TMZ Sports - Page 21

9:30 AM PT -- Nico Harrison is officially gone -- the Mavs announced Michael Finley and Matt Riccardi will serve as co-interim general managers moving forward.

Mavs governor Patrick Dumont released a statement on the matter ... saying, "This decision reflects our continued commitment to building a championship-caliber organization, one that delivers for our players, our partners, and most importantly, our fans."

Nico Harrison's minutes are numbered in Dallas -- the Mavericks are expected to part ways with the general manager who shipped franchise player Luka Doncic to Los Angeles earlier this year on Tuesday.

The report came from Shams Charania just minutes ago ... who stated the team intends to cut the ties with the former Nike exec at 8 AM PST.

The Mavs are 3-8 so far this season ... but the move was pretty much expected way back in February, when Harrison -- who became the GM in 2021 -- made the head-scratching decision to trade the Slovenian superstar for Anthony Davis.

Micah Parsons paid tribute to Marshawn Kneeland ahead of the Packers vs. Eagles game on Monday Night Football, as the star pass rusher continues to mourn his late former teammate.

Parsons -- who played with Kneeland before being traded from Dallas to Green Bay in August -- was on the field at Lambeau before the game, preparing to face the Eagles, as the league held a moment of silence for Marshawn.

As the tribute began, Parsons was spotted near the Packers bench, kneeling in prayer, honoring Kneeland.

The Dallas Cowboys were together for the first time since Marshawn Kneeland's tragic death on Monday ... and the organization held an "extremely impactful, extremely emotional" meeting to allow players to grieve the loss of their teammate.

The details of the gathering were shared by Solomon Thomas, who praised head coach Brian Schottenheimer and his staff for providing resources and giving the team an opportunity to express themselves.

"Extremely proud of coach for how he conducted today, just bringing therapists in the building, bringing people who we needed in the building and just letting us be our true emotions," Thomas said via the team. "Giving us a safe place to let everyone know what's going on inside."

Everyone from Jon Gruden to Lane Kiffin's names have been bandied about in the wake of the Giants' firing Brian Daboll ... but former G-Men running back Rashad Jennings has his eye on another potential head coach with ties to the team -- Steve Spagnuolo!

"Out of all the coaches that have coached, I wouldn't be surprised if they asked Spags to come back to lock down that defense and get an offensive-minded coordinator to take over the offense," Jennings told Babcock, referencing the former Giants defensive coordinator (and briefly interim HC).

"But, you know, sky's the limit for them guys," Rashad added, alluding to the young talent on the Giants roster, including Cam Skattebo ... who is expecting to return to the field next season after suffering a gruesome ankle injury against the Eagles late last month.

Former UFC fighter Godofredo "Pepey" Castro has died by apparent suicide while in prison, officials said Monday. He was 38 years old.

The Broward Sheriff's Office says a detention deputy was conducting routine checks around 8 PM on Saturday when he found Castro unresponsive in his cell. Jail staff performed life-saving measures until rescue arrived ... and he was rushed to a nearby hospital, where he later died.

Dave Portnoy's sharing a new angle of his heated exchange with an antisemite in Mississippi ... and it's the best look yet at what went down in Starkville.

The Barstool Sports founder just shared the "One Bite" pizza review when the incident went down ... and you see him talking about some za when a man approaches and yells, "F*** the Jews."

Dave tells the guy to come on camera and then the photog turns and starts filming the guy.

Hayley McNeff’s death rocked the bodybuilding community over the summer -- and TMZ’s learned her cause of death was a drug overdose.

The Massachusetts Executive Office of Public Safety and Security has revealed Hayley’s death was caused by acute intoxication from a deadly mix of heroin, fentanyl, 4-ANPP, cocaine, and norbuprenorphine.

The manner of her death, which occurred back in August, was officially listed as accidental.

Cleveland Guardians pitcher Luis Ortiz made his first court appearance in his pitch rigging case on Monday ... with the 26-year-old being granted his release with several conditions.

Ortiz appeared before a judge in Boston ... where he walked out of the courthouse after posting a $500,000 bond, $50K being secured. He was ordered to surrender his passport ... and his travel has been restricted to the Northeast.

Cameras were rolling as Luis left in a tracksuit, but he kept his lips sealed as he got into the waiting vehicle.

2:45 PM PT -- A Mississippi State University spokesperson tells TMZ ... Patrick McClintock is no longer a student at the university. A source with direct knowledge tells TMZ ... McClintock withdrew from the university Monday evening.

The young man accused of throwing coins and yelling "F*** the Jews" at Dave Portnoy outside a Mississippi pizza shop has been charged in the high-profile case ... TMZ has learned.

Brandon Lovelady -- Public Information Officer for the Starkville Police Department -- tells TMZ ... officers arrested 20-year-old Patrick McClintock on Monday and charged him with disturbing the peace.

On Friday, cops became aware of the viral video showing the altercation and they issued an arrest warrant for McClintock, according to Lovelady.

Detroit Lions long snapper Hogan Hatten is denying he had a role in a spectator's decision to storm the field during Sunday's game against the Commanders ... saying he didn't utter a single word to the guy all night.

Video of the fan's stunt made rounds on social media ... and some folks claimed an interaction with Hatten caused the whole thing.

Hatten went to social media on Monday to explain that couldn't be further from the truth ... calling the claims "inaccurate."

TMZ Sports is going live from the newsroom to discuss the day's biggest stories ... but we don't just want folks to watch and enjoy the conversation, we want y'all to get involved!!

Hit the comment section as Babcock, Lucas, Mojo and the whole crew break down the most important topics of the day ... and we'll be interacting with viewers throughout the program between 1 and 2 PM PT.

So tune in, make fun of us, share your two cents, sound off about your favorite team ... nothing is out of bounds.

Antonio Brown's fighting back against claims he tried to shoot and kill someone at a celebrity boxing match earlier this year, pleading not guilty to 2nd degree attempted murder ... an incident his attorney is adamant was nothing more than self-defense!

AB hired Mark Eiglarsh ahead of his trial ... and the lawyer sent TMZ Sports a statement addressing the altercation at Adin Ross' event, explaining he took the case because he "passionately believes in Brown's defense."

"The actions he was forced to take were solely in self-defense against the alleged victim's violent behavior," Eiglarsh said. "Brown was attacked that night and acted within his legal right to protect himself from an individual who had previously committed criminal acts against him. It's a privilege to represent him, and I am determined to ensure that justice is served."

A picture of Mike McDaniel doing a victory lap in Bills Mafia's faces after Sunday's game is making rounds on social media ... and while there's a debate over whether it's legit or A.I. -- the Miami Dolphins head coach is remaining tight-lipped on the matter.

The 42-year-old met with the media on Monday to discuss the Fins' massive upset over Buffalo ... and the first question from reporters was whether he really drove by the Elbo Room -- a famous spot for Bills backers -- to gloat after the contest.

"That's why I like the good old days, you know?" McDaniel said. "The throwbacks of yore, where you could trust the internet and the images because it is pretty detailed -- I do live in the area ... but I mean, A.I., right?"

Denver Broncos linebacker Alex Singleton underwent testicular cancer surgery last week ... revealing a routine NFL drug test led to his diagnosis.

The 31-year-old posted a lengthy statement Monday morning ... starting it off by declaring, "This morning, I stood before our team as a lucky man."

Singleton -- who had nine combined tackles against the Las Vegas Raiders on "Thursday Night Football" said he had a successful procedure a day later ... and the belief is the cancer was caught early.

The hits kept coming during Rod Stewart's illustrious career ... but his son Sean encountered a hit machine he probably wishes he never met in his debut as a professional boxer over the weekend.

Sean, 45, got knocked out in 15 seconds by 27-year-old streamer BDave in Nashville, Tennessee, on Saturday. The KO was reportedly a record for the Misfits Boxing banner, which promoted the fight.

Check out the video ... Rod's eldest son started out aggressive, controlling the center of the ring by pressing and leading with quick jabs. But BDave stayed calm, unshaken by the flurry of punches thrown, waiting for his opening.

The New York Giants have fired head coach Brian Daboll ... less than a day after the team's latest devastating 4th quarter collapse.

According to multiple reports, the G-Men axed the 4th year coach ... whose tenure in the Big Apple ends with a 20-40-1 record.

The firing comes after the Giants blew another two-possession game in Chicago ... losing 24-20, despite being up by 10 points in the 4th.

Daboll got off to a strong start, after being hired in January 2022, leading the NYG to a 9-7-1 record in his first season at the helm, before taking the team into Minnesota for a road playoff game, which they won against the Vikings.

It was all downhill from there. The team went 6-11 in 2023, and 3-14 in 2024. After Sunday's loss, the team fell to 2-8 this season.

The ugly record doesn't begin to explain how bad things have been in NYC. The Giants infamously lost to the Broncos in week 7 after leading by 18 points with just 5 minutes left in the game. They also blew a late lead to the Cowboys in week 2.

Going forward, Offensive Coordinator Mike Kafka will serve as Interim Head Coach.

For the time being, General Manager Joe Schoen, who hired Daboll, remains in power.