Football

The 49ers fan who was left in a coma following an altercation at SoFi Stadium during last season's NFC Championship Game is now suing the Rams over it all ... claiming the team didn't do enough to help prevent it from going down.

The allegations are spelled out by Daniel Luna in a new lawsuit, obtained by TMZ Sports, and filed in Los Angeles Superior Court earlier this week.

In the docs, Luna claims he showed up to the big 49ers vs. Rams game Inglewood, CA on Jan. 30 -- and after being unable to secure tickets to the contest, he watched the action in the stadium's parking lot with around 20 other fans.

But, at one point during the second quarter, Luna claims he made contact with Bryan Alexis Cifuentes from behind and then walked away.

Luna alleges in the suit that Cifuentes then "pursued and pushed" him ... before socking him in the face.

Luna claimed he was defenseless at the time of the punch, and "immediately fell to the ground and was rendered unconscious by the blow."

He was ultimately put into a medically induced coma, which he came out of in March.

Luna is suing the Rams, Cifuentes and others for unspecified damages.

As we reported, Inglewood mayor James Butts Jr. announced back in February that Cifuentes had been arrested over the altercation and booked on a felony charge of assault by means to produce great bodily injury.

In his announcement, Butts Jr. said investigators found that Luna initially pushed Cifuentes, before Cifuentes then shoved Luna and punched him in the face.

At the time, the 49ers said in a statement of it all, "What happened to Daniel Luna is reprehensible and we strongly condemn all violence."

"We know local authorities are conducting a full investigation and we're here to support them however we can."

"Our thoughts and prayers go to Mr. Luna, his family, friends, and the medical team providing him care.''

Isaiah McKenzie earned major props from his fantasy owners AND his family with his TD on Thursday night ... 'cause it turns out the Bills wideout did a gender reveal for his sister right in the middle of the endzone after scoring!!

Buffalo just made the revelation in a TikTok video posted Friday morning ... showing the slot receiver actually screaming out "It's a boy!" into a camera right after recording a touchdown in the third quarter of the Bills' game against the Rams.

In the video that the Bills shared, you can see McKenzie's family watching on the TV as he revealed the news.

And, when he yelled into the lens -- they went bananas!!!

It's unclear whether Isaiah planned the gender reveal or if it was a surprise ... but his family's reaction was priceless, bringing smiles to their faces.

Of course, McKenzie, his fam, and the Bills had a lot to smile about Thursday ... 'cause they knocked off the defending champs in a laugher, 31-10, at SoFi Stadium.

The Pittsburgh Steelers are continuing to honor Dwayne Haskins following his sudden death ... by wearing #3 stickers on their helmets for this entire season.

The org. announced the planned tribute on Friday ... showing the nod to the late quarterback will be placed on the bottom left of their iconic helmets starting this week.

Haskins joined the Steelers back in January 2021 following a two-year stint with the Washington Commanders ... but did not see any game action.

Tragically, following the season, he died when he was hit by a dump truck in a horrible accident on a Florida highway.

He was just 24 years old.

The Steelers have paid tribute to him repeatedly since his passing ... with head coach Mike Tomlin saying at the time of his death that he was devastated over the loss.

"He quickly became part of our Steelers family upon his arrival in Pittsburgh and was one of our hardest workers," Tomlin said, "both on the field and in our community."

Haskins' alma mater, Ohio State, and his former Commanders team have also paid homage to the QB in the wake of his death.

The L.A. Rams and Buffalo Bills' season opener nearly went up in smoke on Thursday ... when protesters rushed the field with a pink flare -- with one being dragged off by security.

Two women somehow found their way onto the field during the fourth quarter at SoFi Stadium ... as many in the sold-out crowd whipped their phones out to record the debacle.

Former NFL player Emmanuel Acho was one of them -- and you can see in his footage one of the two women was holding up a pink smoke bomb while racing down the field like a running back.

SoFi security quickly caught up to her and tackled her to the ground -- right in front of the Bills' defensive huddle -- before hauling her away.

The protesters wore a RightToRescue.com shirt, which is a website that claims to help "the whistleblowers facing prison time for exposing factory farm abuses and rescuing suffering animals."

Direct Action Everywhere took responsibility for the protest and released a statement saying the two women were there to bring awareness to the upcoming trial of Smithfield Foods factory farm whistleblowers.

"The protest aims to shine a light on what DxE calls a landmark trial for animal rights, food justice and free speech, and more broadly, on the entire animal agricultural industry, which DxE says is inherently abusive and exploitative."

O.J. Simpson slaughtered his ex-wife and her friend -- so says a civil jury that awarded the victims' families $33 million -- but you wouldn't know it by the reception he received 13 miles from the murder site, because fans were beyond stoked to rub elbows with him.

O.J. returned to L.A. -- as far as we can tell for the first time in years -- to watch the Bills trounce the Rams at SoFi Stadium.

Simpson was like a rock star outside the stadium ... with fans flocking to him for a precious selfie. They could not mask their excitement, screaming his name, hugging and fist-bumping him ... they just couldn't contain their glee.

True enough, O.J. was found not guilty of murder, but the civil jury ruled he did indeed kill Ron and Nicole -- who was almost decapitated by the knife -- and left her dead on the front doorstep. If it weren't for a curious pedestrian, his children would have found the body.

Even at 48 years old, Terrell Owens could STILL catch touchdowns for your favorite NFL team ... so says T.J. Houshmandzadeh, who tells TMZ Sports the Hall of Famer "would be successful" if he signed somewhere in the league today.

"I would say if a team gave him 15-20 snaps [per game], give him all the third downs and the redzone," the former Bengals superstar said, "he could do it."

Owens has been asking for a second chance in the NFL for years -- and showed last month he's still got the wheels to play.

In a 40-yard race with two Fan Controlled Football league receivers, Owens dusted the competition and posted an incredible sub-4.5-second run time. And, Houshmandzadeh says that's why he thinks T.O. would still work in the league.

"If you're able to run," the ex-Cincinnati wideout said, "you're able to keep and create separation."

Owens hasn't gotten any looks from NFL GMs since he last played in the 2010 season -- but he has hit the field for the FCF and done well there.

Houshmandzadeh says he's "interested" in seeing some team give the guy the opportunity to show he still belongs.

"I don't know why anyone hasn't," he said. "I don't think they will. But if they were, I believe he'd be successful."

O.J. Simpson -- #32 back in the day -- just posted a 32-second video he shot in L.A. ... and as far we know, he hasn't been back in years, and there's a lot of history.

O.J. was in a suite at SoFi Stadium Thursday afternoon, getting ready to watch the Buffalo Bills square off against the L.A. Rams.

Simpson was giddy with excitement, telling his followers, "Hey twitterworld, it's me, yours truly!!!" He made it clear, he's rooting for his old team, and seemed amped up for the game.

Of course, it almost goes without saying ... O.J. in L.A. conjures up memories of June 12, 1994 and the murders that went down 13 miles from the stadium.

As you know, O.J. was tried for the murders of ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman. He was found not guilty, but shortly thereafter a civil jury ruled he did indeed kill Ron and Nicole and did so with malice. The jury awarded the families $33 million but O.J. paid virtually nothing, and has even mocked Ron Goldman's dad, Fred, in the years that followed.

A freshman high school football player in Minnesota is currently paralyzed after the 15-year-old boy suffered a serious spinal cord injury during his first game of the season ... and his family fears he'll never have use of his arms and legs again.

The terrible incident happened when the Jefferson High Jaguars played Chaska in Bloomington, MN on Sept. 2.

Ethan Glynn -- who plays on defense -- was severely injured after making a tackle in the first quarter. Jaguars' coach Tim Carlson told local media outlet, KSTP, that Ethan tripped before making the tackle, sending him headfirst into the opponent.

The hard hit to the top of the head left the teenager motionless on the field ... and now his family says he has no feeling in his extremities.

"He suffered a severe neck & spinal cord injury that has left him paralyzed from the shoulders down," Glynn's family said on the CaringBridge.

"He has a long road ahead of him but he is a fighter and we have no doubt that he will give it his all."

Ethan's already endured multiple surgeries ... and his family says he met with his physical and occupational therapist on Thursday.

"He has excelled at using the communication board," the family said, "which has allowed him to take in some sports highlights, a movie & communicate with us!"

A fundraiser has been started to help Ethan's family with the ever-mounting medical bills ... and as of Thursday afternoon, they've already raised over $120K on GoFundMe.

"We are lucky to have such amazing support," the family said on the GoFundMe page.

"We've got you #8"

Besides football, Ethan was also the captain of Jefferson's hockey team.

The NFL will honor Queen Elizabeth II before the 2022-23 season kicks off ... with the league holding a moment of silence, TMZ Sports has learned.

Tributes throughout the sports world have been pouring in on Thursday ... with many athletes, organizations and events sharing condolences over the passing of Her Majesty.

In addition to the NFL's tribute, the BMW PGA Championship has suspended play until further notice ... with organizers saying golf would be paused for the time being in the wake of the Queen's death.

"Out of respect for Her Majesty and the Royal Family, play has been suspended at the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth Club for the remainder of Thursday, and flags at Wentworth Club will be lowered to half-mast,” a statement from the Tour reads, according to GOLF.com.

"Furthermore, no play will take place at the BMW PGA Championship on Friday, and the golf course and practice facilities will be closed."

Thursday was the first day of the BMW PGA Championship tournament -- which is held in Europe -- and one of golf's biggest names, Rory McIlroy, was competing in it.

As we reported, the Queen's family rushed to be by her side once the palace announced she was under medical supervision at her estate in Scotland.

The Royal Family announced the 96-year-old Queen -- the longest reigning monarch --  "died peacefully" hours later.

Another tribute took place at a match between FC Zurich and Arsenal ... with a moment of silence after halftime.

Players from both clubs stood with their arms behind their backs ... while fans in attendance followed suit by paying homage to the Queen.

An image of the Queen was also shown on a big screen ... saying, "In memorial Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II."

The Queen's impact was certainly felt ... evidenced by the reaction her passing is receiving from notable athletes like F1 star Lewis Hamilton, NFL quarterback Russell Wilson and pro boxers Tyson Fury and Jake Paul.

Hamilton expressed concern about Queen Elizabeth's well-being in the waning moments of her life ... saying he was hoping for better news and calling her a "real fighter."

"Dignity defined. An inspirational leader for many generations. Rest In Peace Queen Elizabeth II," Paul tweeted.

Former Washington Commanders captain Deshazor Everett has just been sentenced to house arrest in the criminal case involving his December car crash that resulted in the death of his girlfriend.

A judge handed down the sentence in a Loudoun County, Va. courtroom on Thursday ... two months after Everett pleaded guilty to misdemeanor reckless driving in the case.

The judge sentenced the 30-year-old to 12 months of house arrest, with nine months suspended, court records show. The judge also ordered the suspension of Everett's license for six months. He was also hit with a $2,500 fine, according to the records.

Outside of the courtroom following the ruling, Everett's attorney, Kaveh Noorishad, called it all "a fair decision."

Everett also spoke after the hearing ... and vowed "to be the best person" that his girlfriend "always wanted me to be."

As we previously reported, Everett was initially charged with felony involuntary manslaughter after officials alleged he was speeding before he crashed his Nissan GT-R. His girlfriend, Olivia Peters, was a passenger in the car, and died as a result of the wreck.

Everett cut a deal with prosecutors in July, pleading guilty to a lesser charge of misdemeanor reckless driving.

Everett -- who was released by the Commanders three months after the crash -- has not played football since the accident. He's currently an NFL free agent.

Adrian Peterson ain't done with football yet ... the future Hall of Famer says he still wants to play -- and he revealed to TMZ Sports he's got his eye on joining one of the three big Super Bowl contenders this year.

The former Minnesota Vikings star -- who's training his ass off to fight Le'Veon Bell in a celeb boxing match this weekend -- said despite his newfound goals in the ring ... he's hoping someone gives him a call to play football later this season.

Specifically, the running back said he's targeting the Bills, Rams and 49ers.

"There's a couple teams out there," A.P. admitted out in L.A. on Wednesday while gearing up for his big fight night with Bell. "Buffalo Bills would be a good team. The Rams, I don't know what need they'll have at running back. San Fran would be a good look."

Peterson said while Buffalo, L.A. or San Francisco would be ideal -- the plan is to ultimately chase a ring somewhere this year.

"There's a lot of teams that have the opportunity to advance far into the playoffs that I've thought about," he said.

For now, Peterson -- who last played for the Seahawks in 2021 -- is solely focused on boxing ... as his match with Bell is scheduled to go down at Banc of California Stadium on Saturday.

Adrian tells us he isn't worried about the age gap between him and the former Pittsburgh Steelers star (37 to 30) ... and is hoping his power and awareness get him a win.

A Virginia restaurant is doing some serious damage control after releasing a 9/11-themed seafood menu with items named after markers of the attack.

The Clubhouse restaurant came under fire Tuesday after manager George White posted the 'Patriot Day 2022' menu to Facebook with dishes that included a 'Freedom Flounder', 'Flight 93 Redirect' Crab Dip, 'Pentagon Pie,' '9-11 Oysters,' 'First Responder Flatbread' and the '2977 Chowder' -- a nod to the number of people who died on 9/11.

The 21st anniversary of the attack is Sunday, so it appears the restaurant thought the menu would act as a way to honor the victims ... but it clearly missed the mark.

White apologized shortly after, "I apologize for those I offended with the 9/11 seafood Sunday post. My intention was to bring attention to that horrific day 21 years ago. To honor those who lost so much as well those who gave everything that day. We will have a new theme tomorrow."

AEW star MJF had an all-timer of a promo at Dynamite on Wednesday ... ruthlessly insulting the hell outta Josh Allen and the Bills -- and he did it in front of a ton of Buffalo fans!!

The hilarious moment went down at KeyBank Center ... when MJF made his return to the ring after months away. He started off praising the NFL quarterback and the city, but quickly turned on the audience -- disrespecting their appearance, their quarterback and even their incomes.

MJF called the crowd "grotesque, poor lard asses" as he unleashed the iconic promo ... with fans making sure they were pissed with his words.

But, it didn't stop there -- MJF then took his Allen Jersey off ... and slid it back and forth between his legs.

On top of that, MJF also teased leaving for a REAL wrestling promotion in 2024 ... amid rumors he is unhappy with his contract and has gotten interest from WWE.

A shirtless MJF eventually left the ring and let Moxley take the mic ... whose promo did not insult the thousands of fans in attendance.

Tom Brady and Gisele Bündchen's relationship is reportedly going through a serious rough patch ... and their issues are apparently so bad, they are not even living together.

The NFL superstar and his wife of 13 years have had several heated arguments recently ... and it all stems from his decision to return for another season with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Page Six was first to report.

The details that followed continue to back that narrative ... with People claiming the couple is not sharing time at home as they navigate through their "rough patch."

The outlet also states the family did not spend Labor Day weekend together -- with Gisele taking their kids to a Miami waterpark, and Tom electing to check out Jack (his son with actress Bridget Moynahan) at football practice in New York.

It's no secret -- Gisele has publicly expressed her desire for TB12 to call it a career for at least 5 years ... claiming Brady has nothing else to prove on the field and she would prefer he spent time with their family instead.

In fact, Bündchen spoke about their unbalanced structure with British Vogue earlier this year ... saying her focus is on their kids and taking care of things at home, while he focuses on football.

If the reports are accurate, it may explain why Tom mysteriously spent 11 days away from the Bucs during training camp ... which led to wild speculation on social media.

Remember, there were rumblings the QB was shooting episodes of "The Masked Singer," which he denied ... and other reports claim he was in the Bahamas with his wife.

When he finally spoke with reporters last week, he explained, "I'm 45 years old, man. There's a lot of s*** going on, so you just have to try and figure out life the best you can. You know, it's a continuous process."

Brady also hinted at having personal struggles during his "Let's Go" podcast with Jim Gray this week ... when he was asked about living "under a microscope."

"You always have moments," Tom said. "I don't think life is always the ultimate joy, I don't think life is always the ultimate pain, I don't think life is always the ultimate struggle, I don't think life is always the ultimate happiness."

"Your life ebbs and flows through the clouds and through the sun and through the rain and through the beautiful days and you appreciate the moments and you find joy in the little things."

He did not mention his wife during the episode.

Tom and Gisele got married back in 2009 -- they have two kids together, Ben (14) and Vivian (9) ... as well as 15-year-old Jack, Brady's son with Moynahan.

Don't be surprised if SoFi Stadium has a heavy tint of blue and red at Thursday night's Rams vs. Bills game ... because if Wednesday night is any indication -- THOUSANDS of Buffalo fans will be there supporting their team at the NFL's opening matchup.

TMZ Sports has obtained pics and video of a Bills Mafia meetup event in Hermosa Beach just 24 hours before Thursday's kickoff ... and you can see hundreds of people wearing Buffalo gear flocking to the bars and restaurants in the area to party ahead of the big game.

Dozens of fans in Josh Allen jerseys slugged beer, chomped on wings and led loud "Let's Go Buffalo!" chants.

People even hung signs and posters from the businesses in the city ... and we're told the celebrating went well past midnight.

First whistle for Thursday's contest will happen at around 5:20 p.m. PT -- but Buffalo fans have already planned a big tailgate at SoFi Stadium hours before that.

And, yes, we're sure tables will be broken and Zubaz pants will be aplenty.

Adrian Peterson and Le'Veon Bell finally gave us a long look at their boxing skills ahead of their big fight night ... with both dudes hitting the mitts at a workout in L.A. on Wednesday.

The guys took to a local gym's canvas and threw combos repeatedly -- just three days before they'll scrap at Banc of California Stadium.

Peterson put on the gloves first, and while his workout was less intense than Bell's ultimately was ... he showcased what appeared to be some big power.

A shirtless Le'Veon went next -- and he looked good. He was smooth and precise while showing off a chiseled frame.

The guys' fight is all part of the Social Gloves 2 event -- and will take place just before YouTubers Austin McBroom vs. AnEsonGib square off.