TMZ Sports - Page 8

5:44 PM PT -- A moment of silence was held in Butkus' honor prior to Thursday Night Football at FedEx Field ... where his former team is currently playing against the Washington Commanders.

4:14 PM PT -- NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell released a statement on Butkus' death.

"Dick Butkus was a fierce and passionate competitor who helped define the linebacker position as one of the NFL's all-time greats. Dick’s intuition, toughness and athleticism made him the model linebacker whose name will forever be linked to the position and the Chicago Bears.

"We also remember Dick as a long-time advocate for former players, and players at all levels of the game. The Dick Butkus Award and his foundation honored achievement on the field and service to the community among high school, college and NFL linebackers. Dick was a champion of clean sports as his “I Play Clean” campaign helped raise awareness about the dangers of steroid use among high school athletes.

"We send our deepest condolences to the Butkus family, the Bears organization and the many fans and people he impacted throughout his life."

3:46 PM PT -- The Butkus family just released a statement ... saying Dick died in his sleep overnight.

"The Butkus family is gathering with Dick's wife Helen. They appreciate your prayers and support."

The Bears added ... "Dick was the ultimate Bear, and one of the greatest players in NFL history. He was Chicago's son. He exuded what our great city is about and, not coincidently, what George Halas looked for in a player: toughness, smarts, instincts, passion and leadership."

The statement continued ... "He refused to accept anything less than the best from himself, or from his teammates.

"Dick had a gruff manner, and maybe that kept some people from approaching him, but he actually had a soft touch. His legacy of philanthropy included a mission of ridding performance enhancing drugs from sports and promoting heart health.

"His contributions to the game he loved will live forever and we are grateful he was able to be at our home opener this year to be celebrated one last time by his many fans."

NFL legend Dick Butkus -- one of the greatest linebackers of all time -- has died, TMZ Sports has learned. He was 80 years old.

We're told someone went to check on Butkus at his home on Thursday ... and he was found unresponsive.

Our sources tell us ... paramedics responded to a call for a patient in cardiac arrest at Butkus' residence in Malibu at 12:51 PM. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

Butkus is among the most intimidating players to ever step onto a football field -- coming in at 6'3", 245 pounds, he was a defensive standout at the University of Illinois before joining his hometown Chicago Bears in 1965 ... going No. 3 overall in the NFL Draft.

He played his entire professional career with the Bears from 1965 to 1973 ... racking up every individual award imaginable -- six All-NFL selections, two Defensive Player of the Year honors and eight Pro Bowls.

Butkus earned many nicknames due to his style of play .. including The Maestro of Mayhem, The Enforcer, The Animal and The Robot of Destruction.

Butkus was named to the league's All-Decade teams in the '60s and '70s ... as well as the 75th and 100th Anniversary teams.

Butkus -- whose career was shortened due to injuries -- had 1,020 tackles, 22 interceptions and 27 fumble recoveries over the span of nine seasons. He was enshrined into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1979, his first year of eligibility.

In 1985, the Butkus Award was established to honor the top linebackers at the high school, college and professional levels.

The Bears retired his No. 51 jersey in 1994.

Off the field, Butkus was known for starring in commercials for Miller Lite, Prestone, Schick and Visa ... as well as dozens of films and TV shows, including "Any Given Sunday," "Hang Time," and "The Last Boy Scout." He was also an analyst for CBS.

Butkus continued to follow the NFL in retirement -- in fact, he posted his weekly picks on his Instagram just hours ago.

Butkus is survived by his wife, Helen, and three children.

RIP

Michael B. Jordan & Steve Harvey are showing signs all is well despite the actor's split with Steve's daughter, Lori Harvey.

MBJ and SH were all smiles at the NBA Abu Dhabi Games Thursday ... dappin' each other up courtside. Michael had a huge grin on his face, going in for the tight squeeze -- as a group of pals couldn't help but smile around them, too.

Seems like there are no hard feelings between them ... as we reported, Michael and Lori, called it quits last June -- about a year after they started seeing each other. She also scrubbed her socials from any mention of him.

There was never an official word about what led to the split ... but Lori talked about red flags in relationships a couple of months after the plug was pulled -- saying being too close with an ex was a major one.

There was also talk that 35-year-old Michael was ready to settle down and get married, but 26-year-old Lori wasn't.

A fan at Wednesday's Phillies playoff game was feelin' VERY generous ... 'cause the stranger hooked up an entire section with $4,500 worth of beer -- and they were lit!!!!

The booze gift givin' went down during the Marlins-Phillies NL Wild Card series game at Citizens Bank Park ... when a beer vendor made just about the sweetest announcement a crowd could ever hear -- someone purchased a bunch of Miller Lite for the section!

"Have your IDs out," the vendor yelled ... "Here you go!"

"Free beer! Courtesy of a gentleman that doesn't wanna be named."

As you can imagine, the fans were very appreciative of the gesture ... and even started cheering, hoping the secret beer buyer would hear.

"Thank you for the free beer! Wooooo!" one fan yelled ... while another one joked, "Bad day to be a Miller Light can!"

It's not even the first time this week that Phillies fans have been on the receiving end of some free suds. 26 bars across Philly handed out free Miller Lite during Game 1 of the WC Series on Tuesday.

To add icing on the cake, the Phillies blew out the Marlins ... and will now advance to face the Atlanta Braves in an NLDS rematch starting on Saturday.

Tristan Thompson may be getting praise from the Kardashian family for being a good dad, but it's certainly not that way across the board ... as he's now getting slammed by the aunt of his first son.

Tristan has a 6-year-old son named Prince with Jordan Craig ... and Jordan's sister, Kai, just unleashed on the former NBA star. Kai says it's disgusting Tristan can't show up and be a "real parent" for Prince yet he can do a bunch of nice things for the two kids he has with Khloe Kardashian.

Kai continues, "The fact that he can take other children to school and activities in the same city, yet never sees or speaks to his own son, unless it's for a party or planned photo opportunity, is appalling and inexcusable."

She then turns her focus to Kim, who on a recent episode of "The Kardashians" said Tristan was, "such a good friend and such a good dad."

Kai says to Kim, "I don't want to believe that you are this insensitive to the fact that he literally ignores his children. That's nice if he's been a good friend to you, but let's consider our sisters before taking to global platforms to defend this man's character."

Kai also claims Tristan has not paid for Prince's tuition or child support in a "very long time."

Marco Simone Golf and Country Club in Italy, the host of last week's prestigious Ryder Cup golf tourney, erupted in flames on Thursday as a structure on the course caught fire!

The fire, which started in a three-story hospitality suite, happened less than a week after hundreds of thousands of fans packed the course to watch the famed golf tourney in Rome, dominated by the Europeans.

Billowing black smoke could be seen miles away ...  as multiple firefighters rushed to the scene and began battling the blaze.

“A fire was reported in one of the temporary hospitality structures to the right of the first fairway at Marco Simone Golf and Country Club earlier this afternoon,” Ryder Cup Europe wrote in a statement.

“Local fire crews were called to the scene at 5:07 PM local time and quickly brought the blaze under control."

Despite how bad things looked, no one was injured, most importantly.

Authorities also say there was no damage to the golf course ... outside of the temporary building that was engulfed in flames.

Pat Fitzgerald is not going down without a fight -- the fired Northwestern football coach just filed a wrongful termination lawsuit against the school ... and he's seeking at least $130 million.

48-year-old Fitzgerald was suspended and later booted from his alma mater amid allegations of hazing within the program back in July ... after an investigation determined the longtime coach did not know of any wrongdoing, but could have made an effort to find out about what was happening.

Fast forward to Thursday ... PF's attorneys are ripping the school's decision to fire their client after 17 seasons.

"If there was ever a coach at Northwestern University who should have not been terminated, it's Coach Fitzgerald," Dan Webb said in a press conference announcing the "major" lawsuit.

Webb said N.U. wrongfully and illegally sacked Fitzgerald "without any legitimate or rational reason whatsoever."

Webb added the lawsuit includes claims of breach of contract on two occasions and defamation.

The attorney added the school should cough up the massive amount of money for the economic damages Fitzgerald suffered ... as well as an additional chunk of change for punitive damages, future loss of income and infliction of emotional distress.

The WNBA is expanding ... the league just announced they're adding a new women's basketball team in San Francisco, and Steph Curry, the city's biggest superstar, is stoked!!!

WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert broke the news on Thursday ... explaining the new squad will be an expansion of the Golden State Warriors, making them the sixth NBA franchise to also have a WNBA team.

"We are thrilled about expanding to the Bay Area," Engelbert said, "and bringing the WNBA to a region with passionate basketball fans and a strong history of supporting women’s basketball."

Curry's excited about it, too ... and welcomed the new squad to the Bay Area minutes after the announcement.

"Looking forward to having y'all," the 4x NBA champ said via social media. "Can't wait to see y'all thrive at the highest level. Let's get it!"

The new team is the first new WNBA franchise since 2008 ... and their inaugural season will begin in 2025. They'll play at the Chase Center.

They will also use the Warriors' practice facility as their headquarters.

"The Bay Area is the perfect market for a WNBA team, and we are thrilled this opportunity has finally come to fruition,” Warriors' CEO Joe Lacob said.

"The WNBA continues to solidify itself as the preeminent women’s professional basketball league and we look forward to supporting the best women’s basketball players in the world and our team starting in 2025."

Taylor Swift is striking fear in the hearts of NFL teams everywhere -- most recently, the alarm sounded for Philadelphia Eagles star cornerback Darius Slay ... who's publicly pleading with her to sit out their matchup later this season.

The 5-time Pro Bowler spoke out about Swift's recent attendance at Chiefs games to support Travis Kelce during his Big Play Slay podcast this week ... and he had a personal message for the "Anti-Hero" singer.

"Taylor, do not come to the game, 'cause it seems like you bring the energy of winning," Slay quipped on The Volume.

Slay has a good reason to be worried -- the Chiefs are 2-0 with Swift in the crowd, dominating the Bears in her first game in the stands ... and squeezing out a road win over the Jets this past weekend.

The Eagles will have a Super Bowl rematch with the Chiefs in Philadelphia on Nov. 20 in front of the Monday Night Football cameras ... and chances are Swift will be there, especially considering she grew up rooting for the Birds.

Taylor’s presence at games has been a blessing for TV ratings -- last Sunday, the Chiefs vs. Jets contest peaked at 29 million viewers and averaged 27 million throughout the contest.

The game was NBC Sports' biggest-ever streaming audience for a regular season Sunday Night Football contest.

This is amazing -- AT&T is partnering up with Gallaudet University to introduce a game changer for deaf football players ... by designing a 5G-connected helmet that shows play calls on the visor!!

The company broke the news on Thursday ... stating the football team at Gallaudet -- a private university in Washington, D.C. for deaf and hard-of-hearing students -- will wear the gear for the first time ever on Oct. 7.

The helmets will allow coaches to communicate with their team from the sideline by selecting a play from a tablet ... which will then show up on the players' visors.

The athletes were stoked after trying on the new equipment ... with one saying, "It felt like the world just instantly lifted off of my shoulders."

Gallaudet football head coach Chuck Goldstein is also excited for his team ... thanking AT&T for the incredible gift.

"We work out the same way as every other college football program, we practice the same way, we compete the same way," Goldstein said.

"The difference between coaching a hearing team compared to a deaf team is first the communication. The AT&T 5G-connected helmet will change football."

If that wasn't enough, AT&T is also donating a massive $500k to Gallaudet's football program.

"Our expertise in connectivity combined with Gallaudet's legacy of breaking down barriers has created a helmet that not only transforms the way deaf and hard of hearing athletes engage in sports but opened up endless possibilities for innovation," AT&T Senior VP Corey Anthony said.

Kim Zolciak and Kroy Biermann continue to live under the same roof -- which is starting to sound like hell on Earth -- especially given Kim's latest claim and call to 911.

Zolciak called cops in Georgia last Thursday around 11 PM to report Kroy had taken her 2 cellphones. In the 911 call, obtained by TMZ, Kim says she's on the home phone because Kroy's been holding her cells hostage for the last several hours.

You can't hear Kroy at all in the background, but Kim states she doesn't feel safe and needs to leave the home. She says Kroy locked himself in the master bedroom.

Per usual, the couple's 4 kids, who have continued to seemingly suffer through Kim and Kroy's back and forth, are home at the time of the incident -- but Kim says they're all asleep.

According to the police report, obtained by TMZ, officers came to the home and sorted things out ... eventually getting Kim's phones back. The former "RHOA" star agreed to sleep in a separate bedroom with the door locked in order to keep the peace.

Cops have frequented the estranged couple's home as of late ... we were first to publish body cam footage of an incident from back in August when Kim claimed Kroy locked her out of their bedroom with her belongings inside.

A day after blasting NY Giants fans, Evan Neal is walking back the harsh comments ... admitting he was out of line when he attacked the loyal fanbase.

“I am wrong for lashing out at the fans who are just as passionate and frustrated as I am,” 23-year-old Neal wrote on X Wednesday night.

“I let my frustrations in my play + desire to win get the best of me. I had no right to make light of anyone's job and I deeply regret the things I said."

"We are working day in and day out to grow as a team and this was an unnecessary distraction. I apologize.”

Of course, Neal had a rough day at the office on Monday. His poor play was one of the reasons QB Daniel Jones was sacked one short of a dozen times against the Seahawks.

Throughout the game, fans booed the last-place team ... and Evan encouraged them to "boo louder."

Neal's tone clearly changed from earlier in the week when he made the inflammatory comments.

“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 told NJ Advance Media.

Evan didn't stop there, saying, "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 comments irked many Giants fans -- one of the most loyal fanbases in the league -- who have been living and dying with the organization for decades. Meanwhile, Neal arrived less than 2 years ago.

But, give Evan credit for apologizing. Whether fans accept it remains to be seen.

David Beckham is dragging his wife, Victoria, for claiming she was raised in a "working-class" household ... demanding she show some honesty in a new docuseries.

The couple got into it while filming the Netflix series, "Beckham," which debuted on Wednesday -- during an interview with the Spice Girls member, Victoria talked about her hard-working family ... alleging she fell into the "working class" category.

David then stuck his head into his wife's interview, scolding her for being dishonest to the producers ... and as she tried to defend herself, DB stuck his ground, making her say what kind of ride she took to school as a kid.

It seems Victoria tried to dodge the Q, but David kept pushing -- and she eventually admits her dad drove her in a Rolls-Royce. Folks online have been applauding David for keeping Victoria's claims in check, too.

Fans of David know his 4-part miniseries follows his rise to the top of his international soccer fame ... as well as their relationship in the late '90s and even David's alleged affair in 2003.

Khloé Kardashian has made clear to Tristan Thompson 2 things ... she wants him out of her house, but still in her life. Let us explain.

Khloe and Tristan are featured on Thursday's episode of "The Kardashians," and this scene does not seem staged at all, at least when it comes to feelings. Tristan's been repairing his home since the SoCal floods hit way back in January, and Khloe's let him stay with her until it's all fixed up, but it's clear her patience is running thin.

Khloe is prodding Tristan for a timeline on when the repairs will be completed, and he responds by saying he can't wait for her to see it when it's completed. Khloe then plays her hand, saying she as well can't wait. TRANSLATION: She wants him out.

KK is not harsh at all. In fact, she's the opposite, acknowledging she and Tristan will be joined at the hip for the rest of their lives because they share 2 kids together.

She makes it clear ... there's a bright line between having a romantic relationship with him again and keeping him in her life as a strong presence for their kids.

It's really a moving convo ... Khloe acknowledges the hurt Tristan has caused but is burying that for the sake of their kids.

Super mature, and exemplary parenting, for sure.

Floyd Mayweather was in a giving mood, a veryyyy giving mood, this week ... the legendary boxer hooked his buddy up with an iced-out watch worth a quarter of a million dollars!

TMZ Sports is told Mayweather gifted the $250k, custom timepiece to the famed Shuki Diamonds ... and the cool moment was captured on video.

"The Money Man is back. I'm right here with my main man, Shuki. We in L.A., ballin' out," 50-0 Mayweather said to the camera while standing next to the jeweler.

He continued ... "This watch right here is going to Shuki. One of my custom pieces. Money Man, y'all know the rest."

Of course, Floyd, owner of a nearly unmatched jewelry collection, is one of the highest-earning athletes of all time. He made around $300 million for the Conor McGregor fight alone.

In retirement, Mayweather has continued to rake in millions, taking exhibition bouts around the world, fighting everyone from Logan Paul to John Gotti's grandson.

As for Shuki (who already owns some awesome watches), he's now got a condo on his wrist.

Damian Lillard's new team isn't the only major change in his life -- the Milwaukee Bucks superstar just filed for divorce from his longtime partner, Kay'La.

TMZ Sports has confirmed ... the 7-time All-Star officially filed docs in Oregon earlier this week.

Dame and Kay'La go way back -- they first started dating as students at Weber State and were together ever since. They officially got married back in September 2021 and have three children.

According to Willamette Week, Dame's filing cited irreconcilable differences that "caused the irremediable breakdown of their marriage."

The report also points out the two appear to have been living separately for the past 10 months ... with Kay'La moving into a $2.7 million home in West Linn, while Dame remained at their $7.7 million pad in the same city.

There has been speculation for weeks ... with some internet sleuths noticing Kay'La had been absent from Damian's social media posts.

Tom Brady's jersey from his final NFL game is about to hit the auction block ... and it's about to be in the hands of someone VERY rich -- 'cause it could sell for up to $2.5 MILLION!!!

TMZ Sports has learned ... the iconic piece of Buccaneers gear will be available next month as part of RM Sotheby's and Wynn's Official Auction of the inaugural Las Vegas Grand Prix.

The white No. 12 threads are from Brady's last game on January 16, 2023 ... when the Bucs faced the Dallas Cowboys in a Wild Card playoff matchup on Monday Night Football.

Brady had 351 yards, two touchdowns and one interception in the contest ... falling to Dallas, 31-14 and ending his stellar career.

Officials say the item could potentially become the most valuable game-worn jersey EVER ... passing Joe Montana’s San Francisco 49ers uni he wore in Super Bowl XIX and Super Bowl XXIII, which came with a $1.2 million price tag earlier this year.

Sotheby’s Head of Streetwear & Modern Collectables Brahm Wachter spoke about the rare piece of memorabilia ... saying, "There are only a few athletes who are universally accepted as the greatest in their sport -- Michael Jordan, Tiger Woods, Muhammed Ali, Wayne Gretzky, Babe Ruth."

"For the National Football League, it’s Tom Brady. Worn at the very last game of his tenured career, this historic shirt is a tangible reminder of Brady’s unparalleled legacy, and as such, is arguably the most coveted NFL jersey to ever come to auction."