Detroit Lions

Ex-Green Bay star Nick Collins says the Lions have nobody to blame but themselves -- not even garbage refs -- for their loss to the Packers ... telling TMZ Sports Detroit just blew it!!!

"They had so many opportunities to win that game," Collins says.

If you missed it ... the refs on "Monday Night Football" were as bad as they've been all season -- throwing flags for two questionable illegal hands to the face fouls that helped lift the Packers to a win.

But, Collins -- who admits the calls were trash -- says despite those penalties the Lions still had every opportunity to take control of the NFC North ... and they just didn't.

"Those calls probably played a factor," Collins says, "but they had a chance to just blow the game out of proportion."

Collins also tells us the Lions were helped out by sloppy play from the Pack ... saying if Green Bay didn't turn over the ball THREE times -- the game would've gotten ugly!!!

Wanna see the most adorable NFL smack talk ever? Great!

Here are Matt Stafford's adorable 2-year-old twin daughters expressing their utmost DISDAIN for the Green Bay Packers ... before being distracted by a shiny red truck.

C'mon, this is SUPER CUTE!!

Of course, Matt's Detroit Lions are facing Aaron Rodgers and company tonight on "Monday Night Football" in a crucial NFL North match up.

Since Matt and the Lions are on the road ... the QB's wife, Kelly Stafford, made a cute pump-up video for dad showing their support for Detroit!

It's a big game for Detroit -- they're 2-1-1 and if they don't beat the Packers, it could already spell the end for their hopes of a division title since Green Bay is 4-1 and look strong right now.

As for Matt, he's having a pretty solid season, statistically, at the moment -- with 1,122 passing yards, 9 TDs and only 2 INTs with a QB rating of 102.6. Not bad!

Will it be good enough to beat Green Bay? The gamblers don't think so ... Detroit is a 3.5 point underdog.

Detroit Lions RB C.J. Anderson was investigated by cops this year after he allegedly got violent with a ref at a youth football tournament ... but no charges were filed and the NFL stud is adamant he NEVER put his hands on the guy.

C.J. was coaching a 14-and-under team at a 7-on-7 event in Cypress, Texas back on March 2 when cops say he got into a spat with a referee over an on-field call.

A Harris County Sheriff's Office spokesperson tells TMZ Sports, Anderson allegedly got face-to-face with the 38-year-old official ... and a verbal argument ensued.

We're told 28-year-old Anderson and the ref really went at each other -- complete with chest bumping and mutual contact.

At some point during the heated confrontation, cops say the ref alleged Anderson ripped a whistle out of his mouth and threw it on the ground, causing him to have a sore lip and watery eyes.

We're told the ref refused to continue officiating the tournament until Anderson left ... but after Anderson complied with that demand, the ref still went to cops.

We're told the ref was seeking an assault charge against the 5'8", 225-pound NFL player ... which kicked off a police investigation that lasted 3 months.

According to the Harris County Sheriff's Office spokesperson, several witnesses were interviewed ... but there was no consensus on whether Anderson ripped the whistle from the ref's mouth. Some witnesses said Anderson merely took the whistle from the ref's hand.

We're told the case went in front of a grand jury ... but according to the spokesperson, "The Harris County District Attorney's Office declined charges stating there was insufficient evidence supporting a charge."

We reached out to Anderson for comment on the incident, and he told us, "There were no charges because I never touched the man."

Anderson says it was actually the ref's fault for escalating the situation ... adding the ref was NOT allowed back at the tournament the next day -- while he was.

"It was a typical coach-and-ref interaction," Anderson said. "I was just looking out for my players."

C.J.'s agent, Peter Schaffer, added, "I want people to cherish the fact that this is a professional football player giving back to society. He was helping kids for free. Nothing happened -- this was a disagreement between a referee and a coach. This will not deter C.J. from giving back in the future."

C.J. has been a star in the NFL throughout his 7-year career -- logging 3,454 total rushing yards and 22 rushing TDs.

"There's finally a talent where they can say they're better than me at."

DAAAAAAAAAAANNNNNNNNNNNGGGGGG!!!!

Aaron Rodgers shaded the HELL out of his NFC North counterparts Tuesday ... congratulating them on being better beer chuggers than him -- by ripping their hearts out and eating it.

If ya missed it ... Rodgers couldn't slug down a beer at a Milwaukee Bucks game a few weeks ago -- and the Internet went crazy ripping the guy.

Some of those involved in the Rodgers trolling? Bears QB Mitch Trubisky and Lions QB Matt Stafford -- who both posted vids of them destroying some suds in response.

Well, Rodgers saw that ... and clapped right back at the QBs during his news conference this week, saying, "As far as those other guys, for some of them, there's finally a talent where they can say they're better than me at."

Of course, Rodgers has demolished both the Bears and the Lions in his career ... so no coming back for Stafford and Trubisky from here.

Kelly Stafford is back home with her NFL husband and their kids after a complication from her recent brain surgery landed her back in the hospital ... and boy is she glad to be home!

Matt Stafford's wife returned to the hospital Wednesday due to severe pain following a 12-hour procedure to remove a tumor from her brain.

She had initially been released from the hospital before Easter Sunday -- but the pain became too much to handle and she was readmitted to the E.R.

But, good news on Friday ... docs allowed Kelly to return to her home where she immediately snuggled up with her fam.

She's not 100% -- far from it -- admitting the surgery has messed with her ability to balance and when she moves her head a certain way, she feels like a drunk person.

"I can’t turn my head right without feeling college drunk," Stafford said.

"I’m talking end of the night, cant put one foot in front of the other, knowing you’ll be sleeping on the bathroom floor, college drunk."

"I have to rework my brain to know that it can only rely on my left side, which will take time, a good amount of time."

Kelly says she's using their 3 children -- Sawyer, Chandler and Hunter -- as motivation during recovery ... so she can get back to spending more time with them.

"I miss them so much, but I’m so grateful I got that time today and now I have my inspiration to keep on pushing!"

Matthew Stafford is such a good teammate, he found time to text the Lions' #1 draft pick Thursday evening ... while still comforting his wife who's ailing from brain surgery.

We spoke with T.J. Hockenson early Friday morning on his way out of Nashville, where the tight end told us how excited he was to start his pro career in Detroit.

But, the most interesting part involved Stafford ... whose wife, Kelly, underwent a 12-hour procedure Sunday to remove a tumor from her brain. She was readmitted to the hospital due to complications from the surgery earlier this week. Matt has been by her side throughout the entire ordeal.

We asked Hockenson if he'd been in contact with Matt -- and he told us the QB reached out late Thursday night to congratulate him and welcome him to the Lions family.

Pretty cool stuff.

There's more ... after Hockenson was drafted, we spoke with his family -- including his 92-year-old grandfather -- who were all ecstatic they got to watch the former Iowa star get his name called in the 1st round!

So, how's Hockenson gonna spend that first round money now that he's a multi-millionaire?!?

Danny Amendola is throwing some serious shade at Olivia Culpo's new fling, Zedd, with an assist from his rock hard abs and a famous Bruce Willis line from "Pulp Fiction."

As we first told you ... Olivia and Zedd got very flirty with each other during the first weekend of Coachella, getting super snuggly during some music sets and putting Danny firmly in the rearview.

Well, Danny just responded to his ex-girlfriend's new relationship ... posting a shirtless video on Instagram Thursday night and making sure to capture Bruce's famous line from the Quentin Tarantino flick, which is totally relevant to Olivia's new boo.

The NFL wide receiver is sending a loud and clear message to the former Miss Universe ... enjoy Zedd all you want, but the DJ ain't got nothing on these abs, baby!!!

Danny and Olivia have been dating on and off since 2016, but their relationship's been ice cold since he shipped out of Miami and joined the Detroit Lions in early March.

Zedd and Olivia Culpo are THIS close to setting off the "New Couple Alert" ... 'cause they sure looked like a couple of crazy kids very much into each other after getting all cozy at Coachella!!!

We're told the famous Russian-German DJ and the former Miss Universe were cuddling in the artist area during Ariana Grande's set at Coachella. Check out the vid ... it appears Zedd had his arms around Olivia as Grande performed "God is a woman."

Witnesses tell us they were together for the whole set. His arms were around her as they swayed together. She would lean her head back on his chest ... the universal code for "I'm into you."

And, get this ... Zedd had a performance scheduled a few hours before Ariana's. When he went onstage ... guess who was backstage? Yup ... Olivia and her hot friends. But, here's what else is interesting ... this fling seems to come just days after Olivia was spotted with another star ... NHL's Aaron Varos.

Olivia and the New York Rangers star were on a double date just last week at Soho Hollywood. They were hanging with her best friend Cara Santana and Jesse Metcalfe. So, ya gotta wonder ... was Olivia's date with Varos a one-off and is Zedd more her jam???

Whatever the case ... one thing that seems certain -- Danny Amendola's in her rear-view mirror.

NFL QB Matthew Stafford's wife, Kelly, has been diagnosed with a brain tumor and will undergo surgery in the next few weeks ... the family announced on Wednesday.

Kelly shared the news on social media ... saying she had started to feel "dizzy & off balance" over the past year ... and ultimately went for an MRI that revealed she had a tumor sitting on her cranial nerves -- requiring surgery to remove it.

"I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t completely terrified of brain surgery. I am," Kelly says. "I am terrified of them opening my head, I’m terrified of losing my hearing, I’m terrified of losing facial function."

She continues ... "I’m terrified of far worse things that could happen and I’m terrified that I won’t take the time I need to recover because the guilt I might feel of being absent from my kids for too long.. I am telling y’all this to ask for prayers and support."

Kelly says she will have surgery in the next 2 weeks and asks for prayers for her whole family.

"Please pray for matthew as I know his nerves will be high during this surgery. I couldn’t imagine being out in that waiting room."

Olivia Culpo is back in her natural habitat on Miami Beach, but this time she's hittin' the sand without her on-again-off-again beau, Danny Amendola -- which you couldn't care less about right now.

The former Miss Universe made Thursday a sun day with some gal pals -- including model Devon Windsor -- but she stole the show with her red two-piece bikini. Olivia definitely seemed aware of the cameras too, since she got in tons of different positions ... as if she were doing an impromptu photo shoot.

It's interesting that Olivia's back in Miami without Danny, with whom she's been hot and cold since this past fall. He's no longer a Dolphin -- dude got shipped out to the Detroit Lions earlier this month. Bummer for him ... that's a lot less beach time with Olivia.

Here's an amazing photo ...

Jim Brown, Emmitt Smith and Barry Sanders all got together at a massive autograph signing event over the weekend -- and it begs the question, how do you rank these guys!?

All 3 have routinely been brought up in the age-old "Who's the greatest running back of all time?" debate. They're all in the Hall of Fame. They're all legends.

So, when they got together for a pic at the Chicago Sports Spectacular, it forced us to do some real debating in the office.

Barry Sanders ... 15,269 yards on the ground in just 10 NFL seasons. 10 Pro Bowl selections. 6-time All-Pro. All this without a great offensive line.

Emmitt Smith ... 18,355 yards rushing in 15 seasons. 164 rushing TDs. 1993 MVP, 3 Super Bowls, 8 Pro Bowls, 4-time All-Pro.

Jim Brown ... 12,312 yards rushing in 9 seasons, 106 rushing TDs, 8-time NFL All-Pro, 9 Pro Bowls, 3 NFL MVPs.

We looked at the autograph prices this weekend ... here's how they stack up in terms of value.

Barry Sanders ... autographs start at $135, photo ops are $135.

Emmitt Smith ... autographs start at $235, photo ops are $200.

Jim Brown ... autographs start at $150, photo ops are $150.

So, go ahead ... rank 'em.

Herschel Walker says the Steelers took a big L in their trade with the Raiders ... telling TMZ Sports Pittsburgh didn't get nearly enough in return for Antonio Brown.

"It's sad because Antonio Brown is a heck of a player. I think everybody knows that. So, I think that's going to be a loss for Pittsburgh."

If you missed it, the Steelers gave AB away over the weekend to the Raiders for just a 3rd-round pick and a 5th-round pick in next month's NFL draft.

It's interesting ... 'cause Oakland got a 1st-rounder for Amari Cooper last year from the Cowboys, while the Lions got a 3rd-rounder for Golden Tate from the Eagles.

Brown is unanimously considered to be better than those two ... which is why Walker can't understand how Pittsburgh didn't get MORE for the future Hall of Famer.

"It's strange because with a guy as talented as Antonio Brown, you assume they'll get something out of it."

Detroit Lions general manager Bob Quinn says his team DID consider signing Kareem Hunt ... but ultimately passed, saying, "I want good people in this organization."

The Lions brass held a Q&A session for season-ticket holders at Ford Field on Monday ... when Quinn opened up to a fan on why Kareem is in a Browns jersey now and not a Lions one.

Bob didn't hold back ... saying the troubled RB did NOT fit the mold of the kind of player they want on their team.

"We talked about it internally and he’s a player that we didn’t feel comfortable bringing to the Lions for numerous issues."

"I stand by that. That’s my word. I want good players and I want good people in this organization.”

Of course, Browns GM John Dorsey seems to disagree ... after signing Kareem on Monday he said, "Given what we know about Kareem through our extensive research, we believe he deserves a second chance."

11:00 AM PT -- Law enforcement sources tell us ... Bates hailed a cab in Manhattan and was taken to his hotel in Queens, and the fare totaled $32.06. We're told, he told the driver he didn't have cash or a card and took off ... so the driver called the police.

We're also told before Bates attacked the sergeant at the station, he said, "I want to punch you in the face" ... then did exactly that.

Our sources say Bates has now officially been charged with assault on a police officer and resisting arrest, along with theft of services.

A relatively unknown NFL linebacker just made a name for himself in the worst way ... by allegedly flying off the handle and punching a cop in the face!

According to law enforcement sources ... Lions LB Trevor Bates was arrested around 3 AM Saturday morning at a Hampton Inn in Queens, NY for refusing to pay his cab fare. Cops were called to the hotel and took him into custody for theft of services.

We're told while he was at the local station preparing for fingerprinting, Bates became irate and declared he didn't like one of the officers in the room. He then allegedly punched a sergeant ... causing a laceration above the cop's left eye.

Our sources say the sergeant received 3 stitches and was treated for a concussion at the hospital before being released.

Bates was taken to the hospital, as well, for a psych eval. We're told he has not formally been charged yet for assaulting an officer.

The Detroit Lions are remembering the city's greatest singer -- sending their "deepest condolences to the family and friends of Aretha Franklin."

The Lions tweeted out, "Aretha was a groundbreaker and an icon whose legacy will live on forever."

Aretha famously busted out a FOUR-AND-A-HALF MINUTE rendition of the Star Spangled Banner at a Lions game on Thanksgiving 2016 ... one of the greatest National Anthem performances ever.

Former Detroit Pistons star Isiah Thomas also showed Aretha some love -- tweeting, "Rest In Peace dear friend, I will remember your wisdom, laughter and music you gave us. #aintnoway #natuaralwoman #sayalittleprayerforyou."

The Detroit Tigers honored Aretha by posting a tribute on their video board ... with the message "Forever our queen."

ESPN's Jemele Hill -- who's from Detroit -- also weighed in ... saying, "Rest in power, Aretha. You were not only the Queen of Soul, but a warrior, a survivor, an icon, and a protector. You are Detroit’s heartbeat. Rest well, Queen."

Hill added, "Aretha was Detroit’s sister, auntie, momma, Queen and homegirl — all in one career. There are few people that defend, honor and protect someone the way we did Aretha. You can talk about our economy, and our crime, but say something about Re-Re, and you’ll get dealt with. Quick."

SonBurned: When a man or woman is forced to watch their offspring (in this case, sons) get ruthlessly burned on the football field by an elite NFL WR who's taking no prisoners.

Drew Brees' kids should now know this definition well, having been ruthlessly destroyed by Lions WR Golden Tate while trying to guard him one-on-one with no safety help.

The life lesson went down at Santa Fe Christian High School where Brees was working out alongside other NFL guys like Tate, Darren Sproles and Michael Thomas.

At some point it was time for the kids to get in on the action, and the resulting carnage was caught on video as both Brees kids get turned around like J Lo walked by.