NY Giants

Eli Manning is going from football to futbol -- the two-time Super Bowl champ just revealed he's officially joining the NJ/NY Gotham FC ownership group.

The former NY Giants superstar was formally introduced as one of the club's newest minority owners on Wednesday ... alongside current Giants exec Pete Guelli, who's also taking a slice of the franchise.

Manning explained his reasoning behind the business move -- saying it made complete sense.

"I have lived and worked in this community for almost two decades," said Manning, who played his entire career with the G Men. "It's home to me, and Gotham FC is my family's favorite soccer club."

"Combine that with the organization's strong leadership, talented roster, and sustained growth, and it became clear that joining this great group was a fantastic opportunity."

Gotham FC chair Tammy Murphy is excited about bringing Manning on board ... saying, "Eli is known for the positive and influential impact he has on our communities."

"His legendary work ethic, drive for success, and passion for giving back to the community will be tremendous assets for our club."

Gotham FC exec Ed Nalbandian also lauded the new additions ... saying, "Having two people with track records like Eli and Pete recognize the value of our club and the strength of our brand speaks volumes about Gotham FC's upward trajectory."

"Their investment, influence, and additional resources will allow us to be even more successful on and off the field."

Manning and Guelli join big names like Kevin Durant and Carli Lloyd ... who also recently joined the ownership group.

Manning -- who spent 16 seasons with the Giants -- retired from the NFL after the 2019 season, but it's clear Eli still has a soft spot for the area.

Getting the New York Giants' #5 jersey number from Graham Gano cost Kayvon Thibodeaux a whopping $50K ... but don't worry, the kicker said the cash is on its way to a VERY good cause!!!

Here's the deal ... Gano has worn the NY #5 since 2020, but after Thibodeaux was picked in the first round of the NFL Draft -- the star rookie wanted it badly.

After all, the 6-foot-4 pass rusher wore it when he starred for the Oregon Ducks from 2019 to 2021 -- AND he was also the #5 overall pick in last month's draft.

So, Gano cut an agreement with the former All-American ... send $50K to Puppies Behind Bars -- an org. that "trains incarcerated individuals to raise service dogs for wounded war veterans and first responders" -- and the jersey is yours.

Thibodeaux apparently gladly cut the check -- 'cause Gano is wearing #9 now.

"The whole idea behind the number five being special to myself and being special to Kayvon was being able to help five people get the five dogs and be able to make an impact in five people's lives for the better," Gano said.

"While it is special to me as well, there's a whole lot of meaning in that No. 5 to him."

Gano added, "I just wanted to be a good teammate and also be able to support others throughout the whole process."

So, the 35-year-old kicker -- who set a franchise record with three 50-yard plus field goals against the Cowboys in the 2020 season -- will wear #9 ... for the time being.

"I can be No. 9 and maybe in 10-15 years when he retires and I'm still kicking, I can get No. 5 back," Gano joked.

It ain't ranch, blue cheese or honey mustard ... no, the best sauce in the world, according to New York Jets top pick Ahmad "Sauce" Gardner, is BBQ!!!

Gardner dubbed the sweet, tangy dip #1 to TMZ Sports shortly after he was selected with the fourth overall pick in Thursday night's NFL draft ... but he insisted that he does like "all" of the sauces.

When it comes to the heat category ... Ahmad tells us he loves hot sauces, too -- and watch the clip, he revealed his favorite one to us as well.

As for why he's so closely associated with sauces ... Gardner, widely considered the best cornerback prospect in this weekend's draft, said he got the nickname "Sauce" from a youth football coach back in the day.

The 21-year-old said that he was so smooth and quick, his coach called him "A1 Sauce Sweet Feet Gardner." It was later shortened to just "Sauce."

Turns out, Ahmad is a huge fan of dipping sauces too -- and thus, the nickname has stuck for over a decade.

Future NY Giants star Kayvon Thibodeaux was shinin' brighter than the Las Vegas lights -- with this insane 40-carat diamond pendant the DE rocked while being drafted 5th overall by the G-Men.

Jeweler Saki Diamonds tells TMZ Sports he made KT the iced out chain to honor his "Jream" (pronounced dream) foundation ... where Kayvon helps underprivileged kids.

"It meant a lot to me," Saki, a former football coach (before he switch professions), told us.

The pendant looks just like the Jream logo ... with a little boy reaching for the stars in the cloudy sky. It's filled with 40 carats of canary yellow, black and white VVS diamonds.

And, if the piece wasn't cool enough ... the chain and pendant are both reversible!

"He can have 4 different looks in one chain and pendant," Saki said.

Saki says it also glows in the dark ... "when the lights go off on the pendant, you still see the clouds and the stars."

The Jacksonville jeweler says the 1st round pick came up with the idea and it took two weeks to get the piece ready for his big night.

Kayvon wasn't the only athlete wearing Saki's work at the draft ... former Georgia Bulldog Nakobe Dean copped an iced-out rose gold Cuban link chain and a two-tone Cuban bracelet.

Garrett Wilson -- who went 10th overall to the NY Jets -- was also seen rockin' a Saltwater Akoya pearl necklace and Cartier shades.

Saki -- whose client list ranges from NFL's Marlon Mack to Za'Darius Smith -- says it's an honor they chose him to put something together for a life-changing moment.

Daniel Jones, are you ready?!?

Kayvon Thibodeaux and Evan Neal -- the New York Giants' top picks in the 2022 NFL Draft -- tell TMZ Sports they can't wait to get started and work towards bringing a Super Bowl back to the Big Apple!!

The Giants were able to snag some of the best athletes in the draft class in the first round on Thursday ... using the #5 pick on Thibodeaux, the edge rusher out of Oregon.

The #7 pick was used to get Neal, the offensive tackle out of Alabama ... a must-have for Jones, who's been punished in the last three seasons with a struggling offensive line.

The stats don't lie -- since 2019, Danny's been sacked 105 times, has 29 interceptions and 36 fumbles ... and let's not forget the infamous fall (although that's not the O-line's fault).

But, that could all change soon ... 'cause we asked Neal if he's gonna keep the 24-year-old QB safe from now on, and he hit us with an, "Oh, yeah!"

"I'm going out there and working my hardest to be the absolute best player that I can be."

And, Thibodeaux -- who won 2020's Morris Trophy as the best defensive lineman in the Pac-12 -- wants to add another Lombardi Trophy in MetLife Stadium's display case ... and has a message for DJ.

"It's time," Thibs said. "We're ready to work!"

The Giants are adamant Brian Flores is flat out wrong -- insisting they did NOT decide to hire Brian Daboll before the ex-Dolphins coach was interviewed -- and claiming Bill Belichick had no idea who NY was hiring.

"After we interviewed six exceptional and diverse candidates, the decision on who we would hire as head coach was made on the evening of January 28, one day after Mr. Flores spent an entire day in our offices going through his second interview for the position, meeting with ownership and other staff members, and receiving a tour of our facility," the team said in a statement.

The date's important because the crux of the lawsuit is ... did Flores have a legit shot at landing the G-Men job, or was he given a sham interview to satisfy the NFL's Rooney Rule (it says teams must interview a minority candidate in person prior to making a hire.)

The 40-year-old former Dolphins head coach filed a lawsuit on Tuesday, alleging the league's hiring practices were racist.

And, Flores says he has proof ... a text from Belichick.

We broke the story ... BB sent a message to Flores on January 23, telling his former assistant coach the NYG liked him for the job.

Unfortunately for BF, Bill either texted the wrong person (he meant to send to Daboll, the man who was ultimately hired), or he misunderstood the info he was told.

"The allegation that the Giants' decision had been made prior to Friday evening, January 28, is false. And to base that allegation on a text exchange with Bill Belichick in which he ultimately states that he 'thinks' Brian Daboll would get the job is irresponsible."

The team continued ... "The text exchange occurred the day before Coach Daboll's in-person interview even took place. Giants’ ownership would never hire a head coach based only on a 20-minute zoom interview, which is all that Mr. Daboll had at that point."

Not to mention, the Giants say Belichick has no affiliation with the organization, and played no part in the hiring process.

"Mr. Belichick does not speak for and has no affiliation with the Giants. Mr. Belichick’s text exchange provides no insight into what actually transpired during our head coaching search."

In other words, it doesn't matter what Bill texted, according to the team.

Bottom line -- the Giants are adamant they did absolutely nothing wrong.

Ex-Miami Dolphins head coach Brian Flores is adamant he still wants a job in the NFL ... but understands his scathing lawsuit against the league could damage his chances at ever getting a gig again.

Flores -- who's suing the NFL and 3 teams over alleged racist hiring practices -- opened up in an interview with "CBS Mornings" on Wednesday ... saying his legal action is about much more than his career.

"I love coaching, I'm gifted to coach, I know that," Flores said. "The relationships I built with players, coaches, support staff, I'm gifted to coach, I love coaching and I want to coach ... This is bigger than coaching. This is much bigger than coaching."

Flores said he contacted the other 2 teams he's still interviewing with for an HC job -- the Texans and Saints -- and gave them a heads up about the lawsuit ... and added if given the opportunity, he would still happily lead an NFL team again.

"I understand the risks, and yes, it was a difficult decision," he said. "I went back and forth."

When asked about comparing the NFL to a "plantation" ... Flores explained he knew it was time to leave a lasting impact on the league.

"We didn't have to file a lawsuit for the world to know that there's a problem from a hiring standpoint in regards to minority coaches in the National Football League. The numbers speak for themselves. We filed a lawsuit so that we could create some change and that's important to me."

"I think we're at a fork in the road right now -- we're either going to keep it the way it is, or we're going to go in another direction and actually make some real change where we're actually changing the hearts and minds of those who make decisions to hire head coaches, executives, etc."

As we reported, Flores filed his lawsuit after he said he received texts from Patriots head coach Bill Belichick that revealed the New York Giants decided to hire Brian Daboll before ever giving him the chance to interview for the job.

Flores felt like he was only being interviewed to satisfy the league's Rooney Rule, which requires teams to interview a minority candidate when a head coaching job opens up.

Flores also appeared on ESPN's "Get Up" just minutes ago ... saying he's willing to sacrifice his career to make a serious difference in the league.

"If I never coach again and there's change," he said, "it will be worth it."

Brian Flores is going scorched earth on the NFL and New York Giants ... filing an explosive lawsuit where the former Dolphins head coach alleges the team's hiring practices were rooted in racism, and he claims a text from Bill Belichick proves it.

The 40-year-old coach filed the class action lawsuit through attorneys Douglas H. Wigdor, Michael J. Willemin, David E. Gottlieb in district court in New York on Tuesday ... and it's shocking.

Flores says he received a text from his former boss and Patriots head coach days before he interviewed with the Giants. During the conversation, Flores says BB congratulated him on landing the new gig.

BF was confused by the comment because he had yet to go in for his scheduled interview, and asked Bill if he had an inside track to their decision.

Belichick eventually admits he misread the information he received ... and tells Flores it was actually a different Brian -- Brian Daboll -- who landed the Giants job.

Flores insists this is proof he was only brought in for an interview to satisfy the Rooney Rule -- which requires teams to interview a minority candidate when a head coaching job opens up.

FYI, Flores and Daboll both worked together under Belichick in New England.

BF claims he was then "forced to sit through a dinner" with new Giants GM Joe Schoen despite "knowing that the Giants had already selected Mr. Daboll."

And Flores says this wasn't the first time he's been subjected to a "sham interview that was held only in an effort to comply with the Rooney Rule."

The fired coach says he interviewed with then-Broncos general manager John Elway and other Denver execs in 2019 ... however, Brian says "it was clear from the substance of the interview that Mr. Flores was interviewed only because of the Rooney Rule."

Flores also claims Elway and the other Broncos execs showed up an hour late for the interview and "looked completely disheveled, and it was obvious that they had drinking heavily the night before."

Brian -- who points out there's only 1 Black head coach (Mike Tomlin) and 6 GMs -- is suing on the behalf of all prospective Black coaches and front office employees.

Flores is asking the court to fix the NFL's alleged discriminatory hiring practices, in addition to damages.

There's more ... Flores also accuses Dolphins owner Stephen Ross of offering to pay him $100K per loss -- in an effort to tank the season and get a better draft pick.

Flores says when he refused to play ball, he was labeled as being difficult to work with, and ultimately fired.

"This is reflective of an all too familiar 'angry Black man' stigma that is often casted upon Black men who are strong in their morals and convictions while white men are coined as passionate for those very same attributes," the lawsuit reads.

Flores -- who is currently without a coaching gig -- understands the lawsuit could possibly prevent him from landing a job in the future.

"God has gifted me with a special talent to coach the game of football, but the
need for change is bigger than my personal goals," Flores said in a statement released by his lawyers.

Forget ice cream and movies ... Joe Judge is getting over his New York Giants breakup with beer and pizza -- and a whole hell of a lot of it!!!

The former G-Men head coach -- who was canned on Tuesday following two abysmal seasons with the team -- ordered a boatload of 'za and suds to his New Jersey home on Wednesday, presumably to help drown out his newfound sorrows.

Pictures, taken by a photo agency, show the newly unemployed 40-year-old had nine boxes of pizza as well as several cases of Michelob Ultra and Coors Light delivered to his place. We're also told Judge had flowers arrive on his doorstep as well.

No word yet on if anyone is joining Judge in the pity party -- or if the massive amounts of food and booze are strictly for Judge.

But, if the latter is the case, and it seems excessive -- it quite frankly might not be.

Judge had a brutal two-year stretch as head man of the Giants -- going 10-23 -- and things got so bad, New York co-owner John Mara said Wednesday this year was his "lowest moment" with the team.

Sterling Shepard is saying goodbye to his man cave ... at least while his divorce from Victoria's Secret model Chanel Iman is being hashed out in court ... we've learned she'll be staying put in the family home, and he's moving his stuff out.

According to new legal docs obtained by TMZ ... Chanel gets sole use of their pad in New Jersey as the divorce winds its way through the court, and he had to remove his personal items from the home, which will now occupy his bachelor pad.

Get a load of the items the New York Giants star had to pack up and ship out ... in addition to his wardrobe and bling, the haul includes his gaming systems, ping pong table, sauna, red light therapy system, all framed and loose football jerseys, plus a projection TV and couch from the basement, a computer and his KAWS dolls.

The docs say Sterling also moved out a bunch of weightlifting and other exercise equipment, but it sounds like Chanel will still be able to keep her model figure ... the Peloton treadmill and bike are staying put.

As we reported ... Sterling filed for divorce back in June after more than 3 years of marriage and 2 kids.

The docs say Sterling and Chanel want joint legal custody of their kids during the divorce proceedings ... and when Sterling plays football on the road on Sundays and can't get back to the family home by 8 PM that night, he'll pick up the kids the next morning.

While Sterling's not living at the North Caldwell marital home during the split, the docs say he will continue footing the bill for her monthly living expenses.

And, the docs say Sterling and Chanel agreed to not have any romantic third parties spend the night when they're parenting.

Sterling Shepard and Chanel Iman are dunzo -- the NFL receiver has filed for divorce from the Victoria's Secret model, TMZ Sports has confirmed.

No word on what caused the split ... but we've confirmed the New York Giants star filed docs on June 7, 2021 to officially kickstart the process of ending their marriage.

The former couple first met at Victor Cruz's 30th birthday party back in 2016 ... and started dating shortly after.

They were practically inseparable ... going on lavish vacations in paradise with friends like Saquon Barkley and Baker Mayfield and their significant others.

28-year-old Shepard and Iman, 31, got married back in March 2018 ... and had their first child, Cali, that August.

They welcomed their second child, Cassie, in December 2019.

The clues were on social media for months -- both sides have scrubbed each other from their Instagram accounts ... while still posting pics of their kids regularly.

Stunning revelation from New York Giants legend Lawrence Taylor ... the former NFL MVP tells TMZ Sports he straight-up does not follow his ex-team anymore.

The 62-year-old unveiled the shocking fact about his life on a call with former Giants star Ottis Anderson ... asking his ex-teammate (and current business partner) who quarterback Daniel Jones is.

"Daniel Jones is the [what?]" Taylor said to Anderson during the interview. "You mean to tell me Eli is not the quarterback no more?!? Get the hell out of here!"

Unclear if LT's joking ... but the conversation was hilarious nonetheless, 'cause you can tell in the clip, LT legitimately doesn't know much about his former franchise these days.

In fact, Anderson revealed Taylor isn't familiar with the Giants' head coach, Joe Judge.

"He doesn't watch, I'm telling you," Anderson said of Taylor ... "We were talking earlier and we were talking about [Dave] Gettleman and Joe Judge and he said, 'Who? Joe Judge? You talking Joe Kid, the one that played Clint Eastwood?!'"

"I said, 'No, not Kid!'" Anderson continued. "He loves Westerns so he was talking about Clint Eastwood movies!"

Taylor tells us the last time he followed the Giants, Eli Manning was still the quarterback ... so it's been at least two years since the greatest defensive player of all-time kept up with his old squad.

Of course, it's easy to see how Taylor could lose interest ... the Giants have been a mess for years.

Now, one thing LT is clearly passionate about is his biz with O.J. ... Tridelix and Metro Business Solutions.

We talked to the Super Bowl champs about the proprietary technology ... and it's pretty cool!

Jason Garrett is jobless once again ... the New York Giants just fired him -- only two years after the Dallas Cowboys let him go.

The team announced the move Tuesday, saying they've canned their offensive coordinator after a disheartening 30-10 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Of course, the move is far from surprising ... NY's offense under Garrett has been underwhelming since head coach Joe Judge brought him in before the 2020 season.

Garrett's offense finished 31st in points scored out of 32 teams last year ... and ranked just 25th in that category this year.

Perhaps most alarming was the play of franchise quarterback Daniel Jones, who has appeared to regress this season.

Jones has thrown seven INTs this season to just nine touchdowns -- and he's also fumbled seven times as well.

It's unclear where Garrett -- who was famously the Dallas Cowboys' head coach from 2010 to 2019 -- will end up next.

Jason Garrett just unloaded the highest compliment possible on Tom Brady ... saying the Bucs quarterback is the best football player "that's ever walked."

The Giants offensive coordinator laid down the praise for the Tampa Bay superstar at his weekly press conference Thursday ... just three days before NY plays TB12 in Florida.

"They're going to make a Mt. Rushmore of football players at some point," the former Dallas Cowboys head coach said. "And, the first face they chisel will be that guy's face."

"He's the best that's ever walked."

Garrett continued, "He's a hell of a football player. What he's done over the last 20 years has been remarkable. And, to think he's 44 years old and probably playing the best ball of his career, it's really amazing."

The admiration is lofty ... but, of course, it's probably deserved.

Tom, after all, has been to 10 Super Bowls -- winning seven of them -- and could potentially win his FOURTH MVP award following this season. He's also been selected to 14 Pro Bowls.

"He's an inspiration to everybody," Garrett said. "In and out of sports."

NFL rookie Kadarius Toney is apologizing for swinging on a Dallas Cowboys player during the N.Y. Giants' loss on Sunday ... saying he let his emotions get the best of him.

The incident went down with 6 minutes left in the 4th quarter ... when safety Damontae Kazee slammed Toney to the ground after making a first down catch.

The 22-year-old quickly bounced up and threw a punch in retaliation ... and was ejected from the game.

Joe Judge was clearly pissed with Toney's actions ... barking at the receiver as he made his way to the sidelines.

Now, Toney is owning up to his mistake ... saying, "Wanna take the time out to apologize to the entire organization, Owners, My Teammates and the entire #BigBlue," he tweeted Monday.

"Your emotions just can get the best of you sometimes ... No Excuses just actions #ThankYall"

Toney will now face punishment from the league ... but it sounds like he will NOT be suspended for his actions.

Giants' Darius Slayton ain't the one to blame for missing a crucial wide-open touchdown pass during Thursday night's game, according to O.J. Simpson, who says it was Daniel Jones' fault.

If you missed it, the G-Men were trying to add to their 3 point lead with 6:25 left in the game against the Washington Football Team.

The Giants QB threw a would-be TD pass to a wide-open Slayton ... but it bounced off his fingers. A TD likely would've sealed the game (though, never underestimate the Giants finding a creative way to lose) ... but they didn't score, and ultimately lost (after more mistakes), 30-29.

Fans have been goin' at Slayton for droppin' the pass ... but, Simpson straight-up says they're blaming the wrong guy.

"I heard somebody say Slayton dropped that long pass in the 4th quarter, no! This was simple," Simpson said on Friday.

"Danny Dimes totally missed a guy who was as opened as any wide receiver has ever been open in the history of football."

Simpson also called out Jones for not calling an audible when WFT's safety came up to the hole after the defense read the running play for Saquon Barkley.

"The Giants still ran the ball to that hole," Simpson said about the 3rd quarter play.

"Even the announcer said Saquon had no chance of gaining yards. The defense knew what was coming. Why Danny Dimes didn't audible out of that play, I don't know."

Simpson says if he was Barkley, he would have went off on Jones.

Not that there was a lack of chewing out Jones on the sideline ... newly signed Giants WR Kenny Golladay was seen ripping DJ in the 2nd half.

After the game, Jones said KG was just "frustrated at the situation. We're all good."

With the Giants' loss (0-2) to the WFT (1-1), Simpson says he knows who will win the division ... and it ain't the Cowboys.