Football

The NY Giants hired a new full-time scout -- which usually isn't newsworthy ... unless that person is the FIRST FEMALE SCOUT in the team's 95-year history!

The team announced 25-year-old Hannah Burnett has joined the organization as their Midlands scout, a full-time position.

Burnett started as an intern for the Buffalo Bills in 2017 and later jumped to the Atlanta Falcons, where she spent the previous 19 months working with their scouting department.

She recently interviewed with the Giants and crushed it -- and now, she's on the staff.

"The only thing I care about is for us to win the Super Bowl," Burnett said in an official team statement.

"Our main goal as a team is to win a Super Bowl. That's my goal, that's everybody's goal."

Burnett is also humble on breaking gender barriers in the NFL.

"I try not to think about that. I completely understand and am aware that this is an awesome opportunity, and it's important for females in the league. But I've said this from the get-go, I just want to be the best area scout that I can."

"I want to go in there like everyone else goes in there and go about my business like a pro. Everything else will work itself out if I go about my business the right way. For me, that's my mindset. It's always been my mindset. I'm just continuing to stay on that course."

By the way, Burnett was a star lacrosse player at the University of Massachusetts back in the day. Not only was she a team captain, she was a 2-time all-region and all-conference player and 3-time conference champion.

She also holds the UMass record for points in a game with 10.

Another HUGE development in the movement to change the name of the NFL's Washington team ... with a major business partner pushing to drop the moniker.

FedEx -- which has spent MILLIONS for the naming rights to FedExField in Maryland over the years -- is joining major leaders and asking Redskins owner Dan Snyder to swap out the team name.

"We have communicated to the team in Washington our request that they change the team name," the company said in a statement.

For years, Washington said Native Americans didn't have a problem with the name so they refused to make a change.

But, just this week, the National Congress of American Indians (which represents more than 500 tribal nations) called out the team ... saying the name is deeply offensive and needs to be changed immediately.

"It’s time for the players to rip down that name like it was a statue of a Confederate general in their locker room," NCAI president Fawn Sharp said.

NFL legend Tony Dungy has also said he won't say the team name during TV broadcasts moving forward -- plus, D.C. mayor Muriel Bowser is also demanding a rebrand.

So far, no official word from the powers that be in D.C. -- but money talks and the FedEx statement is a big deal.

The NFL is planning to make a huge statement when the season kicks off ... with the league reportedly deciding to play the Black National Anthem before every Week 1 game.

"Lift Ev'ry Voice And Sing" -- which is often referred to as the Black National Anthem -- will be played before the 'Star-Spangled Banner' prior to every game in the first week of the season, according to ESPN.

It was originally written as a poem by African-American civil rights leader James Weldon Johnson in 1899 -- and later set to music by his brother John Rosamond Johnson.

It was first performed in public as part of a celebration of Abraham Lincoln’s Birthday on February 12, 1900, according to the NAACP.

Several NBA teams have played the song during Black History Month over the years -- and Beyonce famously performed part of it during her iconic Coachella performance in 2018.

Of course, Roger Goodell recently apologized for the way the league handled the Colin Kaepernick-led anthem protests ... and vowed to help spread awareness for the Black Lives Matter movement.

Along with making a statement against racism, the league also vowed to donate $250 million to social justice organizations.

The NFL is also considering adding names of victims of police brutality to uniforms with helmet decals or jersey patches.

Univ. of Texas linebacker DeMarvion Overshown says he's DONE with Longhorns football ... until officials at the school start meeting some of his team's social justice demands.

Overshown was one of many UT players involved in a statement last month that urged school officials to make changes to help right perceived racial inequalities at the university.

In their statement, the players asked for, among other things, donations to the Black Lives Matter movement, the renaming of several parts of campus, and the removal of the school song, "The Eyes of Texas."

At the time, university officials said they would look into all the demands ... but as of Thursday, no changes had been made -- and Overshown says he's pissed about that.

The junior says he's now boycotting all team activities until the school starts taking some real steps toward change.

"We are constantly preached urgency throughout the program and I feel that the university should be held to the same standard," Overshown said.

"I watched WNBA All-Star Maya Moore sit out a whole year because of something that meant so much to her. With that being said, until real action is taken and changes are made I will be sitting out of all team activities."

Overshown continued, "I will support my team in whatever they do but this is something I'm very passionate about and I can not continue to perform for a program that doesn't show me the same love and support I do for them."

Texas Tech wide receiver Caden Leggett was arrested over the weekend ... after cops rsay he was involved in an intricate street race on Texas highways.

The scene's description is straight out of a 'Fast & Furious' movie ... according to the police report, obtained by TMZ Sports, Leggett and two others were speeding past each other at around 2 a.m. Saturday in Lubbock.

Cops say in the report Leggett was in a Mustang racing against a Dodge Challenger and another white vehicle ... when an officer caught them and tried to intervene.

According to the report, the cop was able to pull over Leggett ... but the other two got away.

In the report, cops say Leggett admitted to racing during questioning ... and say the 20-year-old's passenger revealed they were racing against another Texas Tech player, who was NOT identified in the report.

After searching Leggett's phone, cops say they found a map that appeared to be of a course throughout the city that the cars were trying to race on.

Leggett was eventually arrested and booked on a charge of misdemeanor racing on a highway. He was released on bond shortly after.

It's unclear if police are working to track down the other two alleged speeding drivers.

Russell Wilson touchdown pass to ... Antonio Brown?!!?

That was a reality at the QB's workout field in San Diego on Wednesday ... and the possibility of the connection becoming a thing in Seattle this season seems to be getting more and more real.

31-year-old AB caught a bunch of passes from the former Super Bowl champ ... and based on the clips the WR shared on social media -- the two seem to have a hell of a rapport already.

Check out one of the plays where Brown tracked down a LOOONNGGGG deep ball from Russ ... it sure looked like something Pete Carroll wouldn't mind seeing at CenturyLink Field this year.

Brown certainly seems to be hoping so, at least ... he captioned one of the vids by saying, "Who would like to see this on Sundays 🤔 ? that was fun !!!!!!!!!!"

AB also got in some reps with Wilson's teammate, Geno Smith (as he's done often this offseason), during the sweat sesh as well ... begging the question, could this really be a preview of the Seahawks' offense this season????

Seattle DOES need another wideout to couple with D.K. Metcalf and Tyler Lockett ... but it's unclear just how many games Brown will be forced to miss in 2020.

Zachary Levi is set to play Kurt Warner in an upcoming biopic on the NFL Hall of Famer's life ... and you know who's PUMPED about that?!?

KURT WARNER!!!

The NFL Hall of Famer's journey from working at a Hy-Vee grocery store to winning the Super Bowl is getting the Hollywood treatment with a flick called "American Underdog" ... which is set to begin production later this year.

Levi -- who starred in the superhero flick "Shazam!" -- says he's "beyond pumped" for the role.

"Have always found [Kurt Warner] and his family, and their journey, to be an uplifting and inspiring one."

"Can’t wait to bring their story to screens both large and small. 🙌"

And, judging by Kurt's reply, the feeling is mutual!

"What a crazy, amazing journey this has been," Warner said ... "Now I’m going to be played by a Super Hero!!"

"Excited you [Zachary Levi] are taking this ride with us, can’t wait to see you deliver our story to the BIG screen!"

"I Still Believe" directors Jon and Andrew Erwin are set to take the helm for the Kurt Warner flick ... and they're convinced Levi is the perfect actor for the role.

"Zachary was our first and only choice," Jon said.

"He brings a combination of humble charm and charisma as well as an intense physicality to the role."

Andrew added ... "This is about an everyman who never let his dream die. Zachary was born to play this role – and when you add in his uncanny resemblance to Kurt Warner, we’re thrilled to be working with him."

Dude's not lying -- these guys could be brothers!!!

Warner was signed by the Green Bay Packers as an undrafted free agent out of Northern Iowa in 1994 but didn't make the final roster.

He famously played in the Arena League and NFL Europe while trying to earn another shot with an NFL team.

The Rams finally gave him a chance in 1998 ... and the rest is history.

Super Bowl champ. Super Bowl MVP. 4-time Pro Bowler. Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Move over, Jerry Jones ... there's a new king in the scoreboard world -- the Rams and Chargers just officially hung their video beast, AND IT'S 2.2 MILLION POUNDS!!!

The L.A. NFL squads made the joint announcement Wednesday ... saying their one-of-a-kind jumbotron is now fully functional at the new SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, Calif.

And, according to the teams ... it's gaudy.

The board is the largest EVER in sports history (yes, even bigger than the one at Jerry World in Dallas) ... coming in at 120 yards long and featuring 70,000 square feet of LED technology.

The teams also say it's hooked up with 260 speakers ... and holds enough power to keep 1,500 home theater systems running!!!

Unclear if any fans will be able to watch it this season -- coronavirus cases are spiking like crazy in California and with the regular season's kickoff set for only 2 months from now, things ain't looking promising.

Tony Dungy says he's done calling the Washington Redskins by their nickname ... explaining, "If the team doesn’t want to change, the least I can do is try not to use it."

Besides being an NFL Hall of Fame coach, Dungy is also part of NBC's "Football Night In America" ... the pre-game show for the biggest game of the week.

In other words, Dungy has a HUGE platform -- and he intends to use it to push for Washington to change its name.

"It’s not hard to change the name," Dungy told ESPN's William C. Rhoden. "When I’m on the air, I try to just refer to them as Washington. I think it’s appropriate."

Dungy's comments come in the wake of the National Congress of American Indians -- a powerful org. that represents more than 500 tribal nations -- deeming the team name offensive and calling for NFL Players to boycott.

NCAI president Fawn Sharp said just last week -- "It’s time for the players to rip down that name like it was a statue of a Confederate general in their locker room."

Pretty strong stuff -- especially since Washington had long argued that Native Americans were cool with the team name.

Can't hide behind that argument anymore.

Despite the pushback, Washington head coach Ron Rivera still isn't on board with a name change -- at least not yet -- arguing on a radio show earlier this week it's "always been a part of football."

Dungy disagrees, saying, "You can say, ‘This has been a historic name and we’ve used it for this team for X number of years, but in this day and age, it’s offensive to some people, so we’re going to change it.'"

Well, that didn't take long ... Cam Newton and Mohamed Sanu hooked up in L.A. on Tuesday to get in their first workout as Patriots teammates -- and the dudes are JACKED!!

The Sideline Hustle documented the sweat sesh -- which all went down at UCLA -- grabbing footage of the new Pats QB1 with New England's WR2.

Unclear how long the duo worked out together ... but check out the vid of the two afterward -- Sanu is ripped, and Newton is still big as hell!!

Of course, Newton and Sanu have a relationship dating back YEARS ... they were rivals during their times in Carolina and Atlanta -- and they had already been spotted working out together earlier this year before Cam signed with Bill Belichick's squad.

But, it's clear the workouts mean more now ... Cam's expected to be the starter in New England, while a finally-healthy Sanu is slated to be the team's No. 2 WR target behind Julian Edelman.

By the way, this also helps explain why Cam touched down in Los Angeles rather than New England earlier this week after signing his contract ... gotta build that rapport early!!

NFL rookie Jermiah Braswell's time with the Arizona Cardinals is over before it even began -- the wide receiver has been cut after allegedly drunkenly driving his Camaro into Lake Erie.

The 23-year-old ex-Youngstown State star -- who signed as an undrafted free agent in April -- was arrested for operating a vehicle while intoxicated in Put-in-Bay, OH on Saturday ... after cops found him in the driver's seat trying to move the vehicle out of the water.

According to witnesses, the Toledo native was traveling at "a very high rate of speed" on the road before the crash ... driving onto grass, off an embankment and into the water.

When cops spoke with Braswell, they claim he was slurring his speech and had no idea how he ended up in the lake ... and decided to conduct field sobriety tests.

Braswell also took a breathalyzer test, which reportedly showed a BAC higher than the Ohio limit.

The NFL transaction report shows the Cards decided to part ways with the rookie on Monday ... ending his short stint with the team.

DeSean Jackson is once again using his cleats to send a message -- this time, he's paying tribute to Breonna Taylor and Ahmaud Arbery.

The Philadelphia Eagles WR has a history of expressing himself through custom artwork on his kicks -- and this time, he went back to SolesBySir to take on police brutality.

"I stand on what’s right," Jackson says ... "Let’s not get caught up in the false impulsive message behind #BLM We just want fair rights!"

He added, "400 plus years .... The time is now #ahmaudarbery #breonnataylor."

Of course, Breonna Taylor was shot and killed by police after they executed a no-knock warrant on the WRONG apartment in Kentucky back in March. Taylor was in bed during the incident and was shot 8 times. None of the 3 officers involved in the shooting have been charged with a crime.

Ahmaud Arbery was chased down and killed by 2 white men in Georgia back in February -- while 3rd man watched and recorded the incident. After a public outcry, all 3 men were charged with felony murder in what some people are calling a modern-day lynching.

On both sets of cleats, DeSean included an image of the victims -- adding the word, "Enough" on the Arbery pair.

Jackson has previously gone to SolesBySir for tributes to people like George Floyd, Rodney King and Muhammad Ali.

Frightening moment for NFL star Shaq Barrett ... he was forced to evacuate his Colorado home Monday after a wildfire threatened to consume it.

But, fortunately for the Tampa Bay Bucs pass rusher, firefighters were able to contain the blaze ... and saved the 27-year-old's "dream home."

"It sucked," Barrett told CBS4's Michael Spencer shortly after evacuating. "That's our dream home, we do not want our dream home to go anywhere."

Law enforcement officials said the fire -- which burned over 400 acres in the Denver area -- was caused by a malfunction on a power pole ... and took several hours to fully contain.

Barrett -- who's kept the home since signing as an undrafted free agent with the Broncos back in 2014 -- was no doubt grateful to hear his place had been saved.

"For it to go that way would be the worst way possible," Barrett said.

Shaq -- who's been franchise tagged by the Bucs this offseason after a monster 19.5-sack 2019 -- joked Tampa Bay needs to sign him to an extension so he can avoid situations like this going forward.

"Tampa needs to help me buy a house in Tampa with a long-term deal!"

"You fittin' to get a monster!"

Former Patriots Super Bowl MVP Deion Branch says Cam Newton is going to go OFF in 2020 ... telling TMZ Sports the QB is poised for a huge season as Tom Brady's replacement.

"I think this guy's going to erupt, man," the ex-Pats wideout says. "I think this is going to be a crazy season for him."

As for why ... Branch tells us he believes Cam's going to come into New England motivated -- and says that should be a scary sight for the rest of the league.

"Right now, Cam feels like everybody is doubting him," Branch says. "That's a place you never want to see a true competitor, because you fittin' to get a monster!"

Of course, Cam hasn't been quite the same QB since his MVP season in 2015 ... mostly because injuries have hampered him throughout the last four seasons.

But, Branch says if Newton's healthy -- which he reportedly is -- the Patriots might find a seamless transition from TB12.

"This isn't fake, man," Branch says. "This guy is out here grinding. And, he's trying to show teams, 'Hey, I know what I can do. Just give me the opportunity.'"

Christion Jones -- an ex-Univ. of Alabama WR -- is now jobless ... he was cut by the Edmonton Eskimos over the weekend, and the team says it's all because of the guy's homophobic tweets.

The 27-year-old fired off intolerant words on social media on Saturday, writing in one, "Man ain't suppose to be with a man. A women is not suppose to be with another women."

Jones doubled down several times on the comments after he faced backlash ... but when word of his tweets reached his employers -- he was quickly fired.

The Eskimos -- who traded for Jones during the 2019 season -- said, "We stand by the LGBTQ+ community and firmly condemn the language used by Christion Jones."

They added, "There is no place for such commentary on our team. Jones has been released from the roster."

The CFL itself also blasted Jones ... saying in a statement of its own, "There is no place in our league for commentary that disparages people on the basis of their religion, race, gender or sexual orientation."

"As Pride Month continues, we stand with the LGBTQ+ community. We all need to say no to hate and yes to love."

For his part, Jones -- after hours of defending his initial comments and swearing he wouldn't apologize -- did end up saying he was sorry for the insensitive comments.

"My words were deeply hurtful, painful and served zero purpose," Jones said. "I added to the struggle of a community, to live a life free of oppression of any kind. I sincerely apologize. I was wrong."