NFL

NBA referees just called out Dak Prescott -- pressuring the league to take action against the Cowboys QB after he praised fans who threw objects at officials after the playoffs game with the 49ers.

If you missed it ... Cowboys fans were pissed over the controversial ending to the wildcard game (Dallas lost 23-17) on Sunday ... which abruptly ended their season.

Of course, Dallas fans blame the refs for the L -- since the ump wasn't able to spot the ball with enough time for Dak to get a snap off and clock the ball ... leaving time for one last play in the end zone.

After the game, reporters asked the Dallas Cowboys QB about fans throwing stuff ... and he simply replied, "Credit to them. Yeah, credit to them."

Well, the NBA referees (NBRA) feel some type of way about it ... and called him and the league out.

"The NBRA condemns the comments by Dak Prescott condoning violence against game officials," the National Basketball Referees Association said via Twitter on Tuesday.

"As an NFL leader, he should know better."

The NBRA added, "We encourage the NFL to take action to discourage this deplorable behavior in the future."

The NFL has been totally mum ... neither addressing Dak's comments, nor the NBA Refs' statement. Does anything change now that the refs have called on the league to punish Dak?

Jacksonville Jaguars linebacker Lerentee McCray was arrested over the weekend ... after police say he flipped off cops and then led officers on a high-speed chase in Florida.

According to police documents, obtained by TMZ Sports, the Fruitland Park Police Dept. attempted to pull over McCray at around 1 AM on Sunday after they say he was going 88 MPH in a 50 MPH zone.

Cops, though, say McCray refused to stop ... and put his middle finger out of his driver's side window before continuing on at speeds of around 100 MPH.

Police say they tried to catch McCray ... but claim he was driving so recklessly and at such a rate of speed, they ultimately called the pursuit off.

But, cops say McCray was stopped about 15 minutes later by the Tavares Police Dept.

Cops say during that stop, McCray was "acting erratically" and was eventually transported to a local hospital for medical evaluation.

Officers say during questioning at the hospital, McCray told them "he did not flick the officer off and he was trying to motion for the officer to continue following him."

McCray was eventually transported to jail ... and records show he was booked on a felony charge of fleeing/eluding police.

He bonded out later Saturday, according to jail records. He's due in court for a hearing on the matter next month.

Cleveland Browns defensive lineman Malik McDowell was completely naked while he was being arrested on Monday ... new video, obtained by TMZ Sports, shows.

In the footage, you can see the 6-foot-6, 290-pound football player did not have a single article of clothing on his body ... as officers tried to subdue him in Deerfield Beach, FL.

McDowell, who had cuffs on his wrists and shackles around his ankles in the clip, appeared to be very agitated with cops, writhing on the ground nearly every time an officer got near him.

At one point, you can see in the video, a cop appeared to kick McDowell to keep him on the ground.

Eventually, McDowell was loaded onto a stretcher and taken away from the scene.

As we reported, cops say in police documents that McDowell stripped naked and was seen walking around near a school.

Officers say when they found him and confronted him, he attacked -- with one cop alleging the football player told him "f*** you" and then "charged at me ... at full speed with closed fist."

The officer claimed McDowell struck him so hard and so many times, he suffered injuries in the altercation -- including a badly swollen eye.

Cops say they were eventually able to take down McDowell using a taser. He was ultimately booked into jail on charges of aggravated battery on an officer, resisting and exposing sex organs in public.

The Browns released a statement on the arrest on Tuesday, saying, "We are aware of the very concerning incident and arrest involving Malik McDowell and are in the process of gathering more information."

"We understand the severity of this matter and our thoughts are for the well-being of all involved. … No further comment at this time."

Very scary moment during the Cardinals vs. Rams playoff game on Monday ... Arizona star Budda Baker needed to be taken to the hospital following a violent collision with an L.A. player.

In the third quarter of the Rams' blowout win, Baker -- a Pro Bowler this season -- was attempting to make a tackle on Cam Akers, when the two brutally slammed heads.

Video of the play shows Baker immediately went limp, appearing to be knocked unconscious as soon as the impact happened.

The 26-year-old laid on the ground for several minutes, before trainers strapped him to a backboard and eventually loaded him into an ambulance.

Thankfully, the Cardinals announced their star player never lost movement or feeling in his extremities ... and was both alert and communicative.

Baker later tweeted he's doing "good" ... writing, "Thank you all for the prayers. I am doing good."

There's been no word yet if the Arizona safety has been released from the hospital.

Akers -- who actually taunted Baker following the hit -- apologized for his actions ... saying in a tweet of his own, "I didn’t know he was hurt after the play but I have nothing but respect for him."

The Cardinals season is now over following the 34-11 loss, while the Rams will travel to Tampa Bay this weekend to play Tom Brady and the Buccaneers.

Get well soon, Budda.

Malik McDowell is in trouble with the law once again ... the NFL player was arrested on Monday after he allegedly stripped naked near a children's learning center and got into a fight with cops.

The bizarre incident is all spelled out in a police report, obtained by the South Florida Sun-Sentinel.

In the docs, cops claim they were called out to a scene in Deerfield Beach, FL after McDowell had allegedly taken off all of his clothes and walked naked near a children's learning center.

Cops say kids were present while McDowell was near the learning center -- adding that he got violent with police as soon as they approached him.

One officer said in documents that McDowell “charged at me ... at full speed with closed fist." The officer said a fight then ensued.

In the docs, cops claim McDowell was able to flee the scene ... but was ultimately apprehended after cops tased the 6-foot-6, 290-pound football player.

McDowell was taken into custody and later booked on charges of aggravated battery on an officer, resisting and exposing sex organs in public, jail records show.

The Browns released a statement on Tuesday following the news of the arrest, saying, "We are aware of the very concerning incident and arrest involving Malik McDowell and are in the process of gathering more information."

"We understand the severity of this matter and our thoughts are for the well-being of all involved. … No further comment at this time."

As we've reported, McDowell -- who had a standout season for Cleveland this year, starting 14 games -- is no stranger to run-ins with the law ... he's been arrested multiple times over the past few years, including in 2019 when he fought a cop at a gas station.

McDowell served time behind bars as well as a suspension from the NFL over it all -- but said this year that he had turned a corner and was in a great place.

Antonio Brown's very public tour of the country following his infamous exit from the Buccaneers continued at Crypto.com Arena on Monday -- where he jumped on a railing to get love from fans who were chanting his name.

The former Tampa Bay star -- who's been spotted in NYC, Miami and now L.A. since being cut from the Bucs -- caused quite the scene outside of the Lakers game ... being mobbed by people who wanted autographs and pics with the NFL player.

Video, obtained by TMZ Sports, shows it all went down just minutes after Brown watched LeBron James beat the Utah Jazz from courtside seats inside the building.

People wanted his pic and signature so badly -- Brown stayed for several minutes, and then he hopped on some skinny railing to entertain them.

The fans chanted "AB" over and over again ... all while he was standing on the fencing and waving his arms.

What's interesting -- Brown has claimed his ankle is completely jacked up ... but it certainly looked like it was healing up well while he was feet in the air balancing on the barrier.

Brown has not shied away one bit from the public eye since he threw a shirtless temper tantrum at MetLife Stadium -- he's been seen at NBA games repeatedly and has also been spotted dining with stars like Kanye West in recent days as well.

The "Manning Cast" swearing bug finally reached Peyton Manning -- the Hall of Fame quarterback dropped the S-bomb live on "Monday Night Football" ... and it was hilarious!!

The Manning bros hosted their final broadcast of "MNF" for the Rams vs. Cardinals Wild Card matchup on Monday ... and just like Travis Kelce and Marshawn Lynch before him, Peyton said a dirty word.

The moment happened late in the first quarter, when Eli asked Peyton to break down a touchdown play ... but some technical issues led to a much better response.

"I can't hear s***," Peyton said in frustration.

Eli -- who also had his own mishap by flipping his middle fingers earlier this season -- was quick to distract fans from the expletive ... saying, "NEVERMIND!!"

Peyton later explained what happened ... saying his mic busted when he got too excited after Odell Beckham's touchdown catch, causing the technical difficulties.

Peyton then switched the focus back to the game ... going about his analysis like nothing happened, but viewers were quick to share the funny slip-up on social media.

It's now the third time someone on the live "Manning Cast" said a bad word -- as we previously reported, Marshawn was unfiltered during his appearance back in October, with Peyton apologizing on his behalf.

"I want to apologize for some of the language. It's not what we're trying to do on this show," the 2-time Super Bowl champ said at the time.

Before that, Kelce accidentally let an S-bomb of his own slip while chatting with Peyton and Eli back in September.

Snoop Dogg is a man of his word -- the rap legend just held up his birthday promise and delivered a "Death Row" chain to Eli Manning for his birthday ... and the QB is stoked!!

Remember, the hip-hop legend appeared on ESPN 2's "Manning Cast" with Peyton and Eli earlier this month ... and revealed the gift to the ex-Giants QB for his 41st birthday.

But, Snoop wasn't just blowing smoke -- the 2-time Super Bowl champ had it delivered to him on Monday ... and commemorated the gift with an unboxing of sorts on social media.

"Oh yeah! There she is!" Manning said picking up the gold and diamond chain, "This is what we're talking about!"

During the clip, Manning hilariously struggles to get it on over his head ... admitting he's "never had a chain like this before".

Once he was able to put it on, Eli thanked the rapper for the gesture.

"Snoop, thank you pal," he said. "Now I'll finally fit in with all my neighbors."

Eli says the b-day gift might also get some screen time on Monday night's "Manning Cast" ... saying, "I'm definitely gonna be wearing it in the playoff game on Monday Night Football. Thanks a lot!"

Maybe the hip-hop bling will give the Manning bros. the urge to spit a couple of bars again ... remember their "Football On Your Phone" ad??

Buccaneers and Eagles fans got into an insane brawl in the upper level of Raymond James Stadium on Sunday ... with one fan violently throwing another down a row of stairs.

The wild scene all went down during the Eagles vs. Buccaneers playoff game in Tampa Bay ... when two Philly fans appeared to start a fight while their team was down 31-0.

You can see in video filmed by bystanders, a man in a Fletcher Cox Eagles jersey got into a scuffle with a Bucs fan -- and then all hell broke loose.

A fan in a Brian Dawkins jersey hurled a Tampa Bay fan down some stairs -- and then he was immediately whaled on by a group of pissed-off Bucs fans.

No word on how the fight was broken up or if anyone suffered injuries in the melee. We've reached out to cops, but so far, no word back yet.

Minutes after the Cowboys and 49ers fought it out on the field ... their fans duked it out outside of the stadium, getting into a wild brawl that actually spilled into a flower bed.

The scene appeared to go down yards away from AT&T Stadium following the two teams' Wild Card matchup ... when a swarm of Dallas fans got into it with what looked like Niners supporters.

At least half a dozen people were involved in the melee ... which was so chaotic, the action ended up in some flowers and shrubs near a busy street.

You can see in footage filmed by bystanders, fans threw wild kicks and punches, all while people screamed for help.

Eventually, nearby officers raced into the scene to break the fight up. It's unclear if any arrests were made, we reached out to cops, but so far, no word back yet.

COVID-19 can't stop Los Angeles from partying before Super Bowl LVI ... 'cause several event planners tell TMZ Sports the show will go on -- with precautions, of course.

As COVID-19 cases surge throughout the country, many questions have been raised about whether the traditional bashes leading up to the big game will go on as scheduled.

We've learned at least three of the biggest parties will continue as planned -- including the event put on by sports agent Leigh Steinberg -- AKA the real Jerry Maguire -- at Sony Studios.

We're told Steinberg's invite-only bash will be filled with celebs and current/former players -- featuring tons of food and drink ... as well as a cool brain lounge with insane technology, a silent auction and more.

FYI -- Sony can host up to 5,000 people, but we're told the event will only be about half capacity ... and all guests must be vaxxed or have a negative test within 48 hours of arrival.

"It is 90% outdoor," LeeAnn Adams, the VP of Special Projects for Leigh Steinberg Entertainment, tells us.

"We only have one indoor space where our brain lounge is because we have very valuable equipment in there."

"We're as COVID-safe as possible and indoors, obviously, you have to wear a mask. You're in Los Angeles and it is mandated."

Hall of Famer Terrell Davis and Babes and Ballers will be hosting their own SB bash as well ... with rapper Lil Jon and the Los Angeles Rams cheerleaders set to attend at the Academy Hall.

Davis' shindig will also follow Los Angeles' COVID-19 protocols -- in fact, they're adding extra hand sanitizer stations at the venue ... as they're expecting 1,200 guests.

"The club has some already fixed to the wall," Steve Fowler of Babes and Ballers said. "But we'll have a couple more at every entrance, bathroom, VIP room and patio."

For NAAB Radio's event, the station is anticipating 500 party-goers at the Taglyan Complex ... and will also stick to the city's guidelines.

"We plan to follow all CDC protocols and to have our guests show proof of vaccinations/test results while having a memorable Super Bowl 2022 Party," NAAB Radio co-founder Denise Darrell tells us.

Now that the safety concerns are out of the way ... it's time to party.

NFL Wild Card Weekend is here ... and what better way to kick-start the 2022 playoffs than to play a quick game of "Guess That Shredded Bod!!!"

There are six games going down in the opening round ... with the 49ers, Cowboys, Rams, Cardinals, Bills, Patriots, Steelers, Chiefs, Raiders, Bengals, Eagles and Buccaneers all getting in on the action.

With that being said, there are a lot of stars who've shown off their athletic figures over the years ... including quarterbacks Kyler Murray, Dak Prescott and Joe Burrow.

The receivers of Wild Card weekend have also shown out ... from JuJu Smith-Schuster to Tyreek Hill and Deebo Samuel.

So grab the chips and dip and scroll through the pics as you wait for kickoff.

Bengals star Joe Mixon went all out for his first playoff game ... ordering more than $400k worth of jewelry to commemorate the big day!!!

TMZ Sports is told ... the Pro Bowl running back wanted to do something extra special for his first postseason appearance, so he hit up his go-to guy Gabriel The Jeweler last week to whip something together.

We're told the order -- a special made Cuban link chain, iced-out Audemars Piguet, and diamond ring -- would usually take about a month to complete ... but Gabriel's team worked late for 8 straight days to come through for Mixon.

The finished product is incredible -- the chain has 170 carats of VVS diamonds (including emerald cuts), and the rose gold AP has 36 carats of diamonds with emerald cuts on the band.

And, check out how the diamonds dance on the ring!!!

We're told the order was finished early Saturday morning and was flown to Cincinnati just in time for the game. No word on how much Mixon shelled out for the bling, but we're told the 3 pieces are worth a total $400k!!

Gabriel tells us he'd do anything for his guy, Joe ... and he definitely proved that with the speedy delivery.

Antonio Brown says he loves Tom Brady and has spoken to the 7x Super Bowl champ -- despite questioning TB12's friendship after he was cut by the Bucs -- telling TMZ Sports Brady is a "true friend."

We talked to AB outside Via Allora in Beverly Hills on Friday ... and asked the Pro Bowl wideout about the current status of his relationship with Brady.

"Listen, I love Tom. That's my guy. Don't get it twisted. A lot of words were taken out of substance. Tom is one of my true friends in the midst of adversity that was there for me, so don't get it twisted about nothing with Tom Brady."

Brown continued ... "He's a G.O.A.T. Great player. Great teammate."

Of course, Antonio had a different take on the Full Send podcast last week when he pondered Brady's motivation for befriending him.

"Not everybody in sports is going to be your friend. Tom Brady's my friend why? Because I'm a good football player. He needs me to play football," Brown told the guys.

But, during our conversation with AB, he makes it clear he's still tight with Tom, regardless of what he said during an emotional time.

There's much more.

We also talked to Antonio -- who was with business partner Jas Mathur -- about the Bucs playoff game against the Eagles, hanging out with Madonna, a potential musical collab with Kanye West, an ankle injury update, and what he'd say to NFL front offices who may be hesitant to sign him.

On linking up with Ye, AB told us ... "We got something brewing. We got a lot of stuff working."

Brown added, "It's coming soon."

As for the situation in Tampa Bay ... the 7x Pro Bowler wholeheartedly believes Bucs head coach Bruce Arians was out of line, but AB also admits he could've navigated the situation with more tact.

"Obviously I could've handled my emotions better. But, sometimes under anger, you may not handle yourself the right way."

Josh Allen might wanna avoid taking Bart Scott's advice and poppin' Viagra before Saturday's playoff game ... 'cause the makers of the blue pill are warning NFL players to talk to a doctor before using their product.

A rep for Viagra tells TMZ Sports the medicine should only be used for its intended purposes ... even if Scott swears it'll help with blood circulation in cold temps.

"Viagra or Revatio, both of which contain sildenafil as an active ingredient, should only be used in the approved indications and always under the supervision of a physician," the rep tells us.

Of course, Viagra is known to help men in another department ... which is why Scott's comment on ESPN's "Get Up" earlier this week had folks buzzing.

Scott's advice to Allen -- who has a history of not performing well in cold weather -- directed the QB to take the blue pill before the game against the New England Patriots to get his "circulation going."

"Take some Viagra before the game, baby," Scott said, much to the chagrin of his colleagues. "That'll get that circulation going right."

"Viagra was first a heart medicine, right?," Scott added. "So, it builds up circulation, which makes sure it gets circulation to the feet."

Allen -- who admittedly has bad circulation which leads to cold feet -- has had one of the worst completion percentages in the NFL over the last 15 years in freezing temps.

FYI, the forecast for the Bills-Pats game isn't doing Buffalo's star any favors -- the weather is expected to be in single-digits with a wind chill around -10 degrees.

Former Dallas Cowboys defensive lineman Junior Siavii was found dead in a Kansas prison on Thursday as he was awaiting trial ... officials said Friday.

He was 43 years old.

A spokesperson for the U.S. Bureau of Prisons told the Kansas City Star that Siavii was discovered unresponsive at a federal prison in Leavenworth on Thursday afternoon.

The spokesperson said Siavii was taken to a nearby medical facility where he was pronounced dead.

Further details surrounding the death are unclear ... though The Star did report that the spokesperson said no other staffers or inmates were injured.

Siavii -- real name Saousoalii Siavii -- was being held at the prison after he was hit with multiple criminal charges in 2019.

Federal prosecutors say the former football player was a part of a large conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. They also allege, among other things, that he illegally had firearms on his person during a wild arrest back in August 2019.

Siavii was picked in the second round of the 2004 NFL Draft out of Oregon by the Kansas City Chiefs ... and he later went on to play in 16 games for the Dallas Cowboys in 2009.

He spent one season with the Seahawks in 2010, before his career NFL ended in 2011.