Pete Rose I Was Better At Football Than Baseball ... 'Thanks To My Dad'

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PETE'S FOOTBALL PLAYIN' POPS
Talking to Titans with Rob Gough

Pete Rose has a shocking revelation ... and no, this time it's not what you think -- the all-time MLB hits leader claims he was much better at football than he was at baseball.

Rose made the comments on Rob Gough's brand new podcast, "Talking to Titans With Rob Gough" show (entire convo can be heard here) ... telling the host that his father -- who was a great football player himself -- was the reason he was a far superior football athlete than baseball star.

"Back in the '40s, '50s and '60s, that's all we had to do was sports," Rose said. "We didn't have the iPads, we didn't have the computers, we didn't have the iPhones. We didn't have none of that stuff."

"We had sports and I was a three-sport player but, to be honest with you, I was a much better football player than I was a baseball player because of my dad."

It's a pretty shocking statement ... especially considering Rose would be a shoo-in for the Hall of Fame had it not been for his gambling controversy.

Pete says growing up, he simply wasn't into school ... but that he did well enough so he could remain eligible to play.

However, looking back, Rose -- who almost attended the University of Tennessee -- said if he knew then what he knows now ... he'd have put more emphasis on his education.

"If I was growing up, I would have been a ding dong," Pete said, "Because I just didn't give a darn about school ... I just went to school and got your grades enough to stay eligible."

"But if I was playing today in high school, I'd probably try to get really good grades knowing what's ahead of ya as far as going to college. We didn't worry about going to college back in the '50s and early '60s."

Rose -- who spent 7 seasons as a manager for the Cincinnati Reds -- had a message for kids who might have the same feelings towards school as he did when he was younger.

"I tell people today, kids especially, the more education you get the better off you're gonna be."

Little Laura in 'Logan' 'Memba Her?!

European actor Dafne Keen wasn't even a teenager when she took on the life-changing role of the genetically created mutant weapon with claws, Laura -- who's made from Logan's (Wolverine) DNA and is ultimately saved by her biological dad -- in the 2017 action-adventure finale "Logan."

DK was cast alongside some X-Men icons including Patrick Stewart as long-lost leader of the mutant team, Charles Xavier ... AKA Professor X ... and of course, hunky Hugh Jackman as the run-down retired X-Men and limo driver turned father figure, Logan .... AKA Wolverine.

Guess what she looks like now at 17 years old!

Brianna Kupfer Murder LAPD Identifies Suspect

There's been a break in the investigation into the Brianna Kupfer murder case in Los Angeles ... law enforcement says they've identified a suspect.

The Los Angeles Police Department says the man is 31-year-old Shawn Laval Smith and he's now wanted in connection with Brianna's murder.

Cops released a mug shot of the suspect Tuesday and say Smith should be considered armed and dangerous. LAPD says he's been all over Southern California recently and is likely to be using public transportation.

Brianna, a grad student at UCLA, was murdered Thursday while working at a furniture store in what cops are calling a random daytime attack.

Police say Smith did not know Brianna and they do not have a motive. Cops say the suspect attacked Brianna with a knife and fled the store using the back door.

There's a combined reward of up to $250,000 for information leading to his capture.

Jamie Lynn Spears Thinks Britney is Spiraling ... Evidenced in Social Media Posts

Jamie Lynn Spears is disturbed by Britney's behavior on social media ... and she's taking it as a sign her older sister is spiraling out of control.

Sources close to Jamie Lynn tell TMZ ... Britney's Instagram post harkening back to a moment she wanted to slap her 12-year-old sister over a milkshake is "terrible" and not something Britney should be sharing on social media.

We're told Jamie Lynn is upset by the posts, and believes Britney has immense jealousy over JL's childhood.

Our sources say Jamie Lynn and her children get death and rape threats from Britney's followers whenever BS rips her sis on social, and Jamie Lynn's told Britney about this and asked her to stop ... but Britney's ignoring her pleas. Jamie Lynn says she and Britney have been texting.

We're told Britney explained to Jamie Lynn she's just having fun on social media, and didn't have any idea what her fan army was saying ... and even apologized.

But, as we reported ... a truce between the sisters went up in flames Tuesday ... and now we're told Jamie Lynn believes Britney is continuing to attack her on social media because, in JL's view, Britney finds delight in her sister and nieces being harassed.

Our sources say Jamie Lynn is saying she only wants to support her sister and hopes Britney can learn how to readjust after the conservatorship, which JL thinks went too far.

Jamie Lynn's new book, interviews and her own social media posts continue to garner angry reactions from Britney ... and we're told Jamie Lynn feels like she deserves to have a chance to tell her story, and doesn't get why Britney is criticizing her over her own experiences.

Bottom line for Jamie Lynn ... we're told she feels Britney is publicly spiraling and clearly needs support.

Britney Spears Shoulda Slapped My Mom & Sister ... In Their 'F***ing Faces!!!'

And just like that ... the truce between Britney Spears and Jamie Lynn Spears is over, 'cause Brit's now openly wishing she'd slapped some sense into her sister and their mom when she had the chance.

Jamie Lynn's new book, interviews and social media posts continue to trigger angry reactions from Britney -- and in the latest one she laments not being "strong enough to do what should have been done" to Jamie Lynn and Lynne.

In the post, speaking directly to her kid sis, Britney says she should've "slapped you and Mamma right across your f***ing faces!!!!!"

Britney's rant is basically about how, in her view, Jamie Lynn was a spoiled younger sibling riding Britney's coattails and living the good life at home while Britney worked her butt off to make tons of money for her family.

BS also accuses her mom of being high on pain meds after splitting from her dad, Jamie Spears, claiming Lynne "was more messed up than anything !!!!"

As you know ... Britney's been taking shots at Jamie Lynn over claims her little sister makes about life with Britney in the book, "Things I Should Have Said."

Over the weekend, the sisters seemed headed for a cease-fire -- as Britney said she loved Jamie Lynn, and Jamie Lynn said "call me" -- but looks like that's up in flames now.

Abby Lee Miller Sues Your Door Pinned Me in Wheelchair!!! Goes After Hampton Inn for Millions

Abby Lee Miller endured a painful nightmare when a hotel door fell over on her, crushing her for nearly a dozen minutes ... according to the lawsuit she just filed.

The "Dance Moms" maven says she was staying at the Hampton Inn & Suites in Santa Monica back in August 2020 when she wheeled herself into the bathroom of her room. Remember, Abby's been in a wheelchair since 2018 due to her lymphoma battle.

In docs obtained by TMZ, Abby says she was leaving the bathroom when her back left wheel got caught under the sliding bathroom door -- and when she attempted to free herself, the more than 300-pound door came crashing down. She says she was pinned in her wheelchair and trapped in the doorway for 6 to 12 minutes.

According to the suit, Abby screamed for help until 2 hotel staffers came to lift the door off of her. She was taken by ambulance to a nearby hospital, and Abby says she's still going through physical therapy for the injuries she suffered to her head and shoulder.

The alleged falling door would've been more than enough trauma, but in the docs, Abby says she endured other hardships during an extended stay from March to October 2020. For instance, she claims the laundry room was not accessible to wheelchairs, her hallway was often blocked by housekeeping carts ... and she was unable to open doors to the pool or gym areas, presumably due to her disability.

Abby is suing the hotel's parent corporation for negligence, emotional distress, discrimination and false imprisonment ... and she's seeking compensation of at least $8.5 million.

We've reached out to Hampton Inn & Suites, but no word back yet.

NFL's Malik McDowell Naked Arrest Caught On Video

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THE ARREST
TMZSports.com

Cleveland Browns defensive lineman Malik McDowell was completely naked while he was being arrested on Monday ... new video, obtained by TMZ Sports, shows.

In the footage, you can see the 6-foot-6, 290-pound football player did not have a single article of clothing on his body ... as officers tried to subdue him in Deerfield Beach, FL.

McDowell, who had cuffs on his wrists and shackles around his ankles in the clip, appeared to be very agitated with cops, writhing on the ground nearly every time an officer got near him.

At one point, you can see in the video, a cop appeared to kick McDowell to keep him on the ground.

Eventually, McDowell was loaded onto a stretcher and taken away from the scene.

As we reported, cops say in police documents that McDowell stripped naked and was seen walking around near a school.

Officers say when they found him and confronted him, he attacked -- with one cop alleging the football player told him "f*** you" and then "charged at me ... at full speed with closed fist."

The officer claimed McDowell struck him so hard and so many times, he suffered injuries in the altercation -- including a badly swollen eye.

Cops say they were eventually able to take down McDowell using a taser. He was ultimately booked into jail on charges of aggravated battery on an officer, resisting and exposing sex organs in public.

The Browns released a statement on the arrest on Tuesday, saying, "We are aware of the very concerning incident and arrest involving Malik McDowell and are in the process of gathering more information."

"We understand the severity of this matter and our thoughts are for the well-being of all involved. … No further comment at this time."

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BLESSED BY THE BROWNS
Cleveland Browns

McDowell started 14 games for Cleveland this season ... and said before the year began that he thought he had turned the corner following multiple run-ins with the law earlier in his life.

Sidney Poitier Death Certificate Released ... Heart Failure, Prostate Cancer Killed Actor

Beloved actor Sidney Poitier died from a combination of heart failure, Alzheimer's dementia and prostate cancer ... according to his death certificate.

According to the document, obtained by TMZ, the 94-year-old Hollywood icon died at home in Beverly Hills. The certificate lists his occupation as an actor with an astonishing 76 years of experience in the field.

As you know by now ... Poitier was the first Black man in Hollywood to take home an Oscar for best actor -- opening the door for progress as far as how Black people are portrayed on the big screen.

He had many groundbreaking roles in the '60s, including 3 legendary films all released in 1967 -- “To Sir, With Love,” “In the Heat of the Night” and “Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner."

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While his death prompted hundreds of tributes from Hollywood celebs, one of the most touching came from his daughter, Sydney Poitier, who wrote ... "My grief is because I lost my dad, but it is also because the world lost so much goodness."

Scottish singer Lulu -- who co-starred with Sidney and sang the theme song for "To Sir, With Love" -- also reflected on working with the icon.

Lulu told TMZ ... Sidney was "my friend, my teacher, my inspiration"... she says he empowered those around him and led by example.

Jim Belushi Rodents Get High on My Supply ... Weed Farming Ain't Easy!!!

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IT'S A COMPLEX ISSUE
TMZ.com

Jim Belushi's digging into life as a cannabis farmer, but he's running into a bunch of new challenges -- some caused by rodents, and some by politicians. Yes, there's a difference.

JB's reality show, "Growing Belushi," is back for a second season, and on Tuesday's "TMZ Live" he revealed one of the biggest surprises he's encountered on his 93-acre marijuana farm in Oregon are underground pets.

Farmer Jim says he's constantly battling gophers and ground squirrels, which seem to love getting high off his plants. We think he's joking but seems plausible! Then again, we're no scientists.

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DANK DUET
Discovery

Sounds like he'll be doing his best impression of Bill Murray in "Caddyshack" when the show returns Wednesday night on Discovery.

On the business end of things, we talked to Jim about the push for federal legalization and, sorry to harsh your buzz, but he doesn't see it happening anytime soon ... because of how much money's at stake.

Fact is, his farm sits in the area Jim calls the Napa Valley of marijuana -- it produces the best buds in the land -- and, right now, the states of Cali and Oregon are enjoying all the tax revenue that comes along with that.

You gotta see his explanation, but, in a nutshell, he's not so sure states are willing to share -- or let's say, puff puff pass -- all that dough with the feds.

Interesting perspective here from a guy who's now deep in the industry, and loving it.

Wedding Disaster After-Party Turns Ugly ... Violent Arrests After Cops Called

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WEDDING PARTY CHAOS
TMZ.com

A wedding party in Southern California turned into an all-out brawl with police -- a melee that started with a simple noise complaint ... and the video is wild.

Check out this footage, obtained by TMZ, which we're told shows what occurred after a wedding ceremony at a Quality Inn in Barstow, CA Sunday night, into early Monday morning.

Sources say cops were called over an apparent rowdy group of guests. We're told there was wrestling going down, as a bunch of the guests were MMA trained.

It looks like, when officers arrived, things escalated into violence, with what appears to be one of the cops punching a guy on the ground, who also gets tasered. We're told the cops came upon the group in a common grass area ... and saw 2 guys wrestling. Eyewitnesses tell us the crowd was trying to tell them it was a friendly match, but that the police didn't listen.

We're told the guy who's seen getting punched on camera was zapped 3 times while on the ground. We're told the bride, who is pregnant, was also tased/detained in the mayhem ... and that there were kids present.

Barstow PD tells us the call came in as a report of 4 males fighting in the courtyard, and that a use of force investigation has been opened ... while noting the clip is just a small part of what happened. BPD says the investigation will determine why the officer was punching.

We're told in total, 3 people were arrested for the incident.

Louie Anderson Hospitalized For Cancer Treatment

Louie Anderson is battling cancer ... and he's getting treatment at a Las Vegas hospital.

A rep for Louie tells TMZ ... the iconic comedian is being treated for Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma.

The type of cancer Louie has been diagnosed with is the most common type of non-Hodgkin lymphoma in the world ... and while it's an aggressive form of cancer, it's considered potentially curable.

The good news ... Louie's rep, Glenn Schwartz, says the comedian is resting comfortably in his hospital bed.

As you know ... Louie is famous for acting in tons of movies and TV shows, like "Coming to America" and "Baskets," and he's also got a recent standup bit about an awkward doctor's visit.

It's unclear when Louie was diagnosed.

The comedian was outspoken last year about his weight loss journey, saying he lost about 30 to 40 pounds during the pandemic and chalking it up to a new thing he was trying, intermittent fasting.

Get well soon, Louie.

JOE BIDEN & KAMALA HARRIS Wax Figures Revealed ... 1st VP at Madame Tussauds

President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris' wax figures are now on public display ... and it's a historic moment.

Madame Tussauds New York revealed the sculptures Tuesday as part of their "Oval Office" experience ... and it's the first time the famous wax museum immortalized a Veep.

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PRESIDENTIAL POSES
Madame Tussauds New York

As you can see, the resemblance here is uncanny ... MT really has this thing down. Biden and Harris are dressed in replica outfits from Inauguration day -- smiling as they stand on opposite ends of the Resolute desk.

The White House should be pretty damn satisfied with the final result here. Fact is, we've seen some of these displays go south. Just ask the Beyhive!!!

Madame Tussauds even accessorized Biden with a pair of his trademark aviator shades. 😎

Tradition calls for the famed wax museum to give this treatment to each U.S. president, but we've never seen them extend the honor to a VP ... until Harris.

Makes sense ... as she is the first woman, Black and Asian-American Vice Prez.

Serena Williams 4-Year-Old Daughter Shows Off Backhand ... Just Like Mom!!!

Serena Williams' young daughter, Alexis Olympia Ohanian Jr., is already showin' she's got tennis in her DNA ... the 4-year-old hit the court to work on her backhand.

Video of the training sesh was posted Monday ... showing Alexis in her sports gear, executing a picture-perfect backhand.

Keep in mind, she's only 4 years old!!

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"Practice makes progress," the caption read on the video posted to Alexis' Instagram (BTW, she has 631K followers) ... and fans went crazy in the comments over the resemblance to her 23-time Grand Slam winning mom, Serena.

Even her auntie, tennis star Venus Williams, was taken back by the impressive move -- saying, "It's Oracene [Price] all over again!".

FYI, Oracene is Serena and Venus's mother who coached them -- alongside their father Richard Williams -- when they were around Alexis' age.

Alexis seems to be a star in the making ... not only does she have her momma's move, she also has her fashion sense! She wore the same fit Serena had on at 2021's Australian Open.

Like mother, like daughter.

Travis Scott I Had a Crappy Time at the Rams Game!!! Sewage Spill Near Suite

Travis Scott got a stinky surprise as he made a rare public appearance at the L.A. Rams' game ... all thanks to a sewage pipe that burst within smelling distance of the rapper.

We got photos of Travis Monday night at SoFi Stadium in one of his first outings since the Astroworld tragedy. Travis hung out in one of the field-level suites but kept a low profile, mostly standing near the back of the room with a few friends.

However, it was during the second half of the game when all hell broke loose -- a sewage pipe burst -- causing the suite next to Trav to evacuate, and sending a putrid smell throughout the lower boxes.

You can see a mix of cleaning staff and equipment do their best to clean up the mess as quickly as possible, but our sources say it was almost enough to get some people to leave.

Eventually, we're told Travis left with about 2 minutes left in the first-round playoff game, but he didn't miss much -- the Rams blew out the Cardinals 34-11 -- besides the stench.

As we said, Travis has rarely been seen in public since the Nov. 5 incident which killed 10 fans. He's been hit with billions in litigation, but has maintained he was unaware of the severity of what was happening in the crowd as he performed.

Travis has since launched an initiative with music and government honchos across the country to work to make sure nothing like the tragedy at Astroworld happens again.

Jamie Lynn Spears on 'CHD' Nearly Filed for Emancipation at 16 Talks Britney Episodes Too

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WANTED MY OWN LIFE
Call Her Daddy/Spotify

Jamie Lynn Spears says she was treated much like her older sister, Britney, was during her teenage pregnancy in the mid-2000s, and it got so bad ... she almost legally broke free.

The former Nickelodeon star dishes about attempts to seek emancipation from her parents in her memoir, "Things I Should Have Said," -- and she went into more detail about that dark period on the "Call Her Daddy" podcast.

According to JL, she actually hired lawyers and drafted up paperwork in her would-be bid for freedom at just 16 -- this after she claims her parents isolated her from the outside world, not to mention her then-BF Casey Aldridge ... upon learning she'd gotten pregnant.

Jamie describes her parents being super controlling amid her pregnancy, saying they completely cut her off from all outside communication ... fearing news of the pregnancy would leak. At the time, they were also dealing with Britney's very public breakdown.

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BRITNEY BEING BRITNEY
Call Her Daddy/Spotify

Speaking of which, Jamie Lynn claims to have been mostly ignorant to what was going on with Brit ... acknowledging she was absorbed in her own drama and problems. When she finally had the kid -- against her parents' wishes, she alleges, and after the story had leaked -- Jamie says she continued being heavily monitored by her family, and realized she'd never be able to get out from under their collective thumbs ... unless she went to court.

Jamie Lynn says her mom, Lynne, was served emancipation papers, but in the end ... they struck a deal that allowed Jamie to buy her own home and be with her own new family unit.

There's more here about Britney's episodes too ... Jamie Lynn talks about how her mom would often fly out to go handle a Britney-related matter any time something came up, which she says became more and more frequent. Again, Jamie Lynn denies knowing details ... insisting her parents and the team at large kept everything on a need-to-know basis.

With that said, Jamie says she remembers exactly where she was when she learned Britney had shaved her head ... and it sounds like the whole saga hurt her little sis as well. She breaks down in tears recounting and processing everything ... and it obviously impacted her.

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BTW, the recent back and forth bickering Jamie Lynn and Britney have been engaged in also gets addressed in this sit-down ... with JL providing what she claims is text message evidence to clear her name, something 'CHD' teased hard in their promo of the interview.

The 'CHD' episode dropped in full Tuesday at midnight.

Olivia Culpo New Flight, Same Midriff ... Coming Back from Mexico

Olivia Culpo didn't want to change out of her "risqué" outfit while 30,000 feet in the air upon returning from Mexico, so she didn't ... it was simply the airline that got swapped out.

The model touched down Monday at LAX after nearly a week-long trip to Cabo with her sister and boyfriend, Christian McCaffrey, and while they were all leaving the airport ... OC was seen rocking yet another revealing outfit, much like she was when first flying out.

As you see ... it's another crop-top leading outfit, showing off her midsection. Besides the color, it's nearly identical to what she was wearing 5 days ago when she and the crew allegedly got called out by American Airlines. The main difference ... on the return she's wearing leggings instead of shorts.

Olivia and co. apparently ditched AA to come home. We're hearing they actually flew Delta for the return flight, and wouldn't you know it -- no need to cover up with them, it seems!

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GOTTA COVER UP
@auroraculpo / Instagram

You'll recall ... CMC had to give up his hoodie when Olivia was apparently asked to put on a blouse, as the airline seemed to think she was a little too hot to handle for passengers.

Meanwhile, another AA customer who was going south of the border with them pretty much had the same thing on ... but was left alone. American's loss, we suppose -- literally.