New England Patriots

What do Tom Brady and Atlanta strip clubs have in common???

THEY'RE BOTH THE BEST IN THE WORLD!!!

At least, according to Asante Samuel ... who tells TMZ Sports that Brady's still the G.O.A.T. -- and the booty clubs in ATL are too!

We got the ex-Pats DB just a couple days after Brady earned his 9th trip to the Super Bowl ... and Asante couldn't help but gloat about the correct Brady prediction he made to us last month.

"He's still the G.O.A.T. He's the best ever to do it. You can't compare him to nobody ... When it's time to make the play to win the game or the situational plays, he's the G.O.A.T.!"

Then, Asante -- who played 2 seasons for the Falcons -- broke down the strip club scene that fans will be faced with at SB 53 ... and tells us that, like Brady, they're the best too!!!

"The strip club is the main attraction, man. You go in there and see all the booty you want!"

Could Super Bowl Sunday be the last time Rob Gronkowski hits the football field??

His brother, ex-NFL player Chris Gronkowski, says maybe ... 'cause the older Gronk tells TMZ Sports neither he nor the Patriots superstar is sure of Rob's NFL future beyond Feb. 3.

"I couldn't tell you, and I don't even think at this point that he knows what he's going to do after the season."

Gronk's no stranger to retirement rumors ... he's dealt with a TON of serious injuries in his 9-year career -- and even reportedly threatened to walk if he was traded before this season.

But, the dude is only 29 years old ... and is still a beast -- which Chris says people are starting to take note of again now that fantasy football seasons are over.

"If you actually watched him play throughout the year, he was crushing people all year!"

Sooo ... could there be only four more quarters of that in his legendary career???

New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft ain't mincing his words -- saying Tom Brady is the greatest quarterback in the history of the NFL ... period.

Of course, there were reports last week that Brady walked into the Patriots practice facility and declared himself the "baddest mother f*cker on the planet."

So, when we saw Kraft leaving John Jay College in New York we had to ask for his thoughts.

"We're lucky to have the greatest quarterback in history," Kraft said with a smirk on his face.

Earlier in the day, Kraft had teamed up with Jay-Z, Meek Mill and 76ers owner Michael Rubin for an event to launch the Reform Alliance, which is focused on overhauling the probation and parole system in America. The goal is to free 1 million people over the next 5 years.

And, since he's become tight with Meek, we asked if the Pats would be playing Mill's hit, "Dreams and Nightmares," if they win the Super Bowl this year ... to which it sounds like he says, "Of course."

The issue with that ... "Dreams and Nightmares" was essentially the theme song for the Philadelphia Eagles last season (when they beat the Pats in the Super Bowl).

Why do so many people HATE the New England Patriots -- the greatest dynasty in the history of pro sports?

That's the question we posed to Rob Gronkowski's smokin' hot girlfriend, Camille Kostek -- and her answer was simple ... JEALOUSY!

"You hate us 'cause you ain't us," the former Pats cheerleader told us at LAX.

Kostek -- who's also a Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition model -- just got off the plane from Kansas City where she battled freezing temperatures to support the future Hall of Famer ... and told us how the couple celebrated the big win.

So, how does Gronk feel about going to ANOTHER Super Bowl??

"He's amped, he's so pumped," Kostek said while admitting the constant winning NEVER gets old!

As for the big game, Kostek says she's friends with Rams QB Jared Goff -- but that goes out the window on February 3 ...

"All I gotta say is, good luck! I think it's gonna be a great game ... Patriots coming out with a W."

2:00 PM PT --Steiner Sports now tells us the consignor agreed to wave the reserve ... meaning the ball has sold for over $18K.

10:10 AM PT -- Steiner Sports tells us bidding for the "Miami Miracle" ball hit $18K ... but failed to reach the $20,000 reserve price -- so the sale didn't go through.

The football used to sink the New England Patriots in the "Miami Miracle" game earlier this season just sold for $18k at auction ... TMZ Sports has learned.

The pigskin Kenyan Drake famously ran in with no time left on the clock in a Week 14 stunning win over the Pats received plenty of attention -- earning 23 total bids during the Steiner Sports auction.

But ... we're told Kenyan -- who openly pled for fans to give him the game-winning football in a trade for some Dolphins gear and tickets -- wasn't one of the bidders.

Still, the ball could be a great investment for whoever ultimately won it ... it could be one of the only blemishes on what might end up being Tom Brady's last Super Bowl run (then again, who knows with this guy).

Probably worth a little more than some gloves, a jersey and tix -- right, Kenyan??

President Donald Trump only congratulated ONE of the teams that made the Super Bowl on Sunday -- the New England Patriots -- with a special shout-out to his old friend, Tom Brady.

... and it begs the question -- friendsies again?

Of course, Tom and Trump had a friendship that went back years -- Tom even put DT's "Make America Great Again" hat in his locker during the campaign.

But, the two had a big falling out back in 2017 -- Tom didn't go to the White House with the team that year and Trump made no mention of TB12 during his congratulatory remarks.

As we previously reported, Trump felt betrayed by Brady for not standing up for him publicly. In fact, Gisele has publicly stated she and Tom do not support him anymore.

Tom has also disagreed with Trump's criticism of Colin Kaepernick -- saying the comments POTUS has made about NFL kneelers is "just divisive."

But, despite the fallout, Trump typed out Tom's name on Twitter Sunday night -- saying, "Congratulations to Bob Kraft, Bill Belichick, Tom Brady and the entire New England Patriots team on a great game and season. Will be a fantastic Super Bowl!"

No word from Tom yet. We guarantee he'll be asked about it in the lead-up to the Super Bowl.

As for the L.A. Rams -- no love from Prez.

At least, not yet.

Drake has finally realized that if he sides with any one sports team, they'll probably lose -- so he's sending the final 4 NFL squads good vibes by equally cursing all of them.

We're kidding, of course ... and clearly, so is Drizzy. He posted a photo of himself late Saturday night wearing a sweater with patches bearing all four remaining NFL teams --the L.A. Rams, the New England Patriots, the Kansas City Chiefs and the New Orleans Saints.

He captioned his pic ... "For everyone who believes in the Drake curse good luck tmrw."

In case you're unfamiliar ... Drake has a pretty bad streak of supporting teams ... and those teams being doomed with losing records or big losses in general (just ask the University of Alabama's football team, they're his latest victim).

Drake has also supported Kentucky basketball (title-less since 2012), the Toronto Raptors (zero finals appearances), Conor McGregor (who got smashed up by Khabib) and Serena Williams (who lost at Wimbledon last year).

Dana White isn't just a Patriots superfan -- he's friends with Tom Brady -- and tells TMZ Sports he loves that TB12 is "shoving it up all the haters' asses one more time."

A bunch of football experts predicted Brady's demise this season -- saying his skills are falling off and his reign of dominance was finally over.

But, after slaughtering the L.A. Chargers in the playoffs last week, Brady and the Pats are playing in the AFC Championship game against the Chiefs on Sunday ... and White says he LOVES IT!

"Everybody was talking sh*t this year," White said.

"Everybody was talking, 'Oh, he should retire. Oh, the Patriots suck, they can't win a game.' We're heading into another AFC Championship and if we win I think that's 8 straight AFC Championships. And, it's a record and he's going to another Super Bowl."

"So, shut up!! He's shoving it up all the haters' asses one more time and I love it."

Fun fact, Tom Brady became one of the celebrity minority co-owners of the UFC when WME/IMG bought the MMA organization back in 2016 ... so, he and Dana are technically colleagues!

Senator Elizabeth Warren can't hear all the Patriots' haters ... 'cause she's too busy CELEBRATING YET ANOTHER TRIP TO THE AFC CHAMPIONSHIP GAME!!!

We got the biggest New England fan on the Hill out at Reagan Airport when she couldn't help but gloat over Tom Brady's EIGHTH straight trip to the conference championship game.

"Hey, the Pats win!! I know, what can I say?? Talent, talent, talent!!!"

As for all the haters -- the ones who say they're tired of seeing the Pats make it this far EVERY year -- Warren says she's too busy loving New England's success to hear them.

"Come on. Nobody's envious. Everybody loves the Patriots. At least that's what I heard!"

As for if the Pats will pull out the win over the Chiefs on Sunday and advance to their third straight Super Bowl ... Warren says book it right now!!!

"We're going all the way!!!"

10:50 AM PT -- Brady's message is getting Fiddy's stamp of approval ... 'cause the rap star just responded to the shout-out, saying, "Oh sh*t he gonna do it again, he listening to (Many Men) getting his mind right. @tombrady let’s go!!!"

"Many men wish death upon me" -- 50 Cent.

They said he was too old, they said he lost a step ... and now Tom Brady is having the last laugh ... channeling his inner rap star to clap back at the haters after a big playoff win!!

Brady posted a video Monday on Instagram bragging about the 41-28 win over the Chargers -- and punctuated his message with 50's "Many Men."

Specifically, Brady used the hook with the following lyrics directed at his critics:

"Many men wish death upon me. Blood in my eye, dog, and I can't see. I'm trying to be what I'm destined to be, and n****s trying to take my life away."

Yeah, Brady's going gangsta.

Obviously, Brady heard some of the chatter before Sunday's game -- where football pundits were saying he's fallen off and the Pats were screwed.

In his video, Brady said ... "Monday, January 14, it's great to be working on a Monday. Great team win. We're on to Kansas City, baby!! Let's go. LET'S GO!"

Clearly, TB12's got the memory of an elephant ... and is putting all reporters on notice.

Josh Gordon's substance abuse issues run deeper than weed ... so says Dr. Drew, who tells TMZ Sports he believes the WR is dealing with something far more serious than pot.

Gordon announced Thursday he's stepping away from football to focus on his mental health -- but the NFL says he violated the league's substance abuse policy, once again.

Dr. Drew says it just can't be a weed issue that the Patriots WR is dealing with ... telling us Josh is most likely hooked on something much more powerful.

"I'm certain a lot of people think, 'Could this be cannabis? Could this be pot?' There's no way they'd be this harsh with him if it were."

"It's gotta be something more here. What he's talking about and the way he's talking about it, it sounds like he's really struggling with something more serious."

Dr. Drew says he's happy Josh is taking time away from the game to get sober ... but warns if Gordon returns too soon -- it could be dire for the superstar wideout.

"It's a high-risk game for him to be in the NFL. If he returns to work too early, it's definitely a risk to his sobriety."

BTW ... Dr. Drew also ripped the NFL for it's handling of players with mental illnesses -- telling us Roger Goodell and co. need to learn a lesson from the NBA.

Ron Jaworski says it's evident Tom Brady's in decline ... 'cause the football analyst says it's obvious the Patriots legend has lost strength in his throwing arm.

"Watching tape and watching games on TV, I think there's a little bit lost in his fastball," Jaws tells TMZ Sports.

The ex-Eagles QB says it's most apparent when Brady throws the deeper balls -- 'cause Ron is seeing a whole lot more rainbow passes than TB12's normal line drives.

"He's missing throws that I see him normally make ... I think at this point -- and it shouldn't be shocking -- he's losing a little bit of his fastball."

Jaws tells us Brady's decline is only ONE of the reasons the panic button needs to be pressed in New England ... 'cause Ron's got major concerns about the roster overall.

"I think Bill [Belichick] probably misplayed a few of his hands in building this football team."

Good news for the Pats?? They end their season with two of the worst teams in football -- the Bills and the Jets.

So, even if dynasty's coming to an end -- 11-5 ain't the worst way to go out, right??

Everybody in New England, chill ... 'cause Tom Brady is NOT in decline and the Patriots are STILL the favorites to win the Super Bowl -- so says Asante Samuel.

Of course, the ex-Pats corner is biased ... dude played with TB12 and Bill Belichick for five seasons -- but he says Tom's been just too good for too long to write him off now.

"It's never the end of a dynasty as long as they've got TB," Samuel tells TMZ Sports ... "TB is the man!"

There ain't a lot of NFL experts that would agree right now ... New England's lost two in a row and is in danger of not having a playoff bye for the first time since 2009.

But, Samuel says it's gonna be all right ... 'cause No. 12 is still under center.

"Tom has never let me down as a fan of him. And, I would imagine he's never let any other fans down. So, you just keep believing in him."

In fact ... Samuel is so confident in the G.O.A.T. -- he tells us he's still putting his money on New England to win the Super Bowl in February!!!

Bill Belichick says Josh Gordon's departure from the Patriots is "an unfortunate situation" ... and the coach is hoping his troubled wideout is able to handle his issues going forward.

"Personally, I wish him the very best as we all do on this team," Bill told reporters Friday.

Gordon announced Thursday he was stepping away from the Pats to focus on his mental health ... just minutes before the NFL announced he violated the league's substance abuse policy once again.

Belichick declined to get into specifics of Gordon's problems with media members -- callin' it, "a private matter" -- but repeated he hopes the WR gets the help he needs.

"I hope that he's able to deal with it successfully," Belichick said.

As for if the Pats will continue to help Josh while he's away from the team ... Bill said, "We're going to get ready for Buffalo and play Buffalo on Sunday."

The Patriots traded for Gordon earlier in the season after the Cleveland Browns decided to cut bait. Over the years, Gordon had been suspended multiple times for substance abuse issues.

But, the final straw for Cleveland was when Gordon suffered an injury in Sept. while shooting a promotional video.

7:21 AM PT -- The Patriots just issued a statement saying, "We support Josh Gordon in his continued efforts to focus on his health."

They added, "His attempt to do so is a private and personal matter, which we intend to respect."

6:43 AM PT -- More sad news regarding Gordon ... NFL.com's Tom Pelissero is reporting Gordon violated the league's substance abuse policy and now faces a suspension.

Unclear of how Gordon failed a test -- or failed to show up to take a test. Either way, it's bad.

And, with Gordon's history of failed drug tests during his NFL career, this won't be a slap on the wrist punishment.

He's already missed the entire 2015 and 2016 NFL seasons for substance abuse issues. Unclear what he's facing this time around.

Josh Gordon is leaving the New England Patriots -- at least, for now -- with the star wide receiver saying he needs to focus on his mental health.

"I take my mental health very seriously at this point to ensure I remain able to perform at the highest level," Gordon said in a statement.

"I have recently felt like I could have a better grasp on things mentally."

"With that said, I will be stepping away from the football field for a bit to focus on my mental health."

"I would like to thank Coach Belichick, Mr. Kraft, as well as countless others within the Patriots organization for their continued support."

"I want to thank my fans for their support as well as I continue down the path getting back to 100%."

This is not the first time Gordon has taken a break from football -- the 27-year-old has battled substance abuse issues and has pressed pause on his career to get treatment.

In fact, before the 2018 season -- when Gordon was still a member of the Cleveland Browns -- he trained privately away from the team so he could focus on his well-being.

When he rejoined the Browns, the reunion didn't last long -- he suffered an injury in September during a promotional video shoot -- and the team quickly traded him to New England.

When healthy, Gordon has proven to be a force in the NFL -- and made some key plays for the Patriots throughout the 2018 season. He's already caught 40 balls and 3 TDs for the Pats in 11 games.

Now, with 2 games left -- and playoff seeding on the line -- the Pats will be without Gordon. And, that's a big deal.

Story developing ...

James Harrison says it ain't just Big Ben and the Steelers' D causing problems in Pittsburgh ... 'cause the legendary LB tells TMZ Sports it's time start pointing fingers at Mike Tomlin as well.

"I think now, a lot of it has to be put on to what the game plan is -- the coaching."

Tomlin's been Teflon in Pitt -- the dude does have a Super Bowl ring -- but a lot of people ... including Terry Bradshaw himself ... have grown tired of seein' him as head man.

Doesn't seem James is quite at that point yet -- but the ex-Steeler does tell us the coaching DEFINITELY needs to improve if Pittsburgh wants to end its 3-game losing skid.

"Now it's actually where you gotta kick it in -- and EVERYBODY has to be held accountable. From the top down."

Tomlin and the staff better get going quickly ... the Steelers have Tom Brady and Bill Belichick this week.