Coronavirus

Ludicrous idea from Sean Payton ... the New Orleans head coach wants to test and quarantine 50,000 (!!!) Saints fans so they can safely pack the Superdome for N.O.'s playoff game this weekend.

For real.

The 57-year-old former Super Bowl champ made the revelation on a phone call with reporters Wednesday ... saying he's dead serious about making a virus-free playoff game in Louisiana on Sunday.

"I've brought up the idea of testing 50,000 people and quarantining them in a hotel and having like the most safest Superdome known to man, scientifically,” Payton said.

“Bus them, they’ve tested every day, and you’ve got a COVID-free facility. I think that's possible.”

Payton sure sounded like he's got team officials looking into the idea ... and when asked how progress is coming -- the coach made it clear he thinks it's still a legitimate possibility.

"It can be done," Payton said. "It can be done."

FYI -- the Saints are slated to play the Chicago Bears at 1:40 p.m. PT on Sunday ... and for now, only a limited number of fans (reportedly a cap of 3,000) will be allowed to attend.

So, if Payton's plan is going to work, better get the rapid tests moving ASAP!

Nick Saban's daughter says she's "ashamed" she accused Ohio State of trying to use COVID-19 as an excuse to push back the national championship game ... and now, she's issuing a lengthy mea culpa.

Just minutes after reports circulated that the Alabama-OSU game could be moved from Jan. 11 to Jan. 18 due to a possible coronavirus outbreak on the Buckeyes, the Tide legend's daughter went in on Twitter.

Kristen bluntly implied the Buckeyes were making up tests to try to buy more time for star QB Justin Fields -- who was injured during the team's semi-final game against Clemson.

"If you're not confident to play then SAY IT," Kristen wrote in a now-deleted tweet. "I call BS on the COVID cases. They're just worried about their QB and want him to have more time to heal."

Kristen added, "If he's hurt put in your backup. You didn't see us postpone the rest of the season to wait for [Jaylen] Waddle. BYE."

Predictably, the tweet was met with heavy backlash ... and Kristen wrote out a long note titled "I'm so sorry" just a few hours later.

"The tweet I posted earlier this evening was uncalled for and hurtful," Kristen said. "I made a huge mistake and I apologize. In a moment of frustration, I let my anger get the best of me and acted before thinking."

"I sincerely regret my choice of reckless words. In no way did I intend to undermine the seriousness of the global pandemic and my heart goes out to those it has affected."

Kristen continued, "The health and safety of others is first and foremost and I pray that we all can find peace soon. I am ashamed and embarrassed. I hope you can forgive me."

Kristen's Twitter page was then taken down.

The championship game, meanwhile, is still slated for Monday night despite the reports of a possible outbreak that could sideline an entire position group for Ohio State.

Tanya Roberts' feared she had contracted COVID-19 before collapsing at home ... but doctors believe a serious infection -- not COVID -- is what killed the actress.

The late actress's partner, Lance O'Brien, tells TMZ ... Tanya said she felt short of breath, tired and had tightness in her stomach just days before her collapse on Christmas Eve. Lance says when Tanya collapsed he helped her up ... and realized she had virtually no strength. An ambulance arrived and took her to the hospital, giving her oxygen along the way and helping her to regain consciousness.

Once Tanya was hospitalized, Lance says her condition quickly deteriorated -- which Lance himself recounted on camera Tuesday. BTW, we're told she was tested for COVID several times while in the hospital, but all of the tests came back negative.

So the question remains ... what could have taken her life so quickly? Lance tells us that doctors informed him it might be related to a UTI that spread to her kidneys and liver. We're told Tanya also had Hepatitis C, and doctors told Lance that was causing complications as well.

An autopsy has yet to be performed. Tanya was 65.

Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott might wanna trademark the cool catchphrase he dropped on a COVID-19 heckler ... 'cause if he doesn't, Dr. Anthony Fauci should!

The Mayor held a news conference Tuesday about his city's coronavirus restrictions when a man in the crowd repeatedly tried to talk over him. Scott finally looked up and put the guy in his place by saying, "Shorty, pull your mask up."

You gotta see how hizzoner said it, though -- it just might be the chillest political clap back ever, and something tells us you're gonna see it on merch soon.

Now, the heckler persisted for a few more seconds ... trying to use the maskless sign language interpreter as justification for presumably not wearing his mask properly. Mayor Scott wasn't having it and kept his responses to the man swift and swaggy.

Hey, it's not exactly how Fauci might handle a similar situation, but Mayor Scott's phrase delivers the same sentiment and is, arguably, more effective with young people. Behold the benefit of youth in politics -- Mayor Scott's only 36!!!

Bottom line ... mask up, because as Mayor Scott puts it, "people dying, shorty."

The wrath of coronavirus is threatening to delay the biggest game of the college football season -- the National Championship.

Ohio State is reportedly concerned COVID protocols could leave them short-handed when they take on Alabama on January 11. The school is worried "it could be without a position group due to COVID-19 testing and related protocols," according to AL.com.

Unclear which position group would be affected -- but imagine playing in a championship game without all of your wide receivers ... or offensive linemen ... or QBs??? C'mon.

There's already a backup plan in place -- the College Football Playoff honchos booked Hard Rock Stadium for Jan. 18 in case the game was delayed.

Multiple outlets, including AL.com and ESPN, have confirmed there have already been talks about postponing the game ... but so far, the plan is still to kick off on Jan. 11.

"I can tell you there are no changes," College Football Playoff executive director Bill Hancock told ESPN ... "The game is scheduled for Jan. 11 as planned, and we look forward to it."

Ohio State athletic director Gene Smith also addressed the situation -- essentially saying the team will be ready to switch dates if it comes down to it.

"We're following the same protocols we followed all season long," Smith told ESPN.

"We intend to play on Jan. 11, and we continue to communicate with the Big Ten and now the CFP, so at this point in time, we see the game being played. But who knows what tomorrow will bring? That's COVID. We're on track right now."

Hank Aaron got his COVID vaccine shot on Tuesday -- and he did it in front of cameras in the hopes of inspiring other Black Americans to follow his lead.

The 86-year-old Hall of Famer masked up and went to the Morehouse School of Medicine in Atlanta along with his wife Billye to receive the first of two doses of the Moderna vaccine.

"[It] makes me feel wonderful," Aaron told the Associated Press ... "I don’t have any qualms about it at all."

"I feel quite proud of myself for doing something like this. ... It’s just a small thing that can help zillions of people in this country."

The Aarons were joined at Morehouse by civil rights leader Andrew Young and former U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Louis Sullivan, who were also vaccinated.

The decision to go public with their vaccinations stems from mistrust many Black Americans have about medical research -- mistrust that stems from the Tuskegee experiment, which began in the 1930s.

The federal government essentially lied to Black people for decades -- telling them they were getting free health care, when in fact they received horrifically improper care so the U.S. Public Health Service could secretly study the effects of syphilis when untreated. 128 people died and many others suffered.

In fact, the AP conducted a survey back in December which showed 40% of Black people in America would not get the COVID vaccine, even though COVID has hit the Black community particularly hard.

Hammerin' Hank Aaron is one of the greatest baseball players of all time -- he famously broke Babe Ruth's home run record in 1973.

NFL superstar Deshaun Watson threw his girlfriend Jilly Anais an AMAZING 25th birthday party in Texas on Monday -- but there was one thing missing ... masks.

The Houston Texans QB rented out a huge space at Vic & Anthony's Steakhouse ... and packed it with balloons, flowers, candles and a light-up sign that said, "Luv Bug."

Once they arrived, there was a photography crew snapping pics and videos -- along with an artist, who was painting a pretty incredible portrait of the happy couple while party guests looked on.

There was a table set for roughly 20 guests -- though in the videos Jilly posted on her social media, none of them were wearing masks or social distancing, despite the looming threat of COVID-19.

But, no one seemed concerned ... the guests danced, drank and partied the night away with no worries.

It's interesting since Deshaun was fined by the NFL just last month after several guests (including NFL players) were photographed indoors at the QB's restaurant opening without face coverings -- a violation of the league's COVID safety protocols.

But, Watson's season is over now -- so, free to lose the masks if he wants?

Terrible news for the Cleveland Browns -- the team will be without head coach Kevin Stefanski for its first playoff game in 18 years ... he just tested positive for coronavirus.

And he's not the only one ... 2 players and 2 assistant coaches have also tested positive for COVID-19 -- and the team has shut down its facility while contact tracing is underway.

The timing couldn't be worse for the Orange & Brown -- which is set to take on the Pittsburgh Steelers in the AFC Wild Card playoff game on Sunday.

Losing Stefanski is a major blow -- he's a candidate for NFL's Coach of the Year, leading the Browns to an impressive 11-5 record, the team's best season in forever.

The Browns announced special teams coordinator Mike Priefer will serve as acting head coach on Sunday ... and offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt will take over play-calling duties.

"The team will continue to consult with the league and medical experts to determine the appropriate next steps as the health and safety of our players, coaches, staff and the entire community remains our highest priority," the team said in a statement.

No word on the health status of the team's top stars -- including Baker Mayfield, Myles Garrett, Jarvis Landry and others. Hopefully, they're okay and will be ready to play.

Remember, Cleveland was forced to play without its top 4 wide receivers and several other key players in Week 16 against the pathetic New York Jets ... with the Browns taking an "L" as a result of its decimated roster.

The Dallas Cowboys got at least ONE thing right this season ... so says team owner Jerry Jones, who boasted Monday that his team drew the biggest crowds in the world despite the pandemic.

"I’m gonna arm wave," the 79-year-old said on 105.3 The Fan. "I think we set the world record for attendance for a venue this year at our stadium, in the world of a pandemic."

Jerry added despite the large numbers, he believes it was all with safe results too.

As for the actual figures at AT&T Stadium this season ... the Cowboys say they had more than 20,000 people at all 8 of their home games in 2020.

In fact, team officials say on 4 separate occasions, they had more than 30,000 people pack their 80,000-seat stadium.

It's all interesting, considering coronavirus numbers in Texas have been some of the worst in the country ... with a reported 1.83 million cases in the state and more than 28,000 deaths.

Jerry, though, seemed confident fans were safe at his venue ... saying the Cowboys' games were "maybe at the top" of the safety lists in the league.

More COVID drama for Kevin Durant -- the NBA superstar is reportedly set to quarantine for 7 days (and will miss the next 4 NBA games) after being exposed to someone with the virus.

The team has confirmed the 32-year-old is out -- and according to NBA protocol, he must quarantine for 7 days and produce negative tests in order to return.

The Brooklyn Nets are hoping KD will return to face the Denver Nuggets on January 12 -- it's the earlier Durant can return if he continues to test negative.

Remember, Durant battled coronavirus himself back in mid-March -- but recovered and tested negative in early April. He was one of the first superstars to test positive for the virus. Nevada governor Steve Sisolak used KD as an example to show that no one is safe from COVID.

The Nets have lost 4 of their last 5 games -- and could definitely use KD as they get ready to face Utah, Philadelphia, Memphis and OKC over the next week.

Tanya Roberts' death has been greatly exaggerated, because her rep now says she's alive, despite the rep not only telling TMZ she died, but sending out a press release with that information.

TMZ reported Sunday Tanya had died after collapsing at her home on Christmas Eve and being rushed to the hospital and placed on a ventilator.

The rep had told us she died Sunday at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in L.A. He told us Tanya's husband had informed him that Tanya had passed.

We even got a quote from the rep from Tanya's husband, Lance, saying, "As I held her in her last moments, she opened her eyes."

Now the rep, Mike Pingel, tells TMZ, Lance got a call just after 10 AM Monday from the hospital saying Tanya was still alive. Pingel said Lance truly believed Tanya had died.

What's more shocking, Lance was recording an interview with Inside Edition when he got the call from the hospital to deliver the news ... a very emotional call.

Interestingly, friends of the family also contacted TMZ Sunday saying Lance had called them to inform them of the "That '70s Show" star's death.

As for how this could happen ... beats us.

Alex Trebek was in pain in his last days of life, riddled with cancer, yet he opened his heart to "Jeopardy!" viewers, asking them to open their hearts and wallets to help COVID victims.

This is Alex's last week of shows, taped 10 days before his death. He says, "You'll recall that about a month ago, I asked all of you to take a moment to give thanks for all of the blessings that you enjoy in your lives." He is, of course, referring to his Thanksgiving message.

You can hear he has trouble speaking ... his voice is very raspy.

He goes on ... "But today, I'd like you to go one step further. I'd like you to open up your hands and open up your hearts to those who are still suffering because of COVID-19.  People who are suffering through no fault of their own."

Alex ends with this ... "This is the season of giving. I know you want to be generous with your family, your friends, your loved ones," adding, "We're trying to build a gentler, kinder society and if we all pitch in -- just a little bit -- we're gonna get there."

Alex died on November 8. A great man to the end.

While anti-maskers around the country continue to freak out, here's the Boston University men's basketball team wearing mouth coverings during their game on Monday.

And, get this ... they WON!!

FYI -- Boston U. implemented a new rule during the COVID-19 pandemic ... which requires players to wear masks during their home AND away games this season.

The Terriers debuted their new look in their season debut against Holy Cross ... with the players rocking red masks to match their jerseys.

The masks didn't come between BU's hopes at securing a dub, though ... with the Terriers coming up with an 83-76 win over the Crusaders.

HC didn't mask up in Monday's matchup, but players on both teams will be wearing face coverings when the Crusaders visit BU on Tuesday.

The matchup -- or should we say, "maskup" -- is believed to be the first time both teams will be wearing masks in a college hoops game.

March Madness -- the entire NCAA college basketball tournament -- will take place in the state of Indiana in 2021, officials confirm.

It's the first time in the history of the tournament that all 67 games will take place in the same state -- and, of course, it's all because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The NCAA says it's "partnering with a local health provider to administer COVID-19 testing within the controlled environment for players, coaching staffs, administrators and officials."

"The Marion County Health Department has approved medical protocols shared by the NCAA and will continue collaborating with the NCAA leading up to and during the championship."

The majority of the games will take place in Indianapolis -- with some contests going down in West Lafayette and Bloomington.

Several Indiana-based universities will technically "host" the tournament -- including Ball State, Butler, Indiana University and Purdue, among others. The school will lend their facilities and staffs to assist with tournament operations.

The NCAA says teams will be allowed to use the Indiana Convention Center as a practice facility, with multiple courts set up inside the venue.

Most teams will stay at Marriott hotel properties -- which happens to be an official NCAA corporate partner.

COVID protocols will be in full effect -- "All teams will be housed on dedicated hotel floors, with physically distanced meeting and dining rooms, as well as secure transportation to and from competition venues."

The NCAA says Selection Sunday is still scheduled for March 14 -- with the Final Four games set to take place on April 3 and 5.

The org notes, "The exact preliminary round dates are still to be determined."

"This is a historic moment for NCAA members and the state of Indiana," NCAA President Mark Emmert said in a statement.

The coronavirus pandemic is still going strong in 2021 -- in fact, there's a worse strain going around now -- but wild party scenes in several cities show many people just don't care.

The RedBar Brickell club in Miami stayed open and allowed patrons to party maskless much later than the mandatory closing time of midnight in South Beach over the New Year's weekend.

As you can see ... the hot spot was packed with celebrating revelers in tight quarters. Fact is Florida has few restrictions right now, but blowing off the few there are -- such as closing time -- shows many are ignoring the nearly daily record-breaking COVID numbers in the U.S.

FL ain't special, though ... irresponsible celebrations ringing in 2021 also went down in Puerto Vallarta with massive dance parties and fireworks over Las Vegas created large gatherings on the Strip.

And, as we reported, residents living on the Isle of Man gathered as per usual on New Year's Day to take a dip in freezing cold water ... with no COVID precautions in place.

Donald Trump has no shame when it comes to grousing that he's not getting the credit and praise others are getting in the COVID fight, and it seems the person who pisses him off most is one Dr. Anthony Fauci.

Trump unloaded Sunday on Twitter, saying ... "Something how Dr. Fauci is revered by the LameStream Media as such a great professional, having done, they say, such an incredible job, yet he works for me and the Trump Administration, and I am in no way given any credit for my work. Gee, could this just be more Fake News?"

Ok ... a few points to consider

1.  Tony Fauci is a DOCTOR who has been the leader in infectious diseases for decades.  Trump never spent a day diagnosing anything, because he has no medical training.

2.  Dr. Fauci has been a leader in urging mask-wearing and social distancing. Trump has undermined the effort, inspired millions of others to flaunt precautionary measures and is responsible for an untold number of COVID infections as a result.

3.  Fauci has walked the walk, celebrating holidays and other occasions at home without much of his family. Trump has held super-spreader events for friends, family and strangers.

4.  Fauci has carefully advised the nation about therapies and vaccines. Trump has mused about drinking bleach to combat the virus.

5.  Fauci's actions have made him COVID-free. Trump got the virus, along with his wife, child and God knows how many other White House staffers.

In short ... that's why Trump hasn't gotten the credit Fauci has.

Fauci has been the leading voice on infectious viruses for decades, far beyond Trump's presidency.

He's been beloved for sharing the cold-hard facts in an easy to understand manner.