Football

Mike Williams -- a former NFL receiver who played for the Buccaneers and Bills -- has passed away following a tragic accident at a construction site.

He was only 36 years old.

Williams' agent, Hadley Engelhard of Enter Sports Management, confirmed the news ... saying the New York native died Tuesday morning.

"He will be missed," Engelhard said in a statement. "He fought hard his whole life. Prayers to his family."

As we previously reported, Williams was placed on life support in Florida after he was injured doing electrical work at a construction site. Williams was "mostly non-responsive" as he fought for his life last week, according to family members.

Williams -- a standout at Syracuse -- was selected in the 4th round of the 2010 NFL Draft. He had a stellar first season for the Bucs, finishing second in Offensive Rookie of the Year consideration.

Mike went on to play four seasons with Tampa Bay, and had short stints with the Bills and Chiefs.

He logged 3,089 receiving yards and 26 touchdowns over the course of his career.

The Bucs released a statement on Williams' passing ... saying, "We are saddened to hear of the untimely death of Mike Williams, which has left our organization, his former teammates and fans with heavy hearts."

"We send our deepest sympathies to his family and loved ones as they mourn this tragedy."

Tom Brady's talents aren't limited to the football field, 'cause the retired NFL superstar's got some serious skills on the hardwood, too -- showing off his wet jumper in a recent basketball workout!!

The 7-time Super Bowl champion put his moves on display with an Instagram video on Tuesday ... putting up shots with his eldest son, Jack, at The Summit in New York with famous NBA skills trainer Chris Brickley.

The 46-year-old is pretty impressive as he sinks shots all over the court ... even testing his luck against Jack in a friendly game of one-on-one.

Jack -- the son Brady had with actress Bridget Moynahan in 2007 -- also proved he's got range for days ... draining a couple three-point shots in front of his pops.

"Thanks for having us @cbrickley603," Brady said on IG. "I’m gonna need a few more sessions to be able to keep up with this kid soon."

FYI, this isn't the first time Brady revealed he's more than just a football player ... Tom was caught on camera years ago playing pick-up basketball with the G.O.A.T. of the sport -- Michael Jordan.

Brady has been keepin' himself busy since he retired earlier this year .... outside of family time and shootin' hoops, the future NFL Hall of Famer has become a minority owner of the Las Vegas Raiders and Aces, an owner of a Major League Pickleball team, and joined E1 boat racing league.

He's also an advisor for Delta Airlines.

1:31 PM PT -- El entrenador de los Jets, Robert Saleh, abordó la lesión de Aaron Rodgers con los periodistas el martes, y aunque dijo que lo siente por el quarterback, deja claro que su equipo no va a renunciar a la temporada.

"No lo veo como un 'ay de mí para la organización", dijo Saleh. "Creo que los chicos están entusiasmados con la posibilidad de dar un paso adelante y continuar con lo que hemos estado trabajando. Pero mucha tristeza por Aaron".

Saleh agregó que Zach Wilson liderará al equipo en el futuro, y tiene mucha confianza en el joven jugador.

La primera temporada de Aaron Rodgers con los Jets ha terminado antes de que pudiera siquiera despegar. La superestrella sufrió un desgarro en su tendón de Aquiles en su primer juego para el equipo neoyorquino, terminando oficialmente su campaña 2023.

El equipo confirmó la devastadora noticia el martes, anunciando que el campeón del Super Bowl de 39 años estará fuera de juego por el resto de la temporada después de que una resonancia magnética revelara un desgarro completo en su tendón de Aquiles izquierdo

Rodgers cayó al suelo en el cuarto ataque ofensivo de los Jets en el Monday Night Football contra Buffalo, cuando el linebacker de los Bills, Leonard Floyd, lo derribó al césped.

Las radiografías iniciales fueron negativas, pero había una pequeña posibilidad de que Rodgers solo tuviera un esguince de tobillo alto.

Por desgracia para Rodgers y compañía, las exploraciones del martes confirmaron lo peor.

Ahora, los otrora aspirantes al Super Bowl recurrirán al suplente Zach Wilson... con la esperanza de tener una temporada exitosa sin su jugador estrella en el centro.

Patrick Mahomes learned the importance of punctuation while sharing his grief over Aaron Rodgers' injury on Monday ... clarifying he does not actually "hate that man" -- he just forgot to add a comma.

The Kansas City Chiefs superstar was quick to react to Rodgers' apparent ankle ailment while watching the New York Jets vs. Buffalo Bills matchup ... going to his X account to address the incident.

"Hate that man… Praying for the best 🙏🏽"

Of course, upon first read, it comes across as Mahomes revealing his abhorrence for the four-time MVP ... but Patrick eventually realized his mistake and made use of the "edit" feature on the social media platform.

"Hate that, man… Praying for the best 🙏🏽"

Ah, much better.

Mahomes took the gaffe in stride ... joking, "Knew i was going to need that edit button on here one of these days 🤣"

Unfortunately for Jets fans, they're not laughing Tuesday morning ... as many fear, Rodgers could be out a significant amount of time to nurse his injury.

While the extent of it has not been announced, Jets staffers are reportedly losing sleep over the idea of being without Rodgers ... which would essentially end their chances of contending for a Super Bowl.

Patrick Mahomes aprendió la importancia de la puntuación al compartir su pena por la lesión de Aaron Rodgers el lunes, aclarando que en realidad no "odia a ese hombre", sino que solo se le olvidó añadir una coma.

La superestrella de los Kansas City Chiefs no tardó en reaccionar a la aparente dolencia de tobillo de Rodgers mientras veía el partido entre los New York Jets y los Buffalo Bills, yendo a su cuenta X para abordar el incidente.

"Odio a ese hombre... Rezando por lo mejor 🙏🏽" (Hate that man... Praying for the best).

Por supuesto, a la primera lectura, se entiende como si Mahomes estuviera revelando su aborrecimiento por el cuatro veces MVP, pero Patrick eventualmente se dio cuenta de su error e hizo uso de la función "editar" en la plataforma de medios sociales.

"Odio eso, hombre... Rezando por lo mejor 🙏🏽" (Hate that, man... Praying for the best).

Muchísimo mejor.

Mahomes se tomó su metedura de pata con calma, bromeando: "Sabía que iba a necesitar ese botón de edición uno de estos días 🤣".

Lamentablemente, los aficionados de los Jets no se están riendo este martes por la mañana. Como muchos temen, Rodgers podría estar fuera una buena cantidad de tiempo para cuidar de su lesión.

Si bien no se ha anunciado el alcance de esta, se informa que el personal de los Jets está tomándose la cabeza ante la idea de estar sin Rodgers, lo que esencialmente terminaría con sus posibilidades de pelear por un Super Bowl.

8:48 PM PT -- El entrenador de los Jets, Robert Saleh, acaba de reunirse con los miembros de los medios después de la improbable victoria de su equipo sobre los Bills, y dijo que Aaron Rodgers sufrió una lesión en el tendón de Aquiles y "no se ve bien".

6:15 PM PT -- Los New York Jets acaban de anunciar que Aaron Rodgers ha sido descartado para el resto del partido, ¿pero la buena noticia? Los rayos X dieron negativo.

Bueno ... esto no se ve nada bien.

La superestrella de la NFL, Aaron Rodgers, cayó con una aparente lesión durante el primer partido de su carrera contra los New York Jets en el Monday Night Football, convirtiendo su gran debut a una frenada brusca.

Rodgers estaba siendo exigido en numerosas ocasiones cuando los Jets iniciaron su primera ofensiva del partido contra los Buffalo Bills, con varios jugadores defensivos abriéndose camino hacia el backfield y derribándolo.

Pero a los seis minutos de juego, el #8 recibió un golpe de Leonard Floyd, ex jugador de primera ronda, que resultaría ser un duro golpe. Aunque inicialmente pudo ponerse de pie, volvió a sentarse en el césped con cara de preocupación.

Rodgers fue asistido fuera del campo por el personal médico y más tarde fue llevado en un carro mientras Zach Wilson se hacía cargo del bajo el centro.

El entrenador de los Jets Robert Saleh dijo al equipo de transmisión de ESPN que Rodgers parecía haberse lastimado el tobillo, aunque el alcance de la lesión aún se desconoce.

Será una gran decepción para los Jets si Rodgers se ve obligado a perderse tiempo. Como la nueva adquisición del equipo campeón del Super Bowl, el jugador tenía a toda la liga esperando por él esta temporada.

La historia sigue en desarrollo...

Well ... this sucks.

NFL superstar Aaron Rodgers went down with an apparent injury during the first game of his New York Jets career on Monday Night Football ... bringing his big debut to a screeching halt.

Rodgers was getting drilled on numerous occasions as the Jets started their first offensive drive of the matchup against the Buffalo Bills ... with several defensive players making their way to the backfield and knocking him down.

But just 6 minutes into the game, #8 took a hit from former first-round pick Leonard Floyd that would prove to be a major blow ... 'cause even though he was initially able to get back up on his feet, he sat back down on the grass with a concerned look on his face.

Rodgers was then assisted off the field alongside medical staffers ... and was later taken away on a cart as Zach Wilson took over under center.

Jets coach Robert Saleh told ESPN's broadcast team Rodgers appeared to have hurt his ankle ... although the extent of the injury is unknown at this time.

It will be a huge bummer for the Jets if Rodgers is forced to miss time ... as the team's acquisition of the Super Bowl champ had the entire league expecting a turnaround this season.

The Dallas Cowboys' win streak over New York teams won't just stop at one ... at least, that's according to Drew Pearson, who tells TMZ Sports his old squad is going to beat up on the Jets this weekend.

Pearson made the claim just hours before Aaron Rodgers was forced out of Monday night's win over the Buffalo Bills with an Achilles injury ... but regardless of who's under center in NY, the Hall of Famer seemed super confident in his prediction.

"[New York will] bring the circus with 'Hard Knocks' and all that," he said.  "They're coming to see us -- but we're going to send them home hard knocked. Knocked out!"

Of course, Pearson is biased -- he played all 11 years of his NFL career with the Cowboys and he's remained a huge fan even in retirement ... but he said Dallas' 40-0 win over the Giants was just that impressive.

In fact, the ex-wide receiver called the victory "one of the most impressive performances I've seen from the Dallas Cowboys in a long time."

Pearson praised the Cowboys' efforts in all three phases of the game -- offense, defense and special teams -- calling it "a total team performance."

Pearson, however, isn't ready to dub Dallas the Super Bowl favorites just yet ... saying the improvement of the other three teams in the NFC East means the Cowboys will have to bring it every week going forward.

Suspended Michigan State football coach Mel Tucker is breaking his silence amid an investigation into sexual harassment claims made by rape survivor and activist Brenda Tracy ... calling her complaint an attempt to "revive her career."

Tracy is accusing Tucker of making unwanted sexual comments and masturbating during an April 2022 phone call ... months after the two developed a personal friendship.

Tracy has since filed a Title IX complaint with the university ... detailing how the call resulted in her re-visiting her previous trauma.

Tucker was suspended without pay after the allegations went public ... and now, he's going scorched earth on Tracy and the investigation.

"Brenda Tracy's allegations of harassment are completely false," Tucker said in a lengthy statement. "The proceedings initiated by Ms. Tracy are devoid of any semblance of fairness for any matter of this importance, and the University's 'hearing' scheduled for October 5-6 is so flawed that there is no other opportunity for the truth to come out. That is why I share some truth with you now."

Tucker admits he developed an "intimate, adult relationship" with Tracy following her first visit to MSU in the summer of 2021 ... adding they would have late-night phone calls numerous times and disclose private information about each other, but noting she would initiate many of those conversations.

The coach -- who signed a huge, 10-year, $95 million deal in 2021 -- acknowledges the April 2022 call happened ... but said it was a "mutual, private event between two adults living at opposite ends of the country," and claims Tracy initiated the adult convo by making comments about what she would look like without clothes on.

Tucker claims Tracy welcomed their developed relationship ... requesting and accepting personal gifts, payments and donations to her non-profit. He also said Tracy went on to maintain communication with him, wishing him a happy Father's Day two months later.

Tucker also refutes Tracy's claim he canceled her scheduled appearance at the school following the phone call ... saying he was simply postponing it due to conflicts.

The most eye-opening part of Tucker's response, though, is when the coach suggests his potential firing could be used to make up for the school's mishandling of the Larry Nassar scandal.

"The investigation has not been fair or unbiased," Tucker continued. "I can only conclude that there is an ulterior motive designed to terminate my contract based on some other factor such as a desire to avoid any Nasser taint, or my race or gender."

He added ... "Ms. Tracy's attorney told us from the very beginning that I should not lose my job over her allegations, but that it would take a lot of money to make it go away. Her twisting of our personal relationship months after it concluded is designed to revive her career and destroy my life, precipitated by her greed."

The University of Alabama says it's outraged after a fan was heard yelling racist remarks and homophobic slurs at Texas players during their game on Sunday ... telling TMZ Sports it's flat-out "disgusted" by the behavior.

The disturbing shouts were captured on video at some point during the Longhorns' 34-24 victory over the Crimson Tide on Saturday at Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa.

In the footage, you can hear one man behind the UT bench shouting the anti-gay f-word repeatedly at a trio of Longhorns who were dancing on their sideline during the win.

The man also can be heard in the clip screaming for the players, who are Black, to "go back to the projects."

The three Longhorns players -- defensive backs X'Avion Brice and Jelani McDonald, and running back Quintrevion Wisner -- have yet to comment publicly on the footage ... though Wisner's mother said in a statement on X that she was heartbroken over the situation.

"The fact my son down there and they saying go back to the projects really just saddens my heart that as his mother no matter how old he had to listen to that!" Angie Wisner said.

"Love you Son!  But, the parents went through this all night! Beer cans thrown at us, water bottles, spit! Disgrace."

As for Alabama, the university slammed the fan's actions in a scathing statement on Monday afternoon.

"We are disgusted by reports of vile language and inappropriate behavior Saturday night," the statement read. "To be clear, we condemn this behavior, and it will not be tolerated in our venues. It is not representative of UA or our values."

"We expect all attendees to act with class and respect toward others. Fans are strongly encouraged to report issues to our security resources on-site."

"Gameday and delayed reports are appropriately addressed, and anyone found to be in violation of our rules and expectations is promptly removed and may be banned from future events."

A female Commanders fan socked another woman in the back of the head during a tense scuffle at FedEx Field on Sunday ... and the wild moment was all captured on video.

The tussle went down at some point during Washington's tilt with the Arizona Cardinals ... when a group of people wearing Commanders' gear got so livid with each other, things turned physical.

It's unclear what sparked the initial commotion -- but as the individuals were arguing, one woman in a black Jahan Dotson jersey cocked back her fist and threw it into another woman.

The blow rattled the Commanders fan ... and she held the back of her head in pain as others stepped in to separate the two.

Fortunately, no other punches were thrown ... and cooler heads prevailed amongst the combatants.

It's unclear if any arrests were made ... but at least all parties got to go home somewhat happy despite it all -- as the Commanders pulled out the victory, 20-16.

Cameron Weiss -- the agent for NFL superstar Austin Ekeler -- has tragically died at 38 years old.

Weiss' agency, Dynamic Sports Group, announced the heartbreaking news on Monday afternoon .. saying in a statement that Weiss "will be greatly missed."

According to NFL Network reporter Tom Pelissero, Weiss had been in a lengthy battle with cancer before his passing.

"Cameron was a remarkable individual who touched and impacted the lives of so many," Dynamic Sports Group leaders said in their statement. "His dedication, passion, and unwavering commitment to his family, friends and clients will always be remembered."

The group added, "Moving forward at Dynamic Sports Group, Cam's legacy will live on as we continue to serve our family of clients and he would have."

Ekeler mourned Weiss' death on social media ... writing in a comment, "He will always be a part of my story."

"Rest in piece brotha."

In addition to Ekeler, Weiss represented a bevy of other NFL players in their pursuits of contracts over the past few years ... including Eagles tailback Boston Scott and former Dallas Cowboys pass rusher Michael Sam.

Kadarius Toney couldn't help but throw shots at the New York Giants after their bad loss to the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday ... hopping back on social media just to diss his former team.

Toney -- who deactivated his X account after stinking up the place during the Chiefs' Week 1 loss against the Detroit Lions -- broke his self-imposed ban shortly after the Giants' 40-0 defeat on Sunday Night Football ... and he wanted everyone to know he was aware of the result.

"Na don't get quiet now..." the 24-year-old captioned his Instagram story, showing a pic of the scoreboard.

Toney -- who faced tons of backlash after dropping several passes on Thursday Night Football -- isn't back for good, though ... explaining he had to address the game real quick before going ghost again.

"Now I'm back off this sh** ... AGAIN," Toney said. "leave me df alone but stay tuned."

Giants fans didn't take the jab well ... calling out the irony of the whole situation.

"He is literally the reason the returning, defending champions are 0-1," one fan said via X ...  with another person calling him a "certified clown."

Another supporter said, "imagine just focusing on your game and being the best possible WR he can possibly be instead of jumping on Social media."

Toney -- who had knee surgery in July -- will hope to redeem himself on Sunday against the Jaguars.

Abby Lee Miller went on a bizarre tangent, claiming she's got a thing for high school football players in an interview that's raising plenty of eyebrows online.

57-year-old Abby took the odd stance on a recent episode of Sofia Franklyn's "Sofia with an F" podcast. At the very end of the show, the 2 started talking about Tom Cruise, causing Abby to bring up his 1983 flick, "All the Right Moves" about a HS football star.

Abby says those guys are her "downfall," claiming she's still into high school dudes today. Already a little odd, but Sofia notes that she's more into the coaches. Would be a great place to drop the conversation, right?

Well, Abby doubles down -- saying she isn't talkin' about guys that used to be in high school ... she means ones that are currently still in school.

It's a pretty wild thing to say, especially considering her former reality series, "Dance Moms," was all about running a studio full of kids ... and as you can imagine, she's been getting burnt online.

Many have been pointing out the obviously disgusting implications of her comment ... one person even pointed out, "The fact that she went back and clarified is crazy."

BTW, Abby's new show, "Mad House," begins airing at the end of September -- a series that takes young adult dancers and pins them against each other in the hopes of making it onto her team.

Abby Lee Miller se fue por la tangente afirmando que se siente atraída hacia los jugadores de fútbol de la escuela secundaria en una entrevista que está levantando muchas cejas en línea.

Abby, de 57 años, adoptó esta extraña postura en un reciente episodio del podcast de Sofia Franklyn "Sofia with an F". Al final del programa, ambas empezaron a hablar de Tom Cruise, lo que provocó que Abby mencionara su película de 1983 "All the Right Moves", sobre una estrella de fútbol americano.

Abby dice que esos muchachos son su "perdición", afirmando que todavía le gustan los chicos de instituto. Todo es un poco raro, pero Sofía dice que le gustan más los entrenadores. Este era el mejor momento para finalizar la conversación ¿verdad?

Bueno, Abby redobla la apuesta y dice que no está hablando de los chicos que solían estar en el instituto, más bien se refiere a los que todavía están en la escuela.

Es una cosa bastante inadecuada para decir, sobre todo teniendo en cuenta su antigua serie de realidad, "Dance Moms", que era acerca de la gestión de un estudio lleno de niños... como pueden imaginar, las criticas en redes sociales no se han hecho esperar.

Muchos han señalado las implicaciones obviamente repugnantes de su comentario, una persona incluso señaló: "El hecho de que ella volviera atrás y remarcara su postura es una locura."

DraftKings issued a mea culpa on Monday morning ... after the gambling site posted a 9/11-themed parlay that many viewed as insensitive.

The bet that fans could place money on was called "Never Forget" ... and it allowed people to wager on if the New York Mets, New York Yankees and New York Jets would all win on Monday -- the 22nd anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks in NY.

Immediately after it was posted, though, it was ripped by social media users ... who called it tone-deaf and crass.

In wake of the backlash hours later, DraftKings pulled it from its site ... and issued an apology.

"We sincerely apologize for the featured parlay that was shared briefly in commemoration of 9/11," a DK spokesperson said in a statement to the Boston Globe. We respect the significance of this day for our country and especially for the familys of those who were directly affected.”