Coronavirus

More COVID problems in the NFL -- the Indianapolis Colts say "several" members of the organization tested positive Friday ... so they're shutting down the team facility.

"This morning, we were informed that several individuals within our organization have tested positive for COVID-19," the team said in a statement.

"The team is currently in the process of confirming those tests. In the meantime, the practice facility will be closed and the team will work remotely while following NFL protocols."

"We are in communication with the NFL and will have more information when available."

The team has not identified the people who tested positive -- unclear if it's players, coaches, execs, etc.

The Colts -- led by QB Philip Rivers -- are scheduled to host the Cincinnati Bengals in Indy on Sunday. But, now it seems that game could be postponed or canceled if the COVID tests are confirmed.

The Colts news comes one day after the Atlanta Falcons closed their facility following positive COVID tests.

Several teams have been affected by COVID so far this season -- from the Tennessee Titans to the New England Patriots, Raiders, Chiefs and more.

Story developing ...

Nobody seems more content with COVID than Cristiano Ronaldo ...

The 35-year-old soccer superstar -- who was ordered to self-isolate earlier this week after testing positive -- is now chillaxing in his mansion in Turin, Italy like he doesn't have a care in the world.

As we previously reported, the Portuguese Football Association announced Ronaldo's positive test on Tuesday -- and said he had been sent home to prevent exposure to other Team Portugal players and staffers.

Well, home for CR7 is a massive estate with an indoor pool.

He's still smiling. He's still ripped to shreds. And, he's offering up encouraging words to his fans.

"Don't let what you can't do stand in the way of what you can do," Ronaldo said Friday on IG.

Ronaldo reportedly flew from Portugal to Italy on a private "air ambulance" which he paid for himself.

While Ronaldo has not personally commented about his health since the positive COVID test -- the Portuguese Football Federation said he was "well, without symptoms, and in isolation."

The reboot of the Batman film franchise definitely has a new look ... because it looks like The Dark Knight's utilizing a Hefty bag.

We kid, sort of, but filming for "The Batman" Thursday in Liverpool, England provided an odd sight -- a stuntman made to look like the superhero perched on high atop the city's Royal Liver Building ... in some sort of black zipper suit.

The stuntman's obviously stepping in for the reboot's star, Robert Pattinson, for the dangerous shot above the iconic building's clock ... safely attached to a cable as a helicopter crew filmed nearby.

Despite the strange outfit, the guy's still rocking the legendary Batman mask.

Shooting for "The Batman" just started back up in the UK days ago following a COVID-19 shutdown after Pattinson tested positive for the virus.

The coronavirus pandemic brought most TV and film production to a halt, but "Jersey Shore: Family Vacation" is NOT one of them ... as the gang powered through in a bubble.

Pauly D, Vinny, Ronnie, JWOWW, Deena, Angelina and The Situation managed to shoot season 4 ... which will kick off on MTV with back-to-back episodes on November 19. This season's unique in that it'll also include the cast's extended family members staying in the bubble with them. Hence the new title ... "Jersey Shore 'Bring the Family' Vacation."

We're told the entire cast and crew shot in Nevada, taking over an entire resort to create a good 'ol "Shore bubble." Production adhered to local, state and federal COVID-19 health and safety requirements to get it done.

It'll be interesting to see how season 4 plays out after the explosive ending from the previous season. True GTL-ers will remember Snookie apparently quit the show ... following Angelina's wedding drama and the so-called "speech heard 'round the world." Long story short, Snookie, Deena and JWOWW took shots at Angelina while toasting her ... AT HER WEDDING!!!

It seems season 4 will center around the guys trying to reunite the women of 'Jersey Shore.'

Sen. Kamala Harris' campaign travel is grounded for a bit ... after 2 people connected to her campaign tested positive for COVID-19.

The Democratic Vice Presidential nominee has suspended her travel through Sunday after her communications director, Liz Allen, and a non-staff flight crew member on her campaign plane contracted the coronavirus.

The Harris campaign, which learned about the results Wednesday night, added neither the senator nor Joe Biden were in close contact with either of the individuals during the 2 days prior to their positive tests. As a result, they say the candidates don't need to quarantine, but "out of an abundance of caution and in line with our campaign's commitment to the highest levels of precaution, we are canceling Senator Harris' travel through Sunday."

For what it's worth ... the campaign is also canceling Harris' husband Doug Emhoff's travel plan Thursday even though he's taken 3 coronavirus tests since October 8 and all have been negative. They're also contact-tracing to notify everyone who came into contact with the individuals during the potential infection window.

The precautionary measures are a stark contrast to how the White House handled its coronavirus outbreak following the Rose Garden ceremony for Judge Amy Coney Barrett. More than a dozen people, including the President, First Lady Melania Trump and Barron Trump contracted the virus.

Charles Barkley has agreed to put his atrocious golf skills on display to the world ... all for a charity match with Peyton Manning, Steph Curry and Phil Mickelson.

Yep, Sir Chuck is replacing Tom Brady for "The Match 3" -- which is expected to raise millions for COVID-19 relief, according to Sportico.

Remember, The Match 2 back in May was a huge success -- with Tiger Woods and Peyton Manning taking on Phil and Tom Brady.

Since TB12 is a little busy these days with the NFL season, Barkley has offered to step in and take his spot.

The only issue ... Barkley is a TURRRRRRIBLE golfer!! Like, super bad!

But, this event will be more about the trash talk than a showcase of Chuck's skills on the links.

Tiger is also out for the event -- he'll be replaced by Steph Curry, who's actually REALLY good.

The Match 3 is set to go down on Friday, Nov. 27 -- and will hope to break the $20 MILLION raised for charity by the Match 2.

Of course, Tom Brady famously struggled most of the way during The Match 2 (even splitting his pants on live TV) ... only to redeem himself with an UNREAL SHOT on the 7th hole!

The Flaming Lips are showing us how to let loose at a live show while maintaining social distancing ... it simply requires inflatable bubbles for everyone.

The eccentric rock band from Oklahoma City performed earlier this week for their hometown at The Criterion, and tested out their bubble concert idea ... which they first unveiled on "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert."

This time though, the Lips pulled it off with a live audience at a public venue ... for what looks like a multi-sensory space rock experience.

The gig was reportedly a test run for future concerts along with partly being a music video shoot, as the band performed a dance remix of "Assassins of Youth" and "Brother Eye" -- 2 tracks from their latest LP, "American Head."

Flaming Lips' frontman Wayne Coyne has toyed with the idea of a bubble concert since the early days of the pandemic, and seems pleased with the trial run. He posted a clip of the show -- with his bubble among the crowd -- with the caption, "Yessss!!!"

The band has actually utilized bubbles for themselves at shows for years, but Coyne says they're still trying to adapt the space bubble system to allow for more people at their shows.

Pro Football Hall of Famer Fred Dean -- a 2-time Super Bowl champ with the SF 49ers and a 4-time Pro Bowler -- has died after a lengthy battle with coronavirus.

He was 68 years old.

Dean's good friend and former teammate, Dwight Hicks, reportedly made the announcement on social media Thursday ... writing in a statement, "I'm sorry to say that he succumbed to complications of Covid-19."

"May peace be with his wife Pam and their families."

Dean -- 6'3", 230 lbs -- is considered one of the best defensive ends of all-time ... and was known as one of the coolest dudes to ever play the game as well.

"James Dean wasn’t cooler than Fred Dean," 49ers Hall of Famer Ronnie Lott famously said of his ex-teammate.

Sacks weren't logged as an official stat until late in Dean's career ... but in the 1983 season (the year after the NFL started keeping track), Dean recorded an epic 17.5 QB takedowns.

Arguably the greatest offensive lineman of all-time, Anthony Munoz, once called Dean "the strongest opponent I ever faced."

Hall of Fame president and CEO David Baker added in a statement Thursday, "[Dean] exemplified many of the values learned from this great game -- commitment, integrity, courage -- over the course of his life."

Dean was selected in the 2nd-round of the 1975 NFL Draft by the San Diego Chargers after a Hall of Fame career at Louisiana Tech. He was traded to the 49ers in 1981 and played there until he retired in 1985.

President Trump's campaign is pumping "In the Air Tonight" at his Des Moines rally -- where few people are wearing face masks -- and it's in breathtakingly poor taste considering some grim COVID-19 facts.

The song choice comes as the coronavirus is ravaging the state. Iowa has the 4th highest COVID-19 infection rate in the U.S., 61 senior care facilities are reporting outbreaks and it saw 1,180 new cases ... just on Wednesday.

So, hearing the Phil Collins hit -- already an ominous-sounding song -- blaring over the crowd of Trump-supporting, mask-shunning Iowans feels disgustingly grim. CNN's Jim Acosta was doing a live shot from the event as the song played ... and it was surreal to see.

Let's not fool ourselves ... this is NO coincidence.

Trump and his campaign never miss a chance to jab at his haters with their music selections at his rallies. He's definitely heard all the criticism of him holding potential "super-spreader" rallies as COVID cases spike across most of the country.

Alabama head coach Nick Saban has been diagnosed with coronavirus -- this just 3 days before the Tide's HUGE game against Georgia.

The school made the announcement Wednesday ... saying both Saban and athletic director Greg Byrne had tested positive and are immediately headed for quarantine.

Saban said in a statement he is displaying no symptoms as of this moment ... and is undergoing further tests to make sure his results were NOT a false-positive.

"I found out earlier this afternoon that I had tested positive for COVID-19," 68-year-old Saban said.

"I immediately left work and isolated at home. At this time, I do not have any symptoms relative to COVID, and I have taken another PCR test to confirm my diagnosis."

"I informed our team of my positive test at 2 p.m. today on a Zoom call and let them know offensive coordinator Steve Sarkisian will oversee preparations at the complex while I work from home."

Byrne also issued a statement saying, "We've been diligent about mask wearing and social distancing from the start and want to continue to encourage you all to take the necessary precautions to help stop the spread of this virus for yourself and those around you."

Of course, aside from the virus' potential effects on the two 'Bama employees ... the tests could have a drastic impact on the Tide's 2020 season.

Georgia is 3-0 and is widely considered Alabama's biggest threat to an SEC crown this season ... and playing the Bulldogs without Saban on the sidelines won't make getting a W any easier.

Barron Trump came down with coronavirus when his mom and dad did ... so says the First Lady.

Melania Trump posted an essay Wednesday on the WH site about her personal experience with battling COVID-19, which both she and her husband, Donald, contracted a couple weeks ago. She revealed that their 14-year-old, Barron, actually became infected as well.

She says that as soon as she was diagnosed as positive, her mind immediately went to Barron -- who, to her relief, tested negative at first. However, he came back with a positive shortly thereafter, but since then ... Melania says he too, like his folks, are now COVID-free.

The First Lady writes, "Luckily he is a strong teenager and exhibited no symptoms. In one way I was glad the three of us went through this at the same time so we could take care of one another and spend time together. He has since tested negative."

The White House confirmed Barron's negative test, but appear to have kept any further testing/diagnoses on the low publicly ... until now, that is.

Melania doesn't get into Barron's specific treatment regimen, but she does touch on her own ... which was apparently vastly different than that of POTUS himself, who was admitted to the hospital for a bit and put on a number of medications, some of which are experimental.

Cam Newton is BAAAAACK!!!!

The New England Patriots have officially activated the QB from the reserve/COVID-19 list ... 12 days after he tested positive for the virus.

Newton was the first Pats player to test positive during the regular season when he popped on Oct. 2.

Newton immediately self-isolated and posted a message on IG saying he would use the time off to get healthy and self-reflect.

Newton missed the Oct. 5 matchup against the KC Chiefs -- a game the Patriots ultimately lost 26 to 10. Brian Hoyer got the start that game for the Pats but was later replaced by Jarrett Stidham.

Several Patriots players later tested positive for COVID after Cam, including practice squad player Bill Murray and star defensive back Stephon Gilmore.

In fact, things got so concerning the NFL postponed the Patriots vs. Broncos game, which was originally supposed to take place this past weekend ... but has since been moved to Oct. 18.

The Patriots are now scheduled to practice again Thursday and Cam is expected to retake his QB1 spot.

The timing couldn't be better for the Patriots -- they're 2-2 and looking to get back in the win column ASAP.

President Trump's voice sounds a little worse for wear, and it could be due to back-to-back rallies to flaunt his post-COVID condition ... or possibly the lingering effects of the virus.

POTUS was addressing the New York Economic Club at The White House Wednesday afternoon when he repeatedly cleared his throat ... and the hoarseness only got worse as he kept talking.

The focus of his message also seemed to worsen as he rambled ... but nothing really new there.

Of course, Trump's latest White House speech follows 2 straight nights of rallies in Pennsylvania and Florida. As we reported ... he held a massive rally in Sanford, FL Monday on the heels of announcing he'd tested negative for coronavirus twice.

During the rally, the Prez made claims he's immune to COVID now, and suggested he'd be down to kiss everyone in the audience. He made similar boasts and remarks Tuesday night in Johnstown, PA ... along with several other baseless claims.

You'll recall ... just over a week ago he struggled to breathe after being released from the hospital and climbing the WH stairs. Now, he's on stage acting like it was no biggie.

The NFL has officially canceled this season's Pro Bowl game due to COVID -- but the league is "reimagining" ways to celebrate the players.

The game was originally set to take place on Jan. 31 at the brand new Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas (home of the Raiders) ... but NFL officials ultimately decided it wasn't worth the risk.

The league will still allow fans, players and coaches to vote on Pro Bowl rosters -- but they just won't compete in a formal game.

Let's face it, the games aren't really that great anyway.

Instead of a game, the league says it will work with the NFLPA and other partners to "create a variety of engaging activities" for the players.

"This virtual recognition of the season's finest players will provide fans the opportunity to celebrate the accomplishments of their favorite stars."

As for concerns over the Super Bowl, the league says the big game is still on.

"The NFL and NFLPA's intention is to play a full regular and postseason schedule, culminating at the Super Bowl."

Unclear how the league will address fans, media and the traditional Super Bowl fan experience -- but they've got some time to figure that out.

As for Vegas, the NFL says they won't abandon the city -- announcing the 2022 Pro Bowl will take place at Allegiant Stadium.

The State of New York just dropped the hammer on the folks who organized the now-infamous Chainsmokers concert in the Hamptons this summer ... fining them, and making it harder for them to do it again.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced Wednesday the promoters who put on the sold-out drive-in charity event in July are gonna be getting a bill soon to the tune of $20,000 ... this after the NY Department of Health conducted an investigation, and found wrongdoing.

Cuomo adds, "The Town of Southampton cannot approve permits for group gatherings without State approval." Southampton officials signed off on the concert ... supposedly, with coronavirus-safe regulations in mind, according to sources connected to the event.

The Gov. didn't see it as a safe environment at all, and after seeing video from the concert, said he was "appalled" at the "egregious" violations in social distancing. While we've been told the promoters feel the clips in question distorted things -- insisting it was, by and large, a safe gathering -- the State has spoken.