Football

Minkah Fitzpatrick says he was not trying to end Nick Chubb's season when his goal line tackle resulted in a devastating injury ... defending himself and claiming the controversial hit wasn't a dirty play.

The three-time Pro Bowler broke his silence on the incident with reporters on Thursday ... clapping back at critics who say the result could have been prevented.

"You can tell me how to tackle him low, but it's a fast game," Fitzpatrick said. "It's a game where you make decisions in milliseconds."

"Can't really control what happens after you choose to make your decision. I already chose to go low. Somebody got on his back when I was going low, and what happened happened. There's nothing I really would do differently."

Chubb will be sidelined for the rest of the season ... and his football career remains up in the air as a long road to recovery awaits him.

Fitzpatrick said it's still unfortunate what happened and he hopes Chubb gets well soon.

"Nick Chubb's a great player," Fitzpatrick said. "He makes the game a lot better when he's playing."

Shannon Sharpe is a Hall of Famer, Super Bowl champion, and on TV every day, but the NFL legend is learning a lesson in Hollywood hierarchy ... 'cause his convo with cameras outside an L.A. hotspot got derailed by Selena Gomez.

The former Broncos tight end was choppin' it up with photogs after his dinner Monday night at Giorgio Baldi ... when out of nowhere, the singer and actress showed up behind him to make her way to her car.

The camera guy quickly shifted his focus to Selena ... asking Shannon to hold his thought on Team USA's performance at the FIBA World Cup so he could get his shot of the former Disney star.

After securing his footage of Selena, the photog made his way back to Shannon and apologized for the interruption .... but the ESPN host took it like a champ, saying, "Nah, bro. You good."

The two finished their chat about sports ... with Shannon praising Deion Sanders' successful season with the Colorado Buffaloes and how he handled the death threats surrounding Colorado State player Henry Blackburn.

The clip is the perfect example of the levels of Hollywood fame -- Shannon's massive in the sports world, but Selena is undoubtedly the bigger fish overall. No one's immune to it ... except for maybe Beyoncé, Taylor Swift or Barack Obama.

Shannon Sharpe está en televisión todos los días, es parte del Salón de la Fama, es campeón del Super Bowl, pero a pesar de eso, la leyenda de la NFL está aprendiendo una lección de jerarquía en Hollywood ... pues su conversación con las cámaras fuera de un hotspot en Los Ángeles se descarriló por culpa de Selena Gómez.

El ex jugador de los Broncos estaba conversando con los fotógrafos el lunes por la noche, después de su cena en Giorgio Baldi, cuando de la nada, la cantante y actriz apareció detrás de él para dirigirse a su carro.

El chico de la cámara rápidamente cambió su enfoque hacia Selena, pidiéndole a Shannon que esperara un momento para comentar el rendimiento del equipo de EE.UU. en la Copa Mundial de la FIBA. Todo, para poder obtener una foto de la ex estrella de Disney.

Después de asegurar sus imágenes de Selena, el fotógrafo regresó donde Shannon y se disculpó por la interrupción, pero el anfitrión de ESPN se tomó todo el asunto como un campeón y le dijo: "No, hermano. Está todo bien".

Los dos terminaron su conversación de deportes, con Shannon elogiando la exitosa temporada de Deion Sanders en los Colorado Buffaloes y cómo manejó las amenazas de muerte que rodean al jugador de Colorado State, Henry Blackburn.

El clip es un ejemplo perfecto de cómo funcionan los niveles de fama en Hollywood. Shannon es súper popular en el mundo del deporte, pero Selena está a otro nivel. Nadie es inmune a ella... excepto quizás por Beyoncé, Taylor Swift o Barack Obama.

James Harrison says it's the NFL's fault Nick Chubb is done for the season -- not Minkah Fitzpatrick's -- telling TMZ Sports he believes the league's rules forced the Steelers safety to go low on Monday night.

The former Pittsburgh superstar didn't mince words when talking about the hit that ended Chubb's season ... explaining he thinks Fitzpatrick had no other choice than to aim for the Browns tailback's knees on the controversial play.

"You've made it to where if a guy goes in there and comes in high and hits him in the head, now he's getting fined," Harrison said. "So what do you have to do? You've got guys shooting low now. That's just what you've done made the game into."

In fact, Harrison says if he were still playing today ... he fears he would have caused similar injuries in an effort to avoid penalties and fines from NFL officials.

"To be honest with you, there would probably be a whole lot more people getting hurt," he said. "Because I'm going to shoot at your legs."

Not all have agreed with Harrison ... former NFL wideout-turned-broadcaster Nate Burleson said on Tuesday he thought Fitzpatrick could have done a whole lot more to avoid hurting Chubb.

James Harrison dice que es culpa de la NFL que Nick Chubb esté fuera por toda la temporada, no de Minkah Fitzpatrick. James le dijo a TMZ Sports que cree que las reglas de la liga obligaron a los defensas de los Steelers a apuntar hacia abajo la noche del lunes.

El ex superestrella de Pittsburgh no se anduvo con rodeos al hablar sobre el golpe que puso fin a la temporada de Chubb, explicando que cree que Fitzpatrick no tenía otra opción más que apuntar las rodillas del tailback de los Browns en la polémica jugada.

"Has llegado a un punto en el que si un tipo entra ahí y llega alto y te golpea en la cabeza, ahora lp multan", dijo Harrison. "¿Qué tienes que hacer? Ahora los chicos tiran bajo. En eso se ha convertido el juego".

De hecho, Harrison dice que si todavía estuviera jugando hoy, teme que habría provocado lesiones similares en un esfuerzo por evitar sanciones y multas de los oficiales de la NFL.

"Para ser honesto, probablemente habría mucha más gente lesionada", dijo. "Porque les habría disparado en las piernas".

No todos han estado de acuerdo con Harrison. El ex jugador de la NFL y hoy locutor, Nate Burleson, dijo el martes que pensaba que Fitzpatrick podría haber hecho mucho más para evitar lastimar a Chubb.

Chicago Bears defensive coordinator Alan Williams is no longer with the team -- the coach resigned from his position on Wednesday.

Confirmed details surrounding Williams' status remain unclear at the time of this post.

Williams -- who did not travel with the Bears for their matchup against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers over the weekend -- released a statement regarding his resignation ... saying, "It is with great regret that I tender my resignation as the Defensive Coordinator of the Chicago Bears Football Club effective immediately."

"I am taking a step back to take care of my health and my family. I appreciate the opportunity to work with the Chicago Bears, a storied NFL franchise with a rich history. The McCaskey family is first-class and second to none. I would also like to thank Coach Matt Eberflus and General Manager Ryan Poles for giving me the opportunity to come to Chicago. I would also like to thank President Kevin Warren, the coaches and players of which I value the relationships and camaraderie."

Williams continued ... "I value the NFL shield and all that it stands for and after taking some time to address my health, I plan to come back and coach again."

Here's further proof Nick Saban no longer has beef with Deion Sanders -- the Alabama legend has nothing but praise for Prime amid Colorado's stellar start to the season ... despite their previous feud over name, image and likeness deals.

The Pro Football Hall of Famer's Buffaloes have been the biggest story in the sport so far this season ... with Shedeur Sanders and Travis Hunter leading the squad to a 3-0 start.

The boss of the Crimson Tide sidelines was asked about what's going down in Boulder during media availability this week ... and he said he's not surprised one bit -- considering he believes Prime is great at what he does on and off the field.

"I haven't been able to see [Colorado play] a lot," Saban said. "I saw a little bit of the game last week against Colorado State, but I have a tremendous amount of respect for Deion Sanders."

"First, he's a great person and he's done a great job of marketing the program to create a lot of national interest, but I see their team playing well on the field."

He continued ... "They play with discipline, they do a good job of executing, they've been able to score points, playing decent on defense. So all those things, to me, are indicators that he's a really good coach and I've always thought that."

The two Aflac spokesmen certainly didn't see eye to eye a year ago ... with Prime calling Saban a liar for claiming he paid a million bucks to get Hunter (a 5-star recruit at the time) to commit to his former Jackson State squad.

They later made up at a commercial shoot ... where they laughed the whole thing off.

Adam "Pacman" Jones is trying to turn his most recent run-in with the law into some clicks for his new music ... using the police video of his arrest earlier this month to promote his latest rap song.

The 39-year-old posted some of the footage on his Instagram page on Wednesday ... showing him yelling at an officer after he was taken into custody at Northern Kentucky International Airport on Sept. 11.

In the clip, you can see the ex-NFL star in the back of a police cruiser ... loudly questioning a cop about why he was being arrested after he said all he did was complain to airline employees about a faulty charging port on his plane.

"Bro, I'm going to jail for being on the plane?!" Jones said. "Bro, I didn't even yell at nobody!"

Jones' video then transitioned into a snippet of his new rap song.

"Its always two sides of the story …….," Jones captioned the vid. "👂🏾👂🏾👂🏾new music. Ep coming."

Kim Kardashian y Odell Beckham Jr. han estado mucho más cercanos últimamente, pero en realidad ambos han sido parte de los mismos círculos durante años.

Como informamos, Kim y OBJ tienen algunos amigos en común que los han llevado a acercarse, pero nuestras fuentes dicen que no hay nada romántico entre la pareja.

La verdad es que Kim y Odell han estado en algunas de las mismas fiestas en el último año, incluyendo el cumpleaños del mismísimo Odell, lo que demuestra que tienen mucho en común cuando se trata de su vida social.

Además de eso, tanto Kim como OBJ asistieron a la Fiesta Blanca del 4 de Julio de Michael Rubin a principios de este año. Si bien no posaron en ninguna foto juntos, ambos estaban en buena compañía, con celebridades de la talla de Tom Brady, Jennifer López, Ben Affleck, Jay-Z, Justin Bieber, Travis Scott, Kelly Rowland y un montón más.

Kim también asistió a la fiesta de cumpleaños por los 30 de Odell en Mother Wolf en Los Ángeles en noviembre. Una vez más, no fueron fotografiados juntos... pero Kim estaba definitivamente allí, y se fue de la fiesta en solitario más tarde en la noche.

Nuestras fuentes nos dicen que Kim está muy entusiasmanda en encontrar el amor de nuevo, si es que llegase a encontrar a la persona adecuada. Pero de todos modos está muy ocupada con sus labores de madre y sus exitosos negocios.

Kim Kardashian and Odell Beckham Jr. have recently linked up on a more personal level, but the two have actually run in the same circles for years.

As we reported, Kim and OBJ have some mutual friends who have helped to bring them together, but our sources say there's nothing romantic between the pair.

Truth is, Kim and Odell have been at some of the same parties -- including his own birthday -- within the last year ... further proving they've got a lot in common when it comes to their social lives.

Both Kim and OBJ attended Michael Rubin's July 4th White Party to celebrate America's Independence earlier this year. While they didn't appear to pose in any pics together, the two were certainly in good company ... with the likes of Tom Brady, Jennifer Lopez, Ben Affleck, Jay-Z, Justin Bieber, Travis Scott, Kelly Rowland and a whole lot more.

Kim was also in attendance for Odell's 30th birthday party at Mother Wolf in Los Angeles back in November. Once again, they weren't photographed together ... but Kim was definitely there, leaving the bash solo later in the night.

Our sources say Kim's totally down to find love again if she finds the right match ... but she's having a ton of fun being a mom and continuing to grow her businesses.

The fan who died at the Patriots game on Sunday was involved in a physical altercation prior to his death, and now officials are reviewing video footage of the incident to determine what happened.

The Norfolk District Attorney's office tells TMZ Sports "Our investigation has included numerous law enforcement interviews and the examination of multiple angles of video capturing the scuffle prior to Mr. Dale Mooney's collapse during the Sunday night game at Gillette Stadium."

Officials tell us they conducted a preliminary autopsy which pointed to a medical issue, as opposed to a traumatic injury as a possible factor in the death. A final determination hasn't yet been made.

As we previously reported, 53-year-old Dale Mooney, who was at the Patriots vs. Dolphins game, was rushed to a local hospital after what was initially classified as an "apparent medical event."

He was pronounced dead at the medical facility.

Following the tragic news, videos of the incident surfaced online appearing to show a man in a Dolphins jersey striking a fellow spectator, presumed to be Mooney.

El hincha que murió en el juego de los Patriotas el domingo pasado estuvo involucrado en un altercado físico antes de su muerte, y ahora los funcionarios están revisando las imágenes del incidente para determinar que sucedió exactamente.

La oficina del Fiscal del Distrito de Norfolk le dijo a TMZ Sports: "Nuestra investigación ha incluido numerosas entrevistas con las fuerzas del orden y el examen de múltiples ángulos de video que capturan la pelea antes del colapso del Sr. Dale Mooney durante el partido del domingo por la noche en el Gillette Stadium".

Los funcionarios nos dicen que llevaron a cabo una autopsia preliminar que apunta a un problema médico, en lugar de una lesión traumática como posible factor de muerte. Aún no se ha tomado una decisión definitiva.

Como informamos anteriormente, Dale Mooney, de 53 años, que estaba en el partido de los Patriots contra los Dolphins, fue trasladado a un hospital local después de lo que fue clasificado inicialmente como un "aparente evento médico".

Fue declarado muerto en el centro médico.

Tras la trágica noticia, aparecieron videos del incidente que parecían mostrar a un hombre con una camiseta de los Dolphins golpeando a un espectador, presumiblemente, Mooney.

LSU safety Greg Brooks -- a starter on the Tigers' defense -- underwent emergency surgery on Friday to remove a large brain tumor.

Thankfully, according to a statement released by his family on Wednesday morning, the procedure was successful -- though the football player and his loved ones are now anxiously waiting on biopsy results.

"Greg continues to fight," Brooks' family said in their statement, "and we await further clarity on the extent of that battle."

"His incredible strength of character gives us confidence, but we also know that he needs our support now more than ever. Please keep Greg and our family in your prayers."

Brooks missed the Tigers' win over Mississippi State on Saturday while recovering from the surgery. Head coach Brian Kelly said Monday his absence was due to a "medical emergency" -- though he didn't elaborate on the issue. He added at the time there was no timetable for a return for the defensive back.

Brooks started his collegiate career at Arkansas in 2019 but transferred to LSU after three season. He played in 14 games for the Tigers in 2022, piling up 66 tackles and two interceptions.

An Alabama high school band director was in for a shock after refusing to stop a musical performance that cops asked him to stop -- and we mean he literally got a shock!

Johnny Mims was arrested Thursday in Birmingham for disorderly conduct and a slew of other charges, after police say he disobeyed their orders to tell his band kids to stop playing after a football game had ended, as the school was trying to clear the place out.

New body cam footage was released showing last week's confrontation, and it's pretty wild. The guy basically tells cops to piss off, refusing to halt things ... and then getting Tasered.

It's unclear why Mims didn't wanna comply, but what is clear is that he was dead-set on doing this last song with the band in the stands -- even though the game was long over. Supposedly, this follows in some sort of "5th quarter" tradition, but, on its face, it's bizarre.

Anyway, things escalated quickly. The first officer who responds tells Mims it's time to go and that he's gotta wrap it up ... but Mims tells him to get out of his face, continuing to conduct even though the cop was standing right in front of him. The band kids kept playing loudly too.

Eventually, more officers arrived, and they attempted to restrain/cuff Mims, which led to a clear struggle between the cops. Other folks appear to have gotten in the mix as well.

At a point, one cop threatens to tase Mims if he doesn't settle down ... and then the electricity starts flowing. He looks to have been zapped at least 3 times.

Jason Kelce is revisiting the rumors surrounding his brother's potential love story ... saying he fully believes Travis and Taylor Swift are, in fact, dating.

But, you need to calm down, Swifties -- it was clearly a joke.

The Eagles star was asked once again about recent reports of Travis and Taylor "quietly hanging out" during his appearance on Audacy's SportsRadio 94 WIP Wednesday morning ... and while he claimed he doesn't keep up with the Chiefs tight end's relationship status, he then threw fuel into the speculation fire.

"It's hard to answer because I don't really know a lot about Travis' love life," Jason said. "I try to keep his business kind of his business, stay out of that world. But, having said that, I think he's doing great and I think it's all 100% percent true."

Jason quickly followed up by couching the whole thing ... admitting he had no idea what was going on between the two, if anything at all.

Jason's comments ARE pretty interesting, though -- one would think if Travis and Taylor were really dating, he'd probably tell his bro he should've said no to talking about it, right??

Another theory -- Traylor (that's what we'd call them if they were indeed a couple) are just casual and don't really care who knows ... so Jason addressing it wouldn't really matter.

Interesting note -- Jason said he was "blindsided" by Tony Gonzalez's question on Thursday Night Football last week ... which was the first time anyone near Travis ever addressed the rumors.

Dartmouth football head coach Buddy Teevens has tragically passed away from injuries he suffered in a bicycle accident six months ago, his family announced Tuesday.

He was 66 years old.

"Our family is heartbroken to inform you that our beloved 'coach' has peacefully passed away surrounded by family," Teevens' loved ones said in a statement. "We are confident and take comfort in the fact that he passed away knowing how much he was loved and admired."

Teevens -- the winningest coach in Big Green history -- was hit by a pickup truck in Florida back in March ... and the collision was so bad, doctors had to amputate his right leg. His family said he also suffered spinal cord injuries in the crash as well.

Assistant Sammy McCorkle was named interim head coach while Teevens attempted to recover.

"This is tragic news for Dartmouth and the entire football world," Dartmouth leaders said in a statement Tuesday night. "Buddy not only was synonymous with Dartmouth football, he was a beloved coach and an innovative, inspirational leader who helped shape the lives of generations of students."

The school added that McCorkle informed the football team of Teevens' passing Tuesday evening and ensured players "that they have the support and resources they need as they process such devastating news."

Teevens -- who played quarterback at Dartmouth in the late 1970s -- was first named Big Green head coach in 1987 ... and following five years on the Dartmouth sidelines, he took gigs at Tulane, Illinois, Florida and Stanford, before returning to his alma mater in 2005.

Teevens went on to pile up a 117-101-2 career record at the school ... gaining fame nationally for his efforts to limit his players' risk for concussions.

Teevens opted to do away with full-contact practices to keep his players safe ... and he also played a pivotal role in the creation of the Mobile Virtual Player, a bot college and NFL teams use to hone their tackling craft.

His tactics were so innovative, Roger Goodell recognized him as "a leader in making our game safer through breakthrough innovations" at the 2023 NFL Draft.

Teevens will be honored with a moment of silence before Dartmouth's game Saturday against Lehigh.