Football

Ex-NFL player Brendan Langley is sharing his side of the infamous airport brawl ... his attorney tells TMZ Sports the United employee harassed him, called him names, and got physical first -- leaving his client no choice but to defend himself.

We've obtained a statement from Alan Jackson, Brendan's attorney, who says the former Denver Broncos CB is the real victim.

"Brendan Langley was minding his business walking through the airport with his bags when he was accosted by a United Airlines employee who claimed to 'run the airport,'" Jackson says.

"When Brendan tried to ignore him, the assailant followed and harassed Brendan, calling him a 'd***' and a 'p***y' and challenging him to fight."

Jackson says 27-year-old Langley yelled out for help, but no one intervened. He also says the viral footage only tells part of the story -- and claims CCTV backs up his side of the altercation.

"Footage from the airport security cameras establishes without question that Brendan was in reasonable fear of physical harm, and reasonably and lawfully defended himself. We do not expect charges to be filed against Brendan."

Of course, Langley was the only person arrested, however, the United worker was fired almost immediately after the video made rounds on social media.

The Calgary Stampeders have launched an investigation into Brendan Langley ... after their wide receiver was seen on video punching a United Airlines employee at a New Jersey airport this week.

The Canadian Football League club released a statement late Monday announcing the probe ... saying it is aware of Langley's arrest and is "looking into the matter in order to learn the full details."

"[We] will have no further comment until the investigation is complete," the team said.

Langley -- who just signed with the Stampeders in February -- got into a brawl with the UA employee at the Newark Liberty International Airport after an argument.

The video of the melee went viral ... capturing the two men in an all-out fistfight at a ticket counter.

The employee was left with a bloody face and police tell us Langley was later arrested for simple assault. United ultimately fired the employee over the incident.

Langley was selected as a cornerback by the Denver Broncos in the third round of the 2017 NFL Draft -- making him the first player drafted from Lamar University in over 25 years.

The 27-year-old signed a four-year, $3.17 million deal ... and converted to wide receiver in March 2019. He was waived before the 2019 season.

After a short stint with the Seattle Seahawks and the XFL, Langley signed with the Stampeders, where he was expected to compete for playing this season.

Tom Brady is proving, yet again, he's great at everything ... revealing on Tuesday during a batting practice session with Rob Gronkowski that he's got a buttery smooth baseball swing!!

The 44-year-old hit up a diamond in what looked like South Florida with Gronk and his longtime trainer, Alex Guerrero, and took some sweet hacks from a left-handed stance.

Brady crushed two balls in the clip -- and looked every bit like he belonged in the batter's box.

"Got some cuts in this morning," said the 7-time Super Bowl champ, who was actually drafted by the Montreal Expos way back in 1995. "Wonder if that Expos offer is still on the table…"

In the clip, TB12 said it had been "a long f***ing time" since he last swung a bat ... but his deep fly balls to center and right field showed he's still got magic in his hands.

Brady -- who's a right-handed QB -- seemed to be impressed with his work ... joking with a fan on his TikTok page that he was "raking" with the bat.

The longstanding, famous tradition of releasing red balloons at Nebraska Cornhuskers home football games will be no more ... and it's all 'cause of a global helium shortage.

Univ. athletic director Trev Alberts made the announcement on Monday -- explaining that due to the scarcity of helium worldwide, school officials will no longer supply fans with red balloons at Memorial Stadium for the time being.

"While we're still concerned about the environmental impact of the balloons," Alberts said on the Huskers' "Sports Nightly" radio show, "the reality is acquiring helium in today's day and age given some of the challenge and some of the production of it is really challenged and it's been hard to get."

"And so," he added, "we are this year not going to be providing the red balloons for the first time at Memorial Stadium."

The releasing of the balloons following the school's first points of home games started in the 1960s, and it soon became one of college football's most famous traditions.

But, a number of factors, including Ukraine's war with Russia (one of the world's top helium providers), have now limited the supply of helium.

Alberts explained the university would rather the helium they receive be used for medical purposes at the University of Nebraska Medical Center -- a facility in Omaha -- going forward.

Investigators are revealing more details surrounding Dwayne Haskins' death ... saying in reports released on Monday the QB "drank heavily" and ingested ketamine in the hours leading up to his passing, and also had a blood alcohol level of .24 at the time of the April 9 accident.

According to a Broward County Medical Examiner's Office investigation report ... a rep for the Steelers told investigators Haskins had trained with teammates in the Miami area all day on April 8, before eventually heading to a club in the evening with a "friend/cousin."

In the documents, investigators say the rep told them Haskins "drank heavily" ... and then got into a fight.

Hours later, Haskins was found dead on a Florida highway after being struck by a dump truck.

Investigators say at the scene, they found Haskins' vehicle and a "female companion" inside of it. The investigators said the woman told them Haskins had left the car on foot to try to find a gas station. The woman's relationship with Haskins was not disclosed in the documents.

According to an autopsy report that was also released on Monday, two of Haskins' blood samples tested positive for alcohol -- with one revealing a .20 BAC, and the other a .24.

The report also showed Haskins' urine samples tested positive for ketamine and norketamine.

Investigators ruled Haskins died due to multiple blunt force injuries. They said the manner of death was an accident.

Since the tragedy, several memorials have been held in his honor. And, his wife, Kalabrya, also got a sleeve of tattoos to remember her late husband.

Deshaun Watson's attorney says the NFL has concluded its interviews with the Browns star over allegations that he was sexually inappropriate with female massage therapists -- and he's now anticipating a league ruling in the case to come down sometime this summer.

Rusty Hardin said on the "Between The Lines: A Podcast About Sports and the Law" that Watson spoke with NFL investigators for three days this week over the masseuses' claims.

Hardin explained nothing was off-limits during the talks -- and he said he believed with the interviews now in the rearview mirror, a potential NFL punishment for Watson could be figured out in a matter of weeks.

"I don't have a deadline," Hardin said. "I'd suspect the NFL wants to conclude its investigation sometime this summer. Whether that is June or whether that's August or July, I have no idea. That's their schedule."

Hardin said he believed there are still more people the NFL wants to question before it makes its final ruling.

Hardin reiterated on the podcast that he firmly believes his client was not inappropriate with any of his 22 accusers ... adding he still believes any sexual conduct his client had with the women was consensual.

An airline passenger and a United Airlines employee were in an all-out brawl at Newark Liberty International Airport, and the worker ended up flat on his ass.

Witnesses say the 2 began arguing before pushing, slapping and ultimately punching each other.

The video starts mid-fight ... the worker seems to push the passenger, who then slaps the employee in the face, and then all hell breaks loose.

The 2 square off and then the passenger throws punch after punch ... and the blows clearly landed, because the employee eventually falls behind the counter and clearly has trouble getting up and steadying himself.

The craziest part ... the employee is clearly dazed and bloodiest, but comes back for more, and that's where the video ends.

We reached out to airport police to find out if anyone was arrested ... so far, no word back.

A Tuskegee Airman got an amazing surprise at his 100th birthday party ... New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft showed up -- and gifted the man a custom jersey!

Sgt. Victor Butler -- who's believed to be Rhode Island's last surviving Tuskegee Airman -- had the celebration on Saturday in North Providence, and just minutes into it, Kraft made a surprise appearance.

The 80-year-old shook Butler's hand, offered a bunch of praise -- and then handed over a Patriots jersey that featured Butler's name and the No. 100.

"We wanted to give you something no one else could give you," Kraft said at the event. "And, maybe it wasn't always easy, but you did what was best for America."

"So, we thank you for that."

The 6-time Super Bowl champion owner also gave Victor a signed football and took pics with the legend as those in attendance cheered, applauded and sang, "Happy Birthday."

What made the event even cooler? The former Sgt. had originally only asked that people send him birthday cards for his big day.

In addition to Kraft's gifts, others also showed up bearing presents -- and there was even a parade thrown his Butler's honor.

Karl-Anthony Towns is making boyfriends all over the world look bad ... the NBA star surprised girlfriend Jordyn Woods with a super romantic weekend getaway for their 2nd anniversary!

Woods shared some of the lovely moments from the weekend ... saying the Minnesota Timberwolves center brought her to the same place President John F. Kennedy and his wife Jackie had their honeymoon.

FYI, the Kennedys spent a couple of weeks at San Ysidro Ranch in Santa Barbara, CA, after getting married in 1953.

KAT showered Jordyn with jewelry, a new Chanel and Tom Ford wardrobe along with a personal photographer for a getaway photoshoot.

"I had no idea we were going anywhere," Woods said, "and Karl surprised me with a weekend trip to the same resort John and Jackie Kennedy had their honeymoon, an entire wardrobe, an amazing photoshoot with a top photographer, and an unforgettable experience."

That's not it ... Woods was also surprised with several private dinners, including one on a sandy beach with a guitarist -- and a spa day plus golf.

"I love you @karltowns!!," Woods said, "You make me feel like a queen and always remind me everyday."

"Best anniversary weekend."

This marks the 2nd anniversary for the couple who made it official back in 2020. Last year KAT credited Woods with changing his life, and turning him into a better man.

One of Kurt Cobain's most famed guitars is officially in the hands of a new owner, but it wasn't acquired without a king's ransom -- the instrument ended up going for 7 figures.

You'll definitely recognize this one ... it's the blue 1969 Fender Mustang featured in Nirvana's "Smells Like Teen Spirit" music video, which was also used during recording sessions for the band's "Nevermind" and "In Utero" albums -- so the high price tag of $4.5 million should be no surprise.

Kurt's old guitar was auctioned off Sunday to the Jim Irsay Collection -- yes, the Indianapolis Colts owner -- and ended up going for way higher than its estimated bid of $600k ... which is where Julien's Auctions had it pegged at the outset.

Considering this was one of Kurt's most prized possessions -- not to mention it's a left-handed guitar -- the exponential jump, perhaps, really isn't all that shocking.

What is sorta eye-opening is how many bidders there were -- word is, it was a war of sorts that Irsay walked away from victorious. The guy's worth an estimated $3.5 billion -- so he definitely had the means to snap it up.

Calvin Magee, former Tampa Bay Buccaneers tight end and coach at Jacksonville State University, has died ... the school announced on Friday.

He was 59.

"Our hearts are broken with the loss of our beloved friend Calvin Magee," Rich Rodriguez, head coach for the JSU Gamecocks said in a statement. "Calvin was a great husband, great father, and grandfather, great coach, great friend and great man."

"He impacted my life and the lives of so many others in such a positive way. Our thoughts and prayers are with his beautiful family - wife Rose, daughters Jade and Jasmine, son Bryson, his grandchildren, and all his friends and relatives. Our world is less, but heaven got better."

"I miss him dearly already. I love you, my brother," Rich added.

Magee, whose coaching career began in the early '90s at Tampa Catholic High School in Florida, joined Rodriguez's staff after leaving Duke University this past December.

During his more than two decades of coaching experience, Magee made stops at South Florida, West Virginia, Michigan, Pittsburgh, Arizona, New Mexico, and Ole Miss.

In 2007, Magee was named the AFCA's Assistant Coach of the Year after he helped lead WVU to an 11-2 record, a Big East Championship, and a Fiesta Bowl victory over Oklahoma.

Magee spent 4 seasons in the NFL after being drafted out of Southern college, where he played in 56 games for the Bucs org.

In those games, Magee started in 34 and recorded 114 receptions, 1379 yards, and 11 touchdowns.

Magee is survived by his wife Rose, and their children, Jade, Jasmine, and Bryson.

Kansas City Chiefs cornerback L'Jarius Sneed's car was shot up in Louisiana ... but cops say he was not inside of the ride at the time and has not been accused of any wrongdoing.

The Minden Police Department tells TMZ Sports ... the gunfire went down at some point on Friday afternoon in Minden, where Sneed played high school football.

According to a department spokesperson, Sneed's Ford Bronco -- which the 25-year-old football player was not an occupant in at the time -- was hit by bullets ... and Sneed later showed up on the scene to check things out.

We're told Sneed and others were detained on the scene and questioned by officers, but ultimately, Sneed was not arrested and not charged with a crime ... and was let go.

Sources close to Sneed say two of his friends were driving the vehicle at the time ... and believe the shooting was random.

The spokesperson said cops are investigating the situation to find out who fired on the vehicle. No arrests have been made at this time, the spokesperson added.

We've reached out to the Chiefs for comment.

Sneed was picked in the fourth round by the Chiefs in the 2020 NFL Draft ... and quickly became one of K.C.'s best players.

Michael Vick is back!!!

The NFL legend is pulling out his cleats again and will play in a Fan Controlled Football game later this month, TMZ Sports has confirmed with league sources.

The 41-year-old four-time Pro Bowler hasn't played since the 2015 season -- officially retiring in 2017 -- but we're told after seeing the success Terrell Owens had in the league earlier this year, MV decided to make a comeback.

It's unclear which team Vick will play for or for how long ... but our sources say the quarterback is just looking to be like Owens and have some football fun in his 40s.

Vick has clearly still been keeping his arm in shape despite retirement ... he filmed a video earlier this month with Rich Eisen where he proved he can still throw a football out of a stadium.

We're told Vick is currently targeting May 28 for the comeback.

The Action Jackson nickname for Lamar Jackson just got a whole other meaning -- as in Lights Camera Action -- 'cause the Baltimore Ravens star just made an appearance in a music video with Kodak Black!!!

The quarterback's cameo came about two minutes into the vid for Loe Shimmy's rap song, "Bounty," which features Kodak on the track.

In the flick that was released Thursday night, you can see Jackson rockin' gold chains and wearing an all-black fit while chillin' with Kodak in a hotel room.

Loe also pays homage to the former NFL MVP in the video by showing a shrine of the 25-year-old signal-callers helmets and framed jerseys.

Jackson was hyped about the appearance ... sharing it on his IG and saying, "Motion Boyz 🚀🚀"

Of course, the guest star role shouldn't surprise many ... Jackson and Kodak go way back, growing up together in Pompano Beach, Florida. The two actually went to the same elementary school!

In fact, when Kodak was serving a 46-month sentence in federal prison back in 2019, LJ reached out to then-President Donald Trump to plead for an early release.

"Hey Donald Trump, my friend Kodak Black deserves to be commuted," Jackson said on Twitter last January.

"The system punished him way to hard for a paperwork crime #freekodak."

Deshaun Watson clearly ain't sweating the NFL investigation that's hanging over his head ... he just posted video showing he's out in the Bahamas golfing with his new teammates and enjoying life.

In the footage that Cleveland's new QB threw up on his social media page on Thursday, Watson can be seen draining a 30-foot-or-so putt while on a hole with a couple of Browns players.

The sun's setting. Watson's laughing. And, his teammates are fired up for him.

It looks like a great time -- especially considering Cleveland superstar Nick Chubb is also on the trip with the quarterback -- but, reportedly, this week was a big one when it comes to potential NFL punishment for Watson.

The 26-year-old -- who's been accused of sexual misconduct by more than 20 female massage therapists -- reportedly met with league investigators over the masseuses' allegations ... in what could be the last step before the NFL decides on a possible suspension.

No word on how the meeting went -- but the league has been investigating the claims against the star for over a year ... and is expected to make a decision on a potential punishment in the upcoming weeks/months.

Micah Parsons did his best Simone Biles impression at a trampoline park this month -- hitting some insane flips on the mat ... and TMZ Sports has video of it all!!!

The Dallas Cowboys superstar performed the wild tricks on a trip with his toddler son to Altitude Trampoline Park in Dallas ... and you can see clear as day, his All-Pro athleticism on the field definitely translates off of it.

Parsons hit front flips with ease -- and got some SERIOUS air every time he went for the stunts.

The 22-year-old looked like he was having a blast too ... wrestling around and laughing with his young son on the floor.

We're told Micah was super nice to everyone at the place -- and even posed for pics with some people while there.

And, yes, Cowboys fans, his knees and body were just fine when he got done horsing around.