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Former Angels staffer Eric Kay has just been found guilty of distributing the drugs that led to the death of ex-MLB pitcher Tyler Skaggs.

The jury just announced the verdict ... finding Kay guilty of one charge of conspiracy to possess fentanyl with the intent to distribute and one charge of distribution of a controlled substance resulting in death.

Kay is now facing life behind bars. Sentencing has been set for June 28.

According to The Athletic's Sam Blum, who was in the courtroom for the Kay trial this week, Skaggs' mother and wife broke down in tears and hugged following the verdict.

As we previously reported, Kay -- who had worked as the communications director for the Angels for several years -- had been accused of supplying Skaggs with the drugs that ultimately led to his overdose death before an Angels game in Texas in June 2019.

Skaggs was just 27 years old.

Story developing ...

A woman fell from the stage at the L.A. Rams' Super Bowl parade on Wednesday ... and the spill was so nasty, she says she suffered a fractured spine and broke her cameras in the fall.

The incident happened toward the end of the celebration in Los Angeles ... when Kelly Smiley tripped while appearing to take a photo of Matthew Stafford and his wife, Kelly Stafford.

In video, obtained by TMZ Sports, you can see Smiley accidentally walked backward off the front of the stage while snapping pics ... and tumbled to the ground some 10 feet below.

Matthew Stafford was seen walking away from it all in the footage ... while Kelly Stafford was spotted walking toward the woman to get help.

Eventually, Smiley was taken to a nearby hospital, where she said testing revealed she suffered a broken back in the tumble.

In a GoFundMe set up to help Smiley pay her medical bills, her friends said she also "severely damaged" her professional photography gear. The GoFundMe has an initial goal of raising $30,000.

Fortunately, Smiley posted on her social media pages that she was "feeling ok" ... but she added that she was staying at the medical facility overnight for further evaluation.

Nick Saban brought up former Alabama star Henry Ruggs in an emotional speech last month ... saying if Ruggs' friends were better leaders, they could have prevented his tragic accident.

Saban led a discussion at the Alabama Football Coaches Association convention ... and at one point, explained how players care "more than ever before" about what others think of them -- and how it's affecting their opportunities to be a role model.

The Crimson Tide coach used two examples to get his point across -- one being Ruggs' serious fatal DUI crash in November, in which 23-year-old Tina Tintor died.

"Well, if there was a player in Las Vegas who was drinking at 3 o'clock in the morning with his buddies and his girlfriend and somebody would have taken his keys away," Saban said, "[it] probably would have pissed him off, probably would have made him mad. [He] probably wouldn't have thought very much of you for doing that."

"But would he be better off now, or is he better off where he was going 156 MPH and running into the ass-end of somebody and killing 'em?"

Saban explains Ruggs had zero issues in Tuscaloosa and is a "good kid" ... but now, his career is in jeopardy and he faces a mountain of legal issues.

While he's not saying Ruggs wasn't responsible for his own decisions, it's clear Saban believes someone close to him could have helped during a moment of weakness.

"So what kinda friend were you?" Saban asked. "What kinda leader were you when you allowed the guy to do it? But nobody wants to do it because they're afraid of what somebody's gonna think of you."

Saban's quotes are getting mixed reviews on social media -- with some saying it's Ruggs' fault and his alone, and others claiming the coach is spreading invaluable knowledge.

Eric Dickerson says one of the first steps the NFL needs to take following Brian Flores' lawsuit is to hire a new, Black commissioner.

The Rams legend did an interview with OSDB on Wednesday ... and told them he truly believes change in leadership could lead to more Black coaches in the league.

"We’re being told basically that we’re good enough to play the game, but that we don’t have the brainpower to coach the game," Dickerson said. "The only way this is going to change is at the top of the power structure."

In his lawsuit ... Flores alleged teams were racist in their hiring practices -- claiming owners were only interviewing him and other Black candidates to satisfy league rules before going on to hire white coaches.

Dickerson made it clear he believes the lack of Black head coaches in the league is a problem ... and he said in addition to changing out commissioners, adding Black owners could help things.

"A shift in power is the only thing that will change the way it is," E.D. said. "You’re not going to make everyone happy, and I understand that. That’s not how life works, but we need to make real progress."

The former running back pointed toward the NBA as an org. the NFL should model itself after -- saying he believes its structure at the top has led to more diversity in its coaching ranks.

Bengals cornerback Eli Apple is clapping back at all of his haters following his brutal Super Bowl ... vowing to "unleash that demon" and exact revenge next season.

Apple was roasted on social media both during and after Super Bowl LVI ... after he was burnt to a crisp by Cooper Kupp repeatedly in the loss.

In fact, even his NFL peers -- like Chiefs wide receivers Tyreek Hill and Mecole Hardman -- trolled him, especially after he allowed Kupp to score the game-winning touchdown.

But, Apple said on his social media page on Wednesday that the hate is only fueling him ... writing, "Yall ReAwoke A Fire In Me That Will Only Make Me Stronger."

"And Im Beyond Excited To Unleash That Demon Again to Exponential Levels On Any Opp That Lines Up Across From Me Next Season 🖤🐅."

Apple hasn't been shy about talking smack this season -- he's given as much as he's taken. His mom, Annie Apple, has done some chirping of her own on her son's behalf, too.

In another strange twist ... controversial Russian skating star Kamila Valieva fell to the ice multiple times and failed to medal in the women's free skate event.

15-year-old Valieva -- the best skater in the world -- was heavily favored to win leading up to the competition, but ended up finishing fourth after suffering one of the worst performances of her young career.

Kamila has been at the center of a firestorm of controversy ... after it was revealed last week that she failed a drug test in December. Valieva was popped for a performance-enhancing drug named trimetazidine. The drug helps blood flow and endurance.

Valieva was ultimately suspended for the positive test by Russian drug officials ... who then quickly reversed course, un-suspending her just a day later.

Other Olympic entities appealed the lifting of the suspension ... so the decision went to an organization called the Court of Arbitration (CAS), who ruled Valieva should be allowed to compete, despite seemingly being caught cheating.

One of their reasons? It'd cause "irreparable harm" to the 15-year-old skater.

Although Kamila didn't medal in Wednesday's event ... she did win a gold medal last week. It's still unclear if she will get to keep her medal.

Sean McVay isn't walking away from the NFL just yet -- the L.A. Rams coach's fiancée says he's NOT retiring after winning the Super Bowl.

The rumors have been swirling regarding the 36-year-old football genius' next move after beating the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday ... with McVay being super non-committal about returning to the sidelines for the 2022 season.

McVay -- who became the Rams' head coach in 2017 -- expressed his interest in starting a family ... and winning a Super Bowl would make it easier to hang up the headset.

But, Veronika Khomyn is here to squash all doubt about a return ... going to Instagram to let everyone know her man WILL be back to defend his title.

"Finally get my man back," Veronika said on Wednesday. "And no. He is NOT retiring!!!"

It may seem like a no-brainer -- after all, Von Miller and Aaron Donald told TMZ Sports yesterday they're ready to run it back as long as the whole squad is back together.

The Rams won't have to rebuild, so they're instantly one of the favorites to win it all.

But, a broadcasting job also sounds like a sweet gig -- a lot less work and a much bigger paycheck -- so retirement was a legit option if McVay was satisfied with his career.

Patrick Mahomes slammed Internet trolls as "weird" on Wednesday ... after they, once again, criticized his fiancée following an interaction the two had at a college basketball game.

Mahomes and Brittany Matthews were courtside at the Texas Tech men's hoops contest against Baylor in Lubbock, when cameras captured the NFL star leaning over to tell his fiancee something in her ear.

Unclear what Patrick said ... but Brittany was animated following his words, making facial expressions toward others who were sitting courtside.

It didn't take long for the clip to go viral ... with users all over social media for some reason panning Matthews for the interaction.

But, once word of the criticism got back to Patrick, he fired off a tweet defending Brittany ... writing, "Man people are weird."

"love you babe @brittanylynne8 ❤️," he added.

Of course, this is far from the first time Brittany has been trolled on the Internet ... in fact, just a couple weeks ago, she partnered with a t-shirt company to create tees to help end bullying after she received hate for showering fans in champagne following a Chiefs playoff win.

Matthews expressed at the time that she was sick of being ridiculed for her every move, saying, "I just wish I could do what I want without getting attacked every week."

Brittany's t-shirts were a hot commodity, thousands were sold in just a few days, and some of the proceeds -- plus a matched donation from Brittany -- helped anti-bullying efforts in Kansas City.

Rams fans are going to love this ...

Von Miller tells TMZ Sports both he AND Aaron Donald will return to Los Angeles next season ... promising that they're going to "run that s**t back!"

Von made the proclamation while leaving the team's Super Bowl parade on Wednesday afternoon ... saying he and Donald are going to be like Shaq and Kobe -- and another unique duo -- in L.A. next season.

"Like Elvis Presley and Michael Jackson!" Miller joked with us.

Of course, prior to Wednesday's celebration, neither guy had committed to playing for the Rams next season.

Von is a free agent and has no deal in place to come back for 2022. Donald, meanwhile, is reportedly mulling retirement.

When we asked Donald about his future shortly after we spoke with Von ... he said he's down to come back -- as long as superstars like Miller and Odell Beckham Jr. (who's also a free agent) return too.

As for the after-party ... Von said he and some of the guys have plans to hit up Vegas and golf all weekend.

L.A. Rams receiver Van Jefferson says he's still brainstorming with his wife over what they'll name their Super Bowl baby ... telling TMZ Sports it could either be Wynn or Miles!!!

Remember, Van's beautiful wife, Samaria, was stretchered out of SoFi Stadium DURING Super Bowl LVI ... and gave birth to their baby boy shortly after.

Fresh off the win over the Bengals, Jefferson was able to dash to the medical facility to get introduced to his new son.

Given the incredibly unique circumstances, VJ and Samaria had victory on their minds when considering names ... but there's one other that might come out on top.

We asked Jefferson's teammate, Robert Woods, if he had any suggestions -- but he was tight-lipped. BTW -- shoutout to RW's new daughter, Shi, who made her TMZ debut at the Rams' Super Bowl parade and rally on Wednesday!!

Ricky Williams is expanding his marijuana empire ... just months after launching his own cannabis brand, the All-Pro's collabing with another big-time pot company -- and all the proceeds go towards mental health.

TMZ Sports recently talked to the 44-year-old Heisman winner about his company, Highsman (great name), who linked up with Jeeter to produce a new Indica strain of marijuana called "Sticky Ricky" ... as well as apparel to go with it.

FYI, Williams says he earned the nickname Sticky Ricky once his teammates discovered he loved to smoke.

"100 percent of the proceeds from this collaboration are going for 'Athletes For Care' to support mental health initiates, and I think that's extremely important," Williams told us.

A4C is a non-profit organization founded by former athletes dedicated to assisting fellow athletes ... with everything from mental to physical health.

It's a worthy cause ... and one that's close to Ricky's heart.

In fact, RW says smoking pot has improved his mental health, and in ways been a substitute for professional therapy, by allowing him to examine himself and make changes where necessary.

"When we go talk to a therapist," Ricky says, continuing, "We're reviewing stuff with someone else and reflecting and I found that when I was consuming cannabis, and still, it's like self psychotherapy."

Williams' professional football career (10,009 rushing yards, 68 rushing TD's, 2,606 receiving yards, 8 receiving TD's) was marred by incredibly stringent marijuana rules -- which have now been changed or relaxed -- resulting in 5 suspensions throughout his 11 seasons in the NFL.

Ricky missed 2 full seasons as a result of the failed drug tests.

"When I was growing up, we were always told, coaches said if you smoke pot you're gonna be a loser," Ricky says, "And in my experience, that's actually not true. And that's the message I'm trying to get out in the world."

A customer at a Foot Locker in L.A. was just viciously stabbed ... and it was all over a new shoe release.

Foot Locker did a release of Nike Dunks Wednesday, and there was a line outside the store on Melrose Ave. to get in for the hot new kicks. An eyewitness tells TMZ ... there was some argument between two separate parties in the line for the shoes, which sparked a physical fight, leading to the stabbing.

You see a male in a black T-shirt hop a barricade with a knife and swing on the woman in blue jeans, stabbing her.

It appears from the video we've obtained she was stabbed in the abdomen. We are not showing the actual stabbing but it is brutal. The woman was rushed by ambulance to the hospital. We do not know her condition.

The suspect drove off in a Hyundai and as far as we know he's still on the loose.

This isn't the first stabbing in the area. Last month, UCLA grad student Brianna Kupfer was stabbed to death while working in a nearby furniture store. The alleged assailant, Shawn Laval Smith, a homeless man, was arrested and charged with murder.

The L.A. Rams let the expletives fly as they celebrated their big Super Bowl win  ... with defensive coordinator Raheem Morris telling the crowd to "Stand the f*** up!!!"

A ton of the champs grabbed the mic at the rally following an hour-long parade ... and sorry, kids -- there was some adult language.

Sean McVay, Aaron Donald and Von Miller accidentally let the s-word slip as well. OOPS!!!

Rams GM Les Snead even had a swear word on his shirt -- wearing "F*** them picks" on his chest to joke about the team trading away all their draft picks.

It's not the end of the world -- after all, who cares about a few cuss words when L.A.'s got the Lombardi Trophy!!

Stafford was getting lit on the stage ... downing a shot of 1942 while hyping up the crowd.

The parade was pretty dope, too -- Cooper Kupp paid homage to Kobe Bryant with his wardrobe choice ... and Odell Beckham and others sprayed a ton of folks with champagne.

Stafford's wife, Kelly, kept the drinks pouring throughout the day for everyone -- and it might make sense why some of the guys were apologizing for their slurred speech.

And after all the partying, Terrell Burgess, Ogbo Okoronkwo and David Long Jr. even shotgunned an energy drink ... 'cause, gotta keep the party goin'!

The possibility of seeing Tiger Woods in this year's Masters is growing slimmer and slimmer ... the golf legend just said he's had "very limited" practice work and still has absolutely no idea when he'll be able to return to the PGA Tour.

Woods spoke with the media Wednesday for the first time since he returned to somewhat competitive golf action at the PNC Championship in December -- and he made it clear, he's a long ways away from battling Phil Mickelson at Augusta in April.

Tiger said he hasn't been able to swing his driver or his other woods as much as he'd like due to the leg injury he suffered in a Feb. 2021 car crash ... and added that walking around a course is still challenging.

"I wish I could tell you when I'm playing again," Woods said ... adding that he still has "a long way to go."

Tiger did say his short game -- chipping, putting, and lower irons -- is good ... and he said when he can use a cart, he's totally fine.

But, Woods made it clear -- he's nowhere near ready to walk a course for a full week at a major championship like the Masters.

As for his injured leg, Tiger joked that's it's certainly altered ... telling one reporter, "My right leg does not look like my left."

As we reported, Woods needed multiple procedures to fix comminuted open fractures in his leg following his wreck in L.A. 12 months ago.

It's over between Aaron Rodgers and Shailene Woodley -- the power couple has called off their engagement after less than 2 years together.

The 38-year-old NFL MVP and actress, 30, have reportedly ended things for good ... months after they were rumored to have split

The couple started seeing each other shortly after the quarterback's split from racing superstar Danica Patrick in July 2020 ... and their engagement was announced in Feb. 2021.

Rodgers credited the personal update with being one of the biggest highlights of his year.

Rodgers and Woodley were inseparable for months ... packing on PDA during trips to Disneyland and Mexico.

Things got so serious between the two, Rodgers said in an interview in March 2021 he was looking forward to parenthood with Woodley.

"I just think it'd be so fun," Rodgers said at the time. "I've dreamt about what that would be like and I'm really excited about that chapter whenever that comes."

Woodley was nothing but supportive of Rodgers as he faced criticism during his COVID-19 vaccine drama back in November ... but talks of a split escalated back in December.

Longtime Dallas Cowboys exec Rich Dalrymple is adamant he did not film cheerleaders who were changing in a stadium locker room back in 2015 ... this despite multiple women alleging he did.

Dalrymple released a statement this week saying reports that he pulled out his phone and photographed women while they were changing at AT&T Stadium nearly seven years ago were flat-out not true.

"People who know me, co-workers, the media and colleagues, know who I am and what I'm about," Dalrymple said. "I understand the very serious nature of these claims and do not take them lightly. The accusations are, however, false."

ESPN broke the story Wednesday ... reporting that multiple women had accused Dalrymple of the disturbing act.

The women said it happened during a Kickoff Luncheon on Sept. 2, 2015 ... claiming the Cowboys exec used a keycard to gain access to their changing area and then began recording on his phone.

One woman who claimed she was in the locker room at the time allegedly said, according to ESPN, that she ran toward Dalrymple and chased him off.

ESPN also reported that Dalrymple had been accused of inappropriately filming Jerry Jones' daughter, Charlotte Jones Anderson, inside of the Cowboys' NFL Draft war room in 2015.

Regarding that accusation, ESPN reported that a viewer said he had seen Dalrymple on a live stream pointing his phone at Charlotte, a Cowboys' senior vice president.

The Cowboys, though, released a statement to ESPN saying it investigated all of the claims against Dalrymple "thoroughly" ... but "found no evidence of wrongdoing."

In his statement this week, Dalrymple said the incident with Charlotte "simply did not happen."

He added, "Everything that was alleged was thoroughly investigated years ago, and I cooperated fully."

Still, ESPN reported Wednesday that Dalrymple was issued "a formal written warning in October 2015." The outlet also reported that the team "paid a confidential settlement of $2.4 million" following the cheerleaders' claims.

Dalrymple retired earlier this month after working for the team for many years, but told ESPN his departure had nothing to do with the allegations.