TMZ Sports - Page 8

Jay Cutler apparently wasn't the only NFL star Kristin Cavallari's had eyes for over the years ... she just admitted she had a fat crush on Travis Kelce as well!!

Cavallari said her feelings for the Kansas City Chiefs star actually developed while she was married to Cutler -- revealing on her "Let's Be Honest" podcast this week that she was obsessed with Kelce while watching him on his "Catching Kelce" reality TV show back in 2016.

"You've probably heard the term 'TV crush,' right?" the reality star told Kelce on her pod. "Like, you know what a TV crush is? It's when you see someone on TV, you probably haven't met them yet but you just have this like little crush on them? You were 100 percent my TV crush when this show was on."

She added, "I was in love with you."

Kelce was flattered by the comments ... though he quickly burst her bubble by telling her what she saw on the dating show was largely not real.

"You're ruining it for me now," she said with a laugh.

Cavallari obviously never acted on her feelings for Kelce -- she stayed with Cutler until their split in 2020 ... and when she recently met TK while the two were out in The Hamptons, it seems there was definitely more of a good friend vibe.

Of course, the door still appears to be at least somewhat open for something down the road ... both are single at the moment.

Former New England Patriots running back Dion Lewis -- who won a Super Bowl with Tom Brady -- was arrested in Florida on Monday, TMZ Sports has learned.

According to a Hillsborough County jail official, the 32-year-old was booked at 3:12 PM on a misdemeanor charge of trespassing. He was released several hours later at 11:48 PM on a $500 bond.

Further details of the allegations surrounding Lewis were not made immediately available.

Lewis made his NFL debut back in 2011 after being picked by the Philadelphia Eagles in the fifth round of the draft ... but he became a household name when he joined Brady and the Patriots in 2015.

Lewis started 19 games in his three seasons in New England ... scoring 13 total touchdowns. In his second year with the Pats in 2017, he helped Brady score a huge comeback victory over the Falcons in Super Bowl LI. He nearly helped Brady get another Super Bowl win in his final season with the Pats ... though he and New England came up just short of a victory in SB LII in a thriller against the Eagles.

Lewis went on to play for the Titans and Giants ... before retiring in 2021.

Five years later, Johnny Manziel's still the man ... 'cause the Heisman Trophy winner reunited with his old bestie, Drake, at Champagne Papi's concert in Houston!

The award-winning artist and former superstar QB linked up at Toyota Center in H-Town where Drake did his infamous walk ... where he walks through a crowd of his fans during his show during his "It's All a Blur" tour.

Manziel shared a clip on Instagram, saying he was "honored" to walk with his old friend.

"You and your music have changed my life for the better," the 30-year-old said. "Thank you for letting the kid from Texas share that moment with you #SZN."

Remember, Aubrey and Manziel became friends back in the day when Johnny was the signal-caller for the Texas A&M Aggies football team ... during the time Drake was droppin' hits like "Take Care" and "Started From the Bottom".

In fact, Drizzy made a track called "Draft Day" and mentioned Manziel ahead of the 2014 NFL Draft ... where Johnny was selected with the 22nd overall pick.

Johnny also got an "OVO" tattoo on his wrist.

Cleveland Browns running back Nick Chubb suffered a horrific knee injury Monday night ... one that was so bad, ABC chose not to air close-up replays of it.

The NFL star and his team were going toe to toe against the Steelers during a primetime game in Pittsburgh ... when Chubb got knocked out of the contest in the second quarter.

During one of the plays ... Deshaun Watson handed the ball to the 27-year-old tailback, who sprang forward into a crush of helmets, getting tackled by Steelers safety Minkah Fitzpatrick.

Moments later, Chubb was unable to get to his feet even with the help of his teammate. He grimaced and writhed in pain as he gripped his left knee -- which he also severely injured in 2015 while playing college football.

A far-away replay showed Chubb's leg had bent in a way it shouldn't have ... and both Joe Buck and Troy Aikman -- the game's broadcasters -- told the audience they would not be showing the other angle of the hit due to its gruesomeness.

Chubb was then carted off the field to cheers from the opposing crowd at Acrisure Stadium.

After the game, Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski told reporters Chubb suffered a "significant knee injury" -- one that will almost certainly sideline the running back for the rest of the season.

It seems like Blueface's street code is preventing law enforcement from putting together a case against his alleged assailant.

The L.A. County District Attorney's office tells TMZ Hip Hop ... the case has been rejected, for now, due to Blueface's lack of cooperation with the investigation. The video doesn't clearly show everything necessary to bring a criminal case, so, we're told investigators needed cooperation from witnesses to move forward.

According to docs, Blueface refused to answer any of the responding officer's questions, refused to provide his ID and even rejected medical aid ... though he quickly posted his bloody injury on social media, assuring fans he was good.

As we previously told you, Brandon Henrysnell had turned himself in on August 24, and was booked for felony assault with a deadly weapon.

But, the case won't go any further ... as authorities reviewed the footage, and while it clearly shows an altercation, it's missing the key moment Brandon allegedly stabbed Blueface.

Deion Sanders just received about the highest praise a coach could get ... courtesy of Shaq, who tells us Coach Prime reminds him of 11x NBA champion Phil Jackson during the epic rivalry game with Colorado State this weekend!

"When they were down 15, there was a camera that panned to Deion's face, and it reminded me of Phil Jackson. And I've always said, if the general doesn't panic, the troops don't panic," O'Neal told Babcock on the TMZ Sports TV show (full interview airs on Tuesday's show on FS1).

Of course, Sanders' squad was down double digits to Colorado State Saturday night ... when the Buffaloes stormed back late in the 4th quarter, ultimately winning 43-35 in double OT.

Deion's demeanor on the sideline brought back memories for Shaq.

"I know exactly what the [Colorado players] are going through because when you are standing in front of someone that has an impressive resume, and you're trying to get to the level he get to, everything you say is golden. I felt that way when Phil Jackson first came to the Lakers," the NBA legend explained.

"Before [Phil] got there, me and Kobe, we got swept all the time. But when he came there and stepped in the locker room and we saw he didn't panic, so it taught us not to panic. We know that this guy knows what he's talking about."

Coach Prime's team, which won a total of 1 game last season (1-11), is now 3-0 ... and they're ranked 19th in the country.

Given the job he's done so far, Shaq believes Sanders is the best coach in the sport.

"Deion right now is the best coach in college football. You heard it here first."

We also talked to O'Neal about The Event on October 7, Shaq's third annual fundraiser ... which has raised more than $6 MILLION for children in need in Atlanta and Las Vegas!

In addition to Diesel, The Event -- hosted by The Shaquille O'Neal Foundation -- will also feature performances by John Legend and Jennifer Hudson. Ray Romano will also be in the building for the Joel McHale-hosted event.

Tickets are now on sale!

Colorado State defensive back Henry Blackburn is on the receiving end of death threats after laying a controversial hit on Travis Hunter during Saturday's game ... and now, university police tell TMZ Sports an investigation into the hateful messages is underway.

Blackburn received a ton of heat for his massive late hit on the Colorado receiver in the first half of the Rams vs. Buffaloes matchup... which left Hunter sidelined for weeks with a lacerated liver.

Some looked at Blackburn's tackle as targeting ... including LeBron James, who went on X to say, "That was blatant and uncalled for IMO!"

Shortly after the tackle went viral on social media, the safety and his family were singled out by furious fans ... and we're told cops are taking the interactions seriously.

"CSUPD is aware of death threats against CSU football player Henry Blackburn, and the investigation is ongoing," a university police spokesperson told us on Monday.

"The police department will continue to monitor the situation, and the university is actively supporting the player and his family."

CSUI athletic director Joe Parker told Pete Thamel of ESPN he's concerned for Blackburn ... saying Henry never meant to hurt Hunter or anyone on the field.

"It's not what we teach or coach," Parker said. "We hope that the irrational vitriol directed at Henry stops immediately."

Golf superstar Phil Mickelson is addressing the rumors that have followed him for years ... coming clean about his gambling problem and opening up on his successful treatment.

Lefty dropped a statement on the matter Monday on social media ... saying while millions of fans will be enjoying their fantasy football season and betting in moderation, he will not -- and it's because his hobby turned into an obsession.

"I wont be betting this year because I crossed the line of moderation and into addiction which isn’t any fun at all," Mickelson said ... adding his financial losses due to his gambling weren't devastating, but the impact it had on his personal life was crushing.

"'You’re here but you’re not with us,' is something I’ve been told often throughout my addiction," Mickelson said. "It affected those I care about in ways I wasn’t aware or could fully understand. It’s like a hurricane is going on outside and I’m isolated in a shelter oblivious to what was happening. When I came out there was so much damage to clean up that I just wanted to go back inside and not deal with it."

Mickelson said some people close to him throughout his addiction were enablers disguised as friends ... but there was one person in his corner who helped him through his darkest times -- his wife, Amy.

"I couldn’t have gotten through this without her," Mickelson added. "I’m so grateful for her strength in helping us get through the many challenges I’ve created for us. Because of her love, support, and commitment, I’m back on track to being the person I want to be."

Phil also revealed he sought professional help for years and is still recovering ... but is moving in the right direction every day without gambling.

Dillon Danis has finally been served ... after dodging and weaving a process server for over a week, the fighter/online troll was officially notified Nina Agdal was suing him, and TMZ Sports has video.

It all went down Monday morning outside the Jersey City (NJ) building where the 30-year-old fighter lives.

The process server was waiting for Dillon ... and when he approached with two buddies, the guy said "I have a document for you, Mr. Danis," as he attempted to hand a brown envelope to the fighter.

But, Dillon refused, responding ... "That's not me," as the men walked towards the doors to his building. The PS was told he couldn't go inside, so he placed the document on the floor.

Danis and process servers had been playing a game of cat and mouse for days, with Dillon even pretending he was in North Korea. He also posted images and surveillance video of unsuccessful servers who were waiting for him.

Of course, we broke the story earlier this month ... Agdal, whose fiancé Logan Paul is fighting Danis on October 14, filed a lawsuit and restraining order against Dillon, claiming he was incessantly bullying and trolling her online (250+ times).

In her suit, Agdal says she's suffered humiliation, emotional distress, and reputational harm ... and even claims Danis broke State and Federal law on one occasion when he allegedly gained access to a private video on her phone.

Now that Danis has been served, he'll have 21 days to answer the complaint, per New Jersey law.

Kroy Biermann is again begging a judge not to let his estranged wife Kim Zolciak slow down his attempt to sell their mansion -- insisting they need to sell the place ASAP ... so they can get separate pads to shield their kids from the trauma of their toxic relationship.

The former NFL star filed new court docs this week, obtained by TMZ, which push back on what he claims is Kim's recent attempt to delay a ruling over the matter of whether to quickly try to sell their massive Georgia home.

Like before, Kroy's reiterating the urgent need to unload this property -- citing their mounting debts and money woes ... but this time, KB says it a bit more plainly. He writes in his paperwork, "The parties to this action are financially destitute, largely related to [Kim]'s reckless spending habits and love for online gambling." Oof ...

Yes, that's Kroy pointing the finger right at Kim and attributing their problems to her. What's more -- he says the IRS actually has a lien on the home over unpaid taxes in the amount of $1.1 million. Kroy also cites a number of lawsuits from creditors who want their dough.

In the docs, Kroy says he and Kim really don't have much else left to their name ... and that the house is the last true asset of value that they can cash in on -- but, according to him, Kim's trying to delay the process and making it difficult to turn the page amid their divorce. And, he says their constant fighting is hurting their kids, saying the "toxicity enveloping the marital home is extremely detrimental to the mental and emotional well-being of the children."

Time's running out, as Kroy says foreclosure is looming -- and he wants to try and collect whatever equity they have left in the place to pay down the damage and get separate places. Kroy's basically on his hands and knees here asking for the court to say yes.

Michigan State University has informed Mel Tucker of its plans to fire him ... just days after the suspended Spartans football coach was accused of sexual misconduct.

Rape survivor and activist Brenda Tracy recently claimed Tucker made unsolicited sexual comments and masturbated during an April 2022 phone call ... which led to a formal Title IX complaint and investigation.

Tucker was suspended on Sept. 10 ... and on Monday, the school announced its plans to terminate his contract for cause.

MSU Vice President Allen Haller said the decision has the support of the administration and board ... adding Tucker has been hit with a written notification of the plans to kick him to the curb.

Haller noted in the statement that Tucker now has seven days to plead his case and try to keep his job.

"This action does not conclude the ongoing Office for Civil Rights case; that rigorous process will continue," Haller said.

Tucker -- who signed a $95 million deal in 2021 -- has adamantly denied any wrongdoing ... admitting he had an intimate relationship with Tracy, but claimed she initiated the private convo with comments of her own.

He also said the allegations were simply an attempt to "revive her career" ... but it's clear the school felt otherwise.

J Balvin knows how to have a good time ... and he made sure his model GF was doin' the same for her birthday, which is why he threw her a luxurious surprise party!

The Colombian artist rented out a massive villa -- over 7,000 square feet -- on the Miami Beach waterfront for his boo, Valentina Ferrer's, 30th bday Sunday night ... with about 35 people showing up to celebrate, including her family.

We're told he flew her parents, siblings and other family members out from Argentina for the big day -- their 2-year-old son, Rio, was also in attendance but likely didn't party as hard as the rest of them.

The food was another highlight ... J Balvin hired a private chef from Colombia who put together a spread of Argentinian meats to enjoy. There was also a DJ bumping beats throughout the night  -- and no, JB unfortunately took the night off and didn't perform.

We're told Valentina had no idea about the party, so it was a well-kept secret ... especially getting her whole fam to show up!

FYI, it was a whirlwind weekend for the couple ... they were enjoying the NASCAR Cup Series in Tennessee Saturday where J launched his shoe collab with Nike Jordan before jetting over to Miami.

LeBron James is giving his personal review of Diddy's new project ... and it's safe to say the rap mogul got the King's approval -- 'cause Bron actually took the time to learn the lyrics!!

Well ... some of them.

The Los Angeles Lakers superstar is infamous for his backseat jam sessions whenever new music drops ... and it was only a matter of time before he gave his two cents on the Bad Boy founder's latest effort -- "The Love Album: Off the Grid," which dropped last week.

Bron went through three of his favorite tracks -- "Pick Up," "It Belongs To You," and "Brought My Love" ... vibin' out as each tune blasted in his Maybach.

James even tried his best Jacquees-esque falsetto at one point ... singing along until a fast-cadenced part of the song seemed to catch him off-guard.

The four-time champ rolled with the punches, though ... pretending to crush each word. In reality, it was more like the time he tried to do karaoke to a 6lack song.

"Man O Man!!!!!!!," James captioned his vid ... calling the project "an ABSOLUTE FKN STONE COLD VIBE!!!!!"

Travis Hunter sustained a lacerated liver during a brutal late hit on Saturday during an epic in-state rivalry game with Colorado State ... and now the star cornerback/wide receiver will miss several games, at the least.

"I'm told Travis Hunter sustained a laceration of his liver," Skip Bayless announced on FS1's Undisputed on Monday, before saying it "should heal on its own in 3 to 4 weeks."

In fact, Colorado was so concerned over the injury to 20-year-old Hunter -- one of the most talented football players in college football -- he was hospitalized after the double-overtime victory so doctors could evaluate him.

The scary hit happened with just under 5 minutes remaining in the first quarter of the game ... with 18th-ranked Colorado trailing Colorado State, 14-7.

QB Shedeur Sanders tried to deliver a deep ball to a streaking, but well-covered Hunter. The ball was slightly overthrown. As the rock landed a few feet in front of Hunter, safety Henry Blackburn delivered a big, late (and arguably dirty) hit on Travis, who went down and was clearly in a lot of pain.

The official immediately threw a flag.

Hunter briefly returned to the game but didn't play in the second half.

Colorado ultimately won 43-35 ... but the play left a bad taste in the mouth of a lot of fans, including LeBron James.

"Like I don’t understand the difference between targeting and what I just witnessed. I’ve seen others get thrown out for far less. That was blatant and uncalled for IMO!" Bron wrote on social media.

Blackburn, a captain on the Col. St. team, has been catching hell online ... so much so he's deactivated comments on his Instagram.

As for Hunter's return, he'll likely miss the Oregon (9/23), USC (9/30) and Arizona State (10/7) games, at the least.

Tamar Braxton says her car was broken into and ransacked -- and she's lamenting the fact she doesn't feel safe, even at home ... which is understandable considering the video.

The singer posted 4 clips on IG Monday, which show a handful of men going through a vehicle in a covered, seemingly subterranean garage ... rummaging around and removing various items as they appear to be staging a getaway in another car.

Tamar writes, "I got robbed. At home. I’m not safe anywhere. I don’t know why I keep getting violated. I had a lot in my car cause I don’t live anywhere cause I’m not safe anywhere or with anyone."

It's unclear when exactly this took place, but if it was on Sunday ... that's shocking, because she was at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta to sing the National Anthem ahead of the Packers-Falcons game. Tamar is known to have property in the ATL area, too.

The other notable thing about this is the fact that Tamar says she doesn't "live" anywhere anymore because of situations like this ... which has sparked concern online.

A 53-year-old man tragically died while attending the Patriots' home game against the Miami Dolphins on Sunday ... after experiencing what officials are calling an "apparent medical event."

According to local outlets, the incident happened in the 300s section at Gillette Stadium around 11 PM ... in the closing minutes of New England's 24-17 loss.

The man -- Dale Mooney of Newmarket, New Hampshire -- was rushed to a nearby hospital, where he was pronounced dead. Details surrounding the incident have not been revealed at this time.

The Norfolk District Attorney's Office tells TMZ Sports the investigation is ongoing and is currently in its preliminary stages. No charges have been filed.

Another medical emergency also went down at the same game ... when a second man suffered cardiac arrest earlier in the night.

According to reporter Bridget Condon, two off-duty firefighters sprang into action and conducted CPR for several minutes ... bringing the man back to life. His current status has not been released at this time.