Minnesota Vikings

Some football fans are convinced Travis Kelce went down with an injury Sunday all because Taylor Swift wasn't in the crowd.

In case ya missed it, TK lost his footing on Sunday while the Kansas City Chiefs were up against the Minnesota Vikings ... injuring his ankle after catching a short pass from QB Patrick Mahomes.

While Travis later returned -- and even secured a touchdown -- fans couldn't help but point out Taylor's absence as the reason why he got hurt mid-game.

Folks online chimed in on the so-called "Taylor Swift Curse," with some even calling her impact on Travis the new Madden curse -- a reference to the bad luck that would come to the player who ends up on the cover of the Madden video game each year.

BTW, Swifties quickly came to Taylor's defense, saying the singer wasn't to blame for Travis' ankle mishap ... claiming the artificial turf might've been the culprit instead.

That seemed to get sports fans back on board with Taylor's impact -- with some hoping the uproar would result in the removal of artificial turf on the field.

2:16 PM PT -- Está confirmado, Taylor se ha saltado el partido de hoy. Jim Nantz acaba de decir: "En caso de que te lo estés preguntando, las siete palabras que nunca pensé que saldrían de mis labios en mi carrera, "Taylor Swift no está en el partido". Acabo de ver a algunas personas con el corazón roto en las gradas. Hubo especulación sobre si Taylor iba a asistir hoy, pero parece que oficialmente podemos darla por ausente".

Taylor Swift no voló a Minneapolis este fin de semana para ver jugar a Travis Kelce.

El ala cerrada de los Chiefs está jugando contra los Vikings y es un partido en otro estado, por lo que él y sus compañeros disfrutarán de la brisa de Minnesota. La emisión comenzó y no había señales de Taylor en ningún lugar.

No hay registros de ella en ningún palco privado (como ha sido habitual el último par de semanas). En otras palabras, ella no está allí Swfties.

Eso no impidió que los locutores mencionaran a TayTay de todas formas. Una vez que Travis se mostró en el campo, dijeron que su puntal se asemejaba al de un "paseo Swift" y la mencionaron una vez más un poco más tarde durante el calentamiento.

Uno de los locutores dijo: "Basta de hablar de Taylor Swift, ¿de acuerdo? Este tipo es el mejor tight end en todo el fútbol y está mostrando ser un excelente jugador cada semana".

El propio Travis ha dicho que ya era suficiente de todo este alboroto y que la NFL necesitaba parar.

2:16 PM PT -- It's confirmed, Taylor skipped today's game. Jim Nantz just said, "In case you’re wondering, the seven words i never thought would leave my lips in my career, 'Taylor Swift is not at the game.' There are some broken hearted people I just saw in the stands. She was questionable all week, but it looks like it’s officially inactive for today."

Taylor Swift wasn't about to fly to Minneapolis this weekend to see Travis Kelce play -- which is now obvious in the fact that she's apparently nowhere to be found in the stands.

The Chiefs tight end is playing against the Vikings Sunday, and it's an away game ... so him and his teammates are out in breezy Minnesota here. As the broadcast began, there was no sign of Taylor anywhere -- nor was there any reporting of her being at U.S. Bank Stadium.

Of course, once kickoff got underway ... no cameras panned to her in a private box the way they've been doing for the past couple weeks. In other words, she ain't there, Swfties.

That didn't prevent the announcers from name-dropping TayTay -- they just couldn't help themselves. Once TK was shown walking onto the field, they said his strut resembled that of a "Swift walk" ... and they mentioned her once more a bit later during warmups.

One of the broadcasters said, "There's Travis Kelce, enough of the Taylor Swift talk, ok? this guy is the best tight end in all of football and he's showing up big for his team every week."

That's a little shady -- but by the same token, it reflects what Travis himself has said about all the hubbub ... namely, that it was enough already and the NFL needed to give it a rest.

Many might feel the same ... but the league's been loving all the hype, as have the TV networks that were lucky enough to carry her games. CBS kinda got screwed today ... darn.

Taylor Swift tiene la oportunidad de hacer tres viajes consecutivos para ver los partidos de Travis Kelce, y el alcalde de Minneapolis está liderando la campaña para que eso se haga realidad este próximo fin de semana, según ha indagado TMZ.

El alcalde Jacob Frey nos dice que él y la ciudad están listos para recibir a TayTay con los brazos abiertos este domingo, que es cuando los Kansas City Chiefs enfrentan a los Minnesota Vikings en un partido por la tarde. Él incluso tiene un mensaje para animarla.

Frey dice: "Todos sabemos muy bien el positivo impacto que tiene Taylor Swift en las ciudades que visita. Minneapolis no es una excepción".

El alcalde tiene buenos recuerdos de su presentación en Minneapolis a principios de este año y añade: "Sus dos conciertos agotaron entradas en el U.S. Bank Stadium en junio y nos llevaron a tener un récord de turistas ese fin de semana, con hoteles y restaurantes del centro repletos, impulsando nuestra economía más allá de lo que imaginábamos".

Por ese motivo, Frey tiene los dedos cruzados: "Si Taylor decide volver a Minneapolis (a veces conocido como Swiftieapolis) este fin de semana, estaremos listos para recibirla. Es posible que tenga que consolar a Travis Kelce después de que los Vikings le ganen a los Chiefs, pero hay un montón de sitios para salir en la ciudad y subirle el ánimo".

Que conste que lo de Swiftieapolis es real. La ciudad literalmente cambió de nombre, aunque solo haya sido por un corto tiempo, así que sí... con su claro conocimiento de la discografía de Taylor es justo decir que el alcalde es un verdadero Swiftie.

La verdad es que cada ciudad de la NFL se sentiría de la misma manera. Taylor ha demostrado que puede atraer audiencias masivas, en términos de atención de los medios y el gasto de los consumidores a través de múltiples industrias, lo que por lo general se traduce en más tráfico y, a menudo, más dinero también.

Los dos partidos de la NFL en los que ha asistido han sido un éxito de audiencia para Fox y NBC, las cadenas que los han televisado. La próxima semana es el turno de la CBS y parece que el alcalde Frey quiere entrar en acción también.

Taylor Swift has a chance to make it 3 consecutive trips to see Travis Kelce's games, and the Mayor of Minneapolis is leading the cheers for her to do so this coming weekend ... TMZ has learned.

Mayor Jacob Frey tells us he and the rest of the city are ready to welcome TayTay with open arms this Sunday, which is when the Kansas City Chiefs play the Minnesota Vikings for an afternoon match-up -- he even has an on-the-nose message to encourage her.

Frey says, "We know All Too Well the positive impact Taylor Swift has on the cities she visits -- Minneapolis is no exception."

The Mayor has fond memories of her tour stop in Minneapolis earlier this year, adding ... "Her two, sold-out concerts at U.S. Bank Stadium in June led to a record-setting tourism weekend including booked-up hotels and packed downtown restaurants... boosting our local economy beyond our Wildest Dreams."

Here's how you know Mayor Frey has his fingers crossed ... "If Taylor chooses to come back to Minneapolis [sometimes known as Swiftieapolis] this weekend, we’ll be Ready For It. It’s possible she will have to console Travis Kelce after the Vikings beat the Chiefs, but there are plenty of great spots across town for them to go on a date and lift their spirits!"

FWIW, the Swiftieapolis thing is real ... they literally changed city's name (if only for a short time), so yeah -- with his clear knowledge of Taylor's catalog -- it's fair to say Hizzoner's a full on Swiftie.

Fact is, every NFL city would feel this way ... as Taylor's proven to have massive appeal in terms of media attention, and consumer spending across multiple industries, that usually translates to more traffic ... and oftentimes, more moolah, too.

The 2 NFL games she's attended have turned out to be a ratings bonanza for Fox and NBC, the networks that televised them. Next week, it's CBS's turn and it sounds like Mayor Frey wants to get in on the action as well.

Vikings star Byron Murphy says he's got a plan to get inside Travis Kelce's head this week ... and it includes Taylor Swift trash talk!!

The Minnesota cornerback told ESPN he's going to use some Swift quips when Kelce and the Chiefs come into town on Sunday in order to rile up the K.C. star tight end.

"I'm going to say something to him to get him going," Murphy said on Monday.

The 25-year-old, though, was otherwise complimentary of the "Love Story" singer ... saying he actually hopes she's in attendance for the big game.

"We're locked in, but that would be something," he admitted. "I've been watching her since I was a kid. That would be cool for sure."

But, if she does show, Murphy reiterated he's going to try to make things extremely difficult for her new beau on the field.

"We're going to try to get our hands on him in front of her," Murphy said.

It's not yet clear if Swift has plans to hit U.S. Bank Stadium to watch Kelce play ... although it's certainly not out of the realm of possibility, considering she traveled to Kansas City last week to catch his game before heading out to New Jersey on Sunday night to see him play against the Jets.

Vikings star Alexander Mattison says over 60 people sent him disturbing messages following his game Thursday night ... revealing some contained disgusting racial slurs.

The Minnesota tailback said the notes poured into his Instagram message box shortly after he had a down game in the Vikes' 34-28 loss to the Eagles in Philadelphia.

He shared screenshots of two of the DMs on his IG stories -- and, in both, you can read he was called the N-word. The writers also told Mattison he should die by suicide.

The 25-year-old said the words really affected him ... writing in a caption on the screen grabs "this s*** is unacceptable."

"Under my helmet, I am a human," he said. "A father.. A son. This is sick. SMH."

Mattison took over the Vikings' starting running back reins this year following Dalvin Cook's offseason departure ... but through two games so far, he's totaled just 83 combined receiving and rushing yards -- and in Thursday night's defeat, he lost a fumble.

Mattison explained on his social media page that he's OK with people telling him "you suck" over his play on the field ... but he said the latest batch of messages just simply crossed a line.

"SMFH," he wrote. "This is not OK."

Since he shared the screen grabs, several fans have rushed to the comment section on his most recent post to send words of encouragement.

Mattison and the Vikings play next on Sept. 24 against the Chargers.

It ain't Ja'Marr Chase, Tyreek Hill or Cooper Kupp ... no, Randy Moss tells TMZ Sports the NFL's best wide receiver is none other than Justin Jefferson!!

The NFL legend heaped the praise on the Minnesota Vikings star this week ... calling him straight up, "the No. 1 wide receiver in the National Football League."

Of course, there aren't too many who'd disagree ... Jefferson, after all, has piled up a staggering 4,825 receiving yards and 25 receiving TDs in just 50 career games.

Then again, Chase, Hill, Kupp, Davante Adams and even guys CeeDee Lamb and A.J. Brown have been pretty good themselves.

Still, Moss made it clear Jefferson's his guy ... though he is at least somewhat concerned about what the loss of Dalvin Cook could do to the receiver's production this year.

"If there's anything that I have in question for the Minnesota Vikings and Justin Jefferson moving forward," Moss said, "It's what Dalvin Cook meant to that running game and the play-action passing game for Kirk Cousins and that offense."

"So," he continued, "I think that if they can move past Dalvin Cook still bringing that safety down in that box, it's still going to be just big numbers being put up by Jefferson."

Randy Moss worked a shift at his new restaurant over the weekend ... doling out so much chicken and donuts to a massive crowd, it's safe to say he made a whole lot of straight cash, homie!!!

The NFL legend appeared at the grand opening of his new Chick-A-Boom restaurant in Philadelphia ... and he personally made sure his product got into the hands of as many people in the City of Brotherly Love as possible.

The former Minnesota Vikings wideout put on an apron and worked a full shift ... glazing donuts, frying up chicken -- and even signing some autographs for some fans who showed him big love.

Moss actually got into the restaurant biz back during the pandemic ... when he liked the chicken-and-waffle product his business partner, Brittany Tolliferreo, was selling at the time.

Now, after opening the Philly spot with Tolliferreo by his side ... Moss tells TMZ Sports he's got further plans to bring the food to his home state of West Virginia and more.

As for his favorite dish at the place ... he tells us the sweet Thai chili chicken sandwich is his favorite -- and, yes, he plans on making a signature combo meal out of it at some point.

"The 'You've Been Sauced!' combo or something," he said. "We just gotta figure out a name for it!"

Jordan Addison is fast on the field and apparently off of it too ... 'cause TMZ Sports has confirmed the new Vikings star was cited by cops on Thursday morning after they say he was going nearly 100 MPH over the speed limit.

According to the Minnesota State Patrol ... the first-round pick was spotted doing 140 MPH in a 55 MPH zone while traveling in his Lamborghini Urus on Interstate 94 near Minneapolis at around 3:07 AM.

Cops say after they pulled over the 21-year-old ... they issued him a citation for speed and reckless driving. They added officers faced no resistance from the former USC star during the stop.

"This remains an open investigation," MSP officials said.

The Vikings, meanwhile, said Thursday afternoon, "We are aware of last night's traffic incident involving Jordan Addison and are gathering additional information."

WWE wrestler Roman Reigns' poppin' looks have been dominating the spotlight since 2010, and they are "spot" on!

Here's a 21-year-old version of the then broad-shouldered Minnesota Vikings player posing for his headshot in Minneapolis, Minnesota back in 2007 (left). This was just three years before signing with the WWE.

Looking sweaty and ready ... "The Tribal Chief" -- now 37 years old and a whopping 265 pounds -- recently took on Kevin Owens during the WWE Royal Rumble event in San Antonio, Texas (right).

The current Undisputed WWE Universal Champion will go up against 2023 Men's Royal Rumble winner Cody Rhodes at this year's WrestleMania 39 ... Take the reins, Reigns!

The question here is ...

MTV's "The Challenge" star Nelson Thomas' GoFundMe is getting some serious support after his car crash, and some of the donations are coming from fellow reality stars.

The charity campaign quickly picked up steam after going live earlier this week -- and reality TV fans will definitely recognize some of the names chipping in with funds. Nurys Mateo and Tori Deal, who both starred on "The Challenge," dropped $1K each ... while Mark Long and Corey Lay from the series also ante'd up donations.

Outside of Nelson's 'Challenge' crew ... Nicholas Maccarone from "Big Brother" chipped in $250, "Wild 'N Out" star Justina Valentine gave $500, as did Maria Menounos.

Zak Longo from MTV's "Are You the One?" gave $5K ... moving the campaign closer to its $200k goal.

As we reported, Nelson was injured in a fiery crash in Austin, TX earlier this month. Minnesota Vikings receiver K.J. Osborn and a few others were able to rescue him from the wreckage.

Nelson ended up in pretty bad shape -- he showed some of his cuts and burns from his hospital bed, saying he's doing better but has a ways to go.

It ain't Tyreek Hill, Davante Adams or Stefon Diggs -- no, according to Adam Thielen ... the best receiver in the NFL is Justin Jefferson!!

The Minnesota Vikings star showered his teammate with praise to TMZ Sports outside of the Super Bowl earlier this month ... saying Jefferson is, indeed, the top wideout in the game today.

"For sure," Thielen said.

The 32-year-old is a bit biased -- he's played alongside Jefferson the last three seasons and has gotten open numerous times due to coverage rolling the young star's way -- but there won't be too many people arguing against him.

Jefferson tallied 128 catches for 1,809 yards and eight TDs in the 2022 season ... more than any other receiver in the league. He also earned All-Pro honors ... and his third straight selection to the NFL's Pro Bowl.

A Jimmy John's employee hilariously trolled former Lions QB Dan Orlovsky for notoriously running out of the back of the end zone during a game 14+ years ago ... reminding him of the gaffe while the analyst simply attempted to order lunch.

It was 2008 ... Orvlosky was the quarterback in Detroit, and the Lions were on the road in Minnesota, playing the Vikings at Mall of America Field.

Orlovsky and the Lions were backed up in their own territory. Orlovsky dropped back to pass, but was pressured by star DT Jared Allen, who began chasing Dan.

Orlovsky panicked once he saw Allen pursuing, and proceeded to run out of the back of the end zone, resulting in a safety, and giving birth to one of the funniest plays in NFL history.

On Monday, ESPN's Laura Rutledge posted video of Orlovsky being trolled ... saying someone at the popular sandwich chain, Jimmy John's, rehashed the iconic (or painful, if you're Dan) moment.

"Watch out for the back of the end zone," the sandwich's packaging read, much to Dan's chagrin. "How they gonna do our guy like that," Laura asked jokingly.

Meanwhile, Dan's other colleague, Mina Kimes, seemed to think the troll job was hysterical.

To his credit, Orlovsky did crack a smile ... and also got the last laugh, clapping back ... "I like Subway better."

Several New York Giants players and the team's announcer were inside the Mall of America Friday night when a 19-year-old man was shot and killed -- forcing the mall into lockdown -- just hours before the team was scheduled to play the Minnesota Vikings on Saturday.

Thankfully, all Giants team personnel are safe.

The Giants are staying across the street from the famous mall ... and a group of players headed over to do some shopping Friday night.

According to Bloomington police, there was an altercation between two groups of men before gunfire erupted around 7:50 PM in Nordstrom. The teenage victim was hit multiple times and did not survive.

Following the shooting, the gigantic mall, busy with last-minute Christmas shoppers, was placed on lockdown.

"Everyone is back in the hotel and accounted for now," Giants PR man Pat Hanlon told the AP.

The identity of the players who were at the mall isn't known. It's also unclear how many Giants were on the premises when the shooting happened.

Bob Papa, longtime Giants radio announcer, was also at MoA Friday night.

Papa tweeted, "Scary here [at Mall of America]. Shooting in mall. On lockdown at #TwinCitiesGrill. Two gunmen at least one victim," before sending out an update about an hour later where Bob reassured his followers he was safely out of the mall.

Police have not yet made any arrests.

It's the most wonderful time of the year ... and Isaiah Rodgers is certainly ready for it -- 'cause the Colts defensive back has copped some amazing light-up Rudolph and Santa cleats!!

TMZ Sports has learned the Indy star wanted to be decked out for the Colts' game against the Vikings on Saturday ... and reached out to cleat artist Rodney Jackson to get some Xmas-themed feet heat made.

Jackson -- who's been Rodgers' go-to shoe guy for several seasons -- tells us they both decided to go with the two most iconic Christmas characters for the spikes ... and they came out great.

The left cleat, featuring Santa, is wrapped in red velvet with white fur all over it.

The right shoe -- which comes with jingle bells -- has Rudolph's face painted on the toe with the bonus of a very shiny nose that lights up.

It wasn't an easy project ... Jackson told us it took two days to put the Nike cleats together -- from wiring the lights into the spikes to making Santa's beard on his own.