TMZ Sports - Page 50

Dan Campbell had his Lions players ready to run through a brick wall after the franchise's first playoff win in 32 years ... giving a speech right from the heart that got the entire locker room hyped!!

The Lions pulled off the close 24-23 victory in the Wild Card matchup against the L.A. Rams on Sunday ... punching their ticket to the Divisional Round, where they will face the winner of the Philadelphia Eagles vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers game.

Campbell -- who's in his third season with Detroit -- addressed his squad shortly after the contest ... and he didn't hold back as he honored general manager Brad Holmes and Jared Goff with game balls.

"Dude, how electric was it out there?" Campbell said. "I'm telling you what, it doesn't get any better. It's everything you dream of and then more, all right? That's outstanding work."

Holmes was also fired up to the max after the game ... letting out a scream in the elevator, which was captured on video.

Emotions were high at Ford Field ... as the Lions faced off against former franchise quarterback Matthew Stafford, who played 12 seasons in Motor City before being traded to L.A. in 2021.

Some fans in the crowd were visibly crying after the final whistle ... and understandably so, as the Lions had to deal with some miserable seasons before the turnaround.

In fact, the team's biggest A-list supporters like Eminem, Barry Sanders and Big Sean were present for the showdown ... and they were certainly soaking in the huge moment.

As we previously reported, Slim Shady playfully begged Stafford to let the Lions win ... claiming the former No. 1 overall pick owed him a favor for crushing it during the Super Bowl halftime show when the QB secured his first ring with the Rams in the 2021 season.

People really should pump the brakes on all the engagement talk between Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce ... 'cause we're told a proposal isn't forthcoming in the near future either.

Sources close to the couple tell TMZ ... there's absolutely no engagement in the works between Taylor and Travis right now -- despite some reports suggesting they're racing to the altar. To the contrary, we're being told TK ain't getting on bended knee anytime soon.

There were rumblings this week people in Taylor's camp had T-Swift and Trav pegged for an early summer engagement, but we're being told that's just not the case. In fact, our sources tell us some folks on the inside of this don't think it'll go the distance.

We're told some members of their inner circles see Taylor and Travis as still being in a honeymoon phase, of sorts -- and they say it's just too early to tell if they'll ever advance past the dating stage.

Hear that ... that's the sound of Swiftie bubbles bursting, and premature wedding bells going silent.

Our sources also point out their about to enter a very challenging stage of their relationship --  Taylor's continuing her international tour starting in February, which will have her overseas for several months.

Of course, once his NFL season is over, Travis could join her at times -- but folks in their orbit are saying let's see how they deal with the really long distance before jumping to engagement talk.

Bill Belichick's run in New England might be over, but his time as a winner certainly ain't done yet ... at least, that's according to his ex-running back Corey Dillon, who tells TMZ Sports The Hoodie's going to find success at his next stop.

The Pats and Belichick mutually agreed to part ways on Thursday ... and some have wondered if the 71-year-old might be done coaching for good.

But, when we spoke with Dillon just hours after the decision became final in New England ... he assured us his former boss won't be quitting winning in the NFL any time soon.

"I think he's still got a lot left in the tank," Dillon said.

The former tailback -- who spent three seasons playing for Belichick and won one Super Bowl -- said he has no idea where Belichick will coach next, but he's sure he'll find a new gig and record more wins shortly ... something that will make Dillon emotional.

"Am I sad as hell to see him coaching for another team?" Dillon said. "Absolutely, man. That's going to be the worst."

As for Bill's legacy in New England, Dillon tells us there should be no debate over whether Tom Brady was responsible for all of his big wins ... explaining, "It was all of us, man. We all made that thing work."

"I couldn't get it done without Tom Brady," he said. "Tom Brady couldn't get it done without Bill. Bill couldn't get it done without us. [Robert] Kraft couldn't get it done without everybody."

Tom Brady never netted a dollar playing professional baseball ... but a card of him in uniform just made one seller a boatload of cash.

A baseball card of the seven-time Super Bowl-winning quarterback sold for $158,600 online Saturday after a contentious bidding war on the site Goldin.

As we previously reported ... the happy seller is a Minnesota card collector who pulled the one-of-a-kind signed Bowman Tom Brady Montreal Expos Superfractor card ... talk about a lucky draw!

TB12 played catcher for his high school baseball team, and the Montreal Expos (now the Washington Nationals) took him in the 18th round, 507th overall ... not high enough to entice Tom away from his University of Michigan scholarship.

The rest is history ... Brady's gone down as the greatest QB of all time, a surefire Hall of Famer -- though it hasn't stopped people from imagining what could've been.

Topps put out a commercial reimagining Brady's life as an MLB player instead ... guy ended up being the G.O.A.T. in a different sport (no surprise there).

Patrick Mahomes is headed to the next playoff round, but the happiest person in his household has to be his wife, Brittany ... who posted a crap load of photos with her new twin.

The mother-of-two and former college soccer star shared the pics from Saturday night's 26-7 Chiefs win where she posed with pop sensation Taylor Swift.

TS and BM hit a series of poses ranging from cute and flirty to downright silly ... and close friend and fellow WAG Lyndsay Bell hopped in for a couple pics too.

Mahomes made reference to their matching puff jackets -- emblazoned with the names of their footballing beaus on the back -- in her caption, writing "Twinning & Winning💯."

As you well know ... Brittany and Taylor sparked up a fast friendship amidst Tay's whirlwind romance with Travis Kelce, who is very close to Patrick and the Mahomes family.

On top of taking in games together, the dynamic duo have hung out several times including dinners in NYC ... where Mahomes rubbed elbows with celebs like Selena Gomez and Gigi Hadid.

Most recently, the friends (along with Bell) grabbed dinner at Spago in L.A. last weekend when the Chiefs came to town to play the Chargers.

Some of their time together has drawn mixed reactions -- remember their "cringe" handshake during October -- but the duo doesn't seem to care what anyone thinks ... easy to do when you're part of the uber-rich.

Eminem says Rams QB Matt Stafford owes him, and he’s calling in a favor -- let the Lions win on Sunday!

The legendary rapper is a big Detroit Lions fan ... and with the team hosting a home playoff game tonight for the first time in 3 decades (1994), Eminem sent a message to the 35-year-old former #1 overall draft pick ahead of the highly anticipated Super Wild Card matchup.

"Stafford, what'd I say? You owe me this favor, bro. I was there for you when you won it. I was there for you. I was right there. I rapped for you Stafford, bro, I rapped for you. Can you just let us have this one? Just this one!"

When Em says he "rapped for" Matt, he's referring to Super Bowl 56 at SoFi Stadium in 2022 ... where Marshall (along with Dre, Snoop, Mary J., and 50) performed one of the best halftime shows in SB history.

On the field, Stafford's Rams beat the Bengals, 23-20 ... and Em showed love for the former Lions star.

Of course, before he ever played a down as the Rams QB, Stafford broke into the league as a Lions star in 2009 ... when he was drafted with the first overall pick.

Stafford, after 12 seasons in Detroit, was traded for now-current Lions' signal-caller Jared Goff, in 2020.

Goff's played some of the best football of his career since leaving SoCal, and led the Lions to a 12-5 record this season. It's the rare trade that has worked out great for both organizations.

Eminem aside, anticipation of Matt's return to the Motor City has become a bit of a contentious topic ... with some fans calling for a boycott of his Lions jersey at Ford Field, which didn't sit well with Stafford's wife, Kelly.

As for Sunday's game, it's expected to be incredibly close ... so you can't fault Em for trying to get an advantage!

The Lions have never won a Super Bowl (they won 4 championships before the SB era), and haven't won a playoff game since January 1992.

Taylor Swift stared all googly-eyed at Travis Kelce as the power couple walked hand in hand out of Kansas City's Arrowhead Stadium Saturday night.

The pop superstar seemed totally enamored by her hunky beau Travis – the Kansas City Chiefs tight end, who rolled to an easy 26-7 victory with his teammates over the Miami Dolphins in the AFC wild card game.

Check out the video ... Taylor, decked out in her red Chiefs jacket, is totally glued to Travis, sporting cool sunglasses and black leather pants. In another angle from behind ... the two are holding hands as the back of Taylor's coat is in full view -- emblazoned with the name "Kelce" and his NFL number "87."

Taylor also made a grand entrance – as usual – getting escorted in a golf cart to the VIP area so she could watch Travis from her stadium suite.

Video shows her rolling up in her chauffeured cart, stepping out and strolling past security and a bunch of media types with cameras.

During the game, Taylor was filmed interacting with other Chiefs fans in the stands, cheering and high-fiving with them. She was sitting right next to Travis' mom Donna, and Patrick Mahomes' wife, Brittany -- who all did a little dance in the suite.

Taylor has been a regular at Travis' NFL games since they confirmed they were an item in September 2023 – and even before that when they were rumored to be dating.

Matthew Stafford better have brought his tough-guy helmet with him to Detroit this weekend ... 'cause Calvin Johnson tells TMZ Sports he's not expecting Lions fans to welcome their former QB with open arms.

Of course, Megatron says there will likely be some cheers and even some people decked out in Stafford's former No. 9 jerseys at Ford Field when the Rams visit for their much-anticipated Wild Card round game Sunday night ... but the Hall of Famer tells us, "I'm sure there will be people booing."

As for how Johnson will feel ... it seems he's feeling conflicted on how to handle it all as well.

"I'm definitely a Matthew fan -- that's my guy," said Johnson, who caught passes from Stafford from 2009 to 2015 with the Lions. "But I want him to come in here and come into the Lion's Den and not go home!"

Some Detroit fans, meanwhile, have already given a bit of a preview into how they'll respond when Stafford runs out onto the field later Sunday ... advocating a ban on wearing old No. 9 uniforms to the game -- something Matthew's wife was not pleased about.

Antics in the crowd aside, Johnson expects his old team will ultimately get the win over Stafford -- though he says the score will be very close.

Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins are applauding Jake Browning's ability to fill Joe Burrow's shoes this season ... telling TMZ Sports the Bengals backup made it an "easy transition" for the whole team.

The former Washington quarterback's number was called after the team's franchise player went down with a wrist injury back in November ... and found some success under center, going 4-3 and helping Cincy finish the season with a winning record.

We spoke with the Bengals' top two targets this week about Browning ... and both guys had nothing but positive things to say about him.

"Jake came in and did his job, honestly, man," Chase said. "Him just being poised enough to get in there and have to piggyback off what Joe's doing or what he has done, it's not easy."

"Him having two elite receivers to play with is just going to make it even easier for him."

Higgins also pointed out how Browning got reps with the first stringers when Burrow went down with a calf injury in training camp ... and he did a helluva job rebuilding that chemistry mid-season.

"I felt like it was an easy transition for him and for us."

Chase added Burrow's impact was still felt even though he wasn't on the field ... as his presence alone "brings joy to guys' faces."

We also spoke with Chase about a fellow superstar LSU Tiger -- Jayden Daniels -- and he said he was thrilled to see the Heisman winner hold it down in Baton Rouge this year.

As for whether he had a better season than Burrow, Chase said there's one big thing that separates the two.

Noah Knigga is looking to give the people what they want ... telling TMZ Sports he's gotten a ton of requests to sell jerseys and merch after becoming an internet sensation -- and he wants to help make it happen!!

The two-sport junior from Lawrenceburg H.S. in Indiana went viral after the masses got wind of his unique surname (relax, it's pronounced Kuh-Nay-Guh) this week ... which, naturally, resulted in thousands of social media users chiming in on the phenomenon.

We caught up with Noah -- a three-star linebacker -- about his new fame ... and he says the whole experience has been life-changing.

The football and basketball star says his accounts have been flooded with people inquiring about getting their hands on some apparel ... and while he would love to fulfill the demand, Knigga explained he's gotta make sure anything he pursues won't hurt his eligibility with the Indiana High School Athletic Association.

FYI -- Indiana is one of the handful of states that has not allowed Name, Image and Likeness monetization at the high school level yet, so Knigga says he's looking to meet with officials before giving anything the green light.

Aside from a potentially booming business on his hands, Noah also tells us he's gotten a lot more interest from college coaches about playing ball at the next level ... naming schools like Indiana, Eastern Michigan, Kentucky, Northwestern and more that have reached out.

Tony Dungy's stirring up bad blood with the NFL's new golden goose in Taylor Swift ... essentially saying she distracts from the sport, which he thinks is a very bad thing.

In a recent interview with Fox News, the former NFL player/coach was asked how he felt about Travis Kelce's biggest fan, and he said the "Taylor Swift effect" takes away from on-field action ... going on to compare her to outside noise now infecting the game itself.

TD said, "That's the thing that's disenchanting people with sports now. There's so much on the outside coming in. Entertainment value and different things taking away from what really happens on the field."

Dungy's not some just loud-mouthed commentator either ... the guy's got credentials to back up his claims. Tony played three seasons in the NFL before embarking on a coaching career which earned him a Super Bowl title and a spot in the NFL Hall of Fame.

Of course, Taylor's been a frequent guest in Travis' suite at Chiefs games since mid-September and even showed up as recently as New Year's Eve against the Bengals. She'll reportedly hit up the playoff game in K.C. against the Dolphins tonight despite ice-cold temperatures.

We don't know if TS has seen the interview yet, but we have a pretty good idea of what her reaction might be ... if her viral Golden Globes stare-down of Jo Koy is any indication.

Remember, Taylor shot daggers at the GG host during his rough opening monologue when he said, "The big difference between the Golden Globes and the NFL -- on the Golden Globes we have fewer camera shots to Taylor Swift."

A seemingly harmless joke that didn't go over well, but Dungy and Koy seem to have the same point here ... Taylor herself isn't the issue. It's the NFL tearing focus away from its primary product, its own games, to grab interest from a new audience.

Between her glam selfies and active sex life, Gypsy Rose Blanchard has loads of reasons to smile these days, and Lamar Odom's hoping she continues grinning ... with a new set of teeth.

Sources close to the ex-NBA star tell TMZ he's reached out to Gypsy on social media ... offering her a full dental makeover from his new company Oxy Dental.

We're told Lamar's just like most of America -- he's been fascinated with Gypsy's story and felt compelled to help after learning her dental struggle was a big part of her journey.

Gypsy's responded ... she's thankful for the gesture, and is communicating with Lamar via social media, where they follow each other.

The procedure would normally cost about $30K, but Lamar's told her this one's on the house. We're told she's receptive to the idea, but it's still unclear if she'll accept.

Lamar's regularly helped out other reality stars with his rehab wellness facility ... so this shouldn't come as a surprise.

He noticed some patients at his rehab facility needed affordable dental options, and that prompted him to open his own dental office last month in Lomita, CA.

Lamar knows the drill himself ... splashing out $80,000 on his own teeth in 2022 after previously confessing on 'KUWTK' that he hadn't visited the dentist in 7 years.

As for Gypsy's ordeal -- several of her teeth and salivary glands were removed when her mother, Dee Dee, claimed she was suffering from tooth decay.

Gear up, Swifties ... Brett Favre tells TMZ Sports if the Chiefs don't make this year's Super Bowl -- fans WILL blame it all on Taylor Swift!!

Favre, of course, doesn't think it's right ... but he says, like it or not, it'll come if Travis Kelce and Kansas City aren't able to compete for the Lombardi Trophy next month.

"If they don't win it," Favre said, "or get to the Super Bowl, people are going to say, 'That's why.'"

Swift, needless to say, is used to it by now ... after all, people have deemed her a K.C. curse for weeks -- as her new boyfriend and the Chiefs only won five of their last 10 regular season games.

But, good news for her and the rest of Chiefs Kingdom ... Favre tells us he believes Kansas City -- despite being the No. 3 seed -- should still be considered the favorite to come out of the AFC's side of the bracket.

"Until Andy Reid is unseated as the champion," Favre said, "I have to see it to believe it."

Kansas City will begin its quest to win its second straight title later Saturday ... when it kicks off its wild card round game in frigid temperatures against the Miami Dolphins.

Larsa Pippen's dad may not approve, but her man has no issue with the reality TV star's recent controversial Instagram post ... 'cause Marcus Jordan tells TMZ Sports he approves of all her sexy content!!

As we previously reported, the 49-year-old's latest social media post was met with backlash earlier this week ... with some followers calling out the risqué pose and accusing her of editing the pic.

The image had a short shelf life, as it was later deleted ... and sources told us at the time it was due to Pippen's pops stepping in and telling her to scrub it from her page.

Larsa confirmed the development while out in NYC with her boyfriend on Thursday ... saying, "I took it down because my dad didn't like the photo."

We also asked Michael Jordan's son what he thought of the shot ... and it's safe to say his lady's got his full support.

"I approve of everything Larsa does," Jordan said.

In fact, the couple just revealed they have sex 5 times a night on the recent episode of "Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen" ... so it's obvious they're doing just fine in their relationship.

Browns legend Josh Cribbs has come down with Joe Flacco Fever ... but diagnosis aside, he believes the NFL's Comeback Player of the Year award still belongs to Damar Hamlin ... telling TMZ Sports he believes the Bills safety earned the recognition after resuming his NFL career this season.

38-year-old Flacco has exceeded all expectations since joining the Browns in November ... leading Cleveland to a 4-1 record after Deshaun Watson and Dorian Thompson-Robinson went down with injuries.

Despite helping the Browns reach the playoffs, Cribbs -- who had nothing but praise for the former Super Bowl MVP -- says Hamlin's story is simply too special to pass on when the league recognizes players at the end of the season.

"Right now, I say it's Damar Hamlin," Cribbs told us this week. "He came back to life on the field. He came back to life to play back again in the NFL. He is a player who essentially lost his life on the football field."

Of course, Damar saw a bit of action in the 2023-24 season ... a special moment for the player and the entire NFL after he suffered cardiac arrest against the Cincinnati Bengals on Jan. 2.

"For him to have lost his life on the field and then came back, I definitely would give it to Damar Hamlin," Cribbs says.

The former return specialist gives Flacco his flowers, though ... commending the guy for going from "being on the couch with a beer" to becoming Cleveland's improbable hero.

Cribbs has full confidence in Flacco's abilities to take the Browns deep in the playoffs ... but even if they make it to the Super Bowl, he says it'll be Watson's team no matter what next season.

Cribbs backs his belief ... saying considering the Browns are paying Deshaun a massive contract, there's no way he isn't under center in 2024.

"Flacco is the now, Deshaun is no question the future," Cribbs said. "Not because of what he did in Houston, not because of what Flacco is doing right now. He's the future because he's got $230 million guaranteed. So, there is no discussion about it. He is the quarterback of the future."

It's been a busy week at TMZ ... covering everything from the Golden Globes to a Milli Vanilli divorce, but a few stories really stood out on our TV shows -- "TMZ on TV," "TMZ Live" and "TMZ Sports" -- so, check 'em out yourself!

For starters, we got into the gripping new video of OnlyFans model Courtney Clenney, and her Miami murder case, on "TMZ Live." We aired new footage showing her squabbling with her slain BF, Christian Obumseli, 2 months before she killed him at their Miami condo ... which prosecutors claim she did intentionally.

Lots of folks online viewed Clenney as the aggressor in the wild clip -- but we break down how it could have an impact on a far more important group of people ... the jury.

On a muuuuch lighter note, we also talked Tom Cruise on "TMZ on TV" and his big movie news this week -- the fact he signed a mega deal with WB to produce and star in a bunch of franchise films ... even as he's moving forward on "Top Gun 3."

The catch ... he's doing 'TP3' with Paramount, despite seemingly giving 'em the cold shoulder to sign with WB, and even getting his own office there. Yeah ... interesting.

Lastly, our "TMZ Sports" crew got into the big NFL playoff weekend ... and the aspect of it Swiftees everywhere wanna hear. QB legend Brett Favre was on the show to talk about Taylor Swift's impact on Travis Kelce's opening round game against the Dolphins.

Watch and see how he feels about a potential Chiefs loss, and who might be to blame!!! 👀