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The Pro Football Hall of Fame is clearly trying to send a message when it comes to the flag -- the more, the better.

TMZ Sports has learned ... organizers at the HOF in Canton, OH recently planted more than 300 U.S. flags on the lawn as part of a campaign called "Huddle Up, America."

The HOF says the flags are "a sign of unity to bring all Americans together" -- and the campaign was designed to help the football community "work through issues that are important to our families, community and country."

Melissa Etheridge didn't pass the K-9 sniffing test ... Todd Rundgren did, but they both got arrested for drugs on the U.S.-Canadian border.

Melissa and Todd were both pinched -- on separate dates -- in North Dakota after their tour buses were stopped by U.S. Customs and Border Patrol. According to docs, Melissa's bus was returning to the U.S. on August 17. After a K-9 unit detected possible drugs, agents found marijuana oil.

Cops say Melissa said she uses it to manage pain from cancer. That's legal in Cali, where she lives, but in N.D. it's still a no-no. She was booked for possession of a controlled substance ... took a super pleasant mug shot, and pleaded not guilty.

As for 1970s rocker Rundgren -- Customs nabbed him on September 9 when his bus was stopped. The dogs missed it, but agents found 2 vapes and containers with liquid THC.

Hello, it's me ... I just got booked for possession of drugs and paraphernalia.

John Mayer's way over the line with his 40th bday celebration -- 'cause he's hanging with the Dude.

The singer bought an iced out chain pendant of one of his favorite movie characters -- the Dude from "The Big Lebowski." The 18k white gold piece is covered with 41 carats of diamonds. We're told it took IF & Co. Jewelers about 2 months to complete.

Famed celeb jeweler Ben Baller delivered Mayer's gift Monday at LAX. No word on how much John paid, but our sources say it's worth at least 6 figures.

For Mayer, "Anxiety and worry is canceled this week."

We abide.

Tamar Braxton is in the hospital fighting the flu and had a bad reaction to her flu meds ... TMZ has learned.

We're told Tamar started feeling ill earlier this week while promoting her new album, "Bluebird of Happiness," in New York. She bowed out of several public appearances because she could barely speak, prompting her to see an ear, nose and throat doctor.

She was prescribed Prednisone, a steroid for her throat, but her body had a horrible reaction and swelled up. The swelling was so severe once she returned to L.A. she was rushed to the ER on Wednesday night.

Tamar later posted a picture from her hospital bed with her hospital band asking for prayers. We're told she's expected to stay in the hospital for a few days until she makes a full recovery.

Get well soon!

Ben Affleck did NOTHING wrong by holding and caressing a TV host in 2004, 'cause it was nothing but a gag for cameras ... according to the woman herself.

We spoke to Anne-Marie Losique -- who was aggressively snuggled by Ben in the interview that surfaced amid the Harvey Weinstein scandal -- and she has zero gripes. She's aware many people see it as inappropriate, but stresses all of the heavy flirting ONLY happened on camera.

She says it was a thing she and Ben always did when she interviewed him. Anne-Marie adds ... when the camera was off, Ben was totally professional.

As we reported ... Ben apologized Wednesday to ex-'TRL' host Hilarie Burton for groping her breast in 2003. He's said nothing about the Anne-Marie clip, and based on everything she says ... there's no reason for him to do so.

Harvey Weinstein is boarding a private jet Tuesday night, bound for a rehab center in Europe for sex addiction ... sources connected with the former mogul tell TMZ.

We're told Harvey has decided to take the advice of the people around him and leave immediately. We're told he will enter a live-in facility and will deal both with sex and other behavioral issues.

Our sources say Weinstein is surprisingly calm, considering the PR nightmare engulfing him. As one source put it, "He has his moments where there are bursts, but for the most part he's pretty calm."

O.J. Simpson is living LARGE -- he's currently staying in a palatial 5,000 square foot home in a private Las Vegas gated community ... right next to a golf course.

We're told the owner of the home is Simpson's longtime friend -- a person who even testified for O.J. in the Vegas robbery trial.

The home is 5 bedrooms, 5.5 baths -- and includes a pool, hot tub and a private putting green area. It's roughly 20 minutes from the Vegas strip.

We're told Simpson has been hanging out at the house and laying low so far. His daughter, Arnelle, was spotted out on a grocery run at a nearby Trader Joe's earlier this week.

Milwaukee Brewers minor league prospect Bubba Derby is a hero -- selflessly throwing his body over other people to shield them from bullets during the Vegas massacre ... and now he's telling his story.

The 23-year-old pitcher was attending the Route 91 Harvest Festival with family and friends when the shots rang out. Derby says he shielded two girls he met that night. His cousin threw his body over his girlfriend.

Fortunately, they all survived. The women have since found Derby on Facebook and thanked him for his heroic actions that night.

Derby says he's still haunted by the events -- and feels horrible for the people who didn't make it out.

But Derby says through all the carnage, he saw real acts of heroism -- people risking their lives to help others and law enforcement sprinting towards the gunfire to try and stop the shooter.

Watch the video.

Mike Tyson, Kid Rock, The Chainsmokers ... just some of the big names digging into their pockets to help the victims of the horrific Las Vegas shooting.

After the Oakland Raiders donated $50,000 to the Las Vegas Victims' Fund -- a GoFundMe page set up by Clark County Commission Chair Steve Sisolak -- several huge stars kicked in with $10,000 donations including Florida Georgia Line.

Shelley Adelson, daughter of casino mogul Sheldon Adelson, also kicked in $10k.

We've also confirmed L.A. Rams pro bowl tackle Andrew Whitworth ponied up $25,000 to the fund.

Hoda Kotb has also added $1,000.

According to the GoFundMe page, the money raised "will be used to provide relief and financial support to the victims and families of the horrific Las Vegas mass shooting​."

Dana White tells TMZ Sports ... the UFC will donate $1 million to help the victims affected by the Las Vegas shooting.

The UFC honcho said Vegas is his town -- it's where UFC is based and where he lives -- and he feels it's his duty to help the city recover in any way he can.

Alison Brie finally came face-to-face with the badasses who inspired her hit pro-wrestling show, "GLOW" ... and she was "SO starstruck!" Also sweaty.

It all went down at WWE No Mercy this past weekend ... when Alison and her co-stars hit up Staples Center to take in the #1 wrestling biz in person.

Before the show, Brie and co. met up with the real-life Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling backstage ... and you can tell the actresses had MAD respect for the OGs.

Alison: “I’m starstruck. I’m SO starstruck!"

Former GLOW superstar Eileen "MTV" O’Hara: "I'm so excited I'm sweating!"

Alison: "I'M SWEATING!"

MTV told us WWE planned the meetup -- flying her and the real GLOW girls into L.A. -- but kept it a surprise. She hopes they can all chill again.

As for Brie ... she's already training for Season 2 -- and we don't mean reading lines.

Just the other day, she put ex-WWE superstar Chavo Guerrero Jr. down for the 3-count.

Tony Ferguson says he wasn't messing around when he threatened to fight Fabricio Werdum during a UFC media lunch on Thursday ... despite nearly a 100 POUND difference.

Fabricio exploded during the lunch -- shouting insults and threatened to backhand Ferguson during (what was supposed to be) a routine media event.

After the incident, Werdum said he felt disrespected by Ferguson -- and claimed the fighter had a "dark energy" about him.

Ferguson told TMZ Sports it was Werdum who was "rude" -- and if he really wants a piece, he'll gladly beat his ass in front of everyone.

[h/t MMA Fighting]

Former Bad Boy Records singer/producer Mario Winans got arrested for some serious deadbeat daddery ... as in $178,000 ... TMZ has learned.

Sheriff's deputies took Mario -- who featured on Diddy's hit, "I Need a Girl Part 2" -- into custody Wednesday in Bergen County, New Jersey for failure to pay back child support. According to docs, he's supposed to be paying $3,500 per month for his kid ... so he's clearly way behind.

In docs, Mario says he makes about $3,000 per month off his songwriting. He told the court he could secure a loan to immediately pay offr $10,000 off the debt.

That satisfied the judge enough that Winans was released, but with a GPS ankle monitor.

One of the men arrested in the FBI's NCAA hoops sting has been hit with charges before -- after getting hit by Dominique Wilkins ... and TMZ Sports has the face-busting footage.

Turns out, Rashan Michel -- a high-end suit maker -- has been on TMZ before. Let's go back to 2011 when he fought Wilkins after an NBA basketball game in Atlanta ... and got punched HARD right in his eye.

At the time, Michel claimed Wilkins owed him $13,000 for custom suits -- so he tried to confront Wilkins at a basketball game. He got punched for his trouble and arrested for battery. He took a mug shot with a shiner under his eye.

Now, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of NY says Michel done messed up again.

This time, he's accused of teaming up with Auburn asst. basketball coach Chuck Person in a bribery scheme where he would help Person take money and in exchange they would steer players to a particular financial advisor.

Michel was arrested on Tuesday and has been hit with a ton of charges including bribery and wire fraud.

Young Thug's list of legal problems piled up while he sat in a jail cell ... because he's now facing 2 more felonies on top of a weed possession charge.

As we reported ... the rapper was arrested Saturday in Georgia by Brookhaven PD after he was pulled over for tinted windows. According to the police report, the cop searched Thug's Maybach because it smelled like marijuana ... and found drugs, 2 guns and almost $50k in cash.

YT and 2 men with him in his car were arrested and taken to jail. Thug's now facing a felony charge for gun possession, a felony charge for drug possession -- for narcotics and liquid codeine found in his car -- and the felony charge for weed.

He's still got the tinted windows charge, too.

It's gone from bad to worse for Louisville ... the school's top high school recruit says he's officially DECOMMITTING to UL in the wake of the NCAA bribery scandal involving the university.

Anfernee Simons -- a 6'3" point guard from Florida -- was hailed as UL's top recruit, a 5-star player who's ranked in the Top 20 on every major recruiting list. He just started his senior year in high school.

But with Louisville referenced in the FBI probe into corruption in college basketball -- and a possible link to 6-figure bribery involving one of the top marketing people at Adidas -- Simons says he's out.

"Due to the recent events that have taken place, it's in my best interest to de-commit from the University of Louisville," Simons says.

"This was a very tough decision to make and I am deeply saddened by this. I appreciate all of the support from the Louisville fans."

Simons says he will be "reopening my recruitment" -- which is huge for schools that had gone after him in previous years ... including Florida, OK State, Tennessee and more.