TMZ Sports - Page 50

Jon Gruden lost his job in Vegas -- and now he's officially given up his home there as well ... TMZ Sports has confirmed the former Raiders head coach just officially sold his mansion in the desert for $7 million.

The 58-year-old put the 8,684-square foot palace on the market back in February following his infamous ousting from the Raiders ... and it didn't take long for it to sell.

We're told the sale just closed recently -- and it's clear from the pics of the place, the buyer is going to be happy with the purchase.

The pad features retractable floor-to-ceiling windows along with five bedrooms, seven bathrooms, a chef's kitchen and a climate-controlled wine cellar.

The property's backyard is decked out too, with an infinity-edge pool, spa, fire pit and BBQ area. It's also got beautiful views of the Nevada mountains.

Heidi from Lifestyle LV tells us the listing also included an empty lot (also owned by Gruden) that's adjacent to the mansion. The final price tag was $7,025,000.

As we previously reported, Gruden -- who began coaching the Raiders for a second go-around back in 2018 -- resigned on Oct. 11, 2021, after it was revealed he sent emails in the past that contained racially insensitive, misogynistic and homophobic language.

Well, this is awkward ...

A Dodger fan now has a tattoo of a player on his favorite team's rival ... and it's all 'cause the outfielder got surprisingly traded from L.A. just days after the ink went on the skin.

Here's the deal -- a fan was at the Dodgers' spring training workouts in Arizona earlier this month, when he asked both Cody Bellinger and Matt Beaty to sign their names on his arm.

In exchange for the autographs, the fan promised to get the sigs tattooed permanently -- so the players obliged.

A short time later, the fan went under the needle -- and the tattoos came out clean!!!

The problem? Just days later, Beaty got sent packing to the Padres, one of L.A.'s most-hated rivals.

No word on how the fan is planning to move forward with the fresh tattoo now -- particularly because Beaty also changed his jersey number following the trade. But, Matt at least offered to somewhat help the guy out.

"Well, if he wants to scratch out the No. 45 and put in No. 27," Beaty said, "I'm happy to do that for him."

As for the whole ordeal, Beaty had a feeling the dude might come to regret it eventually.

"This guy sticks his arm with Cody’s [autograph], and he's like, 'Hey, sign my arm, too.' And I'm like, 'Sure,'" Beaty said.

"Then later that night, of course, I get notifications [of the tattoo] and I'm like, 'Geez, what is this guy thinking?' It's going to be with that guy for a long time."

Lil Baby knew where to go for jump shot rehab -- the McDonald's All-American Game in Chi-Town -- featuring 24 of the best girls basketball players in the country ... where Baby got tips from future Duke University star Ashlon Jackson.

Baby was at the All-Star game in Chicago to perform during the halftime show of the high-profile sporting event Tuesday night. But, before the "Drip Too Hard" rapper performed, he took pics with the players and hoisted up a few shots.

5-star guard and Duke recruit, Ashlon Jackson, ranked the 16th best player in the nation, posted a video of her and Baby shooting around ... and with help of the sharpshooter, the hip-hop stars' J looked on point.

The video shows Jackson working on Baby's form and follow through ... before he proceeded to knock down a long jump shot.

And, Baby went to the right person for help. Ashlon who won the McDonald's 3-Point contest.

Baby clearly appreciated the advice ... and posed for a ton of pics with players and coaches.

FYI, the McDonald's game is a big deal. Everyone from Candace Parker to Skylar Diggins to Sabrina Ionescu have played in the McDonald's game (and on the guys side -- LeBron, Kobe, KG)

Of course, we've seen Lil Baby in action before ... when he played with fellow hooping rapper 2 Chainz in a game against Quavo & Jack Harlow in a 2-on-2 charity basketball game. Baby and 2 Chainz -- who played college basketball -- lost 21-7, and the Internet let Baby have it for a perceived lack ok skills.

Justin Bieber might need a lesson in "know your audience" ... 'cause fans booed the hell out of the singer during his tour stop in Montreal on Tuesday for dissing the hometown Canadiens.

Bieber -- a MASSIVE fan of the Habs' hated rivals, the Toronto Maple Leafs -- showed love for his team right before his final song of the night ... saying, "How about those Leafs though, huh?"

The "Ghost" crooner even gave a shoutout to his close buddy for scoring a goal against the Canadiens on Saturday ... saying, "Auston Matthews is really doing some work here in Montreal."

Of course, the Canadiens are hot garbage this season ... sitting at the very bottom of the standings with an 18-38 record, despite beating the Leafs over the weekend.

Biebs made sure to let the crowd know he was well aware of their struggles this season ... adding, "How's that playoff spot looking for you guys this year?" and "Maybe next year, maybe next year."

The fans weren't having it -- letting the boo birds fly and even shouting expletives as Bieber continued to diss the hometown team ... even starting a "Go Leafs, Go" chant.

The stunt comes one week after the Leafs debuted their Bieber-designed Drew House jerseys ... which they wore on the ice for their Next Gen game.

Bieber eventually got real and stopped the trolling ... saying Montreal is truly one of his favorite places to perform in the world.

Boston Bruins star Taylor Hall -- a former league MVP -- was so pissed about being shoved into the boards during a game Tuesday night ... he retaliated by sucker punching the dude who pushed him.

The wild scene all went down late in the second period of the Bs' tilt with the Maple Leafs -- after Ilya Lyubushkin hurled Hall face-first into the wall as the Boston winger was trying to cross the midline.

You can see in footage of the play, Hall clearly thought the shove was unnecessary and dirty -- so he ran up from behind Lyubushkin and socked him in the jaw.

The Leafs defenseman went down hard -- and stayed on the ice for several seconds before he wobbled off into the locker room.

No word on if Lyubushkin suffered any serious injuries in the play -- but he was unable to return to the game. Toronto said in a statement afterward that the 27-year-old was being held out for "precautionary reasons."

The NHL, meanwhile, has already announced punishment for Hall over the swing -- saying it's fined the 30-year-old $5,000 "for roughing" Lyubushkin.

Kareem Jackson is honoring his friend Demaryius Thomas in a awesome way -- by getting a portrait tattoo of the former Broncos star.

The Broncos safety and Thomas go way back ... the two NFL players grew up in the same area in Georgia and played for the same team at different times.

So, when Thomas unexpectedly passed away last December, Jackson was devastated ... saying at the time, "I'm still having a hard time accepting this one."

Now, Jackson is keeping Thomas' memory permanently alive with some new ink earlier this week.

The 33-year-old shared the tat on his leg (we think) via Instagram ... a detailed image of Thomas smiling with the words "One Love" above it.

"Your legacy will forever live on through all the lives of those you touched over the years on and off the field," Jackson said after Thomas' death.

"We love you and will miss you brother! Till we meet again Rest easy King!!"

As we previously reported, Thomas was found dead in a shower at his Roswell, GA residence after police responded to 911 calls for a cardiac arrest. Demaryius was only 33-years-old.

Johnny Manziel's training for his comeback in the most Johnny Football way possible ... by hitting the beach with an Instagram model and throwing the pigskin!!

The 29-year-old ex-NFL quarterback touched down in South Beach this week ... just days after he told TMZ Sports he's returning to the gridiron for Fan Controlled Football.

Johnny certainly looks serious about the comeback ... 'cause he brought along a ball as he caught some rays with a bikini-clad Kenzie Werner.

We're told Werner and Manziel aren't strangers -- in fact, they've spent time together in Scottsdale in the past ... and partied it up in Miami over the weekend.

They appeared pretty close on Tuesday ... with Werner straddling Johnny as he held her up with his arms.

Johnny even ditched his shirt to play catch with his new lady ... but don't worry, she made sure he had plenty of sunblock by rubbing it all over his arms.

Manziel told us last week he'd be lacing up the cleats for season 2 of the FCF ... saying he's hoping to work alongside new team owner, comedian Druski.

Johnny hasn't played in the NFL since 2015 ... and pretty much shut the door on a return to the league, saying he just doesn't have what it takes to compete at that level anymore.

As for the personal side of things, Johnny's been pretty private about his dating life since his divorce from Bre Tiesi -- who is now expecting a child with Nick Cannon -- but things seem to be going well with Werner.

Eric Church has canceled a huge concert this weekend so he can watch his beloved UNC basketball team play Duke in the Final Four ... and the country music superstar's fanbase is not happy with his decision.

Church announced the cancellation in a message to his supporters Tuesday -- explaining he wants to watch the Tar Heels game on Saturday night so badly that he won't be able to perform at the AT&T Center in San Antonio.

Church called the move "the most selfish thing" he's ever asked of his fans in a statement to them ... but he implored them to understand because the game just means that much to him.

"I've watched Carolina and Duke battle over the year," Church said, "but to have them matchup in the Final Four for the first time in history of the NCAA Tournament is any sports enthusiast's dream."

Some fans, though, were not understanding ... as several stormed his official Facebook page to let off their frustration.

Some called him a "clown," while others said they'd boycott his concerts going forward.

To be fair to Eric, the game is being heralded as one of the biggest college basketball games ever -- and the dude does love Carolina (he's got a hit song about it!).

Frustrations have clearly reached an all-time high for Russell Westbrook ... because after yet another Lakers loss Tuesday night, he got into a very uncomfortable and heated talk with a journalist over a question.

The tense exchange all went down in the press conference area following L.A.'s 128-110 loss to the Dallas Mavericks ... when LA Times reporter Brad Turner asked Russ, "What changes going forward?"

Westbrook immediately bristled, saying, "Nothing, man, nothing" before he eventually turned the question on the reporter.

"What do you think should change?" Westbrook asked Turner.

When Turner responded, "Winning," Russ got up from his chair and confronted the reporter off the podium.

The two then went back and forth for several seconds -- before Russ finally diffused the situation by asking other reporters if they filmed the entire interaction.

Westbrook and Turner eventually shook hands, before the star point guard left to head back to the team's locker room.

The incident is yet another lowlight for Russ in his first season with the Lakers -- he's played so poorly for most of the year that he's had to fire back at hecklers repeatedly on the streets and at games.

In fact, the jeers have gotten so bad recently, Westbrook had to plead for fans a few weeks ago to stop calling him "Westbrick."

The doctor who Will Smith portrayed in the 2015 film "Concussion" says the actor's physical outburst at Sunday's Oscars ceremony isn't indicative of who he is, and thinks when the dust settles, Will's image will be untarnished.

Dr. Bennet Omalu -- portrayed by Smith -- tells TMZ ... the actor transformed his life for the better, noting he's one of the most beautiful people he's ever met. He says the incident with Chris Rock doesn't sully the actor's reputation ... it simply shows a more human side of him.

While the doctor doesn't condone violence, he thinks the slap was simply an impulsive act, which proved to viewers he isn't like other "superstars" ... he's way more authentic.

He also attributes the outburst to pressure ... with the looming question of who will win Best Actor no doubt on Will's mind. Dr. Omalu says he loves Smith even more after the incident.

Matt Stafford ain't letting Odell Beckham Jr. and Aaron Donald leave L.A. without a fight -- the Rams quarterback tells TMZ Sports he's "doing what I can" to keep the stars on his team.

Both dudes could be headed toward the exit door this offseason -- OBJ is a free agent and AD is pondering retirement -- but when we got Stafford out in Beverly Hills this week ... he told us he's recruiting the guys hard to stay for the 2022 season.

In fact, Stafford joked with us that he was out shopping for gifts for them to try to get them to return to L.A.

As for how the recruiting is going, Matt seemed optimistic about getting the two back -- but he did add, "you're going to have to ask those guys" about their future plans.

We also asked Stafford about the return of Tom Brady ... and it's not hard to tell he's surprised the Buccaneers star is still making magic happen at 44 years old.

"It's crazy that he can still do it," Stafford said, "but he's doing it good."

Egypt National Football Team fans are rightfully pissed their team failed to qualify for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar ... after multiple fans shined lasers in the face of star player Mohamed Salah (and other Egyptian players) as they fought to make the World Cup.

The controversial finish went down Tuesday in Cairo ... as Egypt -- playing Senegal -- was on the verge of qualifying for the world's biggest sports tournament.

But, after regulation, the game was tied and went into penalty kicks.

Unfortunately for Salah and the other Egyptian players who took PKs, fans in the crowd were aiming green lasers into the eyes of the players while they attempted to kick.

Salah and 3 other players ultimately missed their penalty kicks ... and Senegal ended up winning the match, 1-0 (3-1 PK).

In the clip you see Salah collecting himself as he gets ready to launch the kick. But, the distraction appeared to work, as the ball sailed over the crossbar, costing his team a chance at victory, and the World Cup.

FYI, spectators cannot bring lasers to soccer matches, but they're not impossible to get past stadium security.

FIFA, soccer's international governing body commented on the matter ... saying, "As stated in the FIFA Stadium Safety and Security Regulations, laser pointers are considered prohibited items by FIFA and confiscated when the spectators are checked at the outer stadium perimeter."

"When incidents happen within the applicable scope of FIFA’s Disciplinary Code, disciplinary measures may be taken based on article 16, paragraph 2,” which says teams are liable for inappropriate behavior from their fans.

Supporters of Egypt were left devastated and understandably frustrated with the loss ... and they clearly believe officials should've done more.

Fans sneaking lasers into soccer matches and using them to distract opposing players is not uncommon in international soccer.

Not to mention, lasers can be damaging to the eyes -- so it's not just against the rules, it's dangerous.

Soccer federations usually receive fines if their fans use laser pointers during a competition.

Egypt, who qualified for the World Cup in 2018, is out after losing 1-0 to Senegal ... and it's unclear if FIFA will dole out any disciplinary action.

New York Yankees superstar Aaron Judge gifted a cancer survivor with a set of his own custom baseball cards this week ... and the sweet moment will hit ya right in the feels.

Judge facetimed with Mason Ferrulli -- a young fan who he's formed a good relationship with over the last year -- to present him the gift ... and check out the footage, it's pretty amazing.

Judge told Mason to open a box he had sent ... and in it were a bunch of cards that featured an image of Mason and Judge from when they had met last year.

Judge explained to Mason his connections at Topps hooked it all up for him -- and Mason was thrilled!

"Awww, man," Mason said in disbelief. "That's awesome!"

Judge and Mason have developed quite the bond over the past few months after Mason -- a three-time Ependymoma brain cancer and spine cancer survivor -- famously pulled one of Aaron's rare cards out of a pack last August.

The video of Mason was so heartwarming, Judge arranged a meeting with him when the Yanks played near Mason's hometown in Oakland last year -- and he hooked up the boy with a jersey and some autographs.

The two have clearly stayed in touch ever since -- and Judge told Mason on the phone call Monday he's going to be waiting now for an autograph from Mason!

"I'ma need one," Judge said. "You got my signature now. I'ma need you to sign one and send one to me."

O.J. Simpson apparently sees a little bit of himself in Will Smith after his Oscars slap -- saying that he, too, wanted to put hands on people back when he was in the spotlight.

The Juice sounded off on the whole saga, and his main takeaway is in his Twitter caption ... "He was wrong but I understand the sentiment." In the video, he elaborates ... explaining, yeah, Will made a mistake -- but he kinda sympathizes with him.

Check it out ... O.J. says he's also been through a lot of "crap," and on the other side of that -- presumably in reference to his acquittal in the '90s -- was often the butt of tons of jokes.

He makes no bones about how he felt about those "O.J. routines," saying he wanted to "b-slap" at least a couple of those comedians -- but acknowledges he restrained himself, almost drawing the contrast between him and Will ... which, to many, is the ultimate irony.

Bottom line ... O.J. defends Chris Rock here, saying it's comedy -- and no matter how it makes you feel, you (and Will by extension) have to accept it.

Now, here's the kicker ... O.J. theorizes that if he woulda pulled the same stunt after his Las Vegas arrest/conviction -- he believes he would've gotten life in prison without the possibility of parole, seemingly pointing out that Will's getting a pass because he's Will Smith.

One of the first people on the scene of the Henry Ruggs crash is providing new, horrifying details of the wreck ... saying he thought the NFL star was dead after he saw the football player "dangling" from his car in the moments after the accident.

Tony Rodriguez -- who was driving on Rainbow Road with a friend in Las Vegas just moments after Ruggs slammed his Corvette into Tina Tintor's Rav4 there back in November 2021 -- recounted the terrifying specifics of the night recently to Sports Illustrated.

Rodriguez told SI reporter Jeff Pearlman that as he approached the two wrecked vehicles just seconds after the collision -- he stopped at Ruggs' car first ... and noticed the former Las Vegas Raider was halfway ejected from his sports car.

Rodriguez said Ruggs' lower body was still in the ride, but his torso was "dangling" outside of it. He said he was going to tell Ruggs' girlfriend, who was a passenger in the Corvette, to leave him be, but said she had already begun pulling the wide receiver out.

"She grabbed him and pulled him fully out," Rodriguez said. "I have no idea who he is. I don't care about football. Never heard of Henry Ruggs. But, I didn't see no life in his body."

"I thought he was dead."

Rodriguez said he and his friend then quickly turned to Tintor's vehicle -- and tried their hardest to get her and her dog, Max, out of the burning car.

Rodriguez said he got a hammer from his truck and tried to break her free -- and even though others arrived to help, none could get her out.

Officials later determined Tintor died inside the car from thermal injuries. She was just 23 years old.

Ruggs, meanwhile, suffered injuries in the crash, but is expected to make a full recovery. He's since been hit with five charges -- including four felonies -- for his alleged role in the crash.

Jalen Ramsey is finally speaking about his infamous brawl with Golden Tate ... saying he knew their on-field fight was bound to happen after his breakup with the wide receiver's sister.

Ramsey and Tate threw hands after the Rams beat the Giants in October 2020 ... starting a huge pileup between both teams at midfield. The scene was shocking, but Ramsey says he knew the altercation was inevitable.

"We knew what we was gonna do," Ramsey said on The Pivot podcast. "I mean that's his sister, that's what he supposed to do, too. But you mind your business, too."

"He a protective brother and like, yo, this is me though," he added. "This my family now."

Remember, Ramsey ended his long-term relationship with Breanna Tate while she was pregnant with their second daughter in 2019.

Not too long after that, the 27-year-old corner went Instagram official with a Las Vegas Raiders dancer ... which made many believe Ramsey left Breanna for another girl mid-pregnancy.

This infuriated Tate to the point where he went to social media to lash out at Ramsey ... leaving comments like "he know he gonna have to see me" on Jalen's posts.

But, Ramsey says everybody got the situation all wrong ... saying he and Breanna both felt they were better off as friends and broke up on good terms.

"We ain't feel like we needed to announce it to any and everybody," he added.

"Golden had tweeted something about it and that's when it got super public. I ain't like that. I was hot about that."

"That's where I was like, yeah, I don't rock with him, for sure."

In fact, Ramsey says him and Tate were never cool to begin with -- even when he was dating his sister. So, it should come as no surprise they actually came to blows.