TMZ Sports - Page 19

Matthew Stafford's wife is admitting she made a mistake by going public with the quarterback's communication struggles in the locker room ... calling it, "probably the worst thing I've done when it comes to him."

Kelly made headlines after revealing the 35-year-old Rams star wasn't connecting with his younger teammates on her "Morning After" podcast last week ... when she said the Super Bowl champ has found difficulty vibing with guys compared to years past.

Now, Kelly is regretting her decision to share that info ... telling Local 4 in Detroit, "That was tough. I say all the time, probably not the best if your wife’s name is in the media, if it’s talking about sports."

"I felt pretty bad last week," she added. "I put my foot in my mouth pretty good last week."

The mother of four explained she thought the topic was relatable ... and she still believes it to be a true statement.

"But I'm not in an NFL locker room, I'm not spending every day with these teammates."

Rams coach Sean McVay commented on Kelly's statements earlier this week ... saying he took it like more of a joke at Matthew's age instead of a real issue within the team.

Jake Paul took matters into his own hands to make sure his girlfriend's wax figure is just like the real thing ... cupping its ass and comparing it to the human Jutta Leerdam right on the spot!!

The Problem Child just posted footage of his visit at Madame Tussauds in the Netherlands this week ... where he got a truly up-close look -- and feel -- of his superstar athlete GF's recently opened exhibit.

Jake walked right up to the figure, squeezed its behind and then turned to the real Jutta ... and proceeded to grab her tush as well.

The Olympian laughed and pulled his hand away ... but you can tell she appreciated his dedication to the cause.

If the video wasn't enough indication that Paul's a big fan of the completed project, he even rapped about it on his newest song, "Witness" ... saying, "Madame Tussaud’s wax figure of my girl do that mean I got 2 oooo?"

Paul and Leerdam have been enjoying their time together in her home country following his big win over Nate Diaz ... and the boxer's even been hitting up her recent training sessions.

Legendary Dallas Cowboys scout Gil Brandt -- who helped America's Team draft Troy Aikman and Roger Staubach -- has died ... Jerry Jones announced.

According to the Pro Football Hall of Fame ... the former talent evaluator passed on Thursday morning.

He was 91 years old.

"We are so deeply saddened by the passing of Gil Brandt – a true icon and pioneer of our sport," Jones said in a statement. "Gil was at the very core of the early success of the Dallas Cowboys and continued to serve as a great ambassador for the organization for decades beyond that."

Brandt joined the Cowboys in their inaugural season in 1960 -- and helped the team select its first-ever draft pick ... Hall of Famer Bob Lilly.

He would go on to work for the org. for nearly 30 years ... drafting legendary players like Staubach, Aikman, Rayfield Wright and Bob Hayes.

Brandt became known for his implementation of computers and psychological tests to grade prospects ... and his systems ultimately led to the creation of the now-famous NFL Scouting Combine.

Following his departure from the Cowboys after the 1989 season ... he would go on to be a key contributor and draft analyst for NFL.com.

"His dedication to, and passion for, this game left a lasting impact on generations of Hall of Fame players and coaches," Jones said. "There are very few people that have been able to have the kind of generational impact that he did. Gil was as dedicated to growing this league and sport as anyone ever was, and we are all grateful and better for it."

Huskers fans do NOT play when it comes to the Nebraska women's volleyball team ... and 92,000 of them pulled up to their outdoor match on Wednesday, setting a new world record!

History was made last night when nearly 100 thousand fans watched as the Huskers squad swept Omaha 3-0 at the Memorial Stadium -- a.k.a. the Sea of Red -- on "Volleyball Day in Nebraska."

The official attendance was 92,003 ... and Memorial Stadium is one of the biggest out there. SoFi Stadium in L.A., for example, has a capacity of around 70 thousand.

This number tops the previous world record of 91,648 (Barcelona vs. Wolfsburg Champions League soccer match in 2022) for attendance at a women's sporting event. The all-time record at Memorial Stadium of 91,585 was also broken ... which was set by the football team in 2014.

On the court, Nebraska kicked ass ... recording seven blocks and limiting Omaha to only 18 kills on 88 attacks.

The volleyball fans got a lot of praise for their historic show of support ... even getting a shoutout from NBA legend Magic Johnson, who said he was "blown away" by the achievement.

"Shoutout to all the Husker fans that showed their support for women’s athletics and the Nebraska Volleyball team," Johnson tweeted.

Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson and Oprah Winfrey are stepping up to help those affected by the recent wildfires in Maui ... launching a $10 million fund to financially support thousands of residents.

Johnson and Winfrey announced the initiative Thursday morning ... saying after brainstorming a bit on how they could offer assistance, they decided to kick-start the People's Fund of Maui.

The initiative is designed to put money directly in the pockets of those impacted by the devastating fires in Lahaina and Kula, which includes the many who lost their homes and were forced to evacuate.

Johnson says people can apply to receive $1,200 a month as they recover ... and he's hoping more donations pour in overtime to add to their own massive contribution.

"We are honored to start this campaign with $10 million dollars and ask for your help in donating to those who have lost their homes," Johnson said. "We thank you in advance for your contribution. "

Call Zay Flowers Kodak Purple and Black ... 'cause the young Ravens receiver had the whole team going wild during Baltimore's rookie talent show this week -- crushing his performance of Kodak Black's biggest song!!

Superstar quarterback Lamar Jackson documented the whole act ... with footage showing the former Boston College standout getting in front of his teammates and doing a rendition of the Florida M.C.'s "No Flockin'."

Flowers certainly pandered to the audience -- Kodak has a ton of fans in the Ravens locker room ... and he's even hit up games and hung out with Jackson in the past, as the two are close friends.

While Jackson initially clowned Flowers -- who also hails from the Sunshine State -- for having to pull up the lyrics on his phone, it's safe to say the signal-caller gave his stamp of approval ... as he cheered on his teammate throughout the song.

The receiver also got a ton of help from the room ... with all the guys joining in on rapping along to the 2015 track.

The rookie initiations this season have been pretty impressive -- as we previously reported, Jets rookie Jerome Kapp also showed off his mic skills as he recited Eminem's famous diss from "8 Mile."

Lionel Messi was back on the pitch in Florida for the first time in nearly a month Wednesday night ... and, as has become tradition, celebs flocked to see him -- including Floyd Mayweather and Alix Earle, who got VIP treatment at the game.

The new MLS superstar had maybe his quietest night since joining Inter Miami -- scoring zero goals in a 0-0 tie against Nashville SC -- but A-listers were spotted throughout DRV PNK Stadium in Fort Lauderdale enjoying the GOAT in action nonetheless.

Mayweather and Earle, flanked by NFL superstar Jaylen Waddle, got prime seats and field access as guests of Miami mogul David Grutman.

Ken Griffey Jr. even showed up too ... though he chose to grab a media credential instead of suite seats -- opting to shoot the game with his camera instead of rubbin' elbows in the stands with the stars.

At one point, however, the MLB legend was able to link up with Mayweather -- who was also with friend Lionel Khoury -- sharing an embrace with the boxer and getting in a pic.

Unclear how much facetime all of the celebrities got with Messi -- the soccer player was, after all, busy trying to scrape out another win for his squad -- but everyone was grinning ear-to-ear throughout the night nonetheless.

They'll all have to wait a bit to do it again -- Messi's not set to play in Ft. Lauderdale 'til Sept. 9 now -- unless, of course, they want to fly out to Los Angeles this weekend to see him vs. LAFC.

The explosion at Caleb Farley's home that took the life of the NFL player's father was so mortifying ... multiple people phoned cops in a panic, saying it "sounded like a bomb" had gone off in the neighborhood.

TMZ Sports has obtained several 911 calls from the night Farley's residence in Mooresville, N.C. blew up without a moment's warning ... and you can hear in the audio, people were terrified.

One caller told dispatch that the explosion was so loud, it woke them up ... and rattled their doors and windows.

"I'm telling you," the caller said, "it went off. You could feel it. Then it rippled all through. It sounded like thunder coming through."

Another person who had dialed 911 urged first responders to arrive quickly ... saying the blast was so violent, "I thought somebody was actually kicking my door in."

As we previously reported, Farley's home exploded just around midnight on Aug. 22. The Tennessee Titans cornerback's dad, Robert Farley, was found deceased in the rubble. Another man was taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

Apparently, seven Super Bowl rings and 89,214 passing yards ain't enough to earn the label of "Best of All-Time" from Joe Montana ... 'cause the 49ers legend says Dan Marino, NOT Tom Brady, gets that title from him.

The Hall of Famer made the bold statement during a recent interview with Men's Health, explaining if Marino were playing in today's era of football -- he very well could have done what Brady did ... and maybe better.

"Put Marino into today’s game where he gets free release ... and his receivers, holy cow, weren't very big," Montana said.

"Now these guys are 6'4, 6'5. I think [Marino] is probably one of the most unsung heroes of the game. People don't talk enough about him or realize the numbers that he put up during the times that he put them up."

Montana also gushed about Marino's tangibles while naming him the B.O.A.T. ... adding, "He had a quick release. I had to step into a lot of things to get enough [force] on the ball."

"He had the perfect torque of his upper body and strength to deliver the ball quickly at a fast release with accuracy."

Now, don't get it twisted ... Montana did note there is a delineation between Greatest of All-Time and Best of All-Time -- though it sure did seem he still believes he holds that crown over Brady as well.

As for who could capture it going forward ... Montana dubbed Patrick Mahomes as the man with the most potential there.

Former U.S. Open champ Gary Woodland just announced some scary news -- he's undergoing surgery to remove a lesion from his brain next month ... though he said he's in good spirits despite it all.

Woodland said on X on Wednesday morning he was actually diagnosed with the ailment a few months ago ... though he had initially tried to treat it with medication.

However, he says after talking it over with docs recently, he's now decided to go under the knife to try to remedy the problem.

"We've made the decision that surgery to remove the lesion is the best course of action," the 39-year-old said.

"I'm in good spirits," he added, "with my family and team by my side and so thankful for the love and support of everyone."

Woodland -- who holds four career PGA Tour wins, including the 2019 U.S. Open -- said surgery is slated for Sept. 18.

Longtime NBA referee Eric Lewis is retiring ... just a couple months after the league announced it was looking into allegations he wrongfully used social media.

The 19-year-vet, who's officiated over 1,200 regular-season and playoff games, informed the league of his decision on Wednesday ... according to NBA officials.

The league added its probe into Lewis' alleged social media activity is now closed.

As we previously reported, the NBA initially began its investigation back in the spring ... after some claimed now-deleted tweets regarding the league's officiating came from a burner account belonging to the 52-year-old.

The NBA, of course, does not allow refs to publicly comment on officiating ... and while they looked into the matter, they pulled Lewis from his role as an NBA Finals ref.

At the time, Adam Silver said he didn't think it would be "appropriate for him to work" the games amid the allegations.

The mom of Spain's embattled soccer president, Luis Rubiales, has reportedly been hospitalized after refusing to eat for a third straight day ... all in support of her son as he fights to save his job.

Angeles Bejar, Rubiales' mother, was admitted to Santa Ana hospital in the Motril area of Spain, according to the local parish priest, who told local outlets Luis' mom was feeling tired and stressed as a result of the hunger strike and the controversy involving her son.

Bejar locked herself in a nearby church days ago as a way to protest what she believes is the unfair treatment of Luis.

Of course, Rubiales is under fire for his actions in what should've been the happiest of moments ... when Spain won the Women's World Cup against England. Luis was seen kissing Jenni Hermoso, a soccer star on Spain's team, on the lips.

Despite an immediate backlash, Luis has refused to resign his position, despite Spain's entire soccer club vowing not to play if he remains president.

On Saturday, FIFA suspended Rubiales for 90 days ... but he could still lose his job.

Jack Harlow dropped the visuals for his song, "Denver," on Wednesday ... and fittingly, he enlisted one of the city's biggest stars to appear in the music video -- Jamal Murray!!

The Kentucky-based M.C. released the project minutes ago ... which shows the Nuggets champion smiling from ear-to-ear alongside him at about the halfway point.

It's a brief appearance, but it's a cool move by Harlow to show love for the young baller fresh off bringing a title to the Mile High City earlier this year.

Jack is no stranger to rubbing elbows with NBAers -- remember, the guy named a song after Tyler Herro back in 2021, and featured the Miami Heat hooper in the video for that track as well.

Harlow also had his infamous controversy with Lou Williams during the COVID-19 pandemic ... when he posted a selfie of them together at Magic City in Atlanta when the then-Clippers guard left the NBA bubble for a funeral.

No issues this time around ... as Murray thanked Harlow for the special shoutout.

Stan Van Gundy is getting a ton of support from his Orlando Magic family after the loss of his beloved wife ... with a ton of former players and staffers coming together to visit the coach -- including Dwight Howard, Vince Carter and Patrick Ewing.

Marcin Gortat -- who played center on the Magic from 2007 to 2010 -- shared a photo of the crew with Van Gundy on his Instagram just days after Kim suddenly passed away at the age of 61.

Several stars smiled as they posed with coach ... with the big man explaining the meeting was all about SVG.

"We all came out to support our leader and one of the best coaches in history of the game," Gortat said." Coach Stan Van Gundy. #nba #family #orlando #florida."

Howard -- who played under Van Gundy for five seasons -- penned an emotional Instagram post when Kim passed away ... saying he would always be there for him.

"We've been through it all, and these are the times that we need each other the most. My deepest condolences, thoughts, and prayers go out to you from the bottom of my heart," Howard said.

"I want you to know that myself and everyone from our Orlando team loves you and has your back through this time!"

Tom Brady channeled his inner Irina Shayk while chilling on his yacht this week ... ditching his shirt and showing off his shredded bod just days after his apparent new lady went topless on vacation with Bradley Cooper.

TB12 has been hanging in Miami as the model spends time with her ex on a luxurious Italian trip ... and he seemed to be totally relaxed as he soaked up the sun.

Brady -- who will have an open fall schedule for the first time in his adult life -- still looks ready to suit up right now ... as he put his athletic figure on display during the outing on his $6 million "Tw12ve Angels" boat.

The 46-year-old has been seeing Shayk since his divorce from Gisele Bündchen ... but her getaway with Cooper is reportedly N.B.D. to the 7-time Super Bowl champion, as their romance is still in the early stages.

Brady has also been in the news as fans speculate whether he could come out of retirement in time for the 2023 season, which kicks off next week ... but, judging by these pics, he seems entirely content with being off the field.

The future Hall of Famer spent his summer going on vacations with his kids ... but if he's ready to settle down again, he's got an open invite to find love on "The Bachelor," 'cause Jesse Palmer recently told TMZ Sports the QB would be a "legendary" lead on the dating show if he wants to Shayk it off.

A Black surfer in Florida says several of his white counterparts stole his board and nailed it to a tree in a racist act ... and the allegations are so disturbing, cops tell TMZ Sports they're now investigating the matter.

The surfer's name is Andrew Sherlock Mills ... and on Tuesday, he explained in a social media post that the incident went down last weekend in Jupiter.

He claimed that when he turned his back after riding in the ocean waters, his board was nabbed and then pinned high up on a nearby palm tree.

"This is how real the racism and hate is in Jupiter, Florida," Mills wrote in an Instagram post. "They can't stand to see a Black man in their waters. I was told I'm not welcome. Stole my board when I turned my back and they did this. Said it was a message. They nailed it to the tree like a lynching."

Mills said he did not call cops ... and instead, "took the board down, stayed and surfed the whole day with a small board to show face."

"A few locals that were there were apologizing and agreed it was wrong," Mills added. "They did said, after what happened, I'm welcome to surf their waters freely and no one will bother me. I'm just going to leave it in God's hands."

We reached out to the Jupiter Police Dept. for comment on the situation ... and a spokesperson told us officers were made aware of the claims through social media and have since launched a probe.