TMZ Sports - Page 28

Could an Aaron Rodgers and Davante Adams reunion happen in Las Vegas?? The Raiders superstar had fans salivating after hinting at the possibility during a Q&A on Twitter ... and now, everyone is freaking out.

#17 dropped the bombshell tweet on Wednesday ... when he was asked, "Which neighborhood is @AaronRodgers12 moving to?"

Adams' response was short and to the point ... but it was certainly enough to send Twitter into a frenzy.

"Mine," the All-Pro receiver said.

Adams and Rodgers were one of the best duos in the league when they played together on the Packers from 2014-21 ... but split up after the receiver was traded to Vegas last season.

As rumors swirl that Rodgers could be the next piece to get traded out of Green Bay, the Raiders are certainly a potential landing spot now that Derek Carr has seemingly played his last down for the Silver and Black.

Adams also talked about a ton of other topics ... including his sneaker game, claiming he can get any pair of Jordans he wants.

He also said he misses the people in Green Bay -- but they can "keep the weather."

DJ Drama says Meek Mill’s classic "Dreams & Nightmares" has run its course as the Philadelphia Eagles team anthem, because everyone is rocking with Lil Uzi Vert!!!

We caught Mr. Thanksgiving at LAX, where he was giving Uzi partial credit for the Eagles crushing NFC championship victory ... due to the eclectic Philly rapper walking the team out to his eardrum-popping "Just Wanna Rock" record.

Drama is confident his Eagles will take Super Bowl LVII, and expects to hear Uzi's song every day leading up to the big game!!!

This has become a big debate amongst longtime Philly fans -- Uzi v. Meek. Fact is ... Meek's track still blared through the city after the Eagles' victory, and he even dropped a freestyle to hammer home his relevance to disappointed 49ers fans!!!

Uzi's not the only Generation Now rapper entangled in this year's SB festivities -- Jack Harlow and Missy Elliott are slated to be in a Doritos commercial, and Drama tells us there's definitely a collab coming ... it's just a matter of where the record will end up.

Drama's own "I'm Really Like That" album is dropping soon ... so, that combined with his team's success has him on top of the world.

Tom Brady's decision to retire from the NFL has caused a massive spike in demand for memorabilia linked to the 7-time Super Bowl champion -- and TMZ Sports has learned collectors are clamoring to buy and sell memorabilia affiliated with the G.O.A.T.

Officials from PWCC Marketplace tell us since Brady announced his retirement Wednesday, buyers are intensely searching for TB12 trading cards online. Meanwhile, sellers are trying to unload some of the rarest Brady pieces they have at auction.

A rep for the auction site tells us Brady, who retired after 23 NFL seasons, is now the most searched player on the PWCC Marketplace. For context, Tom was ranked 10th among the top searched players in the days before his retirement announcement.

"It's a limited data set we're looking at due to the fact it's just hours after he announced his retirement, but it is safe to say interest in Brady's trading cards and collectibles has risen substantially," PWCC exec Jesse Craig said.

"That data is going to support what will also be the consensus market perspective that his retirement will create an increase in demand for his collectible assets."

Craig says a seller contacted PWCC after Brady's announcement ... and is auctioning a 2000 Brady Bowman Chrome Refractor Rookie card that's expected to sell for over six figures.

"The fact that it’s coming to auction so immediately after this announcement means there are sellers out there who were waiting for this," Craig said.

"They are choosing to move high-end Brady assets now because they feel this retirement will be a keystone event in his legacy."

In November 2021, PWCC sold a BGS 9.5 copy of the same card in the leadup to Brady's first retirement for $312,000 at an auction.

If you were thinking moving your spring clothes to the front of the closet, not so fast ... because a famous rodent may have torpedoed your plan.

Punxsutawney Phil emerged from the dirt Thursday morning at Gobbler's Knob, PA for Groundhogs day ... and this time around he saw his shadow ... which means 6 more weeks of winter.

Thousands of folks gathered for this year's celebration. Fact is ... this year it doesn't take a groundhog to tell you it's frickin' cold with no end in sight!

Derek Jeter says he was slumping so terribly back in the 2004 season -- he turned to none other than a golden thong to get him out of his rut.

Seriously.

The former Yankees captain made the surprising -- and hilarious -- revelation while playing a game called "True Confessions" with Jimmy Fallon and Rita Ora on Wednesday night's "The Tonight Show."

Jeter was forced to pick one of two topics, and his two cohosts had to guess if he was telling the truth or not.

"I once wore a thong, in public, in front of thousands of people," Jeter said.

Both Fallon and Ora thought it was a fib -- but the ex-NY shortstop said it was, in fact, a real tale.

Jeter explained ... back in 2002, he got a new teammate who swore up and down that wearing a golden thong would get him out of any slump.

Jeter initially thought it was a load of B.S. -- but at the start of the '04 season, he hit an offensive rut that he had never seen before.

"Every day I'd walk in, [my teammate] would point at the thong," Jeter said. "So, finally, I wore the thong."

First pitch of his first at-bat? Home run for Jeets.

"Yes, yes," Jeter said. "That is true."

The game was said to be the Yanks' April 29, 2004 contest against the Oakland A's. Records show he was in an 0-for-32 skid before cracking a dinger off Barry Zito at Yankee Stadium.

As for who the golden thong's true owner was? According to a 2015 interview on the Dan Le Batard Show, it was none other than Jason Giambi.

"The golden thong is legendary," JG said during the '15 discussion on ESPN Radio. "It's never not gotten a hit."

By the way, if you're wondering about the hygiene of it all -- don't worry, Jeter said there was no thong-to-skin contact.

"I had shorts on underneath," he said. "I put the thong over the shorts."

If an artist begins carving a new sports Mt. Rushmore into the side of a mountain in South Dakota in the upcoming weeks ... Deion Branch tells TMZ Sports Tom Brady is a for-sure lock to have a place in it.

The ex-NFL star insisted Wednesday just hours after Brady called it a career -- for real this time (we think) -- the former Buccaneers and Patriots quarterback has done enough to be considered one of the unanimous four best athletes ever.

Branch didn't want to say where he'd rank TB12 amongst the quartet -- but he said the ex-signal caller definitely belongs in the same conversations as the Michael Jordans, Wayne Gretzkys and Derek Jeters of the sports world.

"We do know that Tom is the greatest to ever put on a football jersey," Branch said ... before adding, "Tom will go down as the greatest football player to ever play the game."

Of course, Branch is a bit biased -- he played seven seasons with Brady in New England, winning two Super Bowls and an SB MVP with the QB -- but there won't be too many people arguing against his opinion.

Brady played 23 seasons in the league, winning seven Super Bowls and three MVP awards. He also made 15 Pro Bowl teams, 3 All-Pro teams, and retired as the NFL's leader in passing yards (89,214) and passing touchdowns (649).

Branch tells us the QB should have absolutely no regrets about not hanging things up sooner ... and, in fact, he said he's happy for the 45-year-old over the way he got to do it all.

The wife of 49ers star Fred Warner won't be showing up to Eagles games in the future after she says Philly fans treated her horribly, berating her during the NFC Championship game, and it made her feel unsafe.

Warner's wife, Sydney, opened up about her experience at Lincoln Financial Field ... and let's just say she got a warm Philadelphia welcome.

The All-Pro's spouse says she was minding her own business, getting something to eat at a concession stand when a drunk Eagles fan got in her face, and tried to intimidate her.

"I tried my best to just not let it get to me." the 27-year-old said in a TikTok video on Wednesday.

"Like stay stone face, just walk and just let them throw stuff at you, say all the things and just get to where you're going. Just block it out."

Of course, that's easier said than done.

But, that was nothing compared to what happened when Sydney attempted to leave the game a bit early in an attempt to avoid the hecklers. Unfortunately, she ended up in a tunnel filled with Eagles fans.

"The way they were just like 'go home, go home' but that's fine. I get it but 'I hope your plane crashes!'" Sydney said, "I’m all about passion, but never again.”

Sydney, who married the linebacker last June, says it got so bad that she had to hide her red bag under her jacket so they wouldn't harass her, but she still felt unsafe.

"Like I'm 100% down riding for riding your team, but honestly, I just didn't feel safe," Sydney said.

"I will probably never go back to that stadium, to be honest. I guess you can just call me a wimp, but I couldn't handle the fans."

Tom Brady spent his free time helping a great cause during his final NFL season -- his teammate, Logan Ryan's wife just revealed -- the quarterback and his kids regularly volunteered at a local animal shelter.

Ashley Bragg Ryan shared the touching tribute following Brady's retirement on Wednesday ... saying she didn't want to share another story about his on-field accomplishments, but rather shine a light on who he is as a human being instead.

Ashley says Tom, Logan and their kids would go to the humane society together every other weekend ... and the families would bond over playing with puppies and feeding kittens.

"It wasn’t about publicity, fundraising or recognition," Ashley said on Instagram. "It was about being a human being. It was about Tom taking the very thing his little girl loves the most and turning it into an opportunity to spend time together."

"It was about Tom reaching out to his friend, asking how to get involved, helping his community by giving something far more meaningful than money ... his time."

Ashley also shared pictures and videos of a visit back in August ... showing the two NFLers playing with the puppies and having a blast.

Damar Hamlin was a special guest at a taping for "The Masked Singer" Tuesday night ... marking one of the Buffalo Bills safety's first appearances since his medical emergency last month.

TMZ Sports has obtained pictures from the set of the taping ... showing the 24-year-old holding a football and smiling on stage alongside host Nick Cannon, with his name in big red letters on the screen behind him.

Hamlin made his first public appearance at the Bills vs. Cincinnati Bengals game on Jan. 22 ... but while he was present to show support for his team, he did not speak to the media.

Hamlin has since posted videos on his social media -- thanking his supporters and kickstarting a CPR challenge campaign with the American Heart Association.

We're told Hamlin attended the taping alongside his young brother, Damir, who's a big fan of the show ... and he wanted to come along to check out the action.

Philadelphia Eagles offensive lineman Josh Sills allegedly forced a woman to perform oral sex on him for "approximately 20 minutes" in his truck back in 2019 ... this according to a new police report, obtained by TMZ Sports.

In the Guernsey County Sheriff's Office docs, cops say a woman told them the incident happened in Ohio at around 2 AM on Dec. 5, 2019 ... after Sills had given her and her cousin a ride back to her cousin's home from a local cafe.

Cops say the alleged victim, who was 21 years old at the time, told them as her cousin got out of the car -- Sills grabbed her by the arm and pulled her back in. The woman, according to the docs, said her cousin "did not think anything of it and shut the door and walked into the house."

In the report, authorities say the woman told them Sills then began his sexual assault, attempting to kiss her ... before grabbing her by the neck and throwing her down on the seat. The alleged victim said Sills unbuttoned her pants and began groping her -- all while she told him to stop repeatedly.

Cops say the woman told them Sills eventually sat up, grabbed her by the back of her neck and pulled her on top of him -- telling her, "she was doing this and was not leaving until she did this."

She claims, according to the report, that Sills then forced her to perform oral sex "until he did his thing." She asked him afterward if she could leave, according to the report, and after he told her "you will talk to me again," she got out of the truck and ran inside the home.

Cops say the woman told them Sills then left.

Police say in the report the woman had bruising in the back of her throat, her inner lip, her right ear and on the back of her left knee following the alleged assault. Cops said they did take photographs of her injuries.

According to the report, the woman had known Sills, who was also 21 years old at the time, for approximately seven or eight years ... and had attended high school with him.

As we reported, police conducted an investigation into it all ... and the NFL player was eventually indicted on one count of felony rape and one count of kidnapping on Wednesday.

He's due in court for a hearing in the case on Feb. 16 -- just four days after his Eagles team takes on the Chiefs in Super Bowl LVII.

It's not clear yet if the 25-year-old rookie reserve lineman will suit up for the game -- the Eagles said in a statement Wednesday afternoon, "The organization is aware of the legal matter involving Josh Sills. We have been in communication with the league office and are in the process of gathering more information. We have no further comment at this time."

Kevin Durant got his wish -- WNBA superstar Breanna Stewart just signed with the New York Liberty ... and he's hyped!!!

The former Seattle Storm forward announced her decision Wednesday by posting a video wearing her new team's merch ... and playing Jay-Z and Alicia Keys' "Empire State Of Mind" in the background.

Durant -- who was actively recruiting Stewart to the Big Apple -- went straight to Twitter when he saw the news ... saying, "Aye, don’t call my phone lookin for tickets this summer, they gone."

"Let’s get it @nyliberty."

Of course, the Brooklyn Nets star is probably patting himself on the back just a little bit ... considering he revealed on Monday he was texting the 2-time WNBA champ, telling her to join the NY team.

"I hit Stewie the other day," Durant said on the Boardroom podcast. "And I never do this, and was like, 'Yo, it would be an incredible dynasty in New York City if you came here."

He's right -- Stewart is one of the best in the WNBA ... and now, she's joining star guard Sabrina Ionescu and 6'6" forward Jonquel Jones to make a Big 3.

Ionescu is clearly stoked over the new addition ... and shared a photoshopped pic of the trio together after the massive deal.

Stewart wasn't the only big signing in the WNBA's offseason ... Candace Parker officially signed with the defending champion Las Vegas Aces.

New York Liberty versus the Vegas Aces for the 2023 WNBA Finals? We'll see!!!

43-year-old Michael Bisping's still got it!

The retired, former UFC Middleweight champion, turned Power Slap commentator, joined the 'TMZ Sports' TV show on Wednesday to talk about his new gig ... when we asked Michael, if, for research purposes, he ever doled out a slap.

Turns out, oh yes, he has! Bisping told us the story of the time when competitor Jesse Nutting asked for a slap ... and a slap he got.

"The guy involved, he says to me, 'give me a little slap, Bisping,'" Michael explained, adding, "I did not give him a proper slap, but I gave him just a little mess around. Anyways, he was scheduled for the last slap contest of the day, if you will."

So, Bisping slapped Nutting and went about his business calling the fights.

"We're commentating on the fights and we're waiting for the last one to come out. And, then we're waiting and we're waiting and he doesn't show up. Then the producer comes in and tells me, 'Mike, apparently, the guy that you slapped, afterward, he started feeling all fuzzyheaded and blurry and he said that he can't compete.'"

"'The doctor looked at him and said that he's totally fine.' But, I don't believe this. Controversy follows me wherever I go."

Jesse didn't fight, and Bisping was worried he screwed up the event.

"Dana and all the partners put a lot of money into this. A lot of organization. Our commentator, that idiot Bisping is backstage slapping the fighters and we can't continue. I thought, 'Oh, My God, I'm going to get fired for sure.' Classic me strikes again. I will be slapping nobody. Punching nobody. I'm just going to sit there. Do my job. And, try to be as boring as possible."

We also talked to one of the Power Slap breakout stars, Michael "Slap Jesus" Smith ... about how the former MMA fighter turned into a slap fighter.

"I had my first MMA fight a couple years ago, and I started looking for more fights on Facebook groups and came across a post from one of the producers," Smith said. "I looked it up, seen it was from The Ultimate Fighter people ... and said, 'Let's go!'"

Smith says he loves the slap-fighting experience ... adding, "It's right up my alley!"

The Arena Football League has a message -- "we are back!" -- the league that went dormant years ago is returning, and they're making some history in the process, becoming the first American sports league with a Black commissioner at the helm!

TMZ Sports has learned Lee A. Hutton III has been installed as the league's new commish. Hutton's an attorney who worked on big cases involving the NFL and NCAA ... so he's been around the sports world for years.

The AFL plans to relaunch with 16 teams next year, and play a 10-game season.

The games will be played in the summer -- a slow time for U.S. sports -- before the NFL season gets up and running.

“Our commitment is to deliver a professional sports event every week indoors, on the shoulder of the summer season when the world craves entertainment and competition,” Chairman Chris Chetty said.

“We aim to produce a family-friendly, yet equally electric atmosphere for our committed fans. As Chairman, my objective will be to change the culture of professional sports ownership and it is with great confidence that I state – from the owners to the players – we will be the most racially-diverse professional sports league in the world.”

Of course, the AFL, which began in 1987, was once a thriving league that ran for over 30 seasons ... but they never recovered after running into financial troubles in the late 2000s.

But, ownership of the league changed hands ... and now the league's back, and ready to play some football!

A 60-year-old man died following a wild brawl at a middle school basketball game in Vermont on Tuesday night ... and now, cops say they're investigating it all.

The fight broke out at the Alburgh Community Education Center in Alburgh ... during a hoops game that involved seventh and eighth-grade boys from Alburgh and St. Albans middle schools.

Video that was shot from the alleged scene shows several adults rushed onto the court -- kicking and punching each other -- all while the kids looked on from the sidelines.

It's unclear what sparked the melee ... Vermont State Police said in a statement Wednesday that when officers showed up to the scene just before 7 PM, the fracas had ended and several people involved in the tiff had already left the school.

Cops say Russell Giroux was injured during the fight, but elected to drive home. Giroux ended up stopping his car and calling first responders, and was transported to a nearby hospital. Tragically, he was pronounced dead at the medical facility. His body, cops say, will undergo an autopsy to determine the cause and manner of his death.

The VSP says it's now investigating the circumstances surrounding it all -- though no arrests have been made yet. They're asking anyone with information to come forward or call the Detective's Office at the St. Albans Barracks at 802-524-5993.

Both schools released statements Wednesday on the incident ... calling it all heartbreaking.

"All of us in the Maple Run Community are shocked and saddened by last night’s death of Russell Giroux after a physical altercation during a basketball game at the Alburgh Community Education Center," Alburgh M.S. officials said.

"We extend our condolences and sympathies to his family and friends. Since our students observed the altercation, we are working in the next days to support our students and families in dealing with the consequences of the altercation and Mr. Giroux's death."

Tom Brady's retirement announcement has resulted in a ton of tributes on social media ... with the 7-time Super Bowl-winning quarterback getting showered with praise from some of the greatest athletes in sports.

Patrick Mahomes, J.J. Watt, and Derek Jeter took time to congratulate Brady on his storied career -- expressing how much it meant to watch him play in the NFL.

Of course, Mahomes and Brady have had their fair share of battles over the years -- they played against each other in an AFC Championship Game and in Super Bowl LV.

Brady announced his retirement with a video on social media ... and once the Kansas City Chiefs' star quarterback got wind of the news, he tweeted three GOAT emojis at TB12.

Watt -- who announced his own retirement earlier this season -- spoke about how special it was to compete against Tom, calling him the unquestioned GOAT.

"Greatest of All Time," Watt tweeted. "No question, no debate. It’s been an honor and a privilege. PS - The newly retired group meets on the golf course every morning at 10am."

"Drinks are on the new guy, so bring your wallet."

Ex-NY Yankees captain Derek Jeter -- one of the greatest performers in MLB postseason history -- congratulated TB for all his accomplishments, saying, "it was fun to watch."

Broncos quarterback, Russell Wilson -- who Brady defeated in Super Bowl XLIX as a member of the Seahawks -- wrote on Twitter, "Congrats Tom. Salute to the Greatest."

Brady's retirement was a surprise to some ... although he announced he was retiring on the same date last year. This time, it appears the G.O.A.T. is hanging up his cleats for good.

Tom Brady won't be jumping headfirst into his broadcasting gig with FOX Sports -- the newly retired NFL legend is not part of the network's plans for Super Bowl coverage next weekend ... TMZ Sports has learned.

The 7-time champion shocked the sports world when he shared his retirement plans on Wednesday ... saying he's leaving the game "for good" in an emotional social media post.

Our Brady sources tell us the announcement was equally surprising to FOX Sports ... who had no idea Brady was going to call it a career this morning.

As we previously reported, Brady inked a massive 10-year, $375 million deal to join FOX as an analyst upon his retirement ... whenever that day came.

Now that Brady's post-football career seems to be here, he will eventually throw on the headset for the network in some capacity ... just not in time for the Kansas City Chiefs vs. Philadelphia Eagles game in Arizona on Feb. 12 on FOX.