Dallas Cowboys

Ezekiel Elliott helped both the Cowboys AND the needy with his touchdown last Sunday ... the Salvation Army tells TMZ Sports it saw a significant spike in donations following the star's trip to an end zone kettle.

If you missed it ... Elliott hopped into a Salvation Army red bucket at AT&T Stadium after scoring in the fourth quarter of the Cowboys' blowout win over the Colts in Dallas last weekend.

He pretended to be a jack-in-the-box -- while quarterback Dak Prescott wound him up. It was all hilarious -- and, according to Salvation Army officials, hugely beneficial as well.

The org. tells us, "after Ezekiel Elliott leaped into [the kettle] on Sunday night's game against the Indianapolis Colts, the number of donors to the Salvation Army that day doubled compared with the game last year."

They added, "We love it when players jump in the giant red kettle after scoring a touchdown because it does have an impact."

In fact, the org. tells us the amount of $21 donations -- an ode to Elliott's jersey number -- have skyrocketed as well.

Elliott himself actually contributed to the cause as well in the days following the score -- he donated a $50,000 check to the Salvation Army of North Texas on Wednesday. The money, the org. said, will help children, seniors and adults with special needs receive gifts during this holiday season.

Of course, jumping into the kettle isn't entirely a new thing for the Cowboys. In Elliott's rookie year in 2016, he started it all by hopping into the kettle after a score against the Buccaneers.

On Thanksgiving this year, Dallas tight ends had a similar party at the prop.

The entire city of Dallas has now apparently joined the Cowboys in recruiting Odell Beckham Jr. -- as thousands of Mavericks fans showered him with love at the NBA game on Monday.

Beckham got into Texas earlier in the day to visit the Cowboys as he continues to try to figure out where his next football destination will be ... and as part of Dallas' pitch to sign him, Micah Parsons and Trevon Diggs took him to see Luka Doncic and the Mavs against the Suns in the evening.

Beckham seemed to be having a great time with the two Dallas stars -- laughing with the duo in courtside seats all night long.

And, at one point during the game, he became the star of the show -- for at least a few moments -- as the arena broke out a loud "O-B-J" chant.

Beckham seemed to love it all -- though when he was peppered with questions from reporters at the game about the Cowboys' chances ... he wouldn't reveal much, jokingly saying, "I plead the fifth."

The star free agent wideout is reportedly down to the Cowboys, Bills and Giants -- and is expected to make a signing in the next couple days.

Dallas officials, meanwhile, have said repeatedly they REALLY want Odell ... with Stephen Jones calling him Monday "our priority."

A verbal confrontation took a wet turn at the Cowboys vs. Colts game during Sunday Night Football ... when a fan in a CeeDee Lamb jersey spit on two Dallas supporters -- and TMZ Sports has the video.

The incident went down at the end of the Cowboys' 54-19 blowout win over Indianapolis at AT&T Stadium ... when a woman started arguing with a couple.

It's unclear what sparked the altercation ... but it got so heated, the fan in the Lamb jersey hocked a loogie in the couple's faces before walking up the stairs. Apparently, Dallas' big victory wasn't enough to calm both sides.

The fan made quite the exit -- making a "kiss my ass" motion as she left the area. No word on whether security got involved.

The couple surprisingly didn't freak out over the spitting ... they simply cheered as the woman walked away.

As for the action on the field, Dak Prescott and Co. turned the game into a cakewalk... with  CeeDee, Tony Pollard and Zeke Elliott playing well in the win.

It's not the first time a Lamb fan has gotten into an altercation in the stands -- as we previously reported, a dude wearing a #88 jersey clocked an Eagles fan back in January.

Jerry Jones took a unique path to respond to LeBron James' very public criticism of the Dallas Cowboys owner's controversial 1957 photo ... choosing to do nothing but shower the NBA star with praise.

Jones was asked Friday about Bron's Wednesday comments during his weekly radio hit on the K&C Masterpiece show on Audacy's 105.3 The Fan ... and instead of revealing his thoughts on it all, he opted to simply compliment the Lakers forward.

For roughly two minutes, Jones called James an amazing person ... saying the basketball player is "an absolute great ambassador for sport" who he respects more than possibly anybody else in the world.

Jones added that it "made buttons pop off my vest" when James previously identified as a huge Cowboys fan.

But, when it came time to address James' comments, the 80-year-old sidestepped.

"I'm just giving him due," Jones said. "I'm just giving him due there. Certainly, he has influence, and just because of all of the above. His accomplishments, how he's utilized his sport and how he's utilized his platform. How we have done it. He has enhanced basketball, he's made a lot of people a lot of money. But, I hope I have too."

Jones -- who did admit to hearing James' remarks -- would not say if he had any interest in meeting with James over it all. He was not pressed further about the issue.

As we reported, LeBron sounded off on reporters earlier this week following a win over the Trail Blazers ... chastising them for not asking him about the 65-year-old photo showing Jones as a teenager standing with a group of white classmates who were trying to prevent six Black students from entering an Arkansas school.

James wondered why they had asked him so much about the Kyrie Irving drama earlier this year -- but were silent about Jones.

Jemele Hill is urging the media to not let Jerry Jones off the hook amid his racial controversy ... saying LeBron James was completely right to call out reporters for not giving the Dallas Cowboys owner similar coverage as Kyrie Irving.

Hill joined Harvey and Charles on "TMZ Live" to discuss the Lakers superstar's postgame message on Thursday ... and she believes Black figures and athletes are constantly criticized to a much harsher degree in the media.

"This is not to say that there should be no room for accountability, of course," Hill says. "But it seems that it just is nonstop, and over and over and over again and it's constant."

Hill says Jones' "curious kid" explanation for attending a desegregation protest as a 14-year-old in 1957 is insufficient ... and claims his influence as an NFL owner is another reason why he wasn't pressed to explain his stance further, when Kyrie was asked repeatedly about whether he was antisemitic.

"I think the difference in [Jerry] and Kyrie in the treatment is not only a failure by the media, it's also a difference in power," Hill said.

"Kyrie, he's a 'worker' in the NBA. Jerry Jones is an owner, and as an owner he gets to dictate the rules of engagement, so to speak. He also doesn't have to answer to the media as often as Kyrie Irving does."

The Atlantic reporter points out there is a legitimate reason for journalists to ask LeBron about Jones' attendance at the '57 event ... especially considering his history as a diehard Cowboys fan and his previous comments denouncing the team's handling of the national anthem demonstrations.

Jemele suggests the situation would be handled completely differently if something like the Jones photo controversy happened in the NBA ... simply because the players run the league instead of the owners, and they wouldn't let it fly.

Jerry Jones was hit by a coughing fit that was so bad on Tuesday -- he didn't just request oxygen ... he wanted a shot of booze too!!!

The Cowboys owner hacked up the lung during his weekly spot on the Shan & RJ show on Audacy's 105.3 The Fan ... attempting to clear his throat for several moments.

While he was discussing the state of his Dallas franchise, things got so full of phlegm, the show's hosts had to pause and ask if he was OK. Jerry responded yes, before the coughing continued.

Finally, Jerry was able to get it all out ... and then he quipped, "Get me some oxygen!"

"Better still," he continued, "how 'bout a big shot of Jack!"

Jerry eventually recovered well enough to discuss some more serious matters -- the Odell Beckham Jr. plane incident ... and the 1957 photo of him at a desegregation protest.

On OBJ, Jones said the issues the wide receiver had on an American Airlines flight on Sunday will have no impact on the Cowboys' pursuit of the free agent.

As for the now-infamous photo of him that began recirculating last week, Jones said, "I think the key thing is, for me, is that it's a misread if you think that I don't recognize how monumental those days were."

"I respect the people that were involved that were trying to, make their, if you will, change things. And I have a lot of respect for that."

The Dallas Cowboys aren't phased by Odell Beckham Jr.'s American Airlines controversy ... 'cause, according to head coach Mike McCarthy, they still wanna sign the star wide receiver!

As we previously reported, the NFL free agent -- who's expressed interest in signing with teams like the Cowboys, Bills, and Giants -- was kicked off an AA flight Sunday morning after a flight attendant told authorities they believed the Super Bowl champ may have been experiencing a medical emergency ... after they were unable to wake him up.

Of course, the incident could potentially cause teams to cool to the idea of signing the 30-year-old receiver ... but the Cowboys HC says that's not the case for them.

"Really haven't been involved with in the conversation," McCarthy said during Monday's press conference, adding ... "but I know personally based off of my understanding, I think we're moving full steam ahead."

For what it's worth, Odell's side of the story is different than the one AA and law enforcement have told. In fact, OBJ went to Twitter the day after the incident and attempted to provide some clarity.

"I didn’t kno I couldn’t fall asleep before take off when I boarding first and the flight was delayed 30 mins," Beckham tweeted.

"I had a flight to catch when I landed in LA as well. Simple shxt. I feel asleep before taking off."

Beckham continued ... "MAKE IT MAKE SENSEE…. And they were zero sleepin pills / drugs. None of that bullshxt I will not allow my name to be tarnished or disrespected. I had a long miami night. I was exhausted. And went to sleep."

OBJ last played for the L.A. Rams in 2021 ... and despite tearing his ACL during the Super Bowl, he won a ring in L.A.

NFL football on Thanksgiving Day is one of the best traditions there is -- but before we dive into the games (and food), let's meet the lovely wives and girlfriends of the athletes hitting the field on Thursday.

The Bills and Lions are set to kick things off in Detroit -- Josh Allen's GF, Brittany Williams and Stefon Diggs' GF, Tae Heckard, will certainly be rooting for their men to link up for some big plays.

Jordan Poyer's wife, Rachel Bush, will be hoping her man has a feast defensively against Jared Goff ... as he's cheered on by his fiancée, Sports Illustrated swimsuit model Christen Harper.

Dak Prescott has a lot to be thankful for this holiday season -- his GF, Natalie Buffett, will watch as her man's 7-3 Cowboys play the Giants at Jerry World on Thursday.

Saquon Barkley and the Giants will be hoping to spoil the Cowboys' Thanksgiving, which would assuredly put a smile on the face of Anna Congdon, his longtime girlfriend and mother of his kid.

Meanwhile, Mac Jones and his girlfriend, Sophie Scott, will have to wait to stuff their faces with Thanksgiving delights ... as the Pats QB plays the Vikings at U.S. Bank Stadium in the late game.

Keep your fingers crossed, Dallas fans ... according to Jimmy Johnson, the Cowboys could very well end up getting Odell Beckham Jr.!

TMZ Sports got the former Dallas head coach out in NYC on Tuesday ... just two days after the Cowboys blew a big lead to the Green Bay Packers and fell to 6-3 on the season.

Johnson made it clear to us, he thinks Big D could use another wideout in its offense to prevent a similar loss from happening again ... and he seems to believe Odell could easily be the solution.

The Cowboys have openly pursued the former Rams star for several days now -- with guys like Micah Parsons and Ezekiel Elliott recruiting him hard through the media -- but no contract has been signed yet.

Johnson thinks it'd be a big deal for Dallas to ultimately get him ... explaining to us if Dak Prescott has the right pieces around him, the QB "can win a championship."

As for Odell's side of things, he's getting closer and closer to 100 percent after hurting his knee last February ... and is reportedly looking to latch on with a new team in the next couple weeks.

Micah Parsons is ready to see some OBJ TDs in Dallas ... revealing Tuesday he wants Odell Beckham Jr. on the Cowboys -- badly!!!

The superstar pass rusher made his feelings known on his Twitter page -- as rumors of a potential Beckham-Cowboys signing have begun to swirl.

"Man obj talk to me !!" Parsons wrote. "@obj let’s do this s***!!!"

Beckham is a free agent and has been allowed to sign with any team this season -- but because of a knee injury he suffered in last season's Super Bowl, he hasn't quite been healthy enough to put pen to paper on a new contract.

Reportedly, however, Beckham is nearing full strength ... and is close to making a decision on his next team -- and oddsmakers have now deemed Dallas as the favorite to be the landing spot.

Parsons would certainly love that -- but so would team owner Jerry Jones, who glowed about Odell on Tuesday on his weekly appearance on 105.3 The Fan.

"I know the Cowboys star on that helmet when he puts it on could look pretty good," Jones said.

Head coach Mike McCarthy shared a similar opinion during a meeting with media members Monday -- telling reporters he's "always been a huge fan" of the playmaking wideout.

No word on when Odell officially wants to be signed by ... but it seems it could now be just a matter of days.

Ezekiel Elliott would be riding a whole lot of pine if Mike Martz were in charge in Dallas ... telling TMZ Sports he believes Tony Pollard should be the Cowboys' starting RB.

The former St. Louis Rams head coach said he'd make the change immediately if he were in Mike McCarthy's shoes ... explaining he believes Pollard is simply the best runner on the Cowboys -- and has been for a while now.

"Pollard is the better of the two backs," Martz said ... before adding, "I think Pollard has been more productive in the last three years with the opportunities that he's had."

Of course, Zeke has been entrenched as Dallas' RB1 since he was drafted in 2016 -- and hasn't moved off that spot, even though Pollard has seemingly been better.

Since 2020, Pollard has rushed for 1,660 yards and 11 TDs on 312 carries. In that same time frame, Elliott's rushed for 2,424 yards and 20 TDs with nearly double the carries (590).

Martz says from everything he's seen, Pollard should be the 1A to Zeke's 1B -- but he told us he's pretty sure the massive $90 MILLION contract Jerry Jones gave Zeke is playing a role in it all.

"I think the owner, you know, they're into him for a lot of money," Martz said. "And in Dallas, normally that stuff should never come into it, but in Dallas, I think it probably does."

Martz' solution to that? Start Zeke, but still give Pollard the majority of the work.

Halloween costumes like Jerry Jones' "blind referee" play into stereotypes that the visually impaired are incompetent ... so says the National Federation of the Blind, which tells TMZ Sports these kinds of outfits are "harmful."

Jerry dressed up in a ref uniform and sported sunglasses and a walking stick over the holiday weekend ... in an attempt to playfully go after NFL officials for missing penalty calls.

While Jones certainly isn't the first person to sport the costume, the NFB tells us it's an "unfortunate" choice ... especially because it leans into the underlying stereotype that the blind are "incompetent."

"When anyone perpetuates that stereotype, it's harmful," Chris Danielsen, the NFB's director of PR tells us ... pointing out nearly 70% of blind people are unemployed.

Instead of ripping into the Cowboys owner for his choice, Danielsen believes this can be a teachable moment for Jones and anyone else considering wearing costumes that make light of the blind.

"He does have blind Cowboys fans," Danielsen added. "They show up at games and put on headsets or listen on the radio. It may be something for him to think about."

Danielsen says there are plenty of blind people who want to be more involved in sports in any capacity ... and the "blind referee" costume only complicates things for them.

Did Ezekiel Elliott just spoil the Cowboys' Thanksgiving Day uniform surprise?!?

It sure seems that way ... because the running back revealed the team's sweet, new throwback helmets on his social media page -- and then quickly deleted the post!

Dallas is scheduled to wear the white helmets and special uniforms for the food-filled holiday later this month -- but the team had yet to officially show them off to the public. It seemed they were waiting for closer to gameday to ceremoniously unveil them.

But, it appears Elliott didn't get that memo -- and dropped a pic of his Turkey Day helmet right on his IG stories on Wednesday afternoon. The post was up for about one hour, before it was swiftly taken down.

Of course, Elliott didn't unwrap the whole holiday gift -- the complete look still hasn't been seen -- so the team shouldn't be TOO disappointed in their star.

As for what the whole 'fit ultimately might end up looking like ... it likely won't be too far from the white helmet theme that the Cowboys wore last on Thanksgiving Day in 2012.

The woman who was involved in a heated dispute with Terrell Owens in August has been criminally charged ... after prosecutors say she made up bogus claims about the incident.

Court records, obtained by TMZ Sports, show Caitlin Davis was hit with a second-degree misdemeanor charge of false reports last week ... stemming from her role in the tiff with the Hall of Famer in Florida.

According to documents, authorities say she "knowingly" gave "false information to a law enforcement officer" about the spat.

Records show she's due in court in December for a hearing in the case. If convicted, she's facing jail time.

As we previously reported, officers were called to Owens' Deerfield Beach neighborhood on Aug. 3 after the former NFL star got into an intense argument with Davis.

The woman told authorities at the time that he had almost hit her while driving. She added that he got out of his car and threatened her.

Owens denied the allegations ... and live-streamed part of their confrontation on his social media page. At one point during the video, you can hear Davis scream at him, "You're a Black man approaching a white woman!"

Owens is aware of the misdemeanor charge ... saying on "CUOMO" last week that he was grateful for the prosecution.

"If the roles were reversed, they would be going to the full extent of the law to charge me," Owens said. "It's not about me."

"I just think about others that may have been in this situation and if they didn't have the status or wherewithal to do what I did, it could have been gravely different."

Owens added, "I want to be able to use this platform to shed light on what goes on. It doesn't matter what type of neighborhood you're in, this is the reality of the life of a Black individual or Black American."

We reached out to Terrell ... who gave us the following quote.

Jerry Jones should pull off a trade for a star wideout ... so says Troy Aikman, who tells TMZ Sports he believes his former team could benefit big time from adding another weapon.

Dallas has largely stayed out of big-name acquisitions in both free agency and the trade market over the last few years ... but Aikman says they should seriously consider going after guys like Brandin Cooks, Chase Claypool and D.J. Moore before the trade deadline passes on Tuesday.

As for why ... Aikman made it clear he's not so sure the 'Boys have enough talent around Dak Prescott on offense to go land a Super Bowl title.

"I do know you better have some offense in today's NFL if you're gonna win games," the Hall of Fame QB tells us. "The way you have offense is you have weapons and you gotta have more than one or two."

Aikman points out that the team lost Amari Cooper in the offseason, and seems to be missing him -- or a player of his caliber -- so far through seven games this year.

Troy didn't name names on who he'd advise Dallas to pursue -- but it's obvious, if he were Jerry, he'd make a deal with someone.

"Could they use another weapon? Yeah," he told us. "I think when they lost Amari Cooper this past year, he was a guy that definitely garnered some attention in coverage and it opened a lot of other things up."

"It would help them, for sure."

Aikman also spoke with us about a myriad of other hot-button NFL topics ... including the NFC East, Daniel Jones, and Matt Ryan. He also shared his opinion on Aaron Rodgers' controversial comments earlier this week.

Check out the clip ... you'll be WAY more football knowledgeable after it!

LeBron James says he can no longer support the Dallas Cowboys -- the NBA superstar revealed he denounced his beloved team years ago over the organization's handling of the national anthem protests.

LeBron was always a massive fan of America's Team -- in fact, he even previously stated Jerry Jones offered him a contract to play for the 'Boys during the 2011 NBA lockout.

But, in recent years, the Lakers icon suddenly started showing love for his hometown Cleveland Browns ... which left fans wondering if he was still backing Dallas.

In an Instagram Live session on Thursday, LeBron explained he is, in fact, done with the Cowboys ... saying he was upset over the belief that players were told they would lose their spot on the team if they joined Colin Kaepernick's movement and took a knee during the "Star-Spangled Banner."

"I had to sit down on the Cowboys man," James told his business partner, Maverick Carter. "It's just things that were going on when guys were kneeling and guys were having the freedom of speech and wanted to do it in a very peaceful manner."

"A lot of people in they front office and a lot of people that ran the organization was like, 'If you do that around here, then you will never play for this franchise again.'"

"I just didn't think that was appropriate."

Remember, Jones and the Cowboys knelt in solidarity before a Monday Night Football matchup back in 2017 ... but stood back up once the anthem started playing.

The moment came on the heels of President Donald Trump's call to fire any "son of a bitch" who took a knee for the anthem ... but James seemingly didn't think that was enough.