Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Too $hort is all for setting great examples for younger rappers and hopes his recent trip to the White House offers some inspiration to whoever needs it!!!

We linked with Short Dog in D.C. this week fresh outta the Oval Office and as expected, he said the experience was nothing short of greatness.

Short, along with E-40, Mistah F.A.B. and Sway Calloway got to meet their fellow Oakland native, Vice President Kamala Harris ... and the rap legend says he couldn't be more proud of his hometown.

The Golden State Warriors broke their boycott of the White House in light of Donald Trump no longer being the commander-in-chief and $hort says, as a lifelong fan, he was happy to support the team in person.

He has nearly 40 years in the rap game so Short knows a thing or two about perseverance ... so, we switched gears to football to ask him about Tom Brady possibly, finally retiring. Maybe.

Too $hort is in the camp of folks who say TB12 isn't hanging up his cleats just yet.

Brady and the Buccaneers just got embarrassingly bounced outta the NFL playoffs by the Dallas Cowboys -- but, Short says Tom will give us another pump fake "retirement" and be back on the field for next season.

Don't fret, Cowboys fans ... Martin Gramatica -- one of the best kickers in NFL history -- is predicting a bounce-back game for Brett Maher, explaining all the guy has to do is just "forget" about his dreadful performance in Tampa.

Maher missed four extra points in the Cowboys' playoff win over the Buccaneers on Monday night -- and he looked downright beat up over the performance both during and afterward.

But, Gramatica told Babcock on "TMZ Sports" on Tuesday that he doesn't think the Dallas placekicker should be all that concerned ... explaining it was just one game.

Gramatica advises the 33-year-old to move on quickly ... adding that he believes Maher has a whole season of success that should trump his bad evening in South Florida.

"I would just say, do what you did throughout the year," said Gramatica, who made 76.4 percent of his kicks in his 11-year NFL career. "Short memory. Forget about it. You're good enough. You got us here."

Maher made 29 of his 32 field goal attempts this season ... and rarely struggled prior to the playoff stinker. Gramatica made it clear both the kicker and his team should focus on that -- as opposed to the missed kicks against the Bucs.

"The message I guarantee you from his teammates and coaches is, You got us here," the former Bucs and Cowboys kicker said. "You helped us get here. Some of your game-winners got us here."

"So, forget about it. Next game, we're going to need you."

Tom Brady's biggest fan is taking a page out of Gisele Bundchen's book ... calling out the quarterback's teammates for the Buccaneers' playoff loss to the Dallas Cowboys.

Stunning model Veronika Rajek -- who sports 3.5 million followers on Instagram -- has gone viral for her TB12 support this season ... even going as far as to say she loves the 7-time Super Bowl champ.

Just like all Tampa Bay fans, Rajek was left in disbelief after Brady and Co. were torn apart on Monday Night Football and booted from the postseason ... and instead of focusing on TB12's less-than-stellar performance, she pointed fingers at the other 52 men on the roster.

"I'm just sorry," Rajek said on IG after the game. "But one guy cannot play for everyone on the field. TB you did your best. Like always."

"But one piece of the puzzle doesn't make a picture."

The comments are similar to what Brady's ex-wife said after the New England Patriots lost to the New York Giants in Super Bowl XLVI ... when she infamously stated, "My husband can not f***ing throw the ball and catch the ball at the same time. I can't believe they dropped the ball so many times."

Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Russell Gage was forced to leave Monday night's playoff game on a backboard ... and the scene was scary -- particularly in the wake of Damar Hamlin's on-field medical emergency just two weeks ago.

Gage went down awkwardly late in the fourth quarter of TB's blowout loss to the Dallas Cowboys -- and he didn't get up immediately ... prompting officials and medical personnel to race onto the field to tend to him.

The 26-year-old wideout, who took a violent hit to the head and neck area on the play, stayed down for several minutes ... all while Cowboys and Buccaneers players looked on with worried expressions on their faces.

Gage was ultimately strapped to a backboard and rushed to the hospital.

Following the game, Bucs head coach Todd Bowles said Tom Brady's target had a concussion and was being evaluated for potential neck injuries. He was not sure if Gage had movement in all of his extremities.

"His fingers were moving when he was down there," Bowles said. "I don't know about the rest."

The terrifying moment happened just 14 days after Hamlin was taken off the field in an ambulance during a similar scene on Monday Night Football as well.

Hamlin, thankfully, has since made tremendous strides in recovering from the crisis. We're all now hoping Gage sees similar results.

An arrest warrant has been issued for Dallas Cowboys rookie Sam Williams, TMZ Sports has learned ... over his alleged role in a violent car crash last month.

The Plano Police Department tells us the misdemeanor warrant is for reckless driving ... though further details surrounding the allegations against Williams were not made immediately available.

According to a police spokesperson, "at this time, there is no plan to find and arrest" Williams ... as the 23-year-old football player "has been contacted to turn himself in."

Per the spokesperson, though, if Williams is stopped by police before he turns himself in, "he would be arrested then."

As we reported, Williams slammed his black Corvette into another vehicle at around 2:15 PM in Plano, Texas on Dec. 22. Pictures from the scene showed the collision caused serious damage, leaving debris all over the roadway.

Thankfully, neither Williams nor the other driver were seriously injured in the crash ... but the Dallas pass rusher did end up missing one game following the wreck.

Williams addressed the accident with reporters a few days afterward, and said he was "thankful" to still be alive.

"You're looking at the [totaled] car like, man, but God works in mysterious ways," he said. "I know He has something in store for me."

It's not yet clear if the warrant will impact Williams' availability for the team's playoff game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Monday.

Rooting for your team to face the Bucs or Packers in the postseason? Better think twice about that ... so says Warren Moon, who tells TMZ Sports that Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers are legit threats to make noise in this year's postseason.

Both guys have had down years, making many believe they'll be layups when Wild Card weekend rolls around later this month. But, Moon says no matter how much the QBs have struggled in the regular season, he believes both dudes have the potential to be very different beasts when the playoffs begin.

When it comes to Tampa Tom, Moon says Brady's experience and competitiveness simply make him a tough out. The Hall of Famer said it's similar with Rodgers and the Pack.

Moon did note he'd like to see Tampa Bay get its running game going if it really wants to get Tom a deep playoff run.

A reporter is issuing a public apology for ambushing Giovani Bernard after Sunday's loss to the Bengals ... saying the awkward interaction came off as "cruel and insensitive."

Jenna Laine, a Bucs beat reporter for ESPN, released a lengthy statement on the matter Tuesday night ... explaining why she feels remorseful for the testy locker room exchange.

Laine says she was wrong to post video of the incident on Twitter ... which showed her peppering Bernard with questions about a failed fake punt as he tried to leave the locker room to be with his family.

"The first misstep was posting a video of 'our' interaction with Giovani," Laine wrote in the statement. "My intention wasn't to make it some 'gotcha' moment but to illustrate how tense things can get in the locker room when a team isn't meeting expectations."

Laine also addressed her comments in the video ... saying she was trying to point out the accountability athletes deal with on a daily basis.

"In full transparency, I now see that there was no benefit to doing it. I realize that it came across as cruel and insensitive."

"In no way was I trying to weaponize his injury against him either by pointing it out."

Bernard took issue with Laine at the time ... saying the reporter did not prioritize interviewing him throughout the season. He eventually answered their questions and took responsibility for the costly turnover against Cincinnati.

Antonio Brown won't be thrown behind bars over an alleged battery after all ... officials said Wednesday the ex-NFL star's arrest warrant has been withdrawn -- and he's no longer facing criminal charges.

Police had issued the warrant for Brown's arrest back in November ... after a woman accused the former football player of throwing a shoe at her during a violent incident on Nov. 28 at a home in South Tampa.

But, the State Attorney's Office said Wednesday the alleged victim recanted her story to them during a follow-up interview on Dec. 16.

Following the woman's new statement, prosecutors said they "determined we could not prove beyond a reasonable doubt a battery took place."

"As a result," the SAO said, "a letter of release was issued, which formalizes the SAO's decision not to prosecute and withdraws the previously issued arrest warrant."

Rob Gronkowski is retired from the NFL but he's not done giving back to his fans ... the future Hall of Famer recently surprised a retired U.S. Army veteran, wounded in combat, with an awesome, customized truck!

The G.O.A.T. tight end partnered up with USAA to deliver a 4-door truck to specialist Jonny Flores who served four years in a field artillery unit ... where he worked as a .50 cal gunner, among other jobs.

"Today I'm helping USAA give away a recycled ride to a deserving US military veteran," Gronk said on Tuesday.

"This is gonna be awesome. About to surprise Jonny."

The video of Gronk surprising the Purple Heart recipient in Tampa is amazing ... and from Flores' reaction, he had no idea he was meeting the Super Bowl champ.

"No way!" Flores said, clearly in shock ... "What a surprise!"

Then, when Gronk showed Flores the truck ... he was so stoked!!

It's a feel-good story for a man who has sacrificed mightily for his country. Flores was badly wounded after a vehicle he was in drove over a pressure-plate IED (improvised explosive device) on July 4, 2007 in Baghdad, Iraq. He ultimately had his left leg amputated. He also sustained other injuries in the attack.

Flores, who uses a wheelchair, will now be able to move around much more freely ... because we're told the ride was retrofitted and modified for his mobility needs, including installing a wheelchair lift.

"This means a lot to me," Flores said, "Being able to get my independence and get in and out of this with ease, you know, with no help. That wheelchair thing is something else!"

"This is a game changer. Oh my God. I can already see how many trips and things we're gonna do with the family. I'm so excited. I can't thank you guys enough for this man."

It's all part of the USAA's celebration of their 100th anniversary serving the military ... and the vehicle was the 87th car they gifted in 2022, Gronk's jersey number.

Gronk played 11 seasons in the NFL with the Patriots and Buccaneers. The 5-time Pro Bowler won 4 Super Bowls before retiring in June.

Gronk is BACK on the football field!!!

Recently retired NFL superstar Rob Gronkowski will have Tampa Bay Buccaneer fans drooling over the idea of a comeback ... after the tight end was spotted on the gridiron in Orlando over the weekend.

It's a clip that will have folks wondering if the 4-time Super Bowl champ has the itch to return to his day job ... considering he's still in incredible shape.

But, don't expect the 33-year-old to pull a Tom Brady and return to the league just yet ... 'cause he wasn't running routes and catching passes -- he was lining up for some field goals with his buddy/TMZ Sports TV show co-host Mojo Muhtadi.

The guys were at Camping World Stadium to check out a Pop Warner football game ... and we're told Gronk decided to hop on the gridiron and show off his boot.

Gronk's no Justin Tucker, but it doesn't matter -- he was still able to get the pigskin between the pipes for a successful attempt.

Gronk also had some fun talking to some of the kids at the game ... even joining their huddle for a cute moment.

There was not one, but TWO Bradys working out at QB at Buccaneers practice on Wednesday ... 'cause Tom's son got in some drills while visiting Dad -- and TB12 loved it!

15-year-old Jack swung by Tampa's day-before-Thanksgiving practice for a few hours -- and at points during the afternoon, he got to toss around the pigskin in front of Tom.

The high schooler -- who actually plays free safety and a little bit of quarterback for his H.S. team -- looked good ... rollin' out of the pocket with two hands on the ball, just like pops.

The younger Brady also showed off a similar follow-through as Dad as well!

Afterward, Brady spoke with media members about Jack -- his son with Bridget Moynahan --being around ... and he said he was super grateful for the opportunities.

"It's the best," Brady said. "I had him out here for training camp last year, which was amazing for a dad. It was pretty special. As much as I can be around him, the better it is."

TB12 said earlier this year on his 'Let's Go!' podcast that he never envisioned Jack following in his football footsteps ... but watching him play now is "one of the great highlights of my life."

In fact, Tom said the kid "actually moves better than I did at his age."

As if Cleveland's season couldn't get any worse -- some rando allegedly broke into FirstEnergy Stadium and took a joyride on the field just days before the Browns' next home game ... resulting in a bunch of damage.

The incident reportedly went down early Tuesday morning ... forcing the Browns' grounds crew to rush to repair the grass before Sunday's matchup against Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Pictures captured by News Channel 5 show tire marks throughout the field ... with a road roller working to improve the home turf.

Luckily, the team told the outlet the damage is superficial ... which means there's a good chance Sunday's game will go down without any hiccups.

Police believe the joyride occurred after someone broke into the stadium and got ahold of a golf cart. The whole thing is currently under investigation.

“We are aware of the incident that occurred early Tuesday morning at FirstEnergy Stadium and have provided the Cleveland Division of Police with all relevant information," the team said in a statement.

"Based on our internal evaluation, there was some superficial damage to the playing field that our grounds maintenance team is currently working to repair."

Super Bowl-winning NFL coach Bruce Arians was forced to take time away from his position with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers last month ... after severe chest pain left him in the hospital for four days.

70-year-old Arians -- who has faced a number of health-related issues over the years -- revealed he experienced the most recent scare before a game against the Atlanta Falcons, when he had some friends over for dinner.

"We ate and I got these pains way up here, like two knives going in," Arians told Ira Kaufman. "The more I tried to take a breath, the worse it got."

The Bucs' special advisor says he took some antacids to try and ease the pain ... but when it continued to get worse, his wife, Christine, called 911.

Arians was then stretchered out of his home and taken to Tampa General Hospital.

The longtime coach says docs initially believed he suffered a mild heart attack or pericardial effusion ... before determining he had myocarditis -- an inflammation of the heart that makes it difficult to pump blood.

"Thankfully, the scans showed no fluid, no heart damage and absolutely no blockages," Arians added. "They had a cardiac radiologist look at everything and they ended up giving me anti-inflammatories."

The health scare kept him sidelined from the Bucs for a few weeks ... and he hasn't traveled to away games since.

Despite all he was going through, Arians says he stayed in contact with TB offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich to give his takes on the team's performance.

Tom Brady was deeply concerned with Antonio Brown's decision-making well before his shirtless exit from the NFL ... with the controversial receiver going public with a passionate text from his former teammate in May 2021.

AB has made headlines for all the wrong reasons recently -- from ripping his pads off and quitting on the Bucs mid-game in January, to allegedly exposing himself in a public pool, to showing his support for Kanye West's "White Lives Matter" movement ... and most recently, making disrespectful comments about TB12 amid his divorce from Gisele Bündchen.

But before all that, Tom appeared to have sent AB a heartfelt plea to get his act together ... saying, "You are demonstrating very poor decisions and poor communication to so many people who have gone above and beyond to help you."

Remember, Tom and AB were thick as thieves at one point -- the 7-time champ vouched for Brown twice to get the New England Patriots and Bucs to take a chance on him ... but things have turned sour in recent years.

It's unclear what exactly upset Brady -- AB had been previously accused of sexual assault and attacking a moving truck driver (just to name a few incidents), but seemingly kept out of trouble around the time of Tom's text.

TB12 only says he was upset with AB's behavior "over the past few months" ... and made sure not to mince his words when calling out the former star.

"You are acting selfish and unfortunately many of those people are exhausted by the erratic and unpredictable emotional behavior," TB12 says.

In the message, Brady claims AB was humble and ready to improve his life when they first met ... but something changed.

"Unfortunately you have reverted very much back to a young immature man that is selfish, self serving, irrational and irresponsible."

Brady seemingly blames AB's circle for being bad influences ... adding, "You have gone from hanging around good quality people that had genuine interest in seeing you succeed, to seeing others whose lives are erratic and out of control and leading you down a negative path."

Gisele Bündchen is getting super close to a handsome MMA teacher ... and sources connected to the former couple -- Tom Brady and Gisele, that is -- are questioning the timing.

The guy is Joaquim Valente, a jiu-jitsu instructor who lives in Miami. Gisele has known him for at least a year and a half. She took lessons from him, and then signed her 2 kids up for lessons as well.

Gisele and Joaquim were out to dinner in Costa Rica Saturday, with her kids, Benjamin and Vivian. It's especially interesting, because Tom and Gisele made Costa Rica their vacation spot during the off-season.

Gisele and Joaquim did a super sexy photo shoot together more than a year ago for Dust Magazine ... presumably about the art of jiu-jitsu.

Gisele has posted her fondness for Joaquim's MMA teaching skills, saying it gave her confidence and empowerment.

A source connected to Gisele tells TMZ GB and JV are not dating, noting many friends were present in Costa Rica. The source says there were 6 adults and 8 kids at the get-together.

Another source close to the ex-couple is not buying it, asking why this Miami guy is in Costa Rica with her. This source added, "It always seemed weird she just one day abruptly ended the marriage."

Page Six was the first to report on Joaquim and Gisele.

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.