NFL

NFL Hall of Famer Ray Guy -- the most legendary punter of all time -- has passed away. He was 73 years old.

Guy became the first pure punter to ever be selected in the first round of the NFL Draft ... going 23rd overall to the Oakland Raiders in 1973 after a stellar career at the University of Southern Mississippi.

He went on to win three Super Bowls with the Raiders in 1977, 1981 and 1984.

Guy's résumé is as good as it gets -- he was a 6-time first-team All-Pro selection, 2-time second-team All-Pro, 7-time Pro Bowler and was named to the NFL's 75th and 100th Anniversary teams.

Guy was famous for his long-hanging punts ... which allowed the Raiders to run downfield in coverage before opposing teams were able to get off a return.

The Ray Guy Award -- named after the icon -- is presented to the best punter in college football every year.

Guy was enshrined in Canton in 2014 -- the first punter to receive the honor. During his speech, he famously said, "Now the Hall of Fame has a complete team."

Chris Jericho knows how to piss off a crowd -- he called out Lamar Jackson Wednesday night at an AEW event in Baltimore, with the star QB sitting just feet away, surrounded by thousands of his fans!!

It all went down at the Chesapeake Employers Insurance Arena -- Jackson was sitting ringside while Jericho was cutting a promo alongside Daniel Garcia and Jake Hager.

Jericho said he didn't care who his mystery opponent was for his Ring of Honor open title challenge ... saying, "I'll even whoop Lamar Jackson's ass," which evoked a response from the crowd.

Cameras quickly panned to LJ, who appeared blindsided by the remark, putting his head down while Jericho smiled in the ring.

"Lamar looks nervous," said AEW commentator Tazz, a former WWE wrestler.

Lamar didn't seem too worried, though -- and after the show, he got some face time backstage with wrestling legends Jeff Jarrett, Mark Henry, and Big Show.

Naturally, Lamar wasn't the only celeb in the building -- "The Boss" Rick Ross also attended the show, where he cut a promo backstage with AEW star Swerve Strickland.

"I'm here for one reason and one reason only," said Ross. "I want to make this clear, making sure Swerve is not only the biggest wrestler in the industry but also the largest recording artist in the world."

"That’s why we're here; we're celebrating today, and that's why we're here. Biggest!"

Halloween costumes like Jerry Jones' "blind referee" play into stereotypes that the visually impaired are incompetent ... so says the National Federation of the Blind, which tells TMZ Sports these kinds of outfits are "harmful."

Jerry dressed up in a ref uniform and sported sunglasses and a walking stick over the holiday weekend ... in an attempt to playfully go after NFL officials for missing penalty calls.

While Jones certainly isn't the first person to sport the costume, the NFB tells us it's an "unfortunate" choice ... especially because it leans into the underlying stereotype that the blind are "incompetent."

"When anyone perpetuates that stereotype, it's harmful," Chris Danielsen, the NFB's director of PR tells us ... pointing out nearly 70% of blind people are unemployed.

Instead of ripping into the Cowboys owner for his choice, Danielsen believes this can be a teachable moment for Jones and anyone else considering wearing costumes that make light of the blind.

"He does have blind Cowboys fans," Danielsen added. "They show up at games and put on headsets or listen on the radio. It may be something for him to think about."

Danielsen says there are plenty of blind people who want to be more involved in sports in any capacity ... and the "blind referee" costume only complicates things for them.

Xavien Howard is firing back at his accuser in new court documents, obtained by TMZ Sports ... calling the woman "a scorned ex-lover" -- and insisting her STD lawsuit against him is "the epitome of a shakedown."

The Miami Dolphins star filed the docs on Friday -- one day after the woman, who filed her suit anonymously as Jane Doe, claimed he negligently gave her genital herpes.

In the documents, Howard argued the woman's suit should be thrown out ... and he says the woman has stalked him, threatened him with violence, and tried to extort him for cash.

In the docs, Howard claims he has text message proof that showed the woman is "nothing more than a scorned ex-lover who has elected to prey on [Howard's] public status for the purpose of obtaining a financial windfall without right or claim."

The cornerback even included texts that he says show the woman calling him curse words ... before threatening to "come to your job tomorro and cause a whole scene."

A 17-year-old boy has been arrested for his alleged role in the shooting of Washington Commanders running back Brian Robinson back in August ... cops confirmed to TMZ Sports on Wednesday.

The Metropolitan Police Department said the teen -- who was 16 at the time of the Aug. 28 incident -- was hit with a criminal charge of assault with intent to rob while armed (gun).

The boy's identity was not disclosed.

Cops added they are still on the hunt for an additional suspect ... who they say was captured on surveillance video brandishing a gun at the scene of the crime.

As we reported, Robinson was shot two times -- once in the glute and once in the knee -- after cops say two males attempted to rob him outside of a row of businesses in D.C.

Cops say after the suspects fired on the NFL player ... they fled the scene in a vehicle.

Robinson required surgery to fix the damage caused by the bullets -- but ultimately made a full recovery. He played in his first-ever game on Oct. 9 ... and has logged snaps in every Washington contest since.

Did Ezekiel Elliott just spoil the Cowboys' Thanksgiving Day uniform surprise?!?

It sure seems that way ... because the running back revealed the team's sweet, new throwback helmets on his social media page -- and then quickly deleted the post!

Dallas is scheduled to wear the white helmets and special uniforms for the food-filled holiday later this month -- but the team had yet to officially show them off to the public. It seemed they were waiting for closer to gameday to ceremoniously unveil them.

But, it appears Elliott didn't get that memo -- and dropped a pic of his Turkey Day helmet right on his IG stories on Wednesday afternoon. The post was up for about one hour, before it was swiftly taken down.

Of course, Elliott didn't unwrap the whole holiday gift -- the complete look still hasn't been seen -- so the team shouldn't be TOO disappointed in their star.

As for what the whole 'fit ultimately might end up looking like ... it likely won't be too far from the white helmet theme that the Cowboys wore last on Thanksgiving Day in 2012.

Tom Coughlin's wife Judy, who was married to the 2-time Super Bowl-winning head coach for 55 years, passed away Tuesday morning after battling a rare and incurable brain disorder. She was 77 years old.

TC announced the terrible news Wednesday morning ... sharing a heartfelt statement on Judy's death.

"My cherished wife and our beloved mother and grandmother, Judy Whitaker Coughlin, passed away this morning at the age of 77," the longtime head coach wrote ... adding, "Judy was a remarkable woman in every way."

"She lived a life filled with love and unselfishly gave her heart and soul to others. Judy made you feel like an old friend from the first hug to the last. She was a mother to all on and off the field."

Coughlin continued ... "For everyone who knew and loved Judy, the enormity of her absence cannot be put into words, but the immense kindness she showed to others will always endure. Our hearts are broken, but we know she is free from suffering and at peace with our Lord."

Judy was diagnosed with progressive supranuclear palsy in 2020 ... but the presence of the illness wasn't known until Tom wrote a guest essay for The NY Times in August 2021, where he openly discussed his wife's sickness.

The Mayo Clinic defines the disease as "an uncommon brain disorder that causes serious problems with walking, balance and eye movements, and later with swallowing."

The disorder can ultimately lead to life-threatening complications.

In Coughlin's essay, you could feel his anguish.

"As so many of you are gearing up for another NFL season, I will be sitting far from the sidelines, at the bedside and holding the hand of my biggest supporter, my beloved wife, the mother of our children and a grandmother to our grandchildren," he wrote.

"After several years of doctors trying to pinpoint the disease that has been slowly taking her from us, Judy was diagnosed with progressive supranuclear palsy in 2020. It is a brain disorder that erodes an individual’s ability to walk, speak, think and control body movements. It steals memories and the ability to express emotions and, sadly, is incurable."

Daniel Snyder could part ways with the Commanders after all ... the team just confirmed he's hired Bank of America to explore a potential sale of the NFL franchise.

Snyder has received pressure to move on from his org. for years ... but, most recently, following multiple allegations of workplace misconduct, the cries for a sale have grown to a deafening roar.

In fact, just two weeks ago at an NFL owners' meeting in New York ... Indianapolis Colts honcho Jim Irsay came out and strongly suggested he'd be in favor of Snyder's ousting.

The Commanders said Wednesday Snyder is now looking into "potential transactions" following all of the recent backlash -- though it's clear, it's all very preliminary at the moment.

And, according to Forbes, the 57-year-old could just be simply looking into selling a "minority stake" of the team.

Washington officials did not provide further clarity on the situation ... only adding, "The Snyders remain committed to the team, all of its employees and its countless fans to putting the best product on the field and continuing to work to set the gold standard for workplaces in the NFL."

Mike Martz -- the man who once coached Marshall Faulk -- tells TMZ Sports Christian McCaffrey looks EXACTLY like the Rams Hall of Famer ... saying the new 49ers star is so good, he now expects SF to win the NFC West.

The former head coach of Faulk's St. Louis Rams broke it all down for us just a day after McCaffrey had a historic game against L.A. ... and it's safe to say he was blown away by what he saw.

Martz told us he couldn't help but see shades of Faulk when he watched the 26-year-old carve up the Rams for three TDs -- one rushing, one passing and one receiving -- and says he thinks the Niners are going to be the team to beat in their division going forward because of the tailback.

"He's the closest thing that I've seen to Marshall for quite some time," the 71-year-old said. "He's not Marshall, but he has those Marshall-esque type things within him."

The Niners picked up McCaffrey from Carolina for a bevy of draft picks -- and he's done nothing but produce in two games so far.

And, Martz says he only expects things to get better for the running back and his new team ... once Deebo Samuel makes his return from injury.

"What you could do with them is unlimited," Martz said.

Britt Reid -- Andy Reid's son and a former Kansas City Chiefs assistant coach -- has just been sentenced to three years in prison ... over his role in a 2021 car crash.

Britt learned his fate at a hearing inside of a Missouri courtroom on Tuesday afternoon ... a little over one month after he pleaded guilty to felony DWI in the case.

Britt showed up to the proceedings in a grey suit. He addressed the courtroom, according to The Kansas City Star, by apologizing and saying, "Every time I see my daughter, I think about Ariel and how my decision affected her so deeply and her family.”

The mother of Ariel Young, the 5-year-old who suffered serious injuries in the wreck, submitted a victim's impact statement ... which was read in court. It, in part, included the words, "There are 5 of us that Britt Reid's choice to drink and drive hurt."

Britt had been facing a maximum of seven years behind bars. He had petitioned the court in September for nothing more than probation.

As we reported, Britt was accused of drinking back on Feb. 4, 2021, getting behind the wheel of his pickup truck ... and then causing a serious car accident that left Young with life-changing brain injuries.

Authorities say Britt was going 83.9 MPH in a 65 MPH zone just before the wreck, and had a BAC of .113 two hours following the accident.

The 37-year-old was working for the Chiefs at the time, and was slated to coach during the Super Bowl against the Buccaneers just days later on Feb. 7.

But, he did not end up coaching in the contest, and departed from the org. a short time later. He has not been hired by an NFL team since.

Washington Commanders head coach Ron Rivera is mourning the death of his beloved mother, Dolores ... it was announced Tuesday.

The sad news comes a week after the 60-year-old coach missed practice due to a "personal matter" concerning his mom.

Dolores was surrounded by her husband and family members when she passed away.

"The Snyders and the entire Commanders family extend their heartfelt condolences to Coach Rivera and his family," the team said in a statement.

"The Rivera family would like to say thank you for the many kind thoughts and prayers they have received."

It is unclear if Rivera -- who joined the Commanders in 2020 -- will be on the sidelines for Sunday's game against the Minnesota Vikings.

The Commanders are currently on a 3-game winning streak with a 4-4 record ... and battling to move up in NFC East.

Kevin Durant is getting what he wanted this offseason -- the Brooklyn Nets have fired head coach Steve Nash ... after a 2-5 start.

48-year-old Nash was hired back in September 2020 ... and was 94-67 at the helm.

Of course, Durant gave the Nets an ultimatum back in June ... saying he wanted to either be traded or have Nash and general manager Sean Marks gone.

He later agreed to stay in BK ... with both sides saying they would "move forward with our partnership."

Nash recently had a meltdown against the Milwaukee Bucks on October 26 ... where he was ejected in the third quarter.

The Nets went 48-24 in 2021, 44-38 in 2022 ... and 2-5 this season under Nash.

Kyrie Irving previously made shocking comments about Nash in September 2020 ... when he claimed the Nets didn't have a real head coach.

There were reports this summer that Kyrie hated Nash ... and thought he was a terrible head coach.

Nash released a statement minutes ago ... saying, "It was an amazing experience with many challenges that I'm incredibly grateful for."

"It was a pleasure to work with the players, performance team, and front office every day," he added. "I'm especially grateful to my coaching staff and video room who are a talented group with so much character and professionalism."

"Lastly, thanks to Brooklyn and the passionate fans who support this team. Family first and my family has found a home here and LOVES being a part of this beautiful community. I wish the Nets all the success in the world and the Nash's will be rooting for our team as they turn this season around."

The firing comes as the team deals with distractions off the court as well ... after Kyrie came under fire for posting a link to a movie that has been criticized for spreading what many consider antisemitic beliefs.

Jacque Vaughn will serve as interim head coach starting Tuesday night against the Chicago Bulls.

Tom Brady appeared to be on his own for trick-or-treating with the kids -- the Tampa Bay Buccaneers superstar threw on a grim reaper costume for the Halloween festivities ... with no sign of Gisele Bündchen.

Brady posted a pic alongside 9-year-old Vivian and Ben, 12, on Monday ... and he was seemingly in good spirits -- cracking a joke about his all-black attire.

The quarterback and supermodel were known to do cute couples costumes over the course of their 13-year marriage ... including their famous avocado and toast get-up.

TB12 previously said he always left the costume ideas up to the wife ... but given their recent divorce, that's probably out of the question now.

Brady's outfit is about as scary as the Bucs season ... they're currently 3-5 and on a three-game losing streak.

Cincinnati Bengals offensive analyst Adam Zimmer -- the son of longtime Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer -- passed away unexpectedly on Monday, according to his sister.

He was only 38.

Corri Zimmer White announced the news in a heartbreaking Instagram post ... calling her brother the "kindest, sweetest, family loving, sports obsessed soul there ever was."

"My heart is shattered and it hurts so bad," said Corri, who shared several photos of her brother in her announcement. "I'm so lost, I'm so overwhelmed, I'm so heartbroken."

A cause of death was not revealed.

"My brother was one of my best friends," Cori added, "especially after my mom died, we became so close."

Adam started his NFL coaching career in 2006 when he became the New Orleans Saints assistant linebacker coach at 22 years old.

He went on to coach for the Chiefs, the Bengals and then the Vikings, where he served as a linebacker coach and co-defensive coordinator underneath his father.

He had been working remotely as an analyst for Bengals head coach Zac Taylor this year.

"Please pray for our family as we try to navigate through this," Corri said.

"Adam, I love you so much and I will miss you every second of every day until I see you again. Please watch over us and help us be okay."

RIP

Stars from both the NFL and the NBA are mourning Takeoff's tragic death on Tuesday -- with Trae Young and Alvin Kamara both releasing statements in disbelief after the rapper was shot and killed.

Young, the Atlanta Hawks star point guard, tweeted ... "No F***ing Way.." Kamara, a Georgia native, added in a tweet of his own, "RIP bra."

Others in the sports world -- including Jake Paul, Darrelle Revis and Ric Flair -- paid their respects to the Migos musician after learning of the tragedy as well.

"Senseless killings need to stop," Paul said on his social media page. "Need to unify. RIP TAKEOFF."

Added Revis, "our legends are being taken away too soon. a big supporter of Migos. it's just not good to wake up to news like this."

Flair -- who grew close to Migos over the years -- posted his condolences ... as well as a picture alongside the rap trio.

Takeoff's hometown Atlanta Falcons also released a statement ... saying, "Takeoff’s legacy lives on in Atlanta and across the world."

"Our deepest sympathies go out to his family and friends."

Takeoff -- who just dropped his "Only Built for Infinity Links" album with Quavo -- was shot in Houston shortly after 2:30 AM following a dice game at a bowling alley.

Law enforcement sources told TMZ Hip Hop an altercation broke out during the game ... and Takeoff was shot and killed. Two others were shot as well.

"To all the youth…," Paul added in another tweet, "put down the guns and pick up some boxing gloves to settle your differences. Violence is not the answer."

Takeoff was just 28 years old.

Tom Brady says there hasn't been bad blood between him and Gisele Bundchen during their recent divorce proceedings ... revealing Monday it's all been "a very amicable situation."

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers QB opened up about his split from his supermodel wife for the first time since she filed the docs in Florida last week ... speaking about the breakup and the fallout from it for around two minutes on his "Let's Go!" podcast with Jim Gray.

Brady never mentioned Gisele by name, and spoke largely in vague cliches, but he did say, thankfully, things haven't gotten nasty between the two former lovers.

"Obviously, the good news is it’s a very amicable situation," he said ... before adding his focus is now on two things -- taking care of his family, and winning football games.

"That's what professionals do," the 45-year-old said.

"You focus at work when it's time to work and then when you come home, you focus on the priorities that are at home. All you can do is the best you can do. And, that's what I'll continue to do as long as I'm working and I'm being a dad."

Brady also addressed whether or not it's all affected his play on the field this season ... and he said no -- explaining he's had to deal with a lot in his personal life throughout his 23-year career.

"Everyone is going through different things," he said. "We all have our unique challenges in life. We're all humans. We do the best we can do."