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Awesome news for Bengals fans -- star quarterback Joe Burrow says he fully intends to be ready for the start of 2021 ... less than 2 months after going down with a season-ending injury!!

Remember, #9 suffered a torn ACL, MCL and other knee damage in the 3rd quarter of Cincinnati's Nov. 22 matchup against the Washington Football Team ... officially ending his rookie campaign.

Joey B gave an update on his status in an interview with Colin Cowherd on FS1 on Thursday ... admitting he's making strides in recovery.

"Rehab has gone really well," 24-year-old Burrow said. "I'm past the worst part. I'm starting to feel like a normal human again. I can walk around, put my clothes on, do what I need to do."

But, it wasn't always smooth sailing for the Heisman winner ... he admits, "The first week and a half, 2 weeks was pretty miserable. You need help doing everything but I'm getting more independent and it's gonna be nice to get some alone time."

Of course, Burrow was putting together a solid rookie season before the injury ... racking up 2,688 yards, 13 TDs and just 5 interceptions.

While Burrow's return date is still TBD, it's clear the young signal-caller isn't expecting to miss any games in 2021.

Just one day after his supporters rioted inside the U.S. Capitol, President Donald Trump went back to business. And by business, we mean golf.

POTUS awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom to 3 professional golfers on Thursday -- retired stars Annika Sorenstam and Gary Player, as well as Babe Didrikson Zaharias, who died in 1956.

The Presidential Medal of Freedom is the nation’s highest civilian honor ... which the White House describes as an award given to those "who have made especially meritorious contributions to the security or national interests of the United States, to world peace, or to cultural or other significant public or private endeavors."

Player and Sorenstam were slated to receive the award back in March ... but the event was pushed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The ceremony is normally open to the press ... but not this time around.

Of course, that most likely has to do with the events that transpired in D.C. on Wednesday ... with hundreds of pro-Trump supporters invading the Capitol Building.

If you're questioning the decision to continue with the event -- given the country is still dealing with the aftermath of Wednesday's incident -- you're not alone.

Player's son, Marc, expressed his concerns with his dad accepting the award, tweeting, "I wish my father would simply & politely decline this 'award' at this time."

"Tone deaf. In denial. Wrong!!"

Tragic news coming out of Annapolis -- retired Navy football goat mascot, Bill 33, has died, the Academy announced Thursday. He was 14.

Bill 33 -- AKA "Blue Eyes" -- recently battled age-related health issues that would not improve ... and was euthanized in his Navy home with his caretaker by his side, USNA said in a statement.

The angora goat was donated to the Academy alongside Bill 34 in 2007 ... and repped the football team through the 2015 season before taking on a mentorship role to the younger goats.

The Navy says Bill 33 enjoyed hay and treats during retirement ... and was wise enough to stay clear of the younger, "more rambunctious" goats.

The Academy notes Bill 33 is the only goat in the school's history to have blue eyes -- hence the nickname.

"The Academy would like to publicly confirm that he was quite 'old and gnarly' and had 'never been to school,'" USNA added.

Bill 33 is survived by Bill 34 and current mascots Bill 36 and Bill 37.

Cleveland's baseball team no longer has a permanent name OR a star shortstop ... 'cause the Indians just traded away Francisco Lindor in a blockbuster deal with the Mets.

The swap was just finalized Thursday morning ... and it's a HUGE win for New York.

The Mets will reportedly get Lindor and star pitcher Carlos "Cookie" Carrasco ... all in exchange for infielder Amed Rosario, shortstop Andrés Giménez, and a pair of minor leaguers.

Not bad for the Mets at all ... considering Lindor has all the makings of a future Hall of Famer.

In just 6 years with Cleveland, Lindor made 4 All-Star teams, hit 138 home runs and stole 99 bases.

In fact, the Indians would have no doubt kept him if his contract demands weren't so sky-high.

As for Carrasco, he's been slowly regaining his ace form since his 2019 battle with leukemia -- posting a 2.91 ERA in the shortened 2020 season -- and he should slide right into a stacked Mets rotation that will feature Jacob deGrom and Noah Syndergaard.

Mets pitcher Marcus Stroman summed up all of New York's feelings on the matter nicely in tweets on Thursday, writing, "I’m turnt right now. Lol @Mets."

Stro added, "You’re a legend @StevenACohen2!"

A UT Chattanooga football assistant coach has just been fired ... after school officials say he penned an "appalling," "unacceptable," and "totally inappropriate" political post on social media this week.

Chris Malone, the Mocs' now-former offensive line coach, went to his personal Twitter account on Tuesday to fire off a vile tweet over the Georgia runoff elections results.

In the four-sentence statement, Malone took aim at Georgia politician and voting rights activist Stacey Abrams -- who many have credited for helping the democrats flip the Peach State blue.

"Congratulations to the state GA and Fat Albert @staceyabrams because you have truly shown America the true works of cheating in an election, again!!!" Malone said in the tweet.

"Enjoy the buffet Big Girl!! You earned it!!! Hope the money is good, still not governor!"

The tweet -- and Malone's entire social media account -- were eventually taken down ... but school officials still dropped the hammer on the guy, firing him Thursday morning.

"Last night, a totally inappropriate social media post by a member of our football staff was brought to my attention," UTC director of athletics Mark Wharton said. "The entire post was appalling."

"The sentiments in that post do not represent the values of our football program, our athletics department or our university. With that said, effectively immediately, that individual is no longer a part of the program."

Added UTC head coach Rusty Wright, "Our football program has a clear set of standards. Those standards include respecting others. It is a message our players hear daily. It is a standard I will not waiver on."

"What was posted on social media by a member of my staff is unacceptable and not any part of what I stand for or what Chattanooga Football stands for. Life is bigger than football and as leaders of young men, we have to set that example, first and foremost. With that said, effectively immediately, that individual is no longer a part of my staff."

Malone was in the middle of his second stint at UTC before his firing Thursday -- he had previously coached for the Mocs in 2014 and 2015.

Malone worked at Old Dominion in between the two UTC stops from 2016-2018.

LiAngelo Ball is getting another shot at his hoops career -- the middle Ball bro has signed to play in the upcoming G League season, according to reports.

The 22-year-old hooper most recently inked a non-guaranteed contract with the Detroit Pistons on Dec. 2 ... but was waived 11 days later after failing to appear in 2 preseason games.

Now, Ball will get to show off his skills when the G League picks back up next month ... in hopes of catching NBA eyes.

The G League is expected to follow the "bubble" format in Orlando that worked so well for the NBA restart in 2020 -- players will begin their season in their respective markets next week for testing before traveling to Florida for the season.

The G League will have a different feel this year ... as teams were given the opportunity to opt-out of the upcoming campaign.

Any player belonging to a team that has opted out will be put into a draft pool to be selected by a participating squad for the season ... although it's unclear if Gelo will have to be "drafted."

"They're not f*cking protesters, they're f*cking terrorists."

Draymond Green gave a passionate speech after the Warriors' game Wednesday night ... eviscerating Trump supporters for their role in the D.C. riots AND the law enforcement officials who appeared to enable it all.

"Storming into a building and busting out windows and carrying podiums and all that other stuff, that's not a protest," the 30-year-old Dubs superstar said. "That's a terrorist attack."

Green was particularly furious over the response to the entire situation ... saying authorities were quicker on the draw when Black Lives Matter protesters hit the streets this past summer.

"It just goes to show the policing system was built against Black people -- Black and brown people," Green said. "And that's the reason those reactions are different."

"That's the reason someone can walk or run or bust their way through or whatever into the Speaker of the House's office and put their feet on the desk like they're sitting at home on her couch and nothing happens."

Green implored lawmakers to create significant changes ... explaining that's the only way he believes real change will come.

Others after the Warriors-Clippers game spoke out about the riots as well ... with Clippers star Kawhi Leonard saying the whole scene demonstrated "the privilege in America."

"Cause if any of us were out there," Leonard said, "I think it would've been tear gas, mace, probably gunshots."

L.A. forward Marcus Morris, meanwhile, said if it were up to him ... he would've canceled Wednesday's Clips game altogether.

LeBron James might have some stiff competition (or a great partner!) if the WNBA's Atlanta Dream does go up for sale ... 'cause Renee Montgomery says she's dead serious about potentially buying the squad too.

"Listen, I'm interested," the WNBA star said on the "TMZ Sports" TV show on FS1 (which she co-hosts). "I think that people talking about it are actually serious. And, I'm actually serious."

Of course, the Dream is NOT for sale at the moment ... but team owner Kelly Loeffler -- who just lost her U.S. Senate run-off election in Georgia this week -- has become a villain in the league, and it's led to speculation a sale could be imminent.

In fact, it seems Loeffler's players would actually prefer that ... 'cause members of the Dream have been so outraged by Loeffler's controversial comments during the Black Lives Matter movement this summer, they openly encouraged people to vote her out of office.

And, if Loeffler does end up selling over it all, LeBron tweeted on Tuesday he was "gone put together an ownership group for the The Dream," adding, "Whose in?"

Apparently, Montgomery is ... with the 34-year-old saying Wednesday, "If everything goes OK, I would definitely be interested."

Montgomery is no stranger to owning orgs ... as we previously reported, the WNBA player -- who played for the Dream before taking a hiatus to focus on social justice issues in 2020 -- co-owns the Beasts team in the new Fan Controlled Football league.

Miami Heat and Boston Celtics players took a knee during the national anthem prior to tip-off Wednesday ... with both teams releasing a powerful message following the Jacob Blake decision and unrest in D.C.

The Celtics reportedly held a players-only meeting during warmups ... presumably to figure out how to address the current status of the country and whether the game would take place.

The result -- a joint statement from both teams explaining their decision to play.

"2021 is a new year, but some things have not changed," the players said in a statement. "We play tonight’s game with a heavy heart after yesterday’s decision in Kenosha, and knowing that protesters in our nation's capital are treated differently by political leaders depending on what side of certain issues they are on."

"The drastic difference between the way protesters this past spring and summer were treated and the encouragement given to today’s protesters who acted illegally just shows how much work we have to do."

Of course, the players are referring to the Trump supporters who broke into the Capitol just hours ago ... breaking through barriers and jumping over walls to enter the building.

Miami center Meyers Leonard was the only Heat player to stand for the anthem (as he did throughout the 2020 season restart in Orlando) ... while every Celtics player elected to take a knee.

The statement continued ... "We have decided to play tonight’s game to try and bring joy into people's lives."

"But we must not forget the injustices in our society, and we will continue to use our voices and our platform to highlight these issues and do everything we can to work for a more equal and just America."

NFL Hall of Famer Shannon Sharpe says the violent scene at the nation's capital reminds him of a 3rd world country, not America ... and believes today's events could have a permanent effect on the nation.

"Where are the police?" Sharpe said on Twitter, Wednesday.

"Do we think an all black protest group could’ve stormed the Capitol and not 1 shot fired, no tear gas. Peaceful protestors got pepper sprayed so Trump could hold a Bible upside for a photo in front of church. Yet, I’m told everyone is treated equally in Flag of United States"

Of course, a large group of pro-Trump supporters flooded the U.S. Capitol building -- breaking down multiple barriers and fences -- and making their way to the Congressional Chamber.

Sharpe -- who has been very outspoken about the president in the past -- accused Donald Trump of trying to illegally seize power using violence.

"Pres Trump and his minions are trying a coup attempt. This is sedition. President Trump and a certain numbers of Republican Senators, Representatives have been heading dwn this path for 4 yrs and here we are. I need Black Lives Matter energy from law enforcement"

Sharpe believes there is hypocrisy in the handling of the protests ... claiming if the group was Black, law enforcement would be using stronger tactics.

"Where are the police? Do we think an all black protest group could’ve stormed the Capitol and not 1 shot fired, no tear gas. Peaceful protestors got pepper sprayed so Trump could hold a Bible upside for a photo in front of church. Yet, I’m told everyone is treated equally in Flag of United States"

Shannon isn't the only superstar athlete speaking out ... NBA legends Dwyane Wade and Reggie Miller have also commented on the chaos.

NFL star Dez Bryant also shared a message about the incident.

"I'm just wondering where the tasers and tear gas like they do black people when they are peacefully protesting? Just a thought not that I promote violence and chaos but black people could never come out of that alive"

"I'm hoping real changes can happen for the future of this country 'cause it's an ugly mess right now."

As for Trump, he just released a video asking his supporters to act peacefully, and to leave the Capitol.

Story developing ...

Josh Jacobs is clearly VERY lucky to be alive today ... TMZ Sports has obtained the mug shot from just after the NFL star's car wreck this week -- and you can see he suffered a GNARLY head wound in the crash.

As we previously reported, cops say Jacobs wrecked his ride at round 4:42 AM near the Las Vegas airport on Monday.

And, in new police docs obtained by TMZ Sports, officers say Jacobs smelled like booze when they found him at the crash site.

In the docs, cops claim as Jacobs was explaining to them why he had crashed ... "a moderate odor of an unknown alcoholic beverage" was coming from the Raiders running back's mouth.

Cops say Jacobs was bleeding from a "large laceration" on his forehead as well ... and the officers added the 22-year-old told them he believed he had fallen asleep at the wheel just before the crash.

In the docs, officers say Jacobs was treated for his injuries and was transported to the hospital ... and once there, cops questioned him further about drinking and driving.

Cops say they performed a sobriety test on the NFL player while he was laying in his hospital bed ... but they say he passed that.

Still, officers in the docs claim he "did however have a strong odor of alcohol coming from his person."

Cops in the docs also say at some point during the morning Jacobs admitted to drinking before getting behind the wheel.

Cops claim they also reviewed surveillance video from the crash and believed they had enough to arrest Josh on suspicion of DUI.

For his part, Josh -- through his attorneys David Z. Chesnoff and Richard A. Schonfeld -- denied that he was drunk behind the wheel.

"We intend to enter a not guilty plea on behalf of Mr. Jacobs if he is ever charged," they said in a statement.

TMZ Sports has obtained dashcam footage of Rashard "Hollywood" Higgins' recent traffic stop ... which shows cops ordering the Cleveland Browns receiver to destroy an alleged marijuana joint on camera.

As we previously reported, Higgins and teammate Jedrick Wills were cited for drag racing in Ohio at around 9:30 AM on Tuesday.

In video of Higgins' traffic stop ... you can see a Westlake PD responding officer ask the 26-year-old about his car smelling like weed.

The player told the officers he had smoked in the car the day before ... but in video, you can see one of the cops says he found a joint in Higgins' pocket.

What happens next is crazy ... one of the cops mentions getting busted for weed could be "bad for press" -- so he ordered the player to crush the joint with his foot and kick it into the sewer.

"You guys are celebrities around here, so you don't want that hittin' the news, OK?" the officer said ... adding he'd only hit Higgins with a ticket for drag racing.

Higgins compiled throughout the stop ... and even admitted to cops he's "better than that."

As for Wills, his interaction with officers was much less eventful.

A cop scolded the 21-year-old for the alleged racing ... and Wills admitted he and Higgins were "just being d*ckheads."

Both Higgins and Wills are due in court later this month.

Ludicrous idea from Sean Payton ... the New Orleans head coach wants to test and quarantine 50,000 (!!!) Saints fans so they can safely pack the Superdome for N.O.'s playoff game this weekend.

For real.

The 57-year-old former Super Bowl champ made the revelation on a phone call with reporters Wednesday ... saying he's dead serious about making a virus-free playoff game in Louisiana on Sunday.

"I've brought up the idea of testing 50,000 people and quarantining them in a hotel and having like the most safest Superdome known to man, scientifically,” Payton said.

“Bus them, they’ve tested every day, and you’ve got a COVID-free facility. I think that's possible.”

Payton sure sounded like he's got team officials looking into the idea ... and when asked how progress is coming -- the coach made it clear he thinks it's still a legitimate possibility.

"It can be done," Payton said. "It can be done."

FYI -- the Saints are slated to play the Chicago Bears at 1:40 p.m. PT on Sunday ... and for now, only a limited number of fans (reportedly a cap of 3,000) will be allowed to attend.

So, if Payton's plan is going to work, better get the rapid tests moving ASAP!

If Jake Paul wants to run his mouth and call his older brother a "fake fighter" ... Logan has a simple solution -- "Let's box!!!"

Remember, Jake recently gave his thoughts to TMZ Sports about Logan's upcoming exhibition against Floyd Mayweather ... saying "It's bad for the sport. I think it's just for clout."

Logan is finally reacting to his lil' bro's comments ... and while he mostly takes the high road, he also makes it clear he'll put Jake in his place in the ring.

"I fully support Jake," Paul says. "Whatever drama he wants to stir or create, it really doesn’t bother me. Like, 'Oh, you’re a fake boxer.' Okay. Let’s box, because Jake is the kid that gets beat up by my sparring partners. That's that kid."

Logan admits Jake may have said the comments just to raise hell and get attention ... but either way, he's unaffected by the criticism he's received leading up to the fight against TBE -- even if it's coming from his own brother.

"I've become like rubber sheet metal, dude. In this fight, everyone’s saying a lot of things. And, for good reason. I’m fighting Floyd f**king Mayweather. So I’ve literally become immune to [everything], I’ve heard it all."

One of the biggest critics has been superstar Canelo Alvarez, who told us it was a "lack of respect" for pros to go up against YouTubers in the ring.

"I’m normally a pesto on my pasta type of guy, but today I went with Alfredo sauce."

You heard right ... the sauce is what caused Brooklyn Nets' Jarrett Allen to GO OFF on the Utah Jazz on Tuesday.

The 6'11" Allen usually comes off the bench behind DeAndre Jordan -- but the 22-year-old center got the starting nod on Tuesday and went FULL beast mode!

Final stat line -- 19 points, 18 rebounds, 3 steals and 2 blocks!

Allen even put Rudy Gobert on a poster TWICE --- with the Nets dominating the Jazz in a 130 to 96 victory.

So, what fueled his amazing performance?? Allen says it was all about the pre-game meal!

"Before the games, I’m normally a pesto on my pasta type of guy, but today, I went with alfredo sauce," Allen said post-game.

"So, I really think that was the thing that turned my game on tonight."

Ryan Ayers -- a former Notre Dame college basketball player and later an assistant coach with the team -- has been charged with voyeurism after allegedly shooting multiple naked women without their consent.

Ayers -- who graduated in 2009 -- joined the Notre Dame coaching staff following the 2015-16 season ... but was let go in September without explanation.

Now, prosecutors are going after Ayers -- essentially claiming he's a predator who illegally recorded two different women in compromising positions without their knowledge.

Officials say the images were shot over a 4-year span. Investigator claim they recovered damning evidence from Ayers phone including "various images of naked women where they seem to be unaware that a photo was being taken of them."

"These images include the women in the shower, sleeping on a bed, or in a sexual position."

One of the women told investigators Ayers had shared images of her in a group chat with "the guys," according to documents obtained by the South Bend Tribune.

The woman also told investigators that she learned images of her, taken by Ayers in his South Bend home, had been shared by Ayers in a group chat with “the guys,” documents say.

Ayers was also charged with 1 count of domestic battery stemming from an alleged July 2020 altercation with one of the alleged voyeurism victims. The woman told authorities Ayers hit her in the face during an argument in a car.

For his part, Ayers has denied the allegations in a statement issued by his lawyer.