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Ex-NFL player Zac Stacy was arrested in Florida and is currently in jail ... just days after he savagely beat his ex-girlfriend in front of their 5-month-old son, TMZ Sports has learned.

We broke the story ... 30-year-old Stacy repeatedly punched Kristin Evans, the mother of his baby boy in the head multiple times before picking her up and throwing her into a television -- all while she begged him to stop and the baby cried.

When Stacy -- a 5th round draft pick out of Vanderbilt in 2013 -- finally stopped attacking, he fled the scene. Evans called 911 and cops say they arrived in under 2 minutes, but the running back was long gone.

On Thursday, officials announced they were charging Stacy with 2 felonies ... aggravated assault and criminal mischief.

Authorities believed Stacy left Florida ... where the incident occurred Saturday afternoon. Still, they were concerned enough about Evans' safety to move her to an "undisclosed location."

Stacy is currently in Orange County (FL) Jail. Orlando PD is listed as the arresting agency, according to jail records.

If convicted, Stacy could face over 15 years in prison.

Guess you could say this is a bad ... sign.

The Guardians era is off to a piping hot start ... with Cleveland's new team store sign falling off the stadium wall and breaking into a bunch of pieces.

The Land's MLB team officially said goodbye to its old controversial nickname for good on Friday ... and the Guardians welcomed the change by releasing its new merch for fans to purchase at 9 AM.

As diehard Clevelanders lined up to get their swag, the new sign that was being placed on the Progressive Field wall tumbled to the ground. Luckily, no Guards fans were injured during the incident, according to Tom Withers of the AP.

It's yet another hiccup for Cleveland since the name change was announced -- as we previously reported, the organization was sued by the Cleveland Guardians roller derby team last month ... being accused of bullying the OG Guardians into changing their name.

Here's hoping it's smooth sailing from here -- 'cause someone could get hurt.

THIS IS AWESOME, BABY!!!

Dick Vitale just announced he's returning to the broadcast booth next week after doctors gave him the green light to call college basketball games again between his chemotherapy treatments.

Vitale is slated to provide color commentary for the huge UCLA vs. Gonzaga game on Nov. 23 in Las Vegas ... and in an emotional video that he posted on Friday, he said he's PUMPED for the night.

"I'm on cloud nine right now," the 82-year-old said ... "I can't wait. Tuesday night, I will do my first game, and what a game to do! No. 1 Gonzaga versus No. 2 UCLA."

"There's nothing that will be better medicine than sitting at courtside, meeting all my buddies down there, having a blast."

As we previously reported, the legendary broadcaster was diagnosed with lymphoma in October -- just months after surviving a battle with melanoma.

Dickie V said part of his treatments to beat the disease would be six months of chemo -- and he had hoped he could call games during the treatments.

Now that Vitale -- who just had a chemo treatment earlier this week -- is able to do that, he said it's provided him a big boost.

"It's going to be special, special for me," Vitale said. "The best medicine that I could receive."

Vitale -- who's been calling games since the 1970s -- also thanked his family, friends, coworkers and fans for sending prayers and giving him strength.

Zac Stacy's ex-girlfriend claims the savage beating she endured at the hands of the father of her child was NOT an isolated incident ... 'cause the woman says the ex-NFL RB beat her on numerous occasions.

The woman, Kristin Evans, provided TMZ Sports photos of injuries she says were inflicted by the former NY Jets back on August 15, 2021 ... when she claims he flew into a violent rage over rent money.

"He physically assaulted me several times because he wanted the money back he gave me for our rent," the woman wrote in a restraining order application, filed Monday in Florida.

She continued ... "He punched my legs, slapped me, picked me up by my arms, and threw me into my window, which broke. I had glass in my feet that I removed myself."

Evans says she called the cops ... but downplayed the event, telling them they were involved in a verbal argument.

In reality, she says the beating she received in August was actually worse than Saturday -- which was caught on video.

The photographs from the alleged incident are incredibly disturbing ... and show large bruises and cuts on the woman's body.

And, sadly, there's more. Evans says she was also victimized on September 27 ... when Stacy slapped her in the face. The woman tells us she wanted to press battery charges over the alleged incident.

The reason for going public? Evans says she fears for her safety ... and doesn't want anyone else to endure what she's had to go through.

In the docs, she says "[Zac] has escalated violence since May while I was pregnant. He also assaulted me just weeks before our son was born. He will not stop. He will kill me and he feels justified in his actions."

FYI, cops tell us they've moved Evans to an undisclosed location for her safety.

Following Saturday's attack, officials have charged Stacy with two felonies ... aggravated assault and criminal mischief. He's facing more than 15 years in prison if convicted.

Stacy was arrested Thursday night in Florida by Orlando PD ... and is currently in county jail.

Bryce Harper was so overwhelmed by winning the second MVP award of his career on Thursday ... he broke down in tears.

MLB Network cameras captured the emotional moment ... just seconds after the league announced the Philadelphia Phillies star was the recipient of the honor.

Harper -- who was wiping tears off his cheeks throughout his interview with the network -- said this one meant a significant amount to him, considering he had started the year in April by being drilled in the face with a 97 MPH fastball.

"This year was tough," Harper said. "Starting off getting hit in the face, it was definitely a tough couple days for me. Tough couple weeks for me trying to get back."

Harper thanked his family, his wife, his teammates -- and even his chef for helping him get through the year, joking, "I never went to bed hungry!"

Harper -- who previously won the NL MVP back in 2015 with the Washington Nationals -- beat out Juan Soto and Fernando Tatis for the honor this year ... and it was well deserved.

President Joe Biden says the United States is "considering" a diplomatic boycott of the 2022 Beijing Olympics ... as a result of China's human rights abuse issues.

It's tradition for the U.S. and other nations to send high-profile delegates to represent their respective countries at the Games -- Biden's wife, Jill Biden, participated in this past summer's Olympics in Tokyo.

But, as concerns continue to grow over China's human rights issues ... many across both sides of the political aisle have petitioned the Biden administration to boycott the upcoming Olympic Games in Beijing.

Sen. Tom Cotton of Arkansas addressed the situation on Wednesday ... saying, "I call on the Biden Administration to mount a complete and total boycott of the Beijing Winter Olympics -- no athletes, no administration officials, no corporate sponsors."

Even the Celtics' Enes Kanter -- an outspoken critic of #46 -- challenged Biden to maintain his campaign promise and "prioritize human rights" before he met with Chinese leader Xi Jinping.

While hosting Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau at the Oval Office on Thursday, POTUS wouldn't go as far as to say a total boycott was something the U.S. was considering ... but a diplomatic boycott is on the table.

If Biden and the White House were to engage in a diplomatic boycott, it would mean the U.S. would not send an official government delegation to the Games ... but athletes would still be able to participate.

Antonio Brown is calling BS on his former chef ... saying he did NOT submit a fake COVID vaccine card to the NFL.

The chef, Steven Ruiz, told the Tampa Bay Times Brown sought and then obtained the fraudulent paper back in July ... but a rep for Brown says it's just flat-out not true.

In a statement to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, Brown's attorney, Sean Burstyn, said the Tampa Bay Buccaneers receiver is, in fact, vaccinated -- and does, in fact, have valid paperwork.

"Be like Antonio brown and get the vaccine," Rapoport says Burstyn told him.

Ruiz had told the Times that he had a text message exchange from Brown's girlfriend, Cydney Moreau, that helped prove the case against Brown.

In the messages, which Ruiz says were sent on July 2 -- less than a month before the Bucs opened training camp this summer -- Ruiz says Moreau told him Brown was searching for bogus cards.

"Can you get the covid cards," Ruiz claims Moreau said.

"I can try," Ruiz responded.

"JNJ shot," Ruiz said Moreau added. "Ab said he will give you $500."

Ruiz claims Brown was looking for a Johnson & Johnson version because it's just one shot -- and therefore would be less paperwork and much easier to sneak past NFL officials.

Ruiz says he was unable to get AB the card ... but he claims Brown was able to land fake ones for himself and Moreau a few weeks later nonetheless.

Ruiz says Brown actually showed him the fake papers ... and said Brown's trainer, Alex Guerrero, was the one who ultimately submitted AB's paperwork to the team (though Ruiz says he believes Guerrero did not know it was a fake).

It should be noted Ruiz has issues with Brown, with the chef claiming the two had a falling out over $10,000 that Ruiz says Brown never paid him.

Reps for the Bucs have yet to comment on the situation.

Brown, meanwhile, did miss Tampa's Week 3 game earlier this season due to COVID ... but recovered and played in the following three games before an ankle injury on Oct. 14 put him on the shelf.

Memphis hoops coach Penny Hardaway says he's devastated by Young Dolph's murder -- explaining in an emotional video message Thursday he's hurting badly over the rapper's death.

"A guy that came from Memphis, 901 born, in the city all the time, giving back to his community," Hardaway said ... "to get murdered like that, it just doesn't sit well with me, man."

Dolph was killed inside of a local cookie shop in Memphis on Wednesday ... just minutes before he was set to give away Thanksgiving dinners in his old neighborhood.

Hardaway -- who was born in Memphis and has coached men's basketball at the university since 2018 -- is clearly angered by it all ... and flat-out floored this could happen in his hometown.

"We have to do better," Hardaway said. "This is a guy that was coming back to give back to his community."

"I just don't get it," he continued. "My condolences, my prayers, but we just as a people just have to do better."

No word yet on if Hardaway's program is planning to honor the slain 36-year-old at an upcoming game -- we've reached out to the school for comment, but so far, no word back yet.

Cops say Zac Stacy is on the run following the brutal attack on his ex ... claiming the former NFL running back has fled the state of Florida in an attempt to avoid arrest.

The Oakland Police Department tells TMZ Sports ... officers responded to the domestic violence call "within two minutes" of Stacy's attack last Saturday -- but claim the 30-year-old had already left the scene when they arrived.

Per an OPD spokesperson, cops immediately launched a manhunt for Stacy -- but say they have yet to locate the ex-St. Louis Rams player.

"Efforts are underway to capture Stacy," the spokesperson said. "And we would urge him to turn himself in and face the criminal charges."

As we previously reported, Stacy exploded on his ex-girlfriend this past Saturday -- punching her and throwing her into a television in a terrifying altercation that was all captured on disturbing video.

The woman, who says she went to the hospital following the attack, miraculously avoided suffering any serious injuries.

Stacy, meanwhile, has already been dropped from his role as a youth football ambassador for the Music City Bowl this year ... and several NFL stars, including Davante Adams, have advocated for locking the guy up forever.

Sorry, LSU fans, Michigan State head coach Mel Tucker is putting the rumors about his future to rest ... saying he's fully intending to stay a Spartan moving forward.

Tucker is considered one of the hottest coaches in college football -- he's earned a 9-1 record so far in 2021, with his name popping up as a candidate to take over for huge programs.

But, the 49-year-old coach joined Warriors star Draymond Green -- a Michigan State alum -- on his new show via the Volume ... and reassured MSU fans that he's not going anywhere.

"I came here and made it clear in my initial press conference that Michigan State was a destination job and not a stepping stone," Tucker said.

Tucker -- a Cleveland native -- also said his familiarity with the Big 10 Conference landscape and the close, personal ties his wife and family have to the region played a role in wanting to continue to call East Lansing home for the foreseeable future.

He then went on to reflect on why MSU was such a special place to him ... saying "This is where I started my career here in 1997 as a graduate assistant for Nick Saban."

Of course, Mel has been the center of conversation this week ... after a report surfaced that MSU was reportedly working on a historic, 10-year, $95 million contract in an effort to keep Tucker on board.

Former NFL running back Zac Stacy brutally attacked the mother of his child, punching her in the head before slamming her into a television as their 5-month-old son sat feet away ... and the terrifying incident was captured on video.

TMZ Sports has learned ... the disturbing altercation happened at 30-year-old Stacy's ex-girlfriend's home in Florida on Saturday.

We're told Stacy became furious and aggressive with his ex during an argument ... and that's when video shows the former 5th-round pick swinging at her head before yanking her off a couch, tossing her across the room and into the TV.

The TV then falls on top of the woman as she tries to calm Stacy down ... but he throws an object at her and storms into a corner.

Throughout the video, you can hear the woman begging Stacy to stop.

We're told the woman called cops immediately after the altercation, but Stacy fled the scene before law enforcement was able to arrive.

We're also told the woman filed for a restraining order Monday -- for her and her son. In those docs, Stacy's ex claims the football player came over to her house around 2 PM on Saturday ... to see his son.

While there, she claims he flew into a jealous, violent rage.

"He punched me several times in the head! I begged him to stop because the baby was on the couch just a few feet from where he punched me," the woman wrote in the restraining order application.

She continued ... "He then picked me up and threw me into my TV. The TV began to fall and he turned to make sure I wasn't getting up. As I laid on the floor he began to yell at me, telling me I'm destructive. He then picked me up off the floor and off my feet and body slammed me into our son's bouncy seat."

That's when she says Stacy said "I love you" to their baby boy, and bolted. In the restraining order docs, the woman adds, "I fear for my life and my children's lives."

She says she went to the hospital, where she was treated for a possible head wound, as well as bumps and bruises.

Stacy was drafted out of Vanderbilt by St. Louis in 2013 ... and played 2 seasons for the Rams. He joined the New York Jets in 2015 ... and has been out of the league ever since.

Jason Garrett just unloaded the highest compliment possible on Tom Brady ... saying the Bucs quarterback is the best football player "that's ever walked."

The Giants offensive coordinator laid down the praise for the Tampa Bay superstar at his weekly press conference Thursday ... just three days before NY plays TB12 in Florida.

"They're going to make a Mt. Rushmore of football players at some point," the former Dallas Cowboys head coach said. "And, the first face they chisel will be that guy's face."

"He's the best that's ever walked."

Garrett continued, "He's a hell of a football player. What he's done over the last 20 years has been remarkable. And, to think he's 44 years old and probably playing the best ball of his career, it's really amazing."

The admiration is lofty ... but, of course, it's probably deserved.

Tom, after all, has been to 10 Super Bowls -- winning seven of them -- and could potentially win his FOURTH MVP award following this season. He's also been selected to 14 Pro Bowls.

"He's an inspiration to everybody," Garrett said. "In and out of sports."

The TransPerfect Music City Bowl has cut ties with Zac Stacy ... dropping the former NFL player from his role as a youth football ambassador after he was seen on video brutally attacking his ex-girlfriend.

The bowl -- which is set to go down on Dec. 30 in Nashville, Tenn. -- had partnered with the former Vanderbilt running back to promote the game as well as giving back to the local youth football community in the leadup to the matchup.

But, following his attack on his ex over the weekend, officials announced they're terminating all links to Stacy moving forward.

"Based on the video and domestic violence report regarding Zac Stacy," officials said in a statement, "the TransPerfect Music City Bowl has terminated the relationship with Zac Stacy effective immediately."

Stacy -- who won the 2012 Music City Bowl MVP when he played at Vandy -- had been hired by the bowl earlier this year.

As we previously reported, the former St. Louis Rams player violently attacked the mother of his 5-month-old son in her Florida home on Saturday -- right in front of their child.

The terrifying video of Zac Stacy attacking his ex-GF has the sports world outraged ... with players like NFL star Davante Adams calling for him to rot behind bars.

TMZ Sports broke the story ... Stacy brutalized the mother of his child, punching her in the head before slamming her into a television as their 5-month-old son sat feet away during an incident over the weekend.

The Green Bay Packers receiver reacted to the story in a fiery tweet Thursday ... saying, "ZAC STACY NEED TO BE THROWN UNDER THE JAIL."

"Any man that puts his hands on a woman is a coward," he added. "Can’t believe what I just saw."

Chris Long -- who was Stacy's teammate with the St. Louis Rams -- expressed his disbelief ... saying, "Woke up to the Zac Stacy video. Made my stomach turn."

"Crazy to play w someone for a couple years & you have no idea what kind of bulls**t they do at home."

MMA star Uriah Hall was so upset over the vid, he even hinted at retaliating with violence of his own.

"Looking for a wife beater Zac Stacy anyone seen him?," Hall tweeted. "Looking to give an ass whooping on site !!!"

Tristan Thompson went OFF after losing to the Timberwolves on Wednesday ... unleashing a passionate rant in which he said, "I don't need no f***ing coach to inspire me!"

The Kings' big man unloaded in the postgame press conference following the 107-97 defeat ... after a reporter had asked if the team needs more inspiration from Luke Walton and the Sacramento staff.

"No man in this world should rely on another man to inspire them, point blank period," a visibly pissed-off Thompson said. "You can put that in all capitals."

"No one should ever need a coach to inspire you."

Thompson then started cussin' -- saying, "I'm not with that s***. My teammates aren't with it."

"This is not no frickin' 'Glory Road' s***," he continued. "No, you gotta be ready to play. Your number is called -- you in the damn game -- I don't need no f***ing coach to inspire me."

"Never that. Never have. Never will. The day I need a coach to inspire me, is the day I'm f***ing retiring. I'ma go play with my kids in the park."

It's not hard to see why Tristan was so frustrated ... the Kings had entered last night's game losers of 4 of their last 5 games -- and are currently in 11th place in the Western Conference.

Members of the Afghan women's youth soccer team and their families reached safety in the UK on Thursday -- and Kim Kardashian played a huge role in the efforts.

TMZ Sports has confirmed -- Kim and her SKIMS brand shelled out the money to charter a plane for 130 people from Pakistan to the Stansted Airport in London ... after the founder of the Tzedek Association reached out and asked for help in getting the group to safety.

Rabbi Moshe Margaretten -- who's worked with Kim in the past on criminal justice reform -- says the businesswoman was quick to assist after speaking over a video chat.

"Maybe an hour later, after the Zoom call, I got a text message that Kim wants to fund the entire flight," Margaretten told the AP.

Thousands have been fleeing Kabul after the Taliban took over in August ... and members of the developmental soccer team were able to make it to Pakistan and get visas, but could not get a flight until Kim and SKIMS stepped up.

The team was especially in danger ... as the Taliban sees women involved in sports as rebellious.

On top of Kim and SKIMS' help, the EPL's Leeds United has offered to support the team.