You Might Want to Rethink

Big change in the Canadian Football League ... the Edmonton team has finally revealed its NEW NAME after ditching one that's long been considered racially insensitive.

MEET THE EDMONTON ELKS!!!

Since the team was founded in 1949, Edmonton used the name "Eskimos" -- but over the past few years, there was a public outcry from Inuit groups and leaders who said the name was racist ... and sponsors threatened to walk if the team didn't make a change.

In July, Edmonton announced they would ditch the name and search for something new ... and finally, on Tuesday, they revealed the new name and mascot ... THE ELKS!

The team revealed it had explored other options like the Evergreens, Elements, Eclipse, Evergolds, Eagles and Elkhounds ... but ultimately felt the Elk was the best choice.

Edmonton released a hype video to celebrate the rebrand ... saying, "The team you know and love -- new name, same game. Proud as ever. Bolder than ever. As fierce as they come."

The change is a big deal for one of the most legendary franchises in CFL history. Edmonton has racked up 14 Grey Cup titles since 1954 and are widely considered one of the most dominant franchises in league history.

There has been a huge movement to remove offensive mascots throughout sports -- with the NFL's Washington Football Team and MLB's Cleveland team making big changes in recent years.

Russell Westbrook's moment with a fan on Monday went WAY better than last week's popcorn incident ... 'cause the NBA superstar gifted the sneakers right off his feet to a kid after a huge Game 4 win.

The dope gesture was caught on video ... when the Washington Wizards guard took off his "Why Not? 0.4" sneaks and hand-delivered them to the young fan in a #4 Westbrook jersey before heading into the locker room at Capital One Arena.

It's easy to see why Westbrook would be in the giving mood -- he prevented the Wizards from getting swept by the Philadelphia 76ers with the 122-114 win ... earning a triple-double with 19 points, 21 rebounds and 14 assists in the process.

It's a completely different interaction than what went down during Game 2 in Philly on Wednesday -- when a fan threw popcorn on Westbrook as he headed to the locker room to tend to an ankle injury.

Westbrook was LIVID when it happened ... and even tried to confront the fan in the stands but was held back by Wizards staffers.

The 32-year-old guard said after that game that "this s*** is getting out of hand" when it comes to fans disrespecting players -- and the 76ers banned the fan "from all events".

But, despite all the issues Brodie faced over the past week, the guy was kind enough to make the young fan's day on Monday with the incredible gesture.

On today's episode of "NBA Fans Gone Wild" -- some idiot rushed the court during the Wizards vs. Sixers game on Monday ... and not only did he get wrecked by security, the guy is now BANNED from the arena.

So ... was it worth it, dude?!?

It all went down late in the third quarter of Game 4 of the first-round playoff series ... when the fan sprinted from the stands and onto the court -- flailing his arms and tapping the backboard before getting leveled by Capital One Arena security with a Ray Lewis-type hit.

Naturally, the players and coaches were pissed -- Sixers center Dwight Howard even walked over to the detained fan and stared down as he squirmed on the court.

The Wizards released a statement on the incident ... saying, "During this evening's game, a fan was apprehended by Capital One Arena Special Police after attempting to breach the court."

"He will be banned from the arena and charges are being pursued with DC MPD."

The NBA has had a serious issue with disrespectful fans over the past week -- from a spectator spitting on Trae Young to Kyrie Irving getting a bottle thrown at him to Russell Westbrook getting doused in popcorn ... and, unfortunately, several more incidents.

The fan from the Wizards/Sixers game has not been identified ... but we'll keep you posted.

Scary moment today in Dallas, as folks visiting a mall on Memorial Day were swiftly evacuated after cops say witnesses reported hearing several gunshots ... that turned out to be someone banging a skateboard.

Videos of the mayhem show shoppers running out of the NorthPark Center or taking cover inside around 1:30 PM local time ... as alarm sirens blare all over the facility.

The frenzy resulted in several 911 calls ... so many that the line was busy.

Thankfully, Dallas police say there was never an active shooter at the mall, but rather a "mentally disturbed" person who was banging a skateboard ... which sounded like gunshots. Cops say the individual also made hand gestures as if he was shooting a gun, presumably setting off the panic and chaos.

Initially, cops were calling it a "shooting incident" and said they had someone in custody ... but later clarified there were no shots and no injuries.

Of course, the hysteria is understandable in America ... where deadly mass shootings continue to occur at an alarming rate in 2021.

A body was dumped over a bridge into the water below in northern India -- an unthinkable act that 2 people have been arrested for ... but also, a testament to the siege the country is under during a second wave of COVID-19.

This wild video surfaced over the weekend, which purportedly shows two guys chucking a cadaver into the Rapti River somewhere in Balrampur ... which sits in the state of Uttar Pradesh. Local reports say police have identified the men and arrested them.

In the clip, you see the two people here struggling with what appears to be someone in a body bag ... hoisting them up onto the ledge, and then opening whatever enclosure they're in to unleash what's inside. One of the guys doing the deed is covered in full PPE.

According to India Today, a chief medical officer ID'd the body ... reportedly saying they'd been admitted to a hospital on May 25 after testing positive for COVID, only to die a few days later. The hospital released the body to the man's family for cremation, whom officials now claim are the ones behind him being disposed of in morbid fashion.

Bodies along river banks are sadly becoming a regular thing throughout India lately -- as they continue to battle rising COVID cases and deaths during a crippling second wave that has devastated citizens there. Mass burial sites have been formed in and around the Ganga River of late, with scores of dead people being lined up ... and in some cases, burned at a pyre.

Somebody posted a promise to kill in the City of Lakewood -- which has put the community, as well as local officials, on high alert ... although it appears to be a freaky hoax.

A user that goes by u/gastonmcwhinnie posted a lengthy message on the Lakewood Reddit thread over the weekend, which stood out as a red flag and caught the attentions of concerned citizens, and at least one City Council member ... not to mention law enforcement.

The message is slugged ... "MASS SHOOTING TODAY IN LAKEWOOD" going on to describe how this individual plans to go out on Sunday and gun down "minorities" at different parts of town with an AR-15 and a Glock 18 they claim to have. The user also posted a photo of a handgun to accompany the troubling open letter, plus a clip of ammo.

It's absolutely terrifying, as the note reads, in part ... "There is only one thing that I'm certain of; I f****** hate minorities." They go on to explain that they don't know where the hatred stems from, but that it's there nonetheless and they want to finally do something about it.

The person adds, "I don't see much of a future for myself, and I have an ongoing case, so I think I'm just going to end with a bang." They go on to explain that they'll be aiming for at least 10 "minorities" ... while sickeningly saying, "the more the better." They also say they'll be targeting Council members, and ends by saying there'll be a lengthier manifesto on his computer. The message ends on an even more ominous tone, with "See you in hell."

This started spreading like wildfire, with many warning residents of Lakewood and surrounding areas to be on the lookout. Lakewood Council Member Todd Rogers responded, writing ... "We are aware of the threat against Lakewood and city officials posted on social media. Law enforcement does not believe they are credible but an investigation is underway."

There doesn't appear to be any developments from this so far, so hopefully what Rogers insists here is true. Still, even if this is a prank -- it's absolutely diabolical, to say the least.

Tessica Brown -- aka, 'Gorilla Glue Girl' -- is having another moment on the internet -- only this time, she isn't the one who kicked it off ... which is a huge problem for her and lawyers.

TB, through her attorney Jeffrey R. Klein, has fired off cease and desist letters to several different people/entities over a now-viral song called "Bad Idea" ... which rips her voice from her infamous Gorilla Glue video and remixes it into a song, using her own voice/lines.

The "remix" was taken off social media -- including on TikTok, IG Reels and even on streaming platforms like Apple Music and Spotify ... which all seems to have been started by someone named Cocoa Brown, whom posted the track -- helping it spread like wildfire.

Welp, Tessica and co. aren't too amused by the stunt -- even if everyone seems to love it -- because, frankly, she had no part in making the track ... nor is she getting any dough from it.

That's why she sent Cocoa -- and every other platform that's using the song -- to STOP immediately, and to take down the content ... as Tessica claims it's good old-fashioned copyright infringement -- both by using her image and likeness, as well as her vocals.

The letter to Cocoa, obtained by TMZ, is worded firmly. It reads, in part, "To the extent it becomes necessary, Tessica intends to seek the recovery of all penalties, statutory damages and punitive damages for such knowing infringement as applicable." So, yeah ... she ain't playing.

Now, we will say this ... the tune IS catchy, which is exactly why folks like Aniya Wayans -- Damon Wayans Jr.'s daughter -- and even Cardi B's daughter, Kulture, have posted it or recited it online ... not to mention countless other accounts who've made their own "Bad Idea" videos.

Metro Marrs vows to pull off the same stunt next year and make it rain at his brother's HS graduation ... but the forecast will call for twice as much rain.

The budding rapper tells TMZ ... he plans to throw $20k in the air next year when he hits up his bro's ceremony at Langston Hughes High in nearby Atlanta. But, now that the cat's out of the bag, how does he plan on pulling off the stunt if he's giving school officials a heads up?

Don't fret ... Marrs says the school's cool with him and, even though he was detained by police for the stunt, he says it's totally worth it because in his eyes he's giving back.

And, to show the school's got no hard feelings ... Marrs tells us he actually visited his principal's office the day after graduation, and they pretty much dapped it up.

As we reported ... the "Bye Felicia" rapper was busted for throwing $10k after crossing stage at his own HS graduation. The crowd went nuts ... but the stunt ultimately led to him being detained for inciting a riot and disorderly conduct. He also got ticketed. 😑

You can't judge a book by its cover ... is exactly what you might say when James Caan reveals himself to be a hip-hop head -- who's got a take on the G.O.A.T.s of the last decade.

Indeed ... Sonny Corleone himself waded into the now-viral music debate over who deserves the fourth spot on the Mount Rushmore of rap from the 2010s ... with RapCaviar already deeming Drake, Kendrick Lamar and J. Cole as worthy for the first three slots.

A few different celebs have chimed in -- including one LeBron James -- but James got in on the discussion too this week ... nominating none other than Future as a possible fourth.

People couldn't believe James was privy to such knowledge -- and someone even accused his account of being run by someone else other than James ... but he shot that notion down with a swiftness, while also making sure to stick to his signature "End of tweet" postscript.

The guy wrote, "Party's over some social media dork is def running this account now :(" -- and JC responded, "Nobody speaks for me. End of tweet." Well then ... that settles that!

A bit of context on Caan's history with hip-hop -- he's got a son, Scott, who used to be in an actual rap group with famed producer The Alchemist way back in the day, which was called The Whooliganz. So yeah, Scott was a rapper ... which means James might know a thing or two.

James himself also dropped some insight into how/why he might be so in-the-know on this -- writing, "Guy acts like I don't have kids who play that stuff around here. End of tweet."

Cruella de Vil is painted as being traumatized by Dalmatians in Disney's latest offering ... supposedly, because these "mongrels" killed her ma, which is getting a lot of head scratches.

The villain from "101 Dalmatians" gets her own backstory in the new "Cruella" flick, which is headed up by Emma Stone ... and word on the street is that part of why Cruella has it out for this breed is that they were sicced on her mom ... in a release-the-hounds fashion.

Different clips and stills have surfaced showing the flashback scene, which shows kid Cruella having to watch the woman who raised her, Catherine, get pushed over a balcony ledge by three seemingly rabid Dalmatians, who go after her on Baroness von Hellman's command.

She plummets to her death ... and the implication is that Cruella's left scarred for life -- and partially explains her obsession with the pooches going forward. In case you forgot, the OG Cruella was notorious for literally skinning Dalmatians and using them as furs.

Disney apparently doesn't quite go that far in the movie -- although different reviews say they allude to Stone's Cruella having that idea on her mind. We should also note that the character has a voice-over moment where she explicitly says she doesn't blame Dalmatians, but a lot of folks just aren't buying that ... and are calling Disney's origin rationale lame.

What the studio heads/writers did here (according to PO'd viewers) is make Dalmatians the fall dog -- when, in reality, they're actually super friendly pooches ... and don't have a rep for attacking like the movie portrays. Folks say it's a cop-out explainer that's lazy and inaccurate.

A Nashville hat shop reeks of anti-Semitism after making light of Star of David patches Jewish people were forced to wear during WWII ... by giving it an anti-vaxx twist.

The place is called hatWRKS ... and they posted a since-deleted Instagram photo featuring a woman proudly rocking a yellow patch -- made in the same style as what Nazis used to brand Jews with in the midst of the Holocaust -- with lettering reading, "Not Vaccinated."

There's a cold-blooded caption attached too, which says ... "patches are here!!! they turned out great. $5ea. strong adhesive back .... we'll be offering trucker caps soon."

Of course, the post caused an uproar online and elsewhere -- and rightly so. People note that comparing what happened to Jewish people to what anti-vaxxers perceive is happening to them right now is absolutely ludicrous, asinine ... and downright wrong. They're not the same -- not even close, and trivializing that history with a patch like this is beyond offensive.

So, what do the owners of this mom-and-pop shop have to say for themselves??? Apparently nothing so far -- it doesn't seem they've responded to the mounting criticism, other than removing the grotesque photo.

Bill Maher has a message for all the celebs who are running for office or thinking about it ... "You're not good enough, you're not smart enough, and doggone it, it completely doesn't matter that people like you."

Maher's back after a mild COVID bout, with a blistering and, dare we say, dead-on attack. He's incredulous the likes of Caitlyn Jenner, The Rock and Matthew McConaughey, among others, are either running or seriously considering it.

As for The Rock entertaining a run for President in 2024 ... Maher says the fact that he thinks he can tackle the hardest job in the world is proof he has poor judgment.

As for Caitlyn ... Bill calls her a "background character in a reality show not about her."

And, poor Randy Quaid thinking of running for Governor of California ... Bill calls him a "guy rooting through your recycling bin."

And, Matt thinking of becoming the Guv of Texas ... Bills says "not alright, alright, alright."

Mr. Maher seems in disbelief Americans are still all in with celeb candidates after 4 years of Trump.

Cardi B claims she had ZERO involvement in the NYC beatdown of an autograph seeker ... and that's why she wants the guy's lawsuit against her tossed out of court.

According to new docs, obtained by TMZ, Cardi says autograph seeker Giovanni Arnold instigated the alleged attack in May 2018 following a Met Gala after-party. She claims Arnold can be heard on video verbally attacking her and Offset after unsuccessfully and aggressively trying to get her autograph.

The most incriminating part of the video, according to Cardi, is when Arnold shouts, "Please beat me up. I'll take all of your money."

In his lawsuit, Arnold alleged Cardi's 3 security guards dished the can of whoop-ass, but the rapper's calling BS. In docs, Cardi claims the unknown assailants did not work for her, nor did she give them directions or instructions to beat up anyone.

As for Arnold's allegation, he feared Cardi was going to slap him -- well, she's kinda laughing that off, saying she was 7 months pregnant at the time ... so it's highly unlikely anyone would legitimately fear her carrying out a physical attack.

Bottom line ... Cardi claims Arnold is a professional autograph hound who triggered the beatdown in order to get money from celebs -- but since she wasn't involved in the attack, she shouldn't be sued.

Susan Sarandon wants Americans to know they have a right to see what medical services will cost before you're treated -- it's the law now -- but she's ripping hospitals for keeping that hush hush.

The Oscar winner joined us Thursday on "TMZ Live" to shine a light on something most of us have no clue about -- the law that passed back in January requiring hospitals to give patients access to a full rundown of prices for procedures or treatments.

Susan told us hospitals aren't exactly going out of their way to volunteer that information -- and she says that prevents patients from being able to shop around for the best prices.

The problem's bad enough that the feds are warning dozens of hospitals to get with the program or else. Susan started banging this drum during the Oscars.

As we first told you ... Susan and Cynthia Erivo went after hospitals charging hidden fees in a PSA they debuted during the Academy Awards, letting patients know about their right to demand hospitals disclose pricing.

Susan tells us why hospital pricing transparency could actually make the market more competitive -- creating lower prices for patients -- and she's ripping corporate America for brainwashing generations.

Russell Westbrook was LIVID after a fan dumped popcorn on his head Wednesday -- calling the person's actions straight-up "bulls***" -- and even LeBron James is pissed over it all now too.

Westbrook was on his way to the locker room after injuring his ankle during the Wizards' playoff loss to the 76ers in Philly ... when a fan poured their bucket all over the NBA star.

You can see in footage of the incident ... Westbrook could not have been more heated as the kernels bounced off his head -- with the D.C. point guard trying HARD to get to the stands to confront the fan.

Russ, though, was eventually calmed down and ushered into the locker room ... but after the game, he said the fan absolutely crossed the line.

"To be blatantly honest, man, this s**t is getting out of hand, especially for me," Westbrook told reporters. "The amount of disrespect, the amount of fans just doing whatever the f**k they want to do, it's just out of pocket, man. It's out of pocket, seriously."

Russ went on to say if the incident had happened in "any other setting," he insinuated he would've fought the person.

"A guy wouldn't come up on the street and pour popcorn on my head because he knows what would happen," Russ said.

Westbrook then pled with the NBA to "start protecting the players" ... adding, "We'll see what the NBA does."

LeBron James rushed in to defend his pal on Twitter shortly after ... saying he wanted the fan ID'ed and punished ASAP.

"WE AS THE PLAYERS wanna see who threw that popcorn on Russ while he was leaving the game tonight with a injury!!" LeBron wrote. "There’s cameras all over arenas so there’s no excuse! Cause if the [shoe] was on the other [foot]. #ProtectOurPlayers"

So far, no punishment from the NBA has been announced yet ... though high-ranking Wells Fargo Center exec Valerie Camillo did call the incident "classless" and "unacceptable" after the game.

It's unclear, meanwhile, if Russ' ankle injury will keep him out of Game 3 ... the series is set to return to Washington on Saturday with the Sixers up 2-0.

Meghan McCain and Joy Behar's latest on-air blowup is prompting the new "sheriff" at ABC to step in and demand all of the 'View' co-hosts cool it with their personal attacks.

Production sources tell TMZ ... following Monday's heated exchange between Meghan and Joy over anti-Semitism, ABC News President Kim Godwin called a last-minute meeting with 'View' talent and producers, trying to improve the culture behind the scenes at the show.

We're told ABC was getting flooded with pleas to fire Meghan over her latest tantrum and attacks on Joy, and that's what sparked the virtual meeting.

Our sources say Godwin -- who just took the helm at ABC earlier this month -- told everyone things are getting too personal on TV lately, not with the issues they're debating ... but with the attacks between co-hosts.

Godwin told everyone it's coming off as toxic to the audience, and it's not the direction she wants for the show.

Remember, their competition over at "The Talk" just had to blow up their show, firing Sharon Osbourne after her very personal on-air battle with Sheryl Underwood -- however, we're told Godwin didn't mention CBS specifically.

It sounds like her message was not well received by MM, though -- we're told she stormed out of the meeting before it ended because she felt like she was being "attacked."