During his lengthy tenure as an NFL head coach, Jim Mora did not shy away from sharing his blunt takes on a variety of football-related topics. 

On Thursday, Mora went on a classic rant as he reacted to Hall of Fame kicker Morten Andersen’s take on the current state of the New Orleans Saints. The 88-year-old was inside SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles to watch his former team suffer a 30-22 loss to the Los Angeles Rams. 

After the game, Mora made his routine appearance on New Orleans TV station WDSU’s postgame show and was asked if he agreed with Andersen’s suggestion that “Saints fans deserve better than what we saw tonight.”

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Shortly after the Saints dropped to 7-8 on the season, Andersen took to X to express his frustrations with the state of his former team.

“No, these guys bust their tail out here — our players and coaches and everything,” Mora quickly replied when asked if he agreed with Andersen’s assessment.

PATRICK MAHOMES SURPRISES CHIEFS OFFENSIVE LINE WITH PERSONALIZED GOLF CARTS FOR CHRISTMAS

Mora then pointed out that the Saints’ postseason hopes remain alive.

“Don’t tell me the Saints fans deserve something better than that. I mean they get what they get,” he said. “They’ve gotta hang in there with the Saints. They may not, but they still could make the playoffs this season. So what’s going to happen when they make the playoffs?”

Mora then took aim at Andersen’s football credentials and suggested that his opinion on the team does not carry much weight, considering the former kicker currently lives in Atlanta. Andersen also played for the Atlanta Falcons over two separate stints.

Former NFL head coach Jim Mora watches from the sideline during the Pac-12 Championship game between the Stanford Cardinal and the UCLA Bruins at Stanford Stadium in Stanford, California, on Nov. 30, 2012. (Kirby Lee/Image of Sport-USA TODAY Sports)

“He doesn’t know what the hell’s going on. He lives in Atlanta, Georgia. And he’s a kicker,” Mora said on WDSU. “Why should he know about the offense and defense and stuff like that? And he voices his opinion? Don’t give me that baloney. Shoot, that was 20 years ago, for crying out loud, when he was playing. And he can watch a game on TV and decide whether or not they’re worth whatever they are and all kind of stuff? That’s not right. I don’t believe in that. I’m not joking. I’m serious.”

Morten Andersen of the New Orleans Saints kicks off in the game against the Atlanta Falcons at Fulton County Stadium in Atlanta on Sept. 29, 1991. (Gin Ellis/Getty Images)

Andersen wrapped up his career in Atlanta following the 2007 season, while 2001 marked Mora’s final season as an NFL head coach.

Andersen is a Pro Football Hall of Famer and is one of just four kickers to have been enshrined in Canton, Ohio.

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Mora did eventually credit Andersen and described him as a great player, but the former coach certainly appeared agitated by the former kicker’s commentary.

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The relationship between Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce and pop star Taylor Swift has taken the NFL by storm. 

Swift has attended a handful of Chiefs games this season, practically becoming the focal point of multiple broadcasts. 

In a recent interview with “CBS Mornings,” star quarterback Patrick Mahomes addressed the relationship between Swift and his teammate, praising the international pop sensation. 

CHIEFS’ PATRICK MAHOMES TAKES POSITIVE APPROACH AHEAD OF AFC WEST SHOWDOWN: ‘YOU CAN’T PANIC’

“At first, I feel like everybody kind of stayed away. Just let him do what he was doing. And then he started bringing Taylor around, and you realized how cool of a person she was, and she is,” Mahomes told host Nate Burleson in a preview of the full interview that will air Monday. 

“For us, there were a couple of jokes here and there at the beginning, but she’s just part of Chiefs Kingdom now. She’s part of the team. It’s cool that she’s embraced Brittany [Mahomes] and they’ve built a friendship as well.” 

Swift and Brittany Mahomes have been spotted multiple times cheering on the Chiefs together. 

Taylor Swift and Brittany Mahomes react during a game between the Los Angeles Chargers and Kansas City Chiefs at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium Oct. 22, 2023, in Kansas City, Mo. (David Eulitt/Getty Images)

“For me, it’s Travis, man. And he’s lucky enough to be with a great girl and a great woman,” Mahomes continued. “And it’s been cool to kind of interact with her because she’s top tier at her profession and see how she drives, and she becomes that. 

“It’s really cool to hear about and to see. Now, I have a firsthand look at that through Brittany and Travis’ eyes. It is really cool, and I’m glad she’s the person she is, and that’s why I think her and Travis match so well.”

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While Mahomes spoke glowingly of the relationship between Swift and Kelce, getting Kansas City back on track after losing two of three games is a chief area of concern. 

Kansas City snapped its two-game losing streak against the New England Patriots last week and will face the Las Vegas Raiders Christmas Day, looking to improve to 10-5.

Patrick Mahomes of the Kansas City Chiefs runs without his helmet to the locker room during halftime against the New England Patriots at Gillette Stadium Dec. 17, 2023, in Foxborough, Mass.  (Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)

“There isn’t,” Mahomes said when asked if there was any panic inside the Chiefs’ building. 

“I think people just aren’t used to us winning in this fashion. We’ve won a lot of close games, but we haven’t won those close games this year. But we’re right there. We know that. We watch the film. We see the good that’s out there. We also see the bad and where we need to get better. But you can’t panic. I think that’s the thing.” 

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A win over the Raiders guarantees Kansas City an eighth straight division title, a streak second only to the Patriots’ 11 straight AFC East titles. 

Fox News’ Paulina Dedaj contributed to this report

A Colorado Avalanche broadcaster lived out a nightmare a few weeks ago while live on the air.

No, he didn’t have a hot mic slip up, he simply just thought he was taking a swig of tea…but it was anything but.

The cup he drank from wound up being filled with his partner’s dip spit. It was all caught on video.

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Play-by-play announcer Marc Moser had packing lips throughout the broadcast. Broadcasters often have tea throughout events to keep their voices and throats in good condition.

As Mark Rycroft took a sip of the cup, he immediately spit it all back out and hastily reached for the cup he originally thought he was grabbing.

Rycroft can be seen going back and forth from one cup to another to wash and spit out the taste.

The audio has not been uncovered, but you can use your imagination with the video.

DEVILS FIND LOOPHOLE FOR PLAYERS TO WEAR PRIDE-THEMED JERSEYS

The comments were filled with plenty who can relate.

“Everyone older than 35 has a story of someone who did this at a high school party,” one user wrote on X, formerly Twitter.

“Every frat bro that’s ever lived is throwing up in solidarity with this man,” wrote another.

In a somewhat hilarious irony, Moser wound up wiping his own cup out with a napkin after Rycroft had taken a swig of it.

A general view of the Colorado Avalanche locker room prior to the 2022 NHL Global Series Finland game against the Columbus Blue Jackets at Nokia Arena on November 5, 2022, in Tampere, Finland.   (André Ringuette/NHLI via Getty Images)

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Both announcers kept the broadcast going, seemingly as if nothing had happened, which is quite impressive.

Rycroft played for the Avalanche in the 2006-07 season and joined the broadcast team in 2018, along with Moser.

In the Atlanta Falcons‘ Week 7 game, eighth overall pick Bijan Robinson had just one touch.

Robinson had not carried any sort of injury designation all week, including in the hours leading up to the game, prompting fantasy football players to “safely” plug the star running back in their lineups, and gamblers to wager with what they thought was knowledge known to all.

However, the Falcons failed to report that Robinson had apparently fallen ill late Saturday night into Sunday morning.

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Because of that, the Falcons were fined $75,000 on Friday, and head coach Arthur Smith was fined $25,000.

At the time, Smith had downplayed Robinson’s lack of usage.

“You’re talking about sensationalized things,” Smith told reporters. “I understand outrage, and drama sells. Guys, if you really understand how things really operate . . . there’s nothing there. So, I don’t know what, I haven’t given one second of thought about it.”

Now, Smith says it is a “lesson learned” after going through the investigative process.

Taylor Heinicke, #4 of the Atlanta Falcons, hands the ball off to Bijan Robinson, #7, in the game against the Arizona Cardinals during the third quarter at State Farm Stadium on November 12, 2023, in Glendale, Arizona. (Norm Hall/Getty Images)

LEGENDARY STEELERS COACH BILL COWHER SAYS GEORGE PICKENS’ LACK OF EFFORT IS ‘BOTHERSOME’

“Nothing was done to try to game anything like that, and I understood their point of view,” he said, via ESPN.

That weekend, DraftKings held a promotion in which bettors could wager Robinson, among three others, to score a touchdown in a parlay. Three of the four players scored; the one who did not was Robinson, resulting in a losing bet. 

However, the book said they would refund “all Bijan Robinson player prop markets,” including “parlay wagers where he was the only losing selection” as bonus bets.

Robinson’s one carry was for just three yards, resulting in 0.3 fantasy points, likely for a lot of losing teams.

Despite Robinson being all but out of the game, Atlanta beat the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on a walk-off 51-yard field goal by Younghoe Koo.

Atlanta Falcons running back Bijan Robinson (7) scores a touchdown in the second half of an NFL football game against the Houston Texans in Atlanta, Sunday, October 8, 2023.  (AP Photo/John Bazemore)

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The Cincinnati Bengals were recently investigated by the NFL regarding Joe Burrow. A video of Burrow in a compression sleeve was deleted off the team’s social media, and then he suffered a season-ending wrist injury. But Cincy was cleared of any wrongdoing.

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A bizarre scene unfolded in Thursday night’s game between the Columbus Blue Jackets and the Washington Capitals that saw veteran Blue Jackets netminder Elvis Merzlikins unleash on infamous NHL agitator Tom Wilson, a fight that eventually paved the way for Alex Ovechkin’s overtime game winner for the Caps. 

During the final three minutes of overtime with the score tied 2-2, Washington forward Wilson was shoved into the net on a play, seemingly knocking Merzlikins’ stick out of his hand. 

When he went back to retrieve it, a fight erupted between the two — with Wilson mainly on the receiving end of Merzlikins’ frustrations. 

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“I mean, it’s an emotional game,” the goaltender said after the game, adding that Wilson had been “after me all game long.”

“I was trying to grab my stick. I got punched in the head. Before that, I’m pretty sure he was trying to get me hurt,” said Merzlikins. “So, I was just trying to get my stick. I got punched. Well, enough… I’m going to defend myself.” 

Merzlikins said Wilson was going at him full speed — a dangerous tactic that could have resulted in a serious injury. 

Elvis Merzlikins of the Columbus Blue Jackets fights Tom Wilson of the Washington Capitals during the game at Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio, on Thursday. (Jason Mowry/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

DEVILS FIND LOOPHOLE FOR PLAYERS TO WEAR PRIDE-THEMED JERSEYS

“Watch the replay, he was going straight for my knee. I could be out for the rest of the season. He got what he deserved, I don’t care,” said the goalie. 

Unfortunately for the Blue Jackets, Merzlikins was given a roughing call, and Ovechkin, who was on a 14-game goal drought, scored with just 53 seconds left in overtime. 

After the game, head coach Pascal Vincent didn’t hide his feelings about the situation, saying that the fight resulting in a power play for the Capitals “cost us the game.” 

Elvis Merzlikins of the Columbus Blue Jackets goes after Tom Wilson of the Washington Capitals, during the game at Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio, on Thursday. (Jason Mowry/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

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“We earned (the right) to win that game, and that incident cost us. We have to control our emotions there. So it’s disappointing,” said Vincent. 

“Tom WIlson’s job is to get in people’s faces, and the goalie’s face. And he’s creating a lot of emotion — the emotions were high. And he did what he had to do, and we reacted. Cost us the game.”

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A rough day at the office got even worse for two members of the Dallas Cowboys.

Shortly after the Buffalo Bills blew out the Cowboys, 31-10, last Sunday, upset fans leaked private information about Dallas safety Jayron Kearse and fellow safety Juanyeh Thomas.

Kearse’s home address was made public, while Thomas’ phone number was out there for the world to see.

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The fiasco began when Kearse asked on social media why he was flagged on a play, but fans were quick to respond about his poor performance.

Thomas stepped in to defend his teammates, but that’s when fans took it a step further.

Thomas said those fans “crossed a line.”

“I can take criticism,” Thomas, who had to change his number, said to The Dallas Morning News. “But you do cross a line when you start doing dumb stuff like that, for real. It’s a line you can’t cross when you start sharing people’s addresses and numbers and stuff. At the end of the day, this is still a game. People got a life.”

Dallas Cowboys cornerback DaRon Bland, right, celebrates with safety Juanyeh Thomas after returning an interception for a touchdown during the game against the Washington Commanders at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, on Nov. 23. (AP Photo/Sam Hodde)

FORMER NFL WIDE RECEIVER MIKE WILLIAMS DIED OF BRAIN INFECTIONS STEMMING FROM DENTAL PROBLEMS, OFFICIALS SAY

“People [were] texting me, calling me. I’m like damn, bro,” he added. “I don’t even know how people can leak your number.”

Thankfully for the Cowboys, they clinched a playoff spot just before they took the field on Sunday, but nothing else went right for Dallas, which fell a game behind the NFC-best San Francisco 49ers and dropped to 10-4.

The Cowboys, who have scored 40 or more points five times this season and enjoyed eight wins by 20 or more, were held to a season-low 195 yards of offense. Quarterback Dak Prescott finished 21 of 34 for 134 yards with an interception.

Juanyeh Thomas of the Dallas Cowboys gets set during the game against the Buffalo Bills at Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park, New York, on Sunday. (Rich Barnes/Getty Images)

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Quarterback Josh Allen threw for just 94 yards for the Bills, but running back James Cook had a career-best 179 yards rushing and scored twice.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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The Florida State Board of Trustees met Friday morning and voted unanimously to file suit against the Atlantic Coast Conference, challenging the league’s grant of rights and its withdrawal fee, a first step toward the school’s possible departure from the conference. 

The suit is in response to “years of mismanagement that has left its member schools trapped in a deteriorating multi-media rights agreement while preventing them from joining other conferences because of ‘draconian’ withdrawal penalties,” according to the FSU press release. 

It details how the “ACC’s mishandling of negotiations with ESPN has deprived members of tens of millions in annual revenues and put them behind other Power Four schools in the competition for educational advancement and to appear in elite athletic championships.”

DEION SANDERS, COLORADO HAVE TOP TRANSFER CLASS AFTER 4-8 SEASON

Florida State and other members of the ACC signed a grant of rights through 2036, which gives the conference control over the media rights. 

In the 38-page suit, filed in Leon County Circuit Court, FSU challenged the legality of withdrawal penalties of at least $572 million in fees and forfeited revenues, a number that includes a $130 million withdrawal penalty and the forfeiture of media rights through 2036.

“The underperformance by the ACC has ramped up dramatically in just the last few years,” FSU Board of Trustees Chairman Peter Collins said in the press release “The ACC has also unfairly — and we believe illegally — sought to prevent members from exploring their fundamental right to withdraw by threatening to impose an astounding and pernicious half-billion-dollar penalty. It’s simply unconscionable.”

The lawsuit states that the “stunning exclusion of the ACC’s undefeated football champion from the 2023-2024 College Football Playoff (“CFP”) in deference to two one-loss teams from two competing Power Four conferences crystalized the years of failures by the ACC to fulfill its most fundamental commitments to FLORIDA STATE and its members.”

The ACC responded Friday, saying they are confident the Grant of Rights “will be affirmed by the courts and the Conference’s legal counsel will vigorously enforce the agreement in the best interests of the ACC’s current and incoming members.” 

Florida State celebrates a victory during the ACC Football Championship Game between the Louisville Cardinals and the Florida State Seminoles on December 2, 2023, at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina. (John Byrum/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

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“Florida State’s decision to file action against the Conference is in direct conflict with their longstanding obligations and is a clear violation of their legal commitments to the other members of the Conference. All ACC members, including Florida State, willingly and knowingly re-signed the current Grant of Rights in 2016, which is wholly enforceable and binding through 2036. Each university has benefited from this agreement, receiving millions of dollars in revenue and neither Florida State nor any other institution, has ever challenged its legitimacy,” reads a statement from ACC commissioner Jim Phillips and Chair of ACC Board of Directors Jim Ryan. 

Conversations over potentially leaving the conference began in August when Florida State President Richard McCullough said remaining in the ACC “under the current situation” would be difficult. 

“Our goal would be to continue to stay in the ACC, but staying in the ACC under the current situation is hard for us to figure out how we remain competitive unless there were a major change in the revenue distribution within the conference,” McCullough said, per ESPN. “That has not happened. Those discussions are ongoing at all times.

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Mike Norvell of the Florida State Seminoles holds up the trophy after the Florida State Seminoles defeat the Louisville Cardinals 16-6 in the ACC Championship at Bank of America Stadium on December 2, 2023, in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Isaiah Vazquez/Getty Images)

“FSU helps to drive value and will drive value for any partner, but we have spent a year trying to understand how we might fix the issue. There are no easy fixes to this challenge, but a group of us have spent literally a year. We’ve explored every possible option that you can imagine. The issue at hand is what can we do to allow ourselves to be competitive in football and get what I think is the revenue we deserve?

“This continues to be a very difficult issue. There’s a lot going on in the world of conference realignment. My current assessment of the situation after very deep analysis is I believe FSU will have to at some point consider very seriously leaving the ACC unless there were a radical change to the revenue distribution.”

The lawsuit accuses the ACC of restraint of trade, breach of contract and failure to perform.

Another prominent member of the Pittsburgh Steelers organization has vocalized his displeasure with arguably their best wide receiver.

George Pickens has caught flak within the last few weeks, most recently after not blocking a cornerback on what likely would have been a touchdown had he done so.

Even earlier this month, he was visibly frustrated on the sidelines, and after a Week 9 game where he finished with minus-1 receiving yards, he posted on X, formerly Twitter, “free me.”

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His current head coach, Mike Tomlin, lambasted him earlier this week, and now, Tomlin’s predecessor has spoken up about Pickens.

Former Steelers head coach Bill Cowher said he “could never imagine” a player “not performing and giving everything.”

“It is disappointing to see and hear what George Pickens talks about, because culture really is about commitment and sacrifice,” Cowher said Thursday on “The Pat McAfee Show.” “You’re not just playing with one another, you’re playing for one another.”

Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin talks with wide receiver George Pickens during the game against the Indianapolis Colts at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis on Nov. 28, 2022. (Justin Casterline/Getty Images)

FORMER NFL WIDE RECEIVER MIKE WILLIAMS DIED OF BRAIN INFECTIONS STEMMING FROM DENTAL PROBLEMS, OFFICIALS SAY

Cowher said he’s able to excuse mistakes on the field, “but the one thing that should never be questioned is your effort and your ability to be there for your teammate, picking somebody up.”

“That is very bothersome. I think there’s got to be consequences for that, so we’ll see what happens with it,” he said. “He’s going to be held accountable, because you have to have accountability. If you don’t do anything and there’s no consequence to the choice that he made, now you’re losing accountability, and I think that’s a very important element that you have to have in that building.”

Running back Jaylen Warren, whom Pickens didn’t block for in order to, in his own words, avoid injury, said that he “would have blocked for” Pickens if the roles were reversed — but “some people play the game differently.”

Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver George Pickens warms up before the game against the Las Vegas Raiders at Allegiant Stadium in Paradise, Nevada, on Sept. 24. (Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports)

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The Steelers will look to get back in the win column on Saturday when they host the Cincinnati Bengals. A fourth consecutive loss could put a huge damper on their playoff hopes.

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Kansas City Chiefs rookie Rashee Rice recently opened up about teammate Travis Kelce’s high-profile relationship with Taylor Swift, saying that her presence has been a positive thing for the team’s popularity with fans. 

The reigning Super Bowl champions are certainly not lacking in that department, but Swifts’ presence at NFL games has undeniably taken the fandom to another level. 

“I’m happy for Trav. She’s real good [with supporting] the team and she brought a lot more fans to the team too,” Rice said during a recent appearance on the “Airing It Out podcast” with former NFL player, TJ Houshmandzadeh. 

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Rice, who was drafted by the Chiefs in the second round of the 2023 NFL Draft, said he has been around the international pop sensation during his downtime with Kelce and quarterback Patrick Mahomes.

“I’ve seen her, but I didn’t go up to her like ‘Can I get a picture?’ or nothing like that.” 

“You know, those guys like Trav, Pat – those guys invite us out because they know that we’re the only guys that see them every day and see them as for who they really are, not just like, ‘Bro you’re a superstar football player!’ Like nah, it’s just Pat, it’s just Trav,” he continued. 

Kansas City Chiefs TE Travis Kelce, #87, heads out onto the field before the game. (Matthew J. Lee/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)

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The time spent bonding off the field is certainly translating to chemistry on the field between Rice and Mahomes. 

Rice has hauled in 68 catches for 754 yards and seven touchdowns through Week 15. His last touchdown in Sunday’s win over the New England Patriots set a new franchise record for the most receiving touchdowns by a rookie. 

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“You know, his game just keeps going up, man,” Kelce said of Rice. “I’m proud of the way he’s been able to handle the ups and downs of the season. Right now, he’s playing great ball.”

Rashee Rice, #4 of the Kansas City Chiefs, celebrates a third quarter touchdown catch with Travis Kelce, #87 of the Kansas City Chiefs, against the Buffalo Bills at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium on Dec. 10, 2023 in Kansas City, Missouri. (David Eulitt/Getty Images)

Rice has slowly emerged as one of Mahomes’ favorite targets – a bright spot for the Chiefs’ offense. He has played well over 85% of snaps in their last two games. 

The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

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