TMZ Sports - Page 50

Peyton Manning got to experience the "classic Philly welcome" as Santa Claus ... 'cause after he put on the red suit, he was hilariously pelted with snowballs from Ricky Watters -- and Matt Millen!

The Hall of Fame QB became the sitting duck for the holiday episode of "Peyton's Places" show on ESPN, where he's riding a firetruck inside the Lincoln Financial Field ahead of the Eagles' Christmas game.

Watters -- who played running back for Philly for two seasons -- and Millen, a former linebacker and executive in the NFL, are in the stands booing Manning ... and start hitting him with snowballs.

"Boo!! You're a lousy Santa Claus!" Millen yelled while throwing bombers at Peyton.

Of course, this is a remake of the 1968 Vikings vs. Eagles game on Christmas ... where the Philly fans started throwing snowballs at Santa Claus during the halftime show due to their team's poor performance and season.

The guy who dressed up as Santa, then 20-year-old Frank Olivo, says he was hit with more than 100 snowballs during his appearance.

Mind you, Olivo was picked out from the stands to play the role by the Eagles entertainer director, since a snowstorm the previous night kept the original Santa actor from getting to the game.

Move over Santa Claus, it's all about Santa Carr -- 'cause New Orleans Saints quarterback Derek Carr showed his receivers some major love for the holidays ... by gifting them Rolex watches and diamond chains!!

TMZ Sports has learned ... the four-time Pro Bowler wanted to do something super special for his wideouts this season as a sign of appreciation, so he hit up Al the Jeweler of Labelle Jewelry in Totowa, NJ to make some custom pieces.

We're told Chris Olave and Rashid Shaheed received the iced-out time pieces ... and others in the crew received chains.

Carr didn't forget about his guy Michael Thomas ... we're told he'll have a present, too -- as soon as the two get in touch.

Carr is a loyal customer of Al's -- as we previously reported, the quarterback also went to him to make custom number pendants for Maxx Crosby and Davante Adams before he left the Raiders earlier this year.

Tom Brady and Gisele Bündchen's family dog died, and they're both post remembrances of the pooch -- who their kids seemed to absolutely adore.

The exes posted respective tributes to their pit bull mix, Lua, on Saturday ... announcing their longtime pet had passed on. Tom threw up a photo of his two children with Gisele -- Benjamin and Vivian -- hovering over their doggy, which had its eyes closed.

He wrote, "We love you Lua RIP." He posted another photo of Lulu, and added ... "Forever in our hearts." In yet another IG Story slide, he uploaded a boomerang of his daughter playing with Lulu.

Gisele, likewise, threw up a bunch of shots of the canine in a sprawling IG post ... and she had a sweet shout-out to Lulu that touched on just how much she meant to the family.

She wrote, "Our little Lulu, our guardian angel is gone to heaven. She will forever live in our hearts. We already miss her sooooo much! #unconditionallove RIPLua." Her caption was also translated to Portuguese ... and she included a ton of awesome photos of their doggo.

Unclear when exactly they got Lua, but we know they adopted the pit bull at some point in their marriage ... and that their kids grew up with it too. They have another dog too, Fluffy.

All dogs go to heaven.

Mookie Betts is on the move, but he ain't leaving the Dodgers ... TMZ Sports has learned he's now got a giant new house to live in!!

Real estate sources tell us ... the MLB superstar just copped a $15 million pad this month in Encino -- just a few miles away from Dodger Stadium.

We're told the place is sweet ... featuring super sleek and modern lines.

Unclear of how many beds, baths and bells and whistles it all officially comes with -- though it sits on 2 acres ... so there's plenty of room for Mookie to work on his base-running skills if he wants.

Of course, Mookie's been living in L.A. for a while now -- he was traded to the City of Angels prior to the 2020 season -- though after having his second child earlier this year ... seems he was in need of an upgrade.

We're told Craig Knizek and Scott Gorelick of The Agency repped the seller ... while Morgan Trent of AKG | Christie's International Real Estate repped the baseball player in the sale.

Carolina Panthers fans need to take a deep breath and relax ... because despite the rough rookie season for Bryce Young, Warren Moon tells TMZ Sports he's not ready to call the QB a bust just yet.

In fact, the Hall of Famer said earlier this week he still believes the former Heisman Trophy winner is "going to be a really good quarterback in this league."

"I'm still optimistic," the ex-signal-caller said.

Moon, though, did say Young's future will almost certainly hinge on whether or not Carolina's front office can improve the talent around him.

"They do not have a really good offense," Moon said. "He doesn't have a lot of weapons to work with on the outside, his offensive line is very average, and he's a smaller guy so he needs a little bit more protection."

Through his first 13 games, Young has thrown nine interceptions to just nine touchdowns. His quarterback rating, meanwhile, is a mere 72.2.

Still, Moon tells us "as long as he hasn't lost his confidence, I think he'll be fine going into next year" if the Panthers' roster improves.

Both Kid Capri and Sway Calloway agree Ice Cube is a national treasure to the sports world, and his Big3 success poses no threat to the NBA's!!!

TMZ Hip Hop linked up with Kid Capri and his artists The Hoodies on a mild winter NYC day, and the legendary DJ flat out tells us the NBA should be ashamed of itself for allegedly screwing with Cube's operations.

TMZ Sports broke the story a couple months ago ... the U.S. Department of Justice launched an investigation over allegations the NBA was blocking players, owners, even referees from participating in Cube's league over concerns Big3's popularity interfered with the NBA.

While we were getting KC's opinion on the subject, Sway hilariously crashed the party and doubled down on the community's support for Cube.

The Big3 teams play in cities like Chicago, Dallas, and Brooklyn ... which Sway points out brings more jobs to those markets -- and no one's complaining besides NBA bigwigs, allegedly.

Otto Wallin intends to be the 6'5", 230 lb. wrench that screws up Anthony Joshua's (very lucrative) plan to fight Deontay Wilder in March ... flat-out saying the scrap ain't happening!

Walling and Joshua are fighting Saturday in Saudi Arabia ... a stacked card that also includes Wilder vs. Joseph Parker. So, what's Otto's beef?

Well, Anthony and Deontay seem to be assuming they'll not only win this weekend, but also skate through relatively unscathed ... 'cause the heavyweight boxing superstars have agreed to fight each other in March.

TMZ Sports talked to 33-year-old Wallin, who has only 1 career loss, which came against Tyson Fury ... a very competitive fight that was nearly stopped after the Gypsy King suffered a gruesome cut above his eye.

We asked Otto about AJ's decision to sign the Wilder contract.

"I just think it's crazy that they think that fight is gonna happen on March 9th. What is it, 2 and a half months? There is no way that fight's gonna happen, I'll tell you that now. There's no way that fight's gonna happen. Maybe in the future."

Wallin continued ... "I'm gonna beat Joshua. Wilder-Parker, that's not an easy fight. he could get beat, too. Even if both guys could win, they have to come out with no injuries. The time's just too short, it's not gonna happen."

We also talked to Otto about the fight with AJ.

We also talked to Anthony ... who as you might've guessed, sees things a bit differently than Otto. Among the topics we discussed ... were the Wallin fight, the news of the Wilder bout leaking, and the recent success of the UK UFC fighters.

Like AJ, Wilder has his hands full, too, with 6'4" Parker, who is 33-3 (23 KOs) as a pro. Deontay, 43-2-1 (42 KOs), last fought in October 2022 when he dispatched of Robert Helenius inside 1 round.

Wilder and Joshua is a fight that fans have wanted for years ... and Wallin, a normally friendly guy, is in this case looking to spoil the party!

No Shave November has come and gone, but don't fret because 'Decembeard' is here and we're taking a look at some of your top celebs ... and with that comes one hairy question: Are these famous faces better off with a buzz or a little fuzz?

On the field Travis Kelce may look tough and buff, but do you prefer him smooth shavin' or sportin' some scruff?

Up next is John Legend whose facial hair has definitely grown on his fans, but does "All Of Me You" prefer him buzzed or fuzzed?

And, of course we gotta ask about this handsome fella ... Ricky Martin who either comes with a full beard OR he's "Shavin La Vida Loca!" He's always got the moves but which facial hair trend are you gettin' down with?

Patrick Mahomes says Travis Kelce's boo, Taylor Swift, is seeing a lot of love from the Kansas City Chiefs... 'cause according to him, she's basically a teammate!

The Chiefs' QB had glowing things to say about the singer during a chat on "CBS Mornings," admitting the guys kinda kept their distance from the romance when it first started ... but they all quickly opened up to her.

Patrick says a few jokes about Travis' new relationship just came with the territory -- but adds the entire gang has since welcomed her with open arms, claiming she's an honorary member to them.

PM gave TS a rave review, too ... saying she's "top tier" and is even part of Chiefs Kingdom.

He also says he's loving how well Taylor's been getting along with his wife, Brittany Mahomes -- they've been like white on rice from the get go.

Larry Merchant, one of the most iconic boxing broadcasters of all time, was rushed to a hospital Thursday night and is in the critical care unit of a L.A. area hospital ... sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ.

We're told an ambulance came to Larry's building at around 6 PM Thursday and rushed him to a nearby hospital. We're told he's in a critical care unit.

We do not know what triggered the emergency or his prognosis.

Larry has been a longtime HBO boxing commentator, working with Jim Lampley, George Foreman, Roy Jones Jr., Harold Lederman and many others. He's been called "The greatest television boxing analyst of all time."

The 92-year-old also has acting chops, appearing in "I Spy," "The Fighter,' and "Rocky Balboa."

Larry retired from HBO in 2012, but he cast a long shadow and is still remembered for his broadcasting skills.

We're seeing more of why Taylor Swift is attracted to Travis Kelce ... courtesy of a couple pics he snapped a few years back.

Travis, now 34, shot a video back in 2017 while he enjoyed a day at the spa. We knew the dude was fit, but it's better than we thought!

It's some sort of bubble massage, which Travis clearly enjoyed. He stands up and voices his approval over the treatment, and in the process gives people a look at what's under the jersey.

You see him flex a bit and then disentangles his hair as he peers into the camera.

Now to the present ... Taylor was at a recording studio Thursday night in NYC, but she's heading to Kansas City to spend time with her BF and hit up the Chiefs game on Christmas Day.

The relationship, we're told, is already super serious and there are rumblings of a ring in the not-too-distant future. We will see, but it feels like that's the trajectory.

Bradley Cooper beelined it out of a big news conference for "Maestro" Thursday after someone called him to say something had happened to his daughter.

Cooper was speaking to the NYC crowd when he received the call from 6-year-old Lea's school nurse, after which he told the crowd, "So sorry. The school nurse just called me."

He then left the room to call the school back and then returned, telling the crowd he had to get to the school STAT to administer some sort of medicine that was out of bounds for the school ... this according to the Daily Mail. He said, "I have to apply something that they won't allow."

It's unclear what was wrong with Bradley's daughter and what medicine was used to treat the issue.

Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce might not be anywhere near the baby-making stage of their relationship, but that doesn't mean others aren't ... and it sounds like folks like their names.

A rep for BabyNames.com -- one of the premiere destinations for digital baby name sifting online -- tells TMZ ... it's them, they're the problem (or the reason, rather) for why they believe searches for the monikers of "Taylor" and "Travis" have skyrocketed on their site.

We're told those two names have jumped about 25% between November and December compared to what their users might normally search -- and BN.com says they attribute this to the Tayvis phenomenon that's consumed pop culture throughout the entirety of fall.

Obviously, Taylor was a major star before hooking up with Travis ... but we're told the relationship has, arguably, made her even more popular -- and the proof's in the data.

BTW, if you're wondering what these names mean and where they come from -- we know that too. Taylor is an English gender-neutral name that literally means ... "One who tailors clothes." As for Travis, another English name that means "From the crossing or Tollgate."

We've seen this sort of craze with baby names before -- namely, when the "Barbie" movie came out and people were totally obsessed with it ... flocking to BabyNames.com to look up those names as well at the time. Now, Taylor appears to be dominating their online engines.

Philip Rivers is 42 years old and hasn't taken a hit in an NFL game since the 2020 season ... but according to Shawne Merriman, the dude STILL has aspirations of getting under center again.

The former Chargers superstar made the revelation in a chat with TMZ Sports earlier this month ... saying he knows for a fact that his good pal and former Bolts teammate wants another shot in the NFL.

"That's why he hasn't retired," Merriman said of the quarterback.

In fact, Shawne tells us he thinks Rivers could potentially play not just one more season ... but maybe even two.

"I can tell you," Merriman said, "Phil still wants to play."

Rivers last suited up for the Colts in 2020-21, piling up 4,169 passing yards and 24 touchdowns. He led Indy to an 11-5 record, though he ultimately failed to get a win in the playoffs -- losing to Buffalo in the Wild Card round.

Prior to his stint in Indianapolis, Rivers put together a Hall-of-Fame-worthy résumé with the Chargers ... and after he took a high school coaching gig in 2021, many believed he was satisfied with how his career had played out.

But, Merriman said that's just not the case.

"I still think Philip can play another year or two if a team gets down here in the playoffs and they need a quarterback to come off the street," Merriman said. "Phil can do it."

Deontay Wilder vs. Anthony Joshua is the biggest fight in boxing, period ... according to The Bronze Bomber, who says the two heavyweight stars are finally ready to deliver the fight fans have wanted for nearly a decade!

TMZ Sports talked to 38-year-old WIlder about the tentatively scheduled March 9 bout set to go down in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia ... assuming Deontay and AJ can successfully navigate their fights this weekend against Joseph Parker and Otto Wallin, respectively.

"I'm looking forward to all this," Wilder told us. "It's a beautiful time for me."

Deontay then put the magnitude of the fight into perspective.

"Me and the Joshua talk has been something, like you said for a decade," adding ... "and that is the biggest fight in the world."

Despite the talk about AJ, Wilder (43-2, 42 KOs) knows he has to first handle Parker (33-3, 23 KOs) ... who's no average Joe. In fact, Joseph told us earlier this week that he plans on putting Deontay to sleep on Saturday.

"The only thing with words, you have to believe what you say," Wilder said in response to Parker's statement. "Now, Joseph can say what he wants but do he believe what he says?!"

"We know that when Deontay says things, he speaks it, he believes it, he receives it."

Deontay said it was a beautiful time for him ... and he's not lying. He has a ton of big things going on, including talk of a major crossover MMA/boxing event with Francis Ngannou ... something Deontay seems interested in.

"This is something I'm very serious about getting into and I wanna do," Wilder said.

Neither Leon Edwards, nor his coach, believes Belal Muhammad deserves the next title shot. Belal has a message for the champ and his people.

"Leon's coach goes on the interviews today and says 'I think Gilbert Burns deserves it.' And I'm looking at these guys like, 'I really think their whole team is dumb blondes.' Like they're not smart," Belal told TMZ Sports.

He continued ... "I'm looking at these guys like ... Gilbert Burns, who I just beat, deserves it more than me? Even Leon Edwards after the fight, I don't think that Belal should skip the line. I'm number 2 in the world you moron, skip what line? There's nobody ahead of me. I'm the guy that's next. What are you talking about?"

If you're looking at the rankings, Belal's right ... he's the number 2 ranked contender, behind only Kamaru Usman. And right now, Usman isn't in play for a title shot. He recently fought Khamzat Chimaev on short notice across the world. He's also lost twice to Leon in the last 18 months.

After Belal, Shavkat Rakhmonov is the third-ranked contender ... after beating Stephen Thompson at UFC 296, where he jumped up two places. Burns is 4th ... but is coming back from an injury he sustained while fighting Muhammad. Colby Covington is fifth.

We asked Belal about Shavkat, and while he was very complimentary, calling him an "amazing fighter," he added, "he should not be skipping me."

Muhammad also addressed the idea that Islam Makhachev, the lightweight champ, could move up to face Leon.

"Islam, you have plenty of fights at 155. Oliveria rematch. Justin Gaethje. And if I'm the UFC, Leon didn't earn a double champ fight or a huge fight cause that fight was so lackluster, what are we gonna reward you with a Sean Strickland fight when you didn't even do nothing? [Performance vs. Colby] was terrible."

Dana White hasn't yet indicated what's next for Leon.

If they do fight ... it'll be a rematch of their March 2021 fight that ended in a no-contest after an accidental eye poke.