TMZ Sports - Page 50

Title this one "The Gang Ignores The Emmys To Watch The Eagles Lose."

"It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia" star Rob McElhenney wasn't gonna let a silly awards show get in the way of watching his beloved Eagles' playoff matchup against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Monday ... 'cause the actor tuned in to the game from his phone in the middle of the ceremony.

Rob's costar and wife Kaitlin Olson captured the scene in a selfie posted to social media ... with a caption that read, "Who schedules the Emmys the same night as the @eagles #gobirds #FlyEaglesFly."

Unfortunately for Rob, the action on the field wasn't a pleasant experience ... as Baker Mayfield led the Bucs to the 32-9 upset win, booting the reigning NFC champs out of the postseason.

The game also had to be a big bummer for Rob, as it appears to be the last one of future Hall of Famer Jason Kelce's stellar career.

While the Eagles won't bring home the Lombardi Trophy in 2024, at least Rob was able to snag some hardware this awards season -- his "Welcome to Wrexham" show received five Emmys off six nominations.

As for 'Sunny,' the gang took the stage to present during the event ... and took the opportunity to bash the fact the show hasn't been nominated in its 16 years on the air -- despite its massive popularity.

The Philadelphia Eagles lost their playoff game Monday night, and then they appeared to lose their Hall of Fame center for good too.

According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, Jason Kelce told his teammates following the defeat to the Buccaneers in their wild card game in Tampa Bay he's retiring.

Kelce has not yet confirmed the news publicly -- he declined to speak with reporters after the loss -- though his emotions on the sidelines as the clock ticked down to zero seemed to say everything for him.

Cameras caught the 36-year-old on the verge of tears as the Birds were officially bounced from the postseason ... and moments later, he was seen emotionally walking back through a stadium tunnel as well.

If it is the end, Kelce's career will officially go down as one of the best ever by a center. He played for 13 seasons and was named a Pro Bowler seven times. He also earned All-Pro honors five times ... and won one Super Bowl championship.

He also developed a persona that transcended football ... becoming a fan favorite off the field -- while recording a podcast, "New Heights," with his brother, Travis Kelce, that has quickly risen to the top of the charts.

Jason, of course, still has time to reverse his mind. You'll recall, he was seemingly done following the Super Bowl loss last year -- and he ultimately came back.

Bill Goldberg's son Gage was this close to playing for the Crimson Tide ... but the high school football player tells TMZ Sports he changed his mind once Nick Saban retired!

Cue Gage's WWE legend dad, who called Deion Sanders -- his former teammate with the Falcons in the early 90s -- and next thing ya know, Goldberg's on his way to Colorado!

Gage, a 205-pound middle linebacker out of Boerne Champion High School in Texas, spoke with us days after he announced he'd be playing for the NFL Hall of Famer as a preferred walk-on with the Univerisity of Colorado.

GG revealed his commitment came down to the wire ... as he was very close to committing to Alabama until Saban unexpectedly retired last week.

"My top schools were Alabama, Duke, UCF, NC State. Those were my four," the 17-year-old said.

"Then [dad] reached out to Deion and then the coach called him. The opportunity came up for a [Preferred Walk-On] at Colorado and I committed on that."

It's a significant change for the Goldberg family. In fact, Bill was already looking at property in Tuscaloosa.

But, things have changed, and despite Goldberg having wanted his son to play for Saban (arguably the greatest CFB coach ever), he's happy he'll be coached by Prime.

"Deion and I are great friends. I love the man like he's my brother," Bill said.

"It's just a huge decision. It's not based on who's got the coolest uniforms. It's based on who's gonna take care of you the most and where you have the best opportunity, both on and off the field."

Bill added, "I'm gonna continue to sing his praises but after I speak so highly of this person, why would I not want this person to be the head coach of my son?"

3:28 PM -- Grizzlies fans made their feelings toward Draymond known as he made his way to the court ... letting the boo birds fly as he checked into the game with just over 6 minutes left in the first quarter.

The jeers didn't seem to faze Green one bit ... as he nailed a three-pointer shortly after entering the game.

Draymond Green is officially back -- the Golden State Warriors star is expected to play against the Memphis Grizzlies on Monday ... his first game following his indefinite suspension.

The Dubs announced the four-time champion was listed as "active" for the road matchup just minutes ago ... sharing the news with a clip of Green dunking during pregame warmups.

Green will come off the bench for Golden State ... and the squad is undoubtedly hoping he provides a spark, as they're currently 18-21 and sit toward the bottom of the Western Conference.

Dubs head coach Steve Kerr pointed out Green hasn't played in a while ... which may result in limited minutes in his first game back.

"It will mostly be based on how he's feeling and how that unit is doing while he's out there," he told reporters before the game. "We'll just see how it goes."

Of course, Green hasn't played since his punishment for hitting Phoenix Suns player Jusuf Nurkic on Dec. 12 ... and during his time away from the hardwood, he sought counseling and focused on his life away from basketball.

Green previously revealed he contemplated walking away from his pro career during his suspension ... but commissioner Adam Silver talked him out of it.

Don't look at Mike McCarthy or Dak Prescott ... the Cowboys' MF'ing problem is none other than Jerry Jones, according to retired NFL star Chad Johnson, and if the organization ever hopes to end its championship drought, the owner has to take a giant leap backward!

Johnson and fellow legend Shannon Sharpe chopped it up Sunday night on their Nightcap Podcast, dishing on the Cowboys shocking loss to the Packers, a game they were favored to win by a TD.

“Guess who the mother f***ing problem is and why they keep losing every single year? 28 years guess who the common denominator is? All the pieces to the puzzle every year the Cowboys play good god d*** football and get sent the f*** home in the first round, guess who the problem is?” Chad asked.

Shannon responded, asking if it was Jerry.

“Say his name loud and clear! That’s the problem, Jerry Jones is the reason why they can’t get past the first round. That’s the problem!”

Of course, 81-year-old Jones isn't just the owner, he's also the president and general manager ... meaning unlike other owners, Jerry's running things.

Johnson believes that's the real issue for "America's Team."

And, it's not that Chad doesn't like Jones ... he does, but he also believes this is something that must happen.

“Jerry I love you, I love the way you conduct business. Go ahead and get in the background and let them boys handle their business from now on.”

CJ continued ... “Let the boys go out there and play ball. We know who owns the team, don’t put no more added pressure than what already comes with the star on the helmet already. Watch the problem be solved, I guarantee the problem be solved when Jerry stops doing that.”

A little bit of snow -- okay, a TON of snow -- wasn't gonna stop Bills and Steelers fans from making their way to the stadium for Monday's Wild Card game ... with diehard supporters trudging to their seats in time for kickoff.

The playoff matchup was originally slated to go down on Sunday ... but Mother Nature had other plans, as a snowstorm forced the N.Y. governor and NFL commish Roger Goodell to push it back a day.

The Bills pulled out all the stops in hopes of getting Highmark Stadium ready in time for the contest ... even offering folks $20 an hour to help clear out the snow.

Despite the efforts, there was plenty left over from the storm ... but judging by videos of spectators walking through knee-deep piles in order to get to their seats, they didn't care one bit.

In fact, when Buffalo tight end Dawson Knox caught the first touchdown of the game, Bills Mafia made use of the extra snow by throwing it up in the air to celebrate.

All things considered, the field looks damn good for the game ... with not one snowflake in sight.

Matthew Stafford apparently wasn't the only one in his family getting booed during the Rams and Lions' Wild Card game on Sunday -- his wife, Kelly, claims fans also targeted their four young kids with jeers as well.

Kelly admitted before the Rams' 24-23 loss she was expecting to hear it from Lions fans ahead of the matchup ... considering her hubby was their beloved quarterback for 12 seasons before he was traded to the Rams, where he won his first Super Bowl.

Now that he's on the other sidelines, Kelly explained she understood why people would turn on #9 in favor of their own team ... but it's clear she wasn't expecting her youngins to get thrown into their antics.

"It's sports," Kelly said on her IG story Monday. "The city wants to win. Everything is fair game ... except the fans who booed my children."

"Other than that, I loved the atmosphere and the booing just gave my husband more fire."

Despite the booing Stafford's daughters -- who range between the ages of 3 and 6 -- Kelly wished the Lions nothing but the best ... and is rooting for them to win it all.

"The more you love, the more you hate. I consider it all love going both ways," Kelly said.

"I hope the Lions bring home a Lombardi to that city because that feeling is like no other."

Famous reptile enthusiast Brian Barczyk has sadly passed away after spending 10 days in hospice care ... following a brave battle with pancreatic cancer.

The announcement was made Monday ... with the folks at his Reptarium Reptile Zoo paying tribute to their "exceptional" visionary, mentor and friend in an emotional IG statement ... where they praised Brian's ability to touch innumerable hearts and minds globally with his fervent passion for reptiles and wildlife.

They added, "For those of us who had the privilege of working alongside him, Brian's absence leaves an immeasurable void. As we navigate this difficult time, we find comfort in the memories and the lasting light of Brian's work. He will be deeply missed but indeed, never forgotten."

Brian received news of his devastating stage four pancreatic cancer diagnosis almost a year ago ... and it looks like he knew what was coming as just days earlier, he shared an emotional goodbye video.

The reptile influencer once said ... "I'm ready, guys. It was a tough year. It was so painful, the pain was incredible, the sickness was incredible, the treatment was incredible, everything about it was so bad" ... while also thanking his "reptile army" for their support.

Brian made a career out of his love for reptiles ... starring on the Discovery Channel's "Venom Hunters" and kickstarting his successful YouTube career in 2016. He had 5.26 million subscribers and collaborated with the likes of Logan and Jake Paul.

As well his Reptarium Reptile Zoo, he was also the founder of Legasea Aquarium.

He also owned the third-largest collection of snakes in the world -- over 30,000, actively participating in venom milking.

He leaves behind his wife Lori and their two children, Noah and Jade. A memorial in honor of Brian will be held on Wednesday by his family in Sterling Heights, Michigan.

Nobody had a better Sunday than Jared Goff -- not only did he lead the Detroit Lions to their first playoff win in three decades ... but he also celebrated the accomplishment with a kiss from his model fiancée, Christen Harper, as the entire stadium chanted his name!!

The former No. 1-overall pick was on top of the world after coming away with the 24-23 win over his former L.A. Rams in the Wild Card matchup ... and rightfully so -- he went 22-27 for 277 yards and a touchdown on the night.

Shortly after the victory, Goff ran up to his longtime partner and gave her a smooch ... all while the supporters at Ford Field showed him some serious love.

Of course, Harper -- who has been linked to the NFL star since 2019 -- has been in Goff's corner through the good times and the bad ... and had a viral reaction in the middle of a Sports Illustrated photoshoot when the Lions won their first game of the season in Week 12 back in 2021.

Things are much different now -- the Lions are in the middle of a playoff run and will now face off against the winner of Monday's matchup between the Philadelphia Eagles and Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Jordan Love’s longtime GF Ronika Stone could hardly wait to roast "Dem Boyz" after the Cowboys lopsided loss to the Packers on Sunday ... the pro volleyball player had some (good-natured fun) at the expense of a bunch of Dallas fans who hit the exits early!

Of course, the Cowboys lost 48-32 (they were down 27-0 in the first half) ... and Stone, the First Lady of Cheesehead Nation, had a prime seat, sitting mid-field as she watched her man carve up the Dallas defense.

Stone made a beeline for IG in the second half, mocking the Cowboys for the L as she took video of fans leaving early.

“Leaving so soon Cowboys fans?!” Stone gleefully asked.

“What happened? I thought we were Dem Boyz,” she continued, as her sister laughed in the background.

Savage.

Ronika -- a former standout athlete at the University of Oregon -- didn't stop with just an IG story post ... she also headed for TikTok to talk a little trash.

“Just checking in to see if y’all are still dem boyz?!”

Love played out of his mind on Sunday, throwing for 272 passing yards and 3 touchdowns. He completed over 76% of his passes and finished with a near-perfect QB rating.

Jordan's performance was one of the best playoff debuts ever for a QB, bottom line.

Chances are things are going to get a good deal harder this weekend when the Packers go on the road to face the #1 seed 49ers, who are 9.5-point favorites (GB was 7.5 dogs to DAL).

Ex-NFL star Marcellus Wiley is taking a firm stance on who should take over for the Los Angeles Chargers ... telling TMZ Sports he thinks Bill Belichick should NOT be the next head coach.

The Bolts job is arguably the most attractive opening in the league right now ... and many are speculating they could land a big fish like the former Patriots legend or Michigan's Jim Harbaugh if he chooses to make a return to the pros.

We asked the TV personality about those two names specifically ... and while he considers Belichick the greatest coach of all time, he says Harbaugh is the right guy for the gig.

"It's gonna be tough with the Chargers, obviously," Wiley said at LAX. "We're looking for a coach that we can look into the future with. With Belichick, how far are you going to look into the future? I don't know."

Wiley points out there's still a debate whether Belichick or Tom Brady was more responsible for the Patriots' six Super Bowl wins ... and his style of coaching may not resonate with the locker room.

Harbaugh -- who's fresh off a national championship with the Wolverines -- hasn't announced whether he will be back in Ann Arbor next season ... but Wiley thinks his postgame comments mean he's as good as gone.

As for his former team, Wiley -- who played in San Diego from 2001-2003 -- thinks they're an easy fix under Harbaugh ... making him the perfect guy to replace fired coach Brandon Staley.

"With Justin Herbert, he's top 5 talent," he added. "He just needs everybody else. First, he's gotta stay healthy and then everybody else just kinda stay healthy and stay on page. With Staley, it was fun ... but a little too much gambling. It started to cost us. People stopped believing him, the doubt creeped in, then he just lost his way. That's what happens."

Terence Crawford found a way to troll boxing rival Errol Spence during the NFL's wildcard weekend ... comparing his beatdown of the fighter from Dallas to the Packers thrashing of the Cowboys!

If you didn't know, Crawford (40-0, 31 KOs) is a Packers fan ... and Spence (29-1, 22 KOs), a big Cowboys fan.

So, when the Packers dominated the Cowboys on Sunday, Terence took a shot at Spence, saying the ass whoopin' Dallas received resembled his TKO win over Spence last summer.

"Oooowwweeee this game looking like me and @ErrolSpenceJr," Crawford wrote on X. "They must have injuries that’s why we winning hun? 😭😭😭"

FYI, Crawford's seemingly referring to Spence's contention that his injured eye is at least partially responsible for the lopsided loss to Bud.

Spence didn't respond to the message, but that didn't stop Crawford from continuing to mock Cowboys fans ... laughing at their continued failure in the playoffs.

"I like Dallas the city and Texas the state. It’s just that the cowgirls have always been a rivalry to my Packers and they all was betting against me," Crawford said.

"Keep fighting cowgirls! Yall had a good season, now yall can go home and rest up for next year."

Of course, Crawford was one of the endless amount of people who were trollin' the Cowboys after the 48-32 loss.

9:59 AM PT -- Hulk Hogan's wife, Sky Daily, just posted about the crash ... writing, "Last night, after we left dinner in Tampa, we saw a car flip in front of us! I truly admire my husband @hulkhogan and our good buddy @jakerask for springing into action, puncturing the girls airbag, and getting her quickly out of the car. By all appearances, she was unscathed, just really rattled, which is an absolute miracle!"

9:07 AM PT -- TMZ Sports has obtained new photos from the scene of the crash ... and in them, you can see Hulk and his friend playing real-life superheroes.

Take a look at these pics ... which show an up-close-and-personal view of the action. From the looks of it, the accident was as dramatic as you can imagine -- with the teen's car completely flipped upside down ... and her actually stepping out from the vehicle.

In fact, you can also see Hulk's buddy, Jake (the marine), running over to help. It's like something straight out of a movie -- and fortunately, nobody was seriously harmed.

7:17 AM PT -- More startling details about this accident -- TMZ Sports has learned that the driver was a minor ... a 17-year-old girl, who, we're told, was completely rattled by the whole thing.

Our sources also tell us that Hulk Hogan's buddy, Jake, who dove right in on this is actually a Marine!

Hulk Hogan sloughed off his WWE heel persona in real life this weekend -- jumping to the rescue of a woman who got into a horrific car accident ... and TMZ Sports has the pics.

Sources with direct knowledge tell us the legendary wrestler, his wife Sky Daily and a friend of theirs were cruising along a highway Sunday evening in Tampa, FL when they witnessed a bad wreck play out right in front of them.

We're told a car erratically swerved across the lanes to catch an exit it was about to miss -- and in the process ... clipped another car, which our sources say flipped over and tumbled.

Hulk and co., our sources explain, pulled over immediately -- with HH and his pal, Jake, rushing over to render aid to the driver ... a woman whom we're told was rattled. Since they were first on the scene, we're told Hulk and Jake actually helped get her out of the car.

Our sources say Jake popped the woman's airbag with some tools that Hulk had on hand -- and they both unbuckled her seatbelt and assisted her in safely leaving the vehicle. We're told paramedics eventually arrived on the scene, and Hulk and his crew looked on.

In the end, our sources say the woman appeared to be okay ... and HH was happy to help.

Pretty terrifying obviously -- and while, thankfully, everyone seemed alright in the end ... you gotta imagine the woman who was saved must've been surprised to see none other than Hulk himself being her personal hero. Again, he's often played the villain in the ring.

Turns out, he's the nicest guy and then some when called upon ... well done, brother!

Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce are two peas in a pod these days -- but in terms of their initial coming-together ... her relative is now coming forward to claim he played matchmaker.

Danny Frye III -- who's a dirt track racer in Oklahoma -- did an interview this weekend where he revealed he's T-Swift's second cousin, and not just that ... but he's taking credit for setting up his uber-famous family member with the Kansas City Chiefs tight end.

Check it out ... in Danny's chat with FloRacing TV, he confirmed he and Taylor are, in fact, related by blood -- but he's not just some random distant relative ... according to him, they're somewhat close and grew up together.

More importantly, DF3 drops a bombshell ... saying he made a "love connection" between his cuzzo and TK -- although, he doesn't really get into the details much at all. Danny shows off a screengrab of him and TayTay at a Chiefs game ... so he's not totally BS'ing.

It's interesting this is coming out now -- 'cause back in November, Travis spilled the beans on how exactly he and Taylor got hooked up ... saying someone in her world played Cupid, and strongly suggested it might have been someone in her own brood who knew who he was.

Some suspected her brother, Austin, might've been responsible -- but now, Danny here is saying he's the reason we have one of the biggest, most famous couples in recent memory.

Again, no deets on how exactly it all unfolded -- but it ain't hard to piece together. Presumably, Danny heard Travis' Taylor story on his pod, and relayed the message.

Dez Bryant was posting through the pain during the Cowboys' shocking loss to the Packers on Sunday ... sharing his roller coaster of emotions on social media as his beloved team got booted from the playoffs.

The former All-Pro receiver was high on Dallas before kickoff ... saying he was "feeling EXTREMELY EXTREMELY great" about America's Team and claiming a $10,000 payday was on the line.

But things quickly went south for Dez ... as Green Bay came out strong with a 27-0 lead and never looked back.

That's when Dez -- who played for the Cowboys from 2010-2017 -- started to unravel.

"Idk wtf going on but we really need straighten up," Dez said ... still holding out hope for a comeback. He later bashed Cowboys staffers ... adding, "Playing (sic) calling trash as f*** right now."

As Dallas started to pick things up in the second half, Dez remained optimistic ... saying, "I still believe in us… game not over" and "If we can score one more time before the 3rd up. I like our chances."

In fact, he claimed he was about to make a live bet on Dallas completing the comeback ... but shortly after, he accepted the inevitable outcome.

"Yea this one might be over."

Bryant gave his two cents on the future of the Cowboys ... saying the organization should fire defensive coordinator Dan Quinn.

"Quinn was ready to leave Dallas," Dez posted. "Fire his ass Jerry and give him his wish."

But it doesn't sound like Bryant is solely putting the blame on Quinn ... as he said the current roster was "too damn talented for this."

Green Bay ended up taking the 48-32 victory ... securing a spot in the Divisional Round, where they'll face the San Francisco 49ers. It was certainly not what people were expecting ... as Dallas was believed to be a Super Bowl contender, and the Packers snuck into the postseason with a 10-8 record.

Gotta give Dez credit for being 100% real throughout his heartbreak ... and he got over his troubles with the help of an adult beverage.

The brutal hit on Tyler Higbee, which ultimately tore the TE's ACL, was NOT dirty ... according to Kerby Joseph's Lions teammate C.J. Gardner-Johnson, who says if the Rams want to blame anyone, it should be their QB!

The tackle in question came late in the 4th quarter during the Lions-Rams playoff game at Ford Field Sunday evening ... when Joseph, a safety, hit Higbee low as he attempted to catch a ball running across the middle of the field.

The TV broadcast showed Higbee's planted leg bending backward ... and many people have deemed the hit "dirty."

But, Gardner-Johnson feels differently ... placing the blame on Matthew Stafford for putting his TE in that position.

"If anybody on the Rams feels like it was dirty, well tell his quarterback don't put the ball in a place where he can get his player hurt," CJ told reporters after the game.

"You heard [Tom] Brady say it all the time."

In fact, Brady did recently make this point ... after Colts receiver Michael Pittman Jr. got hurt after a hit from Steelers' Damontae Kazee (he was suspended for the rest of the 2023 season).

"Nobody likes seeing players get hurt. But hard hits happen," Brady said.

"QBs should not be throwing the ball in areas where they are exposing their own teammates to these types of hits."

On Monday, the Rams fears were confirmed ... Higbee tore his ACL on the play.

Johnson -- a third-round draft pick of the Lions in 2022 -- spoke about the hit after the Lions 24-23 win, saying he wasn't trying to hurt Tyler.

"I’m praying for bro and his family I don’t have no intention to hurt no body and or harm their career," Joseph wrote on X.