Football

Two of the most powerful men in United States history are heartbroken over the death of Franco Harris ... with both Joe Biden and Barack Obama saying Wednesday they're devastated by the Steelers legend's passing.

The current POTUS and the ex-POTUS both took to their social media pages to remember the Pro Football Hall of Famer ... with Biden explaining he'd actually been a friend of Harris' for years.

"I knew him for his character and compassion," Biden said, "someone who spent time with my boys after we lost my first wife and infant daughter."

Obama meanwhile, said he too knew Harris off the field -- and loved the guy.

"He was an extraordinary man," #44 said ... before writing that Harris "will be missed."

The former running back passed away overnight on Tuesday, his family announced on Wednesday. A cause of death has yet to be revealed.

Harris seemed to be in great spirits just hours before his death -- posing for photos with fans in front of his statue at the Senator John Heinz History Center.

"Our thoughts go out to his family and all of Steeler Nation," Obama said.

Antonio Brown won't be thrown behind bars over an alleged battery after all ... officials said Wednesday the ex-NFL star's arrest warrant has been withdrawn -- and he's no longer facing criminal charges.

Police had issued the warrant for Brown's arrest back in November ... after a woman accused the former football player of throwing a shoe at her during a violent incident on Nov. 28 at a home in South Tampa.

But, the State Attorney's Office said Wednesday the alleged victim recanted her story to them during a follow-up interview on Dec. 16.

Following the woman's new statement, prosecutors said they "determined we could not prove beyond a reasonable doubt a battery took place."

"As a result," the SAO said, "a letter of release was issued, which formalizes the SAO's decision not to prosecute and withdraws the previously issued arrest warrant."

LeSean McCoy just shaded the hell outta Dak Prescott ... calling the Dallas Cowboys quarterback "ass" and claiming he's playing like "trash" after a loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars.

The ex-Philadelphia Eagles star unloaded on Dak during his appearance on FS1's "Speak" this week ... bluntly saying #4 is not living up to expectations as the leader of America's Team, and certainly not playing like a man deserving of a 4-year, $160 million contract.

"Dak is ass," McCoy said. "Can I say that on TV? 'Cause he is ass ass."

LeSean's gripe comes on the heels of Dak's pick-six that handed the Jags the win in overtime on Sunday ... even though the interception was more due to receiver Noah Brown failing to secure the pass.

But, McCoy says the first pick Dak threw earlier in the Week 15 matchup was "terrible" ... and he criticized the vet for failing to secure the ball in crunch time and blowing a 17-point lead.

McCoy says Dak's decision-making has been an issue all season ... and blames it for Dallas' loss to the Green Bay Packers last month as well.

"The picks he's throwing, he's not even trying to fit the ball through the needles or smaller windows," McCoy said. "These are like, easy passes. They run the ball well. What else can you do? I'm paying you $160 million, that's how you play?"

"If you tell me that's outstanding, I don't know what to say. I'm lost for words.

Franco Harris -- a Pro Football Hall of Famer and one of the most legendary Pittsburgh Steelers of all time -- has died ... his family announced Wednesday.

He was 72 years old.

A cause of death has yet to be revealed ... though the Harris family said he passed away overnight.

"The entire team at the Pro Football Hall of Fame is immensely saddened today," Hall of Fame president Jim Porter said Wednesday morning in a statement.

"We have lost an incredible football player, an incredible ambassador to the Hall and, most importantly, we have lost one of the finest gentlemen anyone will ever meet. Franco not only impacted the game of football, but he also affected the lives of many, many people in profoundly positive ways."

Harris was taken by the Steelers in the first round of the 1972 NFL Draft ... and it didn't take long for him to become a huge star. In his rookie season, he ran for 1,055 yards and 10 touchdowns, making the Pro Bowl team while winning Rookie of the Year honors.

Harris went on to make eight more Pro Bowls with the Steelers ... and ended up winning four Super Bowls with the team. In SB IX, he was named MVP.

In his career, Harris rushed for 12,120 yards and 91 TDs, while adding 2,287 yards and 9 TDs receiving. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1990.

The 6-foot-2, 230-pound running back, though, is most well known for his role in the "Immaculate Reception" -- a wild play in a 1972 AFC divisional round playoff game against the Raiders that many consider one of the greatest moments in NFL history.

During the play, the Steelers were down 7-6 on fourth down with just 22 seconds left in the game. Quarterback Terry Bradshaw heaved a pass that was ultimately deflected backward -- right into Harris' waiting arms.

Harris then ran it in for the game-winning score.

Harris was set to be honored by the Steelers just one day after the 50th anniversary of the play ... with Pittsburgh formally retiring his No. 32 on Saturday during its game against the Las Vegas Raiders.

"Words can’t begin to describe the pain I am feeling," former Steelers running back Jerome Bettis said following Franco's death Wednesday. "Franco will always be a brother, mentor and my definition of greatness. He was a legend on the field and the personification of excellence off of the field -- A true class act to look up to and aspire to be like."

"RIP #32"

Cops went in on Damon Arnette throughout the football player's arrest back in July ... with one straight up calling the ex-Raiders defensive back "a f***ing idiot" during the stop -- new police video, obtained by TMZ Sports, shows.

The interaction was all captured on an officer's body cam, revealing cops were super ticked off at the former first-round pick after pulling him over in Miami just after midnight on July 26.

The officers appeared to be upset with Arnette because, according to police documents, just hours earlier, they had pulled him over and found he had been driving on a suspended driver's license, but allowed him to leave so long as he didn't drive again until he got his license reinstated.

One cop can be heard in the video telling the former Ohio State star, who was 25 years old at the time of the stop, "We gave you a f***ing break! You knew your f***ing license was suspended."

Arnette responded, "I got practice in the morning," ... but the cops clearly didn't care, saying in the video, "It doesn't matter bro, you're going to jail, bro."

After one of the officers finished putting the cuffs on Arnette, he searched the guy's pockets -- and found what was later described by police in the docs as a "white powdery substance consistent with that of cocaine."

That's when the officer can be heard in the footage going off on Arnette.

"Idiot," the policeman said. "You're a f***ing idiot, bro. You had the chance. You had the chance to go home. You f***ed it up."

On the way to the station, the video shows the cop continued to chastise Arnette ... telling him in the squad car, "Now you're going to jail for what? 'Cause you're stupid."

"Honestly, it sucks," the cop added. "We can't even give people warnings without them f***ing it up for themselves."

Arnette was eventually hit with criminal charges over the incident -- including felony cocaine possession and misdemeanor knowingly driving with a suspended license.

The NFL player, though, entered a diversion program in an attempt to close out the case in September. A spokesperson for the Miami-Dade State Attorney's Office told us at the time Arnette must, among other conditions, submit to random drug testing, complete a substance abuse evaluation, report monthly and pay fees as part of the program. If he complies with all of the conditions, the spokesperson said prosecutors would revisit his charges.

Former Denver Broncos running back Ronnie Hillman, a third-round pick in 2012, is in hospice fighting for his life ... his former teammates said Tuesday.

Orlando Franklin -- who helped block for Hillman for three seasons in Denver -- initially revealed the sad news on his Twitter page ... asking Broncos fans for prayers for the ex-tailback.

"He's in hospice and not doing well," Franklin said.

Another one of Hillman's former teammates, Derek Wolfe, said later Tuesday the 31-year-old is currently battling "bad liver cancer."

"It's not looking good," Wolfe said on 104.3 The Fan on Tuesday. "He has pneumonia and I'm putting it out there just to send positive vibes his way."

Hillman played for the Broncos from 2012 through 2015 -- and helped Peyton Manning and the rest of the team win Super Bowl 50. Wolfe remembered him as a "great football player, great person, great teammate" and "an all-around great dude" on Tuesday.

Hillman, who starred at San Diego State before his NFL career began, also played for the Minnesota Vikings, San Diego Chargers and Dallas Cowboys in his career.

No, the San Francisco 49ers rookies were not stuck with a whopping $332,000 tab after a team dinner last week -- so says star defensive lineman Arik Armstead ... who insists the whole thing was just harmless fun.

The infamous "rookie dinner" has been a tradition in the NFL for years ... with players eating like kings for a night, and then either making it seem like the first-year pros will be left with the massive check ... or, in some cases, actually forcing them to cough up the dough.

A clip of the 49ers' most recent installment to the hazing went viral on Monday ... when 2022 second-round pick Drake Jackson posted the wild totals after the fancy meal, showing all the young athletes in disbelief over the damage.

Of course, a closer look at the receipt reveals clear signs of it being fake ... with ridiculous upcharges, gratuity and fees attached to the tab, and only about $7,500 in actual food.

As the clip continued to spread on social media, Armstead went to Twitter to make sure everyone knew the vets aren't the worst teammates on the planet.

"Y’all silly if you thought a dinner can cost 300k," Arik said. "It was a prank. The waitress went overboard. The dinner was 7500 me and 2 other vets gave 1k towards it. The rooks split 4500."

"We had a great time too," he added. "I had good vets as a young player I would never do a rookie like that."

Sounds like Jackson and the rooks got off easy ... 'cause Chargers legend LaDainian Tomlinson told us back in 2018 he had to shell out $18k to feed his teammates when he first got into the league.

O.J. Simpson is once again denying age-old rumors that he slept with Kris Jenner and fathered Khloe Kardashian -- explaining the reason that can't be true ... she ain't his type.

The Juice addressed the speculation in an interview on the "Full Send Podcast," where he was asked about gossip that he and Kris may have had an affair going on way back in the day ... when O.J. and Robert Kardashian were still good friends and before the murder trial.

O.J. says there's no truth to the notion he hooked up with Kris, explaining he was never attracted to her ... and didn't think she was attracted to him. Not to mention, she was married to Bob at the time -- so there's that.

He also flatly denies being Khloe's dad ... despite years of people suggesting he could be. O.J. says he doesn't know anything about that, but does float the possibility of someone else perhaps being her dad ... making mention of a "cook" rumor he's heard.

In any case -- O.J.'s sticking to his story -- one he's told on camera before regarding this.

O.J. does make clear he had a good relationship with the Kardashians once upon a time -- and it sounds like he was even friendly with Kris post-acquittal -- telling a story about how KJ once allegedly begged him to play golf with Caitlyn Jenner when they first got together.

Bettor Marco Piemonte correctly picked the first 4 games in a 5 pick parlay -- with only a Raiders win standing between him and $2.88 MILLION

The game was surely going to overtime ... that's until Chandler Jones cashed that huge ticket with one of the greatest game-ending plays in NFL history!

Piemonte laid down $31K Saturday afternoon ... picking 5 games. Some outright winners, some with the spread. His picks went like this. Browns to win (beat Ravens). Dolphins +7 (lost by 3 to Bills). Jaguars +4 (beat Cowboys). Viking to win (beat Colts in greatest comeback ever). And, lastly ... the Las Vegas Raiders to win.

So, Piemonte -- known as "Million Dollar Marco" for 7-figure bets he's won in the past -- was a Raiders win from winning $2,880,263.52.

Of course, the game was tied at 24 all with 3 seconds remaining ... the Pats ran a draw, handing the ball to Rhamondre Stevenson, clearly content to take things to OT.

But, Stevenson, with no time left, pitched the ball to Jakobi Meyers, who inexplicably threw the ball across the field, where it was intercepted by Chandler Jones ... who ran over Mac Jones and scored the game-winning touchdown.

The only person happier than the Raiders players and coaches ... Marco Piemonte.

O.J. Simpson hopped behind a mic and gave a rare interview this week ... but there's one topic he won't touch after nearly 3 decades -- who killed Nicole Brown and Ron Goldman.

The 75-year-old was a surprise guest on the Nelk Boys' "Full Send" podcast ... where he talked about his 9-year stint behind bars for armed robbery, his friendship with President Donald Trump, the Kardashians and a bunch of other subjects.

But, when the conversation turned to the 1994 slaying of his ex-wife and her friend, O.J.'s chatter came to a screeching halt.

"Right now, I'm not going to discuss any of that, all right?" O.J. said when asked whether he's pissed the "real" killer was never caught.

"I think that's a pretty obvious question. But, I'm not getting into that. I'm not going there."

O.J. was chill throughout the nearly 2-hour podcast -- laughing as he told stories -- but when the murders were brought up, his mood clearly changed.

The guys tried to ask one more follow-up ... but Simpson was adamant he wasn't going to speak on it.

"I'm not going there," he said as he shook his head.

As it turns out, the guys later explained O.J.'s people told them "10 times" not to bring up anything about the Brown/Goldman trial ... but let's be real, you HAVE to ask, right?!

The hosts admitted they were really nervous about breaking their promise ... and considering a civil court jury found O.J. liable for Nicole and Ron's deaths, it's pretty understandable.

O.J. has previously announced he wouldn't move back to L.A. out of fear of running into the "real" killer ... saying back in 2021 he had no idea who did it.

New England Patriots legend Willie McGinest has been arrested in Los Angeles, TMZ Sports has learned.

The ex-NFL star was booked at around 7:30 AM on Monday morning, jail records show. His bail has been set at $30,000.

It was not immediately clear what crimes he's been accused of.

McGinest, a first-round pick in the 1994 NFL Draft, played in the league for 15 years ... and is considered one of the greatest Patriots players ever.

He won three Super Bowls with the org. ... and made two Pro Bowls with the team as well. The linebacker was ultimately inducted into the franchise's Hall of Fame in 2015.

McGinest -- who found a second career following his retirement as an NFL analyst for various television networks -- finished his career following the 2008 season with 804 total tackles and 86 sacks.

"I was trying to be a hero, I guess."

That's Jakobi Meyers explaining his actions on the final play of the Patriots game Sunday -- that turned into one of the most shocking endings in NFL history.

ICYMI, the Patriots and the Las Vegas Raiders were tied, three seconds away from overtime ... when New England decided to run a draw play instead of taking a knee.

Pats' RB Rhamondre Stevenson lateralled the ball to Meyers, who shockingly attempted to throw a long lateral back to Mac Jones ... but was intercepted by Raiders' Chandler Jones, who proceeded to run over Mac, on the way to a 48-yard game-winning touchdown.

After the game, Meyers -- who signed with Pats in 2019 -- did his best to explain his head-scratching move.

"Just trying to do too much," the 26-year-old said about his part in the final play, "Trying to be a hero, I guess."

"I ain't see dude back there, tried throwing the ball. Like I said, I just was doing too much. I should've went down with the ball.”

Meyers flatly said the lateral wasn't part of the plan (plan was to run the ball and get to OT) ... but he (believed he) saw Mac open.

"I didn't see Chandler Jones at the time," Meyers said.

"Thought [Mac Jones] was open, tried to give it to him and let him try and make a play with it. But the score was tied, so like I've said, I should’ve went down."

The WR says he'll learn from this costly mistake and do better from here on out.

FWIW, respect to Meyers for standing there and answering questions after the worst football moment of his career.

The Patriots are still in the playoff hunt -- thanks to some other bubble teams losing -- but the loss didn't help, and neither will the Cincinnati Bengals coming into town Saturday.

It's the most wonderful time of the year ... and Isaiah Rodgers is certainly ready for it -- 'cause the Colts defensive back has copped some amazing light-up Rudolph and Santa cleats!!

TMZ Sports has learned the Indy star wanted to be decked out for the Colts' game against the Vikings on Saturday ... and reached out to cleat artist Rodney Jackson to get some Xmas-themed feet heat made.

Jackson -- who's been Rodgers' go-to shoe guy for several seasons -- tells us they both decided to go with the two most iconic Christmas characters for the spikes ... and they came out great.

The left cleat, featuring Santa, is wrapped in red velvet with white fur all over it.

The right shoe -- which comes with jingle bells -- has Rudolph's face painted on the toe with the bonus of a very shiny nose that lights up.

It wasn't an easy project ... Jackson told us it took two days to put the Nike cleats together -- from wiring the lights into the spikes to making Santa's beard on his own.

Despite having no ties to Mike Leach, the Miami Redhawks are still paying homage to the late coach in an awesome way -- putting huge decals featuring crossbones on the backs of their helmets on Friday.

The school unveiled the tribute at the Bahamas Bowl against the UAB Blazers ... showing off a big, black sticker that has Leach's name on it with a pirate-themed MAC logo.

Leach, of course, was nicknamed "The Pirate" due to his obsession with sea robbers ... and on the Miami decal, they added another tribute to that by putting the hashtag "#FlyTheFlag" at the bottom.

The ode is particularly meaningful considering Leach never coached at Miami -- nor in the MAC ... which shows just how far his coaching genius reached during his life.

As we previously reported, the former Mississippi State football head coach died on Monday ... due to complications from a heart condition.

Pop Warner has launched an investigation into a disgusting incident following a tournament game ... in which coaches were allegedly targeted with racial slurs by a man affiliated with the opposing team.

It all went down hours after the Hamden Hurricanes (CT) beat the Highlands Ranch Mountain Lions (CO) in the Div. 2 12U quarterfinals of the Pop Warner National Championships on Dec. 3 ... when coaches on both teams ran into each other at the hotel they were staying at in Orlando.

In the footage, obtained by TMZ Sports, the Hamden coaches are clearly trying to distance themselves from the Highlands Ranch staffers ... with one man explaining they were told by the "higher ups" to avoid any interaction.

Sources tell us the reason behind the tense interaction was due to coaches and fans of Highlands Ranch allegedly yelling racially charged words at Hamden, a team that consists of mostly Black players, throughout the game.

In the video, a Highlands Ranch coach continues to try to talk to adults with Hamden ... but they repeatedly say they aren't interested in talking, as they "have more s*** to lose."

Eventually, Hamden leaves the area ... and that's when a man -- who we're told is affiliated with the Highlands Ranch team -- hurled out the racial slurs, according to sources ... who claim he referred to them as "f***ing n*****s."

Pop Warner released a statement to TMZ Sports ... saying, "The disturbing behavior shown in the video is inconsistent with our code of conduct and the expectations we have of our adult volunteers."

The org. says it will conduct an investigative hearing on the matter next week ... and if the person in the video is, in fact, affiliated with a PW team, they will face discipline -- including suspension.

"One thing is clear: the abhorrent conduct and language exhibited in this video are unacceptable," Pop Warner added. "Our organization is committed to a safe, inclusive, and positive environment for all young people and their families."

"No one should ever encounter this kind of behavior. We will take all measures necessary to address the situation."

Ex-NFL star Aqib Talib has just been sued ... after he allegedly helped incite an altercation that led to a fatal shooting at a youth football game back in August.

Michael Hickmon's family filed the lawsuit in Dallas County on Tuesday ... claiming the actions of Talib and his brother, Yaqub Talib, at a Big XII Youth Sports League event ultimately led to Hickmon's tragic death on Aug. 13.

According to the suit, Hickmon was coaching the Dragons Elite Academy 9-and-under youth football team against the Talibs' North Dallas United Bobcats.

Hickmon's family says the game was contentious -- claiming several calls had tensions running "high" throughout the contest.

At one point, according to Hickmon's family, the Dragons scored a touchdown following a Bobcats' taunting penalty -- and the Talibs were so upset about it, they ended the game.

The plaintiffs claim in the suit that Hickmon then went to retrieve the game ball -- but was "confronted" by Aqib, who allegedly threw a punch.

"Surprised and outnumbered," the Hickmon family said in the suit, "Hickmon defensively backpedaled."

The family went on to say in the lawsuit that Yaqub then pulled out a handgun and fired five shots -- striking Hickmon with several bullets.

Hickmon later died at a local hospital.

The Hickmon family is suing the Talibs and others for wrongful death ... asking for unspecified damages.

As we previously reported, Yaqub was arrested and later charged with murder. 36-year-old Aqib, meanwhile, has not been charged with any crimes.

Aqib's attorney released a statement following it all in August ... saying, "Aqib was present when this unfortunate incident occurred and is very distraught and devastated over this terrible loss of life. He would like to convey his condolences to the family of the victim and to everyone who witnessed this unfortunate tragedy."