TMZ Sports - Page 21

Jerry Rice is scoring extra points with these good looks!

Here's the 24-year-old version of the San Francisco 49ers' wide receiver flashing his facial hair in uniform in The City by the Bay during his second professional year with the team back in 1987 (left). Over the 15 years on the team, he took home three Super Bowl wins.

And 35 years later ... the now 59-year-old NFL G.O.A.T. is still looking like a champ -- and still voicing support to his OG team with custom potato chips -- with a photo he shared to his Instagram followers just last week (right).

What a snack!

The question is ...

Tom Brady -- the most successful quarterback in NFL history -- is walking away from the game of football after 22 historic seasons.

The 44-year-old 7-time champ is retiring as the league's all-time leader in wins at quarterback, passing attempts, completions, passing yards and passing touchdowns, according to a report from Adam Schefter and Jeff Darlington

Brady was the 199th pick in the 2000 NFL Draft ... after playing at Michigan from 1996-1999.

Brady played for New England from 2001-19 ... winning 6 Super Bowls with the Patriots. He went on to sign with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, where he won his 7th championship in 2021.

The Bucs went 13-4 this season and ran away with the NFC South title ... but were defeated by the Rams in the Divisional Round of the playoffs.

Brady married supermodel Gisele Bundchen in 2009 ... and just this week, he hinted at the possibility of hanging it up for his wife and children's sake.

He previously spoke about how he hoped to play until he was 45 years old, but was open about his struggles with being away from family during the football season.

"It pains [Gisele] to see me get hit out there, and she deserves what she needs from me as a husband and my kids deserve what they need from me as a dad," Brady said this week on his "Let's Go" podcast.

Brady threw for 84,520 yards and 624 TDs over his 22-season career.

Brady's ex-teammate, Julian Edelman, congratulated the quarterback ... saying, "Thanks for the memories, babe."

Chris Godwin -- who won a ring with Brady last season -- added, "The best ever. Congratulations bro @TomBrady grateful to have gotten to share the field with you! Much love fam."

Congrats on retirement, G.O.A.T.

More troubling news for NFL player Damon Arnette ... the former 1st round draft pick was arrested Friday night in Las Vegas after he allegedly threatened a valet with a gun, TMZ Sports has learned.

The 25-year-old cornerback was busted for assault with a deadly weapon, carrying a concealed weapon and possession of a controlled substance after a dispute allegedly occurred at the Park MGM on Las Vegas Boulevard.

It's unclear what drug Arnette allegedly had on him.

A witness tells us Damon attempted to retrieve a car without a valet ticket ... leading to a dispute. We're told Arnette pulled a gun, and the police were eventually called.

This is just the latest issue with the former Ohio State star. Arnette was cut by the Raiders in November after a video surfaced appearing to show Damon threatening someone with a gun.

Arnette is also being sued by a woman who claims he hit her car, injuring her, and left the scene of the accident after an October 2020 crash.

After a standout season at Ohio State where Arnette earned 2nd Team All-Big Ten honors, he was the 19th overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft.

In 2 seasons with the Raiders, Arnette played in 13 games, racking up 29 tackles. After Vegas cut him, he signed as a practice squad player with the Miami Dolphins.

Damon was recently signed by the Kansas City Chiefs to a reserves/futures contract ... meaning he isn't on the active roster right now, but the team has his rights for next season.

File this under warming up for Bobby Lashley ... 'cause on the eve of the Royal Rumble, WWE Superstar Brock Lesnar just BODY SLAMMED Wee Man through a table -- at dinner!!

TMZ Sports obtained video from Lesnar's dinner table at a restaurant in St. Louis when the 6'3", 285-ish lb. behemoth picked up the Jackass star -- as Johnny Knoxville (who's in the RR) watched -- and sent him crashing through the wood table, breaking glass (and possibly Wee Man's back?).

The clip's great ... the future WWE HOF'er casually picks him up, holds him, and then ... boom!

Of course, Brock -- the WWE Champion -- is in Missouri for the Royal Rumble ... where he's taking on the challenger, Lashley, Saturday night at The Dome at America's Center.

Lesnar and Lashley isn't the only big time matchup. Roman Reigns is wrestling Seth Rollins, Becky Lynch vs. Doudrop is also going down ... and there's a bunch of other Superstars scheduled to be in the house.

As far as Wee Man -- aka Jason Acuna -- the good news is we're told he's okay! Maybe just a bit sore ... 😬😬😬

Austin Seferian-Jenkins, former NFL tight end, was arrested for misdemeanor assault (domestic violence) and felony harassment on Friday in Washington State, TMZ Sports has learned.

The 29-year-old former 2nd round draft pick was booked into a county jail around 9 PM. He is still in custody, and bail has not yet been set.

The details surrounding the arrest are currently unclear.

According to court records, ASJ was officially booked for "misdemeanor assault/domestic violence" and "felony harassment threats/domestic violence or death threats."

It's not the first time Seferian-Jenkins has been in trouble with the law. He was busted at least 3 times for DUI. In 2020, he cut a deal with officials to defer prosecution on his latest driving under the influence charge ... on the condition he kept his nose clean.

Now, those charges could be pursued once again ... in addition to the new domestic violence charges.

Jenkins was the 38th overall pick in the 2014 NFL Draft -- going to the Bucs -- after a standout career at the University of Washington. After 2+ seasons in Tampa, Seferian-Jenkins signed with the NY Jets in 2016. In 2018, he played for the Jacksonville Jaguars.

The Patriots signed ASJ in 2019 .. but released him before the season started. That's the last time he played professional football.

Seferian-Jenkins had a solid career ... catching 116 balls for 1,160 receiving yards and 11 touchdowns.

If ultimately convicted, Austin could face years in prison, in addition to a large fine.

If Eddie George was running the Tennessee Titans ... he wouldn't be looking for a new QB this offseason, telling TMZ Sports he still believes in Ryan Tannehill.

Of course, it's an unpopular opinion ... because most NFL fans believe the quarterback's three interceptions against the Cincinnati Bengals are the reasons why the Titans aren't playing the Chiefs in the AFC Championship game this weekend.

But, when we got George out in L.A. earlier this week ... the Titans legend said he still thinks Tannehill is good enough to get Tennessee to the Super Bowl next year.

"He's just got to cut down on the turnovers and find a way to come back," George said.

As for if he'd look into acquiring another QB, like Aaron Rodgers, George wasn't so sure about all that.

"I wouldn't go searching for something that -- you know, the grass isn't always greener on the other side," the ex-running back said. "I would ride it out."

As for the Titans' biggest star, Derrick Henry, George loves the guy's game ... and actually told us he's hoping the dude catches all of his records and breaks them one day.

Kamaru Usman may be down to fight Israel Adesanya after all -- that is IF the money's right -- according to manager Ali Abdelaziz, who tells TMZ Sports he wants his fighter to go up a weight class to attain a 2nd UFC title.

"I want him to beat Leon Edwards and I want him to go fight Israel Adesanya for the middleweight title," Abdelaziz said when speaking about his top-ranked pound-for-pound client.

Kamaru, the 170 lb. champ, and Izzy, the 185 lb. champ, have always shut down talks of them fighting ... because they're both Nigerian.

But, Ali doesn't believe that'd stop them if it came down to it.

"These guys, they're cool but I don't think they like best friends. Listen, if there's enough money for both of them, they'll fight in the parking lot. I know how people work. This has nothing to do with loyalty."

Abdelaziz continued, talking about the importance of attaining a title in 2 divisions.

"I like Israel, I love watching him. I'm a huge fan. He's a nice guy, but at the end of the day, I'm Kamaru Usman team all the way. I want to see Kamaru Usman before end of the road have two titles. I'm selfish. I'm greedy. Like Henry Cejudo says, I'm a gold digger."

In fact, Ali says Usman is even considering going up 2-weight classes ... all the way to 205 lbs.

"Kamaru's thinking about going to a light heavyweight and fight Jan Blachowicz, not fight Adesanya."

Of course, Jan lost his last fight to Glover Teixeira and is no longer the champ.

But, the point remains ... Kamaru is considering going up 35 lbs. and fighting a man who's significantly bigger than him -- a fight Abdelaziz believes his guy would win rather easily.

"Styles make fights. Kamaru will beat Jan for five rounds straight."

But first -- before an Israel, Jan, or matchup with anyone else -- the Nigerian Nightmare has to beat Leon Edwards ... who hasn't lost since (you guessed it) he was beaten by Usman in 2015.

Rey Mysterio will be a WWE Hall of Famer someday, but the KING of the 619 tells TMZ Sports he isn't ready to retire yet 'cause he's having too much fun wrestling with his son Dominik.

We talked to the 47-year-old WWE Superstar ahead of the highly anticipated Royal Rumble ... and asked if thoughts of leaving the wrestling biz for good ever creep into his mind.

"I think this is the time I've been enjoying the most 'cause I get to step in there with my son, I get to guide him, I get to see his growth, I interact with the fans," Rey says.

Mysterio -- whose career in the squared circle spanned more than three decades -- admits the wear and tear on the body can be exhausting ... but he's thankful his schedule ain't as hectic as it once was in the past.

The WWE legend told us he's having a blast -- and really enjoys the love he's getting from fans -- but knows he can't wrestle forever and that's a bridge he'll inevitably have to cross.

"I think the moment that I go back and re-watch a match that I have and see myself slowing down, then I'll say, 'you know what Rey? Damn, it's time to hang it up now'," Mysterio says.

Despite having an in-ring reputation as a high-flyer, Rey -- who recently landed the cover of WWE 2K22 -- says he still gets butterflies for him and Dominik every time one of them hits the curtain to walk out and perform.

"I still get nervous before I walk out there. It's just something that I have. I can't get those feelings away. So, on top of being nervous for myself, now I gotta be nervous for my son too because as a father, you want him to do good."

Add Dave East to the list of people upset with Barry Bonds being kept out of the Hall of Fame by baseball writers ... telling TMZ Sports it would be "f***ed up" if he doesn't make it to Cooperstown.

We caught up with the NYC rapper on Friday ... and asked how he felt about Bonds not making it into baseball's "sacred" Hall on his 10th and final try ... and his chances at ever getting in.

"I think that will be f***ed up if he not," East said. "He a legend. So, I think it'll be f***ed up if he not. He should be."

Dave was short and to the point ... but his responses echo the sentiments of many who believe Bonds' resume absolutely warrants a nod into baseball's historical museum.

Of course, Bonds failed to reach the required 75% of votes needed for enshrinement .... but still has a chance to get voted in if he lands on the Today's Game ballot in December.

Other notable names such as Roger Clemens and Sammy Sosa were also up on the ballot ... but, like Barry, failed to garner the percentages of votes needed to cement their spot in the Hall.

While Bonds, Clemens, and Sosa undoubtedly had Hall of Fame-worthy careers ... many believe they are being kept out because they're all inextricably linked to the use of performance-enhancing substances.

One of Bonds' contemporaries, David Ortiz, however, received the support he needed and managed to get in on just his first try.

Hundreds of people are lining up to support Patrick Mahomes' fiancee ... 'cause TMZ Sports has learned thousands of "Team Brittany" shirts have already sold in just one day.

A rep for Charlie Hustle -- the shirt company that partnered with Brittany Matthews to make the tees in the wake of her Arrowhead Stadium champagne celebration backlash -- tells us the shirts have sold so quickly ... there's now a waiting list for the item.

In total, through the first 24 hours-or-so of sales, the rep said more than 2,000 units have been bought.

"The community reaction for the initiative has been overwhelmingly positive," the rep said. "The message that we are trying to convey is to be kind to one another."

As we previously reported, Matthews and Charlie Hustle combined to create the shirts with the goal of stopping bullying.

Matthews said Thursday that the shirt co. came up with the idea after she said she was "attacked" by fans who were putting her down for spraying bubbly following K.C.'s epic win last weekend.

The shirt co. tells us 25% of the proceeds (each tee costs $36) will go to the Red Card KC -- a foundation in Kansas City that aims to prevent bullying -- and Matthews also said she'd be matching the final donation.

Matthews actually stopped by the shirt store in K.C. on Friday ... and was "blown away" by the reaction it's all getting.

"This is just so incredible," Matthews said. "From the bottom of my heart, I can not thank you guys enough."

NHL star Nathan MacKinnon suffered both a broken face and a concussion from the violent hit that left him a bloody mess on Wednesday night.

Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar just announced the update to media members ... saying he's not sure when the Colorado center will be able to return to game action.

Bednar did say, though, that he expected MacKinnon to miss at least the team's next 3 games.

If you missed it ... the hit was scary as hell -- as MacKinnon was going up the ice in the Avs' game against the Bruins, Taylor Hall's shoulder collided with his face.

Video of the play shows MacKinnon's stick ended up wacking him in the nose ... 'causing him to bleed everywhere.

Somehow, MacKinnon got up and skated off the ice under his own power.

Colorado will miss the star while he's out ... he's been one of the best players in the league this season, tallying nine goals and 34 assists in 31 games.

UFC champ Julianna Pena believes COVID is "just a money grab" ... admitting this week she's "a massive conspiracy theorist" when it comes to the pandemic.

The starfighter -- who just beat Amanda Nunes to win the women's bantamweight title in a huge upset at UFC 269 -- made the eyebrow-raising comments to Joe Rogan on "The Joe Rogan Experience."

During a talk about coronavirus with the podcast host, Pena said, "I'm a massive conspiracy theorist on this whole thing and I have been since the very beginning."

"And I'm like, 'This is just a money grab,'" she said. "This is -- they're trying to kill us," she added. "You know? And this is ridiculous."

Rogan responded quickly, saying, "Woah."

"I don't think they're trying to kill us," Rogan said. "I think there's a lot of confusion as far as what works and what doesn't work."

It's unclear exactly who either meant by "they" -- but it appears to be government officials.

The two went on to talk about COVID masks... and both Pena and Rogan made it very clear they have doubts about their efficacy.

"Have you seen that guy where he takes a pull from a vape pen, on the outside, and then just like clouds and plumes of smoke come out?" Pena said. "Like, what is [the mask] really protecting?"

Pena added, "I don't put on a mask unless somebody asks me."

Tennis star Daniil Medvedev was straight-up PISSED with an umpire during an Australian Open match ... completely berating him and calling him a "small cat."

Medvedev was battling his rival, Stefanos Tsitsipas, for a shot at the final round of the tourney ... when he was issued a code violation by umpire Jaume Campistol.

The penalty came after the ump thought Daniil gave him an inappropriate gesture out of frustration ... and that's when the feisty Russian tennis sensation absolutely lost it.

Medvedev was clearly furious at the ump over the penalty ... as well as for not penalizing his opponent, claiming his father was coaching him during the match.

"Bro, are you mad?" Medvedev yelled to the ump. "For what? And his father can talk every point? Bro, are you stupid? His father can talk every point!"

"Oh my God, you are so bad, man," he continued. "How can you be so bad in the semifinal of a Grand Slam. Look at me! I’m talking to you!"

The umpire, to his credit, maintained his composure even as Medvedev continued to go off. "If you don’t [give Tsitsipas a warning], you are ... a small cat," Medvedev yelled.

Tsitsipas -- who lost to DM in four sets -- did admit that his father was talking during the match, but offered an explanation.

"My father, his medicine is to talk, and you can’t stop it,” Tsitsipas said. "I’m pretty sure I’m going to keep receiving coaching violations, even though I will never listen to any single thing he says."

The power of K-Pop is real ... just ask Golden State Warriors star Andrew Wiggins, who landed a spot in the NBA All-Star Game starting lineup with the help of one of the genre's biggest stars -- Got7 member BamBam.

The starting 5s for the ASG in Cleveland were officially announced on Thursday ... and while LeBron James, Nikola Jokic, Ja Morant and Steph Curry unsurprisingly made the cut for the West, many were wondering how Wiggins landed the honor.

So, how did it happen?? As the SF Gate points out, BamBam -- who became the Dubs' global ambassador this season -- called on his millions of social media followers to vote for the 26-year-old baller on Twitter earlier this month ... and the Ahgase fan base clearly delivered.

Of course, the 2014 #1 overall pick is having a great year -- 18 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists per game -- and may very well deserve All-Star recognition this season, but getting the third-highest fan votes (3.45 million) among frontcourt players in the conference was completely unexpected.

But, if you know anything about K-Pop fans, they're the most loyal supporters in all of music ... and proved it by tweeting their fingers off to lock in the spot for Wiggins on Thursday.

FYI -- fan votes counted for 50% of the final results, with players and media accounting for the other half.

Wiggins finished with 46 votes from the players -- less than 1/3 of the other frontcourt starters -- earned 4 total votes from the media, and had 1 million more votes than the next frontcourt player, Draymond Green.

BamBam wasn't the only celeb trying to get their favs into the ASG -- Kendall Jenner rallied her millions of followers to vote for her boyfriend, Devin Booker ... but he came up short of Curry and Morant.

Shaquille O'Neal is fed up with Ben Simmons -- the NBA legend wrecked the 76ers star with a rant on Thursday ... calling the baller nothing but a "crybaby."

Shaq's comments on "Inside the NBA" came during a conversation about Joel Embiid ... which turned into a comparison between the two teammates.

"The difference between [Embiid] and his soft partner is he can take criticism without being a crybaby and he still wants to play," O’Neal said.

"The other guy I don’t respect," Shaq said in reference to Simmons. "And I’ve been thinking about it. You’re missing the whole season because they asked your coach a question – can we win without you?"

"And your coach gave a funny answer. That should tell you, in the summertime, you need to work on your game."

The moment Shaq is referring to is a postgame interview with Doc Rivers, when he was asked if Simmons could be the point guard on a championship team ... to which coach responded, "I don't know the answer to that right now."

Shaq pointed out he was criticized by guys in the media over the course of his legendary career ... but he didn't let it get to him, and it motivated him to get better.

“You don’t think I haven’t been criticized by you guys and Stephen A. [Smith] and haven’t been criticized by LA media and New York media?" the Diesel said.

"Great players get criticized but the great players also step up to the criticism and perform."

Chael Sonnen is still undefeated ... battery charges against the 44-year-old retired MMA star were dismissed in Las Vegas, TMZ Sports has confirmed.

The American Gangster was slapped with 5 battery citations after an alleged brawl at a Las Vegas hotel the night of December 18 ... where Sonnen was accused of roughing up numerous people.

However, a judge in Nevada dismissed all 5 misdemeanor battery charges against Chael on Thursday.

"This matter was dismissed by the court on its own based upon the fact that the citation’s notice to appear failed to comply with the legal requirements as set forth by Nevada law," the Clark County District Attorney told us when we asked for an explanation.

It's important to note, the 5 citations were dismissed "without prejudice" ... meaning the state can refile the charges if they choose.

For his part, Sonnen's been mum ... opting not to address the incident.

Despite laying down his gloves in the Bellator cage back in June 2019, Chael's as popular as ever ... becoming one of the most respected MMA analysts in the world.

As a fighter, Sonnen was one of his era ... beating Rampage Jackson, Wanderlei Silva, Shogun Rua, and Michael Bisping.