TMZ Sports - Page 3

Rob Gronkowski could be back on a gridiron as soon as 2028 ... telling TMZ Sports he'd unretire from football if it meant he could play the flag version of it for Team USA in the Olympics.

The New England Patriots legend didn't mince words when talking about the sport and its potential inclusion in the '28 Games ... saying point-blank Thursday, "Count me in already!"

"Hopefully there's no tryouts and they just accept me," said the former tight end, who walked away from the NFL for good in 2022. "But I'm in. I'm going for that if there is flag football in the Olympics in 2028. USA going all the way!"

Gronk would be 39 years old when the Olympics officially kick off in Los Angeles ... but he says he's been taking care of his body so well in retirement, he's now back to 100 percent -- and he seems to anticipate things staying that way if and when it comes time to put the flags on.

In fact, he says if the NFL created a league of its own prior to any sort of Olympic action, he'd be down to lace up his cleats ASAP for it.

"I can tell you this." he said, "If there was a flag football league -- an NFL flag football league -- I would be playing in that currently as we speak."

Of course, the sport has not yet officially been added to the Games -- the International Olympic Committee is expected to vote on it and a few others in the coming days.

Although if it does get officially added, Gronk could have some serious firepower running alongside him in four years ... as Tyreek Hill said earlier this week he'd be all-in for it as well.

In the meantime, when Gronk isn't busy staying in shape ... he's dealing with his multitude of business ventures -- including his latest one, Voomerang.

Taylor Swift's helping out Erin Andrews while supporting Travis Kelce and the Kansas City Chiefs ... wearing a jacket from the sportscaster's clothing line to the NFL game.

Sources close to Erin tell TMZ … the NFL broadcaster sent Taylor some items from her WEAR by Erin Andrews clothing line in the hopes Taylor would wear something in the future, and Taylor came through.

We're told Taylor's windbreaker jacket retails for $112 ... and as you can see, it's got the KC Chiefs logos and patches all over the place ... so Taylor fits right in at Arrowhead Stadium.

Taylor's at her third Chiefs game in the last four weeks ... and she's once again cheering on Travis from his suite ... and hanging out with his mom, Donna.

The Thursday Night Football game is part of a whirlwind 24 hours for Taylor ... last night she was in Los Angeles for the premiere of her 'Eras Tour' concert movie, which shut down the world-famous outdoor shopping mall, The Grove.

While Erin's not besties with Taylor or Travis, she does have a connection to the couple ... back in August, Erin played matchmaker on her podcast and suggested the two hook up.

Dillon Brooks will Dillon Brooks!

The Houston Rockets' newest offseason addition is already seeing to it that his paycheck is a little bit lighter ... the NBA fined the guard/forward $25k for hitting Pacers' player Daniel Theis where the sun don't shine.

The league announced their punishment on Thursday, two days after Brooks took a cheap shot in the first few minutes of the Rockets' 122-103 win over the Pacers in a preseason game on Oct. 10.

The whole thing was caught on the live broadcast ... Brooks, who was guarding Pacers guard Bennedict Mathurin, threw his left arm at Theis, who was setting a screen.

Brooks connected, and Theis was clearly in pain as he hunched over before kneeling down on the court.

Brooks received a flagrant foul and was ejected ... and now he's gonna pay, literally.

"Houston Rockets guard-forward Dillon Brooks has been fined $25,000 for recklessly making contact with Indiana Pacers center Daniel Theis in the groin area," NBA Executive VP and Head of Basketball Operations Joe Dumars said.

It's obviously not a great start Brooks, who signed a 4-year, $80 million contract with the Rockets after a troublesome '22-'23 season with the Grizzlies.

New Rockets' head coach Ime Udoka spoke about the incident, telling the Houston Chronicle he actually loves the overall "aggressiveness and physicality" from Brooks, but added "reputations carry in the NBA, and people will look for certain things."

"You got to monitor that better."

Post Malone has found a way to combine two things he holds near and dear -- the Dallas Cowboys and chicken fingers -- while also giving some of his fans the surprise of a lifetime.

Posty made a surprise visit at the grand opening of the Post Malone-and-Cowboys-themed location of Raising Cane's in Dallas Thursday. The rocker sported a custom Dallas jersey while posing for pics with fans, and of course, eating some of those tasty chicken fingers.

The location, which just opened today, comes complete with the blue and white Cowboys color scheme -- and a giant Cowboys star as you enter the Drive-Thru that stands 32 feet tall.

Post played a big role in getting the location together, and there are even some silhouettes of his most famous stage poses around the restaurant's exterior.

Russell Westbrook nearly brought a fan to tears this week after the Clippers preseason win over the Jazz ... but it's not what you think!

The 34-year-old NBA star spotted what appeared to be a teen fan -- already wearing a blue Clips Westbrook jersey -- sitting a few rows above the court at Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle on Tuesday night.

And Russ, knowing the only thing better than one jersey, is two ... blessed the young man with the authentic, game-worn threads!

“I don’t take any people that support me for granted,” Russ told the media after the game.

The 8x All-Star went on to say ... “I just felt like he should have another jersey, so I gave him mine," Westbrook said, smiling.

It's cool to see Russ interact with his supporters ... especially as hard as some fans have been on him the last few years.

College football player Ronnie Caldwell -- a junior safety at Northwestern State University -- was shot and killed on Thursday morning in Louisiana, police said.

He was just 21 years old.

According to the Natchitoches Police Department, the tragic incident happened near NSU's campus -- which is about three hours away from New Orleans -- at around 1:08 a.m.

Police say they were dispatched to a street near the university after 911 callers reported gunshots in the area. When officers arrived, they say they found Caldwell suffering from gunshot wounds ... and he was later pronounced deceased.

Cops say an investigation into the shooting is still ongoing.

The Northwestern State football team, meanwhile, canceled its Saturday game against Nicholls State after learning of the heartbreaking news.

"Ronnie Caldwell was a young man who had a bright future ahead of him on or off the football field," Demons head coach Brad Laird said on Thursday. "He was our voice in the locker room."

"Our hearts are broken and ache for Ronnie's family and friends. His loss will be felt here at Northwestern State, in Natchitoches and in his home."

Caldwell -- who transferred from Tyler Junior College after the 2021 season -- appeared in 11 games last season and finished seventh on the team in tackles. He did not play yet this season due to an injury he suffered in the preseason.

The Texas native was also a business administration major who helped coach a local youth baseball team over the summer.

A Dolphins fan who got into an embarrassing mixup with Tyreek Hill's mom at a game over the weekend was just rewarded for his troubles with a bunch of gifts ... courtesy of the Miami star himself!!

Hill's mom initially had big beef with the man on Sunday during the Dolphins' blowout win over the Giants at Hard Rock Stadium ... when her son tried to give her a ball after scoring a touchdown.

As the wideout passed it into the stands, a man just in front of Momma Hill intercepted it ... before he appeared to begrudgingly hand it over to her.

Initially, it seemed the guy was just being a jerk ... but Hill later learned the man had no idea his mom was the intended target for the ball -- so he found him and showered him with presents this week.

In a video Hill posted to his social media pages Thursday, you can see Tyreek surprise the guy at a restaurant with a ball of his own ... and more.

The fan was floored by Hill's generous act -- and quickly gave the football player a big hug.

If you're tuning into the Chiefs game tonight for Taylor Swift, you might come away a bit disappointed ... 'cause Al Michaels says he's planning to keep the coverage of the pop star to a minimum.

The man who will be broadcasting the Kansas City vs. Denver game at Arrowhead Stadium revealed the plans during a chat with Sports Illustrated's Jimmy Traina earlier Thursday morning.

He said while he and his Amazon Prime Video team clearly want to show that Swift is in attendance watching Travis Kelce and his Kansas City squad play for the third time in the last four weeks ... he vowed to not "make a sideshow the show."

"What we’re gonna do tonight, everything in moderation," the 78-year-old play-by-play man said. "The vast majority of the audience are tuning in to watch a football game. There are people, I don’t know how many, it could be a sizable number, but it’s certainly not a majority, that if you trained the camera on her all night long, they’d be satisfied with that."

"This is not what we’re going to do."

Michaels' words will likely be music to a large portion of NFL fans' ears ... as there was a ton of backlash from football supporters following NBC's coverage of Swift's attendance at the Chiefs vs. Jets game last month.

In fact, it actually led to Kelce himself bashing the NFL for "overdoing it" all.

Michaels, though, did at least leave the door somewhat open for lengthy camera time for Swift ... saying, "If Kelce scores six touchdowns, who the hell knows what we’re going to do."

1:09 PM PT -- Logan Paul was, indeed, bloodied during Thursday's skirmish with Dillon Danis ... with a new angle of the scrap showing blood pouring out of the WWE Superstar's eye area almost immediately after he was hit by the microphone.

But, he says despite the wound, Saturday's fight will go on as planned.

"Dillon can’t escape me," Paul said on X. "The fight is very much happening, the stakes just got higher."

Paul also shared a selfie on his Instagram page just minutes ago ... showing that while the side of his face seems to be somewhat swollen, he's in good spirits.

"Can't see the haterz," he captioned the pic.

10:23 AM PT -- Dillon Danis just posted a photo of blood spatter on the ground near Thursday's altercation ... insinuating he made Logan Paul bleed with the microphone throw.

"Play with fire get burnt p****," Danis captioned the photo.

Dillon Danis and Logan Paul just got into a wild altercation at their prefight press conference Thursday ... one in which Danis actually hurled a microphone full speed at Paul's face.

The fracas happened just minutes ago as the two were on a stage trying to promote their Saturday boxing match ... when Paul chucked a bottle at his bitter rival as they were set to walk toward each other for a ceremonial staredown.

In response to being hit in the gut by the object ... Danis went nuclear -- and hurled a heavy microphone directly at his opponent.

It appeared to catch the WWE superstar in the face -- and then everyone jumped in to try to separate the two.

Several people were seen throwing more objects as Paul and Danis were whisked off stage ... though it's unclear if anyone -- including Paul or Danis -- was hurt in the melee.

The tilt was hardly the only notable moment from the contentious presser -- as just minutes before chaos erupted, Paul brought out Chris Hansen to mock Danis ... someone whom he's repeatedly called a "predator" over the last few weeks.

Danis and Paul are slated to box each other in just about 48 hours ... that is, of course, assuming no one sustained any fight-altering ailments during the onstage battle.

Boosie Badazz is feeling like Coach Prime these days ... or at least he'd love to slip on a pair of his shine-blockas to protect him from all the haters coming after him lately.

That's the theme Boosie's operating with for his new video "Deion Shades," which he released on Thursday ... taken from the deluxe edition of his latest album, "Goin' Thru Some Things."

On the track, Boosie calls out rats and snakes with a barrage of sports references ... "I want my son around the best/This that Brady talk/My mind in everyone mouth ... I need Deion's shades!!!"

The shades are indeed a hot commodity ... Deion recently gifted all his Colorado players their own pair ahead of a big game that went on to be etched in history.

The Louisiana rapper also pays homage to Ja Morant ahead of his NBA comeback ... posting up next to the signed #12 jersey the maligned All-Star sent him a couple of months ago.

If you thought the Bills trip to London couldn't get any worse ... legendary wide receiver Andre Reed's room was burglarized, and his Hall of Fame ring and other valuable items stolen while he was at an appearance.

"Someone in the UK came in our room while I was at an appearance," Reed wrote on Instagram, adding, "& stole my hall of fame ring, jewelry, shoes, purses, clothing, passports."

Reed, a 16-year NFL vet who spent all but one season in Buffalo, was in the country for the Bills vs. Jaguars game on Sunday in London.

Andre says he's been in contact with police ... who are investigating, but he's clearly upset at what happened on what was supposed to be a joyous trip.

"UK Police are on it but it's a sad world. Emergency passports were acquired. Feeling unsafe & violated"

Reed earned his HOF ring in 2014, when the 7x Pro Bowler was inducted in Canton. AR finished his excellent career with 951 receptions for 13,198 yards and 88 touchdowns.

Police are looking to charge three men who they say played a role in an altercation at a Patriots game last month that ended in the death of one fan.

The Foxborough Police Department tells TMZ Sports ... it has submitted criminal complaints to prosecutors seeking assault and battery and disorderly conduct charges against a trio of Rhode Island men.

While cops did not reveal the names of the men nor any further details of the evidence ... they did say they believe the men were somehow involved in the altercation that resulted in Dale Mooney's death at the Pats vs. Dolphins game at Gillette Stadium.

According to the FPD, officers came to the conclusion after interviewing witnesses at the game as well as reviewing videos of the incident.

As we reported, Mooney was involved in the scuffle at some point during the Sept. 16 contest ... and he collapsed and later died. Officials did say, however, that they believe a medical issue -- not a traumatic injury -- led to the death.

A medical examiner's investigation into the final cause and manner of death remains ongoing.

Donations towards Mary Lou Retton's medical expenses now top $360k and the Olympic star's daughter, Shayla, says she's blown away by the "unbelievable love" her mom is receiving from her fans.

"My sisters and I are overwhelmed," Shayla said via Instagram on Wednesday, "We didn't even realize that there's so many people out there that love her just as much as we do."

"It's been a really hard time for our family."

Since news broke that the Olympic gold medalist was battling a rare case of pneumonia, fans have flooded the SpotFund account launched by her other daughter, McKenna.

As of Thursday morning, the fund sits at $363k (after starting with a goal of just $50k!) with over 6,000 donors! And it's going up by the hour.

"Just seeing that people love her like that and showing her that support has just meant the world to us and to her," Shayla said.

"Thank you for your unbelievable love & support for our mom. Please continue to pray for her full recovery."

Dick Butkus' loved ones are speaking out following his tragic death ... thanking his supporters for reaching out and sharing their fondest memories of the Chicago Bears legend over the past week.

"Dick lived an extraordinary life representing the heart and soul of Chicago, both on and off the field," Butkus' son, Matt, and his family members said in a statement.

"We want to thank you all for the outpouring of support. All the messages, notes and memories you shared during this difficult time. Each has meant the world to us."

One of the greatest to ever step foot on the gridiron, Dick was honored with a moment of silence prior to the Bears' Thursday Night Football matchup against the Washington Commanders last week ... and received tributes from notable figures throughout the country -- including President Barack Obama.

"In Chicago, Dick Butkus was football," Obama said following the Hall of Famer's death. "Thinking of his family today, and all the Bears fans who loved watching one of the best to ever play the game."

New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick also shared kind words ... saying Butkus was "the prototype middle linebacker."

"From his playing style, to the look, to his ads. He was a Chicago Bear if there ever was one."

Justin Verlander delivered a speech for the ages following the Astros' American League Division Series win Wednesday night ... dropping F-bombs everywhere -- before dousing his teammates with booze!!!

The epic moment -- which somehow went uncensored on television -- happened in Houston's locker room following its 3-2 Game 4 victory over the Twins in Minnesota.

Manager Dusty Baker didn't want to address his team in-depth following the victory -- he said he was waiting for the World Series to do that -- so Verlander stepped in ... and it's safe to say he got the guys riled up.

Verlander said the F-word six times ... while mixing in an S-word as well.

To cap it all off, he told his teammates to "pop these motherf***ers" -- referring to bottles of champagne -- on the count of seven ... and when he hit a beat after six, the party was on.

Bubbly flew everywhere -- and the locker room festivities then raged on for the next few minutes.

Taylor Swift is gearing up to go back into cheerleader mode for Travis Kelce, with plans to attend Thursday night's game in K.C. ... though Kelce's status for the matchup still remains questionable.

Sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ Taylor plans to travel to Missouri to watch Travis and the Kansas City Chiefs take on Russell Wilson and The Denver Broncos.

If she makes it, the game will mark Taylor's third appearance at one of Travis' games in the last 4 weeks ... the team has gone undefeated ever since Taylor first popped up at a game next to Travis' mom, Donna, back on September 24.

As we reported, Taylor hit the Chiefs vs. Jets game the following week, but was MIA when Travis and crew took on the Minnesota Vikings in Minneapolis last Sunday.

One major factor in Taylor's appearance Thursday though ... Travis is battling through an ankle injury, and the team announced Wednesday his status was "questionable" to play.

If she does make it as planned, the timing is interesting. The Chiefs will have a couple days off -- because they won't play the usual Sunday game -- so it's possible she spends additional time with him at home.

To say she's having a busy week would be an understatement ... shutting down The Grove in Los Angeles Wednesday for the premiere of her "Eras Tour" movie and making a surprise appearance.