TMZ Sports - Page 19

The NFL is king and there are few things that could ever overshadow it, but Taylor Swift did just that after attending the Chiefs game on Sunday -- so says Ryan Clark, who tells TMZ Sports her appearance was SO big, it became more important than what happened on the field!

Swifties and sports fans are still buzzing after the pop superstar was spotted cheering on Travis Kelce from a suite with his mom during the Chiefs vs. Bears game at Arrowhead Stadium ... which solidified months of rumors surrounding the potential couple.

We spoke with the Steelers Super Bowl champ about all the hoopla ... and he said it just goes to show how massive T-Swift really is to the general public.

"It's very few things or people in the world that can be bigger than the NFL -- even for a second," Clark told us. "The MLB, NBA and NHL ... they're all trying to figure out how to be what the NFL is."

"Taylor Swift comes to a game for a day and it totally changes it. And here's the crazy part -- Kim Kardashian dated Reggie Bush, Gisele [Bundchen] was married to Tom Brady, and the world never stopped for those people."

Clark continued ... "When Taylor Swift was sitting in the suite with Donna Kelce, it totally changed the dynamic of that game. And when Patrick Mahomes is out on the field playing against a team that decided to draft Mitchell Trubisky instead of him, and he's absolutely doing it big nobody cares because freakin' Taylor Swift's in the suite saying, 'Let's effing go.'"

It's no small feat to be "bigger" than the NFL. In fact, despite only being shown to two-thirds of the country, over 24.3 million people tuned in to the game ... and saw Swift sitting alongside Donna Kelce.

The NFL is routinely the most viewed show on television ... and nothing else is even close. An astounding 200 million people globally watched the Chiefs and Eagles battle for the Lombardi Trophy in February.

Swift's impact was also shown in merch sales -- as we previously reported, there was a 400-percent increase in Kelce jersey purchases after the game.

Clark understands how big the moment is -- he literally analyzes the league for a living and is currently featured on "Inside The NFL," which airs Tuesdays on The CW.

Travis Kelce has been a fan of Taylor Swift for a while now ... dancing to her hits, making friendship bracelets and talking about wanting to kiss her over the years.

One of the first times Travis publicly talked about Tay Tay was back in 2016 ... when he played "Kiss, Marry, Kill" during an interview -- ya see where this is going.

The Kansas City Chiefs tight end was given the choice between Taylor, Ariana Grande, and Katy Perry. Taylor didn't get the axe -- RIP Ari -- but instead was chosen for a smooch ... while KP was granted the long-term option.

Travis was also seen groovin' along to a remix of her 2008 track, "Love Story," this past February. He even traded his black shades for a fan's pink ones while he kept the dancing going.

He took a page out of Taylor's book in July, making friendship bracelets for the guys at this year's Tight End University, which he founded in 2021 with his fellow NFL stars George Kittle and Greg Olsen.

Travis went to her "Eras" tour concert at Arrowhead Stadium -- his home turf -- that same month ... and said he was "butt hurt" that he wasn't able to give a bracelet to her while she was in the building.

He also talked about her last month, which might be the most revealing sign yet -- the Chiefs were all talking about who their celebrity crush was growing up ... and as Travis was thinking, his teammate, Marquez Valdes-Scantling, answered for him.

Colin Kaepernick wrote a letter to the general manager of the NY Jets days after Aaron Rodgers went down with a serious injury during MNF ... asking the organization to consider signing him to their practice squad.

News of the correspondence was actually broken by J. Cole ... who posted the typed note, sent to Joe Douglas, to his X account on Tuesday.

Previously, there were reports that Kap expressed interest in joining the squad ... but now we're looking at the entire letter.

"I'm writing, of course, in response to the unfortunate loss of Aaron Rodgers. I know the aspirations this season were, and still are, to win a championship, and so that Hall of Fame sized hole will need to be filled as best as possible to keep the team on a Super Bowl track," 35-year-old Kaepernick opened the letter.

But, if you thought he was seeking the starting gig from the jump, as barren as the Jets QB room currently is, you're mistaken.

Colin explained ... "As much as I would love the opportunity to fill that [starting] spot, I'm writing you in hopes that you can imagine a much different approach involving me; I would be honored and extremely grateful for the opportunity to come in and lead the practice squad."

"I would do this with the sole mission of getting your defense ready each week."

FYI, NFL teams all have "practice squads" ... consisting of 16 players who, you guessed it, practice with the team during the week, but do not dress for games.

It's a lot of sacrifice for little money or glory ... especially for a guy who was a star and even started a Super Bowl -- like Kap.

Kaepernick went on to say, if things didn't work with Zach Wilson (and let's be honest, it ain't working), he could be a backup plan (no pun intended) for the team.

"I believe a confident Zach Wilson has the tools to do this. However, in the event that this is not the case, I would love to offer you a risk-free contingency plan."

Despite not playing in the NFL since 2016 for the San Francisco 49ers, Colin believes he's still a top-tier signal caller.

"I am sure of my ability to provide you with an elite QB option if, God forbid, QB1 goes down."

Despite the long layoff, CK's adamant he's never stopped training, and is raring and ready to go.

"Unlike many of the veteran QB's that have been named in the media, I've never retired or stopped training."

Despite the letter, the Jets have obviously not signed Kap up to this point.

Taylor Swift fans are giving Travis Kelce a serious stamp of approval ... in the form of new merch, and it seems Swifties think this relationship might have some longevity -- enough to start printing his name, anyway.

The singer and the NFL stud are now getting paired on tons of merchandise cropping up this week on Etsy ... mostly in the form of different shirts going for between $10 to $38, plus some luggage with a $206 price tag.

Swifties seem to think Taylor and Travis have some staying power ... there's even a campaign-themed "Swift 2024 Kelce" top for sale.

Other items include a Kelce version of Taylor's "Eras" tour logo, and a graphic tee with the now infamous image of them driving off in a convertible after she watched him play football.

The Taylor and Travis merch is another sign of just how well Kelce is scoring with her fans. As we first reported, the jacket the KC Chiefs tight end wore with Tay Tay after the game quickly sold out.

Travis Kelce is being painted as a cheater by one of his ex-flings ... but sources close to the NFL superstar say she's full of it, and only trying to grab her 15 minutes of fame.

If you missed it, Maya Benberry, who won Travis' E! dating show "Catching Kelce" back in 2016 just did an interview where she called Kelce a cheater, warning Taylor Swift, "Taylor seems like such a fun girl with a beautiful spirit so I wish her the best of luck but I wouldn’t be a girls' girl if I didn’t advise her to be smart!"

Maya told Daily Mail, "Once a cheater always a cheater."

Sources close to Kelce tell us the two only dated for a month after the show, and couldn't publicly announce their actual split because of a contract they had in place with the network.

The source tells us Travis never cheated on Maya.

Our source adds Kelce and Maya haven't spoken in about 5 years ... and her interview is, "A poor excuse of someone trying to get her 15 min of fame."

Baseball Hall of Famer Brooks Robinson -- one of the greatest third basemen in MLB history -- has passed away, the Baltimore Orioles announced Tuesday.

He was 86 years old.

The O's released a statement on the tragic news ... saying, "We are deeply saddened to share the news of the passing of Brooks Robinson. An integral part of our Orioles Family since 1955, he will continue to leave a lasting impact on our club, our community, and the sport of baseball."

Robinson -- who earned the nicknames "Mr. Hoover" and "The Human Vacuum Cleaner" as a result of his defensive playmaking abilities -- spent his entire career in Baltimore from 1955-1977 ... winning the World Series in 1966 and 1970, and being named the Most Valuable Player during his second championship.

Robinson had stellar longevity -- he was an 18-time All-Star and 16-time Gold Glove winner and won the 1964 MVP.

While he turned heads on the field, he was also a force in the batter's box -- recording 2,848 hits, 268 homers and 1,357 RBI.

Robinson was a shoo-in for the Hall of Fame -- he was inducted in his first year of eligibility in 1983, which had never happened before for a third baseman.

His No. 5 jersey was retired by the organization.

The legend remained close to the franchise over the years -- the O's honored him on the 45th anniversary of his retirement in 2022 ... where he rode on the field and greeted fans before a game.

Tyreek Hill has some big goals for his post-football career -- the Miami Dolphins superstar says he wants to dive into the porn industry after he retires from the NFL.

... and he's not screwing with us!!

The 29-year-old wide receiver revealed his intentions while streaming on Twitch ... when fellow NFLer Mike Evans brought up the fact Hill has a bright future even after his playing days are over.

Hill agreed ... but little did the Buccaneers great know, he was referring to making highlight reels in the bedroom instead of on the field -- which is exactly what he plans to do.

"Nah, when I retire, bro, I really wanna be a porn star though, bro," Hill said. "Like, dead serious. Like, you think I got that?"

The conversation went dead silent ... forcing Hill to follow up.

"No?"

Evans tried to change his mind ... suggesting a career as a comedian instead.

"You already got like 12 kids, s***," Evans said ... pointing out his family has grown a bit over the years.

It certainly sounds like the Super Bowl champ can't be swayed ... as he remained adamant about venturing into adult films.

Kroy Biermann says he has no desire to call off his divorce from Kim Zolciak despite having sex a couple weeks ago ... claiming banging her doesn't mean he's changed his mind.

The retired NFL player just fired back at his estranged wife ... making it clear he is still gung-ho about divorcing her, selling their Georgia mansion and moving somewhere else with their kids.

In new legal docs, obtained by TMZ, Kroy says the fact he had sex with Kim "does not indicate a desire to reconcile" and he "remains steadfast in his desire to divorce" her.

TMZ broke the story ... Kim claims Kroy's latest divorce petition is all a sham because they're living together and having a ton of sex, and she's trying to get a judge to toss the whole thing.

But Kroy says folks shouldn't put a whole lot of stock into the fact they had sex earlier this month ... he says it doesn't change his position.

In the docs, Kroy says their home is set to be foreclosed on in November and he accuses Kim of trying to drag things out to stop him from selling their place to pay off their mountain of debt.

Kroy sounds like he has some post-nut clarity ... he claims their current situation is toxic for their kids and he wants to push forward with the divorce, claiming Kim's called the cops to the home 4 times in 4 months, with the latest incident being witnessed by their youngest daughter.

Ja Morant's been laying low, but the Grizzlies superstar just made a rare appearance, surprising a bunch of kids at a Memphis basketball court ... hooking everyone up with his signature Nike kicks during hoop sesh!

24-year-old Morant, who will serve a 25-game suspension to start the season, along with Nike held the "Only Basketball" event this week ... and as you'd expect, the kids were super hyped when the 2x All-Star pulled up to the gym.

And, not only did Morant ball out with the youngsters (including throwing down a massive dunk) ... he also gifted the young athletes his Ja 1s, along with other athletic gear.

Morant even offered some advice to the kids, encouraging them to stay focused on the game and stay away from the outside noise.

"Believe in yourself," Morant said. "You know have confidence in yourself."

"There's going to be a lot of outside stuff that can distract you from your ultimate goal. Just stay locked in, tune it out, and stay true to yourself."

BTW, the new "Chimney" colorway for the Ja 1 Nike's were revealed this week ... and they feature his iconic phrase, "We ain't ducking no smoke" on the side. They'll drop later this year.

Morant has been virtually nonexistent this off-season ... laying low after the controversy from his second gun video rocked the NBA.

Of course, Ja flashed a gun on his friend's Instagram Live (just two months after the first incident with a handgun in a Denver-area strip club in March) ... resulting in the 25-game ban.

New Mexico State didn't only beat rival University of New Mexico earlier this month ... quarterback Diego Pavia also allegedly peed on UNM's logo -- an act that was seemingly captured on video!

New Mexico St. and UNM, in-state rivals, squared off on September 16 ... a game NMSU won 27-17. Pavia, their junior signal caller, went 9/14 for 203 passing yards and 2 touchdowns.

Nice game.

But, perhaps feeling he hadn't done enough, Pavia seems to have offered the grounds crew an assist by (allegedly) watering the indoor ... turf?

Per leaked video, a person wearing sweats (no uniform), appearing to be the quarterback, was seen urinating on the Lobo logo. It's unclear if this was before or after the game.

A spokesperson for UNM told the Albuquerque Journal they became aware of the video several days after the game, and notified NMSU of the situation.

If Pavia's in trouble -- and let's be honest, he likely is -- New Mexico State says they will not reveal any disciplinary information, citing "federal privacy laws."

Pavia, who became the full-time starter last season after sharing time as a freshman, has started all five of NMSU's games (they're 2-3), including the team's 20-17 loss to Hawaii on Saturday.

Here it is -- the first audio snippet of Joey Votto's performance in a local production of "The Spongebob Musical: Youth Edition" ... and the MLB star is really good!!

As we previously reported, the Reds great recently partnered with The Children's Theatre of Cincinnati for its upcoming iteration of the musical based on the classic animated show ... taking on the role of the iconic "French Narrator."

TMZ Sports has obtained a short clip of one of Votto's voiceovers ... and the guy sounds pretty close to the original!!

Votto is comfortable with his French accent -- after all, he was raised in Toronto, so he has plenty of experience speaking the language.

The 2010 MVP spent a solid amount of time in the booth as he recited his lines ... and while he won't be present on stage October 14-23, the attendees will certainly appreciate his involvement in the production.

In fact, a ton of fans are praising Votto for offering his time to participate in the show ... but it shouldn't come as a surprise, as he's been heavily involved in the community throughout his career.

Morgan Wallen certainly doesn't need help filling seats at his concerts, but he still called on his good buddy Peyton Manning to spread the word about his new tour ... and the Hall of Famer delivered -- rocking a fake mullet and showing off his pipes for the job!!

The country superstar announced he's going back on the road for his "One Night At A Time 2024" shows ... but instead of just posting the dates and locations on his social media, he decided to have some fun with it.

Wallen enlisted both Peyton and Eli to appear in a short sketch ... with the former Colts and Broncos signal-caller donning a wig and hat and singing "Last Night" before picking up a FaceTime call from the singer.

In the phone chat, Wallen explained he wanted Peyton to make a clip to announce the tour ... but asked him to leave out his signature dry comedy and give a straightforward statement on the big news.

"No dressing up ... no singing ... and do not overdo it with the bad jokes," Wallen told Peyton.

"Avoid the bad jokes, kinda like that new hairdo of yours," Peyton clapped back ... referring to MW's new shaved head appearance.

The two-time Super Bowl champ was bummed about the instructions ... and said if Wallen wanted a boring, uncreative vid, he should have just hit up his younger brother.

The comment gave Wallen a lightbulb moment ... and sure enough, Eli popped up to handle the gig just as requested.

Of course, Peyton had to give one more silly joke before the end of the clip ... making a song pun for good measure.

As for the tour, MW said ... "Been one of the best years for me and my music so we're gonna run it back.. same tour name, staying on this album and many more cities to visit."

The jacket Travis Kelce was spotted wearing while leaving the Chiefs game with Taylor Swift has already sold out -- ya know, the one renamed in honor of one of the singer's most beloved albums.

As we reported, fashion line KidSuper had a matching denim jacket and pants on its site, named "Bedroom Painting," but the company slapped "1989" on it after the vid of Travis and Taylor went viral -- a nod to Tay Tay's 2014 album, and her upcoming, re-recorded release.

Don't forget, Taylor's appearance at Sunday's game wasn't the first interaction they've had -- sources told us they've been together "several times" over the last few months ... having person-to-person interactions in a "very private setting."

Well, it looks like fans everywhere have been dying to get their hands on the duds because all sizes of the $295 jacket are sold out ... and the $285 pants are currently marked as "low stock."

Safe to say, KidSuper's marketing plan worked -- even though they dubbed it the "1989" jacket after Travis bought it, that clearly didn't stop folks from jumping on board!

Of course, the big game was the first time Taylor met Travis' parents, Donna and Ed -- and it seemed like Taylor fit right in with the gang.

Kim Zolciak is firing back at Kroy Biermann, claiming his latest divorce petition is a sham and wants to get it tossed --- because they're still having a lot of sex!!!

According to court docs, obtained by TMZ ... the 'Real Housewives of Atlanta' alum says she's been repeatedly banging her estranged hubby ever since he filed for divorce from her -- for the second time -- in late August. Kim says their latest fooling around session was just a few weeks ago on September 7.

Kim says Kroy's claim the marriage is "irretrievably broken" is bogus, because how can it be broken if they're still doin' the deed?

She also says the fact they are still living under the same roof is further proof the whole "irretrievably broken" thing is just plain wrong.

Kroy has filed for divorce twice, most recently on August 24. He has said Kim's gambling problems have led them down the path to financial ruin, and he wants out.

Alabama State's Jacob Freeman punched a security guard in the face during Saturday's Florida A&M game, an attack that was caught on video ... and now the wide receiver has been arrested.

The altercation started when Freeman, number 16, lost his cool with a fan on the sidelines ... and seemingly attempted to get to the person. Security attempted to step in and stop JF, which evidently angered the Alabama State player.

That's when Freeman, helmet still on, threw a quick right, landing square on the guard's face, who immediately clutched the area that had been punched.

On Sunday, Freeman was arrested by the FAMU Police Department, according to the Leon County Sheriff's Office. Freeman was charged with one count of "battery causing bodily harm".

Freeman took a mug shot and was eventually released from jail.

However, he won't be seeing a football field anytime soon ... Bama St. suspended him for his behavior.

"We do not condone the actions of the student-athlete, nor are the actions representative of the expectations set forth by the athletic department and our university," the athletics department said in a statement.

Hornets head coach Eddie Robinson Jr., during a SWAC coaches media call, said Freeman is remorseful, "but at the same time, he has to go through the process of his actions."

LSU women's basketball head coach Kim Mulkey was forced to undergo heart surgery in June after doctors discovered she had an artery that was nearly completely blocked.

But, thankfully, she says she's now doing well.

The 61-year-old revealed the ailment was initially discovered way back in May after she had noticed some tingling in the tip of one of her fingers.

She said the problem led to her going to a doctor -- and following some testing, she told ESPN she found out she had "plaque on her carotid arteries."

Further testing showed she had a blockage in her heart -- and would need to have two stents put in to fix the issue. She held off on the surgery until after the Tigers' May visit to the White House.

"You're awake for the procedure," she said, according to ESPN. "Then they told me, 'You were 95-99% blocked in one artery.' And I said, 'Doc, why didn't I feel bad in any way?' He said, 'You're what's called an asymptomatic patient. You're the ones that can die suddenly and drive cardiologists crazy.' I asked if I was likely to have had a heart attack without the procedure, and he said, 'Yes, eventually.'"

Mulkey is now feeling good and taking medication to make sure the problem doesn't return. She's also urging people to go get checked out, even if they're feeling OK.

"The issue with my heart, it was really just luck that we found it," she said. "So I will keep telling people, 'Get yourself checked out. You have nothing to lose, and it could save your life.'"