Health

COVID-19 can't stop Urban Meyer ... the college football coaching legend just revealed he beat the virus after contracting it recently.

The former Ohio State head man said he was fortunate ... and only experienced minor effects.

"I did deal with it," the 56-year-old told WBNS 10TV this week. "I've just recently gotten over it. I was relatively symptom-free."

Meyer -- who now works as a CFB analyst for Fox Sports -- says his positive test was the reason he and his other co-hosts had to bail on their “Big Noon Kickoff” pregame show earlier this month.

Urban added he doesn't believe his diagnosis affected any of his co-workers.

"The good thing is none of my partners and teammates had it," Meyer said, "and we're going to be back at it this weekend."

Things are REALLY looking up for Mets fans ... just 2 days after their new owner promised to build a winner -- Noah Syndergaard showed his right arm can still throw missiles!!

... oh, and he did it all sweaty and shirtless!!

Syndergaard -- who had to undergo Tommy John surgery back in March -- posted video of him rocketing fastballs Thursday ... and it's gotta have people in NY ecstatic.

There was obviously concern the 28-year-old might not have the same firepower after the elbow operation ... but it's clear in the footage, Thor should be throwing close to 100 MPH again in no time.

The video comes on the heels of new Mets owner Steve Cohen saying Tuesday he wouldn't cut corners in the process of building the team into a premier MLB franchise.

"This is a major-market team," Cohen told reporters. "It should have a budget commensurate with that."

Syndergaard -- who didn't have the world's greatest relationship with the Wilpons (the previous owners) -- seems fired up to play for the guy ... he even changed his Twitter bio recently to reflect that.

"Dear Steve Cohen," Syndergaard wrote. "Hi, I’m Noah. Some ppl call me Thor. I’m a Met, working out in Florida, and I just want to win for Mets fans just like you."

Wanna see a guy tougher than you???

Las Vegas Raiders fullback Alec Ingold smashed up his ribs so badly on Sunday, he was forced to go to the hospital -- but now, the dude's trying to play in a game just 7 days later!

Ingold had to be removed from the Raiders' win over the Chargers last weekend after he broke 2 ribs in a violent collision with an L.A. defender.

The injuries looked serious ... Alec posted a pic of him hooked up to a ton of wires at a local medical facility -- and everyone wondered if that would spell the end of his season.

Well, Ingold is deciding there's no chance in hell of that ... 'cause he's not only gunning to play Sunday against the Broncos -- HE WAS BACK AT PRACTICE WEDNESDAY!

The 24-year-old is known as one of the toughest dudes in the league ... but sheesh, man!

"He’s like the throwback guys," Raiders coach Jon Gruden said of Ingold to reporters Wednesday. "He will not come off the field. He insists on playing."

"He’s been cleared to play, and he did practice today. I’d be shocked if he’s not ready to play great on Sunday.”

An Argentinian man crashed into a large pile of cacti during a recent bike ride ... and he was covered in so many thorns afterward -- he was forced to go to the hospital for treatment.

The poor guy's name is Diego Moreno ... an amateur bicyclist who was riding in Buenos Aires when the disastrous spill went down.

Moreno says he was cycling in a pack ... when he didn't see a pothole in the road. He claims his bike clipped it and sent him flying.

Unfortunately for Moreno, his landing area was giant cactus -- and he hit the plant so hard, it stuck hundreds of thorns into his body.

Check out the footage of the aftermath ... everything from Moreno's head to toe was covered in broken pieces of the prickly plant.

Good Samaritans tried to help Moreno ... but the damage was so significant, he had to get immediate medical care at a local facility.

Fortunately, Moreno did NOT suffer any life-threatening injuries ... and is expected to make a full recovery.

"Thank God I was wearing glasses and a helmet and I didn't injure my face or head," Moreno told local media after the wreck. "Because the way the spines got embedded in me, it could have blinded me."

Journey Brown -- Penn State's top running back in 2019 -- is retiring from football after doctors diagnosed him with a serious heart condition

It's called hypertrophic cardiomyopathy -- a thickening of the heart muscle, which makes it more difficult to pump blood to the body.

According to the American Heart Association, "HCM has been cited as the most common reason for sudden cardiac death in young people and athletes under the age of 35."

Experts say things like "lifestyle changes" can make a big impact for people diagnosed with HCM -- which is obviously why Brown is making the decision to quit football. It's just too risky.

Penn State's head coach, James Franklin, said Brown only discovered the condition while undergoing routine COVID testing -- but noting, "it is not COVID related."

"We learned about this in early September, and we've been working through this and dealing with this as a team," Franklin said.

"The entire organization has rallied behind Journey and his family."

Brown was a force at running back -- earning MVP honors at the 2019 Cotton Bowl by rushing for 202 yards and 2 TDs on 16 carries in Penn State's victory over Memphis.

He led Penn State in rushing in 2019 with 890 yards and 12 TDs.

Brown has posted a statement about the situation -- saying his condition will prevent him from realizing his dreams of playing in the NFL, but "football will always be a part of me."

"The pain of not being able to play the game I love anymore hurts and I can't explain how I am feeling right now. However, I can walk away from the game knowing I truly gave my all at every practice, on every down and in the locker room every day."

Wanna reduce concussions in soccer by 20 percent?!?! Reduce the air pressure in the balls ... so says Purdue University.

Yeah, this is potentially huge news.

A team of engineers at Purdue have been looking into ways to make the game safer, citing claims that 22% of soccer injuries are "concussions that can result from players using their heads to direct the ball during a game."

Long story short, the team believes there's a connection between air pressure and injury ... and inflating balls to a lower pressure could make a HUGE difference to player health.

"The study, conducted by Purdue University engineers, found that inflating balls to pressures on the lower end of ranges enforced by soccer governing bodies such as the NCAA and FIFA could reduce forces associated with potential head injury by about 20%," the school said in a statement.

The researchers also recommended swapping out wet balls for dry ones -- because they more water they take on, they more danger they pose to players.

“If the ball has too high of a pressure, gets too waterlogged, or both, it actually turns into a weapon," said Eric Nauman, who spearheaded the study.

"Heading that ball is like heading a brick."

The defending NBA champs will be playing home games in front of empty seats to start off the 2020-21 season ... with the Los Angeles Lakers keeping fans home "until further notice."

The team made the announcement Wednesday ... saying it consulted with state and local health officials to come up with its plan for games as the COVID-19 pandemic continues.

"The health and safety of our fans, players, staff and community are our main priority and we will continue to work with state and local officials to come up with a plan to safely welcome fans back to STAPLES Center in adherence with local, State, and NBA guidelines," the Lakers said in a statement.

"We appreciate your continued support and look forward to coming together, when it is safe to do so, to celebrate the raising of our banner and the quest for another NBA championship.

FYI, L.A. -- like many places across the country -- is seeing a surge in COVID-19 cases.

The 2020-21 schedule will be released soon ... and the season starts Dec. 22.

Unbelievable photo of Diego Maradona -- who was smiling for a picture with his doctor just 8 days after undergoing emergency brain surgery.

The Argentinian soccer legend was diagnosed last week with a subdural hematoma -- also known as a brain bleed, a potentially life-threatening condition requiring immediate surgery.

The 60-year-old went under the knife on Nov. 3 -- and it appears his recovery is going pretty well!

Maradona's doctor, Leopoldo Luque, posted a photo posing next to the soccer star ... who is still sporting a bandage to cover the scar on the right side of his head.

Dr. Luque told reporters he expects Maradona to be discharged from the hospital sometime Wednesday.

Maradona will reportedly continue his recovery at a rehabilitation facility just outside of Buenos Aires, where his daughter lives.

Maradona's lawyer, Matias Morla, also spoke to the media -- saying it's a "miracle" the soccer star survived the blood clot.

"Diego has gone through perhaps the hardest time of his life," Morla said.

"What is needed now is family togetherness and being surrounded by health professionals. With the doctors and his family, Diego will be as he should be: happy."

Titus Davis -- who broke Antonio Brown's WR records at Central Michigan -- has died after battling a rare form of cancer.

He was only 27.

Titus -- older brother of Tennessee Titans wideout Corey Davis -- went public with his diagnosis in July, revealing he was suffering from a rare and aggressive kidney cancer called Renal Medullary Carcinoma.

He underwent chemotherapy to battle to illness -- but ultimately passed away on Wednesday. He's survived by his 2 sons.

Titus was a monster during his 4 years at Central Michigan from 2011 to 2014 -- racking up 3,700 receiving yards and 37 TDs during his career, setting school records in both categories.

He's the only player in college football history to have 8 or more touchdowns in four different seasons.

Titus signed with the Chargers as an undrafted free agent in 2015 -- where he was a member of the practice squad. He also spent time as a practice squad player with the NY Jets, Chicago Bears and Buffalo Bills.

Titus' former college coach Dan Enos issued a statement on Davis' passing -- saying he's "heartbroken."

"On the field, he was a phenomenal athlete and competitor. He was also a great friend and teammate to many."

"From the first moments we started recruiting him, we at CMU football knew he was something incredibly special. He was a joy to coach and to be around. My deepest sympathies are extended to his family during this difficult time."

Figuring out what to wear to a concert will take a backseat to your COVID-19 status when tours resume in 2021 -- Ticketmaster's exploring a safety plan to help welcome fans back.

The ticket sales company is reportedly in the early stages of developing a plan that event operators can use as a safety measure to mitigate the spread of the virus. One path TM is actively exploring and working to develop ... is a framework for syncing with third party healthcare providers to link COVID vaccine status and/or test results to fans' digital tickets for event entry. It's ultimately up to event organizers to figure out ways to safely bring back fans to live events ... and this is one idea Ticketmaster's spitballing.

The proposed plan was reported by Billboard, and comes on the heels of pharmaceutical giant Pfizer announcing its coronavirus vaccine showing a 90% efficacy rate. That's giving concert venues and artists hope the industry can mount a comeback.

Ticketmaster would work with third-party health apps and independent labs, and says data sent to them will be done so in a secure, encrypted way. Ticketmaster would NOT have access to concertgoers' medical records.

Welcome to the new normal.

The Minnesota Vikings say they are shutting down plans to allow fans at their 4 remaining home games -- explaining it's just too dangerous right now.

The Vikings have only allowed 250 fans at U.S. Bank Stadium at home games so far this season ... but have been pursuing options to allow thousands more to attend -- with COVID-19 protocols in place.

But Wednesday, the team announced it is canning those plans in light of rising COVID infection rates in the state of Minnesota.

"We will no longer pursue hosting more than 250 fans for the remaining 2020 Vikings regular-season home games," the team said.

"While we have worked hard to develop a safe and responsible plan to bring back a limited number of fans, our decisions have been based on medical guidance with public health as the top priority," the team said in a statement.

"We take seriously Minnesota's rising COVID infection rates and increasing hospitalizations and believe closing the final four home games to fans is the right decision to help protect our community."

Dylan Groenewegen -- a pro cyclist from the Netherlands -- was just hit with a 9-month ban for causing the horrific crash that left his rival in a coma.

The incident took place back in August ... 27-year-old Groenewegen squeezed fellow Dutch cyclist Fabio Jakobsen into a wall while on a finishing spring during the Tour of Poland -- causing Jakobsen to flip over some signage and crash face-first into a solid barrier.

Jakobsen sustained major injuries in the wreck -- including "severe" wounds to his face -- and was placed in a medically-induced coma to help his recovery.

Jakobsen also underwent reconstructive surgery on his face and jaw, according to the AP.

Now, the International Cycling Union has dished out punishment -- banning Groenewegen from competition for 9 months ... meaning he won't be able to race again until May 7.

Groenewegen issued a statement through his reps saying, "The crash in the first stage of the Tour of Poland will forever be a black page in my career."

A guy who went fishing in Egypt got more than he bargained for when his catch for the day tried going down his gullet before he could even fry it up ... and it almost killed him.

This went down last week near Beni Suef -- about 90 miles south of Cairo -- when this poor fella came stumbling into an ER down there gasping for breath and unable to speak. He obviously had something funky in this throat -- and that thing, it turned out, was a live fish.

Doctors diagnosed the blockage in his windpipe after running him through an X-ray and other tests, and then immediately got to work in extracting the damn thing with some tools.

Check out the procedure ... it's pretty gnarly. The man's laid out on a table as they pry his mouth open with one device and fish the scaly creature out with another -- eventually they hook it and yank out. As you can see, it's a tiny thing, but got lodged in there good.

Word is the guy was okay after all ... but as for how this happened in the first place -- bizarre, to say the least. Apparently, this dude caught this tiny fish and put it between his teeth to free up his hands so he could attend to another fish he had on the line.

This little bastard started squirming and broke free from his jaw's grasp, and went swimming in the dude's mouth. The lesson ... don't bite off more than you can chew (or swallow).

"You can go down to practice and hit each other and be in close contact -- but you have to have plexiglass in between you and the guy next to you in the locker room?"

That's Aaron Rodgers pointing out some apparent "double standards" in the NFL's COVID protocol -- and asking the question, "Are we doing all this based on science?"

The Green Bay Packers QB got very candid about the league's coronavirus plan during an appearance this week on "The Pat McAfee Show" ... explaining why he thinks some of the rules are more about optics than safety.

"I just think there’s some double standards," Rodgers said.

"You can dap up a guy after the game, but you can’t eat at the same lunch table as a teammate? You can go down to practice and hit each other and be in close contact, but you have to have plexiglass in between you and the guy next to you in the locker room?"

"I just think some of those things to me just don’t really add up. Like I understand what we’re tryin' to do, we’re trying to get every game in and stay healthy. But, I think just some of those things, ... I just think that some things make sense and then some things don’t make a lot of sense."

Rodgers says he also thinks it's weird that players can't talk to opponents after a game -- despite incredibly close contact during the 4 quarters of action.

"There’s spit and sweat and all this stuff and we hit and we're tackling -- and we can't go and talk to somebody who we know on another team?"

Odell Beckham is officially on the road to recovery ... the star receiver and the Cleveland Browns just announced he underwent successful surgery to repair his torn ACL.

Beckham shredded the knee early in the Browns-Bengals game back on Oct. 25 ... and he was finally able to go under the knife Tuesday to repair the issue.

The Browns said in a statement the operation -- performed by world-renowned surgeon Dr. James Andrews down in Florida -- was a complete success.

"Beckham is expected to be ready for the 2021 season," the team added.

Beckham appeared to be pleased with the results of the surgery as well ... he posted a pic of himself post-op and wrote, "Sit back relax n watch how God work.....Now let the journey begin."

Beckham was having his best year as a Brown before the injury ... logging 319 receiving yards and 4 total TDs in 7 starts.

The wideout has vowed to come back stronger than ever ... writing on his social media page earlier this week, "Adversity.... it’s nothin new to me!"

Get well soon!

Ex-S.F. Giants outfielder Mac Williamson says his career was ruined by the old placement of the bullpen mounds at Oracle Park in San Francisco ... and now, he's suing over it.

In new court docs, obtained by TMZ Sports, Williamson claims the company that financed and helped create Oracle Park knew the field design posed significant injury risks ... but did nothing about it.

And, Williamson says that all led to a catastrophic head injury that ultimately led to the end of his MLB career.

Williamson was attempting to catch a fly ball back on April 24, 2018 ... when he ran straight into the left field's bullpen mound, slipped and crashed headfirst into a wall.

Williamson stayed in the game and even went on to hit a home run ... but, in his suit, he said he began feeling groggy a short time later.

In the docs, Williamson said the next day, he was "dizzy, disoriented, and nauseous" -- and he was ultimately diagnosed with a concussion and placed on the team's injured list.

Williamson tried to come back and finish out the season ... but he claims he was still struggling with post-concussion symptoms and had shut down for the season.

30-year-old Mac went on to play in 40 games in 2019, but hit just .156 ... and was unable to latch on with an MLB team in 2020.

Now, Mac says in his suit he believes the decline in his play was all due to the injury ... and he wants the company behind Oracle Park to pay for it.

FYI -- it should be noted Williamson is NOT suing the Giants ... rather, just the company behind Oracle Park.

Williamson is asking for unspecified damages in the suit ... adding in a statement Tuesday, "My life hasn’t been the same since suffering the injury."

"The concussion ended my career and left me with life-long injuries that have also taken a significant toll on my personal life."

"I'm fortunate to have such an understanding fiancé who has been there every step of the way and helps me get through the days I suffer nausea, trouble sleeping, mood swings, and other issues. I wake up every day hoping that today is a better day and that I will get closer to how I felt before the injury."

For their part, the Giants and Oracle Park -- which ended up removing the bullpen mounds from the field after the 2019 season -- released a statement Tuesday to the San Francisco Chronicle, saying, "MLB and its clubs have a longstanding practice of addressing claims arising from player injuries through the collectively-bargained grievance procedure and the worker’s compensation system."