TMZ Sports - Page 30

The Bill Belichick era in New England is over.

The head coach and the Patriots agreed to part ways with one another after 24 seasons on Thursday, this according to multiple reports.

New England has not yet confirmed the news ... though it did announce Belichick and owner Robert Kraft will hold a press conference later Thursday afternoon, presumably to talk all about the decision.

Belichick first joined Kraft's Patriots in the 2000 season ... and it didn't take long for him to build one of the greatest dynasties in sports history.

In 2001, he won his first Super Bowl with the team. He repeated the feat twice more in 2003 and 2004. He later won three more rings with the org. too.

Almost all of his success came with Tom Brady under center -- though when the best quarterback of all-time bolted for Tampa Bay, Belichick's teams suffered.

In his first year without Tom in 2020, Belichick went 7-9. In the ensuing three years, his teams were just 22-29 (including a 4-13 record this season).

Belichick went 266-121 overall in his New England career ... and he leaves Foxborough just 14 wins away from tying Don Shula's all-time mark of 347 wins by a head coach.

No word yet where either side will go from here. Reportedly, assistant coach Jerod Mayo -- a former star with the Patriots -- is a leading candidate for the job ... though ex-New England linebacker and former Titans head coach Mike Vrabel will no doubt get a long look for the gig as well.

As for Belichick, it's unclear whether he'll retire or coach somewhere else ... though many have speculated a spot like the Los Angeles Chargers could be a good fit for him.

The designer who created the bodysuit that Jake Browning's girlfriend made famous at a Bengals game this past weekend says business has been boomin' since the 'fit went viral ... telling TMZ Sports she's now "overwhelmed" by requests!!

Stephanie Niles rocked the hell outta the all-white look while she cheered on her man at Paycor Stadium on Sunday ... and so many were obsessed with it, Taylor Damron of Elle and B Creative says she now has people beating down her door to get similar pieces made for them.

The designer -- who actually happens to be Niles' cousin -- says sales for the one-piece have been non-stop since the cameras spotted Niles in it.

"We never thought it would blow up like this," Damron said. "I'm overwhelmed with requests for similar bodysuits."

Damron -- who ended up making three Bengals bodysuits exclusively for Niles -- said the high demand is mostly coming from female gamegoers who want a similar look. She also said socialites have been hitting her up too.

Damron says the pieces take about an hour each to make ... and she's hoping one day Taylor Swift might be a customer.

"I would faint making one of Taylor," Damron said. "Maybe I'll slide in her DMs."

It's true ... the NBA is better with Draymond Green on the basketball court, according to Charles Barkley, who tells us the 4x champ is at a crossroads, and it's time to knock off the "antics."

TMZ Sports caught up with the Hall of Fame hooper in NYC Wednesday morning ... where we asked Chuck about 33-year-old Green's return to the Warriors following last month's squabble with Suns center Jusuf Nurkic.

“It's great to have Draymond back, great to have him back," Barkley said.

"He's a very good player, he's good for the NBA. I hope he gets rid of the antics because he’s a very good player and a good dude, but like I said, he's got to stop putting himself in bad situations."

Of course, aside from the 4 rings he won with Golden State, Green is a 4x NBA All-Star and former Defensive Player of the Year ... but, there have also been a handful of ugly incidents, many occurring on-court during games. There was also the Jordan Poole punch.

In fact, before the Nurkic hit, Green was suspended five games for putting Rudy Gobert in a headlock during an in-game fight with the Timberwolves.

Because of all that, Charles says Draymond must keep his nose clean going forward.

“Obviously, two big suspensions are a big deal. He’s got to walk a straight and narrow line. He’s just not been fair to himself and to his team.”

FWIW, it sounds like Green has gotten the message ... recently speaking about how he's grown during his month off.

There's more with the NBA legend ... we also talked to Barkley about NBA vet Dennis Schroder finally explaining how he fumbled an $84 million bag a few years back.

Taylor Swift will have to walk herself through a winter wonderland if she wants to watch Travis Kelce play on Saturday ... 'cause Arrowhead Stadium is already covered in snow -- and the forecast for the weekend isn't looking much warmer at all.

The Chiefs shared photos of their home field in Kansas City on Wednesday afternoon ... and as you can see, it's already looking awful chilly three days before their postseason kicks off.

And, according to meteorologists ... it's going to stay that way for the Dolphins game Saturday night, with temps expected to hover right around 8 degrees Fahrenheit.

There's been no official word yet if Swift will indeed make the trek through the snow to catch Kelce's playoff game ... but given that she's been to most of his tilts since September, it seems she'll find enough coats to stay warm while watching her man.

Kelce and the Chiefs, meanwhile, are 4.5-point favorites for now ... though considering the Dolphins play an up-tempo style of ball in weather that's normally closer to 70 degrees -- that number could certainly rise by the time the two squads clash.

Legendary college football coach Nick Saban is calling it a career ... he just told his Alabama players and staffers he is officially retiring, according to reports.

72-year-old Saban is undoubtedly the most dominant to ever grace the college sidelines ... winning seven national championships over the course of his career.

Saban joined the Crimson Tide program in 2007 ... going 206-29 and winning national championships in 2009, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2017 and 2020.

He also had massive success at LSU ... leading the Tigers to a title in 2003.

Saban briefly took his talents to the NFL in 2004 ... joining the Miami Dolphins for two seasons, where he struggled to have the same results at the professional level.

Most recently, Saban led the Tide to a 12-2 record before losing to Michigan in the Rose Bowl.

Over the course of his college coaching career -- which spanned from Toledo to MSU, LSU and Bama -- Saban led several high-profile players who went on to exceed in the pros ... including Trevon Diggs, Jalen Hurts, Najee Harris, Tua Tagovailoa, Amari Cooper, Julio Jones, Mark Ingram, Joseph Addai, Michael Clayton, Andrew Whitworth, Marcus Peters and many more.

Bama honored Saban with his own statue at the Walk of Champions outside Bryant-Denny Stadium in 2011.

2:05 PM -- Pete Carroll just spoke about the surprising move with reporters ... and he got choked up explaining how it all went down.

Pete Carroll's time as head coach of the Seahawks is over -- the team just announced the Super Bowl winner will no longer lead the Seattle sidelines ... but will remain with the organization as an advisor.

The Seahawks made the announcement minutes ago ... saying, "After thoughtful meetings and careful consideration for the best interest of the franchise, we have amicably agreed with Pete Carroll that his role will evolve from Head Coach to remain with the organization as an advisor."

"Pete is the winningest coach in Seahawks history, brought the city its first Super Bowl title, and created a tremendous impact over the past 14 years on the field and in the community."

72-year-old Carroll accumulated a 137-89-1 record at the helm since 2010 ... leading Seattle to 10 playoff appearances -- including the championship in SB XLVIII.

The move comes after the 'Hawks just barely missed the playoffs ... going 9-8 on the season despite starting quarterback Geno Smith missing time due to injury.

It's unclear if this means Carroll is done coaching for good -- if it is, he had a wildly successful career at the college and professional level ... also winning a BCS National Championship with USC in 2004.

"His expertise in leadership and building a championship culture will continue as an integral part of our organization moving forward," the team continued.

"Pete will always be a beloved member of the Seahawks family."

Aaron Rodgers' time on Pat McAfee's show is done -- for this football season, at least -- after the ESPN host announced Wednesday morning that the 4x NFL MVP would NOT be returning to his normal Tuesday morning time slot during the playoffs.

"So, Aaron Rodgers Tuesday, season 4, is done," McAfee said Wednesday morning, despite the fact Rodgers was reportedly supposed to join the show for several more weeks.

Pat continued ... “There will be a lot of people who are happy with that, myself included to be honest with you. The way it ended, it got real loud. I am happy that he’s not going to be in my mentions going forward, which is great news.”

Sources tell TMZ Sports this wasn't a network decision -- we're told Pat determines which guests appear on the show -- but ESPN is on board with the move from what we're told.

In other words ... this was McAfee's call.

Of course, the Rodgers spot on "The Pat McAfee Show" has become the most can't-miss segment on the ESPN airwaves, but it's also brought with it a ton of controversy, especially over the last two weeks when AR seemingly linked Jimmy Kimmel to Jeffrey Epstein.

Rodgers later clarified his comments, saying he wasn't implying the late-night host was a pedophile.

But, that didn't stop Kimmel from taking even more jabs at the quarterback Tuesday night.

Perhaps this indicates the war between Aaron and Jimmy is over ... as the Jets signal caller won't have Pat's massive platform to respond.

Rodgers, who has appeared on Pat's show for years, is usually a guest through the playoffs ... but that won't be the case this season.

As for whether the Rodgers spot is back for season 5 ... there's been no indication either way.

Israel Adesanya was just punished for his DUI in New Zealand ... but he left the courtroom apparently in a good mood -- 'cause things could've been a whole lot worse for the UFC star.

The 34-year-old fighter appeared in Auckland District Court on Wednesday morning regarding allegations that he had driven drunk in the city back on Aug. 19.

Police said that after stopping Adesanya, he told them he had two cocktails before getting behind the wheel. Cops added he had a blood alcohol reading of 87 milligrams per 100 millilitres -- well over the legal limit of 50 milligrams per 100 millilitres.

He was facing a punishment of up to three months behind bars for it. But, he and his attorney asked for a lighter sentence.

Adesanya's lawyer claimed a conviction in the case would affect his sponsorship deals -- potentially costing him six figures. He also argued that a conviction could prevent Adesanya from traveling to Canada for UFC 297 later this month.

Fortunately for Adesanya, the judge did appear to go easy on him -- as according to Stuff.co.nz, he opted not to convict the former champ. But, he did hit The Stylebender with a six-month driving ban and a $1,500 fine.

Adesanya had previously apologized for his role in the case ... saying in a statement, "I am disappointed with my decision to drive. It was wrong. I know that people might follow me and I want them to know I do not think this behaviour is acceptable."

The NFL is continuing to milk the Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift love story big-time ... formally dubbing the Chiefs star "Travis Swift" in an official video it put out this week.

The league dropped its nickname for the Kansas City tight end in a YouTube clip that previewed the Chiefs' upcoming wild-card round game against the Dolphins.

In the footage -- which was posted Tuesday night -- a narrator can be heard explaining that Miami will have to "take on Travis Swift Kelce" when it heads to Arrowhead Stadium on Saturday.

The league then flashed to a shot of Swift laughing and hanging out in a suite at one of Kelce's games earlier this season.

The video received a mixed reaction from fans who caught the quip ... with some calling it disrespectful -- while others loving it for Swift.

Of course, the Chiefs and the NFL have been pulling moves like these ever since Swift first showed up at a Kelce game in September ... changing their X page backgrounds and even making a Hallmark movie-themed game preview that had Swift Easter Eggs inside of it.

The Haas Formula One team will have a new leader in charge in 2024 -- longtime team principal Guenther Steiner has shockingly left his position after 10 years, the organization announced Wednesday.

Steiner -- a star on Netflix's 'Drive To Survive' -- held the role since Haas joined the grid in 2016, reaching as high as fifth in the Constuctor Standings in 2018.

It was a rough 2023 campaign, though ... as Haas finished last with just 12 points.

According to F1, Steiner met with team owner Gene Haas following the 2023 season ... and it was decided they would go their separate ways.

Haas' director of engineering, Ayao Komatsu, will take over as team principal.

"I’d like to start by extending my thanks to Guenther Steiner for all his hard work over the past decade and I wish him well for the future," Haas said in a statement.

"Moving forward as an organization, it was clear we need to improve our on-track performances. In appointing Ayao Komatsu as Team Principal we fundamentally have engineering at the heart of our management."

"We have had some successes, but we need to be consistent in delivering results that help us reach our wider goals as an organization," he added. "We need to be efficient with the resources we have but improving our design and engineering capability is key to our success as a team."

Erik Spoelstra's ex-wife, Nikki, is clapping back at the haters for saying she "fumbled the bag" after the Miami Heat head coach signed a record-breaking eight-year, $120 million extension ... calling the commentary as shallow as a kiddie pool.

As we previously reported, Erik and the former Heat dancer announced their divorce in November 2023 after 7 years of marriage.

Now that Erik is putting pen to a much different set of papers, some trolls decided to put their focus on Nikki for missing out on her ex's big payday.

Nikki was clearly fed up with the narrative on Wednesday ... going to Instagram to fire off a response.

"Lol. I'm going to address this comment NOT as it pertains to my personal life choices but as it relates to a general thought process that I believe a lot of people have and that a lot of people have harassed me with over the years," the 36-year-old said.

"According to crass, ignorant, uninformed society at large, women can't win."

Nikki went on to point out how she believes women's love is seen as superficial -- that they can’t genuinely be in love with a successful person unless they want their money ... if a lady chooses a relationship with an average person, she’s an "idiot."

She also explained she won’t ignore the chatter because it’s been messing with her mental health for years ... and called on people to be nicer with their words.

To finish her point, the mother of three let her followers know she is not the one to be tried with their "bulls***."

Shanna Moakler ain't sparing any of her exes ... blasting Oscar De La Hoya over how their relationship ended.

The former Miss USA claims she was blindsided after watching Oscar on TV attending the Latin Grammy Awards in L.A. with his now ex-wife Millie ... telling Bunnie XO's on her 'Dumb Blonde' Podcast he told her he was going to NYC for a work trip at the time.

She says a lawyer came to her Bel-Air mansion the next day ... ordering her to move out with their baby daughter, Atiana immediately.

Shanna adds Oscar told her he wasn't happy she sued him for child support when they met up IRL a month later ... warning if she sued him for palimony, he wouldn't see her or the baby until she was 16 cause he had more money than God.

Oscar was true to his word ... Shanna says he didn't see his daughter until she was around 16.

They dated for 3 years from 1997 -- even getting engaged in the process.

Meanwhile, Shanna dropped a further slew of relationship bombshells during the podcast.

She claimed that her ex, Travis Barker, was trolling her online when they were together and also slammed his new wife, Kourtney Kardashian's family ... again.

Tiger Woods is proving yet again why he's the greatest golfer ever ... recently winning a long-drive competition -- from his knees!!

The Big Cat performed the wild feat while messing around on a course with the guys from Barstool Sports' Fore Play Podcast.

Woods was helping the trio with some of the worst aspects of their games -- when he suddenly challenged Riggs to a contest to see who could hit a golf ball farther.

Riggs -- who had just received some pointers from Woods -- went first ... and he striped one right down the middle of the fairway that appeared to easily pass 200-plus yards.

Woods then teed up his ball ... but instead of taking his normal stance, he dropped to his knees -- and then swung his driver.

Of course, the golf legend piped one well past Riggs' despite no real use of his legs ... which left everyone on the course in disbelief.

"You're a sicko," Riggs said. "That was awesome!"

Woods insinuated he had been practicing the shot plenty recently -- obviously due to all the ailments he's suffered in his lower body since his 2021 car crash.

Toronto Raptors head coach Darko Rajakovic reached his boiling point after his team lost to the Lakers on Tuesday ... teeing off on referees for giving L.A. 23 free throws in the fourth quarter.

Rajakovic -- who's in his first season with the Dinos -- didn't hold back in his rant to media members after the 132-131 loss ... calling it "outrageous" the Purple and Gold continued to get calls in their favor ... and suggesting officials were helping LeBron James and Co. win the contest.

"What happened tonight, this is completely B.S.," Rajakovic told reporters. "This is shame. Shame for the referees, shame for the league to allow this. Twenty-three free throws for them, and we get two free throws in the fourth quarter. Like, how to play the game? I understand -- respect for All-Stars and all that, but we have star players on our team as well."

Rajakovic points out his star player Scottie Barnes was worthy of getting calls as he drove to the rim throughout the game ... but finished with just two attempts from the charity stripe.

"How is that possible? How are you going to explain that to me?"

Lakers star Anthony Davis had 41 points in the matchup ... with 11 coming from free throws in the final period. Toronto only had 13 free-throw attempts throughout the game.

"They had to win tonight?" Rajakovic added. "If that's the case, just let us know, so we don't show up for the game. Just give them a win. But, that was not fair tonight. And this is not happening first time for us. Scottie Barnes is going to be All-Star. He's going to be the face of this league, and what's happening over here during whole season, I've been holding it back, it's complete crap."

LeBron got wind of Rajakovic's comments ... and his response was simple -- "I feel like they fouled and we didn't."

Ex-NBAer Evan Turner also weighed in on the Serbian coach's gripe ... with many calling him out for what is being considered a xenophobic take on the matter.

"You gotta let your assistant coaches do the rant when 'you have accent,'" Turner said on Instagram.

German hooper Dennis Schroder was quick to check him ... replying, "Bro chill."

The Los Angeles Lakers weren't the only ones who won in Crypto.com Arena on Tuesday night ... a fan did too -- after he took home $100K by sinking a half-court shot!!

It all happened during a break in the action of L.A.'s game against the Toronto Raptors ... when Fidel Olmos stepped onto the hardwood to compete in a shooting contest.

The game was simple ... if Olmos hit the bucket from 47 feet out, he'd take home some serious coin. If he didn't, well, at least he got to grace the same floor as LeBron James for a moment.

But, Olmos was able to drain the basket ... and when he hit it -- the crowd went wild. Even Lakers star D'Angelo Russell -- who was right near the basket when the ball went through -- had to give it up for the guy.

The 34-year-old California native told ESPN's Dave McMenamin after he made the shot that it was super improbable ... considering he's only made two in his whole life previously.

Olmos said he's going to use the money to pay off his debt, help a couple of folks out, and treat himself.

"I would've been OK with 20 bucks," he said, "but this feels good!"

Cindy Morgan's roommate noticed a bad odor and stench coming from the actress' room before growing so concerned, she called 911 ... leading to the discovery of Cindy's body.

TMZ obtained dispatch audio related to Cindy's death last month in Florida, and you hear her roommate listing all the reasons something seemed off with the "Caddyshack" actress.

The roommate told dispatchers she hadn't seen or heard from Cindy in days, there were foul smells coming from the room and the only responses to repeated knocks on the locked door were from Cindy's pets.

TMZ broke the story ... Cindy was found dead inside her room in a Lake Worth Beach house on Dec. 30 after her concerned roommate called police.

An investigation is underway, and while foul play is NOT suspected ... the cause of death remains unclear.

Cindy's best remembered for playing Lacey Underall in the famous 1980 comedy "Caddyshack" alongside Chevy Chase, Bill Murray and Rodney Dangerfield ... portraying the country club owner's hot niece who captures the attention of pretty much every male character.