TMZ Sports - Page 3

Fernando Mendoza will be the first pick in the NFL Draft, but the Heisman Trophy winner isn't the consensus among everyone ... according to Lions star Terrion Arnold, who says Ty Simpson is actually Him!

"You know, I'm biased, but I think [Ty's] the best," the 23-year-old cornerback told TMZ Sports ahead of Thursday's draft.

FYI, Arnold and Simpson played two seasons together at Alabama, 2022 and 2023. During their last year together, Terrion was a star -- an All-American -- while Ty was still only a backup QB.

"[He's] somebody that's really seen the game from all angles. Like, when it got hard, Ty didn't run. He was in the smoke. He put his head down. He worked. He waited for his opportunity. And when his time came, he was prepared for it. So he's somebody that you know is going to be prepared for the moment."

There's uncertainty over where T.S. will be drafted, with different mocks having him going anywhere from the 13th pick (to Terrion's team, the Lions) ... or sliding all the way to the early 2nd round.

Arnold, the 24th overall pick in 2024, had some words of wisdom for everyone who will be drafted over the next few days.

"My advice is just run your own race," Terrion says ... pointing out some players have immediate success, while others don't. Ultimately, no one else matters.

"Go out there and try to be a better version of yourself and just be in a competition with yourself. I feel like, man, the possibilities are endless."

Arnold has been busy training and prepping for the season, while also doing a ton in his community.

2:15: PM PT -- Dave Merritt entered a not guilty plea in court on Thursday ... and he has since bonded out.

He's due back in court in June.

Former NFL player and current Kansas City Chiefs defensive backs coach Dave Merritt was arrested for domestic battery on Wednesday ... after reportedly causing bodily harm to "a daughter."

The 54-year-old was arrested around 9 PM in Overland Park ... and was booked into jail without bond, according to the Kansas City Star.

A complaint was filed with the Johnson County District Attorney's Office on Thursday ... claiming Merritt "unlawfully, knowingly, or recklessly" caused bodily harm to a daughter -- a domestic violence offense, the outlet reported.

Ali Leiniö, a Finnish vlogger who posted videos of himself hiking, appears to have died doing what he loved ... because he was found dead in the wilderness.

Ali's body was found in Lapland, Finland earlier this month ... after suffering a fatal seizure while hiking the Käsivarre Wilderness area ... according to Helsingin Sanomat, a Nordic newspaper.

His remains were recovered April 10 ... a little over a week after he uploaded his final YouTube video to his nearly 88,000 subscribers.

Mike Vrabel's decision to skip out on Day 3 of the NFL draft for counseling isn't sitting well with one of the most popular Patriots fans alive -- Dave Portnoy says he's all for the coach getting help ... but it's the timing that has him irked.

The New England coach revealed Wednesday night he was seeking help to be "the best version of me" for his family and the team ... and he was getting the ball rolling this weekend after Page Six published more snaps from his time with Dianna Russini in Arizona last month.

The decision means the Pats will pick their new players in rounds 4-7 without their coach ... and the Barstool Sports honcho isn't too pleased about it.

Devin Booker went IN on NBA ref James Williams over a baffling technical foul call after the Suns' loss to the Thunder on Wednesday ... saying officiating has gotten so bad, fans are gonna start thinking they're watching WWE.

The Phoenix star was in quite the grumpy mood as he met with the media ... and it wasn't just going down 0-2 to OKC that had him pissed.

With a few minutes left in the third quarter, Booker dove toward the courtside seats to save a loose ball from going out of bounds.

New England Patriots coach Mike Vrabel is seeking counseling amid his tawdry scandal involving former Athletic journalist Dianna Russini.

In a statement Wednesday, Vrabel said he would be headed to counseling this weekend while also spending time with his family outside of Massachusetts. As a result, Vrabel will miss Saturday's third day of the NFL draft.

In addition, Vrabel repeated his vow, promising to give his wife, Jen, their two sons, and the Patriots organization, "the best version of me that I can possibly give them."

Everyone knows Fernando Mendoza is going to be the first pick in the NFL Draft, but who's the best defensive player out of the bunch ... Arvell Reese says it's him!

"I think I'm the guy because I think I play with a relentless effort, and I play with a violent mindset," the 20-year-old former Ohio State star told TMZ Sports.

"I'm putting violence and relentless effort first."

Draft experts have the All-American slotted anywhere between the second and fifth pick ... with many believing he'll go to the New York Jets, who pick second, or the Arizona Cardinals, if Gang Green passes on Arvell.

"The Real Housewives of Atlanta" alum Kim Zolciak’s estranged husband, Kroy Biermann, is accusing her of neglecting their children, as part of his renewed plea for primary custody, TMZ has learned. Kim’s legal team adamantly denied the claims. 

According to court docs obtained by TMZ, Kroy is asking the judge presiding over their never-ending divorce to grant him permanent physical and legal custody of their 4 minor children. 

The current custody agreement allows 2 kids to be with Kim and 2 to be with Kroy – and then they swap and spend time with the other 2. “The children were rarely together as a group under this parenting plan,” Kroy said. 

He claimed Kim “acts in ways that are harmful to the children and contrary to their best interests.” 

It’s no longer a question of “Who’s the baby daddy?” … because Paul Pierce is admitting he fathered Princess Santiago’s child.

According to court docs obtained by TMZ, the NBA legend told the court he was the biological dad to 2-month-old King Rafael Santiago Pierce. He asked for joint legal and physical custody.

As we’ve previously reported, she’s asking for sole legal and physical custody -- plus a hefty $29,811 per month in child support, $100K in legal fees, and nearly $19K in pregnancy-related expenses. Santiago filed a paternity suit in California back in January.

She’s also made sure to highlight Pierce’s massive NBA earnings -- claiming he pulled in close to $200 million during his career -- as justification for the sizable monthly ask.

WrestleMania has become a pressing matter on Capitol Hill ... 'cause one senator asked WWE exec Nick Khan when the Grandest Stage of Them All would make its way to Ohio -- right in the middle of a hearing on Wednesday.

The silly moment went down as a Senate Subcommittee met with the WWE president and other big names in the combat sports business -- including Oscar De La Hoya and Nico Ali-Walsh -- to discuss proposed changes to the Muhammad Ali Boxing Reform Act.

While they, of course, discussed the topic at hand ... Sen. Bernie Moreno from Ohio had to take advantage of his opportunity to pitch WM to his turf in the future.

Jerry Jones was holding court at a pre-draft press conference on Wednesday when things took a wobbly turn ... the president almost fell in front of the president!

The 83-year-old owner of America's Team stopped speaking mid-answer as his face suddenly lit up, pointing to the door, and saying, "The President is here to say 'hello.'"

Cue Bill Clinton, who suddenly appeared in the briefing room at the Cowboys facility in Frisco, TX.

Angels legend Garret Anderson's cause of death has been revealed ... with officials stating the World Series champion passed away due to complications with his pancreas.

The 53-year-old's tragic death was due to "acute necrotizing pancreatitis." Gallstone disease and alcohol use are the two leading factors for the complication, according to the Cleveland Clinic.

As TMZ Sports previously reported, Anderson suffered a medical emergency at his home in Newport Beach, CA on Thursday ... and dispatch audio detailed an unconscious male amid the request for service.

Hulk Hogan was taking life-threatening amounts of fentanyl to manage his physical pain during his time with the TNA following his divorce from his wife, Linda Hogan.

The wrestling pioneer detailed his reliance on the drug in the new Netflix docuseries "Hulk Hogan: Real American," which served as his final interview before his sudden death in July 2025 from a heart attack.

Hulk said he signed up for the TNA (Total Nonstop Wrestling, the second-largest wrestling group behind WWE) after he gave "everything" to Linda during their 2009 divorce... and needed the cash. But, it wasn't long before he and TNA realized he was in no shape to compete at the level he'd been contracted to, so he turned to the opioid to help his severe pain.

Andy Cohen had some surprisingly nice things to say about Spencer Pratt’s mayoral campaign -- but the second Joe Rogan got brought up, the conversation went completely off the rails.

During Tuesday's episode of "Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen," Kristin Cavallari told Andy she initially thought Spencer’s run for Los Angeles mayor was a joke ... but now she says she truly thinks he could actually pull it off.

She pointed to growing support around him and casually mentioned that Rogan had already endorsed him last week on his podcast ... saying he’d vote for him if he lived in L.A.

Watch the clip ... that’s when Andy pounced.

It was cloudy with a 100% chance of glass at the Avalanche vs. Kings playoff game on Tuesday ... when some rowdy fans got so excited over a penalty shot save, they broke a glass panel behind the bench!!!

The chaos went down early in the second period ... right after Colorado goalie stopped L.A. right winger Quinton Byfield's penalty shot in its tracks.

The folks sitting feet away from the Kings celebrated by pounding on the glass barrier ... and seconds later, it completely shattered and crumbled to the ground.