TMZ Sports - Page 3

New England Patriots star, Trent Brown is going from protecting Mac Jones on the field, to doing the same off of it -- telling TMZ Sports the quarterback's haters need to go kick rocks.

The Pats' left tackle didn't mince words while out at LAX on Monday -- saying he's a HUGE fan of Mac ... and doesn't get the criticism that surrounded the QB for most of this year.

Brown said he straight up "loves" the guy -- and anything Mac's critics say goes in one ear and out the other for him.

"They don't really matter," Brown said of the Jones haters. "Really, nobody outside of that building matters."

"It's all about who's in that locker room and who comes to work for us every day. That's it."

Jones faced a ton of heat this year -- he threw 11 interceptions in 14 games and had just 14 passing TDs -- leading many to call for backup Bailey Zappe to start over him.

Clearly, though, Brown's got Mac's back ... and loves him at QB1.

As for how things will go next year and the following years after this season's 8-9 disappointment ... Brown promised things would turn around soon.

"I don't believe we'll be down too long," he said.

Karl-Anthony Towns isn't gonna like this -- NBA star Anthony Edwards just opened up about his Chester's Hot Fries obsession ... admitting he eats at least 21 bags a week!!

The Minnesota Timberwolves guard listed the 10 things he can't live without during a GQ Sports interview on Monday -- and naturally, his beloved snack food made the cut.

"The best chips that were ever made," the 21-year-old said. "I've been eating 'em since I was probably like five years old."

"I probably eat like 3 a day. You do the math ... what's that 21 bags? Yeah, I eat that many!"

In fact, AE says he probably eats more than that depending on how much time he has during the day.

Of course, this might not sit well with KAT -- Remember, the Wolves center called out Edwards for being sluggish on the court ... and blamed AE's love for Popeyes chicken for his performance.

"I know y’all think it’s funny up here when he talks about Popeyes and all that s***," Towns told reporters last October. "That doesn't make me happy to hear."

Well, his recent performance on the court says otherwise. In Minnesota's last three wins, Edwards averaged 32 points, 7 rebounds, and 6 assists per game -- plus, he's shooting at 55% from the field.

Tommy Fury and Molly-Mae Hague are officially parents ... the pro boxer and English reality star/social media influencer had their first child together -- an adorable baby girl!!

The lovebirds posted a pic of the newest addition to their family on Instagram, born on Monday, January 23.

In the pic, Tommy, younger brother of Tyson Fury, is holding their daughter with Molly by his side. And, the expressions on their faces say it all.

Tommy and Molly have been dating since 2019 ... after meeting on the reality show "Love Island."

TF and Hague announced in September they were expecting ... and after months of excitement and anticipation, their bundle of joy finally arrived.

"A dream come true," Tommy captioned a pic of him touching Molly-Mae's pregnant belly when they announced they were expecting.

It's been an eventful past few days for Tommy ... on Friday, he and Jake Paul finalized their boxing match for February 26 in Saudi Arabia after their two previous fights were canceled.

But, Jake may have spoiled Tommy's surprise before he shared it ... saying, "Tommy has no excuses now. Baby’s born. Money’s massive. Immigration is not an issue.'"

Niners fans looking for a pick-me-up after Sunday's brutal loss are in luck ... S.F. supporters can now nab a Colin Kaepernick jersey that the QB wore during a playoff game!!!

The threads -- which Kaepernick rocked in the NFC Divisional Round game back in the 2012 season -- just hit the block at Heritage Auctions ... and officials there tell TMZ Sports it could fetch $40,000.

Kaepernick balled out in the gear -- throwing for 263 yards and rushing for 181 more ... all while handily beating Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers, 45-31.

The scarlet and white jersey features grass stains that the signal-caller picked up while playing in the January 12, 2013 game ... and it also has his signature inscribed on the No. 7.

Kaepernick also wrote his stats on the jersey -- noting the four TDs he scored during the game.

The rare piece just hit the auction block on Monday ... and bidding is set to close on Feb. 25.

Bengals DE Joseph Ossai stood at his locker with tears in his eyes as he answered questions about the back-breaking roughing-the-passer penalty he committed, but he didn't do it alone ... his teammate B.J. Hill stood shoulder-to-shoulder with his fellow d-lineman, providing much-needed support for his friend.

Of course, 22-year-old Ossai, who played a heckuva game prior to the penalty, drew the most costly of penalties when he hit Patrick Mahomes out of bounds with only 8 seconds remaining in the game, and the score tied at 20.

Mahomes ran out of bounds at the 40-yard line -- and assuming the Chiefs didn't gain any more yards (they likely would've had time to run 1 more play before kicking the FG) -- would've set up around a 57-yard field goal. An incredibly difficult kick, especially considering the freezing cold temperatures and the pressure of the moment.

However, thanks to the 15-yard penalty on Ossai, the kick was 40 yards ... obviously much easier for Harrison Butker.

Ossai was clearly crushed, crying on the bench as the Chiefs celebrated their 3rd trip to the Super Bowl in 4 seasons.

After the game, Ossai didn't hide ... he stood at his locker and answered questions like a true professional, as 27-year-old Hill, also a defensive lineman, stood by as Joseph talked about the crucial play.

“These guys mean a lot to me and to know that they have my back is extremely… it’s giving me peace right now,” Joseph told the assembled media.

Despite Ossai clearly feeling responsible for the loss, his teammates and coaches, almost to a man (more on that shorlty), have said the 2nd year player is NOT the reason Cinci lost. In fact, during postgame media, head coach Zac Taylor attempted to change that narrative, saying one play does not dictate the result of a 60-minute football game.

Linebacker Germaine Pratt initially erupted in anger after the costly mistake, screaming “What the f***! Why the f*** did you touch the quarterback?” as he walked into the visitor's locker room. But, after he had some time to cool off, Pratt changed his tune while speaking with reporters.

Some rappers make NBA highlights just by sitting courtside -- but a few artists actually got on the court this weekend to make some Top 10-worthy jumpers!!!

Both Travis Scott and The Game got the royalty treatment during the Utah Jazz win over the Dallas Mavericks Saturday inside Vivint Arena ... and were able to shoot around before the game, targeting nothing but the bottom of the net.

Not to be outdone, YG sank a half-court shot Sunday inside Moda Center, decked out in baggy gear from his 4Hunnid line.

The "Alone" rapper was in Portland for his Red Cup Tour stop and got to see his Lakers beat the Trail Blazers before hitting the stage.

Game hit a couple of consecutive long bombs and went the extra mile and campaigned for an NBA 10-day contract. He also called out Gillie Da Kid to pull up to his home court in L.A. and earn an ass-whooping!!!

Gillie's one of the better shooters in hip hop ... even showing out NBA organizations in the past, so this could get interesting.

Master P is still the only traditional rapper who played in the NBA, having suited up for both the Charlotte Hornets and Toronto Raptors in the late '90s.

Sad news for Cleveland fans -- famous Guardians bleacher drummer John Adams passed away on Monday, the team announced. He was 71 years old.

Adams was a staple at Cleveland baseball games for nearly five decades ... attending his first game with drum in hand back in 1973.

Adams gained notoriety for his heartbeat-esque drumming during Guardians home matchups ... and was inducted into the team's Hall of Fame in 2022, with a bronze instrument and bleacher erected in Heritage Park in his honor.

"For nearly five decades the beat of John’s drum was the heartbeat of baseball here in Cleveland," Guardians Senior VP of Public Affairs Bob DiBiasio said on Monday. "We are all saddened by John’s passing."

"His dedication, commitment and passion for our franchise, at both Cleveland Stadium and Progressive Field, was unmatched. John will forever remain a member of our team."

The team says Adams attended more than 3,500 games over the course of his fandom ... including three All-Star Games, 11 playoff series and three World Series.

He missed games in recent years due to ongoing health issues.

Unfortunately, Adams never witnessed a Cleveland baseball championship ... but he loved his team nonetheless.

"I do it for the players," Adams previously said. "I love the organization. It’s my way of drumming up enthusiasm for the team."

Bobby Hull -- one of the greatest hockey players of all time -- passed away early Monday morning, the NHL Alumni Association announced. He was 84 years old.

Known as the "Golden Jet," Hull is the all-time leading scorer in Chicago Blackhawks history with 604 goals ... and led the league in scoring seven different seasons. He was named the NHL's most valuable player twice -- in the 1964-65 and 1965-66 seasons.

He was also a 12-time All-Star.

Hull played for the Blackhawks for 15 seasons ... leading Chicago to a Stanley Cup win in 1961.

Hull also played for the Winnipeg Jets and Hartford Whalers before retiring after the 1979-80 season.

The NHL Alumni Association released a tweet on Hull's passing ... saying, "Hull was a driven player who always gave fans a memorable experience at every game and brought them to their feet."

"'The Golden Jet' was never in a rush to sign every autograph as an ambassador for the Blackhawks, one of his favourite accomplishments."

Bobby is the father of Brett Hull -- who also went on to have a stellar pro hockey career in his own right -- and Bobby Jr, Michelle, Bart and Blake.

"We send our deepest condolences to Bobby’s family, friends, former teammates, and Blackhawks organization during this very difficult time," the NHL AA added.

Professional skier Kyle Smaine -- who won gold at the 2015 Freestyle Ski and Snowboarding World Championships -- has died in a terrible ski accident, his family announced.

He was 31.

Smaine was in Japan skiing ... a place he enjoyed frequenting this time of year due to the "unbelievable snow quality," something he talked about on social media before the accident.

Smaine was on the trip with photographer Grant Gunderson, who recounted the frightening events in an emotional Instagram post, calling it his "absolute worst nightmare scenario."

Grant says he was tired so he decided to go down the mountain and rest. But, Kyle wanted to keep skiing. Gunderson says things took a turn for the worst when another skier triggered a large avalanche that threw Smaine 50 meters, and buried him, killing the 31-year-old.

Gunderson says rescue officials -- "two mountain guides and 4 or 5 emergency doctors" -- did everything they could to save Smaine, and another man who is yet to be identified, but tragically there was nothing they could do to save the men.

A spokesperson for the U.S. Embassy in Tokyo said they're "aware of the incident in Nagano Prefecture" and are working with local authorities.

Gunderson, crushed over the loss of his friend, said Smaine's death is something he will be "rehashing" for the rest of his life.

Miami's Club LIV was the location for a Young Money-sanctioned movie last night ... with Lil Wayne, Drake and 2 Chainz all gracing the stage to celebrate the birthday of DJ Stevie J!!!

Drake was seemingly in a great mood last night after winning big betting on the Super Bowl-bound Philadelphia Eagles ... and you can see his enthusiasm as he surprised the crowd by rapping along to performances of Wayne's "Steady Mobbin'" and 2 Chainz' "Watch Out."

The event was thrown by Michael Gardner and Louis Oliver and hosted by Wayne ... who was in his element ripping through a flawless rendition of his classic tongue-twisting track, "A Milli."

Drake eventually grabbed the mic, joining Wayne on their platinum collaboration "The Motto" and for his own "Her Loss" opening track, "Rich Flex" ... giving the crowd an impromptu concert on Sunday for David Grutman's club at Fontainebleau.

Things are clearly getting quite serious between Larsa Pippen and Marcus Jordan -- the two now have a secret handshake ... one that they seal with a big smooch!!

Michael Jordan's offspring shared a vid of the couple's new intimate finger-locking greeting on his social media page Sunday night -- showing further that he and Scottie Pippen's ex are, in fact, an item.

In the clip, you can see Marcus and Larsa slapping hands repeatedly -- before Marcus, as part of the shake, put his arm over her head and pulled her in to give her a kiss.

It's a cute and romantic moment for the two -- but it also shows things have certainly progressed to perhaps official relationship status for the couple.

You'll recall, despite getting very close over the past few months, the duo has insisted they're nothing more than just good friends. But they've now each posted each other on their social media pages in the last few days -- with Larsa sharing a snap last week of the two holding hands in front of a Jordan floral arrangement.

For what it's worth, Marcus captioned his handshake video with the words, "Twistin’ up my fingers for my twin" -- something that sure seems to indicate things are heating up.

Meek Mill celebrated the Eagles' big win with a freestyle rap on Sunday ... taking shots at 49ers fans by dropping bars on one of the most iconic diss tracks of all time.

The Philly rapper posted his video to Instagram right after Philly whooped San Francisco 31-7 in the NFC Championship game ... punching their ticket to Super Bowl LVII.

Meek used the beat from Tupac's "Hit 'Em Up" to send his message to the Niners ... which, of course, was a diss track to Notorious B.I.G. -- and to this day, remains one of the top verbal attacks in the rap game.

"This for all my 49ers fans right here ... First off, f*** ya clique and the team you claim," Meek starts off.

"Northside, Southside this an Eagles game. Y'all claim to keep it playa, but we packed ya bag -- plus the other quarterback, y'all couldn't even pass it back."

Of course, Meek is referring to S.F. rookie quarterback Brock Purdy, who injured his elbow in the first half. To make matters worse, his backup, Josh Johnson, left the game in the 3rd quarter with a concussion.

BTW, Meek was watching the game in the Lincoln Financial Stadium suite with an A-list crowd -- Kevin Hart, Lil Baby, James Harden, Joel Embiid, Michael Rubin, and former Eagles receiver DeSean Jackson.

Patrick Mahomes' wife, Brittany, gave Eli Apple a taste of his own medicine after the Chiefs beat the Bengals on Sunday ... trolling the Cincy cornerback for running his mouth in the days leading up to the game.

Apple was oozing confidence on social media after the Bengals eliminated Buffalo last week ... channeling his inner Patrick Beverley and telling the Bills players to enjoy their early vacation as Cincy moved on in the playoffs.

As soon as the Bengals were booted from Super Bowl contention themselves, it was Brittany's time to get the last laugh.

"Cancun on 3 ✌🏼," Mahomes said on Twitter.

It wasn't just the superstar's wife going after Apple following the game ... 'cause Chiefs players unleashed on him while smoking victory cigars in the locker room.

"Eli Apple, I'mma smoke one for you!!" Juan Thornhill said on Instagram.

Even Patrick's dad had some words for the Bengals' superstar quarterback  ... saying he'll celebrate the W by "smoking on that Joe Burrow."

The Chiefs played like they were pissed off ... and Travis Kelce and others made it clear they felt disrespected by Mike Hilton referring to Arrowhead Stadium as "Burrowhead."

Greased light poles be damned, Eagles fans hit the streets of Philadelphia in the minutes after the Birds won the NFC Championship -- and, at one point, they went so hard, they crashed through a local bus stop!

The hectic scene all went down after Philly handily beat the San Francisco 49ers ... when droves of Eagles supporters took to Broad Street near City Hall to celebrate the big victory.

Fans packed into the roadway like sardines -- and, eventually, they climbed onto a bus stop to catch a better view of the party.

Unfortunately for them, the stop couldn't hold the weight of everyone, and it gave way -- sending Philly supporters crashing to the ground.

It's unclear if anyone was injured -- or if any arrests were made -- we've reached out to authorities for comment, but so far, no word back yet.

In other parts of the city, fans were seen climbing light poles ... despite cops' best efforts to deter the popular celebration.

You can see in one fan's footage of the calamity, six people climbed to the top of one light pole -- just days after police said they'd be greasing the poles in an effort to stop people from going up them.

Of course, Philly fans had every reason to go crazy Sunday night ... they smashed the 49ers 31-7 -- and are now headed to their second Super Bowl in the last five years.

Michael Vick and Lamar Jackson have zero beef with each other despite the NFL legend's comments about the Ravens QB's injury ... with Vick telling TMZ Sports the two are still tight.

Vick initially raised eyebrows during "Fox NFL Kickoff" on Jan. 13 ... after he said Jackson should've fought through a sprained PCL and played in his team's Wild Card round game against the Bengals.

At the time, Vick said the QB should've slapped a brace on his knee and headed out for his squad ... comments that many, including Robert Griffin III, took as out of pocket, considering everything Jackson had to lose if he suffered a more significant injury in the contest.

Vick, though, tells us he knows Lamar isn't trippin' over it at all ... saying even though the two haven't spoken since he made the remarks, he believes the Baltimore QB knew exactly what he was trying to say.

"We cool, everything is all love," Vick said. "Now, RG3 might have taken it the wrong and his situation was a little different."

"It's a brotherhood at the end of the day and we all speak up for one another and speak out for one another so it's respect. It's love."

As for Lamar's future in Baltimore following the ordeal, Vick clearly believes it should play no role whatsoever going forward. The former Falcons star says Baltimore should re-sign him someway, somehow.

"Baltimore would be crazy to let him go," Vick said. "Good quarterbacks are hard to find, I will say that. Lamar's a guy when you walk into the stadium and you got a chance to win, you know you got a chance with Lamar."

Travis Kelce had strong words for the Cincinnati Bengals AND their mayor after the Kansas City Chiefs secured a spot in the Super Bowl ... shutting down all "Burrowhead" talk following the AFC Championship game.

Patrick Mahomes and Co. snuck away with a nail-biting 23-20 victory on Sunday ... and the team made sure to send a message to Bengals defensive back Mike Hilton for previous comments he made about Joe Burrow "owning" Arrowhead Stadium.

Kelce interrupted Mahomes' postgame interview to respond to the bulletin board material ... shouting, "Burrowhead my ass!!" into the cameras.

"It's Mahomes' house!!"

Mahomes followed up by adding, "We showed this place, it's Arrowhead, it's not Burrowhead out here."

But, Kelce didn't stop there -- he also clapped back at Mayor Aftab Pureval for joining in on the smack talk with a social media post on Friday ... in which he asked Burrow to take a paternity test to find out if he was Mahomes' dad.

Kelce channeled The Rock to trash the disrespect ... saying, "Know your role and shut your mouth, you jabroni!!"

The Chiefs will now face off against the Eagles in Super Bowl LVII on Feb. 12 ... and don't expect Philly players to be running their mouths -- or Kelce will have something to say.