Football

Former Ohio State Buckeyes star wide receiver Dimitrious Stanley passed away this week, after a long battle with prostate cancer. He was 48 years old.

Stanley -- who played for the Buckeyes from 1993-96 -- disclosed his diagnosis back in 2019 ... urging his friends and family to get tested for the disease.

According to a GoFundMe set up by former Ohio State wide receiver Tyson Gentry, Stanley briefly went into remission ... but unfortunately, the cancer returned.

Stanley was famous for his incredible performance in the 1997 Rose Bowl ... catching a 72-yard touchdown to help Ohio State beat Jake Plummer and Arizona State, 20-17.

Stanley led the Buckeyes in receiving that season ... earning more than 800 yards and catching eight touchdown passes.

He went on to play professionally in the Canadian Football League for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers and the Arena Football League for the New Jersey Red Dogs.

Stanley also ventured into local TV during his post-OSU career ... providing analysis on "The Football Fever" on ABC 6.

Stanley's former co-host, Anthony Rothman, shared a touching tribute ... saying, "My heart is shattered. Best friend/brother Dimitrious Stanley has passed after an incredibly courageous battle against prostate cancer."

Damar Hamlin just received an incredible honor from the NFL Players Association ... and in his speech accepting the award, he told a throng of reporters that he was thankful to God "for being here."

The NFLPA presented Hamlin with the Alan Page Community Award at a ceremony at a Super Bowl event Wednesday afternoon ... recognizing him as a player who went above and beyond to perform community service in his team city and/or hometown.

Hamlin hopped on the mic after taking the trophy -- and spoke publicly for one of the first times since he went into cardiac arrest during a game last month.

"First, I just want to say, 'Thank you,'" Hamlin said. "Just thank God for being here and thank the other guys who were nominated for the award as well who did the work in their communities alongside me as well."

Hamlin beat out four others -- Patriots DB Jonathan Jones, Commanders OL Charles Leno Jr., Raiders TE Darren Waller, and Buccaneers linebacker Devin White -- for the prestigious honor.

In his acceptance speech, Hamlin said giving back to his community "has always been a big part of who I am." He thanked his father for instilling that value in him when he was young.

Even before his medical emergency, Hamlin had found ways to inspire others in his community ... hosting toy drives constantly, and distributing gifts to children in need in Pennsylvania through his Chasing M's Foundation.

Damar actually created a GoFundMe page for his non-profit org. -- and following his health scare, it raised over $9 million.

Ex-NFL star Vontae Davis seemed to be sound asleep on the side of a highway near two wrecked vehicles after he was accused of drunkenly crashing his Tesla during an accident on Saturday morning ... new photos, obtained by TMZ Sports, show.

In the pictures -- snapped just minutes after Davis allegedly rammed his ride into the back of a Toyota truck in Broward County, Fla. -- you can see Davis appeared to be unconscious on the pavement.

Wearing a mint-green corduroy set with his shoes still on, the 34-year-old former Indianapolis Colts defensive back was balled up with his head laying in his hands and his eyes closed.

A witness tells us that even as people moved around him -- including first responders, a clean-up crew and police -- Davis remained fast asleep ... until cops woke him up and put him in a squad car.

In Florida Highway Patrol dash cam footage we obtained, you can see Davis appeared to be having trouble staying awake there too.

During questioning, the two-time Pro Bowler seemed to fade in and out of consciousness ... and when one officer eventually began telling him why he was being arrested for DUI -- the cop said, "Your eyes are bloodshot. Your speech is slurred. You can barely stay awake. All right? You almost killed somebody."

Other photos from the scene we obtained show just how fortunate everyone is to have come away from the wreck alive -- you can see in the pics, Davis' Tesla was mangled ... as was the back of the Toyota.

Davis did admit to cops he had drank two "mixed drinks" before getting behind the wheel, but he said he had no recollection of the car accident.

The former football player, who spent 10 seasons in the NFL from 2009 to 2018, was ultimately arrested and booked on a charge of DUI.

Super Bowl commercials can no longer be contained for just the big game, and several high-profile rappers -- Diddy, Snoop Dogg and Jack Harlow to name a few -- have all been getting the bag with multi-million dollar TV spots!!!

Diddy's mogul status is the basis for his Uber Eats ad and he incorporates his Love Records, CÎROC and DeLeon Tequila imprints all in one swoop.

In the spot, the Bad Boy Records CEO looks for the perfect jingle from remixed hits ... and well-placed randomness from Montell Jordan, Donna Lewis, Kelis, Ylvis and Haddaway!!!

Not to be outdone, Snoop assumes yet another brand ambassador role with Skechers Slip-Ins alongside Martha Stewart, Howie Long and Tony Romo.

The colorful commercial loops Snoop's classic hit "Who Am I? (What’s My Name?)" as Tha Doggfather walks through his various elements ... walking red carpets, rocking concerts and cruising through L.A. on a beach cruiser!!!

Jack and Missy Elliott have been teasing a Doritos commercial (and collaboration) for weeks now and dropped new content Wednesday. It's a hypothetical look into Jack's career if he adopted the chip into his stage act ... to hilarious results.

The newest clip costars Sway Calloway and Heather B. from "Sway In The Morning" ... as well as a mic-dropping cameo from Sir Elton John.

This year, 30-second SB commercials will reportedly cost companies $7 mil a pop ... and that's before they pay the rappers' salaries!!!

If ya can't wait till Sunday, we've got more of those high priced spots.

Michael Irvin will no longer be one of the faces of NFL Network's Super Bowl coverage this week -- the former Dallas Cowboys star who's turned into a huge TV personality has been pulled from shows following an incident he had with a woman in Arizona on Sunday night.

Irvin told the Dallas Morning News the encounter happened at a hotel in Glendale -- the site of this weekend's SB LVII -- after he had returned to the property following a night out on the town.

Irvin says he spoke with the woman for roughly 45 seconds in the lobby -- and described it all as an almost entirely non-physical interaction.

The woman, though, according to the DMN, launched a complaint about Irvin's actions -- leading to the NFLN pulling him from their coverage on Tuesday.

Irvin says he's been left "perplexed" by it all -- explaining to the outlet it was such an innocuous conversation, he hardly even remembered it.

"When I got back after going out … I came into the lobby, and I talked to somebody," Irvin said. "I talked to this girl. I don't know her, and I talked to her for about 45 seconds."

"We shook hands. Then, I left. … That’s all I know."

He added, "I don’t really recall that conversation, to tell you the truth. We were out drinking. It was just a friendly conversation. ‘What’s up?’ I don’t even know. … I am totally perplexed."

An NFL Network exec confirmed to TMZ Sports Irvin will not be a part of the station's SB coverage this week. But, it remains unclear what the woman alleges Irvin said or did during their meetup -- as Irvin adamantly denied any wrongdoing.

"What law did I break?" Irvin said according to the Dallas Morning News. "There was definitely nothing physical. … That’s honestly all that happened. Nobody was in my room. It was a 45-second conversation in the lobby, a handshake and we left. … I don’t know. I don’t know what this is, and it’s running me crazy."

Aaron Rodgers has a message for those criticizing his plans to submerge himself in darkness before deciding his NFL future -- "Be curious, not judgmental."

Some folks have been scratching their heads after the Green Bay quarterback said on "The Pat McAfee Show" he will go on a 4-day isolation retreat to self-reflect before figuring out whether or not he will retire ... with former offensive tackle Mitchell Schwartz sarcastically calling it odd the Packers aren't more involved in the situation.

"Weird the Packers aren’t consulting more with the guy who needs to go on a 4 day darkness retreat to figure out whether he wants to play football…," Schwartz said on Twitter.

AR12 got wind of the Super Bowl champ's bewilderment ... and instead of clapping back with negativity, he took the higher road.

"We are all on our own path, and doing things like this helps me find a greater sense of peace and love for life," Rodgers said. "Love and respect to you ❤️"

Rodgers explained his reasoning behind the retreat with McAfee on Tuesday ... saying the ultimate unplugging from the real world can help produce incredible results.

"It’s just sitting in isolation, meditation, dealing with your thoughts," Rodgers said. "It stimulates DMT, so there can be some hallucinations in there, but it’s just kind of sitting in silence, which most of us never do."

"We rarely even turn our phone off or put the blinds down to sleep in darkness. I’m really looking forward to it."

Andy Reid does NOT need a second Super Bowl title this weekend to cement his eventual place in Canton ... so says ex-NFL head coach Brad Childress, who tells TMZ Sports the Chiefs honcho is already a Hall of Fame lock.

Reid's resume is ultra-impressive -- he's been a head coach for 24 seasons and has piled up a staggering 247 wins to just 138 losses ... but, some have wondered if dropping his Super Bowl record to 1-3 Sunday could somehow hold him back from eventual enshrinement in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Childress, though, told us this week there's no chance that happens ... even if the 64-year-old loses to the Philadelphia Eagles in Arizona.

"He's already a Hall of Fame guy," Childress said. "All [a win] does is put some sprinkles on top of the sundae."

In fact, Childress -- who coached for years as an assistant on several of Reid's staffs -- said he believes the K.C. head man already has a case to be on the Mt. Rushmore of all-time NFL coaches.

"His professional career is second to none," Childress said.

As for if this could possibly be the finale of Reid's career -- there's been speculation he could choose to ride off into the sunset with a win -- Childress said there's certainly a chance ... though unlikely.

Flying commercial is so Super Bowl 56 -- if you want to travel to Arizona for Sunday's big game in style, there's an absolutely incredible vacay package that comes with PJs, meet and greets with Shaquille O'Neal and Rob Gronkowski, and unlimited booze -- and it'll only cost you a MILLION DOLLARS!

It's all part of an extravagant SB package put together by Medium Rare, aptly named the "Over the Top Package" ... and it costs a pretty penny.

So, what do you actually get for a million freakin' bucks?

-Access to a private jet -- to and from Arizona -- for you and 11 buddies!
-Meet and greet with Shaq, Gronk and Guy Fieri ... as well as a private deck at all four events, including SI The Party with Machine Gun Kelly and The Chainsmokers.
-Unlimited vodka and champagne
-Security detail
-Fleet of SUVs
-VIP bathroom (this may be the best perk)
-Spa day (recovery after all the vodka and champagne)

Of course, Super Bowl week is as much about the events as it is the football game on Sunday afternoon ... and imagine how much you can flex on Instagram.

All it costs is $1,000,000.

First, it was ayahuasca ... now Aaron Rodgers is turning to isolation retreats to help him make future decisions -- revealing Tuesday he intends to lock himself in darkness for four days this month while he contemplates retirement.

The Green Bay Packers star just revealed the eyebrow-raising plans on "The Pat McAfee Show" ... calling it "a darkness retreat" that he intends on embarking on "in a couple weeks."

Rodgers explained ... it all entails heading to "a little house" where he'll be completely by himself in a room. He said there's a slot where food will be delivered to him occasionally -- but outside of that, he intends on having no contact with anybody or anything for roughly 96 total hours.

"It's four nights of complete darkness," the 39-year-old said.

"You're not locked in. You can leave. If you can't do it, you can just walk out the door. But, it's a darkness retreat."

Rodgers, who famously used an ayahuasca trip to propel him to two MVP awards in his career, said there will be "no music, no nothing" while he's in isolation ... and the ultimate goal of it all is to come out with a clear decision about his NFL future.

"I've had a number of friends who have done it and had some profound experiences and it's something that's been on my radar for a few years now and I felt like it'd be awesome to do regardless of where I was leaning after this season," Rodgers said. "So, it's been on the calendar for months and months and months. And it's coming up in a couple weeks."

Rodgers, as part of a contract extension he signed with the Packers last year, is currently set to make $59.465 million if he plays in 2023.

An anti-abortion climber scaled a 40-story building in downtown Phoenix on Tuesday without any ropes or any other sort of safety equipment ... leaving Super Bowl week attendees shocked on the ground below.

Maison DesChamps -- a daredevil known as the "Pro-Life Spider-Man" -- performed the stunt to raise money ... beginning his ascent on the Chase Tower at around 9 AM.

DesChamps wedged himself in between a crevasse in the building -- and inched his way up to the top -- as spectators who had flocked to the city for Super Bowl LVII gathered on the streets below to watch.

At one point, DesChamps paused in the middle of his climb -- filming himself and explaining his reasoning for going up the side of the skyscraper.

Eventually, the climber got to the top -- where he was taken into custody.

City officials denounced the move a short time after he reached safety, according to 12 News, saying, "This is not the place or the time to do this. This is extremely dangerous."

Ronnie Rivers almost matched his entire NFL rookie salary in one night ... 'cause the Los Angeles Rams running back won half a million playin' cards at a Vegas casino!!

The 24-year-old was at Caesars Palace in Sin City on Saturday when he got lucky at the Mega Progressive Jackpot table ... and we're talkin' REAL lucky.

Rivers pulled a Royal Flush at the three-card poker table ... the most improbable hand you can hold. The odds of getting a RF are 1 in 649,000.

Rivers and his friends went crazy, and rightfully so ... as they filmed the jackpot sign at the table climb up over $514,000.

"500,000!!!" his friend yelled, "Ronnie!!!"

What makes this reward even better is he won it on a special weekend ... his and his mother's birthday.

In winning, he almost doubled his rookie salary ... the former Fresno State RB, who went undrafted, signed with the Rams practice squad in September 2022 before making it to the active roster a few months later.

He signed a $705K deal last year with ... and will earn a base salary of $870K next season.

Patrick Mahomes is going to enjoy a cold one with a side of foot sweat if the Chiefs win the Super Bowl on Sunday ... 'cause the K.C. star said Monday he'll chug a beer right outta Cooper Manning's boot if they get the dub over the Eagles!!!

The quarterback made the promise to the oldest Manning brother during a fun interview at Super Bowl week's opening night -- after Cooper had asked him a series of questions about cowboy boots.

Eventually, Mahomes said as long as Cooper joined him in the beer guzzling, he'd drink one down out of the footwear -- no problem.

"Post-Super Bowl, if you bring that thing there, and we get the win," Mahomes said, "I'll drink the beer out of the boot with you."

Of course, the 27-year-old signal-caller had a couple caveats. No. 1 -- it's gotta be Coors Light (everyone knows Mahomes loves his Silver Bullets), and No. 2, Cooper has to be hygienic about it all.

"I've got to make sure you wash your socks before we do that," Mahomes said.

While the two were laughing over the bet -- odds are pretty good it'll go down. After all, Mahomes was no stranger to pouring beer down his throat the last time the Chiefs won the Super Bowl in 2020.

A police officer was blunt with Vontae Davis during his DUI arrest on Saturday ... telling the ex-NFL star straight up, "You almost killed somebody."

The stern chat with Davis was captured on Florida Highway Patrol dash cam footage, obtained by TMZ Sports, after officers said the two-time pro bowler had crashed his Tesla into another car during a wreck on a highway at around 7:50 AM.

In the video, you can see Davis appeared to be dozing in and out of consciousness as officers attempt to question him about the leadup to the accident.

They asked him where he had been, if he had been drinking, if he was injured, and if he'd submit to field sobriety tests. Davis answered some of the questions -- others not so much. He seemed to be slurring some of his words during his replies.

At one point, the video shows he told a cop he had been to a club and had consumed two "mixed drinks" prior to getting behind the wheel. He said he left the venue at around 2 AM, and had no recollection of a car crash.

Officers eventually told him he was under arrest -- and when Davis asked why, one of the cops didn't mince words.

"Your eyes are bloodshot," he said. "Your speech is slurred. You can barely stay awake. All right? You almost killed somebody."

When Davis said he "didn't almost kill nobody" -- the officer responded, "Yeah, man. They were in a truck on the side of the road. You took them completely out. And there was a father and son there on the shoulder."

Davis, who played 10 seasons in the NFL with the Colts, Dolphins, and Bills, was ultimately arrested and booked for DUI.

Las Vegas Raiders star, Darren Waller pulled up to the 2023 Pro Bowl with some new tats you absolutely could not miss ... because they were both on the sides of his head!!

The NFL tight end got the scalp ink on Saturday while the Pro Bowl games were going down at Allegiant Stadium ... and TMZ Sports has learned he flew out his go-to guy, Kali from Atlanta, to make sure it was all done right.

You can see in one of the pieces, there's an angel playing the trumpet. In the other, there's a falcon taking flight. Both are HUGE -- occupying most of the 30-year-old's cranium.

No word on what the images mean to Waller ... but Kali, who has done basically all of the tats on Waller, tells us the football player didn't complain once while the ink was going into his head.

"Sat like a champ," Kali tells us. "Always does."

Kali said it took a total of three hours to do the overall head piece -- and, when it comes to the healing process, the artist said it'll be just like any other tattoo ... as long as it's kept clean and moisturized.

Dan Snyder's football team is up for sale -- and now, so is his massive pad in Maryland ... TMZ Sports has confirmed he's listing his huge D.C.-area property on Monday.

Michael Rankin of TTR Sotheby's International Realty tells us the Potomac home will officially go on sale with a price tag of $49 MILLION. It'd be, according to multiple reports, the largest sale of a property ever in the area if it gets the asking price.

The place is amazing ... it features 30,000 square feet, five bedrooms and 13.5 bathrooms. It's also got a basketball court, a theatre, a wine cellar, a library, a spa, and a gym ... and sits just feet away from a river.

The Washington Business Journal reports Snyder originally bought the place in 2000 -- and expanded on it in the ensuing years. According to the outlet, though, he hasn't lived in the home for a while.

The timing of the listing is obviously interesting -- Snyder announced back in November he was exploring a sale of his beloved Commanders team as well ... and both Jeff Bezos and Jay-Z had expressed big interest in putting in a bid for the franchise.

A.J. Green is moving on ... the star wide receiver announced on Monday he's retiring from the NFL after 11 seasons in the league with the Bengals and Cardinals.

"I’ve never been a man of many words, so I’ll keep this short," Green wrote on Instagram, adding ... "Thank you. Thank you to all who have supported, encouraged, and inspired me throughout my career."

34-year-old Green continued ... "Special thank you to the University of Georgia, Cincinnati Bengals, and Arizona Cardinals for the opportunity to pursue my dreams. I’ve stayed true to the game and it owes me nothing. Be blessed.. Love y’all! The next chapter begin."

Green was selected by the Bengals in the first round of the 2011 NFL draft ... where he spent the first nine seasons of his career playing in Cincinnati.

A 7x Pro Bowler, Green was one of the best wide receivers to ever put on a Bengals uniform, accumulating 649 receptions, 9,470 yards, and 65 touchdowns during his tenure.

Green finished his Bengals career second all-time in receptions, yards, and touchdowns, behind only Chad Johnson, who also played 11 seasons with Cinci (2001-2011).

In 2021, Green signed with the Arizona Cardinals -- joining forces with wide receivers DeAndre Hopkins and Christian Kirk -- where he spent the final two years of his career.

Green's former quarterback, Kyler Murray, praised the wideout after his announcement ... writing, "One of the best to ever do it. Appreciate ya bro."