TMZ Sports - Page 15

An Olympic athlete at the 2022 Games in Beijing says the food she's been given during her quarantine period has been so bad, she's in physical pain and cries every day.

Russian biathlete Valeria Vasnetsova made the claims on her Instagram page earlier this month ... attaching a photo of some unappealing food that she says she was given while in COVID-19 isolation at a local hotel.

The picture appears to show a plate of plain pasta, some meat, a few potatoes and a sauce ... none of which looks incredibly appetizing.

In her comment on the picture ... Vasnetsova trashed the food as inedible, and claimed the meal was what she was receiving for "breakfast, lunch and dinner for five days already."

"My stomach hurts," Vasnetsova said. "I’m very pale and I have huge black circles around my eyes. I want all this to end. I cry every day. I’m very tired."

Vasnetsova added that the lack of nutrition in the food has caused her to drop weight ... saying, "my bones are already sticking out."

According to the Associated Press, things have improved for Vasnetsova following her complaints ... the outlet reported Russian biathlon team spokesperson Sergei Averyanov said Vasnetsova was getting delivered better meals over the weekend, including salmon and cucumbers.

Vasnetsova is far from the only athlete to complain about quarantine conditions at the Games ... there have been several others from countries all around the world who have griped about the living conditions.

Peng Shuai gave her first non-Chinese run interview about her apparent disappearance last year, insisting all is well ... but it sure sounds like she had a gun held to her head.

The ex-tennis star and women’s doubles champ did an interview this weekend with French outlet L’Equipe in Beijing -- where the 2022 Winter Olympics are currently being held -- and during the sit-down, she once again denied ever accusing any Chinese government official of sexual assault, while also downplaying speculation that she’d vanished shortly thereafter ... even though both definitely seem to have happened on the face of things.

When asked about the initial allegation she’d posted on the Chinese social media app Weibo, Peng is quoted as saying it was “an enormous misunderstanding,” while also flat-out rejecting she’d ever even made such a claim -- despite clear evidence she, in fact, had ... via screenshots of her quickly-deleted statement at the time.

Shuai says, “Sexual assault? I never said that anyone made me submit to a sexual assault.” But when pressed about the world having seen the OG post and asked why she’d deleted it, PS answered ... “Why? Because I wanted to.”

You'd think they'd ask why she posted it in the first place, but apparently ... no such follow-up question was allowed, and they moved on to other topics.

We should mention ... although this interview was done with a publication that wasn’t state-run by the Chinese government, they still very much had a hand in how this was playing out -- as Shuai is said to have been accompanied by a Chinese Olympic official during the chat and the questions were submitted ahead of time, on the condition they print her remarks verbatim ... according to L’Equipe.

Shuai thanked everyone who expressed concern for her when she appeared to have vanished from public view after posting that claim -- but then said this ... “I never disappeared. It’s simply that many people, like my friends and among them, those from the IOC, sent me messages and it was completely impossible to respond to so many messages.”

In addition to all this, the IOC also announced that its Prez, Thomas Bach, had had dinner with Shuai in Beijing ... noting she appeared okay. The IOC, however, refused to weigh in on whether they felt she was under duress or not ... insisting it wasn’t their place to do so.

Spotify has called out Joe Rogan for "incredibly hurtful" comments, but they are holding firm ... he still has a place on its platform.

Spotify CEO Daniel Ek wrote a memo to staff, saying, "There are no words I can say to adequately convey how deeply sorry I am for the way The Joe Rogan Experience controversy continues to impact each of you."

Ek then zeros in on Joe, saying, "Not only are some of Joe Rogan's comments incredibly hurtful -- I want you to make it clear that they do not represent the values of this company. I know this situation leaves many of you feeling drained, frustrated and unheard."

It seems the comments are directed at Rogan using the n-word -- the full word -- on his podcast, although the COVID controversy may well be part of it.

And then, Ek pivots, explaining, "While I strongly condemn what Joe has said and I agree with his decision to remove past episodes from our platform, I realize some will want more."

Now the support ... "And I want to make one point very clear -- I do not believe that silencing Joe is the answer. We should have clear lines around content and take action when they are crossed, but canceling voices is a slippery slope."

Ek says his company will invest $100 million "for the licensing, development, and marketing of music and audio content from historically marginalized groups."

Philadelphia Eagles safety Anthony Harris just made an 11-year-old fan's dream come true ... when he escorted her to a daddy-daughter dance in Texas after her father passed away last year.

Audrey Soape -- a huge Harris fan -- tragically lost both her dad and grandpa recently ... so her mother reached out to the safety in hopes of having him step in to escort her to the school event.

Of course, Audrey's mom, Holly, knew it was a long shot ... but after the Eagles were eliminated from the playoffs, Harris' schedule opened up -- and he came through for Audrey!!

"I just asked if he would come, if he'd be willing to come," Holly said, according to local reports. "And he said, 'not only will I come, I want to make sure she feels like a princess.'"

Audrey said she got the big news a week before the dance was set to take place ... and she was nervous she'd mess up while dancing with Anthony.

But, judging by the pics -- taken by Vember Photo -- of the event, it was a massive success ... and Harris succeeded in making the night extra special for her by paying for her dress, shoes, and make-up.

On top of that, the 30-year-old also had a car with a driver come to the house and pick her up!!

Harris told NBC 10 in Philadelphia he was "just trying to be a human ... Trying to take off the helmet, trying to take off the cape of what I do professionally and just show some sympathy for that family and try to show some support there."

It never rains in Southern California ... but at least one L.A. strip club is expecting huge showers daily in its venue during Super Bowl week -- telling TMZ Sports it believes it's going to be a "mad house" in the buildup to the Big Game.

Seventh Veil -- one of the hottest strip clubs in the Hollywood area -- says it's seen it before -- with its manager, Leo Betancourt, telling us it happened when the NBA All-Star game came to Los Angeles in 2018.

"We had 40 girls a night when we had the All-Star Game a couple years back," Betancourt said. "We were super packed."

"It's going to be busy the whole week before the Super Bowl because it's not like people are going to fly in on Sunday. It's going to be a mad house!"

Because of that, Betancourt tells us he's planning to have "as many girls as I can for that weekend" out of his roster of 100+ dancers.

Popular strip club Crazy Girls, meanwhile, is taking a different route for the busy week ... with a rep there telling us their focal point is "quality over quantity" for their Super Bowl guests.

"We intend to more so focus on giving all of the Bengal fans and NFL supporters a good time and great experience in Los Angeles," the rep said, "and enjoy the Crazy Girls Experience."

For the male strip clubs, Detention Ultra Lounge -- which hosts one of the Hollywood Men Shows in Anaheim -- is predicting an overwhelming weekend despite being located 26 miles from L.A.

The clubs aren't the only ones anticipating a jam-packed week ... entertainment agency Spotlight Strippers -- which provides female and male exotic dancers to private parties -- is also expecting high demand in the leadup to the Rams vs. Bengals tilt.

"We're expecting a higher than average call volume during that weekend," the agency said, "which we are looking forward to."

Before this pipsqueak throwing up the peace sign was landing some of the most difficult tricks in the rink, she was just another baby with bangs training for the Olympics in Arcadia, California.

This cute kid is best known for representing the United States with her amazing figure skating skills ... she hasn't only made a remarkable impact for America in Winter Olympic Games, but also on the future of the sport itself.

She has won numerous bronze and silver medals over the course of her career but only has taken home the gold once.

Tom Brady is the Greatest of All Time, and Kevin Bacon's here to make sure we all know it ... with a little message that's both literal and distracting!

The legendary actor took to TikTok Sunday with a tune he made up on his trusty ukulele -- performing it next to a bunch of his goats, no less, on a little farm he and his family own out in Connecticut.

Check it out ... the song isn't half bad at all, and neither is Kevin's pipes. The performance is especially impressive, considering he had two goats (plus a couple pigs) nibbling and needling him throughout the whole thing.

The song itself is all about TB12's retirement, and how amazed Kev seems to be by both the announcement ... as well as Tom's career at large. As captivated as he seems to be by the news -- his 4-legged friend next to him appeared even more dumbfounded by the show. 😅

BTW, this concert-from-the-farm thing is actually something Kevin does a lot. He regularly whips out an instrument and strums away with his farm animals by his side. They certainly seem to dig it ... and who wouldn't??? Kev and co. are actually pretty damn good.

Anyway, speaking of Tom Brady ... the guy himself had a bit of a message to share as well in the wake of him stepping away from football. He posted a video that talks about "Chapter 2" and how he's ready to embark on this journey.

Really, it was just a huge plug for his BRADY brand of clothing ... but the point is certainly made. Tom's diving into mogul mode, and based on the visual evidence -- he's locked in and ready to hawk some gear.

Hoping to hear Tom Brady in a broadcast booth now that he's done on the field? Eli Manning says don't count on it ... explaining he believes there's no way TB12 gets into TV.

The New York Giants legend spoke with Adam Glyn out in NYC this week about what's next for Brady following his retirement ... and Eli said straight-up he doesn't believe it'll be talking X's and O's on a network.

"He's not going into broadcasting," Eli said. "He's too good."

As for what is next ... Eli said he's pretty certain it'll involve relaxation and family time.

"Enjoy life," the ex-QB said.

Kristi Yamaguchi deserves the gold medal for these good looks!

Here's the 20-year-old version of the figure skater during the medal ceremony of the Winter Olympics in Albertville, France back in 1992 (left). She had become the world champion by winning the gold medal for her talents ... becoming the first Asian American woman to do so.

And, 30 years later ... the now 50-year-old elite athlete still showing her support for the USA team on Instagram as they gear up for the 2022 Winter Olympics Games in Beijing, China this weekend (right).

She sticks the landing!

The question is ...

Dana White is stepping in a whole new arena -- the UFC Prez tells TMZ Sports his whiskey brand sponsored his very own stock car and is confident in the vehicle, he's prepared to bet $10-25K it'll win its first-ever NASCAR race.

White says Howler Head Whiskey teamed up with Trackhouse Racing -- a professional stock car auto racing team co-owned by Pitbull -- to sponsor a car for this weekend's NASCAR race at the L.A. Memorial Coliseum.

"I'm going to bet anywhere from $10-25,000 on this car," White said. "I don't know what the odds are yet, but I want to win. I love this type of stuff."

Dana tells us the car was brought to Las Vegas from Charlotte -- so he could check out the freshly wrapped car -- before making its final stop in L.A. for Sunday's race.

Check out the ride, the car features a sick exterior design ... with the Howler Head logo on the side.

The UFC boss -- who's a mastermind at promoting -- told us that he got a visit from one of Pitbull's business partners, Justin Marks, and a discussion about the future of their respective sports ... peaked his interest in Nascar.

"I'm into this," Dana said. "I love the idea our fanbase does cross over with NASCAR and the NFL. I love this type of stuff."

White has a fight at the UFC's APEX Center Saturday night ... and is shooting a show on Sunday, so he won't be able to watch the car in person, but you can bet he's going to keep a close eye on the race.

Relax Seahawks fans ... Russell Wilson isn't going anywhere, at least that's what Joel McHale thinks, telling TMZ Sports he believes the star QB will be under center next season in Seattle.

We spoke with Joel -- maybe the biggest Seahawks fan on the planet -- out at LAX this week ... and he told us he believes there will be no break up between Russ and the 'Hawks this offseason.

In fact, McHale said even if his beloved team could replace Wilson with Aaron Rodgers ... he said he still wouldn't want Russ and Seattle to part ways.

"He's a very rare athlete," McHale said of Wilson. "We're perfectly good with Russell Wilson. I want Russell Wilson. They're going to erect statues to him in Seattle. You'll see."

As for Pete Carroll, McHale thinks the head coach will for sure be back with the Seahawks next season too.

Cornel West stands with Brian Flores ... telling TMZ Sports he agrees with the former Dolphins head coach that the NFL has a systemic racism problem.

We spoke with the philosopher just a few days after Flores filed his bombshell lawsuit -- one in which he alleged teams are racist when it comes to making hires across the league -- and the former Harvard and Princeton professor told us he couldn't agree more with the allegations.

"The NFL ought to be ashamed of itself," West said. "It's been functioning like a plantation."

West tells us, though, that he believes Flores' suit could be the start of a big change in the league.

"Now," he said, "the chicken's coming home to roost."

West tells us he admires Flores -- lauding the coach for having vision, integrity, courage and humility -- and he says if the NFL focused more on those traits in Black coaches, they wouldn't need the Rooney Rule in the first place.

"Well, the problem is that if they were concerned about quality they wouldn't have to worry about a rule," West said.

"Any time you talk about Black folks -- you're talking about low quality. They got to quit lying about black people."

Joe Rogan is apologizing for repeatedly using the n-word -- the entire word -- in his past, saying, "It looks f***ing horrible, even to me."

A complication of clips from old podcasts shows Rogan using the slur over and over.

Rogan tried explaining it this way ... "There's a video that's out, that's a compilation of me saying the n-word. It's a video that's made of clips taken out of context of me of 12 years of conversations on my podcast, and it's all smushed together."

Rogan said there were times he thought he could use the word during discussions about pop culture ... citing Redd Foxx and Richard Pryor, but there's an obvious difference. Rogan says he was wrong and is regretful.

He says, "Now, I haven't said it in years, but for a long time, when I would bring that word up, like, if it would come up in conversation and instead of saying the n-word, I would just say the word -- I thought as long as it was in context, people would understand what I was doing."

There's another clip shot 11 years ago that's even more problematic ... in which Rogan says a taxi driver dropped him off in a black neighborhood in Philly and it was "like they were in 'Planet of the Apes.'"

Rogan says, "I was just saying there's a lot of black people there. But, then I went on to talk about what a positive experience it was and how much fun it was to go to see this movie in a black neighborhood."

The popular podcaster says he will never use the n-word again, calling this "the most regretful and shameful thing that I've ever had to talk about publicly."

He says he hopes this will be a "teachable moment" for others.

Dana White says he fought like hell to get Tom Brady to play one more year -- and to do it for the Raiders -- telling TMZ Sports, "I was hammering him to come to Vegas."

Dana -- a huge Patriots fan who calls Sin City home -- says the conversations all went down shortly after Brady and the Buccaneers were booted from the playoffs ... and the TB12 retirement talk started to circulate.

The UFC honcho tells us he tried hard to get inside information from Tom about what he was going to do ... and the entire time, he said he was urging the guy to force a trade from Tampa to Nevada.

"I was firing texts to him and he sent very cryptic text messages," White says. "He had me thinking he wasn't going to retire. So, you know what I was doing? I was hammering him to come to Vegas and play for the Raiders."

Tom's initial response was not a "no," Dana said ... but, ultimately, Brady announced Tuesday he wouldn't be a Raider or a Buc or even a football player anymore -- retiring after 22 seasons in the NFL.

A Honus Wagner T206 card -- known as the "Holy Grail" of cards to collectors -- is on the auction block and is expected to bring in over $500K ... and did we mention THE CARD IS RIPPED IN HALF!!

Yes, undeniable proof the memorabilia market is on freakin' fire.

The 1909-1911 T206 card -- arguably the most coveted -- is on the block at SCP Auctions ... and this version of the card (only about 60 are estimated to be in existence) is torn, right through the Hall of Famers face.

The T206 card, produced by the American Tobacco Company, has an interesting backstory. It was only produced for a few years ... but was halted because legend has it Wagner -- an 8x NL batting champ -- did not want his face connected to cigarettes.

The auction -- which closes Saturday night -- already has 18 bids, with the top one coming in at just under 400K. But, auction president David Kohler believes the final price could go well above half a million bucks.

If half a card brings in half a million ... what's a full card go for??

Last summer a T206 sold for over $6.5 million at auction ... the most expensive card ever sold.

The torch is lit and the 2022 Winter Olympic Games in Beijing have begun!

While most events require braving the cold on the ice and in the snow, these elite athletes are bringing the heat and proving they have a lot more to show than just their determination for the gold medal.

It doesn't matter if they are an expert in Luge or skating in unison with their doubles partner in the rink, these Olympians all have one thing in common ... and that's their fit physiques!