TMZ Sports - Page 7

A rogue firework abandoned its assignment and went shooting toward the field at "Sunday Night Football" ... and it appears the errant explosive nearly hit someone standing on the turf.

According to eyewitnesses, the scary moment went down prior to the Baltimore Ravens' home matchup against the New England Patriots ... as player introductions were underway.

While the pyrotechnic devices were supposed to shoot up to the sky, one had other plans ... and went straight to the grass.

12:18 PM -- Ryan Kennedy is coming out against the claims he reportedly used a slur towards Metcalf during Sunday's game -- with his attorney issuing a statement Monday afternoon -- denying those allegations.

"At no point before, during, or after the incident did Mr. Kennedy use racial slur or hate speech of any kind," a statement provided to TMZ Sports said. "The claims suggesting otherwise are untrue and are not supported by video evidence, eyewitness accounts, or any contemporaneous reporting."

"Despite reports in the media last night and today, Mr. Kennedy has not used such language during any interaction with Mr. Metcalf or any other players in the past."

The statement concluded by saying that, since "this matter will now likely be the subject of formal legal proceedings, Mr. Kennedy will not comment further at this time."

The Detroit Lions fan on the receiving end of a punch from Pittsburgh Steelers star DK Metcalf is speaking out ... insisting he simply called the player by his full name before the incident -- but DK is reportedly claiming something much worse was said.

The Detroit Free Press found the man in the stands after everything went down on Sunday ... and he told the outlet he was "a little shocked" by what happened.

"He doesn't like his government name. I called him that and then he grabbed me and ripped my shirt. I'm a little shocked. Like everyone's talking to me. I'm a little rattled, but I just want the Lions to win, baby."

Terence "Bud" Crawford's retirement this week shocked many, but not Shawn Porter ... 'cause he tells TMZ Sports the boxing champion had been talking about hanging up the gloves for "a long time."

In fact, Porter says Crawford began talking about the end of his boxing career just before their 2021 fight at the Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino in Las Vegas.

"I knew once he fought Canelo [Alvarez], he felt like there was nothin' left for him," Porter said.

DK Metcalf might have nerves of steel ... but, a Detroit Lions fan got on his last one -- and video shows him taking a swing at the guy!

The wild moment went down late in the second quarter of the Lions matchup against DK's Pittsburgh Steelers ... with the CBS broadcast first showing a tense convo between the veteran wide receiver and a DET fan in a bright blue wig.

Metcalf then quickly reached up with his closed right fist ... seemingly landing a glancing blow on the fan's face before walking away.

Dianne Holechek -- Chuck Norris' high school sweetheart to whom he was married for several decades -- has died ... TMZ has learned.

We spoke with Dianne and Chuck's son, Mike Norris, who tells TMZ ... Dianne passed away peacefully at her home in Texas after a long battle with dementia.

Mike says, "We are thankful she is no longer suffering. She was the best, the greatest mom. We were so lucky to have her."

Jake Paul revealed some more details about his jaw surgery after Anthony Joshua knocked him out during a grisly match Friday night ... telling fans he had "some teeth removed" and even some plates added into his face!

The YouTuber-turned-pro-boxer shared the update on Instagram while thanking fans for their love and support alongside a snap from the hospital bed. He penned ... "Surgery went well thanks for all the love and support. 2 titanium plates on each side. Some teeth removed. Have to have only liquids for 7 days."

The Beckham family drama continues to unfold as Cruz Beckham is now defending his parents after a report alleged they unfollowed their son, Brooklyn, on social media.

Cruz took to Instagram Sunday morning to address the rumors that Victoria and David Beckham unfollowed their eldest, denying the story by writing "NOT TRUE" with a screenshot of it.

The Buffalo Bills have experienced tons of heartbreak in the playoffs at the hands of the Chiefs and Patrick Mahomes over the years, but with KC set to miss the postseason for the first time since 2014 ... Andre Reed is excited about his former squad's chances.

We caught up with Reed -- who was helping give away bikes at a Raising Cane's event earlier this week -- and while he was bummed to see Mahomes go down with a torn ACL ... he knows what it means for the Bills.

"The last two weeks, man, they came back from 21 down last week," Reed said. "When you got No. 17, who's got an S on his chest, man, you got a chance. And could this be the year that they go all the way to have a shot at playing in the Super Bowl this year? Obviously, I think so."

The Kansas City Chiefs might be eliminated from the playoffs, but they're still making highlights off the field ... with head coach Andy Reid's wife, Tammy, helping out the community in a big way this holiday season.

TMZ Sports is told Mrs. Big Red was part of the annual Raising Cane's bike giveaway ... a nationwide endeavor to help hook kids up with more than 4,000 new sets of wheels and helmets.

We caught up with Tammy at the event at Operation Breakthrough in Kansas City ... and she explained why charitable efforts like these mean so much.

49ers' Deommodore Lenoir was a no-show at a holiday toy drive for kids with Down Syndrome, according to a spokesperson for the event, who tells TMZ Sports the CB blew off the party ... but a rep for the player says that just ain't true!

The function was held on Monday in Santa Cruz, CA, where Lenoir was expected to collect toys for children with special needs, in partnership with SET Magazine, The Matthew Foundation, CelebEvents Inc., and Women of the NFL.

However, Lenoir didn't show up ... and organizers aren't happy, accusing the defensive back of ignoring their calls as they desperately tried to contact him, leaving the kids disappointed.

However, Lenoir's representative tells a different story, chalking the situation up to a misunderstanding and refusing to label it a "no-show."

Jake Paul's jaw may have taken a beating Friday night, but you couldn't tell from looking at him Saturday ... because he seemed ready to let loose at a big after-party!

The influencer-turned-boxer attended a party thrown by Celebrity Sports Entertainment at a private mansion in Miami ... and, he looked like his usual self while walking into the affair -- shaking hands with guests and strolling through like nothing happened, though he did keep the chatter to a minimum.

JP posed for pics ... putting up his fists like he's ready for another fight despite Anthony Joshua knocking him out.

Alix Earle's sharing an in-depth look at the single life ... posting a ton of photos from a recent trip she took to Mexico -- looking as good as always!

The social media star shared the pics Saturday morning ... appearing in just a towel while lying back on a sofa in the first mirror selfie.

She covered up less in a bikini selfie ... soaking up the sun in a tiny thong-style, brown bikini.

Tom Brady posted for the first time since news of his ex-wife Gisele Bündchen's marriage to Joaquim Valente broke ... and, a song he added to his posts will have some raising some eyebrows.

Here's the deal ... the ex-NFLer shared two photos to his Instagram story Saturday morning -- the first of which shows TB12 in a white hoodie with "Forever Young" written on the chest. While it's only a photo, Brady added audio to the post ... the song "1-800-273-8255" by Logic featuring Alessia Cara and Khalid.

If you're not familiar with the track, it has lines like "I feel like my life ain't mine" and "I don't wanna be alive." The title is the old suicide prevention hotline number, though it's since been changed to the simpler 988.

Investigators are still looking into the plane crash that claimed NASCAR legend Greg Biffle's life ... and, new video shows them looking for clues in the wreckage.

The National Transportation Safety Board released video of agents combing through the debris ... taking photos of the plane and looking in the woods surrounding the crash area.

The plane's a wreck ... broken into pieces both large and small and burned to a crisp in places. It's unclear what investigators might be able to glean from the crash site.

Mike Campbell -- former Seattle Mariners pitcher and 1st-round draft pick -- has died.

The team announced the sad news on social media, saying ... "We are saddened by the passing of Seattle native and former Mariners pitcher Mike Campbell. Our hearts go out to his family and loved ones." He reportedly died Monday at his home in Kirkland, Washington. His cause of death is still pending.

Campbell made his major-league debut in 1987 after the Mariners brought him on as their No. 1 draft pick. He pitched for them for parts of the next 3 seasons, but was then traded to the Montreal Expos as part of the deal to bring on Hall of Famer Randy Johnson to the team.

Jake Paul might have a broken jaw -- but he's already looking for his next fight ... seemingly summoning Canelo Alvarez to the ring after being KO'd by Anthony Joshua Friday night.

Check it out -- the YouTuber turned pro boxer confirmed he's got a double fracture in his jaw from Joshua's punch .... even posting his X-ray to prove it. In the same breath, he stunningly hinted at a match against Alvarez, captioning the pic ... "Double broken jaw. Give me Canelo in 10 days."

Clearly, Paul's not too worried about healing. He even poked fun at the matter from the hospital bed by lip-synching to audio saying ... "I'm a little f***ed up but will you take care of me forever and ever?" His brother, Logan Paul, hopped in on the fun as he stood seriously beside Jake's bed.

We told you all about the fight in Miami -- it was a pretty sloppy face-off, mostly controlled by Joshua, especially in the later rounds. Jake was dropped by Joshua 4 times, finishing him off with several shots in the 6th round.