TMZ Sports - Page 50

As soon as Travis Kelce's hands got done catching footballs on the field Sunday, they apparently went straight to taking care of Taylor Swift's hands off of it!!!

Check out this photo of the two lovebirds leaving Arrowhead Stadium following the Chiefs' big win over the Chargers ... the couple's hands couldn't have been more intertwined as they headed toward their postgame ride home.

It, of course, is not the first time the two have shown some PDA -- just last weekend, they were seen hand in hand while leaving dinner dates in New York City.

But, Sunday's display of love is yet another sign that the two are getting serious. She's now been to four of his games -- and at this one, she not only was super comfortable getting handsy with him after the contest, she was also seen mingling more than ever with the family of Patrick Mahomes, Kelce's best bud.

Swift was also spotted wearing a friendship bracelet on her wrist that featured Kelce's No. 87 and two hearts -- a clear sign she's really into the Kansas City star tight end.

You'd have to imagine this means Kelce will almost certainly be returning the favor when Swift goes on the international portion of her "Eras" tour shows ... which are set to begin next month and run all the way through 2024.

But, until then, she seems comfortable heading to K.C. every now and then to watch Kelce play -- something Chiefs fans will sure be happy about, considering they're now 4-0 with her in attendance!

Nate Diaz is giving his fighters a helluva welcoming gift ... 'cause he hooked 'em all up with iced-out pendants to make sure everyone knows they're the "Real" deal!!

TMZ Sports is told ... the MMA legend reached out to the famous Icebox shop to get something special for the folks who joined the Real Fight Inc. promotion he launched in 2022.

We're told he ordered a total of seven two-toned pendants ... and each comes with just under 10 carats of VS diamonds and over 50 grams of gold. The pieces also come with a matching 14K gold rope chain.

Unsure which fighters will get the new bling ... but the badasses listed on Real Fight Inc., excluding Diaz, are Chris Avila, Alan Sanchez, Jose Aguayo and Luciano Ramos.

Diaz -- who last fought Jake Paul in August -- is taking his promotion very seriously after he left the UFC last year ... saying his goal is to focus on boxing, MMA and BJJ.

"I said when I get out, I was going to do my own promotion like Jake was doing with Most Valuable Promotions (MVP)," Diaz said on Full Send.

"Well, I just jumped right in, and I felt like the business was mine the whole time."

2:36 PM PT -- CBS did, indeed, pan to Taylor during the game ... it just took a little while.

There were shots of her cheering on the Chiefs, not to mention her losing her s*** next to Brittany Mahomes -- with whom she seems to be good pals now. Check out the little celebratory handshake they get into after a big play on the field.

Like a couple school girl BFFs, really. How 'bout that?!?

Taylor Swift might just be Travis Kelce's good luck charm -- especially when his team's playing at home, which they are today ... and which TayTay is on hand for yet again.

The singer is in Arrowhead Stadium right now as the Chiefs play the Chargers, and like she has been these past few weeks ... Taylor's up in a private suite rooting for her man. She hasn't been explicitly shouted out in the CBS broadcast just yet -- but footage of her in the building is already surfacing.

One clip posted by the NFL shows her dancing around with Patrick Mahomes' wife, Brittany, and their baby ... and it looks like Pat's little brother, Jackson, is right behind them there.

Taylor's in Chiefs gear, per usual ... this marks her 3rd time coming to KC to see TK.

Going to Travis's games has become a bit of a tradition for Taylor now ... which just further confirms how serious she and the Chiefs tight end are becoming. She's already gone to a total of 4 of his games this season (this one included) and all signs point to her continuing.

Remember, it all started with TS swinging by back in late September -- which marked her initial appearance ... where she cozied up next to Travis' mom, Donna. Since then she's shown up in NJ for the Chiefs game against the Jets ... bringing along celeb pals.

Taylor skipped the following game in Minnesota -- but made sure to come out in person for last week's matchup against the Broncos ... where she was in Kansas City once more.

Seeing how she's out there again right now ... you could argue she's becoming a bit of a regular. And assuming the relationship goes on for much longer, locals can probably get used to seeing her more and more.

So far, it doesn't appear the announcers have made much mention of Taylor being in attendance today ... which could be reflective of some NFL fans groaning over that lately.

There's still a lot more football to go, though ... so we'll see if they name-drop her.

Hitler's despicable image made a surprise appearance at a Michigan State University football game ... and not surprisingly the reaction was collective disgust, leading to the college issuing a mea culpa.

The Nazi leader's ugly mug flashed on a huge video board overlooking Spartan Stadium Saturday night ... just before the MSU Spartans kicked off their match-up against the Michigan Wolverines.

The large screen displayed not only the Fuher's photo but also a trivia question about his birthplace in Austria.

Of course, the screwup didn't sit well with many people amid the Israel-Hamas war -- so they snapped pictures of Hitler's cameo and posted them on social media.

It didn't take long for MSU officials to apologize, while also blaming the fiasco on a "third-party source."

In a statement, MSU's Associate Athletic Director Matt Larson said, "MSU is aware that inappropriate content by a third-party source was displayed on the video board prior to the start of tonight's football game."

Larson continued, "We are deeply sorry for the content that was displayed, as this is not representative of our institutional values."

He also promised to never again use the third-party source, while implementing "stronger screening and approval procedures for all video board content in the future."

Patriots fans clamoring for Bill Belichick's head need to take a chill pill ... at least, that's according to Jay Glazer, who tells TMZ Sports the New England head coach is a guy who should never be fired midseason.

"Here's the thing with Bill, man," the NFL insider said out at LAX this week. "You never know. Guy is a genius. He's a genius."

Belichick is undoubtedly the greatest coach of all-time -- he's a 8X Super Bowl champ, six as a head coach, who's won 299 games in his career -- but he's hit a rough patch in Foxborough ever since Tom Brady's departure.

And, things have gotten so bad recently -- the team is now just 1-5, and a loud contingent of Pats fans have made it clear they want Belichick ousted over it all.

Glazer, though, urged New England supporters to have patience ... saying he could see Belichick turning things around ASAP.

"Everything in the NFL, people just want someone's head," Glazer said. "Every time you have a bad week or bad start -- but people have started out; look at the Lions last year. They started off really slow and turned back around."

It's unclear if the team has enough stars to get the ship righted even if Belichick comes up with the magic touch -- which Glazer himself acknowledged -- but the famed journalist made it known he'd see it to the end regardless.

"I'm never going to stick a fork in that guy during the middle of a season," Glazer said.

Angela Lee has no plans of returning to the cage after recently shocking the MMA world with her retirement announcement... telling TMZ Sports her focus is now on providing mental health services to combat sports athletes!

Lee -- who retired and vacated her 115-pound ONE title at Fight Night 14 on September 30 -- launched her non-profit, Fight Story, in honor of her younger sister and MMA fighter, Victoria, who died by suicide in December 2022.

Lee also revealed she attempted to take her own life in 2017 when she purposely crashed her car.

"I wouldn't say that I have fully recovered [from my sister's death] because healing processes take some time," Lee told us, "but I have gotten a lot better with the help and support of my husband, my daughter, and also with the nonprofit organization I created in honor of her."

Angela added ... "We're hoping to acknowledge our past and our personal experience but also take steps to proactively take care of our mental health [and] physical health."

The 11-3 mixed martial, who holds the record for longest championship reign in ONE, knows about the stress/pressure MMA fighters face ... and she pointed out combat sports athletes don't get the same mental health resources as other sports.

"I wanna highlight this group of individuals because the fact is the topic of mental health or mental health support is pretty much nonexistent in the fight world," the 27-year-old said.

"I think with Fight Story," Lee said, "we have lots of plans for the programs that we wish to implement and bring to the community."

Lee told us several fighters have already reached out to help the cause ... and they're hosting two big events, including a kickoff party that's going down on December 3 in Hawaii.

Angela says she's thankful for the support she's received ... and how it keeps the memory of her sister alive.

"I feel whenever I'm doing things with Fight Story, I really feel like Victoria is with me and helping me to work on this," Lee said.

"Something we're doing together."

Brace yourselves, Dodgers fans ... there's a chance Clayton Kershaw's career is done -- or, perhaps worse, he ends up pitching for Texas next season.

L.A.'s play-by-play man Joe Davis tells TMZ Sports the two options are very much on the table for the future Hall of Famer ... saying he knows Kershaw won't do anything in 2024 other than stay with the Dodgers, throw for the Rangers -- or hang up his spikes.

The voice of the Dodgers says he fully expects Kershaw to have lengthy conversations with his family in the upcoming weeks and months to ultimately make the best choice of the trio.

"It's a pretty simple decision," the 35-year-old said. "But it's certainly one that a lot of the Dodgers' offseason plans will hinge on the outcome of."

If it is ultimately the end ... Davis said there's simply no debate that Kershaw will go down as "one of the best left-handed pitchers of all-time."

And, it's definitely not hyperbole ... through 16 seasons so far, Kershaw has a 210-92 record, a 2.48 ERA and 2,944 strikeouts.

Tom Brady and Irina Shayk are no more ... calling it quits on their brief, but super attractive romance.

Sources connected to the former pair tell TMZ the two eventually "fizzled out" after some time together, no drama or scandal ... it just came to an end. The signs have been on the wall recently that things were likely over ... as each has spent a lot of time in separate cities.

Earlier this week, Tom was spotted in Miami and Irina was in New York. Obviously, it's a quick flight ... but the fact we haven't seen them together is a telling sign.

It was back in July and August when things really heated up between the two -- she spent the night at his place in Los Angeles, got affectionate in his car and even took a trip overseas ... spotted coming out of the same London hotel.

Some started to wonder if Irina had gotten back together with her ex, Bradley Cooper, early last month when she posted a pic of him on social media.

At the time, sources told us Irina and Tom were still together ... and don't forget, she's got a kid with Cooper, so they maintain a level of friendship.

So while Tom and Irina may be donezo, something tells us neither of them will have a problem lining their next partner up ... it's a whole lot easier when you're both rich and really, really good-looking.

Former Major League Baseball pitcher Danny Serafini is in some MAJOR trouble ... 'cause he just got arrested for serious felonies!!

Serafini and his alleged accomplice, Samantha Scott, were busted in Nevada Friday for the 2021 fatal shooting of Robert Gary Spohr and attempted murder of Wendy Wood.

Cops said the victims were Serafini's in-laws, but they wouldn't characterize the relationship between the ex-Minnesota Twins player and Scott.

According to a June 2021 press release, officers were called to a home in North Lake Tahoe, California, and discovered Spohr had been shot to death.

His wife, Wendy, suffered a bullet wound in the same attack and was rushed to a local hospital, where she was released after treatment. She passed away a year later.

Security video from their house shows a hooded masked man with a backpack lurking around the property in the hours before the bloodshed. Investigators have not disclosed a motive, and formal charges have yet to be filed against Serafini and Scott.

Rams receiver Demarcus Robinson was robbed at gunpoint in Los Angeles on Friday morning ... and cops say they were told the brazen thieves made off with over $100K worth of jewelry.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ Sports ... officers responded to calls of a robbery outside a Los Angeles area hotel just after midnight.

Cops were told two men approached the 29-year-old football player, pointed firearms at him ... and demanded he hand over his valuables -- which included a pricey watch.

Our sources say Robinson obliged ... and the thieves took off. Thankfully, the wideout is said to now be doing OK despite the circumstances.

Cops say they've launched an investigation into the matter ... though, so far, no arrests have been made.

Robinson began his career with the Kansas City Chiefs in 2016 and helped Patrick Mahomes win Super Bowl LIV in 2020. He joined the Rams this offseason -- but he's yet to record a catch through five games.

The Houston Astros and Texas Rangers nearly got into a bench-clearing brawl after a beanball incident during the 8th inning of their Friday night championship game.

The teams were going head-to-head in Game 5 of the American League Championship Series when Houston relief pitcher Bryan Abreu wound up and hurled a 98.9 mile-per-hour fastball, striking Rangers batter Adolis Garcia in his left arm.

Check out this video posted on X ... Garcia looks furious as he pushes Houston catcher Martín Maldonado, while the umpire gets between them.

Both teams then pour onto the field and run toward each other, gathering in one big heap near home plate.

The players start yelling and shoving one another, but the tense situation never escalates into a full-scale fight.

Still, Garcia continues to blow off steam as his teammates hold him back -- and eventually escort him off Globe Life Field in Arlington, TX.

The umpires ejected three people: Abreu, Garcia and Astros manager Dusty Baker.

When the game resumed, the Astros went on to beat the Rangers 5-4. The Astros now hold a 3-2 lead in the series as they travel back to Houston for Game 6.

Megan Thee Stallion's no longer tethered to the 1501 Certified Ent. label she railed against for years -- and Trinidad James thinks the "Savage" rapper can become an even bigger act.

TJ floated all the possibilities speaking to TMZ Hip Hop at LAX this week but predicts Meg will land all right. He says there's also a possibility momentum fizzles.

Thee Stallion is gearing up to resume her career Monday with a new release after telling fans she was entering a new journey, where she'll be paying out of her own pocket to give fans the good news.

TJ tells us having a solid team is crucial to making money in the music biz and the industry is especially shady when it comes to the needs of women.

Bummed Khamzat Chimaev vs. Paulo Costa ain't happening on Saturday?! Don't be ... 'cause UFC legend Chuck Liddell says he's actually more pumped for the fight vs. Kamaru Usman!

"I'm excited about it. That card fell apart, and I'm actually more excited about the card now [with Usman fighting Chimaev] than I was before [when Costa was fighting Khamzat]," the UFC legend told TMZ Sports this week at LAX.

Of course, both the main and co-main events of UFC 294 were lost last week ... when Charles Oliveira -- scheduled to fight Islam Makhachev -- and Paulo Costa were both forced out with injuries.

Thankfully, Alex Volkanovski and Kamaru are bonafide badasses ... and both guys agreed to travel thousands of miles and fight on less than two weeks' notice.

(We also talked to Liddell about "Dad Bods" ... hence this ⬇)

We followed up with The Iceman, asking him about the wisdom of stepping in the Octagon with an undefeated fighter on 10 days' notice.

"Kamaru Usman is always ready. He trains all the time. He stays in shape. He's a good guy. I'm excited about this fight. If he took it on 10 days' notice he thinks he's going to win."

Khabib Nurmagomedov was one of, if not the most dominant UFC fighter ever, but the retired, undefeated, former champion wants someone to actually be better than he was ... Islam Makhachev!

Of course, Makhachev is fighting Alex Volkanovski in just a few hours in the main event at UFC 294 ... and we recently spoke with Ali Abdelaziz, Islam and Khabib's manager and close friend, about their relationship.

"Khabib wants Islam to be better. That's what's beautiful about it," Ali said of Nurmagomedov's desire for his pupil to surpass his accomplishments.

Whether 31-year-old Makhachev is better in certain areas (striking, for example) is up for debate ... but when it comes to pure dominance of an opponent, Ali doesn't believe Islam's quiet on Khabib's (29-0) level just yet.

"Islam lost, Khabib never lost. Islan might be all the way technically better, but dominance, I don't think anybody can be as dominant as Khabib is. You see Henry lose, Kamaru. A lot of guys lost. Khabib never even have one blood leave his body. When you have a guy who never bled in 29 fights, it's very hard to match him. It's a very tall order to match him. It's almost impossible."

But, that's exactly what Khabib wants for Islam ... who has a record of 24-1. His sole loss came in 2015.

Abdelaziz does think there's another fighter who is closer to Nurmagomedov's dominance ... Umar Nurmagomedov, Khabib's cousin.

Umar is 16-0, and 4-0 in the UFC ... and the 12th ranked bantamweight.

"The guy who is closer to Khabib than anybody is Umar. I truly believe Umar is the closest to Khabib's dominance."

For Islam, the #3 ranked pound-for-pound fighter in the entire UFC, a win over #2 ranked Volkanovski would be another step towards fulfilling Khabib's wish.

Race car driver Christy Georges-Barnett turned $25 into more than a MILLION BUCKS at a Las Vegas slot machine ... and her reaction to the big hit was priceless!!

The 63-year-old -- who currently races USRA Dirt Mods and Super Trucks -- won the jackpot earlier this week at the famous Caesars Palace on the Vegas strip.

The luxury hotel and casino shared a bystander's TikTok video of the moment Barnett went hysterical ... showing her yelling, "It's a million dollars," at the slot machine.

The crowd was in complete shock ... and the camera zoomed in on the machine to make sure viewers could clearly see the winning pot was over $1.18 million.

BTW, Christy is one of the best female racers out there ... and her need for speed took off after she decided to buy a dirt bike when she was just 20 years old.

Since then, she's become a 4-time Dirt Track Pro Stock Track champ, a 4-time Open Wheel Dirt Modified Track champion, a 2-time 3-wheeler Flat Track champ (250cc), and the list goes on.

Georges-Barnett is also the only woman to win an UMP Dirty National title and the fastest woman in a NASCAR at Bonneville Salt Flats (208 MPH).

Her husband, Sherman Barnett, also races in stock cars, Super Trucks, Modifieds, Xmods and Late models ... so maybe they take the hunk of cash and get a nice whip!!

Want to dress like "Tayvis" for Halloween? You're in luck ... 'cause Travis Kelce himself just doled out tips on how to make the costume authentic!!

The topic got brought up at Kelce's media availability on Friday ... when a reporter made the Chiefs star aware that plenty of people across the U.S. are planning to dress as him and his new girlfriend, Taylor Swift, for the October holiday.

Kelce said his side of the getup must include a couple things in order to look just right.

"The mustache is slowly starting to disappear but I tell you what man, that 'stache and the 87 jersey was pretty iconic for a little bit," Kelce said, "and I had it when I met Taylor for the first time."

"So I guess my 'stache and then maybe ... maybe a bracelet or something, I don't know."

Kelce -- who signed a $57.25 million extension in June -- also spoke with media members about his surprise return to "Saturday Night Live" last week in New York City ... and he explained his funny part in the Swift skit wasn't actually his idea.

"They asked me if I kinda wanted to end the skit that was about me and Taylor's takeover of the NFL games which was hilarious," he said.

"I loved every bit of it."

We're sure he's also loving how the Chiefs are currently on a five-game winning streak ... and are the favorites to make it six in a row against the Chargers at Arrowhead Stadium on Sunday.