William H. Macy All About My Hose ... After Felicity's Plea Deal
William H. Macy's fully focused on getting a fresh start ... around his house, now that Felicity Huffman's agreed to strike a plea deal.
The actor was seen leaving an L.A. home improvement store Tuesday with a couple of brand new hoses in each hand. William looks to be in full-on dad mode to knock out some household chores -- something he probably didn't give a crap about while he and his wife weighed her legal options.
As we reported ... Felicity agreed to plead guilty for her role in the college admission scandal -- in which she was accused of paying $15k to have her daughter's SAT scores rigged. She pled guilty to conspiracy to commit mail fraud and honest services mail fraud.
While her sentence will ultimately be up to a judge, prosecutors have recommended she get off relatively light ... with around 4 months in prison. Felicity, however, is reserving her right to argue for 0 days behind bars. The judge will get the final call.
Either way, Felicity has fully accepted responsibility for cheating the college system, and she apologized for it. She's still feeling the fallout though ... Netflix has shelved a rom-com she's in that was set to come out later this month.
Lori Loughlin, meanwhile, still hasn't come to the plea deal table and just got slapped with more charges because of it. A federal grand jury indicted her Tuesday for money laundering -- which could mean nearly 5 years in prison even if she cops a plea.
Felicity's deal is looking pretty sweet now.
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R. Kelly $22K For One-Hour Club Gig ... Despite Sexual Abuse Charges
R. Kelly is still making easy money in his home state -- he raked in $22,000 to show his face at a nightclub and hang out for only an hour -- despite facing charges of sexual abuse.
As we reported ... Kelly came out of hiding Saturday for a paid club appearance at the Dirty South Lounge in Springfield, Illinois, where he interacted with the small crowd and belted out the opening line to his hit song "Bump N' Grind."
Sources with knowledge of Kelly's deal tell TMZ ... the embattled singer was paid $22k for his 1-hour appearance. We're told Kelly pocketed $20k, and paid his booking agent $2k.
Kelly didn't even have to sing ... we're told he picked up the mic just for fun.
The crowd inside the club was super small, only about 50 people showed up for Kelly. We're told he rolled up at 10:30 PM and didn't come out to greet fans until 2 AM.
Kelly went on Instagram before his paid gig, asking the media to take it easy on him when he's seen in the club drinking and partying. He made it clear he's just showing up to collect a check.
R. Kelly needs the money ... he's struggling to pay child support to his ex-wife as he waits to stand trial on 10 counts of aggravated criminal sexual abuse involving underage girls.
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Jim Ross Open to WWE Return ... 'Never Say Never'
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EXCLUSIVE
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Jim Ross is channeling his inner Justin Bieber when talking his future with his old employer ... telling TMZ Sports he'll "never say never" to a reunion with WWE.
The legendary commentator just signed a fat, 3-year deal with All Elite Wrestling after 26 years with the WWE ... which has been deemed "the most lucrative deal in pro wrestling commentary history."
While the exact amount has not been released ... it was enough for Ross to say "Yes" ... and he's excited to start fresh with the new company.
"26 years, great run. 26 years, wouldn't trade it for anything," Ross says. "To be out there and do something new with AEW and the Khan family, too good to pass up."
"They have a strong belief that I can still do my storytelling job ringside in this wrestling business. So, we're gonna give it another run and have some fun."
Ross says he wasn't being used enough with WWE, and he's still got gas left in the tank ... so why not??
As for whether Ross would return to his old employer ... he's open to the idea, but makes it clear he's not waiting by the phone for a call from Vince McMahon.
"I'm committed for 3 years at AEW, hopefully for longer ... I'm not thinking that far ahead. I'm ready to get to work today, tomorrow, or whatever."
Ross has previously said his split with WWE was on good terms and he has nothing but respect for Vince.
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Lori Loughlin and Hubby Just Indicted for Additional Charge of Money Laundering
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EXCLUSIVE
- 71K shares
10:35 AM PT -- Well, prosecutors did exactly what we reported early Tuesday morning. Since Lori did not cop a plea, the U.S. Attorney went to a Federal Grand Jury to get an indictment, adding charges of money laundering. This now DRASTICALLY increases the amount of time Lori and her husband would get as a minimum recommended sentence.
Specifically, the U.S. Attorney says, Lori, her husband and 14 others will now be charged with the additional crime of "conspiring to launder the bribes and other payment in furtherance of the fraud by funneling them through [Rick] Singer's purported charity and his for-profit corporation."
The money laundering charge alone carries a maximum of 20 years in prison.
This means if Lori and her husband now want to plea bargain their cases, instead of a minimum range of 2 to 2 and a half years in prison ... prosecutors would recommend to the judge a MINIMUM RANGE OF 4 YEARS AND 9 MONTHS UP TO 5 YEARS AND 11 MONTHS.
There's also a very technical rub. Theoretically by charging CONSPIRACY to money launder, the minimum sentence could go even higher -- way higher.
Short story ... prosecutors are out for blood.
Lori Loughlin and her husband are in a way worse position than Felicity Huffman ... because the huge amount they allegedly paid in bribes to get their daughters into USC could land them in prison for 2 YEARS MINIMUM ... TMZ has learned.
Sources connected to the case tell us ... all of the parents in the college cheating scandal have been offered plea deals, but prosecutors will only accept pleas with prison time attached.
As we reported, Felicity copped a plea Monday, along with 12 other parents. The remaining 37 individuals charged -- including Lori and her husband, Mossimo Giannulli -- have been offered plea deals, with varying recommendations for prison sentences, largely determined by the amount they paid in bribes and whether they accept responsibility for what they did.
Felicity's plea would enable her to serve as little as 4 months in prison. The problem for Lori and Mossimo is that they paid $500,000 to allegedly bribe the crew coach, and the amount raises the MINIMUM PRISON SENTENCE IN A PLEA DEAL TO A RANGE OF 2 TO 2 1/2 YEARS.
Our sources say prosecutors have given all defendants an ultimatum ... reach a plea deal QUICKLY or else they will go to a Federal Grand Jury and add charges, including money laundering, which significantly raises the low end of prison time.
Originally Published -- 1:00 AM PT
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UFC's T.J. Dillashaw Suspended 2 Years ... for Failed Drug Test
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Breaking News
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UFC star T.J. Dillashaw has just been hit with a 2-year suspension for failing a drug test before his January 19 title fight against Henry Cejudo.
Dillashaw tested positive for Erythropoietin -- aka EPO -- which is a synthetic hormone that's considered a cleaner alternative to blood doping, the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency has announced.
EPO is often used by athletes to increase oxygen transport and aerobic power, according to USADA.
Dillashaw has accepted the suspension -- which means he won't be eligible to fight until Jan. 2021.
Dillashaw provided the dirty sample on Jan. 18 -- one day before the fight.
What's even worse for T.J. ... he lost the fight against Cejudo in a 1st-round stoppage.
The 33-year-old fighter had issued a statement on the situation last month saying he was "disappointed" and was trying to figure out what happened.
"While words can't even begin to express how disappointed I am at this time, please know that I'm working with my team to understand what has occurred and how to resolve this situation as quickly as possible," Dillashaw said at the time.
After the positive test, Dillashaw relinquished his UFC bantamweight title so he could "deal with the matter."
Before the Cejudo fight, Dillashaw had defeated Cody Garbrandt twice.
Story developing ...
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Joe Torre Pulls Charity Dinner from Hotel Bel-Air ... Won't Support Brunei!!!
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EXCLUSIVE
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MLB legend Joe Torre is joining the protest against the Sultan of Brunei -- yanking his big charity dinner from the Sultan's Hotel Bel-Air over disgusting anti-gay laws in the tiny Asian country.
Brunei has enacted horrific new laws in which gay sex is punishable by stoning to death. Several huge stars and companies are now boycotting businesses owned by the Sultan of Brunei, which include the Hotel Bel-Air.
Torre's annual Safe at Home Foundation L.A. Dinner event had been scheduled to take place on April 25 at the Hotel Bel-Air, which has hosted the event for years.
But, that streak is over ... TMZ Sports has learned Torre's foundation has already moved the event to the Sunset Tower Hotel because they do not want to do business with Hotel Bel-Air until the laws in Brunei change.
The move comes after 2 other big foundations -- The Special Needs Network and The John Wayne Cancer Institute -- moved previously scheduled galas out of the Beverly Hills Hotel, which is also owned by Brunei's ruler, Hassanal Bolkiah.
As for Torre's dinner -- the event raises money for Joe's charity which supports children who have witnessed or experienced violence in their homes. It's a good cause.
A bunch of huge stars are scheduled to attend ... including Bob Costas, Mariano Rivera and more.
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Jordyn Woods Doing 'Way Too Much' in L.A. ... Before Music Vid Release
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EXCLUSIVE
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Jordyn Woods is back in L.A., and she's already doing the most by doing "Way Too Much" with one of Jake Paul's young YouTube buddies. Hey, girl's gotta eat!
The outcast Kardashian-Jenner sidekick hit the Peppermint Club in WeHo Monday night, where she and 16-year-old influencer Justin Roberts were promoting the upcoming release of their new music video for his track, "Way Too Much."
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Jordyn has a cameo in the video and even teased a shot of herself last month on the set.
Unclear why Jordyn is working with Jake's Team 10 crew -- most of whom are super YouTube famous, including Justin -- but what is clear is that she's making moves for herself now.
Jordyn has not shied away from the public spotlight ever since her cheating scandal with Tristan Thompson, which obviously got her excommunicated from Kardashian country.
It doesn't seem that's hindering her ability to make a buck and pose for the cameras though -- she especially seems to be doing just fine on the latter, for sure.
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Ariana Grande Smells An Opportunity In 'Thank U, Next' Glam Products!!!
Ariana Grande has woken up and smelled the coffee -- her album, "thank u, next," was such a huge success ... why not start selling scented products under the same name? Duh!!!
The pop singer seems to have come to that realization, 'cause she's now seeking permission from the federal government to exclusively slap the phrase, "Ariana Grande Thank U, Next," on a bunch of beauty products she, presumably, plans to start hawking soon.
Among some of the potential products on her list ... perfumes, colognes (that means you too, fellas), body lotions, bath and shower gels, body scrubs, body powders, body mists -- pretty much, anything that can get you smelling nice and perty, really.
Check out her signature on the trademark application BTW ... it comes complete with a heart over the "i" and everything.
AG's ask for a new perfume line is far from her first -- this appears to be at least her attempted 7th fragrance installment, this after she filed for a trademark to sell her "Be Grande" line ... which she never released.
Business as usual, it seems.
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Ray J & Princess Love Offer $20k Reward ... To Find Missing Dog
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Ray J and Princess Love are VERY serious about finding their missing pooch -- and by that, we mean they're willing to pay $20,000 to anyone who finds it.
PL announced Saturday night that one of the couple's Maltese dogs, Boogotti, had gone missing from Ray's parents' Calabasas home, and she pled with the public to give her a holler if anybody located it. Then on Sunday, she upped the ante ... by offering a $20k reward.
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Princess Love says they believe Boogotti might be in the neighboring Woodland Hills area, and that anyone who thinks they might've found him should DM her with a photo of the pup.
Sources close to the couple tell TMZ that Ray J's parents were dog sitting over the weekend when Boogotti escaped through a gate on their property around 3 PM Saturday. We're told RJ and PL are flying back from NYC Sunday to help track it down.
If you're wondering just how important this little canine is to the family, just consider how much money's been spent on it ... including this $20k reward offer. Ray J dropped $30k on a party for the dog in 2015, and the couple's also dropped at least $5k in vet bills for their other dog, Coco.
Ray J explained Boogotti's significance to us on camera, and it's clear they love the dog.
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R. Kelly Makes Club Appearance Sings 'Bump N' Grind' w/ Crowd
12:23 PM PT -- Turns out, R. Kelly DID perform Saturday night during his paid club appearance in Springfield, Illinois. He briefly sang the opening line to his hit "Bump N' Grind" to a very accepting crowd ... which we're told comprised of no more than about 50 people tops.
In fact, sources on the ground tell us R. Kelly's gig appeared to come together in an odd and somewhat ragtag fashion. First off, Kelly was supposed to perform at the Spring Break Jam festival at the nearby Illinois State Fairgrounds Saturday night ... just a stone's throw away from the Dirty South Lounge where R. Kelly showed up. He was included in a flyer for the Spring Break gig back in December but was removed from the lineup in January when s*** hit the fan for him.
It seems like this appearance he did at Dirty South was either already lined up or came together after the fact. Nonetheless, we're told the Spring Break Jam folks were continuing to sell tickets at the Fairgrounds itself for R. Kelly's appearance after the show ... even though he wasn't officially a part of their concert anymore.
Our sources say R. Kelly tickets were initially being hawked for $100 a pop Saturday night but were later dropped in price to $50 as a way to get more people to come to Dirty South.
Like we said, no more than about a few dozen heads showed out for R. Kelly ... but they were treated to an up close and personal performance when he finally emerged around 2 AM.
R. Kelly came out of hiding Saturday and made a club appearance.
The embattled singer showed up at Dirty South Lounge in Springfield, Illinois Saturday night/Sunday Morning. He didn't perform but talked to the patrons. Some of them even hugged him and took selfies.
Kelly even pulled out a stogie as he interacted with the crowd.
#EXCLUSIVE @rkelly hosts private party in Springfield. We’re now learning new information
@brittanyhtv
-Dirty South reduces ticket prices due to low turnout
-Central Illinois fans disappointed in #RKelly performance
-One of the first public appearances since the latest sexual abuse charges pic.twitter.com/gQMWNvepAH
R. Kelly went on Instagram Saturday, knowing he would make the club appearance, and asked the media to take it easy on him ... fact is, appearances are one of the few ways he can make money at the moment. We don't know how much was paid for the appearance.
As for why he went on Insta, Kelly is struggling to pay child support to his ex-wife, Drea Kelly. He was jailed briefly for the delinquency but released after a friend ponied up the dough.
As you know, R. Kelly is going to stand trial for 10 counts of criminal sexual abuse involving underage girls. There are ongoing investigations and additional charges could be filed. The Cook County State's Attorney is in possession of additional videos that allegedly show R. Kelly having sex with at least one underage girl.
Originally Published -- 7:39 AM PT
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Beverly Hills Hotel Losing Huge Events ... In Wake Of Boycott
George Clooney's call for a boycott of hotels owned by the Sultan of Brunei is gaining traction ... because the Beverly Hills Hotel just lost 2 big gigs as a result of the protest.
The Special Needs Network and The John Wayne Cancer Institute are both pulling out of previously scheduled galas at the Beverly Hills Hotel ... and it's all because the hotel owner supports killing gay people by stoning.
SNN's signature spring event -- the 11th Annual "a pink pump affair // a Celebration of Women" -- was scheduled for May 19 at the swanky hotel ... but they're moving the fundraiser to the Beverly Hilton. Tons of celebs and politicians attend every year.
Meanwhile, the JWCI is moving its 34th Annual Odyssey Ball -- scheduled for May 4 -- to the Montage Beverly Hills.
These are huge blows for the hotel, and big wins for Clooney's boycott, which covers the 9 hotels owned by Brunei's autocratic ruler, Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah. The Asian nation recently implemented capital punishment on proven gay citizens.
Lance Bass told us he strongly supports the boycott too ... and now there are 2 tangible results from the protests.
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Tito Ortiz I'm Not Retiring 'I'm Fighting in October!!!'
Tito Ortiz is coming out of retirement and will fight MMA this year ... we know, deja vu all over again.
TMZ Sports saw Tito -- who last retired days after dominating Chuck Liddell in November (a fight he came out of retirement for) -- at LAX earlier this week ... and we asked him about Conor McGregor hanging up his gloves.
That's when Tito dropped some retirement news of his own ... as in, he's comin' back.
"I'll probably fight in October," Ortiz told us.
"After I fought Chuck last year, I thought it was gonna be my last one. But, my body's intact, everything's fast, everything's great. Sparring's been good. Training's been great. So, let's do one for fun."
So, who's The Huntington Beach Bad Boy fighting?
Tito couldn't say 'cause the deal ain't official, yet ... but we're told it could be signed, sealed and delivered within days.
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R. Kelly Begs Media to Be Easy on Him ... Ahead of Paid Event
R. Kelly is trying to get some cash in the bank, but before what seems to be one of his first paid events in a while ... he's already getting ahead of potentially bad optics.
The embattled R&B singer took to Instagram Saturday to record a video of himself in front of what appears to be his Trump Tower residence in Chicago. He says he's gonna be at an event tonight in Springfield, IL ... one that's gonna line his pockets, apparently.
R. Kelly asks the media for a big favor -- to "take it easy" on him, as this is one of the few ways he can make money at the moment. In the clip, he says if and when the media sees him in the club with a couple drinks in his hand -- which presumably means photos or video of this will be leaked at some point -- just know he's only there to collect a check.
It sounds like R. Kelly was anticipating his appearance getting out to the public, and wanted to get ahead of a bad look of him partying in the middle of a serious criminal case. It's unclear where exactly he'll be Saturday night ... he didn't mention the venue by name.
As we've reported ... R. Kelly's been stuck between a rock and a hard place financially these past couple months, with people having to put up major dough not once but TWICE to get him out of jail. He's partially blamed his ex-wife for hindering his ability to make a living.
And as far as potential concerts overseas ... it doesn't look that'll be happening anytime soon either.
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Terrell Owens Storage Unit Auctioned Off ... Loses NFL Keepsakes
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EXCLUSIVE
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Some random dude in Georgia just made off with a bunch of Terrell Owens' awesome NFL memorabilia ... snatching up the Hall of Famer's storage unit at an auction ... and now TO is scrambling to get it back.
TMZ Sports has learned ... items in Owens' old storage unit in Atlanta were auctioned off after he stopped making payments to the company.
The stuff is really cool -- a custom bust of TO, old playbooks, autographed helmets, cleats, and even a copy of an NDA that we're assuming the NFLer gave to people at parties.
We reached out to TO, who says he had no idea his stuff was about to be auctioned off, telling us his people had been trying to make contact with the storage company for years but had been getting the runaround.
Furthermore, Owens is upset a heads up wasn't given before his valuables were sold, and is VERY interested in getting in contact with the current owner to reclaim his memories.
The man who bought all the stuff, James Rice of Jan's Used Furniture in Griffin, GA, tells us he's more than willing to give it back to its rightful owner.
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Duke Looking at Avenatti's Claim That Nike Bribed Zion w/ $$$ for Ma
Michael Avenatti has roped Zion Williamson into his Nike bribery allegations -- suggesting the shoe company paid the basketball star's mom to get him to go to Duke.
Avenatti tweeted out the accusation Friday night, writing ... "@DukeMBB - About this denial by Coach K the other day relating to payments by Nike...Can you please ask Zion Williamson's mother - Sharonda Sampson - whether she was paid by @nike for bogus 'consulting services' in 2016/2017 as part of a Nike bribe to get Zion to go to Duke? Thx."
.@DukeMBB - About this denial by Coach K the other day relating to payments by Nike...Can you please ask Zion Williamson’s mother - Sharonda Sampson - whether she was paid by @nike for bogus “consulting services” in 2016/17 as part of a Nike bribe to get Zion to go to Duke? Thx.
@MichaelAvenatti
The celeb attorney elaborated on his insinuation by saying in a follow-up tweet, "I almost forgot - long day - @DukeMBB can you also have your close friends at @Nike check their Nike Vendor Portal for payments to “Sharonda Sampson Consulting”. Just search 2016 to the present. Appreciate it." He didn't specify how much Nike allegedly paid her.
Avenatti went on to release a document dump of bank statements and memos on Saturday that he claims outlines Nike's alleged payments to high school basketball stars. Interestingly enough, alleged payments to Zion's mom are not included in the attachment.
2/2 - Nike should be criminally indicted on well over 200 counts and should also explain why they misled their investors/the SEC. If I'm lying or the docs are not legit, I challenge @nike to issue a stmt claiming no bribes were ever paid. Just Do It Nike!https://t.co/4gi8MQRcQB
@MichaelAvenatti
Nonetheless, Duke Basketball is clearly taking the allegation seriously, as they issued a statement Saturday saying they were aware of Avenatti's claim and were "looking into it" while also adding, "Duke is fully committed to compliance with all NCAA rules and regulations."
It's interesting ... Zion has rocked Nike a lot since getting on the Duke squad, even after one of his PG 2.5 PE kicks blew out in a huge game against North Carolina earlier this year. ZW went on to wear Kyrie Irving's signature Nike shoe upon returning from injury.
Avenatti has implicated multiple basketball stars in his recent bribery claims, including Deandre Ayton and Bol Bol. Of course, Avenatti was indicted by the feds for allegedly attempting to extort Nike to keep all this info under wraps ... something Avenatti denies.
As for Nike, the company issued a statement that didn't address Avenatti's claims specifically, but did say they firmly believe in "ethical and fair play," adding they wouldn't be commenting further.
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WWE Superstar Seth Rollins Rips Brock Lesnar Nobody Wants You In WWE!!!
Seth Rollins says Brock Lesnar is SELFISH and everyone is sick of him ... and 'cause of that, NOBODY wants him in WWE.
TMZ Sports talked to Rollins -- who's fighting Lesnar for the WWE Universal Championship at WrestleMania 35 -- in NYC Friday night ... and there is absolutely ZERO love between the 2 superstars.
"He's not in it for anybody but himself. So, Brock Lesnar, he will tell you to your face that he is in this industry, he's in any industry, for himself to make his own money,"
"That's not what I'm about. I'm about giving back to a business I love, that has given me so much."
Still, Seth says even though Lesnar's a jerk ... he's a massive draw for fans.
"He's a box office attraction and everybody knows that. The problem is, he knows that as well, and he takes advantage of it every step of the way. So, he doesn't contribute to the locker room. He doesn't give anything back."
That's why, according to Rollins ... Lesnar -- who is an AMAZING athlete -- is persona non grata in the organization.
"I admire Brock Lesnar from a fighters perspective, from an athletes perspective. He's incredible. The way he trains for his fights. His mindset going in. He's a specimen unlike any other, and that's why he's able to do what he does."
"But, he doesn't inspire people, man. And, you need a champ who does that."
Will Rollins be that guy? We'll find out Sunday.