Coronavirus

Odell Beckham says he found a silver lining in the COVID pandemic ... quarantine forced him to slow down and take care of himself.

The 27-year-old Cleveland Browns wide receiver explained how he found "peace" during the lockdown ... unable to live out his usual life of partying, traveling and doing all the other rockstar stuff he does.

"It was crazy to say this in the weirdest way, it was the first time I had ever felt at such a peaceful place," Beckham said about the COVID quarantine to Maverick Carter during an interview for Uninterrupted.

"I just felt like it was a weight lifted off -- like I'm just chillin, getting my mind, my body, my soul right."

"So quarantine, as funny as this sounds, was probably the best thing that ever happened to me."

Back in May, just 2 months into the lockdown, Beckham posted a video showing his rehab progress following a surgery to repair a sports hernia.

At the time, Beckham said he was focusing on getting his body back to 100%.

"I've been playing for 23 years, so for me, I'm trying to put it all back together in seven months."

He also made a prediction for the 2020 NFL season -- "I would honestly say this is probably going to be one of my best seasons. Bigger, stronger, faster ... this is my time."

Here's one more thing to add to your "This Can't Be Happening 2020" f***-it list -- folks are sliding into DMs for some lovin' ... but not for booty calls, more so marry-me-buys.

It's true ... with pretty much all of us being quarantined and hesitant and/or prohibited from going into shops these days, love birds are starting to flock to the digital space to find their engagement rings -- especially on IG and TikTok, which is proving to be oh so fruitful.

Take The Clear Cut, for example -- a huge company that's shifted to social media to facilitate sales, and we gotta say ... they're kinda genius, 'cause the numbers are jumping.

TCC's co-founder, Kyle Simon, tells TMZ that they've seen a whopping 330% increase in revenue over the past few months ... ever since they started posting their engagement ring selection on the 'Gram and TikTok, which we're told they get hit up about directly now.

Yes ... that means customers are literally sliding into their DMs to ask about specific items they've seen and wanna buy. From there, Simon and co. take them to the next phase.

Clear Cut has a huge product line, but we're told engagement rings specifically are flying off their digital shelves faster than they can stock 'em ... and that the most expensive ones they've agreed to sell via social media ran about $70k. On average, they're flipping $20k rocks.

Hey, nobody said getting married was cheap! Anyway, the point is ... CCJ is now doing 80% of their business on Instagram, and siphoning traffic from their TikTok account too. It's wild.

As for why this is happening -- especially the pricier splurges we're told they're experiencing -- Simon says people's budgets have changed ... no more forking out an arm and a leg for venues, honeymoons or anything else uber expensive (at least not for now) ... so more people are spending that extra dough on the ring they wanna put on someone's finger.

Win-win!!!

The Big Ten WILL play football in 2020 after all -- the schools and conference leaders have agreed on a plan to resume in mid-October, according to multiple reports.

Remember, it was just back in August the conference -- which includes teams like Ohio State, Michigan, Michigan State, Penn State, Nebraska and more -- decided to press pause on the 2020 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

But, the University leaders met again and were apparently impressed by new daily rapid testing, which would make things safer for everyone ... according to ESPN.

In fact, ESPN says the Big Ten Council of Presidents and Chancellors voted unanimously to resume the season.

Now, the plan is to green light football programs to begin practicing ASAP so they can start playing games by October 24.

Sources told ESPN the conference is looking at an 8 or 9 game season, with the conference championship going down on Dec. 19 -- one day before the college football bowl selection special.

Obviously, the hope is that a Big Ten team would be considered for the college football playoffs so they could compete for a national championship.

Several college football conferences are already playing -- including the SEC and the ACC.

The PAC-12 is still on hiatus -- but there seems to be a movement to follow the Big Ten's lead and resume in the fall as well.

LSU football coach Ed Orgeron says "most of our players" have already caught COVID-19 ... and he's REALLY hoping they don't catch it again!

"Not all of our players but most of our players have caught it," Orgeron said on Tuesday ... "I think that hopefully they won't catch it again and hopefully they're not out for games."

Orgeron says just two weeks ago, most of his offensive line was decimated by the coronavirus ... "We had everybody on the offensive line except two or three guys were out."

"We couldn’t go any team, [but] we adjusted very well."

Coach O says he believes the program has a "good handle" on the virus -- but has told his team everyone needs to stay ready in case someone else goes down.

"That's why I told the team we need everybody -- there’s no telling what's gonna happen with the COVID."

He added, "Once a kid gets it, the next man gotta go up."

75 members of the Texas Tech football team have tested positive for COVID-19 since testing began in June ... this according to the University.

On Monday, TTU announced 5 football players had tested positive for coronavirus -- which raised the previous total from 70 to 75.

According to the University, there are still 6 active cases -- but 69 players have recovered.

75 cases is a pretty staggering number considering there are 123 players listed on the Texas Tech football team.

The school notes the total number of student-athletes who have tested positive at the University is at 116 -- which means the football team responsible for nearly two-thirds of all student-athlete cases.

The football team has the week off -- the next scheduled game is Sept. 26 against Texas.

The Red Raiders kicked off the 2020 season this past Saturday -- defeating Houston Baptist in a 35 to 33 victory.

Several TT players were missing from the game -- but the school did not say if it was COVID related, according to KLBK.

COVID has been an issue on the Texas Tech campus -- more than 1,100 students have reportedly tested positive so far -- with University president Lawrence Schovanec addressing the issue in an open letter this week.

"Over the last few days, we’ve seen a notable increase in positive COVID-19 cases in our campus community, with the majority of these cases among our students who live off campus," Schovanec said.

"While we anticipated positive cases and planned for this situation, it is disappointing that we are at this point less than two weeks into the semester."

At least some Girl Scouts are doing things a bit differently during the pandemic -- little girls can still participate in person -- but their parents gotta sign a COVID-19 waiver first ... and acknowledge the virus could result in death.

TMZ has learned the Girl Scouts of Northern Illinois are requiring parents and guardians to sign a special waiver in order for girls to attend in-person events.

According to the waiver, obtained by TMZ, the doc is designed to protect the Girl Scouts organization from legal liability if any child or parent gets sick and/or dies from COVID-19 while participating in any GS activities.

Girl Scouts of Northern Illinois tells TMZ ... in-person troop meetings, gatherings and activities are NOT required for girls to participate in Girl Scouts, but the waiver is necessary for smaller groups that prefer meeting in real life.

If parents and guardians are wary of signing a waiver and sending their child off to an in-person event in the middle of a raging pandemic, Girl Scouts of Northern Illinois tells us they offer a variety of programs and ways for girls to connect and experience the Girl Scout Leadership Experience online in a contactless environment.

We reached out to Girl Scouts of America to see how many branches are using similar waivers ... so far, no word back.

Stern warning from NFL officials to its teams Monday ... the league is demanding coaches wear their masks properly -- or they could face punishment!!

Due to the coronavirus pandemic ... the NFL has ordered all essential personnel on the sidelines to wear masks AT ALL TIMES.

The problem? Cameras caught several prominent coaches Sunday -- including Rams head man Sean McVay and Raiders leader Jon Gruden -- wearing the face coverings improperly around their necks.

In a league memo from Troy Vincent, obtained by multiple media outlets, the league exec said that's straight-up just unacceptable.

"The face covering must be worn as designed so that it securely fits across the wearer's nose and mouth to prevent the transmission of the virus," Vincent said.

"Failure to adhere to this requirement will result in accountability measures being imposed against offending individuals and/or clubs."

In addition to McVay and Gruden, cameras also caught Lions head coach Matt Patricia and Saints head coach Sean Payton improperly wearing their masks.

Dallas Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy, meanwhile, did not wear one for the pregame national anthem Sunday night ... but added it during his team's game against the Rams.

President Trump knows preventing the spread of coronavirus requires social distancing, wearing masks and avoiding large gatherings -- especially indoors ... yet he still held a rally for thousands inside a manufacturing facility Sunday night.

In his latest demonstration of total disregard for medical science and the health and safety of his supporters ... Trump held his second political rally in 2 days in Nevada.

The Sunday night event in Henderson defied the state's ban on local gatherings of 50 people or more -- and based on the images, there was no attempt to enforce mask-wearing or social distancing.

Trump supporters sitting directly behind him were given masks to put on as they sat in the crowded section, but everyone else in the audience was mostly maskless ... and packed in like sardines.

Obviously, the rally is a major cause for concern as it looks to have the makings of a COVID-19 super-spreader event -- not unlike the one Trump held back in June in Tulsa.

In the weeks after that rally, Tulsa saw a surge in coronavirus cases. Multiple campaign staffers, along with Secret Service agents, also tested positive, and as you'll recall ... Herman Cain attended the rally and later died from COVID-19.

Nevada Governor Steve Sisolak is now blasting the President for ignoring his state's COVID restrictions and emergency orders for his own political gain, describing Trump's rally as "reckless and selfish actions that are putting countless lives in danger here in Nevada."

Megan Fox and Machine Gun Kelly have hit a bump in the road -- not with their relationship, but with their new movie ... which has been forced to shut down for a bit due to COVID-19.

If ya haven't heard, Megan and MGK met on the set of "Midnight in the Switchgrass" earlier this year in Puerto Rico. As you've definitely heard, they REALLY hit it off ... especially after filming stopped in March due to the pandemic.

After several months off, the cast and crew got back at it in July on the Caribbean island after the movie honchos worked to establish COVID protocols to ensure everyone's safety ... according to a rep for The Pimienta Film Co.

Despite all that, the rep tells TMZ 2 people still tested positive for COVID. We're told they were asymptomatic and immediately quarantined, but production decided to halt filming anyway.

Now, we're told director Randall Emmett is planning to resume filming in Santa Barbara in the next few weeks with more stringent precautions in place.

As for Megan and MGK ... it seems they'll still be together whenever filming resumes. As we've reported, the new couple's been practically inseparable this summer, publicly doting on each other and even pairing up in a steamy music video.

Charles Peterson -- a longtime amateur scout for the St. Louis Cardinals -- died Sunday after a weeks-long battle with COVID-19 ... the team announced.

He was only 46-years-old.

The baseball scout had been hospitalized with coronavirus on Aug. 17 ... and had been placed on a ventilator shortly after he was admitted, his family and friends said over the weekend.

They added in a statement on a GoFundMe page Sunday they were devastated over his passing.

"It is with a heavy and broken heart I share that our beloved Charles ‘Pete’ has lost his battle with COVID-19," the statement read.

Peterson was very respected in MLB circles ... and the Cardinals say he was actually responsible for scouting their 1st-round pick this season, third baseman Jordan Walker.

"Charles had an incredible impact on our scouting department,” Cardinals director of scouting Randy Flores said. "He brought a tremendous work ethic, keen eye, and booming laugh with him every day."

"My prayers are with his wife Karen and family as anyone who ever talked to CP knew how proud he was of them."

Peterson was picked by the Pittsburgh Pirates out of high school in the 1st round of the 1993 MLB draft -- just 21 selections after the Seattle Mariners drafted Alex Rodriguez.

Peterson -- who went on to play several years in the minor leagues as well as internationally -- joined the Cardinals' scouting department in 2012.

"Charles always would light up the Draft room," president of baseball operations John Mozeliak said. "His smile, his voice, his energy -- you knew it was Charles. He was a special man that made others better. He will be missed."

As MLB and other pro sports wrestle with how to handle the pandemic -- Peterson's death is a reminder about how serious the situation still is.

Funeral plans are underway for ex-Temptations lead singer Bruce Williamson Jr. ... and TMZ's learned the event will include the last surviving original member of the legendary group.

A source close to the family tells TMZ ... Bruce's family plans to hold the funeral in Las Vegas on September 26. We're told exact details are still in the works but here's what we do know -- Temptations founder Otis Williams will attend ... as will current member Ron Tyson and other former singers with the group.

Our sources say longtime friend Bubba Knight -- the brother of Gladys Knight and one of the Pips -- will also be there. The funeral will be small and have an exclusive invite-only list. It'll also largely be limited to family and close friends due to Nevada's COVID-19 restrictions.

Fans who want to watch the funeral will be able to do so because we're told it'll be live streamed. But, on September 25th, a day before the funeral, there will be a public viewing at Giddens Memorial Chapel where fans can pay their respects. The public viewing -- which will adhere to social distancing guidelines and a mask mandate -- begins at 4 PM PT.

Our source also says they're putting together a tribute concert gala in Vegas as well ... which will be announced once they nail down a date.

This is a swan after Dr. Fauci's heart ... a bird that clearly understands how to curb the spread of COVID -- or it was just a one-in-a-million crazy goof that landed with a message.

Check this out ... a woman is at some sort of animal park in France -- she has a mask around her neck but not covering her face -- and she approaches a swan.

All's well until the swan snaps at her face. Now get this ... the bird doesn't break the skin -- rather, it latches onto the mask, pulls it back and it snaps right onto her face. It became the perfect covering!!!

The woman falls backward ... probably at once feeling lucky she didn't get bit and super impressed by the bawdy bird.

The video has swept across France ... This clip is captioned, “You’ve been told: wear your mask!”

"Saturday Night Live" will soon be back for season 46 -- just in time for the craziest election season ever -- but things will be different.

Multiple production sources tell TMZ ... the "live from New York" aspect of the show will be true for the first time since March 7, but don't expect a live audience. We're told that's not going to happen, at least not for a while.

Next, our sources say 'SNL' is scouting big spaces around NYC, along with warehouses in Brooklyn and Jersey, to shoot some of the pre-taped sketches. We're told they're looking for a place that allows for proper social distancing and safety for the cast and crew that Studio 8H at Rockefeller Center can't quite provide.

Finally, our sources say Zoom may still have to be utilized for celebrity guests ... much like it was in the 3 spring shows with stars like Tom Hanks and Brad Pitt.

The iconic sketch comedy show revealed its highly anticipated return October 3. We're told a small production crew will be at 30 Rock next week to prepare.

It's unclear how the cast will manage rehearsing at the studio -- or who the cast will include for that matter -- but it should be fun to find out.

PPE has gone full bougie -- 'cause, soon, you'll be able to fight COVID-19 and look fly doing it at the same time ... for a pretty penny, of course.

Louis Vuitton is introducing a new item to their 2021 Cruise Collection ... a high-priced face shield, laced with their signature 'LV' trim along the edges of the plastic itself and headband, plus their well-known gold studs. It's supposed to hit the market starting next month.

And, get this ... it's only gonna cost folks a mere $961 (more or less)!!! To recap ... that's almost a cool grand for plastic, more plastic and a sliver of leather with some nifty print.

A reported description of Louis V's forthcoming face shield says it can also be flipped up and worn as a visor -- so dual function, if you can call it that. They also say it's "an eye-catching headpiece, both stylish and protective." The shield also turns dark in the sun or bright light.

LV isn't the first luxury fashion brand to dabble in COVID wear -- Burberry recently announced they were rolling out their own face masks as well, but theirs are more subtle than Louis' shield. According to reports, they're supposed to be going for about $115.

Off-White also has a line of face masks -- they're hawking 'em for about $100 or so. Balenciaga and Dolce & Gabbana got some too, similar price ranges.

Steve Martin feels like he loses a piece of himself when he goes out in public while having to wear a mask ... so he found a hilarious way to make sure he's ID'd while still being safe.

The legendary comedian posted a selfie Saturday morning in a surgical mask with a pair of shades ... and a nifty little homemade nameplate he plopped on his noggin that certifies folks will know who he is while shielding part of his face due to COVID.

He writes, "I always wear a mask when I go outside. But something about it was leaving me anxious and unsettled. I thought about the problem, addressed it, and here is the solution."

Of course ... there's an arrow pointing downward, just so there's no mistaking who Steve Martin is. It's comedy gold, and also reminiscent of his old arrow-through-the-head gag he used to do in his early stand-up days. The man clearly hasn't lost his sense of humor.

Funny enough, other celebs got in on the joke too ... including 'Star Trek' star George Takei and Ice-T. George says he tried this too, but because he did it word-for-word ... no dice.

Ice seemed to appreciate the social commentary too, especially for folks who feel like they can't interact with people the way they used to with a mask on ... or who feel anonymous and not like themselves. Hey, if you're bummed about that ... just do what SM did.

Rob Gronkowski is gonna like this ... Netflix's hit show "Outer Banks" is already filming season 2, and that means coronavirus precautions for the cast and crew.

Here's the scene on the 'Outer Banks' set this week, as filming gets rolling on James Island in South Carolina ... the main characters are all in masks, what with the pandemic and all.

You can still make out who everyone is behind their face covering ... Madelyn Cline, who plays Sarah Cameron, and Chase Stokes, who plays John B, are masked up in the car.

And, here's Madison Bailey (Kiara), Jonathan Daviss (Pope) and Rudy Pankow (JJ) walking through a field and keeping their social distance. This is how it's done!

As we reported ... Rob says he's all about that POGUE LIFE, as 'Outer Banks' season 1 became his obsession during the NFL offseason, binge-watching the show in 2 days with his S.I. Swim model girlfriend Camille Kostek.

The ending pissed a lot of folks off, kooks and pogues alike, but maybe people will be happier with the end of season 2.

At least they're filming!!!