TMZ Sports

The Jenner family was out and about on opposite coasts Thursday night, looking stylish and celebrating friends' birthdays ... but Kendall Jenner's night included a close encounter of the EX kind.

Kendall and her BF, NBA superstar Devin Booker, hit up Lucali in NYC where they were attending the bday bash of their friend, model and DJ Fai Khadra. Not shockingly, Kendall was dressed to the nines in a skintight, and tiny, black dress. Hey, she is a supermodel!

But, here's the thing, Fai has another NBA-playing buddy by the name of Blake Griffin, and he showed up ready to party too -- although, not nearly as decked out as his ex-GF.

We don't know if Kendall and Blake actually saw each other inside, but they split way back in 2018. We're guessing everybody's cool by now.

Meanwhile, on the west coast, Kris Jenner was out at Craig's in WeHo for a birthday dinner for one of her gal pals.

Dak Prescott was feeling himself so much after ballin' out in a loss to the Bucs on Thursday ... he straight-up told Tom Brady after the game that a rematch in the playoffs is coming.

Just minutes after Dallas fell in heartbreaking fashion to Tampa Bay ... a hot mic picked up the guarantee in a postgame conversation between the two star QBs.

At first, the guys appeared to just congratulate each other on a hard-fought game -- but then Dak hit TB12 with this promise ...

"We'll see y'all again."

Of course, the only way that's possible is if both teams make the playoffs ... something Prescott sure seems confident about after throwing for 403 yards and 3 TDs in the opener.

And, if we're all being honest, Prescott's take ain't exactly a hot one.

Brady looked unstoppable in the 31-29 victory, and Dak matched him throw for throw throughout the night ... leading most football fans to believe both the Cowboys and the Bucs will likely win their divisions this year.

That would put the two on a collision course in the postseason -- which, clearly, Dak can see coming some 3 months from now.

A 911 caller attempted to get Daffney help while she was still alive and emotionally broadcasting on Instagram Live ... but tragically, cops could not locate her before her death.

The call, obtained by TMZ Sports, reveals a man who identified himself as a friend of a friend of Daffney's trying to get police in Georgia out to the ex-wrestler on Sept. 1 before she could harm herself.

In the audio, the man can be heard saying Daffney -- real name Shannon Spruill -- was on the social media platform, appearing to be suicidal.

"She is on Instagram Live about to commit suicide, reading suicide letters," the man said.

"Talking about where to donate her things. Crying. Won't answer her phone. Certainly needs a wellness check."

The man provided what he believed to be a current address for Daffney, but, sadly, cops tell TMZ Sports it was not a correct one.

Cops say another caller dialed in a short time later with a different address, but said that caller did not have an apartment unit number for the former WCW star.

At 11:25 PM -- some time after the two initial calls -- cops say a caller had found what they believed was Shannon's car at an apartment building ... but still had no answer for which unit she was in.

Cops tell us they tried asking people at the building for the location of Daffney -- but got no answers. They added that they "checked around the building and saw no signs of any disturbance and no one reported anything out of the ordinary" like gunshots or screaming.

Around 12:50 AM, maintenance was contacted and they unlocked a door they believed to be Daffney's, however, an "interior lock was engaged." Police did not believe they had enough cause to force their way into the unit.

Eventually, hours later around 2 AM, cops say they received another call with credible information. Police returned to the address, and had the fire department breach the door, but tragically it was too late.

In a police report, cops say Daffney was found dead at the apartment by officers with an apparent gunshot wound to the chest.

"Certainly this is a tragic situation but our officers did all they could within the boundaries of Georgia law and departmental policies," a spokesperson for the Gwinnett Police Dept. tells us.

"They made a good faith effort to locate Shannon each time they got updated information."

Daffney -- who wrestled in WCW from 1999 to 2001 and later starred in Total Nonstop Action Wrestling from '08-'11 -- was 46 years old.

"I just remember being on the line for the national anthem and I said, ‘Lord, please, just help me get through this night.’"

That's Hall of Famer Mike Piazza, reflecting on the post-9/11 game where he launched the most memorable home run of his career, admitting despite the rush of hitting a game-winning shot, the moment is still "bittersweet."

It's all part of an interview with the Mets legend, conducted by OSDB (a large online sports database created by Aaron Rodgers and his biz partners), where MP opens up about the unforgettable game.

Of course, it was the night of September 21, 2001 ... 10 days after America was attacked, and thousands of innocent people were murdered.

Baseball, after taking a week and a half off, was back ... but there was a sense of uneasiness in Shea Stadium in Queens -- only 14 miles from the site of Ground Zero.

That was until the now 53-year-old slugging catcher hit a massive 2-run, go-ahead dinger in the 8th inning off reliever Steve Karsay ... giving the Mets a 3-2 lead over the Atlanta Braves.

The lead held up in the 9th ... and the Mets won the game. But, it was much more important than a dub ... or 1 home run out of Piazza's 427 career long balls.

The HR helped bring those inside the stadium -- and the entire country -- back.

“Afterward, obviously we were excited to win the game and we were excited to give the people something to cheer about and it was enriching for us to get a feeling that people wanted to be together and people wanted to hug and be at the ballpark and try to take the first small steps to getting back to living,’’ Piazza explained.

The HOF'er says this time of year brings back difficult memories, but regardless of how tough it is, "it’s very prudent and very appropriate that we continue to remember and memorialize the tragedy of the events of 9/11."

In fact, Mike says he still finds it hard to talk about his epic home run ... but he obliges fans because he understands it's important to them.

“It’s a little overwhelming for me. I always try to treat it with reverence. At times, I’m uncomfortable when I talk about it. I just do the best I can but I feel that people do want to talk about it so I kind of owe them that.’’

Saturday will mark the 20th anniversary of the September 11 attacks.

Karl-Anthony Towns is going OFF on all the trolls talking down on his GF Jordyn Woods' recent body transformation ... saying he's personally seen her put in the work -- and it's ALL natural.

Woods was the center of awful social media criticism this week after posting a before-and-after pic from her fitness journey ... with some claiming her new look was manufactured.

But, KAT is having none of that talk ... shooting down any notion Woods went under the knife in a passionate Twitter rant on Thursday.

"Are we saying that women can’t work hard and transform their bodies??" Towns said minutes ago. "I’ve SEEN the hard work and I’ve seen the results and trust me, this is all natural."

"Since she was 10 years old, people been calling this woman vile things because of her weight and instead of letting the Internet run her life, she went out the put the damn work in and changed her whole life. FITNESS SAVED HER LIFE!"

Towns says he's not going to stoop to the trolls' levels and respond with hate -- instead, he's keeping positive by hoping they "find the love you are so badly craving."

KAT -- who's been officially dating Woods for about a year -- also sends a personal love note to his bae ... calling her his queen, rock and his everything.

"That comparison picture, as I told you before you posted it, is gonna help a lot of people, especially young girls who feel they can never reach the body that you’ve acquired NATURALLY."

Shaquille O'Neal is goin' at Ben Simmons yet again -- this time, the Big Diesel is putting the Sixers star on blast for requesting a trade out of Philly.

"Ben Simmons, you're not that good," the Hall of Famer said on The Big Podcast with Shaq.

"You're not great," he added ... before saying, "To be great, you have to work on your game. Don't be putting pictures on your Instagram of your Ferrari or what actress you're hanging around with."

Simmons has been heavily criticized -- including by Shaq himself -- ever since his performance in the Eastern Conference Semifinals against the Atlanta Hawks, when he scored just 5 points in a Game 7 loss.

In fact, things have gotten so bad, Simmons has reportedly requested a trade ... something Shaq clearly despises.

"When you play for a town like Philadelphia, Boston, L.A., Miami -- a hard-working town -- they don’t give a s*** about none of that," O'Neal said. "They want you to come, work hard and play hard."

Charles Barkley agreed with Shaq ... saying he, too, has been disappointed by what he's seen from Simmons over the past few months.

"When you give somebody $200 million to dribble a stupid basketball," Barkley said, "and the only thing you ask him is be better as a player, and their first response is, 'I don't want to play here anymore,' that disappoints me as a player. It disappoints me as a fan."

Jake Paul vs. Tyron Woodley II will NOT happen -- at least not in the foreseeable future ... 'cause Paul just said a rematch is off ... after Woodley wouldn't get an "I love Jake" tattoo.

The Problem Child broke it all down on the "Full Send Podcast" this week ... explaining he's not going to fight Woodley a second time after Tyron refused to honor their initial ink bet.

"The tattoo was the bet before this fight," Paul said. "It was the loser had to get the tattoo. So, now, all the sudden he's trying to change it to make it for the rematch?"

"[A rematch] doesn't make sense," Paul continued. "If he would've gotten the tattoo, like, now, and that clip goes viral, and everyone's like, 'Jake, do it! Do it!' I'd be like, 'I kind of have to do this.' But he f***ed up."

Paul added, "He's saying, 'Oh, I'll get it once we sign the contract.' No. You f***ed up. Just get the tattoo and let me decide from there."

If you missed it ... Paul and Woodley initially agreed that the loser of their Aug. 29 fight would have to get a tat of the winner somewhere on their bodies.

In fact, the two even flew in famed artist Tatu Baby to draw the ink on the guys directly after the fight.

But, Woodley has yet to go under the needle -- and it's now clear because of that, Paul has his sights set on a different opponent for his next bout.

As for who that might be, Jake said Tyson Fury's little bro, Tommy Fury, is "at the top" of his list.

"He's skilled," Paul said. "He's undefeated. And then, yeah, he's [Tyson Fury’s brother]. And he’s a real boxer. And he has like 4 million followers on Instagram which is good engagement."

Good news for Jake ... Tommy told TMZ Sports just last week he's all-in on that fight.

Triller Fight Club is bipartisan -- or it's trying like hell to be -- because we've learned the company's made Bill Clinton an offer it hopes he can't refuse to get on the mic to announce a fight later this year.

TMZ Sports is told Clinton's people have been sent the deal, but hasn't responded to Triller one way or another. The offer comes after Triller successfully landed ex-Prez Donald Trump to do commentary for Saturday's Evander Holyfield vs. Vitor Belfort fight.

Someone at Triller's got POTUS fever, obviously, because we're told they're also planning to offer an announcing gig to Barack Obama. The specifics of Clinton and Obama's potential deals aren't clear -- but if they mirror Trump's, Triller's gonna be backing up a Brinks truckload of dough.

As for the fights Clinton and/or Obama would be on the mic for, we're told it's possible it could be for the return of Oscar De La Hoya, who was originally supposed to fight Belfort this weekend until he got COVID-19.

Obviously, landing #42 and #44 could be a PPV draw, but it's also an important strategic move. Trump is the most polarizing person in the country, and many fans were not happy when Triller brought him aboard. Obama and Clinton would make the company look politically unbiased.

Ben Roethlisberger says the Steelers better pay T.J. Watt ASAP ... explaining to reporters on Wednesday a new contract for the defensive star is "one of the reasons I took less money."

"I think T.J. should get whatever the heck he wants," Big Ben said. "He's arguably the best football player in the game right now, not just on defense, just in general."

Watt is currently locked in a heated contract dispute with the Steelers ... and things have gotten so contentious, there's a chance Watt -- who's sat out team drills in Pittsburgh practices while waiting for a new deal -- might miss the season-opener on Sunday over it all.

Ben clearly thinks it should never have gotten to this point ... 'cause the QB explained to media members this is why he agreed to take a pay cut to play for the Steelers this season.

"One of the reasons I took less money was for guys like him to get paid, and he needs to get paid," Roethlisberger said.

"He deserves every penny that he wants and asks for. T.J. Watt is that guy that should get whatever he wants."

Watt has made the Pro Bowl in 3 of his 4 seasons with the Steelers ... piling up 49.5 sacks in 62 games. His next contract is expected to make him the highest-paid defensive player in the league.

"He was here every single day and he didn't need to be, working, busting his butt," Roethlisberger said. "He should get taken care of."

The Baltimore Ravens can't catch a break.

Running back Gus Edwards might be out with a season-ending torn ACL on Thursday ... just days after starter J.K. Dobbins AND backup Justice Hill suffered serious injuries.

The news was just made official minutes ago ... with Adam Schefter reporting the injury happened at practice.

Of course, Dobbins -- who was poised to have a huge role in the offense this season -- tore his ACL on Aug. 28 ... and Hill (who the Ravens waived this week) tore his Achilles on Sep. 2.

To make matters worse, star cornerback Marcus Peters also reportedly tore his ACL at Wednesday's practice.

Seriously ... so brutal.

So, what's that mean for fantasy football?? Expect newly signed Le'Veon Bell to be a hot commodity in pretty much every league ... as well as Ty'Son Williams.

Donald Trump thinks he'd knockout Joe Biden EASILY in a boxing match ... saying the current POTUS wouldn't stand a chance.

#45 faced the media at the Evander Holyfield vs. Vitor Belfort presser before his big commentary gig for Saturday's event ... when he was asked who he'd want to face off against in the ring for a hypothetical fight.

"If you said if I had to box somebody, I think probably my easiest fight would be Joe Biden," Trump said. "Because I think he'd go down very, very quickly. Very, very quickly."

Of course, Trump ain't shy about his hate for Biden ... often referring to #46 as "Sleepy Joe."

DT's refused to accept the fact Biden beat him fair and square in the voting booths during the 2020 presidential election ... so it's no surprise he'd want to duke it out in the ring.

As we previously reported, The Donald is getting paid MILLIONS to call one of three broadcast options for the Triller fight on Saturday alongside his son, Don Jr.

Part of his duties included being the "honored guest" during the bout's final press conference at the Fort Lauderdale Marriott Harbor Beach Resort on Thursday ... but only Trump Jr. was actually present.

DTJ said the gig is a natural fit for the Trumps -- they grew up loving combat sports and would probably end up calling the fight to themselves if it weren't for the opportunity.

Trump will be joined by UFC's Jorge Masvidal and Todd Grisham in the broadcast booth on Saturday ... but if you aren't interested in that, there's always the main broadcast with 50 Cent.

As for a fight between Trump and Biden?? Don't hold your breath -- both guys are in their 70s ... among other obvious reasons.

But hey, we can dream.

WWE is makin' a splash of its own ... 'cause it just signed 21-year-old Olympic gold medal winner Gable Steveson to its roster!!

"WWE today announced it has signed Olympic gold medalist and reigning NCAA wrestling champion Gable Steveson to an exclusive agreement," the company said.

"In the company's first-ever NIL deal, Steveson will join the WWE roster while defending his NCAA title for the University of Minnesota."

Of course, Steveson had a TON of options in addition to World Wrestling Entertainment ... multiple NFL teams reached out to Gable, and UFC honcho Dana White told us a few weeks back he planned on meeting with the Olympic hero as well.

Gable will still wrestle in college ... but it's unclear if the other options are now off the table, or if Steveson could also fight MMA if he so desires.

Either way, Steveson was PUMPED to officially put his pen to WWE paper ... saying Thursday, "Childhood dream accomplished.. I have  officially signed with the @WWE!!! Thank you for the opportunity!! LETS WORK"

As for how WWE stars will welcome him ... it seems it'll be with open arms -- 'cause just a few weeks ago, Seth Rollins told us he'd be down to train the Olympian!

Keyshawn Johnson says he was NOT the biggest diva on the Cowboys during his tenure in Dallas ... explaining that honor actually belonged to Tony Romo!!!

The former wide receiver made the claim on ESPN's "First Take" on Wednesday ... saying while he was a Cowboy in 2004 and 2005 -- Romo was full of drama.

"Tony Romo was one of the most diva-ish dudes that I've ever been around at that position!" Johnson said.

What's interesting ... Romo wasn't even the starter during Johnson's two years with the Cowboys -- the QB was actually a backup to Vinny Testaverde in his rookie year and then Drew Bledsoe the next season.

"I think Tony might've even been on the practice squad," Johnson said. "Major diva, though!"

Johnson didn't elaborate on what exactly made Tony such a problem to be around ... but the rant was all part of a tangent Keyshawn went on while trying to explain how QBs have more "diva" tendencies than wideouts.

"Can't say anything bad to the quarterback," Johnson said. "If you say something to him -- if you scream at him or yell at him -- you're a problem."

There will be NO lack of star power in the announcer's booths at the Holyfield vs. Belfort fight Saturday night, 'cause TMZ Sports has learned 50 Cent will be joining Triller's coverage of the big event.

But, before you start dreaming about Fiddy sitting shoulder-to-shoulder with Donald Trump ... the hip-hop star and former POTUS will be on a different broadcast.

Sources tell us 50 will be filling Snoop Dogg's usual role doing color commentary ... which in previous fights has been nothing short of hilarious.

Of course, 50 -- a huge boxing fan -- is also known for his antics ... so the entertainment on the main broadcast should be top-notch.

Even though Trump won't have 50 by his side ... DT won't be alone. UFC star Jorge Masvidal WILL be in the booth with Don Jr., providing analysis.

It makes sense ... the former prez and Jorge go back. Masvidal even hit the campaign trail for Trump in Florida during the lead up to the election.

They were last seen together publicly, where they embraced, backstage at the Conor McGregor and Dustin Poirier fight in July.

In addition to DT, DT Jr., and Gamebred ... longtime play-by-play man, Todd Grisham will handle a lot of the heavy lifting in the booth (think Jon Anik).

A bodybuilder sent Kobe Bryant a letter in 2003 offering to kill his rape accuser ... and the guy later asked for $3 MILLION to do the deed -- this according to newly released FBI docs.

The papers -- obtained by TMZ Sports -- were released by feds earlier this month ... and they reveal new details from the '03 case against Patrick Graber.

The docs, in which Graber's name is redacted, show how feds say they got Graber to fess up to attempting to get cash from Bryant in exchange for making his "problem" disappear.

Federal investigators in the docs say Graber -- who they say was a gym rat -- mailed a FedEx letter to Bryant with the offer ... adding that Bryant's team immediately turned it over to local authorities.

In the docs, officials say they then set up meetings with Graber ... and he allegedly told them the price tag he wanted in order to make Kobe's "problem" go away.

Investigators in the docs say deputies traveled to Kobe's accuser's residence in Colorado to tell her of the possible threat.

Graber was eventually arrested after a lengthy investigation ... and was hit with several charges, including solicitation to commit murder.

Bengals rookie Ja'Marr Chase is giving an interesting explanation for his preseason blunders ... saying he's been dropping so many passes because the NFL balls don't have white stripes.

It's safe to say the ex-LSU star has stumbled out the gate to start his pro career ... dropping an eye-opening amount of passes after barely having any issues in college.

Chase -- who sat out the 2020 NCAA season to prepare for the draft -- opened up on his struggles this week ... and while he says he's not making any excuses for his performance, he explains the differences he's had to face so far as a pro.

"I don't want to blame it on me sitting on my butt the whole year, but it probably had something to do with it, of course," the #5 overall pick in the draft told Bengals.com.

"There's a bigger ball adjustment, so I don't want to make excuses but I've just got to be a pro and make the catch."

Chase describes other differences with the NFL ball that could be impacting his game -- the white stripes.

"The ball is different because it is bigger," he added. "It doesn't have the white stripes on the side, so you can't see the ball coming from the tip point.

"So, you actually have to look for the strings on the ball at the top, which is hard to see because the whole ball is brown and you have the six strings that are white."

"But, for the most part, just have to get used to it and find out what I am comfortable with catching."

Chase also says he has to do a better job concentrating on the ball ... and has been working overtime after practice to adjust his issues.