TMZ Sports - Page 34

Tom Brady assiduously avoids caffeine, sugar, dairy, tomatoes, eggplant, even mushrooms ... but on Thanksgiving day ... f*** it!!!

Tom and Oprah had a chitchat, but this one was different because it was Tom mostly asking the questions. O jumped on Tom's SiriusXM show, "Let's Go," and it was only a matter of time before she took the reigns.

Oprah wanted to know what we were thinking ... what the hell does Tom eat on Turkey day ... given his aversion to food that causes inflammation.

Tom revealed Thanksgiving is his cheat day ... "That's the one meal where I'm just like, 'screw it, let's go for it."

The convo pivoted to retirement, and Tom seems to have that in his head. He told Oprah, "Thanksgiving, there's a lot to be thankful for, but you only get 4 hours to enjoy it. Practice usually ends at about 1 or 2. You eat about 3:30, then you're getting ready for the next day of practice.  Same with XMAS."

He went on ... "I'm looking forward to the time when I'm done playing football, so I can have those more normal holidays that I had growing up that were important where the family's all together."

The reality ... the 44-year-old QB is on a roll, with the Bucs Super Bowl Win this year. He's threatened to retire at 45, but sometimes threats are hollow.

LeBron James was ejected on Sunday, but it was his turn to do the booting on Wednesday ... with the Lakers superstar getting two courtside fans removed from the game during an overtime thriller.

The moment went down with 2 minutes left in OT against the Indiana Pacers ... right after Bron hit a three-pointer to put L.A. up 117-114.

It's unclear what set James off, but whatever it was triggered him to approach an official and point at a man and a woman sitting in the front row.

In the video, you can hear a fuming LeBron say "right f***ing here" and pointing directly at the fans.

Shortly after, they were being escorted out of the arena by security ... with the female fan getting one last jab in at Bron by making an animated crying gesture towards him.

Eventually, the game was resumed and the Lakers held on for the win, 124-116.

It's not the first time James has had fans removed -- last season, he had a "Courtside Karen" escorted out after being heckled in a game against the Atlanta Hawks.

Ever wonder how quickly two competitive eaters could take down a Thanksgiving turkey??

Well, you're in luck ... 'cause Major League Eating stars Miki Sudo and her fiancé, Nick Wehry, just ate it on camera -- and, check out the clip, they devoured the big bird in 7 minutes!!!

Sudo and Wehry took on the holiday challenge just a few days ago ... grabbing a 21.6-pound turkey for the occasion.

The two dug in without any silverware -- and they ate it all the way down to the bone in a matter of minutes!!

Of course, the super-speedy meal should come as a surprise to nobody -- Sudo is the #1-ranked female eater in the world, while Wehry is the #6-ranked male eater.

In fact, Sudo and Wehry have both impressively eaten alongside Joey Chestnut for years at the famous Nathan's 4th of July hot dog contest.

The two have feasted on Thanksgiving before -- they famously ate a meal prepped for 12 in right around 20 minutes back in 2020.

Erin Andrews says working Thanksgiving Day games is a real bummer ... telling TMZ Sports her dinners don't consist of decadent turkey on the holiday anymore -- but rather, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches!!!

The FOX sideline reporter broke it all down for us at LAX ... explaining even though she has a blast getting paid to watch the NFL on the holiday -- it's still a downer.

"I mean, it stinks," said Andrews, who's been sideline reporting on Turkey Day for years and is slated to help call Thursday's Lions vs. Bears game this year. "But it is great to be able to work and watch football."

Andrews said she can't even celebrate the holiday with her family on Black Friday or even on the Saturday following Thanksgiving ... telling us her Sunday game schedule just won't allow that.

Instead, she says she's just got to work, eat PB&Js and get through it.

As for Christmas and New Year's ... Andrews says there's no reprieve there either -- telling us the NFL schedule has her working those days too!

The AFC and NFC champs won't have to travel far for the Super Bowl this year ... 'cause Snoop Dogg tells TMZ Sports he thinks the Rams and Chargers will face off in the big game!!!

Of course, D-O-Double-G will be front and center at SoFi Stadium on Feb. 13 -- he's headlining a massive halftime show alongside Kendrick Lamar, Dr. Dre, Eminem and Mary J. Blige.

Since he's part of the party, we had to ask which teams will be duking it out on the field on Super Bowl Sunday ... and Snoop thinks it's gonna be a battle of the City of Angels!!!

As for the performance, Mr. Dogg doesn't reveal any secrets ... but we can already tell he's got some crazy stuff prepared.

BTW, Snoop was giving back to the community when we chopped it up with him -- the rap legend was handing out 2,500 turkeys in Inglewood alongside the Rams and Chargers.

Snoop was definitely into it -- he was dancing and hanging out with folks throughout the day ... while his own music blared in the background.

Indianapolis Colts DB Isaiah Rodgers LOVES himself some Thanksgiving ... 'cause he just copped a pair of Turkey-inspired cleats -- with feathers too!!!

TMZ Sports has learned ... artist Rodney Jackson hooked up the NFLer with some new cleats ... with the theme being centered around the annual Fall holiday.

They're pretty dope -- they feature a design of a turkey on the toe of both cleats ... and are decorated with Fall leaves on both sides with brown laces to match.

Of course, the highlight of the shoes is the touch of brown feathers Jackson added to the back of each cleat ... almost guaranteeing that all cameras will be pointed at the dude's feet when he rocks 'em.

Rodgers' Thanksgiving cleats mark the latest time he and Jackson have connected this season to produce some heat -- Jackson blessed Rodgers with some Terminator cleats earlier this year.

The Colts play Tom Brady and the high-powered Bucs offense this Sunday ... and the dudes gotta at least wear these things for warmups, right?!?

Travis Scott is finally venturing out of his Houston home after the Astroworld tragedy ... flying to SoCal to golf with some A-list friends and spend the holiday weekend with family.

Travis hit the links this week with Michael Jordan, Mark Wahlberg, Kris Jenner's BF, Corey Gamble and actor Said Taghmaoui.

Witnesses spotted the famous group Tuesday on the course attached to the gated Palm Springs-area community where Kris has a home.

Travis still looked pretty somber in some shots taken while they were chilling off the course. The outing marks the first time the rapper's been seen out in public since 10 people were killed and hundreds injured during his Nov. 5 festival in Houston.

He had been laying low at his home in the Houston area for several weeks, devastated by what went down during the concert.

As we've reported ... Travis, Live Nation, Apple and several other organizers have been hit with multiple lawsuits since then. Most notably, one for $750 million and another for a whopping $2 billion.

His attorney, Ed McPherson, told us Travis was unaware of the scope of casualties during his performance ... and didn't learn of it until several hours after the show. Travis has vowed to pay all funeral expenses for the Astroworld victims.

Matt Stafford's wife, Kelly, is sharing her side of "Pretzelgate" ... saying she "f***ing lost it" during the incident and will be taking a break from going to Rams away games.

TMZ Sports broke the story ... Kelly apologized last week for tossing a soft pretzel at a heckler during the Rams' road game against the San Francisco 49ers, which resulted in her being escorted out of the stadium just 5 minutes into the game.

Stafford had remained radio silent about the altercation -- aside from an Instagram comment -- until she addressed it on her "The Morning After" podcast Tuesday, when she admitted she lost her cool.

Kelly said she was getting incessantly heckled in her section by a Niners fan ... who kept saying things until she was fed up and "tossed" a piece of the snack, which hit him in the face.

After the incident, Kelly says she went up to the fan and apologized directly ... offering to buy his group some food and drinks, which he rejected.

Security then stepped in and escorted her out ... which Kelly says she didn't mind because she didn't want to watch the game anyway.

As for how Matt handled the news, Kelly says he joked about the whole thing, saying, "He said, 'Well, I wish I was as accurate as you were, but I guess only one person in the family was accurate that night.'"

Kelly says Matt also suggested she only attend home games for the time being ... which she agreed to.

Stafford also says her IG DMs were flooded since the incident ... even being called the c-word by trolls. But at the end of the day, she's owning up to her actions.

2 things Tyreek Hill isn't worried about?? The Chiefs' slow star and MVP quarterback Patrick Mahomes ... telling TMZ Sports he NEVER sweated either.

We talked to the Chiefs superstar receiver ... and Cheetah makes it very clear the team didn't panic despite the 3-4 start to the season.

"Even though we were going through hard times, guys were still finding a way to have fun with the game," Hill says.

"As a collective group, guys were still like, 'Hey we can turn this thing around. It's still early on. We still got the same players. We still go the same coaches that we got from the past years. We just gotta figure out what's going on.'"

FYI, it wasn't that bad of a start ... unless you haven't lost more than 4 games in any single season since 2017, like the Chiefs.

"We stuck together. We had players' meetings. We did all of that, and we figured it out and we're just gonna continue to keep this thing rollin' baby."

Even Patrick Mahomes struggled at the beginning of the year ... throwing 10 interceptions through the first 8 games.

For reference, Pat threw 6 (2020) and 5 picks (2019) in the last 2 seasons.

But, Hill makes it very clear NOBODY was stressing Pat's play ... or questioning their QB's ability.

"Man, ain't no worried with Pat, man. That's the last person y'all need to worry about," Tyreek tells us.

"That guy literally works his tail off to be great. You see it each and every week, cause playing quarterback is the toughest job, I feel like on the field."

But, everything's right in the world once again.

The Chiefs are 7-4 -- good enough for first place in the division -- and Mahomes again leads the league in passing yards ... and has thrown 25 touchdowns.

Aaron Rodgers says he does NOT have "COVID toe" ... and he proved it by showing off his big-ass foot to a group of media members who were asking about it on Wednesday.

According to the Wall Street Journal, the Green Bay Packers star had contracted the coronavirus side effect on his foot after he had been diagnosed with COVID earlier this month.

The report claimed Rodgers was dealing with lesions and discoloration on his foot -- resulting in immense pain in his toe.

But, Rodgers slammed that report Wednesday -- saying it was all BS ... explaining he's dealing with nothing more than a fractured digit.

Aaron then pulled up his foot to show there was no purple bruising or scabs in sight.

"I can't believe I have to again come on here and talk about my medical information, but yeah, I have a fractured toe," Rodgers said. "I've never heard of 'COVID Toe' before. I have no lesions on my feet."

"That's just a classic case of disinformation. It's surprising coming from what used to be a reputable journalistic institution, but that's the world we live in these days."

The Minnesota Vikings say they're concerned for the health of Everson Griffen ... after the defensive end posted a series of disturbing things on his social media page Wednesday -- including a video of him waving a gun.

Griffen sent out the scary posts overnight ... and in the terrifying video, which is roughly 30 seconds in length, the 33-year-old can be seen staring wide-eyed and speaking quickly with a firearm in his hand.

"Yo, yo, yo," Griffen can be heard saying. "I'm in my house. N*****s trying to pop me. I still got clips left. This is my gun."

Griffen also shared screenshots of a series of troubling text messages that he allegedly sent ... appearing to show him asking for help while saying, "People are trying to kill me."

The Vikings said in a statement Wednesday morning that they are aware of it all and are concerned ... adding that they have been in contact with Griffen.

"Vikings representatives and the team's mental health professionals have been on-site at Everson Griffen's home since early this morning and are cooperating with law enforcement," the team said.

"Our only concern at this time is the safety and well-being of Everson and his family. We will have further comment at the appropriate time."

Head coach Mike Zimmer, meanwhile, added that he's worried for Griffen as well -- and said he was not sure if his player was "safe."

"We're only concerned about his well-being," Zimmer said.

Griffen has battled mental health issues in the past ... including an incident in 2018, in which cops say he jumped out of an ambulance after he feared "someone was going to shoot him."

Soccer star Karim Benzema was found guilty for his involvement in a sex tape blackmail case this week ... getting handed a 1-year suspended prison sentence and a fine, according to reports.

But, Karim's attorney is adamant he did nothing wrong ... and says he will appeal the conviction, CNN reports.

Remember, the Real Madrid striker was arrested way back in 2015 ... after investigators claimed he played a role with 4 other men in extorting French national teammate Mathieu Valbuena over a sexually explicit video.

Benzema -- considered one of the best soccer players in the world -- was accused of being a middleman in the plot to get money from Valbuena over the video ... but the player maintained he was just trying to help his teammate handle the issue.

Officials saw it differently, however ... claiming his conversations with Valbuena were all part of the scheme.

Benzema was found guilty of complicity in a Versailles court this week ... resulting in the suspended sentence and a 75,000 euro fine (about $84,000) -- meaning if he keeps his nose clean, he won't have to serve the time behind bars.

What's interesting ... the prosecutor actually requested a 10-month sentence, but the judge gave Benzema more time.

The woman who was violently beaten by Zac Stacy is set to testify in court against the ex-NFL player on Wednesday ... hoping a judge makes it harder for Stacy to be released from custody.

Kristin Evans will be in the Orange County, Fla. courtroom in just minutes ... arguing that Stacy's bond should be heavily increased.

A judge initially set the bond at $10,150 for Stacy -- who was charged with two felonies over the Nov. 16 attack on Evans -- but Evans argued on social media afterward that was nowhere near enough.

Evans said she feared Stacy would try to hurt her again if he was released from custody -- and now wants a judge to up his bond amount at the hearing.

Stacy, meanwhile, has been ordered to be in the courtroom in person -- and it's all slated to begin at 7 AM PT.

As we previously reported, Stacy was hit with one count of aggravated battery and one count of criminal mischief after video showed him punching Evans and then throwing her into a television in Oakland, Fla. earlier this month.

Stacy wasn't initially apprehended at the scene, but he was ultimately arrested in the Orlando area on Nov. 18.

Arizona Cardinals' defensive end J.J. Watt is stepping up in a major way ... by offering to pay for the funeral expenses of all the victims of the Waukesha Christmas parade tragedy.

Watt was devastated after learning of the deadly incident ... calling it "horrific" and expressing concern for those who had been injured and killed.

The incident hits close to home for Watt, especially since he's a Wisconsin native and Badger alum. He also went to high school in nearby Pewaukee, just a few miles from Waukesha.

Now, the Cardinals star is putting his wallet where his enormous heart is ... 'cause he is offering to cover the funeral costs of all the lives lost as a result of the heinous catastrophe.

Of course, J.J. is known to give back -- in 2017, Watt was named the NFL's Walter Payton Man of the Year ... which recognizes recipients for their charitable efforts.

In 2018, he also offered to cover the funeral costs of the people who died in the Santa Fe High School shooting ... and he raised $37 million in an effort to help rebuild Houston and the Gulf region after they had been ravaged by Hurricane Harvey.

Watt's efforts come at a time where a community reeling from tragedy is looking for a reason to celebrate something positive.

Jake Paul let the verbal jabs fly during his presser with Tommy Fury on Wednesday ... and he did it from the comfort of his pool in Puerto Rico.

Jake tuned in remotely as he took on the whole Fury fam -- including heavyweight champ, Tyson -- and while he looked rested and relaxed while wearing sunglasses, a pineapple print hat and sipping on a coconut, it was far from cozy.

Tommy's dad started it off ... taking serious issue with Jake's wardrobe choice. It got so heated, John squared up with the TV that was showing Paul via live stream.

Jake said he's "pretty much on vacation" leading up to the December 18 bout ... saying he's been training non-stop much before the fight was announced.

Tommy's dad chimes in and tells Jake to take his shades off so he can "see the fear" in his eyes ... but Paul shut him down.

"Hey Tommy, Shut your bitches up for me," he said.

The focus switched to Tyson, as Jake bragged and claimed he made more money than the heavyweight champ this year.

Great sight for hoops fans last night -- legendary college broadcaster Dick Vitale made his return to the broadcast booth amid an ongoing cancer battle ... and the scene was emotional.

Vitale -- who battled melanoma earlier this year -- revealed back in October that he was battling another form of the disease ... and would be required to undergo six months of chemotherapy treatment.

Dickie V announced that he would continue to call games even during his treatment for lymphoma ... saying "That's my best medicine of all," and on Tuesday, he kept true to his promise.

Vitale was on hand last night to call the highly-touted matchup between #1 Gonzaga and #2 UCLA ... and naturally, it was a special moment.

In the video, you can see an emotional Dickie V fighting back tears as he was overwhelmed with emotion ... detailing how he felt during his first college game since his most recent diagnosis.

"It's great being here, Dave. I didn't want to cry," Vitale said. "I can't believe I'm sitting here. It's really a big thrill for me."

82-year-old Dickie V also said he never thought he'd be at courtside again following the diagnosis, but the support from ESPN, his family and the fans made his return possible.

"I want to thank all you people who sent me so many great messages. I want to thank, certainly, my family. All the fans."