Nurse!

Several NFL stars had big bones to pick with Nick Saban on Monday night ... with Patrick Mahomes, Jalen Ramsey and others blasting the coach and the Tide for playing injured star Jaylen Waddle.

The future NFL wideout broke his ankle against Tennessee back on Oct. 24 ... and had to have major surgery to repair the damage.

But, Waddle still suited up for the Tide's championship game with Ohio State ... and it became clear right away, the dude was nowhere close to 100 percent.

After catching a pass on the first drive of the game, he had a noticeable limp ... and seconds later, stars throughout the NFL wondered out loud why the hell he was playing.

"Who advised 17 for Bama to play?" Ramsey said in a tweet. "Whoever it is definitely doesn’t have his best interest at heart. As a competitor, I understand why he would want to play, but no way he should be out there with the future he has ahead. I hope he can stay safe."

Added Mahomes, "Respect the heart! But you can’t let that man be out there!"

Even Tennessee Titans star A.J. Brown chimed in, writing on his social media page, "Waddle please sit down."

Waddle is expected to be a possible top-15 pick in April's NFL draft -- which caused star Colts linebacker Darius Leonard to also fire away at 'Bama, writing, "Cmon nick don’t let Waddle do this, he’s hurt and shouldn’t be out there! Cmon bro! Sometimes you gotta protect players from themselves!"

For Waddle and 'Bama's part, the school said the wideout was cleared by doctors to return to football activities with the team last week.

Nurses on the front lines of the country's COVID-19 epicenter are getting some mental relief in a unique way ... puppies are live streaming inside a Los Angeles hospital.

Sources close to the situation tell TMZ ... a hospital on Los Angeles' Westside recently installed a puppy cam in the nurses' station, beaming in live video of adorable pooches to help boost morale.

Our sources say the puppy assist is the brainchild of the hospital's chief nursing officer, who wanted to help nurses feeling stressed out by the pandemic, which is overwhelming L.A. hospitals.

Not surprisingly, puppy cam is a huge hit ... we're told folks working at the hospital absolutely love seeing the dogs, and even taking a small moment in a hectic day to watch the pups is helping decrease stress levels.

L.A. hospitals are scrambling to find beds for COVID patients as the virus continues to surge, so the nurses really need the morale boost.

For the first time in more than 8,000 episodes, someone other than Alex Trebek is hosting "Jeopardy!" ... so the new guy made sure to pay a fitting tribute to the late TV legend.

Ken Jennings kicked off his stint as interim host of the famous game show by honoring the man who made it famous ... saying Alex was pretty much perfect at what he did for more than 36 years.

Jennings pointed to Trebek's intelligence, charm and grace as reasons why he will never be replaced ... but told the audience the best way to honor him is "by playing the game he loved."

Jennings will be hosting throughout January to help the show out while it looks for a permanent replacement. Ken's obviously known as the greatest "Jeopardy!" contestant of all time, but when it comes to his hosting chops ... he's previously made it clear, "There will only ever be one Alex Trebek."

"Jeopardy!" paid its final respects to the beloved host last week with a 90-second video tribute thanking him for his 37 seasons of service, since he began the gig in 1984. The highlight montage played during the airing of the last episode Trebek taped.

In Trebek's heartbreaking final sign-off, he thanked viewers for watching and said he'd see them again next week. Sadly, Alex died 10 days later without filming another episode.

Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman has tested positive for COVID-19, and she's squarely blaming fellow lawmakers who refused to wear masks while they were sheltering in place during the Capitol attack.

The Congresswoman from New Jersey announced her diagnosis Monday ... linking the positive test to last week's events that forced her to take refuge with other lawmakers in the Capitol Building. She tweeted, "Following the events of Wednesday, including sheltering with several colleagues who refused to wear masks, I decided to take a Covid test."

The 75-year-old lawmaker added, "I received a positive test result for COVID-19, and am home resting at this time. While I am experiencing mild, cold-like symptoms, I remain in good spirits and will continue to work on behalf of my constituents.”

The lawmaker is now isolating and awaiting the results of PCR testing. Interestingly, Coleman is among a score of lawmakers who have already received the first dose of Pfizer's COVID vaccine.

Remember, members of congress had to shelter together in an undisclosed location after President Trump's supporters stormed the Capitol in the failed coup. There's video showing several Republican members refusing to wear masks being passed around by Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester.

The news comes one day after the attending physician of the U.S. Congress said members and their staff may have been exposed as a result of the riots.

Dr. Brian Monahan sent a memo to all members of Congress to inform them that sheltering with other members in a room for a long period of time may have exposed them to the virus.

Dr. Dre is still in intensive care, one week after he was rushed to the hospital after suffering a brain aneurysm, and doctors are still trying to figure out what happened.

Sources connected to Dre with direct knowledge tell TMZ ... Dre's where he's been since last Monday -- in ICU at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in L.A. Our sources say doctors continue to do a battery of tests to get to the root problem. Doctors also want him in ICU in case, God forbid, he suffers another aneurysm ... if that happens, time would be of the essence.

We don't know if Dre has gone into surgery, but that's usually the case to stop bleeding.

As for his current state ... the music legend is resting comfortably, and perhaps even more encouraging, our sources say docs have cautiously informed his family that a "bad outcome" doesn't appear to be on the horizon.

TMZ broke the story ... Dre suffered the aneurysm at his Pacific Palisades home Monday and was rushed by ambulance to Cedars.

The coronavirus vaccine is going to people who are NOT currently on the priority list, but various health experts say ... it's actually a very good thing.

The best way to explain is by example. The Men's Health Clinic in Inglewood, CA is inoculating people who are first on the L.A. County priority list -- health care workers. The clinic has been taking appointments, but there's been a problem. A large number of people with appointments have ended up being no shows. The clinic had vaccines for these folks that were hours away from spoiling. So, their solution ... a waiting list for people who might not be health care workers but were eager to get vaccinated.

A clinic staffer tells TMZ, last Tuesday, for example, they ended the day with 150 unused vials that were about to spoil. Rather than throw them in the garbage, the staff stayed until 11 PM ... vaccinating people on the list and some who just showed up.

One of the people in line ... reality star Lisa Vanderpump and her husband, Ken Todd. Ken got vaccinated -- Lisa did not -- because his doctor told him to go to the clinic since he's 75 with 2 underlying health conditions. He waited and got vaccinated.

Now here's the problem ... the CDC, which should be providing guidance to the counties, has done a poor job, so each county is left to its own devices. We contacted 2 dozen places where the vaccine is being administered and the policies are all over the place. L.A. County has guidelines and so does the State of California, and they are confusing.

We've learned there was a meeting Friday where L.A. County Health officials talked about this very problem and agreed that it is better to put the vaccine in people's arms instead of the trash. We're told they're working on developing a clear vaccine distribution protocol STAT.

They would take nonpunitive action against any clinic that chooses vaccination over waste.

As for how to sign up, there's no clear policy. The staffer at the Men's Health Clinic in Inglewood told us there's a waiting list that, as of Tuesday, was 730 people strong. We could not find that list.

By the way ... the staffer at the clinic said anyone who got their first vaccination at the clinic could get the second one as well.

Great news from NHL superstar Henrik Lundqvist -- the future Hall of Famer says his recent open heart surgery was a success!!

As we previously reported, the 38-year-old Washington Capitals goalie opted out of the upcoming NHL season last month ... citing an existing heart condition that would prevent him from taking the ice.

Lundqvist underwent a 5-hour procedure earlier this week -- an aortic valve, aortic root, and ascending aortic replacement ... and gave an update on his recovery Friday.

"Day 3. Surgery went really well," Lundqvist said on Twitter. "About 5 hours to get it all taken care of. Really appreciate the great staff here at the Cleveland Clinic."

Lundqvist also shared a cute drawing from his 5-year-old, Juli, with her artistic interpretation of the event.

"Last few days has been pretty crazy but feel like I’m in really good hands. Every day is a step in the right direction."

It's a huge step in the right direction for Lundqvist ... although it has not been announced whether he will be able to return to hockey.

Some alleged criminals apparently saw Dr. Dre was in the hospital because they tried breaking into his home ... law enforcement sources tell TMZ.

Our sources say 4 men were on Dre's Pacific Palisades property Wednesday around 2 AM. Security spotted them as they were casing the house. Before they could get to the main structure, security confronted them and quickly called police. The men fled, but cops arrived almost immediately and chased the 4 would-be burglars, catching and arresting them.

Law enforcement believes the men saw our story -- that Dre was in the hospital after suffering a brain aneurysm -- and saw a window of opportunity.

The 4 men were arrested for attempted burglary and are currently in custody.

As we first reported, Dre suffered the aneurysm Monday and was rushed by ambulance to the hospital where he remains in the ICU. Doctors are trying to determine what is causing the bleeding. He's in stable condition and is lucid.

Dre sent a message Tuesday night saying he's doing well and thanked everyone for the prayers and well wishes.

Huge breakthrough for Tommy Lasorda -- the Los Angeles Dodgers legend has returned home after spending more than a month in the hospital battling heart issues.

As we previously reported, the 93-year-old former skipper was admitted to a Southern California facility in "serious condition" in mid-November. He required sedation and was put on a ventilator.

Worth noting -- we're told the issues were NOT COVID-19 related.

Lasorda spent 2 weeks in the Intensive Care Unit before beginning rehab at the hospital in Orange County ... and began making strides in recovery.

Now, TMZ Sports has confirmed Lasorda has finally made it back home.

The Baseball Hall of Famer is one of the greatest MLB managers of all-time ... leading L.A. to World Series titles in 1981 and 1988.

He also won Manager of the Year twice -- in 1983 and 1988.

Before that, he was a pitcher for the Brooklyn Dodgers from 1954-55 ... so yeah, the guy bleeds Dodger Blue.

The wrath of coronavirus is threatening to delay the biggest game of the college football season -- the National Championship.

Ohio State is reportedly concerned COVID protocols could leave them short-handed when they take on Alabama on January 11. The school is worried "it could be without a position group due to COVID-19 testing and related protocols," according to AL.com.

Unclear which position group would be affected -- but imagine playing in a championship game without all of your wide receivers ... or offensive linemen ... or QBs??? C'mon.

There's already a backup plan in place -- the College Football Playoff honchos booked Hard Rock Stadium for Jan. 18 in case the game was delayed.

Multiple outlets, including AL.com and ESPN, have confirmed there have already been talks about postponing the game ... but so far, the plan is still to kick off on Jan. 11.

"I can tell you there are no changes," College Football Playoff executive director Bill Hancock told ESPN ... "The game is scheduled for Jan. 11 as planned, and we look forward to it."

Ohio State athletic director Gene Smith also addressed the situation -- essentially saying the team will be ready to switch dates if it comes down to it.

"We're following the same protocols we followed all season long," Smith told ESPN.

"We intend to play on Jan. 11, and we continue to communicate with the Big Ten and now the CFP, so at this point in time, we see the game being played. But who knows what tomorrow will bring? That's COVID. We're on track right now."

Tanya Roberts' death has been greatly exaggerated, because her rep now says she's alive, despite the rep not only telling TMZ she died, but sending out a press release with that information.

TMZ reported Sunday Tanya had died after collapsing at her home on Christmas Eve and being rushed to the hospital and placed on a ventilator.

The rep had told us she died Sunday at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in L.A. He told us Tanya's husband had informed him that Tanya had passed.

We even got a quote from the rep from Tanya's husband, Lance, saying, "As I held her in her last moments, she opened her eyes."

Now the rep, Mike Pingel, tells TMZ, Lance got a call just after 10 AM Monday from the hospital saying Tanya was still alive. Pingel said Lance truly believed Tanya had died.

What's more shocking, Lance was recording an interview with Inside Edition when he got the call from the hospital to deliver the news ... a very emotional call.

Interestingly, friends of the family also contacted TMZ Sunday saying Lance had called them to inform them of the "That '70s Show" star's death.

As for how this could happen ... beats us.

Very cool and inspirational move from NFL star Alex Smith ... the QB transformed his leg-saving brace into a trophy -- and the piece came out AWESOME.

Smith's wife, Liz, revealed the artwork before the signal-caller and the Washington Football Team locked up the NFC East title Sunday night ... saying, "No matter the outcome, Alex has already won."

Liz added praise to the welder who fabricated the piece ... writing, "Special thanks to @coldhardart for transforming a symbol of hard times to a trophy of triumph we can proudly put on our shelves."

Of course, you'll recall ... Smith needed the brace for several months after he broke both his fibula and tibia during a violent hit from J.J. Watt in a November 2018 game.

Alex nearly lost the leg while trying to recover ... ultimately requiring 17 surgeries to fix the break and the ensuing infection it caused.

The 36-year-old, though, has miraculously shown no signs of deteriorated play in his return this season ... and it seems staring at the twisted metal that used to be affixed to his leg has helped in all of that.

The piece is clearly inspired by the Lombardi Trophy -- which is awarded each year to the winner of the Super Bowl.

For the artist's part, Cold Hard Art wrote of transforming the brace, "Might be one of the most unique projects to be part of turning a leg stabilizer into a symbols of strength and determination."

UFC fighter Mike Perry is on the mend after slicing himself open during a bizarre incident late Sunday night -- posting footage showing doctors stitching up his wound.

The 29-year-old initially posted video showing him lying in a pool of blood Sunday next to a shattered glass door. It appears as if Perry opened a massive gash while trying to smash through the glass.

While on the ground, Perry says to himself, "F*ck am I supposed to do about this?"

Fans on social media expressed concern for the fighter who seems to be in a downward spiral -- following allegations of domestic abuse and a separate violent incident at a steak restaurant back in July.

But, early Monday morning, Perry posted video from what appears to be a hospital room -- showing a doctor treating the wound on his lower right leg.

A few hours later, Perry posted more footage showing himself walking his dog -- so, all better?

Perry has fought in the UFC since 2016 and has flashed real potential -- earning multiple fight of the night and performance of the night bonuses along the way.

But, losses to guys like Cowboy Cerrone, Geoff Neal and most recently Tim Means (in Nov.) have kept him from reaching that next level.

Gotta hand it to Florida in 2021 ... it never disappoints.

Just one hour into the New Year, a massive fight erupts in downtown Sarasota, and it doesn't seem coincidental it's right next to a brewery. The video begins with a skinny guy in a fake Versace shirt taking a fighting stance. The skinny dude tries looking tough ... dancing around as if he's ready to trade blows.

Well, he gets more than he bargains for, because another guy punches him, knocking him back against a car. Then, another guy from the group lends a hand and sucker punches him.

And then ... a guy hovers over the dude and literally uses his face as a punching bag, striking him more than a dozen times.

Another fight then breaks out nearby, and eventually cops come to break it all up.

The Sarasota Police Watch Commander tells TMZ, cops responded to 2 separate fights. In each fight, one person went to the hospital, although no one was seriously injured.

Louis Gossett, Jr. can tell you how bad COVID is ... he has it, was hospitalized for it, but left because it's a s*** show inside.

Sources connected to the Oscar-winning actor tell TMZ ... the 84-year-old tested positive and was so sick he couldn't even stand. He was taken to a Georgia-area hospital, where he stayed for just a couple days before bolting. We're told he was put in an area with all the other COVID patients, and the wave of deaths freaked him out.

Hospital staff begged him to stay -- given his age and underlying conditions including cancer -- but Louis was determined to leave, and he did. He checked out Tuesday.

Louis -- best known his award-winning roles in "An Officer and a Gentleman" and on "Roots" -- tells TMZ and everyone else, "Please wear masks, social distance, isolate, pray and listen within. We cannot survive without one another."

Louis is now at home with his son ... and he is isolating.

Buddy Valastro built a hospital this week ... out of cake batter.

The "Cake Boss" wanted to show his appreciation to the doctors who saved his right hand after it was mangled in a bowling accident, so he baked them a cake in the form of the hospital where he was treated.

Buddy posted a pic of his handiwork, with the caption, "Check out the super special cake I made for Dr. Michelle Carlson, the nurses and staff at @hspecialsurgery as a token of my immense appreciation!" adding, "It replicates the main hospital there in #NYC. 🌃 I could never thank them enough for all they have done to help me on this journey to a full recovery ♥️"

As we reported, Buddy was bowling back in September when he tried releasing a bowling pin from the cage mechanism. His right hand got lodged and compressed in the unit, which was lodged in the mechanism for 5 minutes. His sons rushed into a garage and got a saw to cut through the metal rod to free Buddy's hand.

Buddy was rushed to the hospital where doctors removed a rod and treated a ghastly wound. A second surgery was performed by Dr. Michelle Carlson, whom he gave a special shout-out when he delivered the cake.