TMZ Sports - Page 7

Jerry Jones never truly entertained the idea of hiring Bill Belichick or Jim Harbaugh following the Cowboys' embarrassing playoff loss on Sunday ... so says former Dallas wideout Isaiah Stanback.

The ex-Cowboy -- who's become an NFL insider and analyst in retirement -- tells TMZ Sports ... according to his sources at The Star, Jones didn't explore moving on to a new coach before choosing to stick with Mike McCarthy on Wednesday.

"From the information I have inside the building," said Stanback, who played for Jones from 2007 to 2008, "there was never a search for an additional coach."

"I don't think it was ever an alternative to try to go and find somebody else," Stanback added.

Of course, plenty of Cowboys fans were certainly hoping Jones would've gone a different route ... after McCarthy bowed out of the playoffs over the weekend for the third straight year in disappointing fashion.

But, Stanback tells us he thinks the move is ultimately the right one ... explaining hiring the wrong choice right now could set the team back significantly further.

"In reality," Stanback said, "how many coaches in the NFL have a consecutive winning record of 12-5 to position you for a playoff run to go ultimately get the Lombardi Trophy?"

Nonetheless, Stanback knows the 2024 season is going to be a pressure-packed one for McCarthy ... and everyone else with a star on their helmet.

It's been quite a time at TMZ these past 5 days, and if you're looking to catch up on what we touched on this weekend ... we got you covered and then some.

On 'TMZ Live,' we dissected the whole Arnold Schwarzenegger customs debacle a tad bit more -- especially now that we got video of the Terminator joking about it later the same day. If you haven't seen it by now ... Arnie was playing a straight-up stand-up comedian!

He obviously had a sense of humor about the whole thing ... and yeah, it was funny.

Heading on over to 'TMZ on TV,' the gang was eager to talk about Snoop Dogg's recent claim that he was offered a boatload of cash to show off his ding-dong on their site.

The dollar amount sounded a little too good to be true ... but that doesn't mean some of our staffers in the room wouldn't be willing to throw down dough to get a glimpse of it. 👀

Junior dos Santos and Francis Ngannou once shared the Octagon (albeit for not very long), but that doesn't mean the MMA legend isn't impressed with The Predator's success in the boxing ring!

Cigano's thrilled for his former opponent ... and as a matter of fact, he wouldn't mind a rematch in the squared circle sometime down the road.

TMZ Sports talked to 39-year-old dos Santos earlier this week ahead of his fight with Alan Belcher (more on that soon) ... when we asked Junior about Francis' move to the boxing ring.

"I'm so happy for [Ngannou]," Junior told us, explaining ... "All the boxing guys are always talking, saying on the striking side we are not able to go there and put on a good performance against them."

Junior believes Francis proved the opposite against Tyson Fury ... MMA fighters can hang with the very best when it comes to striking with just hands.

"Francis Ngannou was fighting probably the biggest heavyweight in the history who never lost a fight," JDS explained, adding, "and he did what he did. I was there. That was so amazing to see that. And, it showed what kind of work we [MMA fighters] do."

Now, Francis has another massive challenge in front of him in the form of Anthony Joshua next month ... and Junior is clearly cautioning folks not to count him out.

FYI, JDS is well aware of what Francis can do. The two stars fought back in June 2019 ... but after a flurry of punches, the fight was stopped just 1:11 seconds into the first round, with Ngannou winning by TKO.

Junior wouldn't mind running things back!

"That would be amazing, too! I think actually that would be something very good, not just for me, but for him, as well."

For dos Santos, any fight with Ngannou would be down the line. First, he's got a big-time matchup with 39-year-old Belcher, who is coming off a decision win over Roy Nelson at Gamebred Fighting Championship 6, Jorge Masvidal's bare-knuckle MMA promotion.

Bills and Chiefs fans with a blank space in their tummies are in luck this weekend  ... Buffalo's food service partner just revealed it's going to sell some Taylor Swift-themed snacks at the big game Sunday!!

Delaware North -- which has brought tasty treats to Highmark Stadium all season long -- announced this week it's packing two new options for the divisional round playoff game against Kansas City with odes to Swift in them.

One of the meals is called the "Bad Blood waffle fries" ... and it features two feet of fries topped with a grip of Buffalo and Kansas City food staples -- including blue cheese and BBQ pork.

The other option is named the "Karma Quesadilla" ... and it's got chicken tenders, bacon and pork belly all over it.

It's not quite clear if Swift will get the opportunity to enjoy the grub -- it hasn't been confirmed yet if she'll make the trek to Orchard Park to watch her boyfriend, Travis Kelce. But, considering she battled the snow to catch his game last weekend against the Miami Dolphins, it seems like it's a good bet.

Julia Lemigova is trading in the horsepower in her classic Mustang for goat power ... and one lucky buyer -- with a whole lot of cash -- can benefit from a sweet new ride.

"The Real Housewives of Miami" star is selling her vintage 1966 Ford Mustang 2+2 Fastback ... a car decked out in gorgeous maroon paint with a heck of a lot of features and just 12,486 miles on it.

The car's got a 289 V8 engine, vintage air conditioning, custom aluminum wheels -- that look just like the OGs -- and a custom grill, parchment pony interior, wood steering wheel, retro sound custom stereo and fold-down rear seat ... talk about a blast from the past!

Of course, another major selling point is its previous owner ... JL's got the car up for $42,500, and she doesn't really wanna part with it -- but she tells TMZ she needs the space for hay and animal food now that her goat, Elvis, is staying with her a few nights a week.

Julia tells us she loved the idea of riding around South Beach with her wife, tennis legend Martina Navratilova, in the passenger seat ... but found she's more of a pickup truck girl instead.

Not only is she not getting enough miles out of it, but Lemigova says it's taking up space -- space she needs to store Elvis' hay and animal food since he's staying with the couple a few nights a week now ... he used to stay full-time at their farm but apparently he's more of a house goat now.

Don't worry animal lovers ... JL and MN have arranged temporary accommodations for their happy friends while they unload the car -- so he's not out wandering the streets of Miami.

Potential owners beware -- the car's got a manual transmission which Julia tells us she learned to drive while still living in Europe -- so you'd better know how to drive a stick!!!

Arnold Schwarzenegger is a man of many hats -- and heading into the weekend, he put on his wings and picked up a wand to play a musical cupid for none other than Matt Iseman.

Check out this video, obtained by TMZ, showing the former Mr. Olympia doing his best conductor work Friday out in Austria ... where he's there for a mix of business and pleasure. As you can see, he was leading a band and singing a tune, with a lot of people around.

We're told this was actually at a pre-party ahead of the Hahnenkamm Races -- a major skiing event out there that they do annually ... and which draws big crowds across the world.

Anyway, while Arnie was doing his thing with the band ... Mr. Iseman -- famous for hosting "American Ninja Warrior," not to mention winning the "New Celebrity Apprentice" with Arnold in 2017 -- was also there enjoying the fun ... but then, things turned romantic with his GF.

Our sources say Matt accompanies Arnold for pretty much all his appearances -- remember, he was just hosting this big auction for that troublesome watch -- and he MCs those too.

That's probably why Arnold helped him propose to criminal defense attorney Britton All ... who was clearly not expecting to get engaged right then and there. Arnold was obviously in on it. Oh, BTW ... John Kerry was in the mix there too -- like we said, a who-who type shindig.

The Las Vegas Raiders didn't have to look far to fill their head coaching position -- the team is expected to take the "interim" off Antonio Pierce's title ... and make him their next head coach.

According to multiple reports, the Raiders are currently finalizing a deal with the former Washington and Giants linebacker ... this after going 5-4 as the leader of the sidelines in the 2023-24 campaign.

A ton of players on the roster made it clear they wanted Pierce in charge next season ... and it sounds like they'll get their wish Friday afternoon.

Of course, Pierce took over after Josh McDaniels was fired on Halloween night ... helping the team get back on track following a 3-5 start.

It's one less job opening in the NFL ... as the Los Angeles Chargers, Atlanta Falcons, Carolina Panthers, Washington Commanders, Tennessee Titans and Seattle Seahawks continue their search for their next head coaches.

Four people have been hit with criminal charges after officials allege they were responsible for hurling a dead longhorn onto the front yard of an Oklahoma State University fraternity house last month.

According to KOCO 5 News, three 19-year-olds and one 20-year-old were charged with misdemeanor unlawful disposal of a carcass in relation to the case.

You'll recall ... the steer was found on Dec. 1 at around 6:30 AM in front of the FarmHouse Fraternity in Stillwater, Okla. -- in what appeared to be some sort of twisted message sent to the Cowboys ahead of their Big 12 championship football game against the Texas Longhorns.

The body of the animal was discovered with its stomach cut open ... and on its side, someone had written "F*** FH."

At the time, OSU officials said they were "appalled at the disturbing display of animal cruelty" ... and promised to take "appropriate action" against the perpetrators following an investigation into the incident.

Authorities said in court documents obtained by KOCO 5 News that the four suspects were members of the Alpha Gamma Rho Fraternity looking to play a prank on the FarmHouse Fraternity with the steer.

Ryan Garcia clearly isn't skipping any workouts as he deals with his divorce ... 'cause the star boxer just showed off his shredded abs with some steamy pics following his split from his wife.

The 24-1 junior welterweight fighter shared the shirtless photos on Friday ... which feature the 25-year-old soaking up the sun on a balcony while only sporting a blue cap and black joggers.

Garcia used the attention-grabbing snaps to also share some non-relationship news ... saying, "Fight announcement coming real soon… 🥊."

An upcoming bout could explain why Garcia looks bulkier than usual (he's moved up from 135 to 140 lbs.) ... but fight aside, it comes at an interesting time, as Ryan's now single and ready to mingle.

As we previously reported, Garcia notified his fans that he and his wife, Andrea Celina, were ending their nuptials ... shortly after revealing the birth of their son, Henry Leo.

According to court docs, Garcia and Celina -- a fitness expert and social media influencer -- got married in January 2021 and separated last Christmas. Garcia's reason for their split was listed as "irreconcilable differences" in the docs.

Garcia also stated he is willing to pay spousal support for 17 1/2 months, which is equivalent to half the time they were married.

Garcia explained in his statement that the most important thing, however, is co-parenting.

Kelly Stafford believes she has proof to back her claim that Lions fans were hostile toward her family during the Rams' playoff game against the Lions ... sharing a video of folks directing boos her way.

As we previously reported, Matthew Stafford's wife accused the Detroit fanbase of targeting her young children at last weekend's Wild Card matchup ... saying they crossed the line by sending jeers their way.

But Stafford is seemingly walking back a bit on her original claim ... admitting fans were actually going after her, but the kiddos didn't know the difference.

"I didn't know if I should post this video or not because I truly don't wanna dwell on what happened," Kelly captioned a social media clip of her appearance at the game.

"This was our experience on the field. I know you are booing me, but my kids don't know the difference even if I try to explain it to them."

Earlier this week, Kelly stated she understood why Detroit fans would turn on their family despite 12 years with the organization ... saying it's all part of sports, but anything involving her kids is no longer "fair game."

Kelly alluded to Lions supporters not believing her side of the story ... 'cause she also sent a message to those doubting her experience.

"The whole scenario is hard to accept, but not as hard as the questioning of my integrity," she added.

Jay Gruden just took his beef with Robert Griffin III to a whole 'nother level ... firing off a shot at his former quarterback that was so petty, he actually felt the need to delete it.

If you haven't been following on X this week ... the former Washington head coach and his ex-QB have been at each other's necks ever since Gruden sent off a comment during the Eagles vs. Buccaneers playoff game Monday night.

Jay wrote on his X page, "If I ever put a QB through what Philly is putting Jalen [Hurts] through, I apologize." RGIII -- who played for Gruden in 2014 -- quickly clapped back, writing, "Say WHATTTT???" ... and the two then proceeded to go at it.

The guys threw a few barbs back and forth ... and just when it looked like the squabble had ended -- Griffin III revived it on his podcast Thursday evening.

During his show, the 33-year-old accused Gruden of asking him to call out his teammates following a game in '14 -- before he claims the coach turned his back on him.

That's when Gruden went nuclear ... and shot out a tweet where he insinuated no one in the NFL liked RGIII.

"You weren't good enough," Jay wrote. "Kirk [Cousins] was better."

"Cleveland didn't want you." he continued. "Baltimore [didn't] either. Quit blaming me."

Jay deleted the post a short time later ... and replaced it with a video of RGIII running alongside the Seahawks' live mascot during pregame festivities in Seattle earlier this season.

"Go race a pigeon," he said.

RGIII has since responded with yet another dig at Gruden -- writing, "The Pigeon name is more respected than your last name."

Taylor Swift hit the recording studio in NYC Thursday night -- and considering her eventful past several months ... ya gotta figure she might be cooking up a new love song.

The pop superstar rolled up in a black SUV to the West Village's Electric Lady Studios – stepping out with the help of her chauffeur. As she quickly walked inside, Taylor turned her head away from the flashing cameras of the paparazzi who had assembled outside the building.

She was wearing a stylish long black jacket, a tan maxi dress, and black leather boots.

In the few seconds we saw her, Taylor seemed focused on her mission to create some more magical tunes, and maybe even a bit pensive about her BF – Kansas City Chiefs tight end, Travis Kelce. The big question on everyone's mind is will Travis pop the question and make Taylor Mrs. Kelce?

Our sources say all the talk about the two getting engaged is just that -- talk. We're told a marriage proposal is simply not in the cards right now ... but that's not stopping people from speculating and even putting a timetable on a potential proposal.

Whatever happens, it's certainly gonna be interesting to watch -- especially on the creative side if TayTay is, in fact, cranking out new material.

Stayed tuned!

Despite their differences over the years, NeNe Leakes is letting her former 'RHOA' costar Kim Zolciak know she's got a friend in her -- especially during her divorce.

We got NeNe at LAX this week ... and she revealed to us that she and Kim ran into each other not that long ago -- noting KZ briefly mentioned she was having a hard time lately as it pertains to uncoupling with Kroy Biermann.

Check it out ... NNL says didn't elaborate on the statement .... and they kept the rest of their catch-up positive. Good to hear, considering how much they've beefed in the past.

NeNe says she wishes Kim nothing but happiness cause nobody ever wants to see a family break up ... especially when kids are involved.

Whether they choose to be together or apart, Nene says she hopes K&K can come to an amicable agreement ... cause their happiness and peace are most important.

Other than that, Nene gushes over Kim's tiny figure ... telling us she looked great -- the girl power much-welcomed after years of animosity between them.

But Kim's focus is probably geared toward her estrangement from her husband, Kroy ... rather than rebuilding her friendship with NeNe for now.

KZ & KB have been at each other's throats for months -- we broke the story ... police were called to their home in Nov following a nasty fight between them and body cam footage shows Kroy blaming Kim for their financial struggles while also accusing her of "f***ing other men."

They're still living under the same roof at their Georgia mansion ... which they're desperately trying to sell ... though they've had to slash the price a few times cause there's been no serious takers.

TMZ got into the thick of things on Thursday -- covering a canceled reboot of an old Disney show ... to Jillian Michaels calling out Oprah over Ozempic, and everything in between.

Let's get right into it with "TMZ Live" ... where we dove into the legendary fitness guru JM going after Ms. Winfrey for what she claimed were financial reasons on the issue of Ozempic.

Check out the full segment to get the gist of what exactly this was all about -- but basically, Jillian was suggesting Oprah has a vested interest in making sure the magic weight loss drug does well on the market ... and it all has to do with a stake she owns in WeightWatchers.

Up next, we got "TMZ on TV" ... where the gang tackled this "Lizzie McGuire" reboot that was scrapped by the Mouse House -- all 'cause some of the material they were writing/shooting at the time wasn't exactly family-friendly.

You'll see what we mean by the convo here ... Hilary Duff was living as a full-grown 30-something woman -- that is, until Disney pulled the plug.

Lastly, we have "TMZ Sports" ... where Michael Babcock and Mojo talked about Reba and Post Malone taking a crack at the anthem and "America the Beautiful" for the upcoming Super Bowl.

Rob Gronkowski says there's plenty of heat left on Bill Belichick's fastball ... telling TMZ Sports his former head coach is still every bit the "powerhouse" he used to be.

"I think, 100 percent, he's still the great Bill Belichick," the Patriots legend said. "No doubt about that."

Of course, it's all come into question recently ... after Belichick struggled to find success in New England following Tom Brady's departure.

In his four seasons without the GOAT under center, Belichick recorded just a 29-38 record ... and only made one playoff appearance.

Now that he's officially out of Foxborough, though, Gronk says he believes Belichick can prove once more he's still the best ever to put on a headset ... telling us if he gets a hold of a roster with stars on it, watch out.

"If he goes to a team with great players with great talent, he will be successful," Rob said, "because he's still the powerhouse coach that we all have seen throughout the years."

For now, Belichick seems more likely than not to end up in Atlanta ... he already interviewed for the Falcons' vacant job earlier this month -- and, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, he'll have a second meeting with the team's brass this weekend.

As for The Hoodie's replacement in New England ... Gronkowski had nothing but good things to say about Jerod Mayo -- telling us all he's heard so far about his former teammate is that he's become a helluva a leader on the sidelines.

There's much more with Gronk ... we also talked to the NFL legend about his upcoming Super Bowl party, Gronk Beach, at Encore Beach Club on Saturday, February 10.

The 5,000-person strong pool party/music festival will have all kinds of entertainment, including Afrojack and DJ Irie, in addition to other surprise musical guests.

In past years, Rob's brought some of his famous to the party ... like Travis Kelce, Julian Edelman, Guy Fieri, Deebo Samuel, Johnny Damon, Camille Kostek and even Bill Belichick!

Here's your chance to party with Gronk ... don't drop the ball!

Richard Simmons made very clear this week that he doesn't approve of Pauly Shore making a movie about him/his life -- but Pauly thinks he'll win the guy over ... eventually.

The actor touched down at the Salt Lake City Int'l Airport Thursday, where he's in town for the Sundance Film Festival that's going down this weekend in neighboring Park City. Right off the bat, photogs on hand were ready to pepper him with questions about this film of his.

Of course, the big one being ... do you think it's right to proceed with this Richard Simmons biopic -- even though the man himself hasn't given his blessing ... explicitly so.

Check out Pauly's take here, 'cause he touches on a few different things. For starters, he thinks RS might be singing this tune today ... but could well be feeling completely different about it by tomorrow. More importantly, though, he thinks intention is everything with this.

From Pauly's view, he's not coming from a vindictive place -- and he vows to do Richard justice in his portrayal of him. He also says straight up ... build it, and they'll come!

Pauly goes on to explain that he genuinely believes once Richard can see this new short film of his -- on which the forthcoming biopic will be based -- RS will come around to seeing his things his way, basically suggesting the work will be good ... and it'll be done right by Rich.

Bottom line for Pauly here ... people love Richard, and they also love him -- and he says folks are itching to see both of them make a comeback in a big way.

His question is ... what's wrong with giving the people what they want?!?