NFL

Usher le está restando importancia a todas las consecuencias que causó su momento viral con Keke Palmer. Él piensa que toda la debacle fue sensacionalista por lo que simplemente utilizó la situación a su favor.

El icono del R & B se refirió al tema el martes en "The Breakfast Club" mientras explicaba las diferencias entre sus espectáculos en Las Vegas (como el que puso en peligro la relación de Keke) y su recién anunciada presentación en el medio tiempo del Super Bowl LVIII.

Le preguntaron si se sentía culpable por crear una cuña entre Keke y su novio Darius Jackson el pasado fin de semana del 4 de julio.

Usher culpa a Internet por hacer el anuncio, pero no se arrepiente de su reconciliación en forma de video musical "Boyfriend", protagonizado por Keke.

El mundo sigue pendiente de Keke y Darius, la actriz prometió recientemente el 5º en nombre de Beyonce en la televisión matinal.

En cuanto al Super Bowl, Usher dice que Jay-Z lo despertó temprano por la mañana hace una semana con la buena noticia, pero se hizo el tímido cuando le preguntaron acerca de los posibles invitados que se unirían a él en el gran escenario.

Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce are not "officially" dating, at least not yet ... but they are definitely headed in that direction, and the early returns seem promising.

Sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ ... Taylor's appearance at Travis' NFL game Sunday was NOT the first time they were together. We're told they have been together "several times" over the last few months.

While Taylor's show of support was very public, our sources say their person-to-person interactions before Sunday were always in a "very private setting."

Still, it's interesting Taylor is already meeting Travis' parents ... our sources say Sunday marked Taylor's first introduction to TK's mother, Donna, and father, Ed.

As you know, TayTay watched Travis score a touchdown from a suite with his family ... and cameras caught their excitement.

We're told Taylor's time with Donna, Travis' mom, went "very well" ... and that the matriarch calls Taylor "a lovely person."

Taylor has yet to meet Travis' older brother Jason -- sounds like that will have to wait -- he's busy playing for the NFL's Philadelphia Eagles.

Taylor and Travis smiled for the cameras as they left Arrowhead Stadium together after his Kansas City Chiefs pummeled the Chicago Bears, 41-10 ... leaving in a convertible. We're told they took a shot with some friends before leaving the stadium.

We didn't see any PDA from Taylor and Travis in public, but our sources say they were holding hands at the restaurant he rented out for his family, friends and teammates after the game. At one point Taylor was sitting on Travis' lap.

Taylor fit in well with Travis' friends and family ... she came to the game alone -- bodyguards excepted -- and was chatting up everyone.

Taylor's upcoming tour dates could make a full-blown relationship tricky ... she's about to go back on tour in a few weeks, and then in November she heads out for her tour's international leg. Meanwhile, the NFL will consume Travis' life, potentially through February's Super Bowl.

Las Vegas Raiders superstar Chandler Jones claims he was forced into a mental health hospital last week ... and "injected" with a foreign substance.

The 33-year-old NFL player said it all happened after authorities told him "people were concerned about me because of my posts online."

"I answered my front door," Jones said Monday evening on his X page in what appeared to be pictures of recent journal entries, "and a group of 5 to 7 were there to put me in an ambulance where I was later injected and I asked them not to."

The pass rusher -- a two-time All-Pro -- says he was first taken to Southern Hills Hospital, before he was transported to the Seven Hills Behavioral Health Hospital, a treatment facility for those struggling with mental health issues.

"They tried to force me to take meds and injections," he said of his time at the facility.

Jones added that the place was not one for "high-profile athletes."

"My first night I slept on the floor and was not offered a bed," he said ... adding, "I'm still confused on what I did wrong. I'm stuck here. I'm very sane."

In his notes, Jones claims he tried to contact the Raiders "for help," but he's yet to hear back.

He also said he's continuing to work out despite the facility's conditions.

"All I know is whoever put me in here had bad intentions," he said.

Jones has not played for the Raiders this season after he was placed on the non-football illness list following a social media rant earlier this month where he declared that he did not want to play for Vegas anymore.

For the team's part, head coach Josh McDaniels has called the matter "personal" and "private."

If James Harrison had a vote ... the Steelers legend would NOT be in the Hall of Fame -- the former NFL star tells TMZ Sports he truly doesn't believe his resume is good enough to earn him a bust in Canton one day.

"As far as Hall of Fame, you know, it's a lot of things that goes into that," the five-time Pro Bowler and two-time Super Bowl champion explained this month.

"And I believe numbers is one of those things, you know? And when you look at my numbers, they just don't, for me, they don't equate to what the numbers should be."

Harrison played in the league from 2002 through 2017 -- but he was really only a full-time starter from '07 to '13 ... something he clearly believes will likely prevent him from getting in the Hall.

Still, despite only roughly seven years as a cornerstone defensive piece, Harrison dominated when he was on the field -- earning All-Pro honors twice ... while finishing his career with 84.5 sacks and 811 combined tackles.

In fact, the totals were so good, the Hall of Fame announced earlier this summer that he's one of 173 modern-era finalists for the Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2024.

Harrison, though, clearly thinks he'll never get the ultimate call to the Hall ... telling us, "That's just how I feel."

But, if it did come, Harrison says he'd be thrilled for the award.

In the meantime, Harrison is going into at least one Hall this season -- the Steelers announced they'll be inducting him into their Hall of Honor later this year ... an accolade he said he's super proud of.

La superestrella de los Raiders de Las Vegas, Chandler Jones, afirma que la semana pasada le obligaron a ingresar en un hospital de salud mental ... y le "inyectaron" una sustancia extraña.

El jugador de la NFL de 33 años dijo que todo sucedió después de que las autoridades le dijeran que "la gente estaba preocupada por mí debido a mis publicaciones en línea".

"Respondí a la puerta de mi casa", dijo Jones el lunes por la noche en su página de X, "y un grupo de 5 a 7 estaban allí para meterme en una ambulancia donde luego me inyectaron mientras les pedía que no lo hicieran".

El pass rusher dice que primero fue llevado al hospital Southern Hills antes de ser transportado al Seven Hills Behavioral Health Hospital, un centro de tratamiento para aquellos que luchan con problemas de salud mental.

"Intentaron obligarme a tomar medicinas e inyectarme", dijo sobre su estancia en el centro.

Jones añadió que el lugar no era para "atletas de alto perfil".

"Mi primera noche dormí en el suelo y no me ofrecieron una cama" y agregó: "Todavía estoy confundido sobre lo que hice mal. Estoy atrapado aquí. Estoy muy cuerdo".

En sus notas, Jones afirma que trató de ponerse en contacto con los Raiders "para pedir ayuda", pero aún no ha recibido respuesta.

También dijo que sigue entrenando a pesar de las condiciones de la instalación.

"Todo lo que sé es que quien me metió aquí tenía malas intenciones", dijo.

Jones no ha jugado para los Raiders esta temporada después de que fue colocado en la lista de enfermedades no relacionadas con el fútbol después de un desvarío en las redes sociales a principios de este mes donde declaró que no quería jugar más para Las Vegas.

Por parte del equipo, el entrenador en jefe Josh McDaniels ha calificado el asunto de "personal" y "privado".

Si James Harrison tuviera un voto, la leyenda de los Steelers NO estaría en el Salón de la Fama. La ex estrella de la NFL le comentó a TMZ Sports que realmente no cree que su currículum sea lo suficientemente bueno como para ganarse un busto en Canton algún día.

"En lo que respecta al Salón de la Fama, hay muchas cosas que entran en juego", explicó este mes el cinco veces Pro Bowler y dos veces campeón de la Super Bowl.

"Y creo que los números son una de esas cosas, ¿sabes? Y cuando nos fijamos en mis números, simplemente no lo hacen, para mí, no se equiparan a lo que los números deben ser ".

Harrison jugó en la liga desde 2002 hasta 2017 - pero en realidad solo fue titular a tiempo completo de '07 a '13 ... algo que claramente cree que probablemente le impedirá entrar en el Salón.

Sin embargo, a pesar de sólo siete años como pieza defensiva fundamental, Harrison dominó cuando estuvo en el campo - ganando honores All-Pro dos veces ... mientras terminaba su carrera con 84,5 sacks y 811 tackles combinados.

De hecho, los totales eran tan buenos, el Salón de la Fama anunció a principios de este verano que es uno de los 173 finalistas de la era moderna para el Pro Football Hall de la Fama de la Clase de 2024.

Harrison claramente piensa que nunca recibirá la llamada definitiva al Salón y nos dice: "Así es como me siento".

Pero, si llegara, Harrison dice que estaría encantado con el premio.

Mientras tanto, Harrison entrará en al menos un Salón esta temporada. Los Steelers anunciaron que lo incluirán en su Salón de Honor a finales de este año, un galardón del que dijo estar muy orgulloso.

The wife of a New York Jets player is furious with "Jersey Shore" castmate Angelina Pivarnick ... claiming the reality TV star slid into her hubby's direct messages this weekend -- despite knowing he was a married man.

Alexis Bawden -- Nick Bawden's longtime partner -- said the incident happened on Sunday afternoon ... right after the fullback had taken the field to play against the New England Patriots at MetLife Stadium in Jersey.

According to Alexis, Pivarnick saw her decked out in gear representing her husband while she was on the sidelines at the stadium ... but ignored it all -- and went on to send a DM to Nick on Instagram anyway.

Alexis says Pivarnick wrote, "See u soon" -- and it made her livid because she believed it was an effort to woo her man.

"I just want to say if you're a fan of her, she's weird," she said in a TikTok slamming Pivarnick. "That's weird. You don't message a married woman's man you're going to see him soon after you see his wife go by on the field. Weirdo."

Pivarnick eventually responded after the TikTok went viral ... saying in a since-deleted statement on her Instagram Stories that she never made a move on the football player.

"This s*** that's being told about me sliding into a married man's IG has gotten out of control," Pivarnick wrote. "His wife is clearly a clout chaser and I only spoke to players I knew and in a friendly way."

"I know she's reaching," she added. "She needs to stop trying to slander me and stop being a liar. I am not into married men and would never write that shit. If she doesn't stop my lawyer will send her a letter of cease and desist soon. Not playing. Add this to TikTok girl. What a joke."

Here's something that almost NEVER happens to Taylor Swift ... walking anywhere, much less into an NFL game, with zero fanfare -- but we've learned that's exactly what she pulled off on Sunday.

This shot shows Taylor -- rocking the Chiefs' windbreaker -- walking into Arrowhead Stadium to see Travis Kelce and his team play the Chicago Bears. The woman in the black leather jacket is part of Travis' PR team, and she escorted Taylor and Trav's friends to his luxury suite.

The amazing part is ... we're told there were no fans screaming for Tay Tay as she walked into the stadium, and made her way to the suite.

You gotta hand it to Taylor and Travis for pulling off the perfect sneak attack. No one knew she was going to the game -- we got wind of it just 20 minutes before kickoff -- and, as a result, the Swiftie army was NOT lined up to see her arrival.

Kinda shocking they weren't on the lookout, considering Travis made it known he had invited her to a game.

As we reported, Traylor (yeah, that's what we're calling 'em) were quietly escorted out of the stadium -- and only one reporter, WGN's Jarrett Payton, was able to get a quick shot of them inside.

They pulled away from Arrowhead in a pretty conspicuous way, though -- looking like Danny and Sandy from "Grease" in Travis' metallic purple convertible muscle car -- but they definitely pulled off a 'Mission: Impossible' getting her in on the DL.

The Swifties seemingly rushed to get their Travis Kelce merch after Taylor was spotted supporting her new potential love interest at Sunday's game ... 'cause the Kansas City Chiefs superstar's jerseys are flying off the shelves!!

TMZ Sports has learned -- Kelce's No. 87 threads were among the most popular items on the NFL Shop on Sunday ... this according to Fanatics, the league's official e-commerce partner.

"Yesterday, Travis Kelce was one of the top 5 selling NFL players and saw a nearly 400% spike in sales throughout the Fanatics network of sites, including NFLShop.com," Fanatics tells us.

While it's impossible to tell who exactly made all the purchases, the massive increase in jersey sales comes on the heels of the "Anti-Hero" singer's visit to Arrowhead Stadium to watch the Chiefs whoop the Bears, 41-10.

So, yeah, it certainly feels like Taylor's fanbase is 'shipping' the duo ... and considering how passionate her following is, it wouldn't be shocking if the Swifties emptied their wallets to secure their new favorite athlete's jerseys.

Swift seemed right at home with Chiefs Kingdom as she watched the matchup in a suite alongside Kelce's mom, Donna ... despite being a longtime Philadelphia Eagles fan.

Swift and Kelce ended up leaving the stadium together ... cruising away in his old-school convertible.

Taylor Swift is in tight with the Kansas City Chiefs now that she's linked to Travis Kelce -- and as a result of her proximity/influence ... one Native American group is making a big ask.

This all has to do with the famed "Tomahawk chop" that Chiefs fans are known to do during games -- which has become tradition -- to the chagrin of some activist groups, including one that was outside Arrowhead Stadium Sunday to protest the gesture.

This org is called Not In Our Honor, and it's headed up by Rhonda LeValdo, who was out there among other Native American activists and advocates with signage reflecting their demands ... namely, lose the chop and maybe even the team name.

She tells TMZ ... she and her group are making a direct plea to Taylor, now that she's got a seat at the proverbial table, saying ... "We remain hopeful that an outside influence like Ms. Swift could be an ally for us in moving the conversation forward on why the chop is a racist act."

LeValdo adds, "To us, that hand gesture is synchronized racism. We implore Ms. Swift to take the time to understand our perspective and the scientific and psychological research into the harm to youth and communities caused by such behavior."

Worth noting -- TS was on camera during one of the Tomahawk chops at Sunday's game ... but she didn't participate in it, despite many others around her doing so. Instead, she literally danced in place -- but it's unclear if that telegraphed how she feels.

The folks over at NIOH are hoping she's on the same page as them, with LeValdo further telling us she encourages people to read up on their history -- and that they realize the "Chop" is a continued mockery of their Native American heritage and past ... which is riddled with ugly chapters dating back to day 1, when their land was occupied by white settlers.

This issue is part of a much larger conversation as it pertains to sports. The Washington Commanders recently changed their team name amid mounting outrage, and ditto for the Cleveland Guardians. Until now, the Chiefs appear to have mostly escaped the criticism.

12:55 PM PT -- A source with direct knowledge tells us Taylor Swift did not sneak out of the suite, she walked out with Travis Kelce's family and their entourage.

Taylor Swift fans believe she went to great lengths to sneak out of the private suite where she was watching rumored boyfriend Travis Kelce play football ... Swifties think she left in a popcorn machine.

The fan theory is spreading like wildfire on social media Monday, with Swifties claiming Taylor was inside a large, metallic box that was being wheeled through the Arrowhead Stadium concourse, where tons of folks were waiting to catch a glimpse of TayTay.

Video shows a staffer wheeling the container as one Swiftie claims Taylor's inside the box. It's interesting there's a big bag of popcorn on top of the container instead of inside, plus a law enforcement officer keeping watch.

As you know, Taylor watched Travis' Kansas City Chiefs beat the Chicago Bears, 41-10, Sunday afternoon in KC ... showing up to support him shortly after being romantically linked to the team's star tight end.

Taylor cheered from a suite, where she was hanging out with Travis' mom ... and the two seemed to really get along.

After the game, Taylor and Travis walked out of the locker room area together ... but no one knows how she got from the suite to the stadium bowels without being seen ... hence the popcorn machine disguise theory.

Taylor wasn't too shy once she got near Travis ... they drove off in a convertible and had the top down too.

It's going to be interesting to see where things go for Taylor and Travis ... so get your popcorn ready.

Do you think Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce are the real deal, or just a PR stunt? Vote below.

Former NFL star Jarrett Payton has no doubts about Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce bein' a couple ... and that's coming from the guy who got the viral video of them leaving the Chiefs game together.

Jarrett, the son of football legend Walter Payton, joined us on "TMZ Live" Monday to talk about his experience capturing Taylor and Travis leaving Kansas City's Arrowhead Stadium together ... and he's telling us why there's real chemistry between them.

Jarrett's quick clip has quite the story behind it -- he says he was on the field filming coverage for Chicago's WGN and was heading to the car when he was stopped by security and told to wait there while they dealt with something ... or someone.

Luckily, he says he was told to stay put in the hallway ... and the 2 strolled past him not long after that.

He also thinks Travis gave him a bit of a look while walking out -- a total "come on, dude" kind of glance -- but Jarrett admits was like a kid in the candy store.

As you know, the internet's been going nuts over Taylor and Travis leaving together ... and the singer was also having a blast in a private box with Travis' mom, Donna, just hours before.

And for those of you who are convinced the 2 are an item, it sounds like Jarrett's right there with you on that one.

Do you think Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce are the real deal, or just a PR stunt? Vote below.

Antonio Brown has seen enough of Matt Canada's offense in Pittsburgh -- the controversial ex-NFL superstar just unloaded on the Steelers coach in a social media rant ... wildly comparing him to Adolf Hitler.

AB has been an outspoken critic of Canada recently ... ripping his former team over its scoring struggles this season, and even throwing out his interest in replacing the current offensive coordinator.

Brown continued his public bashing on Monday ... sharing a picture of Canada with Hitler's signature toothbrush mustache drawn on it and saying, "Adolf Canada."

The posts were understandably met with backlash ... with several users also pointing out they fell on Yom Kippur, the holiest day in Judaism.

"Tweeting this is crazy," one follower replied ... while another added, "Yeah, this is wildly inappropriate. It's not even remotely funny."

The Steelers were able to score a few offensive touchdowns en route to a 23-18 win over the Las Vegas Raiders ... but it's safe to say AB was still not satisfied with Canada's performance nonetheless.

The Pittsburgh Steelers still have yet to make it home following their big win against the Raiders in Nevada .... their charter plane was forced to make an emergency landing on Monday morning -- stranding the team in Kansas City.

The Delta Airlines flight was grounded not long after it left Las Vegas following Pitt's 23-18 victory ... after the plane reportedly experienced oil pressure issues.

Thankfully, a Steelers spokesperson said in a tweet Monday morning that everyone on the flight is safe.

"We are making necessary plans to arrive back in Pittsburgh later today," they added.

Pittsburgh star Cam Heyward was able to joke about it all despite the scary nature of the scene ... poking fun at his teammate, Minkah Fitzpatrick, on his X account.

"Dang emergency landing in KC," he wrote. "I think it’s due to @minkfitz_21 'roughing the passer call' but seriously landing KC."

He later jokingly asked Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift to give him a ride from K.C. to Pennsylvania ... as the two just so happened to be in the area for the Chiefs star's game earlier in the day.

"Yo @taylorswift13 & @tkelce," the defensive lineman wrote, "we might need a ride to Pittsburgh."

Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce didn't kiss Sunday ... they didn't hug or anything like that, but it's pretty clear, both during and after the game, they're a thing.

Taylor and Travis left Arrowhead Stadium Sunday after the big game in Kelce's sweet convertible. They apparently went to grab some grub, and according to social media buzz, paid to have an entire restaurant unto themselves. We cannot confirm that, yet!

As they left the stadium, they walked side-by-side around the locker room area, strolling past photogs and looking, well, couplie.

Taylor was all in during the game, cheering on Travis as she sat, and stood, and screamed next to Travis's mom.

There have been rumblings for over a month the 2 were dating, and weeks ago we got the sense the rumors were true.

So how does TRAYLOR sound?

Do you think Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce are the real deal, or just a PR stunt? Vote below.

Taylor Swift y Travis Kelce no se besaron el domingo. Tampoco se abrazaron ni nada por el estilo pero quedó bastante claro, tanto durante como después del partido, que son algo.

Taylor y Travis dejaron el estadio Arrowhead el domingo después del gran partido en el descapotable de Kelce. Al parecer fueron a comer algo y según rumores en las redes sociales, pagaron para tener un restaurante entero para ellos. Sin embargo no podemos confirmarlo todavía.

Al salir del estadio caminaron lado a lado alrededor de la zona de vestuarios, paseando por delante de los fotógrafos.

Taylor estaba en llamas durante el juego, animando a Travis a todo pulmón. Se puso de pie y estuvo junto a la madre de Travis.

Ha habido rumores durante más de un mes que los 2 estaban saliendo, y hace semanas tuvimos la sensación de que los rumores eran ciertos.