TMZ Sports - Page 9

It's a tough time to be a Blazers fan, but NBA champ Byron Scott thinks Portland should be HAPPY after Damian Lillard got traded to the Bucks ... 'cause he's finally got a chance to win!!

TMZ Sports caught up with the former Laker out at KiKi Shepard's "Celebrity Golf Classic" this week ... and chopped it up about the blockbuster deal that sent Dame Time over to Giannis Antetokounmpo's squad.

Of course, it's a huge bummer for Portland fans to see their franchise player leave after 11 seasons ... but instead of taking the torches to their No. 0 jerseys, Byron believes it would be best to look at the silver lining by rooting for Lillard to get a championship with his new team.

"I think, obviously, Damian joining the Bucks -- a team that won a championship a couple years ago, and they got one of the best players, if not the best player in the league, in the Greek Freak, as I call him ... and adding Damian, who is motivated, who wants to win a championship, who has given his heart and soul to the Portland area -- I think they should be not so much upset that he's left, but they should be happy for him to get a chance to win."

Scott points out a major loss for the Bucks in the trade -- elite perimeter defender Jrue Holiday -- but he's predicting Milwaukee still makes it out of the East in his absence.

Evan Neal is one of the worst-ranked tackles in the National Football League (per PFF), but the former 7th overall pick apparently thought it was a good idea to blast the Giants faithful as clueless, fair-weather fans just days after the O-line gave up 11 sacks on MNF.

23-year-old Neal -- the G-Men's first-round pick in 2022 -- was asked on Wednesday by reporter Darryl Slater about Giants fans who booed the team following Monday's loss ... a 24-3 defeat to the Seahawks, dropping the NYG to 1-3, and firmly in the NFC East basement.

“They were booing us, so I said, ‘Boo louder,’” Neal told Slater from the Giants locker room earlier today.

Slater followed up, asking the 6'7" tackle why he said that, to which Evan answered ... “because that just further shows that people are fair-weather.”

Probably not a great idea to go to war with the Giants' longtime, loyal fan base ... especially when you're graded as the 68th-ranked tackle (out of 71), and one of the worst performers on a line that gave up double-digit sacks two days ago.

But, Neal was just getting started.

“Most critics really don’t understand the game of football to the level that we understand it in this building. So why would a lion concern himself with the opinion of a sheep? I’m just going to focus on Evan — and getting better. I honestly do not care what anybody has to say about Evan Neal, because they’re going to talk anyway," Neal said.

Don't worry, there's more.

Evan went on to say ... "I genuinely don’t care. Why should I? I’m in the National Football League. The person that’s commenting on my performance, what does he do? Flip hot dogs and hamburgers somewhere?”

The last-placed Giants are on the road the next two weeks ... and despite what Neal said about liking the boos, it's probably a blessing in disguise the Giants won't be back at MetLife until later this month.

6:36 AM PT -- The Morgan State athletics department just announced they're canceling the homecoming game against Stony Brook this Saturday.

The Bears' next game will be on October 19 against North Carolina Central.

Morgan State University is postponing its highly anticipated homecoming football game this weekend after five people were injured in an on-campus shooting.

Officials at the HBCU made the announcement on Wednesday ... less than a day after at least two gunmen opened fire on the Baltimore campus, hitting four men and a woman who were between the ages 18 and 22.

"Regrettably," university president David Wilson said in a statement, "for the very first time in Morgan's history, all activities planned around Homecoming will be either canceled or postponed until the perpetrator(s) of this atrocity have been found and brought to justice."

The home game against Stony Brook had been slated to go down at 10 AM on Saturday.

Other canceled events included the Lady Bears' volleyball match, the school's "Homecoming Concert," the homecoming pep rally, the homecoming parade and a silent headphones party.

The school also announced that classes will be canceled for the rest of the week as security measures increase on campus.

"We strongly believe that this moment calls for reflection, thus allowing our students, faculty, and staff the opportunity to focus on their mental health," MSU said.

"We greatly appreciate the support of our later community who have expressed their concern and support during this most trying time."

Anyone with information about the shooting is urged to call Baltimore police at 410-396-2444 or leave an anonymous tip at 1-866-7LOCKUP.

The 11-year-old youth football player accused of shooting two of his teammates earlier this week has been ordered by a judge to stay in custody for at least the next 21 days.

The boy, who cops say opened fire on two 13-year-olds following a dispute at a practice at the Northwest Recreation Complex football field in Apopka, Fla. on Monday, had hoped for home detainment ... but he will now be forced to stay in juvenile detention for at least the next 3 weeks.

Reporters at the hearing in Orange County on Wednesday morning said the child began crying when the ruling was announced.

He's now expected to be on suicide watch at the detention center ... according to WFTV 9.

At the hearing, an aunt for one of the alleged shooting victims took the stand and said the teen's family had hoped the 11-year-old would remain in detention.

A police report, obtained by TMZ Sports, stated a witness to the shooting said the initial dispute happened due to a quarrel "over a bag of chips."

Greg Brooks Jr. has a rare form of brain cancer, according to LSU ... who provided an update on the Tigers CB, just weeks after he had surgery to remove a tumor.

As we previously reported, Brooks underwent (successful) surgery on September 20 ... and doctors removed a large tumor from his brain. Despite the procedure, the diagnosis wasn't clear until this week ... when doctors announced Brooks has medulloblastoma.

“For the last three weeks, Greg has been recovering from an extensive surgery to remove a brain tumor that was located between his cerebellum and brainstem,” Dr. Catherine O’Neal, Chief Medical Officer at Our Lady of the Lake Health, told reporters.

“Greg’s speech and ability to communicate has been impacted, and although he is responsive and working daily with physical therapy, he will face months of intensive rehabilitation."

The good news is there's no evidence that the cancer has spread ... and Dr. O'Neal says he'll get a treatment plan from "nationally recognized specialists in this specific form of brain cancer."

The university has also launched a fundraiser for the former 4-star recruit to help raise money to cover the medical expenses including travel, treatment, and therapy.

"He has a long journey ahead," Dr. O'Neal said, "and will need the full support of our community behind him as he faces this battle."

Takeo Spikes says he was legitimately hurt by how the Buffalo Bills treated him at a game earlier this season ... claiming his visit with his former team had him feeling "worthless."

The ex-NFL linebacker went viral after sharing a pic of his setup for the Bills' matchup against the Las Vegas Raiders on Sep. 17 -- a suite seat that was completely obstructed by the upper deck of the stadium.

As it turns out, the view wasn't the only issue -- Spikes said the organization didn't fulfill his request for a first-class seat for his flight to upstate New York ... and overall, the staffers did a bad job at communicating leading up to the game.

Spikes -- who was the Bills' "Legend of the Game" for the day -- admitted he considered not making the trip due to the accommodations ... but decided to go through with it anyway.

While Spikes said the pregame celebration was "great," things quickly went south -- 'cause once he got to his section for the game, he was shocked to find out it was not up to his standard.

"If I'm going to take time out of my day to come up, at least just show me the respect that I deserve," Spikes said on his "Behind the Mask" podcast. "Sometimes you have to remind people of how they need to be treated, and this was a case right here which hurt me. I felt hurt."

"For a second, it made you feel like you was worthless."

Spikes feels like the team should have offered him a spot in the owner's suite with Terry Pegula ... but that was never suggested as a possibility.

Ultimately, Spikes left the game unhappy ... but revealed Bills GM Brandon Beane texted him and offered to make up for the blunder.

MLB playoff teams are making sure their fans are well fed as they watch their favorite squads push for a World Series title this month ... putting out some new food items that include glazed donuts and a whole lotta meat!

The Braves, Orioles, Astros, Dodgers, Brewers, Twins, Phillies and Rangers all each announced they'll have some zany concoctions at their concession stands throughout their postseason runs this fall.

Perhaps the most notable of the bunch is Atlanta's "Chicken ain't nothing but a bird Blue" sandwich -- which includes three glazed donuts, pickled green tomatoes and two fried chicken breasts ... all topped off with some powdered sugar.

Not to be outdone ... Philadelphia also revealed its "SchwarBurger" -- a gargantuan burger they put out to honor designated hitter Kyle Schwarber.

The sandwich contains beef, smoked brisket, cheese, bacon, onion rings and a whole lot more. And, according to the Phils, it'll be sold for a good cause ... with some of the proceeds benefitting Schwarber's Neighborhood Heroes.

Some of the other cool dishes include fried Walleye sliders in Minnesota, a fried chicken sausage in Milwaukee and some loaded mini corn dogs in Houston.

If it wasn't already clear, here's more proof Kim Zolciak and Kroy Biermann absolutely hate each other ... after he allegedly locked her out of their main bedroom, and she called the cops.

We've obtained the body cam footage as well as the 911 call from an incident in late August when Kim claimed she was unable to get into her bedroom to retrieve her personal belongings and her medication.

The police response shows just how nasty things are between Kim and Kroy -- as he refuses to show his face -- only talking to the officers through a closed door.

Throughout the police visit, Kim bashes Kroy, telling officers Kroy is jobless, and she's the reason they even still have the house. She echoed some of the same sentiments on her 911 call as well ... even stating Kroy's threatened her and gotten physical before.

You gotta give credit to the officers here for handling such a childish situation, working to keep both Kim and Kroy calm to prevent things from getting more nasty.

Eventually, the officers convince Kroy to hand over Kim's comforter, phone charger, medications and -- according to Kim -- a $1000 beauty cream.

Travis Kelce thinks the NFL should pump the brakes with its Taylor Swift coverage ... saying the league is "overdoing it a little bit" when it comes to the pop singer's attendance at his games.

Kelce addressed the league's obsession with his new relationship on the "New Heights" podcast with his brother, Jason, on Wednesday ... saying he gets why the cameras continue to show Swift on TV, but it's gotten excessive at this point.

"I think it's fun when they show who all is at the game," Travis said. "I think it brings a little bit more to the atmosphere, brings a little bit more to what you're watching."

"But at the same time, I think they're overdoing it a little bit for sure. Especially my situation."

Travis explained he understands why the NFL is leaning into the Tayvis craze ... saying he thinks it's just trying to have fun with the situation -- but it's clear he wants the league to chill.

Of course, Swift brought her A-list besties to MetLife Stadium for the Chiefs' road game against the New York Jets ... with Blake Lively, Sophie Turner, Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman joining her in a suite.

The broadcast showed Swift numerous times throughout the game ... and the league has gone full Swiftie on social media -- using her pics and name on its profiles.

Swift's attendance has done wonders for ratings ... with an average of 27 MILLION viewers tuning in to Sunday Night Football.

But if the league is listening to Kelce's comments, there's a chance the NFL's Swiftie era is coming to an end.

Martina Navratilova was clearly furious with an interview Interior Secretary Deb Haaland did with a drag queen earlier this week ... panning it as a "pathetic parody of women."

Haaland's video with Pattie Gonia -- an environmentalist who's described herself as a "professional homosexual" in the past -- was posted to the politician's X page on Monday in order to celebrate LGBT History Month.

In the clip, Haaland can be seen talking with Gonia outside of the Stonewall National Monument in New York City in an effort to highlight its importance to American history.

Navratilova, however, was obviously not a fan of the content ... going after it with a scathing tweet on Tuesday.

"Is this a joke?" the 66-year-old tennis legend wrote. "The pathetic parody of women continues."

When one fan responded, "Butch lesbians always faced the same derision. 'Not really a woman.' We should all embrace each other. And this is a drag queen, not a trans person. They're certainly not trying to pass for female!" -- Navratilova immediately fired back with another tweet.

"And how exactly are we supposed to know the difference?" she wrote. "And please do not compare males to butch females. Thank you."

Navratilova -- who is openly gay -- did not expound on her issue with the video further.

Taylor Swift has a chance to make it 3 consecutive trips to see Travis Kelce's games, and the Mayor of Minneapolis is leading the cheers for her to do so this coming weekend ... TMZ has learned.

Mayor Jacob Frey tells us he and the rest of the city are ready to welcome TayTay with open arms this Sunday, which is when the Kansas City Chiefs play the Minnesota Vikings for an afternoon match-up -- he even has an on-the-nose message to encourage her.

Frey says, "We know All Too Well the positive impact Taylor Swift has on the cities she visits -- Minneapolis is no exception."

The Mayor has fond memories of her tour stop in Minneapolis earlier this year, adding ... "Her two, sold-out concerts at U.S. Bank Stadium in June led to a record-setting tourism weekend including booked-up hotels and packed downtown restaurants... boosting our local economy beyond our Wildest Dreams."

Here's how you know Mayor Frey has his fingers crossed ... "If Taylor chooses to come back to Minneapolis [sometimes known as Swiftieapolis] this weekend, we’ll be Ready For It. It’s possible she will have to console Travis Kelce after the Vikings beat the Chiefs, but there are plenty of great spots across town for them to go on a date and lift their spirits!"

FWIW, the Swiftieapolis thing is real ... they literally changed city's name (if only for a short time), so yeah -- with his clear knowledge of Taylor's catalog -- it's fair to say Hizzoner's a full on Swiftie.

Fact is, every NFL city would feel this way ... as Taylor's proven to have massive appeal in terms of media attention, and consumer spending across multiple industries, that usually translates to more traffic ... and oftentimes, more moolah, too.

The 2 NFL games she's attended have turned out to be a ratings bonanza for Fox and NBC, the networks that televised them. Next week, it's CBS's turn and it sounds like Mayor Frey wants to get in on the action as well.

If Travis Kelce starts going off in the next couple weeks, John Salley says Chiefs fans can thank Taylor Swift for it ... telling TMZ Sports he believes a committed relationship with the pop star will help the tight end's game tremendously.

As for why ... the four-time NBA champion says it's simple -- Kelce spending his time with just one woman going forward this year will free him up to focus way more on ball.

"He now doesn't have to worry about 100 DMs," Salley told us out in Los Angeles this week, "or making sure certain girls got tickets. He can be focused, right?"

"So, he has practice, go to sleep, talk to his girl. That's easier than when you get to be the playboy that he used to be."

And, if for some reason Kelce even thinks about straying from a relationship with the "Love Story" crooner ... Salley made it clear he believes there's just no way her fanbase will let it happen.

"You can't do that," the former Lakers center said with a smile. "Those Swifties got cameras!"

Of course, it's unclear if Kelce and Swift are even looking for something serious ... while the two obviously have some sort of romance brewing -- there's no indication yet whether boyfriend/girlfriend labels are on the horizon.

Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce ... reality TV superstars??

HIGHLY unlikely ... but if the pop singer and Super Bowl champ ever welcomed the cameras to document their every move, it would become the "biggest reality show ever" -- so says ex-NFLer and "Baller Wives" star Channing Crowder, who tells TMZ Sports the entire planet would tune in!!

"Taylor Swift is worldwide," the former Dolphins star said. "Most reality shows are national. This would play in Australia, this would play in the damn North Pole and everywhere you wanna say -- India, Egypt. Like, it would be the biggest reality show in the history of reality shows."

Of course, celebrity couples have been known to let the cameras detail every part of their lives in the past ... from Jessica Simpson and Nick Lachey to Britney Spears and Kevin Federline and more.

Crowder knows what it's like to open his doors for the country to see -- he appeared alongside his wife, Aja, on the VH1 series in 2017.

The Chiefs superstar is no stranger to reality TV either -- people aren't going to let him forget his dating competition, "Catching Kelce" -- but Swift is famous for trying to keep most of her private life out of the spotlight ... so don't hold your breath, folks.

There's no doubt it would be a hit, though ... as fans have been watching their every move after Swift was spotted at Kelce's games the past two weeks.

Speaking of football -- we also talked to Crowder about his gig with "Inside the NFL," which airs Tuesday nights on the CW ... and he said the whole team is amazing.

Cops say surveillance video shows the moment an 11-year-old youth football player shot two of his teammates during an altercation at a practice in Florida on Monday ... and the footage is shocking.

In the clip, you can see a boy race to a vehicle in a parking lot, grab a gun from the passenger-side seat, and then fire on another boy who had his back turned.

Seconds later, you can see a woman grab the firearm from the kid's grasp ... before appearing to chastise him in the parking lot.

According to cops, the incident happened at around 8:20 PM at the Northwest Recreation Complex football field in Apopka ... after the 11-year-old and two other 13-year-old youth football players had gotten into an argument. They say when the child fired off the single round, it hit the others -- catching one in the upper body while clipping another in the arm.

Both boys are expected to recover from their injuries ... a surprising revelation, considering how frantic a woman was in a 911 call placed just seconds after the shot went off.

In the audio, you can hear a woman claiming to be the mother of one of the boys asking for medical help repeatedly after she says her son was shot in the back.

Cops say when officers got to the scene, they arrested the 11-year-old. They added that he's since been charged with one count of second-degree attempted murder.

"Nobody wants to arrest an 11-year-old, by any means," Apopka police chief Mike McKinley said of the matter during a press conference on Tuesday, "but based on our investigation we feel those charges are warranted."

Ja Morant got back to business on Tuesday -- the NBA superstar participated in practice with the Memphis Grizzlies ... one day after it was announced he would be allowed to be with the team as he serves out his suspension.

Despite being hit with a 25-game ban for his second gun-related social media video in June, the NBA is allowing Morant to travel and work out with the Grizz as he prepares for his return.

Ja was out on the court with his teammates earlier in the day ... and media members got footage of him putting up shots.

"It’s great to have him here," Grizzlies president and general manager Zach Kleiman said.

"I think he’s put himself in a position where there’s no reason why he can’t keep following through on this. So we’re glad he’s here and can’t wait to have him back."

His teammates are happy as well ... including Derrick Rose, who told reporters he connected with Morant in the offseason.

"Talked to him a little bit," Rose said. "Just told him I'm not here to babysit you. I'm not here to follow you around, I'm not here to cheerlead. I'm here to push you."

Colin Kaepernick clearly wasn't lying when he said he still works out religiously, despite being out of the league for 6+ years ... 'cause the star QB's lookin' ripped on the cover of Men's Health magazine!

The world's largest men's magazine is celebrating the "35 Strongest Men of the Past 35 Years" for their October/November issue ... and Kap is featured on the cover.

"Grateful to be a part of @menshealthmag 35 strongest men of the last 35 years!" Kaepernick wrote on Instagram.

The cover features a shirtless Kap holding a football, rockin' his afro ... but what really stands out are Colin's ripped abs and massive arms!

It shouldn't come as a surprise... just last month Kap discussed his workout regimen, revealing he will still hitting the gym hard in hopes of being signed by an organization.

"My training schedule has remained the same for 6 years; Monday through Friday, 5 AM-8 AM training on the field and weight room," Kap wrote in a letter to the NY Jets after Aaron Rodgers went down with an Achilles injury.

In addition to Colin, this month's issue recognized several other star athletes ... including LeBron James, Lewis Hamilton, Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson, Michael Phelps, and Magic Johnson.

Other celebrities like Chadwick Boseman, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jackie Chan, and RuPaul were also named.

"It’s dope to share space with the other incredible men whose strengths show up in different ways!" Kaepernick said.