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Jermichael Finley says if he were coaching the Packers, Aaron Rodgers would be on a short leash ... telling TMZ Sports he'd bench the MVP by Week 4 if the QB's struggles continue.

"If you don't see it," Finley said, "let's go to [Jordan] Love."

It might sound crazy -- considering Rodgers is coming off one of his best seasons EVER -- but Finley says the way Aaron played this past weekend in a blowout loss to the Saints has him very concerned.

"Aaron Rodgers looks tired," said Finley, who earlier in the week also said Rodgers looked like he had lost his "hunger."

"I bet the guy probably don't want to play football anymore," Finley added.

Finley said he'd be willing to give Rodgers the first quarter of the season to show if he still has the MVP skillset left in him ... but he made it clear, if signs aren't pointing upward by then, he'd start Jordan Love.

"You've got one of the highest-paid backup quarterbacks sitting right behind Aaron Rodgers, so you might as well utilize him and get him going for the future," Finley said.

As for if he thinks Aaron can turn it around ... Finley tells us he's rooting for the QB, but he ain't exactly optimistic it'll happen.

"I don't think [the Packers] are going to have a good year this year," Finley said.

Britney Spears' fiance, Sam Asghari, finally hit the jackpot, but so did Brit ... so says his famous ex.

We got Sam's ex, Mayra Veronica, out in L.A. Friday and she had nothing but good things to say about him. She scoffed at social media haters who said Sam's in it for the money, saying he's a sincere, sweet guy. Not a bad review from an ex.

It's interesting she used the word "jackpot," but she clearly didn't mean $$$, and she also made it clear it goes both ways. Again, that's a raving review considering they broke up.

Now Mayra did throw some shade. Listen to what she says when our photog asked about the ring. Clearly not her style.

Mayra says she can relate to Britney, because when she dated Sam back in 2015 her management team was extremely controlling, warning her about Sam. She clearly didn't buy what they were selling, and is solidly in Sam's corner.

Mayra seems to think Sam's a stabilizing influence in Britney's life, given what she's been through.

Almost 3 years after badly losing to Max Holloway, Brian Ortega is back, fighting for the UFC's featherweight title against Alex Volkanovski ... and if he wins, T-City has revenge on his mind.

TMZ Sports talked to 30-year-old Ortega -- the #2 ranked 145-pounder in the UFC -- just days before he headlines UFC 266 against Volkanovski.

Brian is a slight underdog ... but most expect a very close fight. And, if he wins the strap ... Ortega knows who he wants next.

"[Fighting Max Holloway] would be ideal. I'm not trying to speak ahead, nor am I trying to get past Volkanovski, right, cause he beat Max twice," Ortega told us.

T-City continued ... "I'm not here to say I'm already celebrating. But, that would be ideal. I'm a better person, better fighter than I was when I fought him. And, watching his last fight, so is he."

"You always want that as a fighter, as a competitor, you always want that, to make that s**t square. Or to say, 'Yo dog, you legit got the best of me. Good s**t."

You may remember ... Ortega lost to Max via doctor's stoppage in the 4th round at UFC 231 in 2018. Brian, who kept coming forward despite eating an ungodly amount of punches (and breaking his hand, dislocating his thumb, among other injuries), would not quit.

Brian took almost 2 years to heal up ... but once he did, he looked fantastic in the Octagon, toying with Chan Sung Jung a.k.a. the Korean Zombie in October 2020.

Ortega admits he looks at the 1 blemish on his otherwise perfect resume (15-1) ... and it ticks him off.

"I'm competitive. I want to make s**t even. It does bother me."

Bottom line ... "Even if he f**ks me up again, or whatever. I'll fight you 100 times. I'm gonna get one."

WNBA star Angel McCoughtry says she's down to help Odell Beckham Jr. with his ACL recovery ... telling TMZ Sports she's willing to hook him up with the "secret sauce" to an early return.

The Las Vegas Aces baller came back from the horrific knee injury in just 4 MONTHS -- and when we asked her out in L.A. this week if she'd drop an assist to OBJ (who's still trying to make it back to the field after tearing up his knee in 2020) ... she said of course!

... under one condition.

"Tell him if he really, really want the secret, he gotta call me," AM told us. "Holla at me Odell, I'll tell you the secret! The secret sauce."

She added, "There's secret sauce, but you can't give it out. Those who want it will seek it."

All kidding aside, McCoughtry says she's confident OBJ -- who tore his ACL in Week 7 of the NFL season last year -- will make it back to the Browns' lineup sooner than later.

"He knows what to do," Angel said. "He knows how to come back."

Any NBA team in need of a 7-time All-Star, look no further ... 'cause Joe Johnson tells TMZ Sports he's not ready to retire anytime soon -- and he wants to compete!!

40-year-old Johnson hasn't played in the Association since 2018, but there's no question the guy can still hoop -- he reportedly just won his second BIG3 MVP in 2021 after scoring 182 points in the regular season.

Given all his recent success in the 3-on-3 league, we had to ask if his focus is solely on Ice Cube's org. ... or if he's still got gas left in the tank to ball out in the NBA -- and he's clearly not thinking about riding off into the sunset just yet.

"No, I'm not done. We'll see what happens here ... We'll see, man. We'll see. I don't have nothing definite to tell you, to be honest with you. But, I'mma be out here to try to get things done."

JJ has had a helluva career so far -- he averaged 16 points a game since joining the league in 2001. He had a shot with the Detroit Pistons after the 2019 BIG3 season ... but was eventually waived before taking the court.

As for his incredible 2021 season, Johnson has a simple, yet perfect, reaction.

Tory Lanez just dropped a fat stack of cash to help dozens of disadvantaged California families post bail for their loved ones through Unite The People Inc.

The rapper made a surprise visit to the non-profit in Long Beach Friday to meet some of the families who will benefit from his donation. Unite The People offers legal services to folks who are cash-strapped and gives them a fair shot with the legal system.

We're told Tory kicked in $50,000 to the cause ... and the money will help 50 families pay legal fees to bail their family members out of jail.

Tory's been a board member for Unite The People for 2 years and he says he was moved to make the donation after learning what many of the families were going through, including struggles to bring their loved ones home.

Oracle billionaire Larry Ellison's sprawling Malibu compound is now tied to a grisly death -- one of the construction workers on the site is dead after a Pacific Coast Highway accident.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... one of the people working on Ellison's $220 million lot was hit by a car Friday around 6 AM while he was walking across PCH, and died from his injuries.

The fatal crash snarled traffic during the morning rush hour. Cops say the driver involved in the fatal accident remained on the scene and cooperated with officers.

Ellison -- the co-founder of Oracle -- owns a ton of properties along the coastline in Malibu ... mostly on one stretch of the ritzy section known as Carbon Beach.

Ronnie Ortiz-Magro admits he violated his probation by getting arrested for alleged domestic violence, but this must be his lucky day -- because the judge is giving him another shot.

The 'Jersey Shore' star appeared in a Los Angeles courtroom Friday, where he admitted to his probation violation, which could have meant immediate jail time -- but, instead, the court's making this a teachable moment for Ronnie.

We got Ronnie going into court and he told our photog he was hoping for good news ... and he definitely got some.

You'll recall, the D.A.'s Office said Ronnie violated probation in his domestic violence case with his ex Jenn Harley ... when he got arrested for an alleged incident with Saffire Matos, his latest GF.

On Friday, the judge ordered Ronnie to take 26 parenting classes, and there's now a 3-year protective order in place so he can't harass or intimidate Saffire. The judge also gave him credit for completing a rehab program in Florida, so he won't have to spend 30 days in jail.

As we first told you ... Ronnie claims he's since cleaned up his act and he's getting ready to return to the reality TV show that made him famous.

Ronnie's attorney, Scott Leemon, tells TMZ ... they're happy the court was satisfied with Ron's completion of a rehab program. We're told Ron's now been sober for 5 months and is deciding to continue with counseling as he focuses on being a better family man.

Darnell Ferguson has come a long, long way to become a Food Network star and big-time restaurateur -- success not a lot of people would've predicted when he was living out of his car.

The man best known as SuperChef joined us Friday on "TMZ Live" to break down his new competition show, "Tiny Food Fight." No, contestants aren't throwing raisins at each other, they're cooking real food, but on a nearly microscopic scale. It's freakin' wild, and DF says it takes a ton of skill.

The new show -- streaming now on Discovery Plus and hosted by comedian Mamrie Hart -- pits contestants facing off in tiny food-themed challenges. The winners take home $5k and a trophy. A tiny one, at that.

Darnell's no stranger to food and food competitions ... having won Giada De Laurentiis' "Ultimate Thanksgiving Challenge" and Guy Fieri's "Tournament of Champions."

They don't call him SuperChef for nothing!

'Tiny Food' is just the latest success for Darnell who told us what it took for him to overcome homelessness to launch his own culinary empire ... starting with a breakfast pop-up joint he almost seemed embarrassed to operate.

Watch the video ... SuperChef explains why it was so humiliating, and also reveals how he got himself outta several bad decisions and into really good ones.

Spotemgottem is recovering in a Florida hospital after being shot multiple times in a Miami road rage incident.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... Florida Highway Patrol responded to a road rage incident involving a shooting around 3 AM Friday, with the car the rapper was riding in being shot at least 22 times on the driver's side.

Our sources say the driver told troopers he was driving southbound on I-95 when gunshots started ringing out from another car. We're told the driver was shot in his hip, and Spotemgottem suffered gunshot wounds to both legs, and they were both taken to a local hospital in stable condition.

Spotemgottem's manager, Dee Phatboy, tells TMZ ... the 19-year-old rapper was riding in the passenger seat when another vehicle pulled beside them and shot up Spotemgottem's ride with an automatic weapon.

The "Beat Box" rapper's manager says Spotem was being driven from a Miami recording studio when the shooting went down ... and he's expected to make a full recovery.

Spotemgottem has collabed with the likes of DaBaby, Polo G, Pooh Shiesty and NLE Choppa.

Antoine Dodson -- known for going viral in 2010 for his "Hide yo kids, hide yo wife" interview -- is reeling after the death of his mother ... and asking for help to cover her funeral costs.

Antoine tells TMZ ... his mom, Jennifer, died Sunday at a hospital in Decatur, Alabama, which came as a shock to him because he thought she was over some of her recent health issues.

Dodson says his mom began having problems with her leg back around the time he became famous, and had to have it amputated a few months ago. This led to an infection and some time in the ICU, but Antoine says she was getting better.

Sadly, she took a turn for the worse and Antoine got a call Sept. 12 that his mom had passed. He tells us doctors believe she died of heart failure.

Peter Dante -- you've seen him play goofy roles in just about every Adam Sandler film -- is in serious trouble after cops say he threatened to kill his neighbor over construction noise.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... cops showed up at Peter's L.A. area home Wednesday morning after he allegedly went berserk on a neighbor. Cops say Peter was upset about loud noise from construction work at a neighbor's house.

Apparently, it set Peter off ... cops say the actor ended up confronting his neighbor in a big way. Officers say they were told the confrontation escalated to the point Peter threatened to kill the neighbor and harm his wife and their kids.

Our sources say after talking to everyone involved ... cops arrested Peter for making felony criminal threats. He was taken into custody but posted bail and was released.

It's not the first time Peter's been accused of making threats. As we reported ... he was arrested back in 2013 and thrown out of an L.A. hotel after allegedly making violent threats and using racial slurs.

Jason London is harkening back to his most popular movie role, but in the worst way possible -- cops say he was so drunk he swerved off a road and crashed his car ... multiple times.

According to a police report, obtained by TMZ, the "Dazed and Confused" star was arrested late Tuesday around 11:30 PM in Ocean Springs, Mississippi when cops found him behind the wheel of a 2010 Nissan Maxima that was on fire and stuck in a ditch.

Cops say London's passenger was standing near the car -- which had sustained heavy damage on the passenger side -- and London claimed someone had sideswiped them and run them off the road.

According to cops, London -- who played football star Randall "Pink" Floyd in the 1993 Matthew McConaughey film -- reeked of booze, could barely keep his balance and had slurred speech.

Cops investigated the scene and believe he swerved off the road, mowed down a sign, got back on the road, and then hit a concrete object before driving into a ditch.

London was booked for public intoxication and leaving the scene of an accident. When they got him to jail in Jackson County, cops say he was so drunk and out of it they couldn't fingerprint him.

Bam Margera's tough times aren't getting any better ... his wife's asking for custody of their 3-year-old son, but hasn't pulled the trigger on ending the couple's marriage.

According to court records ... Nicole Boyd filed docs Wednesday in Los Angeles seeking full custody of their child, Phoenix Wolf. She's willing to give Bam visitation, but only with a monitor -- whom he can select -- but she must approve.

It's interesting ... you usually see child custody issues attached to a divorce, but Nicole made custody a stand-alone. She did not file a divorce petition to end their 8-year marriage.

As you know ... the "Jackass" star has had an incredibly turbulent past couple years, which recently culminated with him suing Johnny Knoxville and several other members of the "Jackass" team for alleged "inhumane treatment."

This came well after Bam got booted from the fourth installment of the film franchise for failing to stay clear of drugs and alcohol, escalating attacks on the "Jackass" crew and rants about suicide. Things got so bad, director Jeff Tremaine got a restraining order against him.

UFC fighter Ryan Spann trains at the gym owned by ex-NBA star Deron Williams ... and the light heavyweight contender once sparred with the hooper -- AND GOT HIS BUTT KICKED!!

"Deron whooped my ass one day. I'm dead serious. You can call him and ask him," Spann told TMZ Sports.

Context? We talked to the 30-year-old, 6'5", 205 lb. fighter just days before he's set to face 6th ranked LHW, Anthony Smith ... and we asked the 11th ranked fighter if he ever rolled around with 6'3" Williams at their gym, Fortis MMA in Dallas.

"I was training for a fight, and coach was like, 'Deron, get in.' And, I already knew he hooped, and I knew who he was, but I never got to go with him," Ryan said, "I think it was my 2nd or my 3rd round with a fresh body, and you put Deron in, I was like, 'Oh s**t, nice, I get a round off.' Little did I know Deron used to wrestle. And, he was about 230 at the time."

FYI, Williams was a damn good wrestler as a kid. Long before he starred at Illinois, was drafted with the 3rd overall pick, or made any All-NBA teams, Deron was a state champion on the mats in Texas. He won titles as an 8 and 12 year old ('93 & '97).

So, Ryan and the 3x NBA All-Star sparred. How'd it go?!

"It wasn't until Deron was on top of me and me struggling to get up, and coach gonna look at me and say 'I've been working with him for the last couple of years. You thought you were gonna get this round off?'"

Shocking, on the surface, considering Spann is one of the most dangerous men in the world ... meanwhile DW, surely a good wrestler as a kid and great athlete in general, is a basketball player -- not a fighter.

Then it was time for a little payback ... in the form of a knuckle sandwich.

"He got me, but the next round I hit him with the right hand and he hasn't sparred me since."

So, would Deron -- who's only 37-years-old and hasn't played ball professionally since he was with the Cleveland Cavs in 2017 -- ever take a real fight??

Ryan says Deron was once pitched a fight with Pro Bowl defensive lineman turned UFC fighter Greg Hardy (we actually talked to Deron about this in 2018) ... but unfortunately, the scrap never came together.

T.I. and Tiny won't be charged for allegedly drugging and sexually assaulting a woman in 2005 in Los Angeles ... we've learned prosecutors declined to move forward with the case.

According to new legal docs, obtained by TMZ, prosecutors decided not to charge the couple because the case falls outside the statute of limitations.

As we reported ... the accuser filed a police report earlier this year, alleging T.I. and Tiny drugged and assaulted her sometime in early 2005 after the trio met at a club.

In the docs, prosecutors say the 10-year statute of limitations has expired.

It's a similar outcome to other allegations against T.I. and Tiny in Las Vegas ... where another woman claimed she was drugged and sexually assaulted in 2010 after meeting Tiny at the airport and being invited to hang with the couple.