TMZ Sports - Page 50

The Miz shouldn't expect an honorary key to Philadelphia anytime soon ever ... 'cause the WWE Superstar just took a giant dump on the City of Brotherly Love, telling fans he totally gets why 76ers star Ben Simmons wants out of dodge.

WWE's "Monday Night Raw" was in town at the Wells Fargo Center -- the Sixers home arena -- when The Miz addressed fellow star wrestler, Edge, and chose to take a dig at Philly.

"After looking at this crowd I can say with the utmost conviction that I stand with Ben Simmons," Miz said. "I too would give up $33 million dollars just to not play in this crap city."

"I mean have you seen yourselves," he continued, "Can you blame him?"

The Miz -- one of WWE's best heels -- was met with a barrage of boos from thousands of people in the audience ... something the former WWE champion is accustomed to.

Of course, the Simmons saga is a sensitive issue for the city and organization. The 25-year-old hooper has yet to step foot on the court for a game ... and the season is halfway over.

Ben and the Sixers have been involved in a nasty back-and-forth ... with the All-Star forward telling the org. he would sit out the entire season -- and forfeit the $33 million owed to him -- if they did not meet his trade demands.

A world champion boxer is the latest fighter to call out Jake Paul ... and the dude's so serious about making it happen, he got the YouTuber's name tattooed on himself!!

The man calling out Jake is Mairis Briedis -- he's a 28-1 (20 KOs) Latvian pro who is a 3-time cruiserweight champ and the current #6 pound-for-pound boxer, according to BoxRec.

36-year-old Briedis showed how badly he wants the bout by revealing the ink job on his left thigh on Monday ... saying, "Hey Jake, I got something for you."

MB then showed off the big black and red tat of a bull's head featuring a message, "Jake's Bad Karma" ... a direct nod to Jake's "Karma" tattoo on his collarbone

"Now, it's your turn!" Briedis said.

This isn't the first time MB has challenged the 24-year-old boxer ... Briedis' promoter, Kalle Sauerland, made a fight offer last May with one condition -- Jake would have to retire from boxing if he lost.

Paul ignored the offer and went on to fight ex-UFC champ Tyron Woodley instead ... so, it seems MB felt the need to take it up a notch by getting the ink done.

"Time to collect your bad karma Jake Paul," Briedis said in the video, "Pick up the phone."

Paul has yet to respond -- he's been calling out more UFC fighters like Jorge Masvidal and Nate Diaz recently -- but the tat will certainly get his attention.

Julian Edelman is putting his money where his mouth is -- TMZ Sports has learned the former Pats wideout is placing a $100,000 bet that the Patriots and Buccaneers will meet in Super Bowl LVI.

With the NFL playoffs officially here ... Edelman is so confident that his old QB and good friend, Tom Brady, will square off with his former coach, Bill Belichick, for the Lombardi Trophy on Feb 13, he's laying down the serious cash on it via the WynnBet Sports App.

Edelman says the co. gave him the money to help promote the brand ... but he quickly laid it down on Pats vs. Bucs with the hopes of turning it into $545,000!!!

Hitting the bet doesn't seem likely -- after all, the Bucs are the #2 seed in the NFC and the Pats are the #6 seed in the AFC -- but there aren't too many people who know the two teams better than he does.

You'll recall, Edelman spent his entire playing career with Brady and Belichick in New England ... winning three Super Bowl championships together.

The Pats and the Bucs, meanwhile, have already faced off once this season -- Brady got the better of Belichick at Gillette Stadium in October -- and Edelman called the game "super weird for him."

Novak Djokovic is making sure he's ready for next week's Australian Open despite uncertainty he'll be allowed to remain in the country -- hitting practice courts hard Down Under on Tuesday.

The tennis superstar was spotted getting in a lengthy workout at Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne ... hitting balls and sweating just six days away from the start of the big tournament.

Of course, Djokovic needs all the practice he can get ... considering he was cooped up in a hotel for nearly a week after Australian authorities tried to bar him from entering the country.

Djokovic and law enforcement feuded over his COVID-19 vaccination exemption status ... but after the 34-year-old won a key appeal on Monday, he was let into the country so he can gear up for The Open.

And, by the looks of things, Djokovic seems to be ready to defend his title. In the photos, Novak appears to be in good shape.

Djokovic is still not 100 percent certain about his status for the event ... Australian authorities are still exploring the possibility of canceling his visa a second time -- which could lead to a three-year ban from the country for the tennis player.

Antonio Brown appears to be showing some regret over his infamous, shirtless breakup with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers ... admitting his wild outburst was unprofessional and unnecessary.

AB touched down in Los Angeles Monday afternoon after a week of living it up in NYC ... and just hours after his flight to the west coast, he hit up hotspot Craig's for a bite to eat with his new buddy, Kanye West.

But, before he went inside, the Super Bowl champ had a quick convo with the camera guys about his bizarre departure from last Sunday's game ... and he seems to wish he had handled himself differently.

"It probably wasn't necessary or professional," AB said ... all while keeping a smile on his face.

It's an interesting admission -- AB had previously been giving the middle finger to the Bucs since the breakup ... claiming they were trying to force him to play with an ankle injury prior to his exit.

Despite all the drama, AB has shifted his focus to music ... and has been linking up with some huge names like Fabolous after his season ended.

As for why he dined with Kanye? Rumor has it the rap legend wants to collab with AB on a track.

As the clock ticked down to zero in Indianapolis, the party was on in Athens ... with Univ. of Georgia fans going crazy in the streets to celebrate the Bulldogs' win over Alabama.

Just minutes after UGA capped off its 33-18 national championship win over the Tide at Lucas Oil Stadium ... people rushed into huge crowds near the Georgia campus.

Fans danced, chanted and cheered -- with video showing thousands of people crammed into tight spaces following the Dawgs' victory.

Several people threw traffic cones -- and some even climbed light poles to celebrate the occasion too!!

But, a spokesperson for the Athens-Clarke County Police Department tells TMZ Sports everyone was largely behaved, saying there were only "a handful" of arrests made for misdemeanor offenses.

Back at the stadium in Indiana ... the players partied with cigars to celebrate the W -- and they even got some love from big UGA fan Quavo in the postgame locker room.

The rapper rubbed elbows with team ... all while they blared Migos over the speakers.

And, if you think it all might be a little excessive -- it isn't ... 'cause it's been 41 years since the school last won a natty.

Kanye West and Julia Fox certainly know how to attract attention, hitting one of the most-trafficked celeb spots in L.A. for a dinner date night ... all while kinda-sorta matching their outfits.

The two arrived separately to Craig's Monday night, Kanye wearing his signature hoodie, jeans, sunglasses and boots -- while Julia wore similar colors -- with a tight jacket, jeans, heels and what appears to be a Balenciaga handbag.

It's the first time we've seen the new couple together on the West Coast -- they were up and down the East last week in both Miami and NYC -- hitting dinner, doing an impromptu photoshoot and Kanye dressing his new boo in Balenciaga.

However, it wasn't just Ye and Fox at Craig's Monday, they were joined by former Tampa Bay Buccaneer Antonio Brown, who is reportedly going to be making music with Ye in the near future.

No word on what the table conversation consisted of, but with that trio, there's certainly a wide scope of possibilities.

Video of Antonio Brown's infamous meltdown that led to his eventual cut from the Bucs is getting the NFT treatment ... and it can be all yours, if you've got some serious coin laying around.

TMZ Sports has learned ... footage of Brown's Jan. 2 blowup at MetLife Stadium has been turned into an NFT -- and it will go up for auction on Jan. 13.

We're told the non-fungible token is expected to garner a bunch of bids -- and, considering just how viral the video went following its posting on social media, the final price could get into 7 figures.

The tweet alone garnered over 11.5 million views ... and, given how similarly viral NFTs have sold in the past, the expectation is the winning bidder could pay in the area of $1.5 MILLION to own the piece.

A hefty price tag, we know ... but the clip is now entrenched in NFL history.

As we reported, Brown was kicked off the Bucs following the shirtless jaunt ... and it very well could end up being the last time the potential Hall of Famer is seen wearing an NFL team on a gameday again.

Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith -- who started three games for Seattle this season -- was arrested early Monday morning on suspicion of DUI in Washington ... TMZ Sports has confirmed.

A spokesperson for the Washington State Patrol tells us ... Smith was pulled over at around 2 AM in King County -- just hours after the Seahawks returned home from beating the Cardinals in Arizona on Sunday.

According to law enforcement, Smith was initially stopped for speeding ... and was booked into the King County Jail a short time later.

Records show he was released after about seven hours in custody.

Further details surrounding the arrest are unclear ... we're working on it.

Smith played in a total of four games this season while Russell Wilson was out with a finger injury. He recorded a 1-2 record and logged 702 passing yards and five TDs.

The former 2nd-round pick is slated to be a free agent this offseason.

Connecticut high school hockey player Teddy Balkind tragically died after a skate cut his neck during a game last week ... the Connecticut Office of the Chief Medical Examiner announced Monday.

Officials formally ruled Balkind's death as an "accident" ... revealing the cause as an "incised wound of neck."

Balkind was just a 16-year-old sophomore.

As we previously reported, the horrifying incident happened during St. Luke's game vs. Brunswick School in Greenwich last Thursday ... when authorities say Balkind fell to the ice and was accidentally crashed into by an opponent.

According to the Greenwich Police Department, Balkind was taken to the hospital ... but died there from his injuries.

The two schools expressed deep remorse following the tragedy ... with Balkind's St. Luke's school closing on Friday and reopening on Monday with a "special schedule."

NHL teams and players, meanwhile, honored Balkind at their games over the last few days ... with the L.A. Kings holding a moment of silence for Teddy on Saturday.

Senator Marco Rubio is still trying to wrap his head around the Miami Dolphins firing of (ex-) head coach Brian Flores ... telling TMZ Sports he was "just as surprised as anybody."

"I don't know what happened inside that building you know," Rubio said. "I was just as surprised as anybody. I don’t think anybody was expecting that today."

The U.S. Senator from Florida -- who was born in Miami -- told us he didn't want to speculate on what went wrong with the Dolphins ... but he believes something transpired that ultimately led to the demise of Flores.

"I'm not in that building, but something was going on inside there," Rubio said. "People not getting along -- whatever it was. I can't tell you."

Flores -- who was in his third year with the team -- got off to a shaky start this season ... losing 7 of the team's first 8 games. But, Miami rebounded -- winning 7 straight games, and 8 of their last 9.

Still, they canned him.

The silver lining for Flores ... Rubio tells us he doesn't expect he'll be out of work long, and speculates he could wind up with the New York Giants.

But, don't get your hopes up just yet Giants fans -- much-maligned GM, Dave Gettleman, retired ... but it appears head coach Joe Judge will be with the team for at least another season.

Finally, we asked Marco if Tom Brady has surpassed Marino as the greatest athlete to ever play in Florida ... and while Rubio wasn't ready to go that far, he did have high praise for the 7x Super Bowl champ.

Don Maynard -- one of the greatest wide receivers in NFL history -- died on Monday, the Pro Football Hall of Fame announced. He was 86 years old.

No cause of death was revealed.

"Our Pro Football Hall of Fame family mourns the passing of Don Maynard," Hall of Fame president Jim Porter said. "He was a resilient man on and off the field -- and someone that his teammates could always count on."

Maynard -- who was drafted by the New York Giants in 1957 and played for several pro teams in his football career -- is most known for his incredible run with the Jets' franchise.

In his 13 seasons with the team -- spanning from 1960-1972 -- Maynard logged over 11,000 receiving yards and 88 receiving touchdowns. He also helped the Jets win Super Bowl III -- the famous Big Game that Joe Namath guaranteed a win in.

Maynard meant so much to the Jets, the team eventually retired his number.

He was ultimately inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1987.

Ayesha Curry is putting an end to "ridiculous" rumors she's in an open relationship with her NBA superstar husband, Stephen Curry ... saying it's 100% not true.

Ayesha -- who married Steph in 2011 -- is breaking her silence weeks after gossip blogs reported (citing an anonymous tip) the adored couple wasn't monogamous ... denying the claims in a response to an Instagram troll.

"Don't believe everything you read," Curry said on Monday. "Do you know how ridiculous that is? Don't disrespect my marriage like that. Please and thank you."

Of course, the Currys first met as teens in Charlotte, N.C. ... but didn't start dating until years later.

The couple got hitched on July 30, 2011 ... and went on to have 3 kids together -- Riley (9), Ryan (6), and Canon (3).

The Currys have found success in both of their fields -- Steph is a 3-time champ and a perennial MVP candidate ... while Ayesha has her own cooking line and show.

Halsey is not letting Grizzlies player Desmond Bane get away with coming at the King ... ripping the guard for being rude to LeBron James and having a "big a** f***in' mouth."

23-year-old Bane was clearly chirping throughout the Lakers' home game against Memphis ... and it got so heated at one point, LBJ shoved the guy for continuously running his mouth.

The award-winning singer -- who's a die-hard Lakers fan -- was sitting courtside through it all ... and had some words for DB after the game.

"Courtside observations: Bane got an unnaturally loud and rude big a** f***in mouth," Halsey said via Twitter.

Grizzlies fans quickly replied with shots of their own ... but Halsey wasn't having it.

"Bruh shut the f*** up," Halsey replied, "This man LeBron almost had to give him a masterclass in decorum."

"Everyone s*** talks but word on the court was 'he’s a problem.'"

FYI, Bane -- who's in his second season with the Grizz -- replied to Halsey's analysis with a few laughing emojis and a thumbs down ... but he later deleted the tweet.

Is there anything Mookie Betts can't do?

The Dodgers star showed he's still both an elite baseball player AND bowler ... rolling yet another perfect game on Sunday.

The 29-year-old posted footage of the incredible feat over the weekend -- showing off video of the last one of his 12 strikes in a row.

Check out the clip, Mookie hit all of the pins with ease -- and he's such a good bowler, he hardly even celebrated the absurdly difficult accomplishment.

"Just call me Mr. 300," he said smoothly in the caption on the clip.

Of course, Mookie acted like had been there before because, well, he has ... back in 2017, while still a member of the Red Sox, he bowled a perfect 300 too.

Mookie has never been shy about showing off his skills in the alleys ... in 2019, he competed in Chris Paul's PBA Celebrity Invitational with his partner, professional bowler Tommy Jones, and beat Terrell Owens and Pete Weber for the tournament title.

The Philadelphia Eagles weren't the only ones getting whooped on Saturday ... a couple of their fans got the same treatment from Dallas Cowboys supporters in the stands at Lincoln Financial Field.

Video shot by bystanders caught all the action ... showing two men in 'Boys jerseys getting into a verbal altercation with a man in a Randall Cunningham Eagles uniform.

The argument quickly turned physical ... when one of the Dallas supporters -- who was decked out in a CeeDee Lamb jersey -- walked straight to the Eagles fan and started throwing punches.

You can see in the clip, the fan in the Lamb jersey got the better of the Eagles supporter quickly ... and then the Cowboys fans moved on to fighting another guy in the same row.

Security and others in the area eventually came to the scene to break it all up.

Of course, the melee was a microcosm of the Eagles' bad night ... 'cause on the field, the Cowboys blew Philly out, 51-26.