TMZ Sports - Page 3

Deion Sanders just threw some major shade at Jay Norvell ... doubling down after the Colorado State head coach criticized his "hat and glasses" look this week -- by giving his whole Buffaloes team their own pair!!

Prime and Norvell have exchanged verbal jabs ahead of their big matchup ... with the former saying the game is now "personal" after the Rams coach blasted his appearance on his weekly radio show.

Prime went one step further on Friday ... 'cause during a team meeting, he had his equipment staff hand out a bunch of sunglasses to all the players as a clear response to Norvell's dig.

The whole squad loved the gesture ... donning the gold shades and smiling for the cameras as Prime told them how good they looked.

Sanders said Norvell's diss truly backfired ... 'cause not only did it give his squad some extra motivation, it will also help sell his glasses collab with Blenders.

Brett Favre believes Aaron Rodgers will be back on the field next year ... and when he ultimately straps on his helmet and shoulder pads again -- the Packers legend tells TMZ Sports the QB will be "as good, if not better, than ever."

Of course, Favre says there's at least some chance Rodgers calls it a career after he snapped his Achilles during his Jets debut on Monday night ... but as a guy who's spent years around the signal-caller, Favre just doesn't see a way this is the end for Rodgers.

"I personally think that he will come back," Favre said. "I don't see him going out like this."

And, if and when he returns to the Big Apple, Favre has no doubts Rodgers will find success again.

In fact, Brett says he plans on reaching out to his former teammate soon to make sure the future Hall of Famer gets that message.

"It seemed to me from the outside looking in they had a good thing going there," Favre said of Rodgers' time in New York. "Just the vibe I was getting. If that's the case -- if he felt that way too, give it a shot. That's what I would tell him."

For Rodgers' part, he certainly seems like a guy that's not ready to quit ... just a day before he had surgery to repair his damaged leg, he wrote in an Instagram post that he "shall rise yet again."

UFC Hall of Famer Pat Miletich -- the promotion's first-ever welterweight champion -- was arrested for allegedly driving drunk in Iowa Thursday morning ... after a witness said they saw the MMA legend driving his truck the wrong way down a one-way street.

Authorities in Bettendorf, Iowa received a call early Thursday morning for a man allegedly driving against the flow of traffic on a one-way street, before crossing an embankment and parking at a nearby gas station.

Once on the scene, police say they found 57-year-old Miletich asleep behind the wheel ... with the truck still in gear.

Cops woke him up, and Miletich admitted to drinking wine, according to an incident report. Police say Pat had bloodshot eyes, slurred speech, was unsteady on his feet, and reeked of alcohol.

They attempted to put Pat through a field sobriety test, but he refused. He also refused the Breathalyzer.

Given his alleged condition, and evidence on the scene that supported the accusation Pat was driving erratically, Miletich was arrested for Operating While Intoxicated (OWI), 3rd Offense, a class D felony in the state.

Pat was booked into Scott County jail at 6:16 AM. He was listed at 5'10" and 200 pounds.

Miletich was in custody for just short of two hours before being released at 8 AM after posting $5k bond.

If you're not familiar with Pat ... he's one of the first MMA stars. He took his first pro MMA fight in 1995, and went on to become UFC welterweight champion, fighting 39 pro fights along the way.

It was Pat's third arrest for driving drunk ... he was popped in 2019 and 2021.

The arrest comes as Miletich is preparing to return to the MMA cage. He's fighting 38-year-old Mike Jackson (of CM Punk fame) at Caged Aggression on October 14.

Kim Zolciak and Kroy Biermann's efforts to dig outta their deep financial hole, amid their divorce, aren't going that well -- their Georgia home is teetering on foreclosure once again, TMZ has learned.

According to online records, their Alpharetta mansion is in pre-foreclosure again, with the pending sale date listed as November 7. It isn't technically in foreclosure yet, but it certainly appears to be heading in that direction -- indicating they've missed some mortgage payments.

As we reported, Kroy filed docs last month, asking for an emergency hearing to authorize selling their $3 million house, saying their financial woes were getting worse and the sale could cover their "significant debt."

Kroy claimed they were struggling to make their monthly mortgage payments, having to sell off his backpacks and other personal belongings to make enough cash to cover what was owed.

He says he asked Kim to sell her purses for contribution, but she refused.

Kroy claims Kim sold some bags, wigs, and other high-end items ... but added, "None of the funds garnered from the sale of these items have gone towards the mortgage, or any other bills."

Kroy claimed they weren't able to make their mortgage payment in July, presenting the prospect of foreclosure ... which is why he's pushing to unload the property.

Regarding Kroy's push to sell the house, his attorney, Maryls A. Bergstrom, tells TMZ ... "We are going to court on September 27th to request that the court order the home sold."

Don't forget, their family home faced foreclosure back in February, with the estate set to be auctioned off the following month ... but they were able to stop the sale and keep the spot through their payments.

Talk about adding insult to injury -- 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy was forced to rep his college rival after Iowa State lost to George Kittle's Iowa last weekend ... showing up to his media availability decked out in a Hawkeyes mascot head!!

The pair of Niners teammates placed a friendly wager when their alma maters faced off Saturday against each other ... and, unfortunately for Purdy, the Cyclones lost, 20-13.

Purdy -- who went to Iowa State for four seasons -- held up his end of the deal at Thursday's press conference ... rocking a big Herky the Hawk head as he took the stage.

The whole room thought it was amusing ... and Kittle thanked Hawkeyes staffers for getting the mascot head to SF.

"Go hawks @HawkeyeFootball @brockpurdy13," the tight end said on X. "Shoutout @TylerBarnesIOWA for getting this herky out to cali!"

Kittle also joined in on the fun ... throwing on his former mascot's head as well.

Purdy isn't the only NFL QB taking Ls by placing bets on his former college team -- Aaron Rodgers had to wear Auburn gear after Cal lost to teammate C.J. Uzomah's Tigers.

Are Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift an item? The NFL superstar's older brother wouldn't spill the beans on Thursday night -- though he did give a hint that suggested there might be at least some truth to the rumors.

Just after Jason Kelce and the Eagles whooped up on the Minnesota Vikings in Philadelphia ... the star center and his quarterback, Jalen Hurts, hit the Amazon Prime postgame set for what they thought would be some football talk.

A short time into the conversation, though, Hall of Famer Tony Gonzalez brought up Jason's brother's love life.

"I have a 15-year-old daughter," the ex-tight end said to the Eagles star. "And, she's a big fan of a certain pop star. And, you have a family member -- a brother, I think -- and I've been hearing rumors that there's maybe some stuff. Can you comment?"

Jason got a big smile on his face ... and while he initially side-stepped the question -- telling Tony, "I've seen these rumors. I cannot comment" -- when he expounded further, he didn't do much to dispel the chatter.

"Ever since 'Catching Kelce,' everybody's been infatuated with Travis' love life," Jason said. "So, I don't really know what's going on there. So, yeah, I know Trav is having fun. We'll see what happens with whoever he ends up with."

Travis and Taylor were first linked to each other back in July ... when the Chiefs tight end attended her concert at Arrowhead Stadium with a clever plan to give her his number. While Travis said the scheme ultimately failed, there's been rumors ever since that the two found a way to hang out in the weeks afterward.

Neither Travis, who was last in a serious, public relationship with model Kayla Nicole in 2022, nor Taylor has commented publicly on the matter.

Do you want to see Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce date? Vote below.

Prince Harry's celebrating his birthday this year with an intimate gathering ... of several thousand people at the Invictus Games, which turned into a massive "Happy Birthday" sing-along.

Harry and Meghan Markle were in the crowd at the Merkur Spiel-Arena in Düsseldorf Friday to watch Germany and Poland go at it in volleyball -- but when the game ended everyone's attention turned to the Duke of Sussex, who turns 39 today.

Meghan and Harry lit up pretty quickly as the "Happy Birthday" song began, with Harry jokingly trying to deflect some of the attention he was getting. He even got another song from the Polish team before he asked to snap a pic with them.

Not a bad way to celebrate his big day, especially because the event is so near and dear to Harry. He founded the Games in 2014, and each year since it brings together injured, sick, and wounded veterans to compete.

So, having the athletes and their families and friends wish him happy birthday has to hold more weight.

The celebration seems to have started on Thursday night when Harry and Meghan went out to a German brewery. One of the waiters at the spot told DailyMail Harry knocked back 6 small beers during the pre-birthday festivities.

Aaron Rodgers took the first step in his return to football after tearing his Achilles ... he says he had successful surgery, posting an update from his hospital bed!!!

The New York Jets star quarterback shared a positive injury update Thursday on social media, saying he went under the knife Wednesday ... reporting the procedure "went great."

Aaron's thanking Dr. Neal ElAttrache for "starting me on the road to recovery." Aaron and Neal have a history together, and the doc is renowned in the sports world, operating on star athletes in both football and baseball.

The good news for Jets fans ... Aaron's smiling in his hospital gown, so he seems to be feeling better after initially saying he was "heartbroken" after suffering a season-ending injury just 4 plays into his Jets career.

Antonio Gates says if the Jets are looking for a veteran to replace Aaron Rodgers this season, they shouldn't look much further than Philip Rivers ... telling TMZ Sports he thinks the 41-year-old is "definitely capable" of doing the job.

Gates made the claim out in Beverly Hills this week ... in wake of reports that New York could potentially be looking to add a big-name QB after Rodgers' season ended with an Achilles tear on Monday night.

"Philip is someone that's definitely capable of doing it," said Gates, Rivers' old Chargers teammate. "Just because the mental capacity that he has."

The likelihood of the signing, though, seems slim at the moment ... Jets head coach Robert Saleh said this week his team is rolling with Zach Wilson as its starter -- and any outside help they bring in would be, at least for now, a backup to the 24-year-old.

And, while Gates was certainly confident in Rivers' ability to potentially take over in the Big Apple ... he seemed to believe keeping Wilson as QB1 was the right call.

"I'm sure they got him in position to go out and still try to make plays and help them win football games," Gates said.

Jermaine O'Neal's one of the greatest Pacers ever, rocking number 7 during his 8 seasons in Indiana ... so when the 6x NBA All-Star found out Buddy Hield was switching numbers and wearing his old digit, O'Neal admitted he was bummed!

"I love Buddy and the work that he puts in. My statement has nothing to do with him," Jermaine wrote, providing a caveat for what would follow.

"It is disappointing to watch teams every year recognize and celebrate the players who have been the franchise's very best players on and off the court but yet Pacers don't. It's been confusing and disappointing to say the least!"

It's all a reaction to Hield, a former first-round draft pick (2016) who joined the Pacers in 2022, deciding to change numbers from 24 to 7.

Hield wore 24 with the Pelicans, Kings, and even Indiana last season. He also rocked 7 at Oklahoma, where he was one of the best players in the country.

During his time with the Pacers (2000-2008), O'Neal was a force on the court. He made 6 All-Star teams as a member of the Pacers, averaging nearly 19 points a game throughout his tenure with the team.

Earlier this year, the Indy Star compiled a list of the greatest players in the team's more than 55-year history, going back to the ABA in the mid-1960s ... and O'Neal was ranked 5th all-time.

Only two modern players were above Jermaine, Reggie Miller at 1, and Paul George at 4. Old timers Mel Daniels (2) and George McGinnis (3) rounded out the top 5.

Some lists even have O'Neal as high as the second greatest in organizational history, behind Reggie.

Jake Paul is showin' his support for Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy on the platform that just might decide the 2024 election -- yep, one little TikTok dance can go a long way.

The boxer shared their collab Wednesday, taking a stab at a viral dance made popular by Houston Rockets' Dillon Brooks ... something that's kinda blown up online.

Jake drags politicians for not reaching out to the youth through social media, saying those trying to garner the attention of young voters are missing out on a practically untapped market. He says Vivek is all about these types of connections, however.

BTW, Vivek also spoke about the lack of social media interaction from his fellow candidates, claiming they're all just scared because of the unscripted factor.

Jake and Vivek's video has gained a lot of attention online, but not everyone's as supportive of Jake's endorsement -- one commenter called the video "a terrible idea," while a handful of others claimed Vivek lost their vote just because he worked with Jake.

Haters. Just part and parcel of the social media landscape.

Vivek and Jake's criticism of the other candidates doesn't apply to at least one Democratic hopeful -- Marianne Williamson recently told us why moving to TikTok is helping her overcome what she sees as a blatant bias on TV.

She claims the cable media outlets won't give her airtime because she's running against President Biden.

As for Vivek, it'll be interesting to see if an endorsement from Jake will really make a difference in the polls -- don't forget, he got a stamp of disapproval from Eminem last month, who blocked Vivek from using his songs at his campaign events.

Dan Marino believes he'd absolutely demolish the single-season passing yards record if he were still under center for an NFL team ... saying with today's rules, he could throw for 6,000 yards!!!

The Miami Dolphins legend didn't mince words when talking about the topic with sports journalist Kevin Clark this week ... believing his skillset would translate that well to today's era.

"The best part about this is I'm retired and I don't have to prove it," the former quarterback said. "Yes, we'd throw for 6,000 yards."

"It would be a lot of fun," he added. "I wish I could."

Marino says a lot of today's rules would have made it all possible for him. He cited the protection of quarterbacks and the stricter pass interference calls as two that would benefit him most in a run to 6K.

Of course, Marino never got close to 6,000 in his 17-year career ... but he did put up an unthinkable 5,084 yards back in 1984 -- a then-NFL record.

A Buffalo Bills reporter bashed Stefon Diggs inside a room full of journalists on Wednesday -- and after the rant was picked by a hot mic ... she issued an apology.

The incident happened as media members were waiting for Bills players to arrive at a podium -- two days after their disappointing, season-opening loss to the Jets.

Several people could be heard on the live microphone appearing to wonder which Buffalo star would meet with them. And, at one point, team reporter Maddy Glab seemed to be asked by another journalist to go help bring Diggs out.

"There's no control over Stefon Diggs," she can be heard saying on the mic. "Dude's going to do what he wants to do."

She later added, "He'll look in my face and say F you. That's how he treats everybody."

A few hours later, Glab said she was sorry for her comments.

"I want to take ownership for what I said today," she wrote in a note on her X page. "I am very sorry for what I said and meant no ill will."

In her note, she explained Diggs not only "marches to the beat of his own drum" ... but he also "has a playful relationship with our video department" -- which is why she says she said what she said.

"I apologize for that," she wrote. "Stef is not in the wrong, I am."

She added in her statement that Diggs is one of her "favorite players to cover" and "he has great character and treats us media with lots of respect."

Diggs has yet to publicly comment on the matter.

Colorado State head coach Jay Norvell just fired off a shot at Deion Sanders as the two get set to square off this weekend ... throwing a barb at Coach Prime over the way he rocks his hat and sunglasses.

The Rams honcho tossed the shade on his weekly radio show Wednesday night ... when talking about how he and his team were doing interviews in the buildup to Saturday's CSU vs. Colorado matchup.

"I sat down with ESPN today," Norvell said. "I don't care if they hear it in Boulder. I told them, I took my hat off and I took my glasses off. I said when I talk to grown-ups, I take my hat off and my glasses off. That's what my mother taught me."

Of course, Deion is notorious for keeping on his shades and cap at almost all times ... even when he's speaking with reporters on TV. Norvell's comments were clearly a dig at that look.

So far, the Dallas Cowboys legend hasn't responded -- at least not directly -- but you can bet he'll be using it as bulletin board material for his Buffs squad regardless.

After all, CU's 2-0 start this season has largely been fueled by the perception that they're not getting respect nationally. In fact, the Buffs made it no secret that some comments and pregame actions made by Nebraska coach Matt Rhule helped them score a win over the Huskers last weekend.

Kickoff for the Rams vs. Buffs game is at 7 PM. Colorado's currently a 23.5-point favorite ... though that might certainly change after Norvell's poke at the bear.

A domestic violence victim advocacy group based in Houston is calling out the NBA, demanding the league institute tougher punishment when it comes to disciplining players like Rockets G Kevin Porter Jr. ... who was recently arrested for allegedly assaulting his GF.

"At what point do leagues say it has gone too far?" Houston Area Women's Center president and CEO Emilee Whitehurst told us, adding, "Surely it should have happened before now."

Whitehurst continued ... "We challenge the NBA and similar professional leagues to strengthen their domestic violence policy and to hold offenders accountable."

Of course, Porter Jr. -- a first-round pick in 2019 -- was arrested on Monday, and has been accused of hitting and strangulating his girlfriend, former WNBA player Kysre Gondrezick, during the violent incident in NYC.

Kysre reportedly suffered a gash above her eye during the incident.

The NBA released a statement shortly after the arrest, and say they're looking into the alleged incident. Porter Jr. is still currently on the Rockets team.

But, perhaps not for long. There are reports stating the organization is looking to trade KPJ.

Whether there will be any takers is the question ... as it's not the first time Porter Jr. has allegedly gotten himself into trouble -- something the domestic violence org noted.

"HAWC is calling for public outcry against athletic leagues paying and promoting people with violent reputations. Porter has a longstanding reputation of concerning conduct. He has been suspended, fined, and now arrested for felony assault and strangulation."

The Houston Area Women's Center then went on to call on fans to take action and stop supporting players who allegedly engage in domestic violence.

"We need an entire community to mobilize, to not just say this is wrong, but to act."

Sylvester Stallone is just like one of The Beatles ... at least, when in Rome, because he was completely bombarded by a sea of fans while on a trip with his family.

The "Rocky" star was met with hundreds of folks while spending time overseas. The actor was visiting with his wife, Jennifer Flavin, and their 3 daughters -- and the whole fam got a security detail that was workin' hard to keep them safe.

Sly's fiasco is a sight ya rarely see these days ... so the crazy scene is one we're sure his whole family won't soon forget.

As we reported, Sylvester was touring Vatican City last week when he got the opportunity to meet Pope Francis -- someone who ended up being a big fan of Sly's work!

The 2 even did a bit of shadowboxing together during their brief exchange ... clearly a pretty awesome moment for both of them.