Coronavirus

Like Novak Djokovic, Kelly Slater could also find himself barred from competing in Australia this year if he's COVID unvaccinated ... a high-ranking Australian government official announced this week.

The surfing legend hasn't said publicly if he's gotten the shots or not -- but after leaving anti-vax rhetoric in a recent social media post, the speculation is that Slater is, indeed, unvaxxed.

And, according to Australian Federal Sports Minister Richard Colbeck, if that's the case -- Slater has "no chance of getting into the country" to surf in upcoming major events Down Under.

Colbeck made the comments to The Age, saying the 49-year-old can apply for an exemption like Djokovic did. But, he insisted no preferential treatment would be given to Slater just because he's a surf legend, and he could end up facing a similar fate as Djokovic if he goes down that path.

"I reckon he knows the rules. It doesn't matter whether you're a surfer, or a tennis player, a tourist or anyone else, those are the rules. They apply to everyone," Colbeck said.

"I don't like the chances of him competing in Victoria, and I'd hate to think of what the chances were of him competing in Western Australia."

The World Surf League has two big events in Australia slated for April.

Slater, meanwhile, ripped the Djokovic Australia COVID vaccine saga earlier this month on social media ... writing "Maybe Stockholm Syndrome can now change its name to Melbourne/Australia Syndrome."

"It's sad to see the celebrated division by the 'virtuous' vaccinated," Slater added. "If you're vaccinated why are you concerned/worried about anyone else's status...unless, of course, it doesn't protect you?"

Tennis star Nick Kyrgios committed a huge COVID no-no on Tuesday -- celebrating his Australian Open win by taking a swig of a fan's beer.

Check out the clip ... after Kyrgios defeated his opponent, Liam Broady, in the first round, he went over to some fans and had a beer put in his face.

The supporter holding the suds appeared to urge Nick to drink -- and after a few seconds of debating it, he caved and took a sip from the guy's cup.

Of course, the fans in attendance loved every second of it -- encouraging the tennis star to keep drinking -- but it might not have been the best optics for the major event.

Even though the 26-year-old Kyrgios was born and raised in Australia and loves his fans there -- given all the COVID drama that just went down with Novak Djokovic in the country, event organizers couldn't have been thrilled to see the scene.

You'll recall, Djokovic was just booted from the country after Australian government officials said his COVID vax status posed a threat to public safety. Maskless sipping of strangers' drinks might just fall in the same vein.

No word yet on if Kyrgios will face any type of reprimand for the actions.

Stephen A. Smith says his battle with COVID-19 included pneumonia in both his lungs as well as a 103-degree fever "every night" ... and things got so bad, he wondered if he was going to die.

The ESPN personality -- who returned to "First Take" this week after being away from the show to fight the virus the past several weeks -- spoke in-depth Monday about his bout with corona, and he revealed it was pure hell.

Smith said there were night sweats, fevers, headaches and a cough -- and he said it was all so awful, he was forced to spend New Year's Day in the hospital.

"I can't tell you how lucky and sincerely blessed I am to be sitting here with you guys today," Smith told his co-hosts, "because two-and-a-half, three weeks ago, I didn't know if I was going to make it."

Smith said doctors told him if he hadn't been vaccinated, he likely would be dead.

"That’s how bad it was," Smith said. "I had pneumonia in both lungs. My liver was bad. It ravaged me."

A famous pastor out of Oklahoma got very literal in his sermon this weekend about seeing God's hazy vision for ourselves in 2022 -- needing to hawk one to make his point.

Michael Todd, who leads the Transformation Church in Tulsa, conjured up grossed-out reactions from his congregation Sunday during his service -- which was being streamed for the folks at home. The reason ... he wiped his own spit all over the face of a parishioner, who was up there volunteering for the yuck fest.

Even crazier ... the guy just stood there and took it!!! Check out this video of the moment it happened -- it's surreal to see, because Mike really builds up to it with a lot of theater.

The whole purpose of doing this, it seems, was to emphasize his analogy about how "receiving vision from God might get nasty." We'll let him do the explaining -- 'cause, frankly, it doesn't make a whole lot of sense to us -- but he seems to be saying ... sometimes, you'll  have to go through some muck to fulfill God's will. Or ... something like that!

It's ironic ... as the audience gasps in horror at his weird stunt, MT fully leans into it ... arguing that's the exact sort of response one will get for answering God's call, no matter how counterintuitive it might feel ... like letting someone rub a bunch of loogies/saliva on your mug.

Of course, he's getting totally roasted online over this ... as is this poor guy who allowed himself to be the guinea pig. Y'know ... on account of the pandemic and all.

Just doesn't seem safe ... even if God cosigns. 🤷🏽‍♂️

Stick a fork in it -- Novak Djokovic's Australian Open vaccine drama is officially over for now ... as the tennis superstar landed back in Serbia after getting deported from Down Under.

34-year-old ND touched down in Belgrade on Monday and was met by a small group of fans ... with one sneaking in a selfie with the controversial player.

As we previously reported, the 9-time champ fought like hell to be able to defend his title in 2022 ... but his vaccine status eventually led to his one-way ticket outta Australia.

Now, as Novak was set to take the court on Monday ... he's back home and will be forced to watch from the couch.

While his AO hopes have disappeared, Djokovic now has the French Open to worry about in May. French officials recently announced a new law requiring the jab in order to attend sports events would not have exceptions ... meaning Novak could run into the same issue again.

Novak Djokovic won't participate in the Australia Open after all ... he's finally been deported.

The tennis star got the boot Sunday after a 3-judge panel rejected his appeal to stay in the country after Aussie Immigration Minister Alex Hawke revoked his visa for a second time ... now under a "health and good order" rationale. He was scheduled to start playing Monday.

Djokovic left Australia on a plane to Dubai earlier in the day ... but it's unclear where his final destination lies. Serbia's Prime Minister called the decision "scandalous" ... and ND said he was disappointed as well.

One of Djokovic's arguments for being allowed to stay -- even though he's unvaccinated, which is a requirement for anyone traveling down under right now -- was that kicking him out would only fan anti-vaxx sentiments, antithetical to what the Aussie government wants.

The court wasn't buying that though ... and ruled against him. This, of course, comes after Djokovic was cut loose earlier last week when a judge found the government acted too hastily in revoking his visa/detaining him the first time ... but the government struck again under different reasoning the 2nd time -- citing public safety/interest.

Djokovic was given a medical exemption to begin with by two different tennis bodies, because he'd caught COVID in December -- but in the end, the Australian government overrode that ... pointing that, in and of itself, wasn't a loophole that could be allowed on their watch.

Well, chalk this up to, if you don't laugh you'll cry, because 'SNL' slayed with their cold open, where "President Biden" blamed COVID and pretty much every other problem plaguing on America on ... SPIDER-MAN!!!

Pete Davidson -- who's become the star of 'SNL' -- appeared in all his glory as Joe Biden in the real universe, and it's pretty hilarious.

But before that, Biden (played by James Austin Johnson) explained there's a cure for COVID, and it's not the vaccine ... simply put, "Stop seeing 'Spider-Man!'"

Biden's getting grilled like a cheeseburger at a White House news conference, connecting the dots by saying, "Now, think about it. When did ‘Spider-Man’ come out? Dec. 17. When did every single person get Omicron? The week after Dec. 17."

And then there was this advice from the Prez  ... "See anything else.” I saw the first half-hour of ‘House of Gucci.’ That’s more than enough movie for anyone."

As for how you know if you have COVID ... "You want to know if you have Covid? Look at your hand. Is it holding a ticket that says you recently went to see ‘Spider-Man’? If so, you have Covid."

Then Pete appears, baring his tattoo-covered chest and explaining why, in the real world, Biden was not President. It's funny, but treading on dangerous territory.

COVID-19 can't stop Los Angeles from partying before Super Bowl LVI ... 'cause several event planners tell TMZ Sports the show will go on -- with precautions, of course.

As COVID-19 cases surge throughout the country, many questions have been raised about whether the traditional bashes leading up to the big game will go on as scheduled.

We've learned at least three of the biggest parties will continue as planned -- including the event put on by sports agent Leigh Steinberg -- AKA the real Jerry Maguire -- at Sony Studios.

We're told Steinberg's invite-only bash will be filled with celebs and current/former players -- featuring tons of food and drink ... as well as a cool brain lounge with insane technology, a silent auction and more.

FYI -- Sony can host up to 5,000 people, but we're told the event will only be about half capacity ... and all guests must be vaxxed or have a negative test within 48 hours of arrival.

"It is 90% outdoor," LeeAnn Adams, the VP of Special Projects for Leigh Steinberg Entertainment, tells us.

"We only have one indoor space where our brain lounge is because we have very valuable equipment in there."

"We're as COVID-safe as possible and indoors, obviously, you have to wear a mask. You're in Los Angeles and it is mandated."

Hall of Famer Terrell Davis and Babes and Ballers will be hosting their own SB bash as well ... with rapper Lil Jon and the Los Angeles Rams cheerleaders set to attend at the Academy Hall.

Davis' shindig will also follow Los Angeles' COVID-19 protocols -- in fact, they're adding extra hand sanitizer stations at the venue ... as they're expecting 1,200 guests.

"The club has some already fixed to the wall," Steve Fowler of Babes and Ballers said. "But we'll have a couple more at every entrance, bathroom, VIP room and patio."

For NAAB Radio's event, the station is anticipating 500 party-goers at the Taglyan Complex ... and will also stick to the city's guidelines.

"We plan to follow all CDC protocols and to have our guests show proof of vaccinations/test results while having a memorable Super Bowl 2022 Party," NAAB Radio co-founder Denise Darrell tells us.

Now that the safety concerns are out of the way ... it's time to party.

Novak Djokovic's participation in this year's Australian Open is in jeopardy once again ... officials have canceled his visa for a second time, and he's now facing deportation.

Australian Immigration Minister Alex Hawke made the ruling early Friday morning ... revoking the 34-year-old's visa just days after a judge had allowed the tennis star to go free in the country.

In announcing his decision, Hawke explained pulling Djokovic was in the best for "public interest" ... due to the athlete's COVID-19 vaccination status and controversial claims to a vaccine exemption.

"In making this decision, I carefully considered information provided to me by the Department of Home Affairs, the Australian Border Force and Mr. Djokovic," Hawke said.

"The Morrison Government is firmly committed to protecting Australia's borders, particularly in relation to the COVID-19 pandemic."

Djokovic has already started the process of an appeal -- and it's possible he could play in the opening round of the Australian Open on Monday while the arguments play out in court.

Australia's Prime Minister, Scott Morrison, meanwhile, backed Hawke's decision Friday ... writing in a statement, "Australians have made many sacrifices during this pandemic, and they rightly expect the result of those sacrifices to be protected."

"This is what the Minister is doing in taking this action today."

If ultimately deported, Djokovic could face a 3-year ban from the country.

Hollywood execs and celebs who were planning to attend this year's Sundance Film Festival are in for a rude awakening ... because the event was canceled just days beforehand and now they stand to lose a boatload of cash.

This year's Sundance was scheduled for Jan 20-30 as a hybrid event with both in-person and online events ... it was expected to bring out filmgoers from around the U.S., volunteers and, of course, celebs and Hollywood honchos.

Well, that was until the festival was canceled only 15 days before the curtain was raised, due to the explosion of COVID. We're told hotels and Airbnb jacked up the prices like crazy -- $3k and up for some rooms and suites -- and now we're told a lot of them are not giving refunds.

Likewise ... Sundance organizers are not offering refunds to folks who paid to attend in person. Instead, attendees can either gift their packages to someone else or turn the money spent into a tax-deductible donation to the Sundance Institute.

Back to the hotels ... one example is Auberge Resorts Collection, which was charging $3,798 per night for some of the suites ... and guess what, it's non-refundable. The hotel is telling guests to come anyway and enjoy the skiing, or just reschedule.

When COVID strikes this way, a lot depends on what's in the contract.  If there's an "Act of God" clause, although it's not clear there have been successful arguments that money should be returned.

Novak Djokovic is navigating waters that have gone from warm to boiling, because the tennis star admitted he knew he had COVID when he posed for a photo shoot and chatted with a reporter from a French magazine.

Beyond that ... Djokovic attended multiple public events and posed for photos on December 16 and 17 -- in particular the 17th, when he handed out awards at a children's event -- but he says that shouldn't be held against him, because he got a negative rapid test on the 16th.

However, he also took a PCR test that same day that turned out to be positive. The Serbian government's records show that result came back at 8:19 PM on the same day -- but Novak insists he didn't get the info until the evening of the 17th.

So, the question is ... what did he know and when???

Whatever the case, he still did the photo shoot with L'Equipe magazine in Belgrade on the 18th when he knew he was positive.

He says, aside from the actual shoot, he was socially distanced from the reporter and photographer and masked. Djokovic now says he made a mistake and should have canceled.

He also acknowledges his visa application was incorrect ... he says his agent checked the wrong box, declaring Novak had not traveled internationally, which he very clearly did.

Djokovic, the number 1 seed in the Australian Open, was allowed into the country after the tournament granted him a medical exemption ... because he had just gotten over COVID and had antibodies, that apparently qualified.

Howard Stern is unloading on Novak Djokovic over his COVID-19 vaccine drama ... calling the tennis superstar a "d****bag," "f***ing a**hole," and a "f***nut" in a fiery rant.

34-year-old Djokovic has been fighting like hell to compete in the Australian Open this month despite the country's strict COVID-19 mandates -- he initially had his visa canceled after authorities claimed he did not meet requirements for a vaccine exemption ... before that decision was overturned on Monday.

Stern -- who's gone after sports stars like Kyrie Irving and Aaron Rodgers for their vax stances in the past -- sounded off on the Joker during Monday's episode of "The Howard Stern Show" ... saying Novak should be kicked out of the sport.

"The first I heard of this guy is he doesn't want to get the vaccine, he's running around ... they should throw him right the f*** out of tennis," Stern said.

"He's a d****bag."

But, what really set Howard off is Novak's claim that getting the jab is a private decision ... saying if that's the case, he shouldn't be out in the public and putting everyone else's health at risk.

Howard's co-host, Robin, points out Novak's view on the situation -- his people have claimed since he recently had COVID-19, he doesn't have to get vaccinated, but Stern says Novak can't be trusted.

"Well that's like saying smoking is a private decision," he added. "Well, that's true, but don't smoke in my face, f***nut. What a dummy. Just a big, dumb tennis player."

Djokovic -- the reigning AO champ -- is currently preparing to compete in the tournament next week ... although it's still unclear whether he'll actually be able to take the court ... as government officials could still boot him from the country.

It's been four days since Aaron Rodgers was accused of planning a Super Bowl boycott, but he's STILL pissed over the report -- calling it "the dumbest s*** I've ever heard."

Rodgers initially blasted the Boomer Esiason report as the "dumbest f***ing story ever" last week ... but he took his criticism a step further when he was asked about it again on The Pat McAfee Show on Tuesday.

"What if we just say he's going to boycott the Super Bowl?" Rodgers said. "I mean, how f***ing stupid is that. It's about as dumb as you can possibly imagine."

If you missed it, Esiason -- a former NFL star who's now an analyst and WFAN radio show host -- said last Friday that he's heard from a trusted source that Rodgers has nefarious plans for SB week if Green Bay makes it there.

Esiason said someone close to Rodgers told him the three-time MVP was planning to threaten to hold out of the Big Game if the NFL didn't change some of its COVID rules.

Esiason said the source even told him that Rodgers had informed backup QB Jordan Love to get ready to play in his stead.

"I mean, it's the dumbest s*** I've ever heard," Rodgers said. "Come on, now. That's just ridiculous."

Rodgers said he never reached out to Esiason to see who the source was.

Novak Djokovic is making sure he's ready for next week's Australian Open despite uncertainty he'll be allowed to remain in the country -- hitting practice courts hard Down Under on Tuesday.

The tennis superstar was spotted getting in a lengthy workout at Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne ... hitting balls and sweating just six days away from the start of the big tournament.

Of course, Djokovic needs all the practice he can get ... considering he was cooped up in a hotel for nearly a week after Australian authorities tried to bar him from entering the country.

Djokovic and law enforcement feuded over his COVID-19 vaccination exemption status ... but after the 34-year-old won a key appeal on Monday, he was let into the country so he can gear up for The Open.

And, by the looks of things, Djokovic seems to be ready to defend his title. In the photos, Novak appears to be in good shape.

Djokovic is still not 100 percent certain about his status for the event ... Australian authorities are still exploring the possibility of canceling his visa a second time -- which could lead to a three-year ban from the country for the tennis player.

Bob Saget's recent bout with COVID-19 was fresh on his mind not too long before he died ... this according to the late comedian himself.

BS appeared on a podcast called "A Corporate Time with Tom & Dan" just last week and revealed he had already caught the 'rona. He wasn't specific about exactly when, but it sounded kinda recent, considering he was humorously debating whether he had omicron or delta.

Check it out ... Bob describes the virus as "not good," and cracks some jokes about which strain he might've had. He also explained what it was like performing comedy during the pandemic, saying audiences would often be dwindled down by at least half.

Eerily, he also jokingly said he might die from COVID.

Another topic brought up here is Bob's friend, Norm Macdonald, who died last year from cancer. He said there's dignity in the way NM handled his diagnosis, keeping it secret from almost everyone he knew.

Bob actually sounded ill on the phone, which the hosts noted once he left the chat. It's not clear if he was still under the weather while on the road there in Florida -- this podcast was recorded just after the New Year.

We've reached out to Saget's reps for clarification on when he had COVID, but no word back yet.

Novak Djokovic has just been set free Down Under -- a judge ruled in his favor in his visa appeal case, clearing the way for the tennis star to compete in the Australian Open next week.

Djokovic had been in a quarantine hotel in Melbourne the last few nights ... after Australian government officials canceled his visa shortly after his arrival in the country last Wednesday.

Authorities argued Djokovic did not meet the proper requirements to be formally granted an exemption to Australia's strict COVID-19 vaccination rules.

Djokovic, though, argued he did meet all the criteria ... saying he had been infected with COVID last month and therefore did not need to be vaccinated.

At a visa appeal hearing in an Australian courtroom on Monday -- a judge overturned the government's decision, pointing out that the 34-year-old had received vaccine exemption status from Tennis Australia and two medical panels prior to his arrival.

"The point I’m somewhat agitated about is what more could this man have done?" the judge said in the courtroom.

The judge's decision now paves the way for Djokovic to compete in The Open, which begins on Jan. 17.

"I'm pleased and grateful that the Judge overturned my visa cancellation," Djokovic said in a statement on Twitter following the decision. "Despite all that has happened, I want to stay and try to compete @AustralianOpen."

"I remain focused on that. I flew here to play at one of the most important events we have in front of the amazing fans."

There could still be more hurdles for Djokovic to leap ... Australian authorities have suggested they could still cancel his visa once again.

If that does happen, and Djokovic is deported, he could be faced with a 3-year ban from the country.

It remains unclear what the likelihood of a second cancellation is.