Football

Incluso el Empire State Building quiere estar tan iluminado como Taylor Swift, por lo que sus icónicas luces fueron sombreadas para rendirle homenaje, no por su música, sino que por su elección de condimentos.

Sí, el famoso rascacielos de Nueva York descaradamente se subió a la moda del "ketchup y aparentemente rancho" el miércoles por la noche e iluminó sus luces en la punta de rojo y blanco, como culminación a un frenesí salvaje que comenzó hace 4 días en Kansas City.

Sigan leyendo porque esto es un poco loco. El domingo en el juego de los Chiefs, Taylor se tomó una foto con una fan junto a un plato que tenía un pollo y dos cucharadas de salsa de tomate y, al parecer "rancho".

Luego que la foto fuera compartida en la cuenta de fans de Taylor, recibió 32 millones de visitas y se creó un nuevo meme que se volvió tan popular que la gente del Empire State Building tuvo que entrar en acción. Por cierto, Heinz también aprovechó el momento.

Eso sí, el rojo y el blanco también son los colores de los Chiefs de Travis Kelce, el mejor amigo de Taylor, que vienen a Nueva York este fin de semana para jugar contra los Jets de Nueva York. Sí, se espera que Taylor también asista, y sin embargo, la ciudad natal de los Jets, y el Empire State Building no pudieron resistirse.

Even the Empire State Building wants to be as lit as Taylor Swift, which is why its iconic lights were shaded to honor her -- not for her music, but for her choice in condiments.

Yes, NYC's famed skyscraper shamelessly hopped on the "ketchup and seemingly ranch" craze Wednesday night by turning its crowning lights red and white ... the culmination of a wild frenzy that started 4 days earlier in Kansas City.

Follow along, because this is kinda crazy -- Sunday at the Chiefs game Taylor takes a photo with a fan, next to a plate with a chicken tender and 2 dollops of ketchup and seemingly ranch.

Then that photo gets tweeted on a Taylor fan account, gets 32 million views and births a new meme trend so big the Empire State Building folks had to get in on the action! BTW, Heinz is capitalizing on the moment, too.

Mind you, red and white are also the colors for Taylor's BF Travis Kelce's Chiefs ... who are coming to NY this weekend to play the NY Jets -- yes, Taylor's expected to attend -- and yet the Jets' hometown Empire State Building just couldn't resist.

Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce are clearly two people comfortable with each other ... as Taylor draped her arm around the NFL stud's neck following his big team win Sunday.

Check out the pic, obtained by TMZ, showing Taylor very casually hanging on Travis as they spoke to Kelce's friends at a private party at Prime Social in Kansas City, Missouri.

Travis appears to be looking down, while Taylor engages in some conversation standing next to him.

As you can see, they were they were very comfortable holding court with TC's inner circle.

Travis reportedly rented out the rooftop restaurant/bar -- which is one of KC's trendiest spots -- to keep the party going with close friends, family and Chiefs teammates.

As we first told you, Travis and Taylor's first rendezvous didn't come Sunday at the game ... our sources say they've actually hung out several times, just in more intimate settings.

The photo marks the first time we've seen the two together outside of Arrowhead Stadium. Remember, Travis and Taylor walked out of the locker room area together Sunday and into his waiting convertible to leave Sunday's big win for the KC Chiefs.

Taylor's yet to say anything publicly about her situation with Kelce, but Travis spilled a bit Wednesday on his podcast "New Heights" ... calling T. Swift "pretty ballsy" for showing up to the game and hanging with his mom.

Lucky for Taylor, Travis caught a touchdown during the matchup -- something he does often -- but this one felt a little more special.

Taylor Swift is really digging Travis Kelce ... because she's expected back at his next NFL game.

Sources confirm to TMZ … as of now, Taylor is expected to attend Sunday's game between Travis' Kansas City Chiefs and the New York Jets at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.

We're told Taylor's team is still working out security logistics with MetLife Stadium, where she played a huge concert earlier this summer on her "Eras" tour.

Taylor would be going back for seconds ... she went to the Chiefs game last Sunday, watching Travis score a touchdown from a private suite with his family. It was the first time she went to one of his games since they started hanging out, and the first time she met his parents.

The NFL schedule is lining up perfectly for Taylor and Travis ... his team is playing on the road against the Jets, across the river from New York City ... where Taylor owns a place.

TMZ broke the story ... Taylor and Travis got super cozy with one another after last Sunday's game, she was draping her arm around his neck while they chatted at the private party he set up.

As we first reported ... the singer and NFL stud have hung out several times before, but in more intimate settings than a football stadium.

Taylor Swift was already at the "meet the parents" stage of her relationship with Travis Kelce ... and it turns out she's getting cool with his buddies, too -- 'cause Patrick Mahomes just revealed he got to chop it up with the singer at the tight end's postgame party on Sunday.

The Kansas City Chiefs superstar was asked about Kelce's recent super VIP guest at Arrowhead Stadium after practice on Wednesday ... and while he initially said days ago he hadn't met Swift yet -- that has since changed following TK's shindig at Prime Social in K.C.

"Yeah, I met her," Mahomes told local reporters. "She's really cool, good people."

But Patrick wasn't super chatty about the subject ... echoing Kelce and saying he's going to keep it to talkin' football moving forward.

"But like Trav said, man, I'm going to let them have their privacy and just keep it moving," the two-time MVP added.

As we previously reported, Swift and Kelce -- who hung out a few times in intimate settings before Sunday's game -- were a bit closer at the postgame party ... with TS putting her arm around the four-time first-team All-Pro's neck.

Taylor Swift ya estaba en la etapa de "conocer a los padres" en su relación con Travis Kelce y ahora resulta que está conociendo a sus amigos también, porque Patrick Mahomes acaba de revelar que pudo conversar con ella en la fiesta posterior al partido del domingo.

La superestrella de los Kansas City Chiefs fue consultado sobre la reciente invitada súper VIP de Kelce en el estadio Arrowhead, después de la práctica del miércoles, y aunque hace algunos días contaba que aún no había conocido a Swift, eso ha cambiado desde entonces.

"Sí, la conocí", dijo Mahomes a los periodistas locales. "Es genial, buena persona".

Pero Patrick no fue súper hablador sobre el tema, haciendo eco de Kelce y diciendo que iba a dejarlo hasta ahí para hablar de fútbol en adelante.

"Pero como Trav dijo, voy a dejar que tengan su privacidad y solo mantenerlo en movimiento", agregó el dos veces MVP.

Como informamos anteriormente, Swift y Kelce, que salieron un par de veces en ambientes íntimos antes del partido del domingo, estaban un poco más cerca en la fiesta posterior al partido, con Taylor poniendo su brazo alrededor del cuello del cuatro veces All-Pro del primer equipo.

Usher's upcoming Super Bowl Halftime show definitely has people feeling nostalgic already -- 'cause his music has been played like crazy in the days since the news broke.

The numbers are pretty staggering ... Billboard tells us Usher's tunes (new and old) have seen a significant spike across all streaming services since the announcement was made Sunday, and the increased plays are tipping into the millions.

Percentage-wise, we're told that boils down to about a 16% bump for Usher between Sunday and Monday ... with his most-streamed song being his new single, "Good Good," which is already on the Hot 100.

Billboard says "Good Good" was streamed 1.1 million times in this window, about a 5% gain. His classics like "Yeah!," "My Boo" and "DJ Got Us Fallin in Love" saw bumps as well -- amounting to an added 962k streams, 527k streams, and 525k streams, respectively.

When it comes to the individual streaming services, the increase is clear in their data too. Tidal, for example, tells us Usher's "Superstar" was the most popular song on their platform on the day of the announcement. They also say "You Make Me Wanna..." saw the biggest jump in streaming percentage from the day prior at 55%.

Another music streaming company that felt the Usher effect was Amazon ... they tell us "Yeah!" climbed a whopping 140% in plays compared to the day before the announcement. As a result, we're told it jumped 149 spots in their internal popular song rankings list.

Tyreek Hill won't be going balls-out in the porn industry -- not in retirement, not ever -- the Miami Dolphins superstar just admitted he was just kidding about becoming an adult film actor after he's done playing in the NFL.

Hill made the shocking revelation while streaming on Twitch with Tampa Bay Buccaneers receiver Mike Evans ... when he said straight-up, "Nah, when I retire, bro, I really wanna be a porn star though, bro."

The 29-year-old doubled down shortly after ... claiming once again he was "dead serious."

As it turns out, Hill was just fooling around ... 'cause when he was asked about it at practice on Wednesday, he explained it was all a joke.

"A lot of my teammates are hating on me right now," Hill said minutes ago. "I was joking, I was definitely joking. That's something I just don't want to do."

Kim Zolciak and Kroy Biermann are about to get under each other's skin under the same roof all over again -- 'cause she's on her way back to Georgia -- after some nasty new developments in their divorce.

Sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ ... Kim is flying back to Atlanta Wednesday after filming for MTV's "The Surreal Life" in Colombia over the past couple weeks. We're told she's in the air now, and, within hours, is set to be back home with Kroy and their kids.

Despite this tumultuous sitch, our sources say that the plan -- for now, anyway -- is for Kim and Kroy to continue cohabiting ... as neither one of them really has anywhere else to go at this point. However, considering everything that's gone on of late in their divorce case ... you can imagine the stage is set for fireworks.

Remember, Kroy has openly acknowledged they're in dire straits financially.

As we've reported .... Kroy has been consistently appealing to a judge lately, begging for permission to sell their mansion so they can start paying off some major debts. He's also argued that the money will help them get their own pad ... and resolve a toxic environment.

We're also told that Kim and Kroy could very well bang again ... at least that's how people close to them feel. Of course, whether they actually do it again is still up in the air.

Kim, for her part, has been insisting everything's fine between her and Kroy -- she even asked for their divorce to be dismissed, noting they'd had sex recently ... and arguing that it proves their relationship is still on. Kroy's brushed that aside and plans to move forward.

Charlamagne Tha God isn't a fan of Colin Kaepernick's open letter to the New York Jets ... saying it makes it seem like the ex-NFL QB is begging for a job at this point.

CTG had heavy critiques for Colin on Wednesday's Breakfast Club broadcast ... it's been 7 years since he was ousted from the league in a clear blackball maneuver, and CTG thinks Colin has allowed the low moments to define his story and identity.

ICYMI, J. Cole posted the letter Tuesday, revealing the 35-year-old was looking for a spot on the Jets' roster in the aftermath of Aaron Rodgers' season-ending injury during Week 1.

CTG not only thinks Colin's letter should've never been published, he thinks Cole's inclusion was incredibly "wack" and thinks Colin should speak out on his own.

The comparison to racism in America vs. NFL was also made, which CTG rejected -- calling U.S. a system that indoctrinates people into racism as opposed to Colin throwing a flag on the league, leaving everyone -- even callers -- split on the issue.

Ex-New England Patriots star Dion Lewis has pleaded not guilty to the criminal charge he was hit with following his arrest last week, TMZ Sports has learned.

According to court records, Lewis' attorney submitted the plea for the former running back in his Hillsborough County, Fla. court case on Tuesday.

Lewis is now due back in court next month.

We broke the story ... Lewis was arrested on Sept. 18 after authorities alleged he had been unruly and belligerent at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tampa. They claimed the 33-year-old caused a disturbance -- and then refused to leave the premises, leading officers to slap him in handcuffs.

Lewis was hauled off to a Hillsborough County jail ... and later charged with misdemeanor trespassing.

Michigan State has officially kicked Mel Tucker to the curb -- the Spartans fired their head football coach with cause amid allegations of sexual harassment.

The school announced the decision on Wednesday ... saying despite Tucker's fight to keep his job, it has moved forward with the process that initially began on September 18.

Of course, Tucker's argument against the school's intent to can him was that mutual flirting and consensual phone sex does not fall under "moral turpitude" ... but it's safe to say the higher-ups didn't agree.

"Simply put, Mr. Tucker's response does not provide any information that refutes or undermines the multiple grounds for termination for cause set forth in the notice," MSU VP and athletic director Alan Haller said.

"Instead, his 25-page response, which includes a 12-page letter from his attorney and a 13-page 'expert report,' provides a litany of excuses for his inappropriate behavior while expressly admitting to the problematic conduct outlined in the notice."

As we previously reported, rape survivor and activist Brenda Tracy recently claimed Tucker made unsolicited sexual comments and masturbated during an April 2022 phone call ... which led to a formal Title IX complaint and investigation.

Tucker -- who signed a $95 million deal in 2021 -- vehemently denied any wrongdoing ... admitting he had an intimate relationship with Tracy, but claimed all his actions were welcomed with Tracy's comments.

Travis Kelce is opening up about the one thing everyone is talking about -- his romance with Taylor Swift!!!

The Kansas City Chiefs tight end sat down for an interview with the podcast he shares with his brother Jason Kelce called "New Heights," during which Travis admits he no longer has any privacy after Sunday's rendezvous with the pop star.

Check out the video ... Jason kicks off the convo by saying, "We've been avoiding this subject out of respect for your personal life -- now we've got to talk about it."

Travis replies, “My personal life that is not so personal. I did this to myself Jason, I know this.”

Jason asks, “So Trav, how does it feel that Taylor Swift has finally put you on the map?"

Travis starts chuckling before launching into how his life has changed since Taylor came into it. He says he's been seeing a lot more camera-wielding paparazzi with British accents outside his home, trying to catch a glimpse of him.

Travis also gave kudos to Taylor for being "pretty ballsy" by showing up at his NFL game and hanging out with his friends and family in his personal suite.

He said she "looked amazing" and everyone saw her in a positive light, adding that it was a game he will never forget. He said the image that sticks out most in his mind was Taylor giving chest bumps and high fives to his mom.

He also mentioned the Taylor friendship bracelet he wore while also claiming he wanted to "respect both our lives."

But Travis never addressed the one burning question on people's minds -- is he dating Taylor Swift?

Taylor and Travis have been hanging out privately over the last few months and there's clearly some sort of relationship ... as we reported, she was sitting on his lap during a party after Sunday's game.

Of course, Travis has been the talk of the town --- and the world for that matter -- after Taylor swooped into Arrowhead Stadium to watch Kansas City trounce the Chicago Bears 41 to 10. After the game, Taylor and Travis were filmed fleeing the media circus in their getaway car -- and the rest is now history.

A high school football coach in Ohio has resigned this week ... after officials say he and his team used the word "Nazi" as a play call during their game last Friday night.

The inappropriate language happened during the first half of Brooklyn High School's game against Beachwood High School in Beachwood -- a Cleveland suburb that's predominantly Jewish.

During the first 30 minutes of the game, Brooklyn Hurricanes head coach Tim McFarland and his players were accused of yelling out "Nazi" over and over again. According to Beachwood City Schools Superintendent Robert Hardis, at halftime, Beachwood H.S. threatened to pull its players from the field if Brooklyn didn't stop using the term.

"Brooklyn's coach acknowledged using this word as the play call, apologized, and agreed to change it when the teams returned for the second half," Hardis said.

However, Hardis said while the word was apparently not used during the second half of the contest, a racial slur was still said "freely throughout the night" by Brooklyn players.

On Monday, McFarland -- who became Brooklyn's HC two years ago -- resigned over it all.

Brooklyn Schools Superintendent Ted Caleris said the coach was remorseful for his and his team's actions ... writing in a statement, "McFarland expresses his deepest regret about the matter, and offers his sincerest apologies to the Beachwood and Brooklyn School Communities."

"The Brooklyn City Schools echoes this regret and apology as well. As stated, this hurtful and harmful speech will not be tolerated, in any form, by Brooklyn City Schools leadership."

Wanna eat like Taylor Swift at Arrowhead Stadium ... now ya can Swifties -- and it's all thanks to Heinz!!

The condiment company revealed on Tuesday it's debuting a new flavor honoring Swift's appearance at Travis Kelce's game on Sunday.

It's called "Ketchup and Seemingly Ranch" ... and it, of course, is a nod to the snack choice Swift made while she was hanging out with Donna Kelce in Travis' suite during Kansas City's blowout win over the Chicago Bears.

The pop star was seen munching on a piece of chicken with some ketchup and what her fans dubbed "seemingly ranch" -- and to capitalize on the moment, Heinz has made it possible for her and Travis' supporters to replicate the mini-meal.

Heinz says 100 bottles of the sauce will be made -- an ode to Taylor's favorite No. 13 and Travis' No. 87 jersey. No word yet, however, on when it'll go on sale or how Swifties can get their hands on it ... as the condiment co. has promised to release more info later this week.

In the meantime, there's plenty that Kelce and Swift fans can do to memorialize the big day -- merch is available all over the internet ... and Kelce's famous game day 'fit was for sale for fans of the couple too (although it is currently sold out).

Taylor Swift y Travis Kelce han puesto a Kansas City de cabeza. Supuestos avistamientos han causado que cientos de fans se agolpen en los negocios locales sin razonamiento alguno.

Por ejemplo, una multitud masiva se formó afuera de Free State Brewing Company en Lawrence el lunes, después de que la oleada de rumores decidiera que Taylor y Travis estaban cenando allí. Un empleado de la cervecería nos dijo que hicieron saber a los Swifties que ellos no estaban allí, pero los fans no se lo creían.

Esto se ha convertido en un juego tipo Whac-A-Mole, que los negocios locales están utilizando para el marketing viral.

The Dentists In Lawrence publicó: "Se rumorea que Taylor Swift pasó a hacerse una limpieza dental después de salir hoy de Free State Brewery".

Los Kansas Rebels Baseball Class de 2030 también entraron en acción, escribiendo: "Nos gustaría abordar el supuesto rumor de que Taylor Swift y Travis Kelce fueron vistos en la práctica con los Rebels esta tarde".

El Programa de Trabajo para el Éxito de Lawrence puso esto: "¡¡¡Taylor Swift estaba tan intrigada con la clase!!! Muy atenta. ¡Ella es una gran oyente y ofreció algunos consejos maravillosos! No puedo creer los rumores de que ella se tomara el tiempo para pasar por algunas de las pequeñas empresas Lawrence!"

Como informamos, la línea de ropa KidSuper sacó provecho de la atención mundial que Taylor y Travis han estado recibiendo, cambiando el nombre del outfit que Travis llevaba puesto mientras fue visto con Taylor por el de su álbum "1989".

El truco, obviamente, funcionó, porque la chaqueta de la compañía ya se agotó.