Interview

If Shawne Merriman was in Dean Spanos' shoes, he would NOT hire Bill Belichick or Jim Harbaugh to replace Brandon Staley ... telling TMZ Sports he thinks his former team needs to go younger with its next hire.

Of course, both coaching veterans have been rumored to be on the Bolts' radar following Staley's firing on Friday ... but Merriman made it clear, he would prefer it if L.A. looked elsewhere.

"The game has gotten much younger," the ex-Chargers pass rusher said. "If you look around, a lot of these head coaches are younger. They relate well to the players."

Belichick is 71 years old, while Harbaugh is 59 ... ages that Merriman obviously thinks just won't cut it when it comes to directing guys like 25-year-old Justin Herbert or 27-year-old Derwin James on the field.

But, don't get it twisted, he still loves both guys and their résumés -- he just said, "I don't know if that's the proper move in this situation."

"I really don't."

Merriman didn't have any names that he would rather hire -- though he did say he wants no part of being considered for the role ... as he's a bit preoccupied with his MMA promotion, Lights Out, which has a big event coming up on January 6.

The Dallas Cowboys WILL re-sign Dak Prescott ... at least, that's according to Drew Pearson, who tells TMZ Sports the QB's new deal will almost certainly be the richest one in NFL history.

Pearson spelled it out loud and clear for us during an interview earlier this week ... saying there's just no way in hell Jerry Jones will let his star signal-caller get away from Dallas after this season.

"Dak ain't going anywhere, OK?" the Hall of Famer says. "Jerry Jones is not going to let Dak Prescott go away. He's everything we want in a Dallas Cowboy quarterback."

Of course, some have wondered if this could be Dak's last year in Big D -- because while he does have one year left on his current contract, his cap number is slated to be monstrous in 2024. Plus, the Cowboys traded for former top-five pick Trey Lance in August.

Prescott's stellar play this year has quieted a lot of that chatter ... although without a deep playoff run this season, it's likely the talk will loom around the team for the entire offseason.

But, Pearson made it clear, he doesn't believe Prescott will go anywhere one way or another.

"He's going to end up being the highest-paid player probably in NFL history," Pearson said. "Because Jerry Jones is not going to let Dak Prescott go. We are going to sign Dak Prescott and he'll be a Cowboy for life."

In fact, Pearson said he's so high on Prescott -- he'd actually take him over Jalen Hurts right now.

"You're talking to a receiver, OK?" he said. "I want the guy that's throwing it right here."

Drag racing champ Leah Pruett is temporarily stepping away from driving to start a family, but thankfully she knows someone pretty good behind the wheel who can step in for her -- hubby Tony Stewart, who tells us he's honored to hold things down while she's away!

Pruett -- a 12x NHRA National Event Champ -- made the shocking announcement on Thursday, declaring she'll miss the 2024 season as she and Tony plan to have a baby. Stewart, owner of the Tony Stewart Racing team, will take over driving duties in the Top Fuel dragster.

"I am thrilled that Tony will be making his NHRA Top Fuel debut in Gainesville with such an excellent caliber of people," Pruett said, "both personally and professionally."

Stewart tells us he's excited for the opportunity, applauding Leah for temporarily surrendering her dream job so the couple can have a baby.

"This was a tough thing for her and honestly, I'm honored to be able to be the one that steps in whole she's starting a family for us," Steward told us.

"I think she's a true badass to have to make the decision she's made and to finish the season knowing that this is the direction we were going. She's a tough woman."

The 3x NASCAR and IndyCar champ will be driving a TF dragster, something Stewart hasn't done (he's raced the Top Alcohol dragster) ... but with support from his wife and team, he believes he'll do just fine.

"I don't know how you know if you're really ready or not other than you just gotta get in and do it," Stewart said.

"I got the best coach you could ask for with my wife."

Shadasia "The Sweet Terminator" Green couldn't be happier to have signed on with Jake Paul's MVP Promotions ... telling TMZ Sports her boxing career AND her life as a whole have changed "drastically" since she became a part of his fighting team.

"It's been amazing," said the 13-0 boxer, who officially joined Paul's promo earlier this year. It's "changed my boxing career in so many dimensions."

One of those dimensions, Green said, is the business side ... with the 34-year-old New Jersey native telling us that for the first time in her career, she feels like she's operating and moving like a real-deal, professional boxer.

She said the other upside is definitely the bigger paydays.

"I owe everything to MVP," she said of Jake's org., which he launched in 2021 with Nakisa Bidarian, "and I'm just grateful to be a part of their team and have Nakisa as my manager and Jake as my manager. I'm blessed."

Felicity Huffman is finally speaking out about the college admissions scandal that landed her in prison, and she kinda sorta is still justifying what she did, in the name of her daughter's future.

Felicity sat with KABC's Marc Brown and explained she had hired a highly recommended college counselor coach Rick Singer for a year, trying to secure a spot at the college of her choice.

The actress says after a year, he gave her bad news ... she wasn't up to speed and would not get into any of the colleges. Felicity says Singer "slowly" rolled out a criminal scheme which she ultimately bought.

Felicity ended up paying Singer $15k to bribe a proctor into changing her daughter's wrong SAT answers. As for why, she says it felt like the only option to give her daughter a future.

At one point she says, "It was sort of like my daughter's future, which meant I had to break the law."

Huffman spoke of the FBI raid on her home ... "They came into my home, they woke my daughters up at gunpoint - again, nothing new to the Black and brown community - then they put my hands behind my back and handcuffed me."

She continued, "I asked if I could get dressed. I thought it was a hoax. I literally turned to one of the FBI people in a flak jacket and a gun and I go "is this a joke?"

Huffman served 11 days for the crime.

Her daughter, Sophia, was not aware of her mom's shenanigans. Sophia is now studying drama at Carnegie Mellon in Pittsburgh.

As for Felicity, she's now working with A New Way of Life, an org helping incarcerated women to re-enter society.

Antonio Gates says he feels like he belongs in the Hall of Fame ... and he tells TMZ Sports if and when he gets in, Julius Peppers should be there right alongside him!!

The two NFL legends were officially named semifinalists for the highest honor in professional football earlier this week ... and when we saw Gates out in LA on Tuesday, we had to get his thoughts on it all.

The former Chargers tight end said he was stoked for the recognition, calling it a "dream come true" -- before adding that he was pretty sure when the final cutdown comes, he'll make it.

"I feel like, mentally," he said, "I belong in there."

As for the rest of the 24 semifinalists, Gates said he could make a case for just about every player on the list ... though he specifically said Peppers definitely deserves the nod.

Some other names who will be considered for the class of 2024 include legends like Dwight Freeney, Andre Johnson and Devin Hester -- three guys Gates said should get long looks for the Hall's final cut next year too.

The list of 25 will be pared down to 15 finalists soon ... before the Class of 2024 is officially revealed at "NFL Honors" in February.

It ain't Patrick Mahomes, Jalen Hurts or Lamar Jackson ... no, the NFL's MVP this year is Tyreek Hill!!

At least, that's what Channing Crowder is saying, telling TMZ Sports this week the Miami wideout has just been that good this season.

"He is the best player at his position in the NFL right now," Crowder said.

Of course, Crowder might have some bias in him -- after all, he did play all six of his NFL seasons with the Dolphins -- but his argument is one that's certainly hard to go against.

Through 10 games so far, Hill already has 1,222 receiving yards, nine touchdowns and 79 catches -- marks that have him on pace to break nearly every single-season record for a wide receiver.

Crowder says in his mind that's enough to put him over guys like Mahomes, Hurts, Jackson and the rest of the NFL's star quarterbacks for the league's most coveted award.

"When you're talking about the Dolphins," Crowder said, "and their best player being Tyreek Hill, he has to be the MVP."

El rapero israelí-estadounidense Kosha Dillz ha instado a tomar una posición pública sobre el conflicto Israel-Palestina a mostrar empatía por los que sufren... israelíes, palestinos, judíos y musulmanes.

Kosha le dice a TMZ que el hecho de que Susan Sarandon y la estrella de "Scream" Melissa Barrera hayan perdido sus trabajos en Hollywood como consecuencia de hablar sobre la agitación no es nada en comparación a los directamente afectados por la guerra.

Como informamos, Melissa se unió a Susan como la última víctima de Hollywood, siendo expulsada de "Scream VII" después de compartir declaraciones polémicas, incluyendo una historia de instagram donde aparentemente aludió a un video de larga data sobre los judíos que controlan los medios de comunicación.

Según los ejemplos de famosos, Kosha añade: "Esto demuestra que algunas de las personas que dicen cosas no tienen ninguna piel en el conflicto ... porque sienten la necesidad de decir algo, pero no están directamente involucrados".

Sin embargo, Kosha señala que la sociedad ha hecho aceptable que la gente alabe a la organización terrorista Hamás como "luchadores por la libertad", añadiendo que le sorprendieron las opiniones de las personas a las que entrevistó tanto en mítines pro-Israel como pro-Palestina.

Conoció a alguien que en realidad era de Gaza, elogiándolo como la "persona más amable" que había encontrado.

"Necesitamos una voz para los sin voz, pero no todas las voces son para los sin voz", afirma.

Israeli-American rapper Kosha Dillz has urged those determined to take a public stand on the Israel-Palestine conflict to show empathy for those suffering -- namely, Israelis, Palestinians, Jews, and Muslims.

Kosha tells TMZ ... Susan Sarandon and "Scream" star Melissa Barrera losing Hollywood gigs as a consequence of speaking out about the turmoil is nothing compared to those directly affected by the war.

As we reported, Melissa joined Susan as the latest Hollywood casualty ... being 86'd from "Scream VII" after sharing controversial statements, including an IG Story where she seemingly alluded to a longstanding trope about Jews controlling the media.

As per the celeb examples ... Kosha adds: "It goes to show some of the people saying things don't have any skin in the conflict ... because they feel the need to say something, but they're not directly involved."

However, Kosha notes that society has made it acceptable for people to praise the terrorist organization Hamas as "freedom fighters," ... adding he was shocked at the opinions of those he interviewed at both pro-Israel and pro-Palestine rallies.

He met someone who was actually from Gaza ... praising him as the "kindest person" he had encountered.

"We need a voice for the voiceless ... but not all voices are for the voiceless," he says.

Hay una misteriosa enfermedad que afecta a perros de todo el país y que puede ser mortal si los dueños no tienen cuidado. Por eso, un veterinario tiene muchos buenos consejos que ofrecer.

Dr. Lindsey Ganzer, un veterinario de larga data y CEO de North Springs Veterinary Referral Center en Colorado, explicó lo que la gente puede hacer por sus perros como esta enfermedad inexplicable circula por los EE.UU. y pone doggos bajo el clima.

Los síntomas de esta misteriosa aflicción son similares a lo que los seres humanos podrían considerar un resfriado común, pero en este caso, tienden a durar mucho más tiempo y en algunos casos raros incluso han llevado a la muerte del perro.

La Dra. Ganzer tiene una buena explicación de lo que esta nueva enfermedad es y lo que no es. En particular, ella dice que si bien comienza por parecerse a una simple tos. Puede terminar tomando un giro un poco más siniestro, avanzando hacia la neumonía si no se trata.

There's a mystery illness going around affecting dogs all over the country -- and it can turn deadly if owners aren't careful -- which is why one vet has a lot of good advice to offer.

Dr. Lindsey Ganzer -- a longtime vet and the CEO of North Springs Veterinary Referral Center in Colorado -- explained what people can do for their pooches as this inexplicable disease circulates throughout the U.S. and puts doggos under the weather.

The symptoms for this mystery affliction are similar to what humans might consider a common cold -- but in this case ... they tend to linger a lot longer, and in some rare cases -- have even led to doggy death.

Dr. Ganzer has a good explanation for what this new illness is and what it isn't -- notably, she says while it starts out by resembling kennel cough ... it can end up taking a slightly more sinister turn by plaguing canines with pneumonia, if it goes untreated.

Aaron Rodgers feels badly about how things played out for benched backup Zach Wilson ... admitting he's "disappointed and sad" the young quarterback didn't get to sit back and learn from him this season.

The former No. 2 overall pick recently lost his starting gig to Tim Boyle after struggling to find a rhythm as Rodgers recovers from his Achilles injury ... and during the four-time MVP's appearance on the "Pat McAfee Show," he said he has guilt about the situation.

"I feel for Zach, I love Zach." Rodgers said. "Zach's such a great kid and I do think he still has a bright future in the league."

Rodgers believes it's more fair to throw blame on the whole team than just on Zach ... but ultimately, it was time to find a spark on offense.

"This is disappointing, I have some personal guilt around the whole thing," he added. "I mean, I'm pissed I wasn't able to play and frustrated that if I was out there, and I feel like I'd be playing well, there would be obviously different narratives around our team and Zach would have the opportunity to learn and grow and see what it looks like without the pressure on and being able to sit in those meetings and go through the season and just kind of watch me and my process."

Rodgers said the team will continue to support both Zach and Tim moving forward ... but reiterated it's not all Wilson's fault the team is sitting at 4-6.

La modelo Danii Banks entiende la principal queja que ha habido por enseñar sus tetas en un partido de la NFL y es el hecho de un montón de niños estaba en el estadio en ese momento, pero ella está segura de que ningún pequeño la vio.

La modelo de OnlyFans le dice a TMZ que estaba en una sección de 21 y más cuando "liberó sus pezones" durante el partido de Las Vegas Raiders el domingo pasado, y no fue como que ella y "las chicas" fueron presentadas en la pantalla grande del estadio.

Así que Danii cree que los niños no tienen cómo haber visto su breve momento en topless. Bueno, a menos que tuvieran binoculares en una sección cercana, pero ¿cuáles son las posibilidades de eso?

Danii, como informamos por primera vez, terminó siendo expulsada del estadio Allegiant por su sexy jugada, pero dice que solo los guardias de seguridad y la policía tuvieron un problema cuando la vieron semidesnuda.

Danii publicó una versión borrosa de su topless en sus redes sociales, que ahora está llena de comentarios de haters diciendo que no debería haber hecho eso alrededor de tantos chicos aficionados.

Ella dice que entiende esas preocupaciones, hasta cierto punto, y pide disculpas a los padres si sus hijos le dieron un vistazo a los activos de Banks.

No todo el mundo está enojado con Danii, sin embargo. Ella dice que ha conseguido miles de nuevos suscriptores en OnlyFans desde el pasado domingo y ella nos cuenta cómo una despedida de soltero jugó un papel importante en que su parte superior se descubriera.

Model Danii Banks understands the main gripe with her flashing boobs at an NFL game -- the fact lots of kids were in the stadium -- but she's confident no little ones saw her top drop.

The OnlyFans model tells TMZ, she was in a 21 and up section when she freed her nipples during last Sunday's Las Vegas Raiders game ... and it wasn't like she and "the girls" were featured on the stadium big screen.

So, Danii believes kids couldn't possibly have seen her brief topless moment. Well, unless they had binoculars in a nearby section -- but what are the chances of that?

Danii, as we first reported, ended up getting booted from Allegiant Stadium for the sexy stunt, but says it was only security guards and police who had a problem when they saw the nudity.

DB did post a blurred version of her going topless on her social media ... which is now littered with comments from haters saying she never should have flashed her boobs around young fans.

She says she understands those concerns, to an extent, and apologizes to any parents if their kids happened to get an eyeful of Banks' assets.

Not everyone is mad at Danii though ... she says she's gotten thousands of new OnlyFans subscribers since last Sunday night, and she tells us how a bachelor party played a big role in her top coming off.

Shaquille O'Neal se niega a criticar a Draymond Green por su papel en una salvaje pelea a principios de esta semana, diciéndole a TMZ Sports: "¡¡Yo hubiera hecho lo mismo!!"

Todo el mundo se fue en contra de la estrella de los Warriors después de que pusiera fuertemente su brazo alrededor del cuello de Rudy Gobert y no lo dejara ir en una pelea de los Golden State y Minnesota el martes por la noche. Pero cuando llegamos a su evento de caridad en Los Ángeles el jueves, dijo que simplemente no podía sumarse a la mayoría.

En cuanto al porqué, Shaq dijo que es simple: "Tienes que dar la cara por tu compañero de equipo".

"Si tú y yo estamos teniendo una entrevista y alguien viene aquí", dijo Shaq a nuestro fotógrafo, "voy a tener que patearle el culo. Porque tú eres mi chica".

Por supuesto, el entrenador de los Warriors, Steve Kerr, no estuvo exactamente de acuerdo con Shaq en esto. Aunque apreció el hecho de que Green estuviera defendiendo a Klay Thompson durante la pelea, le dijo a los periodistas que el alero de los Dubs llevó las cosas demasiado lejos.

"Draymond se equivocó", dijo Kerr. "Él lo sabe. No se ve bien".

Shaquille O'Neal is refusing to criticize Draymond Green for his role in a wild fight earlier this week ... telling TMZ Sports straight up, "I woulda did the same thing!!"

Everyone's piled on the Warriors star after he put Rudy Gobert in a chokehold and wouldn't let go during a tussle at Tuesday night's Golden State vs. Minnesota game ... but when we got The Diesel at his charity event in Los Angeles on Thursday, he said he just couldn't join the masses on this one.

As for why ... Shaq said it's simple -- "you've got to stick up for your teammate."

"If me and you are having an interview and somebody comes here," Shaq told our photog, "I'm going to have to whoop their ass. Because you're my homegirl."

Of course, Warriors coach Steve Kerr wouldn't exactly agree with Shaq on this one ... while he said he appreciated the fact that Green was defending Klay Thompson during the scuffle, he told reporters this week the Dubs forward just took things way too far.

"Draymond was wrong," Kerr said. "He knows that. It's a bad look."