Buccaneers' Cameron Brate TB12's Workout Pal Recovers from COVID ... Big Questions Loom

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FOR THE GREATER GOOD

Tampa Bay Buccaneers tight end Cameron Brate says he's back to 100% after being diagnosed with COVID-19 -- but there are a lot of unanswered questions surrounding his illness.

Brate just issued a statement saying he's recovered from the virus -- but he has not said when he was diagnosed or when he was cleared.

In other words, Brate is being secretive about when he actually had the virus ... which raises a lot of questions considering he spent a lot of time working out with Tom Brady in the past few months.

Brate was reportedly working out with Brady in the Tampa Bay Area beginning in June and going through July -- despite the NFLPA advising against players training together during the pandemic.

Remember, Brady famously posted that Franklin Roosevelt quote in the light of criticism which said, "Only thing we have to fear, is fear itself."

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Did Brate contract COVID during the workouts? Was any other player exposed? We just don't know.

Nevertheless, 29-year-old Brate is now urging others to take the pandemic seriously ... and even dropped a new PSA on Wednesday.

"The coronavirus pandemic has had a devastating effect on our population and it continues to impact nearly every aspect of our lives," Brate says.

He also urges people to donate plasma to help with COVID research.

"If you were diagnosed with COVID-19 or tested positive with antibodies and fully recovered and are symptom-free for at least two weeks, please consider visiting a local donor center."

"We’re all in this together and your donation can make a difference in someone’s life.”

As for Tom Brady, he seems to be fine -- he reported to the Bucs facility for testing last week and continues to be tested daily along with every other Bucs player.

NBA Zero New COVID-19 Positives ... 344 Players Tested

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More great news from the NBA ... a 2nd straight week with ZERO positive COVID-19 tests from players and staffers inside the bubble.

While MLB, NFL, and other sports are scrambling to figure out how to proceed safely -- the NBA seems to have it down.

The league claims that 344 players were tested and NONE of the tests came back positive for coronavirus.

There have been some issues with the bubble -- some players have violated the rules to get things like delivery food and strip club chicken wings -- but so far, the league has been able to avoid an outbreak.

There are strict protocols in place for breaches -- mandatory quarantine periods -- and judging by the numbers, it's effective.

The NBA season is set to officially tip-off Thursday night and this is the kind of news that players, staff, executives and fans were hoping to hear!!

Padres' Tommy Pham Takes 86 MPH Pitch to Man Junk ... 'Career Almost Ended'

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CUP CHECK!!!!!

San Diego Padres outfielder Tommy Pham took a pitch directly to the ding dong zone Tuesday -- and YOU KNOW YOU'RE SQUIRMING JUST READING THIS!!!

Talk about a breaking ball, huh?!!

Pham was facing SF Giants reliever Sam Coonrod in the top of the 8th -- when a slider slid a little too far and hit Tommy right in the man junk!!!

The pitch was clocked at 86 MPH -- which ain't exactly slow -- but somehow, Pham wasn't hurt.

In fact, he handled the situation so well, Pham got props from Giants analyst Mike Krukow on the broadcast.

"Oh, man. Tommy Pham you are a better man than I am," Krukow said. "I'd be doing snow angels in the batter's box on that one."

Pham ran the bases for himself after the HBP ... but he was pulled from the game shortly after in the bottom of the 8th.

Fortunately, Padres manager Jayce Tingler said he was removed for precautionary reasons ... and is expected to be fine going forward.

After the game, Pham joked about the incident on Instagram -- saying, "Career almost ended."

Dude. Too soon.

Chainsmokers Concert Organizers Say it was COVID Safe ... Claim Video Misleading

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The Chainsmokers' drive-in concert in the Hamptons sure looked dangerous, COVID-wise, but sources connected to the charity event say don't believe your eyes ... and insist coronavirus guidelines were in place.

These sources tell TMZ ... videos circulating of the Saturday night concert are misleading, and don't show how the area in front of the stage was fenced off and only allowed 10 people per section.

Concert 7/25/20
PACKED IN

Mind you, NY Gov. Andrew Cuomo saw the videos from the weekend show, and was livid. He called out the concert for "egregious social distancing violations," and the New York State Department of Health has launched an investigation.

However, the sources connected to the concert say the section right in front of the stage was for family and friends and people who worked the event -- and didn't have car spaces to watch the show.

Obviously, they should still maintain social distancing, but we're told the general public was NOT allowed to rush the stage and pack that area.

On top of that, our sources say organizers of the Southampton even obtained all the proper permits from the city for a public gathering and adhered to all the COVID-19 regulations ... including temperature checks at the door, providing masks, and having security monitor physical distancing among the various parties in the drive-in crowd.

We're also told reports of the concert being shut down for not following the public health rules are untrue. Our sources say the permit only allowed the event to go until 10:30 PM ... so it ended at 10:25 PM.

As we reported ... health commissioner Dr. Howard Zucker says he's "at a loss as to how the Town of Southampton could have issued a permit for such an event, how they believed it was legal and not an obvious public health threat."

Tua Tagovailoa Dolphins Declare QB Fully Healthy ... Cleared For Practice

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Awesome news out of Miami ... Dolphins 1st-round pick Tua Tagovailoa has been declared fully healthy by the team -- this just months after the QB suffered a gruesome injury.

Tua -- who dislocated his hip, fractured his pelvis, broke his nose and suffered a concussion in a game last November -- has just been cleared to practice with the 'Fins.

Head coach Brian Flores made the announcement Wednesday ... saying, "He's through the physical. And when we do get to practice, you'll see him out there."

Of course, it's amazing news for the 22-year-old ... some wondered if Tua would ever be able to walk properly again -- let alone play NFL quarterback -- after the initial diagnosis.

In fact, some experts compared the injury to Bo Jackson's, which ultimately cost the former Raiders superstar his career in both football and baseball.

But, Tua's repeatedly said this offseason his hip has been healing well -- he even posted workout footage in the pre-draft buildup back in April to prove it -- and clearly, the Dolphins now agree.

Unclear if Tua will now be the opening day starter for the Dolphins when the season kicks off in September -- Flores says there will be an open competition these next few weeks for the role.

L.A. County Sheriff's That Wasn't a Tamponccino!!! Investigation Clears Starbucks

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The L.A. County Sheriff's Department's investigation has determined a cop's Starbucks drink was NOT tampered with a tampon -- instead it was a cleaning cloth ... which still ain't great.

You remember an off-duty LAPD cop made the accusation last month ... saying a Starbucks employee stuffed down a tampon in the Frapp drink he ordered. The cop claimed he used his police credit union debit card to buy the drink and says he found the feminine hygiene product inside his drink. This all went down at the height of social unrest over police brutality.

In any event ... the Sheriff's Dept. investigated and was unable to prove the store employee acted maliciously. Sheriff Alex Villanueva said, "Based on the evidence available at this time, the item in the drink was possibly a cleaning type cloth commonly used by store employees."

NYPD had a similar alleged situation with a Shake Shack order, but again... no ill will was proven there.

GLOW Wrestling Sally the Farmer's Daughter Dies ... After Cancer Battle

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Ex-pro wrestler Beckie Mullen -- famously known as Sally The Farmer's Daughter from GLOW -- has passed away after a long fight with cancer, TMZ Sports has confirmed with multiple family members.

We spoke with Beckie's daughter, Brittani Rabay, who tells us, "Mom had stage 4 kidney, colon and liver cancer."

Mullen was diagnosed in October and was told she didn't have long to live. She passed away earlier this week at a hospital in Palm Springs, CA.

"She fought as long as she could."

We also spoke with Beckie's mother, Jackie, who tells us her daughter was suffering and she's now confident she's moved on to a better place.

Beckie's mom tells us the wrestler was 55-years-old when she passed.

We've spoken with several former GLOW wrestlers who worked with Beckie and are devastated by the news. Beckie was clearly well-liked amongst her peers.

She first appeared on "Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling" back in 1986 -- the inaugural season.

There has been renewed interest in GLOW after Netflix launched a scripted series based on the wrestling promotion starring Marc Maron and Alison Brie.

After her wrestling career, Beckie scored some acting roles in Hollywood -- appearing on shows like "Married with Children," "MadTV," "Renegade" and "Pacific Blue."

She was also featured in the 1991 music video for Van Halen's "Poundcake."

Tamar Braxton Reality Show Postponed After Apparent Suicide Attempt

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Tamar Braxton's upcoming reality show premiere is being pushed back by the network after the apparent suicide attempt that sent her to a hospital.

WE tv tells TMZ it's postponing the debut of her new series, "Get Ya Life!," from July 30 to Sept. 10 because of "the current situation" with Tamar.

The network says its first concern is for Tamar's recovery and well-being and the timing just isn't right to debut the new show.

WE tv added, "At this moment we are joining with her fans and sending strength and healing in the hope that she is getting the support and help she needs at this difficult time."

As we reported ... Tamar was rushed to a hospital July 16 after her boyfriend, David Adefeso, called 911 from their Ritz-Carlton hotel room in downtown Los Angeles. EMTs found Tamar unconscious inside her room when they arrived. She was hospitalized and has since improved to stable condition.

David claimed during the 911 call that Tamar was distraught -- and mixed pills with alcohol -- because she'd been feuding with WE tv over her portrayal in the first episode. However, our sources say it was more David who was upset with the way he came off on the show.

The network has not commented on the alleged beef, but says Tamar is "an incredibly important member" of the We TV family.

A$AP Bari Lambo Wrecked!!!

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A$AP Bari was a passenger in a Lamborghini that crashed and spun out in NYC ... sending 3 people to the hospital.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... Bari was riding shotgun Monday around 5 PM in a Lambo SUV that was driven by a 23-year-old woman. We're told the woman tried to get off the FDR Highway at 49th Street, but she lost control, smashed into protective barriers ... and then spun out.

Our sources say 3 people were transported to the hospital though it's unclear if Bari, who suffered minor injuries, was one of them. As you can see from the pics ... Bari seemed fine on the scene as he spoke to responding officers.

An eyewitness says they saw the Lambo cut across traffic trying to exit before slamming into the protective barriers. We're told the tires blew out, glass shattered and airbags deployed during the crash.

No word on who owns the Lamborghini or what the damage is, but it's a Lambo ... so, it ain't gonna be cheap. Assuming it's not totaled.

Washington Nationals Refuse to Travel to Miami for 3-Game Series ... COVID Concerns

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10:51 AM PT -- Turns out ... MLB might not even need the Nats-Marlins series to complete its season -- according to New York Post baseball insider Joel Sherman.

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League officials, per Sherman, are kicking around the idea of having total winning percentage determine playoff seeding ... which would allow some teams to play a full 60-game slate, while others could play just 50.

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MLB has previously used the winning percentage model back in 1981 ... when a strike-shortened season forced teams to play a different number of games.

The Washington Nationals players have VOTED against traveling to Miami to play a 3-game series with the Marlins in the wake of a COVID outbreak ... and ya gotta wonder, is this a wrap for MLB?!

The Nats were scheduled to play a 3-game series with the Marlins beginning Friday and ending on Sunday.

But, after 15 Miami Marlins players and 2 coaches tested positive for coronavirus, the Washington players decided it was just too damn risky.

The players took a vote -- and the majority of the team felt strongly AGAINST playing.

The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal says the MLB now has to figure out what to do ... but if the players don't feel safe, how can you force them to play?

As for the Marlins, they are still in Philadelphia -- where they wrapped up a series against the Phillies.

They will be cleared to return to Florida following a series of negative tests -- but who knows how long that could take?!

The 2020 MLB season seems to be in danger -- though Commissioner Rob Manfred said Monday night he thinks the league will be okay ... and insists they have protocols in place for a reason.

Stay tuned ...

Miami Marlins 4 More Players Test Positive ... 15 Total

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UPDATE

12:25 PM PT -- 7/28 -- MLB just announced they have cancelled the Marlins games through Sunday so the players and coaches can focus on getting healthy.

7/28 -- More bad news for the Miami Marlins ... 4 more players have tested positive for COVID, bringing the total number of positive tests for players to 15.

UPDATE

7:19 AM PT -- As we previously reported, 2 coaches had also tested positive -- so the total number of positive tests within the organization is at 17.

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Multiple games have been postponed as a result of the outbreak -- including Tuesday night's Yankees vs. Phillies game.

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The Marlins played the Phillies over the weekend -- and Phillies players are currently being quarantined and tested before they play another game.

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9:34 AM PT -- Eleven, not 12, players are COVID-19 positive on the Marlins ... MLB Network's Ken Rosenthal clarified Monday.

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9:08 AM PT -- MLB now says it's working with the Players Association, the Marlins, the Orioles, the Phillies and Club medical staffs to find out the scope of the exposure.

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We're assuming they're also trying to figure out what the hell to do next.

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Marlins CEO Derek Jeter also issued a statement saying the team is trying to "properly grasp the totality of this situation."

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"The health of our players and staff has been and will continue to be our primary focus as we navigate through these unchartered waters."

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The team added, "We have conducted another round of testing for our players and staff, and our team will all remain in Philadelphia pending the results of those tests, which we expect later today."

UPDATE

7:43 AM PT -- The Yankees vs. Phillies game scheduled for Monday in Philly has been canceled, says The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal.

UPDATE

The Phillies played the Marlins on Sunday in Philadelphia and there are concerns players, coaches and other staff could have contracted it.

12 Miami Marlins players -- and 2 coaches -- have tested positive for coronavirus ... and now their Monday night game has been canceled.

The Marlins were scheduled to leave Philadelphia after their series with the Phillies -- and travel back to Florida to play the Baltimore Orioles in their home opener on Monday, but now that's off according to ESPN's Jeff Passan.

The Marlins will remain in Philly -- the flight back off -- and the team will continue to quarantine and undergo testing there until they are cleared to leave.

We already knew 4 players had tested positive over the weekend -- but the team and Major League Baseball were all hoping it wouldn't spread.

But now, seems everyone's worst fears were realized -- the team is dealing with a medical crisis and MLB is scrambling to figure out what to do next.

The 2020 season only began on Thursday -- and already one team has a major COVID issue. Not a great start.

The Marlins played the Phillies in Philadelphia on Sunday afternoon -- so now, ya gotta wonder if that team is dealing with an epidemic as well!

Besides the players and coaches, MLB must be concerned about umpires, reporters, staffers and others who were at the stadium interacting with the team.

ALSO, THE YANKEES ARE SUPPOSED TO PLAY THE PHILLIES IN PHILLY ON MONDAY.

The big question -- will the Yankees actually play the game? Will they bail? This is all developing.

Basically, this is a doomsday scenario for MLB.

MLB ratings have been way up since the season kicked off on Thursday — in fact, the opening day games on ESPN scored the network its biggest numbers for an MLB regular-season game since 2011.

Originally Published -- 6:24 AM PT

'RHOC' Continuing to Film Season 15 ... Despite Shannon Beador's Positive COVID Results

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The 'Real Housewives of Orange County' will not halt production just because one of their own is positive with COVID-19 ... TMZ has learned.

Sources close to the production tell us ... Bravo isn't hitting the brakes as it continues to shoot the other housewives for season 15 -- despite the fact, Shannon Beador announced last week she and her 3 teenage daughters all recently tested positive for coronavirus.

ICYMI ... the reality star said, "This photo was taken pre-pandemic. Today, we are Covid positive times 4. The girls and I are blessed to be quarantining in the same home (but isolating in separate rooms)."

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She added, "A huge thank you to all of the medical personnel that have been patiently guiding us through this illness. Sending prayers to all of those affected. 🙏🏻❤️"

Now, as for why Bravo and the other ladies -- including Braunwyn Windham-Burke, Kelly Dodd, Gina Kirschenheiter, Emily Simpson and newbie Elizabeth Vargas -- are forging on? We're told the team doesn't feel like they're in danger of getting sick.

When production resumed a couple weeks ago, our sources say the above-mentioned women, sans Shannon, took a cast trip to Lake Arrowhead. Because Shannon wasn't there, the others didn't come in contact with her ... and as a result, they're confident in moving forward with current safety guidelines, without having to close up shop again.

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Speaking of those ... we're told the precautions being taken right now are similar to those being administered to the 'RHOA' cast -- Bravo's doing temp checks, avoiding filming in crowds and having the crew members wear masks on set. Same stuff across the board.

The only difference here -- an actual cast member is sick -- but not even that can stop the 'Housewives' train.

BTW, Shannon has to test negative twice before rejoining the group -- for now, we're told she's filming from her phone at home when she feels up to it, but isn't doing any in-person, on-camera work at the moment.