Tag: TMZ Sports

Jerry Rice threatens reporters after perceived trolling about 49ers Super Bowl loss

Don’t disrespect the 49ers in front of Jerry Rice.

49ers Hall of Famer Jerry Rice took exception to a question from a couple of reporters from Kansas City at the American Century Championship golf tournament in Lake Tahoe.

In a wild video posted by TMZ Sports’ Michael Babcock, Rice is seen cursing at the reporters who asked him if the Chiefs’ receiving corps was good enough to win another Super Bowl.

The reporters claimed they were aiming to find out from Rice, the consensus greatest wide receiver of all-time, if Kansas City had improved its group of WRs enough to continue winning championships. Last season the Chiefs’ receiving corps was criticized throughout the year, but they figured out a way to hoist a Lombardi Trophy.

Rice told TMZ he believed the reporters were smirking at him and trying to troll him. He took enough exception to the question to hurl an expletive at the reporters.

Here’s the video via TMZ:

Rice told TMZ Sports he’s going to back the club that he spent 16 of his 21 NFL seasons with.

“I’m going to defend the San Francisco 49ers,” he said. “This is my history.”

The Hall of Fame receiver is a frequent attendant at 49ers games, so it’s not a surprise he took exception to what he thought was disrespect aimed at the club.

Rice notched 1,281 receptions with 19,247 yards and 176 touchdowns in his 16 seasons with the 49ers. He’s also the NFL’s all-time leader in all of those categories.

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Ryan Fitzpatrick is still Bills Mafia, will jump through table if team wins title (video)

Ryan Fitzpatrick is still #BillsMafia, will jump through table if team wins title (video):

Ryan Fitzpatrick has retired from the NFL. Life now has him lined up with a big-wig job as a broadcaster for Amazon on Thursday Night Football.

Doesn’t mean he’s any less a member of Bills Mafia.

Fitzpatrick, who went shirtless at a Buffalo Bills playoff game last season, answered some questions for TMZ Sports.

While he did take the Baltimore Ravens as his “sleeper” to win the Super Bowl this season, he still made a promise to Bills Mafia: If they win, he’s going to celebrate.

Fitz said he’ll jump through a table for Buffalo to celebrate the occasion.

Check out the TMZ clip below:

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Chet Holmgren noncommittal about being drafted first overall by the Magic

In an interview with @TMZ_Sports, Chet Holmgren sounded noncommittal about being drafted first overall by the Orlando Magic.

In an interview with TMZ Sports, Gonzaga forward Chet Holgrem — who is currently projected to go second overall in the 2022 NBA draft to the Oklahoma City Thunder — sounded noncommittal about wanting to go to the Orlando Magic with the first overall pick.

When asked if he wants to be a Magic player, Holmgren gave a very safe answer and said he wants to go to the best fit for his career and the best possible situation.

Perhaps this is reading a little bit too much into it, but it is pretty interesting how Holmgren didn’t state his desire to go first overall to Orlando. But then again, the answer he gave was a very safe and bland one that didn’t reveal Holmgren’s actual preference publicly.

As ESPN’s Jonathan Givony recently reported, Holmgren and the Thunder have had talks about a looming marriage between both parties as the 2022 NBA draft quickly approaches on June 23.

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Motivated Josh Norman predicts ‘All-World’ season with Bills

Buffalo Bills cornerback Josh Norman on his first season with the Buffalo Bills via TMZ Sports.

The Buffalo Bills added cornerback Josh Norman this offseason. While a former Panthers connection to his new team’s head coach Sean McDermott, it was still a move that was questioned a bit.

While with the Panthers, Norman was an All-Pro. His stock dropped with the Redskins, the team that signed him after his contract situation went haywire with Carolina. In his final year with the Redskins, Norman was eventually sent to the bench.

All things considered, some are doubting Norman’s skills, but he’s not at all worried about anything anyone has to say.

“All this ‘talk’ that’s out there,” Norman said gesturing with his hands chatting with TMZ Sports. “But you can’t do anything about that. You’ve just got to put it on your back and carry that chip.”

Norman expects that motivation he’s carrying into his first season with the Bills to push his game to new level, beyond All-Pro status, even.

“Man, I feel like All-World is coming,” Norman said.

But he piggy backed on that and said his mind is on the big one, though.

“All I’m focused on is winning that championship, winning that Lombardi, everything else pales to that,” he added.

The hope for Norman and the Bills is that he’s motivated, but also he’s going to have a schematic fit with the Bills. His former All-Pro season came under the watch of Buffalo head coach Sean McDermott with the Panthers. Norman referenced being a first for McDermott’s defense, as his coach also said earlier this offseason.

“He experienced great success in Carolina with our culture and system, and hopefully coming to a similar culture and system, he’ll be able to regain his form. I know he’s working hard,” McDermott sad.

Optimism and drive is something that clearly won’t be missing from Norman’s game. He even went as far to say the Bills are the favorite in the AFC East next season.

And not only that, even if Tom Brady was still with the Patriots, Norman thinks the Bills would’ve been the favorite.

“With or without him being there, we was going to be a force to be reckoned with,” Norman said. “Coming in, I know the philosophy of the head coach and the GM already. Mindset-wise, it didn’t matter who was at the quarterback position for the opposing team. It was just going to be about us and not nobody else.”

 

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Deontay Wilder reportedly spent $40,000 on ring-walk costume

Deontay Wilder, who fights Tyson Fury on Saturday, reportedly has spent $40,000 on the outfit he will wear into the ring.

Do you think Deontay Wilder takes his ring-walk costumes seriously?

The heavyweight champ, who defends against Tyson Fury in their rematch Saturday night in Las Vegas, reportedly has spent $40,000 on the outfit he will wear into the MGM Grand Garden Arena ring.

Wilder wouldn’t say what sort of costume we can expect but he told TMZ Sports that it will make an impression.

“Oh my goodness! It’s going to be amazing man,” he said. “Come Saturday night, one of the things that I made a promise to myself talking to my advisor Al [Haymon], when I got to a certain point into my career, I said, ‘I wanna give the boxing fans, I wanna give the world something that they can remember me by.'”

“Not only just the knockouts, but me expressing myself before coming out and entering into the ring.”

Wilder told TMZ that the costumes are both part of his legacy and an investment.

“Spending money on these costumes and stuff … I know they’re going to turn to millions,” he said. “It’s gonna be 10 million, 40 million, after I get finished, because of the things I’ve done in boxing and the way I was able to do it in.”

Fred Taylor confident he’ll get in Hall of Fame eventually

Fred Taylor was once frustrated about being over-looked as one of the NFL’s top RBs. Now, he feels he will eventually be a Hall-of-Famer.

While the Hall of Fame has been a frustrating process for Jacksonville Jaguars fans, the belief is that someone from the franchise will be named to the group within the next five years. With Tony Boselli becoming a finalist for the fourth consecutive time last season some think he’ll be the first Jaguar voted in, but if it’s not him, it almost certainly will be running back Fred Taylor.

When asked about how he felt about his chances to be voted into the Hall of Fame by TMZ Sports, Taylor said that it’s “no doubt” in his mind that it will happen one day as he was named a semifinalist for the 2020 class. Unlike the fans of the Jags, he also stated that he has faith in the voters to make the right choice eventually.

It seems that Taylor is a little more confident in his chances to make the Hall of Fame now that he’s on the voter’s radar. Previously, he expressed his frustration with being under-appreciated back in 2017 but has made progress towards getting in the Hall of Fame since.

Taylor finished his career with 11,695 total rushing yards (good for 17th amongst all NFL rushers) and 66 touchdowns. He also had 2,384 yards and eight touchdowns as a receiver.

 

Afterward, Taylor discussed his thoughts on the quarterbacks competition between Gardner Minshew II and Nick Foles. He stated that he feels the locker room may be more behind Minshew simply because of the chemistry they’ve built with him, but did defend Foles who was hampered by an injury Week 1.

Sean Payton trusting Drew Brees’ judgment in whether to return for 2020

New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees is deciding whether to retire or return in 2020, and Sean Payton is going to trust his judgment.

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What’s New Orleans Saints coach Sean Payton to do when ambushed by TMZ Sports reporters at an exotic car show, with questions about Drew Brees’ future raining down on him? The odds that Brees, the surefire Hall of Fame quarterback, will return for one more year has never felt less certain.

As it turns out, he’s able to quickly think on his feet. Payton shot down the opportunity for any ill-advised hot takes, saying, “Listen, I think he’s playing at a high level. He’ll know (when it’s time to hang it up). He’s doing well.”

And when pressed as to whether he wants Brees back, having coached the quarterback his entire career in New Orleans, Payton smirked and replied, “Absolutely,” before walking away. You can see the exchange where we’ve embedded it below.

It lines up with comments Payton made earlier this offseason, in which he endorsed Brees’ performance last season and made it clear that he’ll be patient with the face of his franchise. It’s been a few weeks since that press conference, but Payton sure doesn’t look like someone who’s anticipating a dramatic farewell. He hasn’t seen Brees fall off in decline just yet, but Payton acknowledged that his quarterback will know what he’s capable of (and not able to do) better than anyone else. Whatever Brees decides, Payton plans to trust his judgment.

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