Video posted by a journalist in Alabama is almost too insane to be believed. Despite warnings of COVID-19 transmission, thousands of football fans (many without a mask) were captured Monday night, standing just inches from one another, celebrating the national championship win by the Crimson Tide over Ohio State. BREAKING COVID-19 GUIDELINES: Thousands of football fans in Alabama ignored COVID-19 warnings and partied at bars and in...Posted by Fox 11 Los Angeles on Tuesday, January 12, 2021 This year’s crowd outnumbered past celebrations, even though the state has reported over 400,000 cases of coronavirus and 5,347 deaths. Tuscaloosa  County has reported 20,211 cases and 267 deaths. Tuscaloosa Mayor Walk Maddox warned students and other fans not to party in dense numbers, but reporter James Benedetto filmed the area called "The Strip" near the University of Alabama, as the hoard streamed out of bars and into the street to rejoice the win. "There will be a time and place to celebrate, but this is not the time,” Maddox reportedly wrote on Twitter

NEW YORK (WCBS 880) — Mayor Bill de Blasio announced the "amazin'" news Tuesday that a 24/7 mega COVID-19 vaccination site is coming to Citi Field. "It's such a welcome moment for the people of this city, particularly for the people in Queens," de Blasio said during his daily briefing. "This is going to be fantastic, this is going to help so many people to get vaccinated." He applauded the Mets organization for having "stepped up to the plate" to help the city out. "I am so grateful for that," de Blasio said. "I really appreciate the fact that the Mets wanted to do this, they wanted to be part of solving this problem and helping the Queens community and helping all of New York City." The site will be run by NYC Health + Hospitals and is expected to give out between 5,000 and 7,000 vaccine doses per day. "I want to be clear. We welcome Queens residents, we welcome all New Yorkers, we even welcome Yankees fans. There's no discrimination," de Blasio said. "It's a great site, it's an amazin' place, it's easy to get to by the 7 train, there's also plenty of parking for those who prefer to drive." The mayor was joined at his briefing by Mets owner Steve Cohen via Zoom. "We were just so excited to participate in this program. It's so important. We know the suffering that's going on with COVID and any way the organization could help support this effort we were going to do it," Cohen said. "We had talked about being involved in our communities and I can't think of any way that's more important than what this effort is." Bill de Blasio and Steve Cohen Photo credit NYC Mayor's Office "The goal is to just get the vaccine in people's arms so we could get this crisis over with and get back to living a normal life," Cohen added. "I really would look forward to that and I think everybody else would too." The site is expected to launch the week of Jan. 25. "It'll be here soon, we've got some last minute work to do to get it ready, but it's going to be big, it's going to be a game changer," de Blasio said. Two other vaccine mega sites have already opened at Brooklyn Army Terminal in Sunset Park and at the Bathgate Contract Postal Station in the Bronx. Those eligible for the vaccine can schedule an appoint online nyc.gov/vaccinefinder or by calling 877-VAX-4NYC.

Baseball Hall-of-Famer Hank Aaron, whose 755 career home runs stand as the second-most in major-league history, is one of over four million Americans to receive the COVID vaccine, which is now available to essential workers and elderly patients. Doctors administered Aaron’s first of two doses Tuesday at the Morehouse School of Medicine in Atlanta, an experience the 86-year-old described as “wonderful.” “I don’t have any qualms about it at all,” the Braves legend said Tuesday via Michael Warren and Ron Warren of the Associated Press. “I feel quite proud of myself for doing something like this.” Despite countless assurances by leading medical professionals, a December survey conducted by the NORC Center for Public Affairs revealed an alarming 40 percent of African Americans would still reject the vaccine if presented to them. By going for his first dose Tuesday, Aaron wanted to show those still skeptical of the vaccine they have nothing to fear. “It’s just a small thing that can help zillions of people in this country.” Due to his advanced age, putting him at a higher risk of experiencing severe COVID symptoms, Aaron was able to receive the vaccine before many others, though Morehouse plans to lower its age qualifications, reserving 500 Moderna vaccines for participants 75 and older beginning Saturday. The 65+ age bracket will be prioritized after that. “I’ve been taking vaccines for 88 years now and I haven’t been sick,” said civil rights leader and former U.N. ambassador Andrew Young, who received his vaccine alongside Aaron. “The truth of it is, black folks have been living by shots and just because they did something crazy and murderous and evil back in 1931, we’re still thinking about that. We’ve got to get over that.” Young is referring to the Tuskegee Experiment, an unethical study beginning in the 1930s that deceived African Americans into believing they were receiving free medical care from the federal government. Instead, they were given placebos with many participants left to suffer the effects of untreated syphilis. That instilled a culture of distrust toward vaccines and modern medicine, which still exists to varying degrees within the black community. “I’m a product of vaccines,” said Young. “Why would I stop now?” I was proud to get the COVID-19 vaccine earlier today at Morehouse School of Medicine. I hope you do the same! https://t.co/RAlkmkCRra— Hank Aaron (@HenryLouisAaron) January 5, 2021LISTEN NOW on the RADIO.COM AppFollow RADIO.COM SportsTwitter | Facebook I Instagram

(WWL) Ahead of the Saints' matchup against the Bears in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome on Sunday afternoon in the wild-card round, New Orleans coach Sean Payton pitched an interesting idea to create home-field advantage for his team. “I brought up the idea of testing 50,000 people and quarantining them in a hotel and having like the most safest Superdome known to man, scientifically,” Payton said Wednesday with a slight laugh. “Bus them, they’ve tested every day and you’ve got a COVID-free facility. I think that’s possible. I don’t know if it’s taken off or not.” The Superdome has hosted only a limited number of fans for Saints home games this season due to the COVID-19 positivity rate and guidelines in Louisiana. With fans barred from attending games or only doing so in a limited capacity across the NFL amid the pandemic, home-field advantage became moot. Road teams went 128-127-1 in the 2020 regular season, the Associated Press reported, the first winning mark for visitors in a single season since the AFL and NFL merged in 1970. Payton said that while he believes his plan could work, he and the Saints are more focused on what they can control when the host the Bears. “It’s the team creating its excitement and generating its excitement, and I think you’ve got to be ready ready,” he said.