TMZ Sports - Page 50

Rashad Jennings says Eli Manning doesn't have to look over his shoulder on who'll replace him eventually, which is he thinks the veteran QB's gonna have a breakout year.

The former-Giants running back was in New Jersey Sunday, where we asked him how he thought his old team would do this season, just hours ahead of their first game against the Cowboys ... in which Eli would be starting over Daniel Jones.

Rashad says he thinks the Giants have what it takes to squeak into the playoffs, but notes that it won't be easy ... even with who he calls the best running back in the game today, Saquon Barkley.

That said, IF the Giants can clinch a playoff spot ... RJ believes they got the fortitude and experience to go deep and possibly surprise a ton of people come January.

As far as how Eli himself will perform, Rashad explains why he thinks the guy is gonna be laser-focused on the field, despite the chatter that Jones might end up replacing him mid-season if he stinks. According to Rashad, Eli sees what's ahead ... and can focus on the game now.

Eli Manning WILL fend off Daniel Jones this season ... so says NFL legend Brett Favre, who tells TMZ Sports the Giants QB is going to have a BIG year!!!

"I think he may surprise some people," No. 4 says.

A lot of football pundits disagree ... saying it's only a matter of games before Jones -- the Giants' first-round pick this offseason -- gets the keys to the car.

But, Favre is confident Eli will play well enough to keep his job ... and is saying the QB has the perfect mentality to have a huge 2019 season in New York.

"I think he'll have a better year than most are giving him a chance to have."

Favre tells us it's the Giants' system that gives him confidence in Eli, saying, "He's got some really great, young, talented players around him, and he knows he doesn't have to do too much."

The Giants kick off the season Sunday afternoon against the Dallas Cowboys ... can he prove Favre right??

Could Brandon Marshall's epic run in the NFL be over??

Maybe ... the 6-time Pro Bowl wide receiver tells TMZ Sports, "We'll see what happens, man ... We'll see what happens."

35-year-old Marshall just had a workout with the Indianapolis Colts a few weeks ago (he said it went well) -- but it doesn't seem he's getting a whole lot of interest from teams beyond that as the season kicks off this week.

So, we had to ask ... is retirement coming???

Marshall wouldn't say ... only telling us he's happy with his roles on "Inside The NFL" and in the fitness industry.

"I'm doing what I love to do right now," Marshall says. "I've been doing that for some time now. And, there's always a lot to work through."

If it is indeed the end of Marshall's career ... it sure was a good one -- the guy played 13 years and logged 12,351 receiving yards, 83 TDs and 970 catches.

Is the Return of the Cannon a possibility at age 47??

HELL YEAH!!! So says Shannon Briggs himself, who tells TMZ Sports he'd be down to take a fight in 2020 ... all he needs is a few months to get back into shape.

We spoke with the 2-time world heavyweight champ about the upcoming rematch between Anthony Joshua and Andy Ruiz ... when Briggs started showing us he's still got it!!

Of course, Briggs hasn't fought since 2016 ... but posted a 60-6-1 record during his career. Dude was/is a STUD.

So, we had to ask Briggs if he could take on AJ or Ruiz ... and he says ABSOLUTELY, as long as he has time to get ready.

"I think that if they give me a shot in 2020, they're gonna see who the real champ is."

He turns 48 in December, but he clearly doesn't give a DAMN about age.

"I think right now, I'm out of shape. But, I think that you give me 6 months and a couple fights, I'll be able to beat any man in the world."

OBJ and Olivier Vernon ain't the only shiny new pieces on the Browns this season ... 'cause safety Jermaine Whitehead just copped a new diamond pedant -- worth $75k!!

TMZ Sports has learned ... the ex-Auburn star is adding to his growing jewelry collection ... copping a Roman Numeral "II" pendant from Luxe Jewelers in ATL in honor of his favorite number ('cause he's the 2nd son in his family).

We're told the piece is made of 7 carat VVS diamonds and 18k gold and features the years he played ball in high school, college and the NFL on the back.

Of course, Whitehead also had a massive jewelry haul earlier this year ... which added up to $79k, so the dude is clearly a fan of shiny things.

Hidden within this cheeky pic is an athlete ready to get the season started! This football fanatic has spent the last 5 years playing in the NFL positioned as a wide receiver.

This famous face was originally drafted to played for the New York Giants, but this award-winning athlete is switching gears this season as he will be reppin' the Cleveland Browns.

Drew Brees sure did score with these good looks!

Here's a 22-year-old version of the San Diego Chargers quarterback rockin' a tux at the ESPY Awards -- Brees was nominated for the 'Best College Football Player' award -- in Las Vegas back in 2001 (left).

And 18 years later ... The now 40-year-old QB was most recently spotted getting back to business at the NFL preseason game against the Miami Dolphins, just last week, in New Orleans, Louisiana (right).

Brees has since been the receiver of several awards. Last year Brees took home the ESPY award for 'Best Record-Breaking Performance' for the second time.

The question is ...

Ava DuVernay oughta meet the woman she accused of belittling a young black man by cutting off his dreadlocks before going nuclear on her ... so says the kid himself.

We talked to Kobe Richardson Saturday at the Crushers Club in Chicago -- the same place that received a $200k from Meek Mill but quickly came under fire this week after an old photo of its founder, Sally Hazelgrove, cutting Kobe's locks resurfaced.

He doubles down in support of Sally -- and even tries to play peacemaker between she and Ava -- whom Kobe thinks aren't very different, despite the tense flare-up on Friday. Kobe also clarifies once again ... the decision to cut off the locks was his, not Sally's.

ICYMI ... a photo of Sally cutting Kobe's locks off went viral upon news that Meek was donating to her non-profit. A lot of people cried foul, suggesting the place wasn't worthy of Meek's cash ... as many felt Sally, and her org by association, were racially insensitive.

What really ticked people off was Sally's caption with the photo, which read ... "And another Crusher let me cut his  dreads off! It's symbolic of change and their desire for a better life!"

That rubbed a ton of folks -- including the renowned filmmaker and TV producer, Ava -- the wrong way ... and Sally quickly issued a mea culpa for sharing the photo all those years ago. But even Sally's apology came under attack, and Ava took up the #LocLife campaign as a result ... urging black people to share their love of their locks, and disavowing Sally.

Well, Kobe says Ava and co. have the wrong idea about the woman ... and he even credits his life to her, saying he'd probably be in jail or dead if it wasn't for Sally and Crushers Club's help. He says he's been shot 14 times, and credits Crushers Club for helping him recover.

As far as Ava, he thinks she and Sally actually have a lot more in common than Ava might think ... and he says she should meet Sally to see the good work she's doing for herself.

Antonio Brown has gone ballistic again ... this time demanding to be released from his $50 million contract with the Oakland Raiders.

Antonio spelled it out in an Instagram post on Saturday morning, saying "Release me @Raiders #NOMore."

He also posted a pic of a quote ... "You are gonna piss a lot of people off when you start doing what's best for you."

Here's what triggered the craziness. Late Friday night, the Raiders decided to fine Brown $215k for conduct detrimental to the team over an altercation with GM Mike Mayock on Sept. 4. The way the story goes ... Brown exploded on Mayock, allegedly threatening to sock him in the face while calling him a "cracker." Brown's outrage stemmed from a previous $15k fine for missing team workouts.

Brown reached out to reporter Jeff Darlington and complained the $215k fine voids nearly $30 million in guaranteed money from his Raiders' contract. This pissed him off enough to go on social media and ask to be released.

He's certainly drawing a line in the sand, telling Darlington, "No way I play after they took that and made my contract week to week."

The last 24 hours have been wild to say the least -- Brown posted a video Friday night containing pieces of a phone conversation with head coach Jon Gruden. In the video, Gruden essentially tells Brown to cut the crap and get back on the field. Unclear if Gruden knew he was being recorded during the call. Now it seems Brown's career in Oakland is hangin' by a thread -- and the Raiders will likely make a decision in the next few hours.

Stay tuned ...

Serena Williams was in championship mode ahead of the U.S. Open Final -- and that means she didn't have time to chat ... especially for silly questions about Meghan Markle.

The tennis icon left her hotel Saturday with a look of determination on her face as she boarded a waiting SUV, which was ready to drive her to the Billie Jean King Tennis Center in Queens, NYC ... where Serena is facing off against Canadian Bianca Andreescu in the Women's Singles championship later. Paps were standing by, but SW made no time for them.

One photog asked if the Duchess -- a close friend of Serena's, who flew into town this week to watch her pal battle for the trophy -- was going to be a good luck charm for her. She didn't answer ... and the reason is probably this, Serena doesn't need luck.

While we're sure she appreciates Meghan coming out, her presence alone in the stands isn't likely to make a huge difference on how Serena performs. Nice try though.

The camera man made a pretty obvious note to Serena as she closed the door ... saying that the world would be watching this afternoon.

Yes, thanks for pointing that out. She's aware of that too.

Andy Ruiz says he's not bothered ONE BIT by Tyson Fury calling him a "fat guy" ... telling TMZ Sports the Gypsy King is just bashing him to stay relevant!!!

Remember ... Fury made fun of AJ to our camera guy out in NYC last month ... clowning him for getting "knocked out by a fat guy!!!"

But, The Destroyer is taking the high road after the body shaming ... 'cause he says he's actually a fan of Fury ... and sees it as a sad attempt to capitalize on Andy's superstar moment.

"Tyson Fury, he wants to be relevant," Ruiz tells us. "He wants to be in the scene. I like the guy too. I'm a big fan of him. I like how he is. I like his energy."

The 29-year-old says he's not gonna let Fury distract him from his rematch with AJ in Saudi Arabia -- aka the "Clash on the Dunes" -- but once he's done with Joshua again, THEN they can settle it in the ring.

"I don't wanna look past Anthony Joshua. I want to win on December 7th, then maybe me and him can get in a fight too."

The Colts should have been on the phone with Colin Kaepernick the second Andrew Luck retired ... so says Brandon Marshall, who tells TMZ Sports Kap's got more upside than Jacoby Brissett!!!

"I know Jacoby knows the offense, but I think the upside of Kap is better," Marshall says ... "It's higher, you know what I'm saying?"

Kap's been famously out of the NFL since taking a knee during the national anthem in 2016 ... but his ex-college teammate thinks now is the PERFECT time for a squad to bring him back in.

"Honestly, man, a team like the Colts, they could've used him," says Marshall, who played with Kaepernick at Nevada from 2008-2010. "The Dolphins, they could've used him."

"He could upgrade that roster immediately," Marshall added. "Even with being out of the league for three years, he could definitely upgrade that roster. I think that's an easy pick."

Seems Colin would be more than ready if one of those team's GMs called ... he's posted a couple workout videos this summer -- and he sure looked good throwing to Odell Beckham Jr.

But, even if a team doesn't come calling this season ... Marshall says he's damn proud of his friend, telling us, "God chose him for a reason to be the face of the movement at the expense of his career, unfortunately."

Breanna Stewart is gunning to add some new accessories to UConn's basketball arena ... telling TMZ Sports there needs to be a Geno Auriemma statue there ASAP!!!

... and then one of Breanna Stewart too!!!

We got the Huskies legend out at the NBA 2K20 event in L.A. on Thursday ... and we had to ask about Lisa Leslie becoming the first-ever female with a statue outside of Staples Center.

Stewart tells us that's a cool and well-deserved honor ... and then said her ex-college coach deserves similar treatment at UConn!!!

Then, Breanna told us she wouldn't mind getting one of her own after Geno ... saying, "That would be pretty dope!"

Breanna was unreal in her four years in Storrs ... she won FOUR National Championships and was a three-time Consensus College National Player of the Year.

So, get that cement mixer ready???

These famous fellas are ready to get football season started!!!

Stars such as Brock O'Hurn, Steph Curry, and Austin Mahone may not be NFL pros but they sure know how to impress a crowd while playing the game!!!

With the gridiron games back on the field, these stars need to make some waves while they can!!!

Instead of just watching the clock and waiting for kickoff, take some time to check out these stars  throwin' some ball!!! Get a look through our gallery of footballin' beach boys ... see how the hottest celebs are choosing to play the game!!!

Antonio Brown just posted pieces of an intense conversation with Jon Gruden ... where the coach tells him point-blank to "stop this sh*t and just play football" ... and it seems AB has a problem with the message.

Here's parts of the convo ...

Gruden: "What the hell is going on, man?"

AB: "Just a villain all over the news, man."

Gruden: "You're not a villain. You're the most misunderstood f**king human being in my entire life that I've ever met. I mean, I brought you here because you're my favorite guy. I've never seen a guy work harder."

Gruden: "Please stop this sh*t and just play football. How hard is that? You're a great football player. Just play football."

AB: "I'm more than just a football player, man."

AB posted the vid with apparent intentions of pointing out he's been treated like a piece of meat and not a person. In other words, he's trying to convey that he's more than just a football player.

The problem ... did Gruden know he was being recorded?? And, if not, how is he going to feel about AB posting their convo on the Internet?

There are possible legal ramifications too, if both Gruden and Brown were in CA at the time of the call.

Cali is a 2-party consent state ... which means both sides have to be aware if the convo is being recorded ... or else it can be considered an illegal recording.

Brown and the Raiders have been butting heads for the past month ... with things really coming to a head in the past 48 hours. You have to wonder whether this is the last straw.

Of course, AB publicly apologized at practice earlier on Friday after an incident with Raiders GM Mike Mayock ... so was the apology sincere??

Forget Stipe Miocic and Daniel Cormier ... the BEST heavyweight mixed martial artist is Bellator's Ryan Bader -- so says the man himself!!!

TMZ Sports talked to Bader -- Bellator's heavyweight AND light heavyweight champ -- before his clash with Cheick Kongo at Bellator 226 this weekend.

Ryan's been DOMINANT -- he ran through the promotion's HW tournament, beating guys like Matt Mitrione and the legendary Fedor Emelianenko ... prompting Bellator honcho Scott Coker to declare Bader "the best heavyweight fighter on the planet."

Guess what? Bader says his boss is right!!!

"I went through that tournament, I didn't get punched in the face one time," Bader tells us. "Why shouldn't I believe that? I believe I can beat anyone at any given time and that includes heavyweights."

"So, I don't think that's a crazy statement. You put myself and Stipe or Cormier in there, I do believe I can beat them."

Bader says he's hopeful that the future may hold some cross-promotional dream fight that'd pair him against the UFC's top big guys ... but before that, he's gotta deal with 6'4, 235lb. Kongo who was a part of one of MMA's craziest fights ever.

Remember this???