NFL

La NFL sigue aprovechando a lo grande la historia de amor entre Travis Kelce y Taylor Swift, apodando formalmente a la estrella de los Chiefs "Travis Swift" en un video oficial publicado esta semana.

La liga lanzó el nuevo apodo para el tight end de Kansas City en un clip de YouTube que promociona la primera ronda de partidos de los playoffs entre los Chiefs contra los Dolphins.

En la grabación, que fue publicada el martes por la noche, se puede escuchar a un narrador explicando que Miami tendrá que "enfrentarse a Travis Swift Kelce" cuando se dirija al Arrowhead Stadium el sábado.

La liga luego mostró una rápida toma de Swift riendo y pasando el rato en una suite en uno de los partidos de Kelce a principios de esta temporada.

El video recibió una reacción mixta de los aficionados. Mientras algunos lo consideraron una falta de respeto, otros lo amaron por Swift.

Por supuesto, los Chiefs y la NFL han estado haciendo movimientos como estos desde que Swift apareció por primera vez en un juego de Kelce en septiembre.

The NFL is continuing to milk the Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift love story big-time ... formally dubbing the Chiefs star "Travis Swift" in an official video it put out this week.

The league dropped its nickname for the Kansas City tight end in a YouTube clip that previewed the Chiefs' upcoming wild-card round game against the Dolphins.

In the footage -- which was posted Tuesday night -- a narrator can be heard explaining that Miami will have to "take on Travis Swift Kelce" when it heads to Arrowhead Stadium on Saturday.

The league then flashed to a shot of Swift laughing and hanging out in a suite at one of Kelce's games earlier this season.

The video received a mixed reaction from fans who caught the quip ... with some calling it disrespectful -- while others loving it for Swift.

Of course, the Chiefs and the NFL have been pulling moves like these ever since Swift first showed up at a Kelce game in September ... changing their X page backgrounds and even making a Hallmark movie-themed game preview that had Swift Easter Eggs inside of it.

The Chiefs just dropped the full vid ... and it not only features a couple Taylor Swift Easter Eggs ... but it's also got cameos from Donna Kelce and K.C. stars Tommy Townsend, Trey Smith and Creed Humphrey!

The Chiefs are hoping to lure fans into their upcoming playoff run with a little bit of love ... teasing their first postseason matchup with none other than a Hallmark movie spoof!!

The NFL org. is expected to drop the full parody later Wednesday -- but on Tuesday night, they shared just a snippet of it ... and so far, it's looks pretty darn good!

In the clip, you can see Tyler Hynes -- a staple of plenty of real Hallmark movies -- working in what appears to be a Chiefs-themed store ... when an emotional Jannel Parrish strolls by and chastises him for his love for K.C.

"You're not just a fan!" she says. "It's your livelihood ... It's the Chiefs or me!"

She then adds before she storms off, "I hate football!" ... which prompts Hines to respond, "Amber, come on! Nobody hates football."

The clip then cuts out ... although the Chiefs promised in a social media post there will be more "coming soon."

As for who else will be in the flick, Travis Kelce's mom, Donna, teased that she's making an appearance ... sharing a photo of her in a white shirt with the comment, "my acting debut."

Of course, some fans are hoping the movie will somehow feature Kelce's budding love for Taylor Swift -- or at least have some themes of it.

So far, it's not quite clear what it's all exactly about ... but you can bet it'll almost certainly end in some sort of preview of K.C.'s tilt with the Dolphins on Saturday at Arrowhead Stadium.

Brett Favre is Love-ing what he's seeing from Jordan Love ... telling TMZ Sports he's been wildly impressed with what the young signal-caller has done in Green Bay this year.

"All I can say is wow," Favre told us.

Love has come on strong over the last couple months to lift Green Bay to a playoff appearance -- something Aaron Rodgers couldn't do in GB last year -- and Favre says it's quite frankly blown him away.

"Right now," the Packers legend said, "he's playing as good as any quarterback in the league."

Favre openly admits he didn't believe the Packers had a chance to make the postseason prior to the start of the year ... but Love's play has obviously changed things.

Now, it's all got Favre wondering if the team could actually upset the Dallas Cowboys in the Wild Card-round this weekend.

"Dallas is going to be a tough opponent," Favre said, "but I'd hate to be the team that has to play the Packers in the playoffs."

Kickoff for the big game is slated for 1:30 PM -- and while the Pack are 7.5-point underdogs, it's clear Favre wouldn't be shocked to see Green Bay advance.

As for the advice he'd give to the 25-year-old QB heading into his firs-ever postseason tilt -- Brett says it'd be simple ... "Enjoy the moment."

Matthew Stafford's wife, Kelly, is clapping back at a Lions fan who's trying to stop people from wearing her hubby's jersey at their upcoming playoff game ... calling the proposed plan "sad."

Detroit is hosting its first playoff game in 30 years against the Rams on Sunday ... which means Stafford will make his return to the Motor City with the intention of knocking his ex-team out of the postseason.

Normally, Stafford's Detroit jersey is one of the most popular ones at Ford Field -- even after he was traded to L.A. for Jared Goff before the 2021 season began.

But, one fan is trying to prevent that from happening this weekend ... appearing to say in a social media post this week that the blue and silver No. 9 threads could bring some bad juju to the home team.

"ANNOUNCEMENT," the fan wrote in the Instagram post. "Please don't wear a Lions-Stafford jersey to the game. This is not a time to be cute or funny."

"This is about business and putting the final nail in the SOL coffin. It ain't personal. Just business!"

It didn't take long for word of the planned ban to get around to Kelly Stafford, who slammed the idea in the comment section of the post.

“Well this is sad because it's the completely opposite of how we feel about this city," she wrote, "but Matthew has always been the bigger person and will continue to be that. Praying for an incredible game with zero injuries. ♥️"

The fan ended up responding ... writing back that the hate is only temporary.

"We love Matthew," the Detroit supporter said, "just not this week.😂"

Aaron Rodgers es firme en decir que nunca insinuó que Jimmy Kimmel era un pedófilo, diciendo directamente el martes: "No creo que él sea la palabra P".

Rodgers se unió a Pat McAfee en el "Pat McAfee Show" por primera vez desde que sugirió que Kimmel podría tener vínculos con el notorio traficante sexual Jeffrey Epstein y durante varios minutos, trató de explicar lo que realmente quiso decir con sus comentarios.

Le dijo a Pat que él y Kimmel han estado un poco enfrascados en una pelea desde la pandemia de COVID, porque el comediante lo ha acusado de estar equivocado en cosas que él considera, tiene la razón.

Rodgers dice que una de esas cuestiones tiene que ver con la lista de Epstein. La estrella de los New York Jets dijo que cree que eso existe, aunque acusa que Kimmel lo ha llamado "un loco conmocionado" por creer eso.

Rodgers dice que por eso comentó que "mucha gente, incluyendo Jimmy Kimmel, están realmente esperando que "una lista no salga".

"Me refería al hecho de que sí hay una lista", dijo Rodgers, "y hay nombres en ella y sería la segunda vez que un chiflado de cerebro blando, de universidad junior o como las otras cosas que le hayan dicho él y otras personas en los medios, tendría razón".

Rodgers luego explicó: "Entiendo perfectamente lo grave que sería una acusación de pedofilia. No soy tan estúpido como para acusarlo de eso con cero pruebas".

Rodgers luego dijo que creía que los medios, incluyendo Kimmel, están haciendo todo lo posible para cancelarlo debido a sus creencias. Dijo que piensa que los escritores de Kimmel están haciendo que el presentador del talk-show pida por él en ese sentido.

"Creo que es impresionante que un hombre que fue a Arizona State y tiene escritores de chistes pueda leer en un apuntador", dijo.

Rodgers añadió: "Le deseo lo mejor. Me importa una p*** lo que diga de mí. No lo acuso de estar en la lista".

Cabe señalar que Rodgers nunca se disculpó por nada, algo que Kimmel exigió durante una diatriba de casi ocho minutos en el episodio del martes de "Jimmy Kimmel Live".

Kimmel se enfureció durante su discurso, calificando a Rodgers de todo mientras proclamaba que nunca había tenido ningún tipo de asociación con Epstein.

Aaron Rodgers is adamant he never insinuated Jimmy Kimmel was a pedophile ... saying straight up on Tuesday, "I don't think he's a P word."

Rodgers joined Pat McAfee on the "Pat McAfee Show" for the first time since he appeared to suggest that Kimmel might have ties to notorious sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein last week ... and for several minutes, he attempted to explain what he really meant by his comments.

He told Pat that he and Kimmel have been in a bit of a tiff since the COVID pandemic ... because the comedian has accused him of being wrong about things when he says he's actually been right on them.

Rodgers says one of those issues had to do with an Epstein list. The New York Jets star said he thinks one exists -- though he claims Kimmel called him "an overly concussed wacko" for having that belief.

Rodgers says that's why he remarked "a lot of people, including Jimmy Kimmel, are really hoping that" a list "doesn't come out."

"I was referring to the fact that if there's a list," Rodgers said, "and there are names on it, that it'd be the second time a soft-brained, junior college wacko ... whatever other things have been said by him and other people in the media -- would be right twice."

Rodgers then explained ... "I totally understand how serious an allegation of pedophilia would be ... I'm not stupid enough to accuse you of that with zero evidence."

Rodgers then said he believed the media -- including Kimmel -- is trying its best to cancel him due to his polarizing beliefs ... saying he thinks Kimmel's joke writers are doing the talk-show host's bidding for him in that regard.

"I think it's impressive that a man who went to Arizona State and has joke writers can read off a prompter," he said.

Rodgers added, "I wish him the best. I don't give a s*** what he says about me. I'm not accusing him of being on the list."

It should be noted Rodgers never apologized for anything ... something Kimmel demanded the signal-caller do during a nearly eight-minute diatribe on Tuesday's episode "Jimmy Kimmel Live."

Kimmel went off during the rant, calling Rodgers all kinds of names while proclaiming he's never had any kind of association with Epstein whatsoever.

Legendary NY sports radio host Mike Francesa blasted the NFL this week ... accusing the league of putting profit over loyal fans, opting to exclusively stream the Chiefs vs. Dolphins playoff game on a paid streaming platform, and NOT free TV.

"The NFL, which has the biggest, the best, and the most loyal fanbase anywhere, decides to basically thumb its nose at its fanbase and just make another greedy reach for another bundle of money, like they need it," Francesa said on his BetRivers show, ripping the NFL for the decision which reportedly netted the league around $110 million.

Mike added, "How many people in America don't even know what streaming is?" ... referencing the scores of fans who don't have access to the streaming platform.

Of course, the Chiefs vs. Dolphins playoff game is one of the weekend's most anticipated (and likely would've brought in 30+ million viewers on broadcast TV) ... but unless you live in Miami or K.C., the game won't be on television.

Instead, fans will have to shell out at least $5.99 for a monthly subscription.

The remaining five Wild Card games will air for free on CBS, NBC, ABC and FOX.

“People wait all year for these playoff games. They love these playoff games and you’re gonna now charge them extra for a playoff game? They don’t give enough, you don’t make enough?” Francesa asked.

Mike isn't the only one ticked off ... loads of fans have blasted the league for the Peacock decision. Chiefs DE Charles Omenihu, who will be playing in the game called the move "insane."

Before moving on with his show, Francesa took a parting shot at the decision-makers inside the league offices.

“They show up and are there religiously every Sunday, and now you’re gonna charge them for a playoff game? It is the ultimate slap in the face to the best and most ardent and most dramatically important fanbase in America."

"Nobody gets the ratings even close to what the NFL gets. It’s never enough. Anytime they can find another pile of money to grab, they grab it with both hands, and it never stops.”

Mike Vrabel is out in Tennessee.

The Titans have just canned their head coach, according to multiple reports ... after he spent the last six seasons roaming the sidelines in Nashville.

The final decision came down less than 48 hours after the Titans' 28-20 upset win over the Jaguars on Sunday.

Vrabel started his Tennessee tenure with a bang ... logging winning seasons in his first four years -- though things have gone a bit south in the past two.

In his last 34 games, he's recorded just a 13-21 record ... and their offense has sputtered.

A lot of change is on the horizon in Tennessee -- star running back Derrick Henry is a free agent this summer. He was a big part in Vrabel’s playoff runs in Tennessee, but gave what felt like a farewell speech following their win.

Titans owner Amy Adams Strunk addressed the move on Tuesday ... saying, "Earlier today, I spoke with Mike Vrabel and told him about my decision to make a change at head coach."

"As I told Coach Vrabel, this decision was as difficult as any I've made as Controlling Owner. I appreciate Mike's contributions to the Tennessee Titans both on and off the field."

"Anyone who has ever met him knows how passionate and genuine he is, and he's been a strong supporter of the Nashville community," she added. "We wish Mike, Jen, and the Vrabel family nothing but the best in the future."

Vrabel -- the third-winningest coach in Titans history -- will almost certainly land on his feet somewhere -- the former New England Patriots star is widely respected around the league and is already viewed as a potential candidate for current head coaching vacancies.

In fact, most think if Bill Belichick leaves Foxborough this offseason, Vrabel could be the ideal man to replace him.

Kroy Biermann and Kim Zolciak are bickering over finances again ... and this time it's all about the money he thinks she's making from selling her designer gear.

According to new legal docs, obtained by TMZ, Kroy says his estranged wife's been selling off her expansive collection of designer purses, shoes and clothes ... but he says it's unclear what she's doing with the profits and whether any of the stuff being sold is marital property, as opposed to her separate stuff.

Kroy is confident in one thing ... he claims none of the money is going to support their marital estate, which he says is "weighed down by significant debt."

In the docs, Kroy estimates Kim's designer collection is worth hundreds of thousands of dollars ... and he believes she acquired most of it while they were married.

Kroy says he and Kim are in a "dire financial situation" -- including the $1.1 million debt they owe to the IRS -- and he wants the court to identify and equitably divide their marital assets, including their Georgia mansion and personal property.

However, sources close to Kim tell TMZ ... she's selling designer gear she acquired before they were married and used some of the money to buy their kids Christmas presents.

Our sources also say Kim has for years paid house expenses and bills solo.

Remember, Kim and Kroy got a lot going on right now -- as they navigate their divorce, their debts continue to mount ... and they're also trying to unload their massive GA mansion.

Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay has been placed on Injured Reserve with a gnarly illness ... forcing him to back out of an upcoming concert with his band.

The news just came out Tuesday morning ... with Adam Schefter releasing a statement from the Colts on 64-year-old Irsay's condition.

"Jim Irsay is currently being treated for a severe respiratory illness," the team said.

Irsay was slated to hit the stage alongside his "Jim Irsay Band" rock group as part of an exhibit and concert event in Los Angeles on Thursday ... which will feature items from his massive music and sports memorabilia collection.

The band -- which is slated to have special appearances from Kevin Cronin of REO Speedwagon, Billy Gibbons of ZZ Top and more -- will seemingly hit the stage without Irsay, who served as main vocalist for previous gigs.

"While this unfortunately means he won't be able to perform with his band this week in Los Angeles, he is receiving excellent care and looks forward to returning to the stage as soon as possible," the team added.

Jimmy Kimmel won't let go of his feud with Aaron Rodgers, blasting the NFL player during his late-night show for trying to tie him to notorious sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein .... explaining the impact it had on him and his family.

In his opening monologue Monday night, the host of "Jimmel Kimmel Live" came out swinging against Aaron, who claimed on the "Pat McAfee Show" that "I was nervous" that the "Epstein list" was coming out and "I was hoping it wouldn't."

Jimmy said Aaron was going to "pop a bottle of something" because the comedian's name would be on the list, but, as it turned out, it wasn't anywhere near it.

Last week, court documents related to Epstein's underage sex ring were unsealed, revealing some prominent names -- although not Jimmy's -- connected to the now deceased former business tycoon.

Jimmy made it abundantly clear he had never met Epstein – and Aaron had defamed him, daring the Super Bowl champ to share any evidence in court.

Jimmy noted that Aaron's many fans believed the lies, putting the funnyman and his family in the crosshairs of "delusional" people who became spiteful.

He also speculated on why Rodgers made the false claim, coming up with several scenarios, before hitting on the most likely one ... Aaron is still mad at Jimmy for roasting him over his appearance and "wacko" beliefs.

As you probably recall ... Jimmy poked fun at Aaron's hair knot on top of his head and his anti-vaccination "lies" re: coronavirus.

Jimmy's monologue went on and on before he asked for an apology, and he promised to accept ... although JK is not holding his breath.

The inferno at Tyreek Hill's mansion caused the NFL superstar's property to lose over $2 million in value ... this according to an incident report obtained by TMZ Sports.

In the docs, officials say the Southwest Ranches, Fla. residence -- which the wide receiver bought for $6.9 million in 2022 -- had an estimated value of $5.6 million before the flames ... but the blaze caused some $2.3 million in damages.

What's worse for Hill ... officials also said in the docs they believe around $1 million worth of stuff was destroyed during the incident as well.

Authorities provided a little more detail on how they believe the blaze all started ... writing in the documents that two kids at the home told them they had been playing with a lighter which they "thought was a toy and accidentally lit a toy on fire."

"They got scared," officials said, "threw the toy, and ran."

According to the report, the child who started the fire was a 4-year-old.

The report states no one was injured ... and an investigation into the blaze is now closed.

As we reported, a 911 caller initially told law enforcement of the fire at around 1:50 PM ET on Jan. 3. Hill was not present at the time it broke out ... though he did leave Dolphins practice early to tend to the matter.

This year's Golden Globes ceremony had way more eyes on it compared to years past ... this despite a negative reaction to parts of the ceremony, and changing TV networks.

Sunday's televised event, which aired on CBS for the first time, was hit with some mixed reviews -- but the program had 9.4 million total viewers, according to Nielsen ratings, which is up 50% from 2023's event.

Last year's show, hosted by Jerrod Carmichael on NBC, only reached 6.3 million viewers, and that was down from the year before that.

This year's show also streamed on Paramount+, and instantly became the platform's second-largest live-streamed special ever ... and was reportedly the largest live-streaming audience for CBS since last year's Grammy Awards.

Of course, the change from NBC to CBS wasn't the only shift -- the Hollywood Foreign Press lost ownership of the Golden Globes last year after landing in hot water over a lack of diversity.

There are a few potential explanations for the increase -- the enormous box office success of films like "Barbie," "Oppenheimer" and Taylor Swift's 'The Eras Tour' ... the Taylor factor itself, and the fact NFL games on CBS immediately preceded the Globes.

As you know, folks negatively chimed in online about Jo Koy's job as this year's host, which included a dig at the NFL for its constant coverage of Taylor at Travis Kelce's games.

Taylor Swift se está despertando en un lugar inusual… por primera vez en mucho tiempo, NO ganó un premio, y hay evidencia de que la pérdida en los Golden Globes, junto con ser señalada por el presentador Jo Koy, no le sentó nada bien.

Los fans con vista de águila notaron que Taylor no estaba entre la multitud del Beverly Hilton el domingo por la noche después de que su película “Eras Tour” perdiera en la categoría de Logro Cinematográfico y de Taquilla frente a “Barbie”.

La gente comenta en línea: “Estoy 90% segura de que Taylor se fue del evento, no se le ha visto desde lo de Barbie” … Otro agregó: “Es tan divertida”.

Taylor fue vista dando una ovación de pie al elenco y equipo de “Barbie” cuando subieron a recibir el galardón, así que su partida puede que no haya sido por despecho, al menos no hacia ellos.

Ahora, una fuente de la entrega de premios nos dice que Taylor dejó su asiento poco después de la categoría de Logro Cinematográfico para ir al baño, y terminó viendo el resto del espectáculo desde la parte trasera. Mencionan que abandonó el lugar por completo unos 15 minutos antes de que terminara el evento.

Como informamos, había otra cosa que podría haber molestado a Taylor: fue el blanco de una broma al principio de la noche cuando Jo Koy bromeó sobre cómo la NFL tiene más tomas de cámara de Taylor en comparación con los Golden Globes.

Pareció visiblemente molesta por el comentario, así que tal vez fue en ese momento cuando decidió retirarse una vez que anunciaron su categoría.

Taylor Swift is waking up in an odd place ... for the first time in a long time, she did NOT win something, and there's evidence the Golden Globes loss -- and getting called out by host Jo Koy -- didn't sit well with her.

Eagle-eyed fans noticed Taylor was nowhere to be seen in the crowd at the Beverly Hilton Sunday night after her "Eras Tour" film lost the Cinematic and Box Office Achievement category to "Barbie."

Folks started chiming in online, with one saying, "90% sure taylor has left the event she hasn’t been seen since barbie" ... another added, "Shes so funny."

For what it's worth, Taylor was spotted giving the "Barbie" cast and crew a standing ovation as they went up to grab their award, so her leaving might not have been out of spite -- at least, not toward them.

Now, a source at the award show tells us Taylor left her seat shortly after the Cinematic Achievement category to go to the restroom, and ended up watching the rest of the show from the back. We're told she did leave the venue altogether about 15 minutes before the Globes ended.

As we reported, there was one other thing that could've upset Taylor -- she was the butt of a joke earlier in the night as Jo Koy poked fun at how the NFL has more camera shots of Taylor compared to the Globes.

She seemed visibly annoyed by the remark -- so, maybe that's when she decided she'd dip out once her category was announced.