NFL

Nick Young says it's painfully obvious why the Patriots are so damn successful -- the NFL's CHEATING FOR THEM.

On the same night as his accidental Iggy Azalea reunion, we also got Swaggy P to weigh in on the controversial Pats-Steelers ending from last Sunday.

Young told us Pittsburgh got screwed on the overturned TD call ... not like it surprised him.

"Yeah man, they got cheated," Young told TMZ Sports. "They always cheat for the Patriots ... they can't do no wrong."

Swaggy even speculated the NFL might have its own Tim Donaghy problem ... saying gambling probably played a role in the Pats getting the W.

Work hard? Hot tub hard.

That was Ezekiel Elliott's mentality during his suspension/vacation in Mexico.

TMZ Sports obtained footage of Zeke chillaxin' with friends at the Diamante Resort in Cabo San Lucas.

The video was shot on December 15 -- but we're told Elliott was a regular at the hot tub during his stay in Mexico.

Zeke's camp has said the Dallas Cowboys star was hardcore training in Cabo during his 6-week suspension. He came back looking leaner.

Our sources say in addition to working out, he would party -- with one witness saying he was spotted multiple days popping bottles of expensive champagne with lady friends at the resort.

You ready to be impressed?!!?! Because THIS is what it takes to be a champion.

Here's a video of Chad Johnson's 12-year-old daughter, Cha'iel, nuking a workout that's gonna seriously make you think twice about having that extra piece of holiday pie.

Cha'iel is a track star (the best runner in the nation in her age group) -- and it's easy to see why after watching this video of her training like she's a FREAKIN' NAVY SEAL!

Burpees, squat jumps, push-up jumps, forward jumps -- she kills them all while her coach yells "girl power" to spur her on.

Kids, you wanna be a record-setting track phenom? Here's the blueprint ... enjoy.

Is Jimmy Garoppolo gonna be the next big thing for the 49ers?

YUP.

Like, as big as Joe Montana or Steve Young??

YUP.

That's E-40 -- a HUGE 49ers fan -- weighing in on the hottest QB in football ... after Garoppolo crushed it in his first 3 starts for SF.

We got the Bay Area rap legend out at Kendrick Lamar's charity concert in L.A. ... and while he didn't say too much, it was clear he was all about Jimmy G.

"That boy gonna be one of them ones," E-40 told TMZ Sports.

Believe it, people -- he's basically an expert on QBs ...

Devon Still -- one of the most beloved athletes in pro sports -- is officially retiring from football ... telling TMZ Sports he's ready to move on to the next phase of his life.

"I never wanted to be somebody who gives up on their dreams, but I don't want to be somebody who chases their dream too long and misses other opportunities."

The defensive end entered the national spotlight in 2014 when he put his NFL career on hold to focus on helping his daughter, Leah, battle Stage 4 cancer.

Devon and Leah inspired millions of people through appearances on TV shows, like 'Ellen' -- and the two raised a fortune for cancer research. They were awarded ESPN's Jimmy V Perseverance Award in 2015.

Still -- who was selected in the 2nd round of the 2013 NFL Draft -- later signed contracts with the Houston Texans and the NY Jets ... but was waived in August 2017.

Now -- after much thought and prayer, Still says he's made his decision to hang up his cleats. It sounds like he'll focus on growing his Still Strong Foundation (which provides aid to families with kids fighting cancer) and doing speaking engagements around the globe.

He has a lot of supporters, but now one big celebrity Carolina Panthers fan is campaigning AGAINST Diddy buying the team ... saying he's doing it for the wrong reasons!

Comedy superstar Gabriel Iglesias LOVES the Panthers -- but says he's 100% not down with Diddy making a run at the team.

Fluffy says the biggest red flag is Diddy's vow to sign Colin Kaepernick.

"If you're going to take over a team, your focus should not be signing a quarterback who gets a lot of attention when you have an incredible quarterback that's already probably one of the best in the league."

"If you're going to do it, do it for the right reasons."

In related news, Gabriel says he's STOKED about reports Vince McMahon could reboot the XFL -- "That's what I want to see!"

The news reporter who went viral for trashing Diddy on the air is now challenging rapper Nipsey Hussle to a fist fight ... after Nipsy publicly declared he wanted to beat the guy's ass!!!!

The feud began when KRON4 reporter Henry Wofford mocked Diddy over a video the mogul made saying he wants to buy the Carolina Panthers. Wofford said he couldn't take Diddy seriously because he looked high and drunk.

The very next day, Nipsey told TMZ Sports he was going to find Wofford and "beat yo ass."

Well, Wofford saw the video ... and responded Friday morning with a message to Nipsey:

"I saw you on @TMZ saying you'll beat me down when you see me. Here's your opportunity. I'm old school and only fight for a cause."

"Let's raise money for the Black Community. We can box or go MMA style in a celebrity fight. Hug when it's over. Let me know time and place!"

Nipsy saw the tweet and fired back with a 4-point message:

"1st: I’ll beat yo white washed Samuel L Jackson in DJANGO ass.

2nd: We rejected you from the black community after you COON’d you own people to try to fit in on mainstream TV.

3rd: I don’t hug Uncle Toms.

4th: You ain’t hard enough ... & yo knuckles ain’t scared enough."

Nipsy followed up a few minutes later saying he'll agree to fight Wofford, but there are terms ...

"Make the prize at least 5 mill and I’ll do it in between my album promo ... teach this bitch a lesson and when I knock cuz out he gotta play the story of OJ by Jay Z any time he on air."

Stay tuned ...

Eli Manning is still LOVED by his NY Giants WRs ... just ask supermodel Chanel Iman, who says the QB is definitely invited to her upcoming wedding to Sterling Shepard.

Sterling proposed to Chanel earlier this month after roughly 11 months of dating -- and now the wedding planning begins!

We had to ask about the guest list ... and that's when Iman raved about Eli Manning -- saying she's a huge fan of the quarterback both on and off the field.

In fact, Chanel says the guy doesn't even need to get them a wedding gift ... but c'mon, she doesn't really mean that, right?!

Diddy has another big supporter in his corner in his quest for NFL ownership -- with Al Sharpton saying the business mogul could fix a BUNCH of the league's PR problems.

"He would be the perfect mixture of business acumen and pizzazz," Sharpton said -- pointing to Diddy's success in music and fashion.

Sharpton also thinks Colin Kaepernick deserves a place at the owner's table -- saying his knowledge as a "football scholar" would pair perfectly with Diddy.

Post Malone says Ezekiel Elliott was totally shafted by the NFL's handling of his suspension ... but says it's all water under the bridge now, 'cause the Cowboys will still win the Super Bowl!!

TMZ Sports spoke with Posty about Zeke's on-again-off-again suspension and appeal process ... and he says the league should've made its decision and stuck with it instead of treating him like "a cat with a yarn ball."

The L.A. Rams have been crushing it on the field ... but what they just did for a local homeless family is the most amazing thing they've done all year.

Here's what happened ... Tavon Austin and Robert Quinn wanted to do something extra special for the holidays, so they teamed up with the LA Family Housing charity to find a well-deserving family to gift a fully-furnished, 4-bedroom apartment.

The lucky recipient is Shwonna Cox and her 6 children ... who lost all their belongings in the wildfires. Shwonna is an employee at USC, but was having trouble getting back on her feet.

But get this -- not only did Austin and Quinn put a roof over their heads ... the Rams hooked up Shwonna's new crib with a Christmas tree AND presents under the tree.

Check out the video ... Shwonna's kids go CRAZY when they see their new stuff.

Jay Glazer says the NFL should be rollin' out the red carpet for Diddy -- 'cause they need him more than he needs them.

We got the NFL Insider leaving Craig's in L.A. ... and Jay told us why the league would be lucky to bring on a man of Diddy's diverse talents.

"Great businessman, guy knows sports ... the NFL needs more people like Diddy in the league who can kinda forward think a little bit more and certainly knows how to build a brand," Glazer told TMZ Sports.

So when it comes to Puff potentially buying the Carolina Panthers -- Jay's with Nipsey Hussle.

Ezekiel Elliott's dad is warning NFL teams ... his son is coming back with a vengeance -- and is laser-focused on becoming the greatest running back of all time.

Now that Zeke has returned to the Cowboys following his 6-game suspension stemming from allegations of domestic violence, his father, Stacy Elliott, is sounding off about the situation.

"A few things I know about this young man I raised is, he isn’t NO abuser of women and HE gets better under pressure!"

"Adversity makes [you] RISE above whatever YOU think is great! He will be known when it’s OVER [as] the #goat! The greatest to EVER do it!"

He added, "The saga continues!! #americasteam #AmericasRunningBack"

Zeke returns to action on Dec. 24 against the Seattle Seahawks -- and the way they're playing lately, he might be able to make good on his vow to rush for 200 yards!

Saturdays are for the boys ... if you ask Barstool Sports.

Sundays are for the boys ... if you ask the NFL.

And Tuesdays are for legal threats ... because Barstool is now declaring war on the NFL for allegedly jacking their trademark slogan.

Here's the deal ... Barstool (the super popular sports blog) has been selling "SAFTB" gear for years. In fact, BS President Dave Portnoy tells TMZ Sports they have a trademark on the slogan.

So, Portnoy and his Barstool team were shocked when they saw the NFL selling "Sundays Are For The Boys" shirts on the NFLShop.com website ... the official online store of the NFL.

Portnoy -- who considers NFL Commish Roger Goodell a "sworn enemy" -- tells us he's already gearing up to file a lawsuit unless the NFL pulls the shirts from the shop immediately.

El Presidente says the league stepped into a "bear trap" and it should be no-brainer for the league to wave the white flag because "we got 'em by the balls."

We reached out to the NFL for comment -- so far, no word back.

Nipsey Hussle says Diddy and Colin Kaepernick are about to be the NFL's first black owners -- and he's gonna personally smack anyone trying to hold 'em down!

FYI, a Bay Area newscaster is under fire over a segment mocking Puff's bid to buy the Panthers -- with the reporter saying he looked drunk and high, and claiming the hip-hop mogul was too broke to buy the team.

Nipsey's response?

"F*ck the n***a that was doubtin' them on the news, woofin’ that sh*t. We gon’ catch you and beat yo ass, n***a."

"Got some homegirls for that bitch, too!" the rapper told TMZ Sports outside Catch in L.A.

We also got Nipsey's bro, YG, out at Staples Center ... and it's pretty clear he's got Diddy and Kaep's backs, too.

Su'a Cravens' race had NOTHING to do with why he was pulled over in Virginia last month -- it all had to do with the speed of his car ... this according to the Loudoun County Sheriff's Office.

As we previously reported, the Washington Redskins safety claims he was racially profiled and roughed up by cops during a Nov. 29 incident. He even made a video from the scene and shared it on social media.

But the LCSO tells TMZ Sports straight-up ... "This traffic stop was not a case of racial profiling."

Officials tells us Cravens was pulled over as part of a crackdown on speeders in school zones.

"A deputy’s LIDAR received a reading on a vehicle that was traveling over the posted speed limit of 25 mph in a school zone. The deputy initiated a traffic stop and the driver pulled over into a shopping center."

Cops tell us Cravens was ticketed for speeding and illegal tint and is due back in court next month.