TMZ Sports - Page 50

Well, this ain't exactly the model form of social distancing ... but ya won't hear us complain!!!

Paulina Gretzky and Dustin Johnson's sister-in-law got in some bikini dancing during their self-isolation time Thursday ... and the views are pretty spectacular.

It seems the two were boating in the Florida sun when they fired up their phone cams to participate in the latest viral TikTok trend.

"Social distancing with my sista," said Paulina, who was rockin' the tiny blue bathing suit.

Of course, we had to cut the audio (legal reasons!!!) ... but you've heard the Megan Thee Stallion's "Savage" song before, and you've had to have seen this dance by now.

It's unclear how long we'll all be in quarantine for ... but it's clips like these that are helping our eyes get through it.

Philadelphia 76ers partner Michael Rubin came up with a creative way to help those fighting the coronavirus pandemic -- by turning baseball jerseys into masks and gowns!!

Rubin's Fanatics company -- which makes official MLB unis -- has halted all jersey production and instead, they're using the materials for the jerseys to make essential products for frontline workers in Pennsylvania.

Rubin said the PA governor hit him up asking for help ... and the dude delivered, saying he's planning to make 1 million masks and gowns to help Pennsylvania and eventually more states in need.

The finished product is actually pretty dope ... with the Phillies and Yankees pinstripes clearly recognizable in a new form.

"Thanks to @MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred for not only agreeing to halting production of MLB jerseys, but also doing everything possible to make this happen as quickly as possible!!" Rubin tweeted.

"And thanks to our incredible associates who raised their hands and wanted to be part of the effort to help the frontline heroes in this war stem the spread of the virus!!"

New York Sports Clubs members are pissed they're still paying, but not playing while the gyms are shut down due to the pandemic ... so they're suing.

Mary Namorato filed a class-action lawsuit Thursday against NY Sports Clubs and its parent company, Town Sports International, claiming that despite closing its doors on March 16 due to the coronavirus, it's still charging customers monthly dues.

In docs, obtained by TMZ, Namorato estimates TSI is raking in around $30 million per month from its customers, who have been ordered to remain home to help stem the spread of the virus.

She calls TSI's conduct "particularly reprehensible as it is stealing hard-earned money New Yorkers now need more than ever to pay for the necessities of life -- such as food and rent for themselves and their families -- despite the fact that its gyms are closed and TSI is not able to provide the services for which it is charging customers."

What's more ... Namorato claims TSI -- which operates gyms nationwide -- has a long history of refusing to honor member cancellation requests. She also points to the Attorney General of Washington D.C. having gone after TSI not once but TWICE for similar issues in the past. The lawsuit also drags out a ton of complaints from customers ... and, for good measure, mentions TSI's "F" rating with the Better Business Bureau.

Namorato's suing for damages and to get TSI to stop making customers jump through hoops to cancel memberships. We've reached out to TSI, so far, no word back.

Steph Curry just stepped up and finally asked Dr. Anthony Fauci the question MILLIONS of Americans want to know -- WHEN ARE WE GOING TO GET SPORTS BACK!?!?

The NBA superstar connected with the man heading up the White House Coronavirus Task Force for a video chat Thursday to get as much info as he could about the pandemic, without President Trump trying to sugarcoat it.

Oh, and there was a bonus (comment) cameo from Barack Obama!

The whole conversation was fascinating -- not only did Steph get answers about what needs to happen before we can have major sporting events and public gatherings, but Curry also revealed he was tested for COVID-19 a few weeks ago when he was showing symptoms.

Steph says his symptoms were minor and he appears okay now -- and Dr. Fauci praised the 32-year-old for not rushing to the hospital right away.

"You did the right thing! If someone right now gets flu-like symptoms, a fever, aches and a bit of a cough, the first thing you do is stay at home. Don't go to the emergency room because you might be affecting others."

Fauci added, "Get on the phone with a physician, a nurse of a healthcare provider. Get instruction from them on what to do and if available, you can get a test."

"But, the critical issue is don't flood the emergency room. Stay at home. If you're really obviously seriously ill, then you gotta go quickly there but if you just have aches, pains and a fever stay where you are but contact your physician."

There's more ... during the chat, Steph's good pal President Obama added some words of encouragement to the guys.

FYI, Dr. Fauci is a HUGE basketball fan -- he's even got a hoop in his office (which you can see in the shot!).

Joe Rogan is blasting Gal Gadot for what he sees as a serious case of tone-deafness ... Joe says she's a "f***ing idiot" for singing "imagine there's no heaven."

Joe just gave Gal an epic dressing down on his podcast, ripping her for getting tons of her celebrity friends to sing John Lennon's "Imagine" in the middle of the coronavirus pandemic.

The way Joe sees it ... "This is not the time when everyone's grannie is dying, you f***ing idiot, to sing, 'Imagine there's no heaven.' It's such a dumb move."

As you know ... Gal and her famous friends -- including Will Ferrell, Natalie Portman, Amy Adams, Mark Ruffalo, Zoe Kravitz, Kristen Wiig and Sarah Silverman -- sang parts of Lennon's famous tune and posted it on social media while in self-isolation.

Joe says they're all a bunch of "knuckleheads" ... he thinks it's really not what the country needs at this time, and says they all stink at singing anyways.

Comedian Tom Segura, Joe's podcast guest, thinks Gal and her buddies probably feel like they did something significant, but he says it's really a slap in the face to many.

Drew Brees just announced he's donating $5 MILLION to the State of Louisiana to help with coronavirus relief efforts ... just days after signing a new $50 mil contract with the Saints.

Pretty awesome move from Brees who's already beloved in New Orleans for doing good work in the community ... like building all-inclusive playgrounds.

"Brittany and I are committing $5,000,000 to the State of Louisiana in 2020," Drew says ... "The priority now is helping our communities get through this tough time."

"After considerable research and conversations with local organizations, we will be mobilizing our partnerships with Second Harvest Food Bank, Ochsner Health Systems, Walk-Ons, Jimmy Johns, Smalls Sliders and Waitr to prepare and deliver over 10,000 meals per day throughout Louisiana for as long as it takes to children on meal programs, seniors, and families in need."

He added, "Let’s all do our part, maintain hope, and get through this together."

Drew's donation is the largest we've seen so far from an active pro athlete -- pretty amazing stuff.

WNBA hoops fans rejoice -- the league's draft is still set to go down next month ... but the whole thing is gonna be a virtual affair.

The league announced the major changes to the April 17 event on Thursday ... saying all the prospects will tune in remotely due to the coronavirus pandemic.

"The WNBA draft is a time to celebrate the exceptional athletes whose hard work and dreams are realized with their selections in the draft,” WNBA commish Cathy Engelbert said in a statement.

“Safeguarding the health and well-being of our prospects, players, employees, and everyone connected to our game as well as the general public is paramount. With that in mind, we will work diligently with our broadcast partner, ESPN, to create a memorable but virtual event that appropriately honors these accomplished athletes.”

The league also announced plans to honor Kobe and Gigi Bryant, as well as Gigi's teammates, Alyssa Altobelli and Payton Chester, who tragically passed away in the January helicopter accident.

Of course, Kobe was a huge advocate for the WNBA ... and Gigi seemed destined to follow in her father's footsteps and play pro ball.

FBI agents say they nailed a coronavirus snake oil salesman -- a SoCal man who allegedly claimed he had a cure, and used Magic Johnson's name to try to snare investors.

Ya just knew this was bound to happen ... the FBI arrested Keith Lawrence Middlebrook Wednesday evening in an undercover sting. The feds say Middlebrook delivered pills to an agent posing as a potential investor.

He allegedly claimed to have developed a "patent-pending cure" that would prevent people from getting infected, and also treat those already suffering from COVID-19.

The feds say Middlebrook solicited funds from investors and promised huge profits from his company, Quantum Prevention CV. For instance, the FBI says he told a cooperating witness a $1 million investment would turn into $200 to $300 million, conservatively.

He also allegedly dropped Magic Johnson's name to at least one potential investor ... claiming Magic was on his board of directors. The feds say they checked with Magic, who confirmed he had NO clue about Middlebrook or his "company."

Attorney General William Barr warned this week, during a White House briefing, the feds would come down hard on anyone preying on fears surrounding the pandemic.

True enough, Middlebrook's been charged with wire fraud, which carries a max sentence of 20 years.

You know it's real when the signs come down ...

Workers in Japan began taking down banners for the Olympic torch relay Thursday morning -- and it's still unclear when they'll go back up!

As we previously reported, Olympic officials -- along with Japan prime minister Shinzo Abe -- decided to finally postpone the 2020 Tokyo Games due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The torch relay event -- set to begin in Fukushima -- was supposed to kick off a series of high profile events in a ramp-up to the Games, originally set to begin in July.

But, that's been scrapped -- and while organizers try to figure out a new date for the Games, the torch will remain on display in Japan in a lantern.

The Flame was first lit in Olympia, Greece on March 12 in a small, fan-less ceremony -- before the Games were officially postponed. It was then flown to Japan.

Great news for Sean Payton -- the New Orleans Saints head coach says he's been "cleared" by doctors after testing positive for coronavirus.

As we previously reported, Payton began feeling symptoms on March 15 and got tested the following day. Now, after more than a week into self-quarantine, Payton says he's doing much better.

"I'm doing well. I was cleared yesterday," 56-year-old Payton said during a radio interview Wednesday night with 'WWL.'

"I've been fortunate. You stay inside like everyone's doing, and you find ways to pass the time. We had a competition committee meeting the other day on teleconference. But, I'm feeling a lot better."

Payton joked that he's been passing the time binging on Netflix shows -- like everyone else.

He also addressed the criticism he got for going to a horseracing event in Arkansas on March 14 -- despite warnings about coronavirus.

"My Twitter blows up. 'Hey, what is he doing at the races?' Hey, if I knew I had this, I wouldn't have been at the racetrack two weeks ago. And the racetrack was closed. I was there in a small ownership group," Payton said.

"And then [people complained], 'He got a test on Monday without symptoms.' I had symptoms. I wasn't gonna use a test if I didn't have symptoms."

Now, Payton is focused on educating the masses ... and issued this warning to the public.