TMZ Sports - Page 50

NHL officials say they're straight-up "concerned" for Russian players in their league ... explaining in a statement Monday that "they and their families are being placed in an extremely difficult position."

Amid a Russian invasion into Ukraine, Russian NHL players have faced hate from fans all over the globe ... with some of the league's top talent reportedly even receiving death threats.

In fact, the messages to players have gotten so bad, TSN hockey insider Darren Dreger reported Monday that the NHL has bulked up security across the league for players in wake of it all.

In its statement Monday, the NHL seemed to acknowledge the need for added protection ... saying, "We also remain concerned about the well-being of the players from Russia, who play in the NHL on behalf of their NHL Clubs, and not on behalf of Russia."

The league did admonish Russia for its attack ... and said it is in the process of pausing its relationships with Russian business partners and suspending its Russian language media sites.

If Jake Paul really wants to step into the cage, there's another org. lining up to sign him ... 'cause Bellator president Scott Coker says they're 100% interested in bringing the Problem Child to MMA.

Of course, 25-year-old Paul has voiced his interest in taking on a new combat challenge after 10 fights in the ring ... and the Bellator prez recently said he'll be patiently waiting for when that day comes.

"If Jake Paul is serious and wants to do it, we’re here," Coker said via TalkSport. "We're already talking about [it]."

Now, Jake's had a pretty successful run in boxing so far ... with huge wins over former UFC stars like Ben Askren and Tyron Woodley. Coker says he's kept a close eye on Paul ... and the convos have already started in hopes of bringing the 5-0 fighter on board.

"You know, when I say talking about it, he’s with Showtime boxing and he did the fight with T-Wood," Coker added. "There’s dialogue."

"I think he wants to do 10 boxing fights and then come over to MMA."

This is now the second MMA promotion that has voiced interest in Paul -- as we previously reported ... Wiz Khalifa, who owns part of the Professional Fighters League, told us earlier this month he would love to add the YouTuber to its roster.

As for the UFC, well ... Dana White has made it crystal clear how he feels about Paul ... and the fighter's diss track about the honcho might have hurt his chances at landing a deal in the future.

Hulk Hogan is no longer married ... the WWE legend just announced he has divorced his 2nd wife, Jennifer McDaniel, and already has a new GF.

"Yo Maniacs just for the record, the Facebook and Instagram posts are of me and my girlfriend Sky, I am officially divorced, sorry I thought everyone already knew, love my Maniacs4Life," the 2x WWE Hall of Famer announced on social media on Monday.

According to court records obtained by TMZ Sports, Hulk filed for divorce in October 2021. As Hulk states, the divorce was finalized in 2021.

It's surprising news, but not totally out of the blue. We've been receiving tips for weeks that Hogan and another woman were seen around Clearwater, Florida -- hanging out at bars, doing karaoke together.

Hulk and Jennifer married in 2010 ... after Hogan split from his first wife, Linda Hogan.

Linda and Hulk's relationship ended in an ugly way ... with allegations of abuse being lobbed by Linda. Hulk adamantly denied ever hurting his ex-wife.

The World Cup field isn't set yet, but we now know of one superpower who won't be playing in the world's biggest sporting event, 'cause FIFA has banned Russia from participating after the country invaded Ukraine, killing soldiers and innocent people alike.

FIFA (International Federation of Association Football) -- the group that oversees the World Cup -- announced a decision Monday barring the country from playing in the WC, ending Russian soccer fans' hopes of cheering on their team when the tourney kicks off in Qatar in November.

FIFA and UEFA (Union of European Football Associations) released a statement announcing the new sanctions.

"FIFA and UEFA have today decided together that all Russian teams, whether national representative teams or club teams, shall be suspended from participation in both FIFA and UEFA competitions until further notice," the statement read, in part.

The governing bodies ended with an optimistic hope for the future.

"Football is fully united here and in full solidarity with all the people affected in Ukraine. Both Presidents hope that the situation in Ukraine will improve significantly and rapidly so that football can again be a vector for unity and peace amongst people.”

32 teams ultimately qualify (31 countries plus the host nation) for the World Cup ... and Russia was not yet one of them. The Russian team was scheduled to compete in Europe in a few weeks, where they were going to vie for one of the last remaining openings.

But, due to Vladimir Putin's aggression -- ruthlessly attacking Ukraine from land, air, sea and Cyber -- FIFA stepped up and kicked them out ... for 2022, at least.

FIFA was initially criticized for failing to take a strong stance against Putin and the Russians. Over the weekend, they announced Russia could compete, but they wouldn't allow the Russian flag or anthem to be played.

It seems officials heard the anger from many soccer fans across the country ... thus the strong stance against Russia.

Vasyl Lomachenko -- arguably the best pound-for-pound boxer on the planet -- has joined the fight in his home country, taking up arms in Ukraine to help fend off Russia's invasion.

The 34-year-old former champ and two-time Olympic gold medalist was seen carrying an M16 while dressed in fatigues near his hometown over the weekend.

In a post on his Facebook page, reps for Lomachenko posted a picture of the fighter in his gear with the caption, "The Bilgorod-Dnistrovsky Battalion of Territorial Defense is formed and armed."

Lomachenko reportedly traveled to his home country shortly after Russia invaded last week ... joining former star boxers Vitali Klitschko and Wladimir Klitschko in the fight.

"We are so proud of our boxers, our real champions in boxing and champions in this war," the president of WBC Ukraine, Mykola Kovalchuk, told ESPN. "We are proud to be Ukrainians."

Lomachenko -- who last fought in December against Richard Commey -- is just a couple months away from his next fight, which will reportedly be against George Kambosos in the beginning of the summer.

Naomi Osaka is the latest superstar to enter the world of Fortnite -- the tennis sensation is joining the game's Icon Series with her own custom outfits!!

The popular game made the big announcement this week ... saying the 24-year-old will have two unique looks available for purchase starting Thursday.

One of the outfits is a super badass tennis player -- the Naomi Osaka Outfit -- which fittingly comes with a tennis racket pickaxe.

The other 'fit is the Dark Priestess Naomi ... which also has a racket-esque feature to it, but is a much more fantasy look than sporty.

Osaka joins massive names like Neymar, LeBron James and Travis Scott ... who have all collabed with the battle royale game in the past.

Of course, Osaka is a diehard gamer ... so the new partnership is a no-brainer.

Derek Jeter's run as Miami Marlins CEO is over ... the MLB legend just announced he's quitting the gig over differences in "the vision for the future of the franchise."

Jeter and the team made the surprising announcement Monday morning ... with the ex-Yankees captain making it clear in a statement that he wanted out.

"Through hard work, trust and accountability, we transformed every aspect of the franchise, reshaping the workforce, and developing a long-term strategic plan for success," said Jeter, who took over the CEO role back in 2017.

"That said, the vision for the future of the franchise is different than the one I signed up to lead. Now is the right time for me to step aside as a new season begins."

No word yet on who will replace Jeter or where he'll go next ... but the 47-year-old did say he would be giving up his four percent stake in the team.

The Marlins only made the playoffs once during Jeter's tenure as CEO ... losing in the NLDS to the Atlanta Braves in 2020. The team, though, does now have a promising young lineup and pitching rotation.

Shaquille O'Neal was a horrific teammate to rookies back in the day ... so says Gary Payton, who claims the Big Diesel used to pour his waste on guys who were using the bathroom.

Payton, who was Shaq's teammate for one year with the Lakers and then two years with the Heat in the 2000s, explained how the vile acts would go down during a recent interview with Vlad TV.

The Glove said Shaq would go to the bathroom in a bucket "for about a week" -- and then dump it on unsuspecting rookies who were in stalls.

"He would pour it on them," Payton said.

GP didn't identify which rookies were on the receiving end of the disgusting "prank" -- but he said he at least made an effort to get Shaq back for it all.

Payton explained he'd take the former NBA superstar's underwear from time to time, forcing him to "be free-ballin' all the time."

If you thought things couldn't get worse for the Los Angeles Lakers, here's proof they're still approaching rock bottom ... 'cause LeBron James is now firing back at fans for criticizing him mid-game -- appearing to tell them to "shut your ass up."

Bron and the Lakers were getting trounced by the Pelicans all Sunday night ... and Laker Nation was audibly disgusted by what they were seeing -- showering the team with boos throughout the game.

James took exception to one particular fan who apparently had some "advice" for the King ... prompting him to clap back as the game was still going on.

"Tell me one thing you know about basketball besides the ball going in," LeBron fired back at the guy ... much to the delight of the crowd nearby.

The video doesn't show how the fan reacted ... but LeBron went about the rest of his night, finishing with 32 points.

James' relationship with fans has been rocky recently -- remember, he had 2 Pacers fans escorted out for heckling him earlier this season.

But, LeBron wasn't the only Laker to respond to the fans trash-talking him on Sunday -- another fan captured a video of forward Trevor Ariza calling someone in the crowd a "bitch" repeatedly.

It appears the guy Ariza had been going back and forth with was ultimately kicked out of the game ... getting walked out by security shortly after the interaction.

Tension and frustration were understandably high -- the Lakers have looked lifeless coming out of the All-Star break ... dropping their first two games to the Clippers and Pels.

Even Lakers GM Jeanie Buss needed a break from watching her team ... as video circulated on social media of her leaving her seat as the team was down big, 78-53.

The Lakers ended up losing to the Pelicans, 123-95, dropping them to 27-33 on the season with just 22 games remaining.

Start celebrating, Trojans fans -- JuJu Smith-Schuster says USC will definitely win a national championship with Lincoln Riley as head coach ... and it could happen as soon as next season!!

JuJu was super stoked to talk about his college team's new hire during Super Bowl week ... going as far as predicting USC will win its first national title since 2004 now that Riley is at the helm.

"Soon, man," he tells TMZ Sports. "This year and whatever God has planned. I think we just gotta keep pushing. I think it's a great move. We have a great coaching staff, so it helps us out a lot."

JuJu played 3 seasons for USC before being drafted by the Steelers in the 2nd round of the 2017 NFL draft ... so of course, he's biased when it comes to the Trojans.

However, many would agree JuJu is right in saying the acquisition of Riley gives USC a serious chance to compete for a CFB championship ... bias or no bias.

The Trojans landed Riley after the ex-Oklahoma play-caller chose to take his talents from Norman to Los Angeles ... making him the 30th head coach in the program's history.

Riley said at the time of the move he was heavily recruited by USC ... and when he met with the university in person, he could tell the school and their football program was a perfect fit for him.

Speaking of USC, JuJu says it's time for his old school to allow another former Trojan legend, Reggie Bush, back on campus -- after the star running back was banned for his reported involvement in an NCAA scandal.

"I think it's time to bring back everybody back on campus with all the greats," Smith-Schuster said. "Especially Reggie Bush."

The Russian national soccer team will be allowed to take the pitch ahead of some World Cup qualifying games -- because FIFA's letting them proceed ... despite some sanctions.

The international governing body for the game announced Sunday they would let Russia's players play against some neighboring countries in soon-to-come matches -- like against Poland, for example -- stopping short of an all-out ban ... which many were calling for.

Instead of kicking them out of the competition entirely, FIFA says they are, instead, not going to allow the Russian flag to be displayed, and won't play the Russian anthem either. They're also going to force the team to go by a new moniker -- the Football Union of Russia ... and no fans are allowed either.

Perhaps the biggest restriction FIFA is laying down in response to Putin's invasion ... not allowing any matches to be played in Russia itself, insisting on neutral territories.

Poland, the Czech Republic and Sweden were set to dive into a 4-team playoff round -- with games scheduled to be played in Russia itself -- and have since said they wouldn't square off against Russia at all ... no matter where the games were situated.

Seeing how Poland was supposed to play Russia first in this tournament -- they responded to FIFA's announcement shortly thereafter, reportedly calling it "totally unacceptable" and again reaffirming their commitment to not playing against Russia no matter what.

There's beef, and then there's Colby Covington and Jorge Masvidal ... who absolutely HATE each other!!

TMZ Sports talked to 34-year-old Covington, the #1 ranked welterweight fighter, ahead of his "blood feud" with 37-year-old Masvidal, the #6 ranked WW, at UFC 272 on March 4.

"This is a blood feud. This goes back to a brotherhood. We were eight years together every single day, side by side, couldn't leave each other -- best friends," Chaos told us.

"Now, we're the biggest bitter enemies. He's the one person on Earth that I don't give a s***. Anytime I see him, I want to send that guy straight to hell and luckily I get to do it in the UFC Octagon next Saturday night on Pay-Per-View and it's gonna be bad, man. I'm gonna make him pay. I'm gonna make him suffer for backstabbing me."

See ... this goes beyond the routine pre-fight trash talk.

Colby and Jorge were friends ... best friends. Unfortunately, the relationship fell apart (long story) ... and now the men are about to be locked in a steel cage together.

One of the things both guys have in common is a friendship with Donald Trump.

So, who's the former Commander-In-Chief rooting for?! We asked Colby.

"Mr. President, #45, is not torn. He knows where his loyalty stands. He knows the person that put his whole platform for him, that was sacrificing, doing everything, really showing that I'm a true supporter. George is a fake supporter. He's not a real supporter."

Then, Covington added ... "Donald Trump, you know, I talked to his family the other day, I know where his loyalty resides."

Speaking of Trump, we also asked CC whether the ex-prez would be attending the fight.

Remember, DT attended UFC 264 in July 2021 -- Conor McGregor vs. Dustin Poirier 3 -- where he dapped up Masvidal backstage.

NYC Mayor Eric Adams is so passionate about winning a championship for the city ... he's willing to lace up his kicks and showcase some of his hoops skills if he has to!!

Adams spoke with TMZ Sports briefly as he was heading into NBC studios at Rockefeller Center ... and our cameraman tried to see if the 110th mayor in the city's history would provide an update on Kyrie Irving's status for home games.

Irving -- who's only allowed to play in road games at the moment -- missed a significant amount of the Nets games this season ... as he was sidelined over his decision to remain unvaccinated.

Of course, most Nets fans had their fingers crossed after Adams took office ... hoping that the former NYPD officer-turned politician would change the mandate that prevents Irving from playing home games for the Nets, but allows his opponents to play.

Adams admitted recently the current vaccine mandate is "unfair" to Kyrie ... but said changing a rule that's already been set in motion would send "mixed messages."

"I am really, really, leery about sending the wrong message. Having the city close down again keeps me up at night," Adams told reporters at a conference.

Of course, Adams' comments were all in good fun -- after all, the Nets are probably better off.

The mayor has since changed his tune on COVID-19 from a few weeks ago ... announcing he has a plan to end New York City's vaccine mandate for indoor spaces like the Barclays Center -- which, of course, is great news for Nets fans.

Adams told reporters he "can't wait" to get rid of the mandate -- a far cry from his initial stance -- and changes could happen "in the next few weeks."

Aaron Rodgers made a trek to the desert after breaking bread with Shailene Woodley in L.A., because he's now soaking up the sun in Palm Springs.

Aaron arrived in P.S. Friday afternoon, looking cool as a cucumber -- Adidas hoodie and aviator shades -- as he left the airport. He's apparently there to get in some rounds of golf. We didn't see Shailene, but who knows?

It was the Green Bay Packers quarterback's first outing since news broke earlier in the day that he was open to a reconciliation with ex-fiancée Shailene Woodley, 30, with a source claiming that the couple are "talking things through."

The questions lots of folks want answered -- are they together, did they break up, did they get back together, are they just friends now? Lots of questions, but not a lot of answers.

There were all sorts of reports Aaron and Shailene broke up, but they never confirmed it. Fact is ... that's not the QB's style. Aaron doesn't like the media, and him not responding is highly unsurprising.

What we do know ... they were just at breakfast together at Erewhon Market in L.A., so whatever their status they seem to be getting along.

Jackson Mahomes is getting ripped by a business again -- this time, a snack company claims the Chiefs QB's brother scammed them out of a $250 care package.

Rare Munchiez owner Sam Farha tells TMZ Sports ... Patrick Mahomes' little bro DMed the company on Instagram back in January, saying he loved their product -- rare snacks and sodas from across the world --  and would like a care package.

Farha says he had no problem with that ... as long as Mahomes posted his business and the bundle for his 260,000 followers to see.

Sam says Mahomes agreed -- but after the $250 package was delivered and signed for by the 21-year-old on Feb. 8, he went MIA.

Farha tells us he reached out to Mahomes several times over the next 2-3 weeks after the delivery ... claiming screenshots of the DMs prove he was being ignored.

"It's not like he wasn't seeing our messages," Farha says. "He was opening them every time I sent a message. He looked at all my DMs for 2 weeks straight."

So, Farha decided to enter Mahomes' world by posting a TikTok video this week sharing his side of things ... and that's when Jackson hit him back.

"He still says he never received it after the video went viral," Farha says. "It took a video to go viral, bashing him, for him to actually respond!"

But, Farha tells us he believes Mahomes DID receive that package ... especially with the tracking info and the way he ignored him for weeks until he put him on blast.

So, what now?? Farha doesn't even want Mahomes to give his business a shoutout anymore ... and is throwing shade at him for taking advantage of being the younger brother of an NFL superstar.

"My message for him is to basically stop taking advantage of clout, trying to scam small businesses because that's just not how the world works."

"He's just using his brother's name and fame for himself to get free stuff."

This isn't the first time Jackson was accused of similar behavior -- just 2 months ago, he was ripped by a restaurant in Kansas City for allegedly clout chasing after he made a social media post about their bad service.

The restaurant later apologized to Mahomes after they criticized him -- but it doesn't seem he'll be getting one from Rare Munchiez.

UFC star Islam Makhachev needed an opponent after Beneil Dariush suffered a freak injury while training ... enter MMA vet Bobby Green, who took the fight on JUST 10 days' notice.

Why take a fight against a guy who hasn't lost in 6.5 years?! TMZ Sports asked Green.

"I know, I know. It's f**king crazy. Put the weight on, take the weight off, just fought, come back and fight again. I'm f**king nuts brother, this is what I do. I try to show everybody that this is real s**t. I call it G s**t, you know, doin' things that most people won't do."

Savage.

What makes it even crazier is that Green just fought on February 12 against Nasrat Haqparast at UFC 271 ... where he won via unanimous decision.

Now, Bobby will step into the Octagon with Makhachev, the man many believe will be champion before 2023 rolls around.

Islam has just 1 loss on his professional MMA record -- in October 2015 -- and has won 9 straight, including wins over Drew Dober and Dan Hooker, which IM made look easy.

But, Green isn't just stepping up to exchange an L for a fat paycheck ... he tells us how he's going to beat the 4th ranked lightweight.

We also talked to Islam ... who told us he actually respects Bobby for stepping up (and he tells us who turned down the fight).