TMZ Sports - Page 50

Eddie George is backing Shaq ... telling TMZ Sports he likes The Big Diesel's idea of replacing Mike McCarthy with Deion Sanders in Dallas.

The former Cowboys running back spoke with us in L.A. about his old team's head coaching situation ... and he agrees with Shaq's hot take this week, saying he'd be into hiring Deion if he were Jerry Jones.

"I mean if I'm the owner and I look at it, I would say, 'Why not?'" George said. "I'd look at it seriously. Why wouldn't you?"

McCarthy is still under contract in Dallas, and Jones said Friday he will be back coaching the team next season.

But, as George noted in the clip, Mike hasn't found much success in his two seasons in Dallas ... failing to win a playoff game despite having a loaded roster in 2021.

"I mean," George said, "what else hasn't worked so far."

George -- who said Deion has given him advice when it comes to his own head coaching role at Tennessee State -- tells us he thinks the current Jackson State headman would be a "good fit" in the role.

"Prime has done an amazing job so far at Jackson State," George said. "He's a culture changer. He knows what he wants, he's been very successful in all levels. He's a winner."

Deion might have to get in line if he wants the gig, though ... there have been reports that the recently retired Sean Payton could replace McCarthy next season.

Patrick Mahomes’ fiancée, Brittany Matthews, could have a tough decision to make at the AFC Championship -- some Chiefs fans want her to repeat the exact celebration she caught so much flak for last week.

Brittany is at today's game in Kansas City, and while some people try to avoid the splash zone ... some KC fans are all about that life!! In the middle of the fired-up crowd, you can see signs like, “Let’s spray some more champagne!” and “Ready for the champagne shower!”

Some are even adding the #TeamBritt ... making it clear they have NO issue whatsoever with what she did after the Chiefs' OT victory.

Remember, after the clip of Brittany spraying champagne on fans below her luxury box went viral, she got a lot of online backlash. She complained, "Wish I could do what I want without getting attacked every week.”

A few days later, Brittany announced she would be making “Team Brittany” shirts for her fans -- she said the intent was to stand up to what she considers online bullying, and a portion of proceeds are going to an anti-bullying charity.

Nick Cannon may be adding another baby to his brood ... at least that sure the way it looks, because there was big gender reveal party which appears to have been hosted by Nick and Bre Tiesi.

The party went down in Malibu Sunday afternoon. Pink and blue balloons created the drama as they were surrounded by friends and family. Bre, who just finalized her divorce from Johnny Manziel, was posing proudly with an obvious baby bump. A bunch of guests posed with Nick and Bre as she cradled her belly.

It seems pretty obvious Nick and Bre are together. He's cradling her baby bump, they're hugging, holding hands ... clearly the center of attention.

As for the reveal ... guests unloaded party poppers filled with blue confetti, so, it's a boy!!!

As you know, Nick shared some devastating news ... his 5-month-old son Zen died last month after fighting cancer.

Zen was Nick's 7th child, born earlier this year with model Alyssa Scott. Zen was the 4th of Nick's kids born in the last year-and-a-half, twins Zillion and Zion were born in June and his daughter, Powerful, last December.

Peyton Manning KILLED on 'SNL' Saturday with an absolutely hilarious breakdown of the NFL's season playoffs, and how it paled by comparison to "Emily in Paris."

Manning joined Colin Jost at the Weekend Update desk ... presumably to talk in part about the incredible season playoff games last weekend and the reported retirement of Tom Brady.

Well, Peyton had the best of intentions to watch the games, but an hour before he decided to kill some time by watching the first episode of 'E.I.P.' Season 2.

Peyton said at that point it was football, schmootball ... because he was hooked and watched the entire season, missing all the games.

You gotta see how Peyton uses the telestrator to show Emily's playbook. It's super funny.

Peyton also thinks "Emily in Paris" is the secret reason Tom Brady will retire.

Lamar Odom is still holding out hope for this season's Lakers ... telling TMZ Sports despite their struggles, the Purple and Gold are still his pick to win the NBA title.

LeBron James and Co. have underperformed so far in 2021-22 -- they're far from the top of the Western Conference and can't seem to find a rhythm.

Odom -- who won 2 titles with the Lakers -- says he's not concerned about the Lake Show's lack of success so far ... and it's all thanks to the talent on the roster.

"I think they're good enough to win a championship," Odom tells us. "They're still my pick to win the championship. I don't know if that's Laker pride or me just being a Laker at heart. But they're still my pick."

"Anytime you have LeBron James on the court and a healthy Anthony Davis, Russell Westbrook and Carmelo Anthony as your 6th man, I think they'll give you a really good shot."

Odom -- who recently launched the Savvy Talent Management Group -- says the team needs to pick it up defensively ... and would like to see LeBron lead the team like Kobe Bryant did for 20 years.

"Of the teams that I played for that won championships, we had a tremendous leader in Bean Bryant," Odom adds. "A lot of his will, tenacity ... it kind of rubbed off on us. I would like to see LeBron James' will and tenacity and his will to win rub off on these Laker guys."

"I think once that happens, once they coincide that, they'll be all right."

The NFC Championship is finally here -- and these famous 49ers fans will be cheering when their team takes on the Los Angeles Rams at the SoFi Stadium!

Of course, rapper E-40 is gonna be reppin' the Bay Area -- he's been a hardcore 49ers fan since forever ...  and how can we forget the "Niner Gang" song?!

Speaking of forever -- let's take it back to Joe Montana days like "Workaholics" actor Blake Anderson and "Full House" actor Dave Coulier ... who keep it OG with their vintage 49ers fits.

Not all 49ers fans are from SF, though ... "The Vampires Diaries" actress Phoebe Tonkin (who's from Australia), Aaron Paul -- an Idaho native -- and NY actress Hayden Panettiere rock the red and gold on a regular.

Even Mr. Yeahhhh himself, Lil Jon -- who's from Atlanta -- has been spotted showing love for the Niners ... sorry, Falcons.

And, get this ... Miranda Cosgrove is from Los Angeles but the "iCarly" star is staying loyal to the 49ers. Granted, the Rams did just move to L.A. in 2016.

There's also the couples that cheer together -- actress Katharine McPhee and her hubby David Foster plus Sabina Gadecki Rich and Tyler Rich.

Claressa Shields seems to be burying the hatchet with Jake Paul ... telling TMZ Sports the Problem Child is doing great things for his fighter Amanda Serrano, and women's boxing as a whole.

"I wish [Jake] the best," Shields says, continuing ... "What he's doing for Amanda is great. I think that him getting involved in helping the fight with Katie Taylor is great for Amanda and Katie and it's great for women's boxing."

"I appreciate him for that and I just wish him the best in whatever he does and just keeps his damn hands up, that's it."

The self-described G.W.O.A.T. has gone back and forth with Paul over the last year ... and Claressa says she was most offended by Jake's decision to make fun of her after she lost her 2nd professional MMA fight (in PFL).

"The only beef I have with Jake Paul is don't ever disrespect me. He tried to kick me when I was down and also going to a new sport."

"I lost a split decision. I didn't get submitted, I didn't get knocked out, I didn't get beat up. It was a split and I'm also brand new in MMA and when he made that comment, calling me a loser and stuff, that's what really made me want to fight him."

If you missed it, JP went off on Shields -- who has only 2 MMA fights under her belt -- after the October 2021 fight.

But, Shields has obviously moved on ... and has even found it in her heart to praise Jake for his work promoting women's boxing.

FYI, Jake's promotion, Most Valuable Promotions (MVP), signed 33-year-old Serrano.

With Paul's guidance, Amanda has locked down a super fight with fellow boxing star Katie Taylor in April ... at Madison Square Garden.

Speaking of big fights ... Claressa is gunning to set up her very own with undefeated British star Savannah Marshall.

First, the 26-year-old fighter has to beat 21-0-1 fighter Ema Kozin in the United Kingdom on February 5 (on FITE) ... and she delivered a message to the woman standing between her and Savannah.

The Miz and his wife, Maryse, will be able to renew their wedding vows in peace this time around ... 'cause the WWE Superstar tells TMZ Sports they're looking to re-tie the knot after their big moment was ruined last month.

Of course, Miz and Maryse initially tried to renew their vows during an episode of Monday Night Raw ... but fellow wrestler Edge made a surprise guest appearance and soaked the power couple with a trademark Brood bath.

While the initial ceremony didn't go as planned, Maryse recently said in an interview that Miz proposed to her again during her birthday party this week ... and they're hoping to return to where their marriage first began -- the Bahamas.

Of course, the power couple originally got married in paradise in 2014 ... and have been inseparable ever since.

We spoke to The Miz about his relationship ... and he says he tries to set the bar high by doing romantic things to keep things fresh and exciting in his marriage, and the vow renewal is the latest example of how he does just that.

The extra-special part about it this time around?? Their 2 and 3-year-old daughters will be able to see their parents exchange vows.

Jerry Rice is scoring extra points with these good looks!

Here's the 24-year-old version of the San Francisco 49ers' wide receiver flashing his facial hair in uniform in The City by the Bay during his second professional year with the team back in 1987 (left). Over the 15 years on the team, he took home three Super Bowl wins.

And 35 years later ... the now 59-year-old NFL G.O.A.T. is still looking like a champ -- and still voicing support to his OG team with custom potato chips -- with a photo he shared to his Instagram followers just last week (right).

What a snack!

The question is ...

Tom Brady -- the most successful quarterback in NFL history -- is walking away from the game of football after 22 historic seasons.

The 44-year-old 7-time champ is retiring as the league's all-time leader in wins at quarterback, passing attempts, completions, passing yards and passing touchdowns, according to a report from Adam Schefter and Jeff Darlington

Brady was the 199th pick in the 2000 NFL Draft ... after playing at Michigan from 1996-1999.

Brady played for New England from 2001-19 ... winning 6 Super Bowls with the Patriots. He went on to sign with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, where he won his 7th championship in 2021.

The Bucs went 13-4 this season and ran away with the NFC South title ... but were defeated by the Rams in the Divisional Round of the playoffs.

Brady married supermodel Gisele Bundchen in 2009 ... and just this week, he hinted at the possibility of hanging it up for his wife and children's sake.

He previously spoke about how he hoped to play until he was 45 years old, but was open about his struggles with being away from family during the football season.

"It pains [Gisele] to see me get hit out there, and she deserves what she needs from me as a husband and my kids deserve what they need from me as a dad," Brady said this week on his "Let's Go" podcast.

Brady threw for 84,520 yards and 624 TDs over his 22-season career.

Brady's ex-teammate, Julian Edelman, congratulated the quarterback ... saying, "Thanks for the memories, babe."

Chris Godwin -- who won a ring with Brady last season -- added, "The best ever. Congratulations bro @TomBrady grateful to have gotten to share the field with you! Much love fam."

Congrats on retirement, G.O.A.T.

More troubling news for NFL player Damon Arnette ... the former 1st round draft pick was arrested Friday night in Las Vegas after he allegedly threatened a valet with a gun, TMZ Sports has learned.

The 25-year-old cornerback was busted for assault with a deadly weapon, carrying a concealed weapon and possession of a controlled substance after a dispute allegedly occurred at the Park MGM on Las Vegas Boulevard.

It's unclear what drug Arnette allegedly had on him.

A witness tells us Damon attempted to retrieve a car without a valet ticket ... leading to a dispute. We're told Arnette pulled a gun, and the police were eventually called.

This is just the latest issue with the former Ohio State star. Arnette was cut by the Raiders in November after a video surfaced appearing to show Damon threatening someone with a gun.

Arnette is also being sued by a woman who claims he hit her car, injuring her, and left the scene of the accident after an October 2020 crash.

After a standout season at Ohio State where Arnette earned 2nd Team All-Big Ten honors, he was the 19th overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft.

In 2 seasons with the Raiders, Arnette played in 13 games, racking up 29 tackles. After Vegas cut him, he signed as a practice squad player with the Miami Dolphins.

Damon was recently signed by the Kansas City Chiefs to a reserves/futures contract ... meaning he isn't on the active roster right now, but the team has his rights for next season.

File this under warming up for Bobby Lashley ... 'cause on the eve of the Royal Rumble, WWE Superstar Brock Lesnar just BODY SLAMMED Wee Man through a table -- at dinner!!

TMZ Sports obtained video from Lesnar's dinner table at a restaurant in St. Louis when the 6'3", 285-ish lb. behemoth picked up the Jackass star -- as Johnny Knoxville (who's in the RR) watched -- and sent him crashing through the wood table, breaking glass (and possibly Wee Man's back?).

The clip's great ... the future WWE HOF'er casually picks him up, holds him, and then ... boom!

Of course, Brock -- the WWE Champion -- is in Missouri for the Royal Rumble ... where he's taking on the challenger, Lashley, Saturday night at The Dome at America's Center.

Lesnar and Lashley isn't the only big time matchup. Roman Reigns is wrestling Seth Rollins, Becky Lynch vs. Doudrop is also going down ... and there's a bunch of other Superstars scheduled to be in the house.

As far as Wee Man -- aka Jason Acuna -- the good news is we're told he's okay! Maybe just a bit sore ... 😬😬😬

Austin Seferian-Jenkins, former NFL tight end, was arrested for misdemeanor assault (domestic violence) and felony harassment on Friday in Washington State, TMZ Sports has learned.

The 29-year-old former 2nd round draft pick was booked into a county jail around 9 PM. He is still in custody, and bail has not yet been set.

The details surrounding the arrest are currently unclear.

According to court records, ASJ was officially booked for "misdemeanor assault/domestic violence" and "felony harassment threats/domestic violence or death threats."

It's not the first time Seferian-Jenkins has been in trouble with the law. He was busted at least 3 times for DUI. In 2020, he cut a deal with officials to defer prosecution on his latest driving under the influence charge ... on the condition he kept his nose clean.

Now, those charges could be pursued once again ... in addition to the new domestic violence charges.

Jenkins was the 38th overall pick in the 2014 NFL Draft -- going to the Bucs -- after a standout career at the University of Washington. After 2+ seasons in Tampa, Seferian-Jenkins signed with the NY Jets in 2016. In 2018, he played for the Jacksonville Jaguars.

The Patriots signed ASJ in 2019 .. but released him before the season started. That's the last time he played professional football.

Seferian-Jenkins had a solid career ... catching 116 balls for 1,160 receiving yards and 11 touchdowns.

If ultimately convicted, Austin could face years in prison, in addition to a large fine.

If Eddie George was running the Tennessee Titans ... he wouldn't be looking for a new QB this offseason, telling TMZ Sports he still believes in Ryan Tannehill.

Of course, it's an unpopular opinion ... because most NFL fans believe the quarterback's three interceptions against the Cincinnati Bengals are the reasons why the Titans aren't playing the Chiefs in the AFC Championship game this weekend.

But, when we got George out in L.A. earlier this week ... the Titans legend said he still thinks Tannehill is good enough to get Tennessee to the Super Bowl next year.

"He's just got to cut down on the turnovers and find a way to come back," George said.

As for if he'd look into acquiring another QB, like Aaron Rodgers, George wasn't so sure about all that.

"I wouldn't go searching for something that -- you know, the grass isn't always greener on the other side," the ex-running back said. "I would ride it out."

As for the Titans' biggest star, Derrick Henry, George loves the guy's game ... and actually told us he's hoping the dude catches all of his records and breaks them one day.

Kamaru Usman may be down to fight Israel Adesanya after all -- that is IF the money's right -- according to manager Ali Abdelaziz, who tells TMZ Sports he wants his fighter to go up a weight class to attain a 2nd UFC title.

"I want him to beat Leon Edwards and I want him to go fight Israel Adesanya for the middleweight title," Abdelaziz said when speaking about his top-ranked pound-for-pound client.

Kamaru, the 170 lb. champ, and Izzy, the 185 lb. champ, have always shut down talks of them fighting ... because they're both Nigerian.

But, Ali doesn't believe that'd stop them if it came down to it.

"These guys, they're cool but I don't think they like best friends. Listen, if there's enough money for both of them, they'll fight in the parking lot. I know how people work. This has nothing to do with loyalty."

Abdelaziz continued, talking about the importance of attaining a title in 2 divisions.

"I like Israel, I love watching him. I'm a huge fan. He's a nice guy, but at the end of the day, I'm Kamaru Usman team all the way. I want to see Kamaru Usman before end of the road have two titles. I'm selfish. I'm greedy. Like Henry Cejudo says, I'm a gold digger."

In fact, Ali says Usman is even considering going up 2-weight classes ... all the way to 205 lbs.

"Kamaru's thinking about going to a light heavyweight and fight Jan Blachowicz, not fight Adesanya."

Of course, Jan lost his last fight to Glover Teixeira and is no longer the champ.

But, the point remains ... Kamaru is considering going up 35 lbs. and fighting a man who's significantly bigger than him -- a fight Abdelaziz believes his guy would win rather easily.

"Styles make fights. Kamaru will beat Jan for five rounds straight."

But first -- before an Israel, Jan, or matchup with anyone else -- the Nigerian Nightmare has to beat Leon Edwards ... who hasn't lost since (you guessed it) he was beaten by Usman in 2015.

Rey Mysterio will be a WWE Hall of Famer someday, but the KING of the 619 tells TMZ Sports he isn't ready to retire yet 'cause he's having too much fun wrestling with his son Dominik.

We talked to the 47-year-old WWE Superstar ahead of the highly anticipated Royal Rumble ... and asked if thoughts of leaving the wrestling biz for good ever creep into his mind.

"I think this is the time I've been enjoying the most 'cause I get to step in there with my son, I get to guide him, I get to see his growth, I interact with the fans," Rey says.

Mysterio -- whose career in the squared circle spanned more than three decades -- admits the wear and tear on the body can be exhausting ... but he's thankful his schedule ain't as hectic as it once was in the past.

The WWE legend told us he's having a blast -- and really enjoys the love he's getting from fans -- but knows he can't wrestle forever and that's a bridge he'll inevitably have to cross.

"I think the moment that I go back and re-watch a match that I have and see myself slowing down, then I'll say, 'you know what Rey? Damn, it's time to hang it up now'," Mysterio says.

Despite having an in-ring reputation as a high-flyer, Rey -- who recently landed the cover of WWE 2K22 -- says he still gets butterflies for him and Dominik every time one of them hits the curtain to walk out and perform.

"I still get nervous before I walk out there. It's just something that I have. I can't get those feelings away. So, on top of being nervous for myself, now I gotta be nervous for my son too because as a father, you want him to do good."