attempt to pressure or influence the jury."

The embarrassing part for Gough -- he singled out Rev. Jackson for being in the courtroom, even though he'd never attended before today. Anyway, the judge denied his request.

Rev. Jackson's blasted Gough's motion as "unacceptable" because a "public trial involves public observation" ... and told us he planned to be in court.

Now, he's there. Your move, Gough.

Marilyn Manson Allegedly Locked Women In Soundproof Room in His Home

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Marilyn Manson is now accused of locking women in a small, soundproof space -- something he allegedly did to punish them for being "bad."

The rocker is facing a new round of allegations from women who spoke on the record to Rolling Stone ... claiming MM had this small booth in the corner of his West Hollywood apartment, where he'd allegedly throw his girlfriends and lock 'em up for hours on end.

The chamber, as it were, was apparently covered with foam and contained any noise emitted from inside -- and this is allegedly a tactic Manson used to psychologically torture women for any perceived transgressions.

The article refers to it as the "Bad Girls' Room" -- and a former assistant of Manson's told Rolling Stone it was common knowledge the room existed, but also said he never saw any women locked inside.

Manson himself appears to have mentioned the room in old interviews over the years -- and while some might have thought he was joking, a handful of accusers -- some of whom are suing him for sexual assault, among other things -- claim it was all too real.

His apartment itself is also discussed by Rolling Stone ... described by some of the folks they interviewed as a "meat locker" or a "black refrigerator" -- because he apparently kept the place super dark at all times, and the temperature no higher than 65 degrees.

Some of the women interviewed claim a lot of what they allegedly experienced at Manson's hands went down at this apartment -- all of which Manson has previously denied.

We've reached out to Manson's attorney ... but no word back yet.

Tom Brady Ends Presser After Just 1 Minute ... 'Make It Quick'

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KEEP IT SHORT

Add another record to Tom Brady's résumé-- shortest press conference ever -- 'cause the pissed off Tampa Bay Buccaneers QB fielded questions for a whopping one minute after a bad loss to the Washington Football Team on Sunday ... telling reporters to "make it quick."

Brady and the Bucs clearly weren't vibing in the 29-19 loss to the WFT ... with TB12 throwing two early interceptions that had Tampa Bay playing catchup for the rest of the game.

But, the 7-time Super Bowl champ wasn't ready to go in-depth with the media about what went wrong in the loss ... answering 3 total questions before storming off.

One reporter was shocked by Brady's quick exit ... saying, "That's it?!"

It's the second straight L for the Bucs, which probably played a role in Brady's mini temper tantrum ... but it's pretty interesting to see how the guy who seems to always win handle defeat.

Brady finished the game going 23-34 for 220 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions ... as Tampa Bay fell to 6-3 and the Football Team earned their third win of the season.

On the bright side?? The Bucs play against the New York Giants on Monday Night Football next week ... so Tom will have a good chance to taste victory once again.