Jon Gruden Apologizes Again For 2011 Email DeMaurice Smith Responds

Published
101121_jon_gruden_kal 10/10/21
ADDRESSING THE CONTROVERSY
UPDATE

4:39 PM PT -- DeMaurice Smith is breaking his silence on the Jon Gruden email from 2011, saying "it's proof the fight against racism, racist tropes and intolerance is not over."

UPDATE

"This is not about an email as much as it is about a pervasive belief by some that people who look like me can be treated as less," DS said on social media.

UPDATE

The NFLPA Director also says Gruden personally reached out to him, and the men plan to "connect" sometime soon.

UPDATE

"But, make no mistake, the news is not about what is said in our private conversation, but what else is said by people who never thought they would be exposed and how they are going to be held to account," Smith wrote.

Jon Gruden apologized for his racially insensitive 2011 email once again on Sunday ... insisting he's not a racist and telling reporters, "I can't tell you how sick I am."

The Las Vegas head coach met with media members just minutes after the Raiders' 20-9 loss to the Bears ... and it wasn't long before Gruden had to answer questions about an 11-year-old email that contained racist language.

"I apologize for the insensitive remarks," the 58-year-old said. "I had no racial intentions with those remarks at all."

If you missed it ... during a probe into allegations of workplace misconduct in the Washington Football Team's organization, an email Gruden had sent to a team exec had been discovered by NFL investigators.

In the body of the message, Gruden had said NFL Players Association president DeMaurice Smith had "lips the size of Michelin tires."

Gruden initially apologized on Friday, claiming the comment was not a racist one ... but rather a unique way of calling Smith a liar.

On Sunday, he reiterated that stance yet again ... adding, "I stand here in front of everybody apologizing. I don't have an ounce of racism in me."

"I'm a guy that takes pride in leading people together. I'll continue to do that for the rest of my life. And again I apologize to D. Smith and anybody out there that I have offended."

Gruden said he had yet to meet with NFL officials over the email ... but acknowledged that could happen in the next few days.

It's unclear if the coach faces any discipline. League sources said Friday a probe was ongoing.

Raiders owner Mark Davis, meanwhile, said Gruden's words were "disturbing" and added, "we are addressing the matter with Coach Gruden."

Originally Published -- 6:15 AM PT

Jorja Smith Singing Ability Questioned Online Fans Come to Her Defense

Published

An old Jorja Smith cover has reignited a fierce debate among music lovers -- namely, whether she can actually sing or not ... but the evidence will make you shake your head.

The English singer-songwriter did her own rendition of TLC's "No Scrubs" in 2018, which for some reason resurfaced on Twitter this weekend ... and got folks chattering (again) about her pipes, or alleged lack thereof.

It's been an ongoing thing with her ... but there's really no question in our minds -- especially when you consider the full breadth of work and live performances, not to mention her background.

First, the claim ... people are taking this specific cover, as well as others she's done over the years, and suggesting her throaty, raspy vocals are a sign that she can't really carry a tune. Some argue this style of singing is one employed by a lot of modern-day singers/pop stars ... and that it's become the standard for what industry types look for. It's a running joke.

The "smoky" turn is something some folks claim Jorja has done a lot of lately ... but many more were quick to surface a plethora of clips that prove definitively -- she's a master of her craft.

Somebody posted a snippet of her performing live with the WDR Funkhausorchester orchestra from last year, and wrote ... "y’all can sit the F*** down and realize that Jorja Smith is and always will be a good singer…"

Others posted even more clips of her singing live, pointing out the range she has ... and the falsettos she can hit with ease. Of course, when you factor in the fact that she's a classically trained vocalist -- having gotten her tutelage at Aldridge and raised and schooled by her dad, who's a singer/musician himself -- it blows all allegations of bad singing out of the water.

One thing she may want to think about ... perhaps switching up her approach, as that's another critique often leveled her against her. Specifically, that even though she obviously CAN sing ... Jorja tends to dabble in the same types of riffs, runs and registers -- at least in some listeners' eyes, to the point where a lot of her crooning sounds repetitive or rehashed.

But, on the issue of ability ... case closed. This woman has cords like an angel!

Saweetie Defends Herself, Old Clip 'Colorist' Chat with Too Short

Published | Updated

Saweetie is denying partaking in colorism after an old chat she had with Too Short resurfaced anew -- pointing out that ... yes, she checked him and defended Black women.

This IG Live convo between the two rappers went down sometime last year, and for whatever reason ... it popped up on social media again this weekend, with folks criticizing both her and the Bay Area legend for many perceived as pitting biracial Black people against those who are 100% Black.

In the clip, you hear Short say that he loves biracial women ... and that he's never fallen in love with any woman who wasn't mixed. Saweetie -- at that point in the convo -- was just taking it in, without any real pushback in the moment ... and sorta yukking it up with him.

TS goes on to say that biracial babies are also the most beautiful ones, to him at least, and that no biracial baby can be ugly. While he didn't say this, per se ... the assumption is that other babies, perhaps, of one race or ethnicity could be less than cute, in his eyes.

It's worth noting ... the reason they got to talking about this in the first place is because Saweetie herself is half Black/half Filipino -- and she's also from NorCal, which they noted is pretty diverse, especially among the Asian community.

Despite that context, some felt Saweetie's reaction here -- in this particular moment -- was less than supportive of Black women, and many are even calling it anti-Black ... which she was apparently perpetuating by not speaking out against Short. She did, though ... just later.

Saweetie posted another clip from that same IG chat, and sure enough ... she notes to Too Short that Black women are beautiful babies, and do indeed make beautiful babies as well.

She also posted Q&A she did with fans once upon a time, where someone asked her if she thought dark-skinned women can be pretty ... and she replied, they know they are.

George Floyd Protests Minneapolis Cops 'Hunting' Protestors ... In New Body Cam Vids

Published | Updated
100721_minneapolis_body_cam_kal
UNNECESSARY AGGRESSION

A spokesperson for the department tells us the Lieutenant resigned from the force shortly after a series of bodycam vids were released back in September.

Minneapolis police officers were pumped up to fire non-lethal bullets at protestors during the unrest after George Floyd's murder, and boldly talked on camera about "hunting" people out past curfew.

The new body cam footage, from late May 2020, provides a shocking look at the cops' forceful response to the protests and riots in the city on the evening of May 30 into May 31. A cop is heard saying how it's a "nice change of tempo" for officers to be out actively hunting people instead of just chasing them around.

Another officer replies, "F*** these people."

In another clip, Minneapolis cops are enthusiastically ordered to shoot non-lethal rounds on "the first f***ers we see."

According to CNN, these videos from multiple police body cams were released by Eric Rice, the lawyer for a man who was recently acquitted on charges of firing a gun at officers on May 30 after they fired nonlethal bullets at him.

There's also a clip of an officer expressing his disdain for the media, then going off on proving the mayor wrong about the race of protestors. He then makes a racist comment, suggesting only Black people are responsible for looting and fires.

According to CNN, this officer is Lt. Johnny Mercil, who currently oversees MPD's use of force training. He was also a prosecution witness in the trial of Derek Chauvin, who was convicted of murdering Floyd.

WNBA Players Throw Punches In Wild Brawl ... All-Star Apologizes

Published | Updated

All hell broke loose when several WNBA players threw wild punches outside a day club in Atlanta earlier this year ... and now, one of the women involved is apologizing.

The video is insane -- Atlanta Dream All-Star Courtney Williams is seen getting in an all-out brawl in front of a local food truck back in May ... squaring up and going after several women throughout the violent incident.

Williams' teammate, Crystal Bradford, also appears to be in the middle of the scuffle, kicking and throwing punches at the same time.

Another former Dream player, Kalani Brown, was reportedly involved as well ... trying her best to break up the fight.

Williams posted the fight video on YouTube over the weekend ... where she cracked jokes and made light of the situation, before deleting it off her page.

Now, the ex-South Florida star is apologizing for the post ... tweeting out a statement on Monday.

"I want to sincerely apologize for the video posted yesterday," Williams said. "I would never want to represent myself or the organization in a negative way."

"I’m learning everyday so I ask for grace as I’m growing. Again I apologize to all attached, and I will be better moving forward."

The Dream released a response to Insider, saying, "The behavior in the video is unacceptable and does not align with our values as an organization."

"We are taking this matter very seriously and working with the league to gather more information and determine next steps."

Urban Meyer Apologizes to Jaguars for 'Distraction' ... After Video Dancing with Woman at Bar Goes Viral

Published | Updated

Urban Meyer says he's sorry for the "distraction" he caused his team after video surfaced of him dancing with a woman -- who wasn't his wife -- surfaced over the weekend.

100421_urban_meyer_kal
DANCING DISTRACTION

A video of the former Ohio State head coach turned Jacksonville Jaguars play caller went viral Saturday ... showing a young, blonde woman grinding on Meyer at an Ohio bar. Meyer has been married to his wife, Shelley, since 1986.

Speaking to media Monday, Urban said he had apologized to his team, calling the incident a distraction and saying it was "stupid."

Urban's Jaguars were in Cincinnati Thursday where they lost to the Bengals 24-21, and he said he stayed in town to see his grandkids and grab dinner while the Jaguars have the next 10 days off.

Another photo from that night showed Urban with another blonde woman who seemingly jokingly captioned it, "Who is this he keeps flirting with me."

Prior to the dancing video going viral, Shelley Meyer had commented on another photo of the coach out with friends, sharing that she had stayed home to babysit the couple's grandkids with the hashtag "BuddyDeservedANightOut."

She has not said anything since his apology, and Urban did not mention his wife during the presser.

Emily Ratajkowski Robin Thicke Groped My Breasts ... During 'Blurred Lines'

Published | Updated

Emily Ratajkowski claims Robin Thicke grabbed her breasts during the filming of the "Blurred Lines" music video ... an allegation she's speaking about publicly for the first time in a new book.

According to the Sunday Times -- which says it obtained an early excerpt of Ratajkowski's "My Body" -- the supermodel claims it happened on set for the 2013 vid, which featured Ratajkowski topless through most of the video.

Ratajkowski reportedly describes it like this ... "Suddenly, out of nowhere, I felt the coolness and foreignness of a stranger's hands cupping my bare breasts from behind. I instinctively moved away, looking back at Robin Thicke."

ER goes on to say that while she enjoyed most of the shoot, she claims Robin started to get out of hand, which made her think he was drunk.

When the alleged groping happened ... Emily says the video's director, Diane Martel, apparently shouted at him, asking him what the hell he was doing, if she was OK and wrapping production right then and there. Martel confirmed the account to the Times.

Ratajkowski says she felt shame wash over her and feels she didn't handle the alleged situation as well as she could have. Martel also says Robin apologized afterward, and speculated he wouldn't have done it if he was sober.

We've reached out to Thicke's reps for comment ... so far, no word back.

Lil Fizz Hey Omarion ... Sorry I Dated Your Baby Mama, Apryl

Published | Updated

Omarion is getting what many consider a long-overdue apology from his B2K bandmate Lil Fizz ... for getting with his baby mama while about to go on tour with the guy.

Fizz issued his mea culpa Friday at the Forum while he and the rest of the lineup from the Millennium Tour made their stop in L.A. ... and as he performed alongside O and other B2K members. It was a big moment -- dude stopped the whole show to say sorry in front of everyone.

Check it out ... Fizz didn't say exactly what he was apologizing for, but everyone who's been following along knew what was up. He was seeking forgiveness for dating Apryl Jones a couple years back -- who's the mother of Omarion's kids -- and doing so very publicly.

You might recall ... Fizz and Apryl hopped on an Instagram Live feed looking cozy, and word was that they were screwing around -- right as the initial Millennium Tour Omarion worked hard to get together was about to hit the road, with none other Fizz joining as well.

Waiting for your permission to load the Instagram Media.

It was awkward as hell ... and yet, Omarion told us at the time that he didn't really mind it, just so long as their relationship didn't interrupt business on the big stage.

In other words, Omarion took the high road at the time -- and now ... LF is doing the same, albeit somewhat belatedly. Better late than never ... looks like they've buried the hatchet.

O.T. Genasis Gets Smoked in Street Race!!! Blames Pulled Muscle

Published | Updated
093021_ot_genasis_kal_1
'QUIT' THE GROUND RUNNING

Put O.T. Genasis on the bench ... he got dusted by a couple of homies he challenged to a race, and the loss added insult to injury.

Ya gotta see the video of O.T. trying to haul ass down a street wearing only his socks. We'll say this ... the rapper was strong out of the gate, separating from the pack, but then let out a yelp.

Dude reached for his left hamstring and had to pull up lame, while his pals kept racing to the finish line. You can imagine the post-race trash talk!

O.T. says he would have prevailed if not for the muscle pull, which sounds like it's a recurring injury.

We're told the race went down outside Wyman Records studio in Burbank, CA ... and drinking was involved. You know how it goes with the boys, we're told there was some jawing that prompted the race to settle the debate, once and for all.

Waiting for your permission to load the Instagram Media.

O.T.'s known for spending a lot of time in the gym ... now it looks like he's going to spend a lot of time on a massage table.

One more thing -- can someone please get the man his slides?!?

Brewers Star Devin Williams Breaks Hand Punching Wall ... Out For Playoffs

Published

Devin Williams -- one of the best relief pitchers in the MLB -- punched a wall and broke his hand over the weekend ... and is now likely out for the rest of the season.

The 27-year-old explained the situation to reporters on Wednesday ... saying the injury happened shortly after the Milwaukee Brewers clinched the NL Central division Sunday night.

Williams said he went out to have a few drinks to celebrate the playoff berth ... but for some reason, became enraged on his way home and socked a wall.

Williams said he tried to pitch with the injury this week ... but just couldn't -- and was later diagnosed by team docs with a broken hand that will almost certainly require surgery.

"I'm pretty upset with myself," said Williams, who's expected to now miss all of the Brewers' playoff games. "There's no one to blame but me."

"I feel like I've let my team down, our coaching staff, our fans, everyone. I know how big of a role I play on this team and there's a lot of people counting on me. But I guess all I can do now is cheer my team on and learn from it and not make that same mistake in the future."

The blow is a significant one for Milwaukee -- Williams is a big reason the team had World Series aspirations this year. In 58 games, the right-hander posted a 2.50 ERA with a staggering 87 strikeouts.

As for if anything nefarious went down to cause the injury ... Brewers president of baseball operations David Stearns said Williams was NOT involved in any kind of altercation.

Ukrainian Hockey League Player Only Banned 3 Games For Racist Gesture

Published | Updated

The Ukrainian Hockey League player who made a wildly offensive and racist gesture toward his Black opponent during a game last weekend has gotten off easy ... only being hit with a 3-game suspension for the vile act.

The UHL announced Andrei Deniskin's punishment on Wednesday ... saying in addition to the 3-game ban, the HC Kremenchuk player could also face an additional 10-game suspension as well.

The league, though, said Deniskin could pay a fine instead of serving the extra 10 games ... making the whole thing feel like nothing more than a slap on the wrist.

Of course, many believed Deniskin's punishment should've been way more harsh ... considering he crossed every line imaginable during his game against HC Donbass on Sunday.

Cameras caught the hockey player directing a banana peeling and eating gesture with his hands toward Jalen Smereck ... after the two had gotten into an altercation on the ice.

The taunt was appalling ... and, in fact, Smereck was so offended by it, he said he would not play another game in the UHL unless Deniskin was booted from the league.

Officials attempted to explain Deniskin's punishment was not more severe due to an agreement between the country's hockey governing bodies.

"The matter was given to the @IIHFHockey of Ukraine’s Disciplinary Committee by the #UHL in accordance with a long-standing agreement between the Federation and the Ukrainian Hockey League," said Eugene Kolychev, the general manager of the UHL.

"The Ukrainian Hockey League and I stand with Jalen #Smereck and thank all of the fans and media who have offered their support to him. The @uhlua believes that there is no place for racism in the world in which we live, let along in the hockey community."

Smereck has yet to publicly comment on the ban ... but safe to say he'll be pretty pissed -- and rightfully so.

Eli Manning Flips Double Birds ... Live On 'MNF'

Published

The Manning broadcast turned PG-13 on "Monday Night Football" ... with Eli Manning giving a double middle finger salute LIVE ON AIR!!!

The hilarious moment went down on ESPN2 as the Giants legend was sharing his experiences going up against the Philadelphia Eagles ... describing their fans as absolutely ruthless.

"You go to Philly, you're getting the double bird right away from a 9-year-old kid," Eli told Peyton and 4th quarter guest Chris Long.

"I would give the bird, I don't know, can we do that?? I'm sure you can blur that out, right??"

As it turns out, E, -- no, you can't do that and no, they couldn't blur it out ... but that didn't stop him from holding up the gesture for a few solid moments.

Despite the hiccup, Eli continued his story like nothing happened ... claiming fans would say things about his mom that he wouldn't say over the air (apparently he limits himself to one FCC violation per game).

"They're saying things about my mom and Peyton, I can't even tell you what they said about my mom," Eli added.

The Manning-cast has been a huge hit through 3 weeks ... with guests like LeBron James, Russell Wilson, Gronk, and Charles Barkley joining the bros to talk football.

Travis Kelce also flirted with more mature content when he was on during Week 1 ... dropping an s-bomb.

No word on if the FCC will hand down any fines, but Eli ended up apologizing for the whole thing.

"Sorry, earlier I gave the double bird. I guess that’s frowned upon, so I apologize if I offended anybody. That’s just what a 9-year-old did to me and I thought I could do it back," Eli said.

So ... hopefully, all is forgiven??

Ukrainian Pro Hockey White Player Vilely Taunts Black Opponent With Racist Banana Gesture

Published

Disgusting scene on the ice in the Ukrainian Hockey League over the weekend ... where a white player blatantly and vilely directed a racist gesture at his Black opponent.

The disturbing incident all went down in a game between HC Kremenchuk and HC Donbass ... when Andrei Deniskin got into a mid-match tiff with Jalen Smereck.

You can see in broadcast footage of the game ... after the two were separated, Deniskin began making a banana peeling and eating motion with his hands and mouth toward Smereck.

The move was so obviously racist, Deniskin was ejected from the game ... and he was immediately ripped for the move by viewers and onlookers.

Smereck's team, HC Donbass called the act "outrageous" ... and the UHL has since launched an investigation into it all.

In fact, the general manager of the UHL, Eugene Kolychev, promised to follow the probe "closely" ... and in a statement, he added, "I declare that there is no place for #racism in Ukrainian professional hockey."

For his part, Deniskin reportedly issued an apology in a now-deleted Instagram post ... writing in the caption, "I respect all people regardless of race or nationality."

Smereck, meanwhile, has thanked his followers and fans for their support in wake of the incident on his social media page.

Tony Robbins Spews COVID Misinformation ... Gives Fuel to Anti-Vaxxers

Published

Tony Robbins can be added to the long list of folks spewing COVID-19 misinformation with misguided jokes and phony statistics, and unfortunately ... he spread his message to a bunch of salespeople.

The controversial self-help guru was a featured speaker at something called Funnel Hacking Live in Orlando, a 3-day conference held by Russell Brunson ... aimed at boosting attendees' sales success by listening to motivational stories.

Waiting for your permission to load the Facebook Video.

Of course, that's right up Tony's alley, but he used his time to mock science and the seriousness of the coronavirus pandemic, while firing up the anti-vaxxers in attendance by questioning the effectiveness of the vaccine.

Let's break it down -- first, Tony rips nighttime curfew laws in Australia by joking the virus only comes out at night. As most everyone knows, the curfew is designed to keep people from packing indoor bars and clubs and spreading COVID.

Next, Robbins pokes fun at the concern over the unvaccinated spreading the virus, when in reality ... the unvaccinated population largely accounts for the spread of the Delta variant and the lion's share of hospitalizations and deaths.

Finally -- like many others before him who have spewed false info about COVID -- Robbins equates it to other everyday risks like driving your car ... but makes up his own statistics to fit his narrative.

Tony claims 1,200 people die per day in the U.S. in car accidents, when the actual number is closer to 100 daily, while ignoring that more than 2,000 people have died from COVID every day over the past 2 weeks.

Also, the irony is not lost that Robbins was speaking to an audience in Florida, the state with the highest COVID death rate currently in the U.S.

Ohio State Football Coach Kicks Player Off Team ... Over Sideline Meltdown

Published

Ohio State has booted one of its linebackers off the team ... after the dude had a complete meltdown on the sideline during the Buckeyes' game over the weekend.

K'Vaughan Pope -- a senior who had played in over 30 contests for OSU since 2018 -- lost it during Ohio State's 59-7 win over Akron on Saturday.

Pope was reportedly so upset over his role in the defense and his playing time ... he ripped off his gloves and threw them into the stands -- and then tried to take off his jersey too.

Pope was eventually escorted to the locker room ... and just minutes after the tirade -- while the game was still going on on the field -- he tweeted (and later deleted), "f*** Ohio State."

He also added in a second tweet, "good lucc to my teammates."

On Sunday, roughly 24 hours after the incident, head coach Ryan Day announced Pope would no longer have a spot on OSU's football team over it all.

"K'Vaughan will continue to have the use of programs that benefit our student-athletes, such as our Student-Athlete Support Services Office, and we will support him with his progress toward graduation," Day said.

"He will remain on scholarship through the duration of this semester."

For his part, Pope apologized for the outburst ... writing in a tweet Sunday, "I made a mistake and know that I need to be better and do better. I’m going to take this time to reflect and work on my mental well-being."

Pope had recorded 3 tackles this season and was expected to provide veteran depth throughout the year.

Machine Gun Kelly Flipped Off and Booed ... At Louder Than Life Festival

Published
092621_mgk_kal_1
NOT HAVIN' IT
UPDATE

11:26 AM PT -- Machine Gun Kelly is pushing back on the idea that he was getting nothing but hate at Louder Than Life.

UPDATE
UPDATE

He writes, "i don’t know why the media lies in their narrative against me all the time but all i saw was 20,000 amazing fans at the festival singing every word and 20 angry ones."

UPDATE

10:15 AM PT -- Looks like there was more one-on-one interaction with the audience last night than we previously thought -- because there's video of MGK apparently trying to squabble with concertgoers.

UPDATE
UPDATE

Check out this video ... it seems to be toward the end of his set as he's being ushered off. He gets near some folks in the front row, and suddenly ... he's charging at them, with his security team pulling him back. You can also hear someone scream, "F*** him up!"

UPDATE

Yeah, the LTL crowd definitely doesn't dig him. Not at all.

Machine Gun Kelly got an earful Saturday night at the Louder Than Life Festival in Louisville, Kentucky, when the fans turned on him and began booing and flipping him off.

Check out the video ... the fans unleash on MGK. As for why ... well, maybe a couple reasons. First, a lot of metal/rock fans aren't happy he went from rapper to rocker. It's partly a purist thing, and partly shade that maybe he pivoted to rock out of necessity.

Waiting for your permission to load the Instagram Media.

The second reason -- MGK trashed Slipknot recently, saying he was happy to not be a 50-year-old wearing a mask. Corey Taylor of Slipknot was the target, and MGK wasn't done with him, claiming Corey did a verse for MGK's album, "Tickets to My Downfall" but, as MGK put it, "it was f**king terrible," so it was 86'd from the album.

Corey proceeded to own MGK with receipts in the form of email screenshots, in which it was pretty clear -- MGK loved Corey's track but it was Corey who passed.

Anyway ... a good time was had by some.

Originally Published -- 6:43 AM PT