TMZ Sports - Page 50

San Francisco Giants first base coach Antoan Richardson claims he was ejected on Tuesday night for confronting a Padres coach over what he says was a comment that "reeked" of racism.

Richardson, who's Black, made the allegations following SF's win over San Diego ... saying it all started in the third inning, when Padres coach Mike Shildt, who's white, picked a fight with him while he was in the Giants' dugout.

Richardson told media members that Shildt was looking for someone in the Giants' dugout ... and when he asked who he wanted, Shildt got snippy.

"At this time, he's walking toward our dugout," Richardson said of Shildt. "And then he says, 'Hey. I was looking for Alex Wood.'"

Richardson says the exchange of words got so heated, SF manager Gabe Kapler came over to defuse the situation. Then, that's when he claims Shildt unleashed a comment that he believed dripped with "undertones of racism."

"He yelled, 'You need to control that motherf***er,'" Richardson said.

Richardson said he was so taken aback by the comment, he stepped toward the top of the dugout to confront Shildt -- and was ultimately ejected for the action.

"His words were disproportionality unwarranted," Richardson said of Shildt. "And reeked of undertones of racism. When he referred to me as 'that motherf***er,' as if I am to be controlled or I'm a piece of property or enslaved."

Richardson then ripped MLB umpire Greg Gibson for ejecting him ... saying, "Me being tossed by that umpire empowered this coach to continue to have conversations like that with people like me. And that's really unfortunate that that's what happened tonight."

Shildt -- who managed the St. Louis Cardinals last year -- and Padres manager Bob Melvin did not comment on the incident following the game.

While it was all a disturbing situation for Richardson, his ejection did lead to some MLB history -- Alyssa Nakken took over his coaching duties on the field ... and became the first woman in MLB history to ever do so.

"I'm really excited that Alyssa (Nakken) got her opportunity to make her Major League debut and I'm very proud of her," Richardson said. "I think she did a really wonderful job and we got a win, so that's the most important thing."

Kapler, meanwhile, addressed the incident following the game and said he believes Richardson's side of the story to be true.

"I trust Antoan's judgment 100 percent. I trust Antoan's judgment on the matter and I know that Antoan was not out of control at all and that anything that was said to insinuate that he was is totally inappropriate."

"He didn't instigate any part of this."

Dwayne Haskins' wife is thanking all of the NFL player's fans and friends for their support in the wake of his tragic death ... saying Wednesday the outpouring of well wishes has helped during her time of mourning.

Kalabrya Haskins shared the letter of gratitude through the Pittsburgh Steelers on social media ... explaining, "All of your blessings have been greatly valued and appreciated."

She added that she's going to miss Dwayne dearly.

"My husband was more than a great football player," Kalabrya said of the 24-year-old former Steeler. "He had the smile of a rainbow that touched the diversity of so many. He will forever rest and remain in our hearts til the end of time."

"LOVE OF MY LIFE, FOREVER," she continued, "REST IN THE BEAUTIFUL PLACE OF HEAVEN!"

Dwayne -- who married Kalabrya in 2021 -- tragically died after being struck by a dump truck Saturday morning in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

Kalabrya did not release any further insight into the crash -- asking for privacy at this time -- but she did reveal a celebration of life will be held for Dwayne on April 22 at the Allegheny Center Alliance Church in Pittsburgh.

Formula 1 driver Nikita Mazepin and his dad's $114 million property was seized by Italian authorities as a result of their close ties to Vladimir Putin, officials confirmed this week.

"A real estate asset worth approximately 105 million euro has been frozen because the property is attributable to the Russian billionaire Dmitry Arkadievich Mazepin and his son Nikita Dmitrievich Mazepin, until March 5 a Formula 1 driver of the Haas F1 Team," the official statement read, according to CNN.

Authorities say the Mazepins were added to the European Union sanction list after Dmitry met with Putin on Feb. 24 -- the same day Russia invaded Ukraine.

The property is a residential compound in Portisco, Sardinia and is linked to the Mazepin family through a "foreign company," according to the statement.

Of course, Dmitry is super tight with Putin ... and is described by the EU as being one of the members of Putin's "close circle."

As a result, the Mazepin family has landed in hot water with Italian police ... as officials continue to crack down on any and everything with ties to Putin.

In a recent interview with BBC -- before his property was seized -- Nikita spoke about the sanctions being levied against all things Russian ... calling the actions "cancel culture" and vowing to stand up to them.

"I don't agree with being in the sanctions," Nikita said. "I've said previously that I intend to fight it."

"Perhaps, now is not the right time because if you look at the whole situation that's happening against athletes and in the general case, it's cancel culture against my country."

Mazepin joined Haas in 2021 after his father's company became a title sponsor ... and failed to score a point all season.

Bodybuilding star Cedric McMillan -- winner of the 2017 Arnold Classic -- has sadly died at the age of 44 years old, according to reports.

McMillan, who turned pro in 2009, has experienced numerous health issues over the last few years, including heart and breathing issues -- possibly caused by COVID-19 -- that forced him out of competition.

However, despite often being laid up and unable to keep on mass, the bodybuilder was optimistic he'd soon return to the stage.

But, tragically, Cedric passed away on Tuesday, according to Generation Iron. The outlet reports McMillan suffered a heart attack while working out on a treadmill.

Cedric -- who was born in 1977 in north New Jersey -- was awesome on the stage. In addition to the hugely popular Arnold Classic that he won in 2017, he also earned W's at the 2011 Orlando Show of Champions and the New York Pro in 2012.

He also finished in the top 10 of Mr. Olympia multiple times.

Once Cedric got sick with coronavirus and was forced out of competition, he started to provide commentary at bodybuilding events. He even got to work alongside Arnold Schwarzenegger at the Classic.

CM recently updated fans on his ailing health ... and pondered whether he'd ever be able to return to the stage.

McMillan wasn't only an elite bodybuilder ... he also served his country as a Staff Sergeant in the United States Army, out of Fort Jackson in South Carolina.

Since the news about Cedric broke, the bodybuilding and fitness world has shown love and support ... with stars like Kai Greene offering condolences to McMillan's friends and family.

Cedric is the third major bodybuilder to pass away in the last few months. Shawn Rhoden died in November. George Peterson died in October.

The XFL will have Super Bowl winners, national champs and Hall of Famers leading the charge when it kicks off in 2023 ... with names like Hines Ward, Wade Phillips and Bob Stoops signing on to be head coaches in the league.

The league announced its 8 coaches who will be on the sidelines next year ... with Rod Woodson, Jim Haslett, Terrell Buckley, Reggie Barlow and Anthony Becht rounding out the list.

Of course, Stoops -- a national championship-winning coach with the Oklahoma Sooners in 2000 -- was part of the XFL's original relaunch in 2020 with the Dallas Renegades ... and now he's back again for the league's do-over.

Phillips has been a coach for more than 50 years ... and won Super Bowl 50 with the Denver Broncos as a defensive coordinator.

Ward -- a Pittsburgh Steelers legend and 2-time Super Bowl champ -- started his coaching career in 2019 as an assistant for the New York Jets.

Woodson was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2009 ... and has experience coaching for several NFL teams over the years.

Chris Rock's younger brother wants to do more than slap Will Smith ... he wants to lace up the gloves and climb into the ring for a boxing match!!!

CR's brother, Kenny, just signed a deal with Celebrity Boxing founder Damon Feldman for a fight this summer down in Florida ... but he doesn't have an opponent yet, and he's calling out Will.

Kenny says the size difference wouldn't be an issue for him ... even though Will's taller and once played Muhammad Ali on the big screen ... he's confident he could score a victory over the Oscar-winner.

Remember ... Kenny slammed Will for slapping his brother at the Academy Awards, and now it sounds like he wants to take things to the next level and get physical.

The clock's ticking on Kenny to find an opponent, be it Will or some other celeb ... he's scheduled to fight June 11 at the Charles F. Dodge City Center in Pembroke Pines, FL.

Absolutely wild moment during the Clippers vs. Timberwolves game on Tuesday night -- a fan made her way down to the court and glued herself to the floor ... and everyone, including the players, was stunned by the sight.

The incident went down in the second quarter of the NBA game at the Target Center in Minnesota ... when a woman attempted to stick herself to the hardwood using some Elmer's.

The woman sprayed the adhesive just underneath one of the baskets as the teams were down on the other end of the court, and then she pressed her hand firmly into it.

When security arrived to get her off the floor -- she refused to get up, insisting her wrist was glued down.

Eventually, though, the woman complied with guards and was escorted off the floor.

In a statement released by animal rights group Direct Action Everywhere, officials from the org. said the woman made the scene in an effort to protest Wolves owner Glen Taylor.

The officials accused Taylor and his employees of wrongly killing chickens on his factory egg farm in Iowa. They added that the protester's sweater during Tuesday's game read, "GLEN TAYLOR ROASTS ANIMALS ALIVE."

Wolves guard Patrick Beverley said after the game he did attempt to help the woman out during the protest ... and was praying that she was OK.

No word if the woman was arrested for the stunt ... but the Wolves said in a statement that they were "in touch with Target Center Security to address the incident."

Ohio State legend Cardale Jones gave an emotional speech at a Dwayne Haskins memorial Tuesday night ... praising the former Buckeye and lamenting his tragic death.

Jones said the sweet words to a crowd that had gathered outside of Ohio Stadium ... remembering the 24-year-old as someone who was selfless and always willing to give the shirt off his back.

"I feel like we're all here to grieve together and to pay our respects and somewhat celebrate Dwayne's life," Jones said, just four days after Haskins sadly passed away in a vehicle accident in Florida.

"It just sucks that his life was cut so short but I guess he was just too good for all of us that the Lord had to call him home early."

Jones -- who played at OSU from 2013 to 2015 -- was friends with Haskins ... and during his speech, he said Dwayne always "kept faith and lived out his dreams" when he was alive.

"He's up there looking down on us and telling us to wipe our tears," Jones said. "He will be missed."

Buckeyes running back Master Teague III was also in attendance at the vigil ... where he led a prayer to Haskins' family.

Other current and former Buckeyes that had gathered at the memorial site included Kyle McCord, Kamryn Babb, Xavier Johnson and Sevyn Banks. OSU athletic director, Gene Smith, was also present.

As we previously reported, Haskins was tragically killed on Saturday after being hit by a dump truck on a highway in Fort Lauderdale.

Jake Paul says Oscar De La Hoya is right ... he can -- and already does -- beat up world champions in the boxing ring.

TMZ Sports talked to the 25-year-old, undefeated boxer (5-0, 4 KOs) after the Golden Boy told us earlier this week that the Problem Child was the "real deal" and could "beat a lot of good champions, and even great champions."

Jake's reaction??

"To hear that from [De La Hoya] means a lot, but he's right and I've been saying it all along. I sound so cocky, 'he's right!', but it's true man. I beat world champions in the gym and sparring," Paul says.

"Two years as a professional and I'm already doing that, it's clearly a natural talent that I have, a natural power that I have and I work my ass off. People don't really see that."

Jake says his hard work isn't seen by most fans, but he's killing himself in the gym, every single day.

"They think I just go in there but I'm day in, day out twice a day, three times a day in the gym working on getting better in the sport. It is awesome to hear that and I'm gonna prove that I can beat world champions on the big stage."

Jake has clearly been stepping up the level of competition. He started with a fellow YouTuber, AnEsonGib, before fighting former NBA star Nate Robinson.

Then it was time to move on to the fighters.

In his third fight, Jake boxed former MMA champ Ben Askren. He then fought future UFC Hall of Famer Tyron Woodley ... beating him twice.

Paul has made it clear he wants to go to the very top ... previously telling us he wants to box Canelo Alvarez, the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world.

And Jake says it's clear people in the boxing world have begun to give him more and more respect.

"I think this last fight proved that people have to take me seriously and that everyone should be on high alert and I'm just getting started with what's to come."

Gilbert Burns wants a rematch with Khamzat Chimaev!

TMZ Sports talked to 35-year-old Burns -- the first time the UFC star has broken his silence since leaving the Octagon after losing a 3-round decision at UFC 273 -- and chopped it up about everything from a rematch, what it was fighting Khamzat, to how Chimaev would fare against champ Kamaru Usman (Burns is the only person to face both).

Oh, and Gilbert is also interested in scrapping with Nate Diaz ... if that rematch with Borz isn't immediate.

Full Interview ⬇️⬇️⬇️

But, first ... we asked Gilbert if he won the fight (technically, all three judges scored the fight for Khamzat, but the fight was razer close), and that's when he called for the rematch.

"I believe it was super close. I don't want to take nothing away from Khamzat, he was a warrior in there, too. I just believe we are not done. We have to do this again."

Burns later continued ... "Even if I think it's fair, wasn't fair, I don't want to take no credit from those 15 minutes. It was genuine, it was a lot of heart, it was a lot of intensity, intimacy, I don't want to take nothing away from that."

"I think the judges do whatever they have to do, but I'm just thinking we aren't done. Me and Khamzat have to see each other again. Somebody gotta go down next time, I don't care how many rounds we need in there."

We also asked GB what was it like to face MMA's boogeyman ... a guy many believed was indestructible.

As you may know ... Khamzat only absorbed one "significant" shot in his first four UFC fights. But, that was before he stepped in the cage with Gilbert ... who put 119 significant shots on Chimaev (KC landed 108 significant strikes).

So, what was it like to be in there with Khamzat??

"Definitely a lot of pop in his hands. That guy hits very hard. But like I said before, I have a ton of respect for this guy, but I don't see no Super Man. I don't see no murderer, no monster. I see a guy just like me with a lot of will, a lot of heart, trying to get a finish."

The UFC rankings came out on Tuesday, and Chimaev jumped from 11 to 3 (Gilbert went from 2 to 4). Prior to the fight, UFC prez Dana White told us he was eyeing a Khamzat vs. Colby Covington fight (#1 contender).

If Chimaev was able to beat Covington, it's all but guaranteed he'd get a fight with Usman.

So, as the only UFC fighter to face both Khamzat and Kamaru, we asked Burns who'd win.

"That would be a tough fight. I still think Kamaru hits harder. Kamaru put me out, you know? [Khamzat] hit me with everything and he didn't put me out."

"The difference as of right now, for sure, after these wars, that guy's gonna get better, I believe. The IQ of Kamaru Usman, if I gotta answer that question right now, will be the difference. Kamaru is a very intelligent and tested fighter. He's been in the wars, he's been against best guys around and I think Kamaru's MMA wrestling is better than Khamzat's. That's my takeaway."

Burns knows he likely won't get an immediate rematch with Chimaev ... so he has an alternative opponent in mind.

"I want a big fight. I know Nate Diaz need an opponent. I think that will be a crazy fight. I can put in the contract 'no takedown attempts.' Just stand up," Gilbert says.

Travis Kelce's girlfriend, Kayla Nicole, just went off on Cam Newton over the comments he made about women this week ... blasting the guy for his "foolish" and "tired" remarks.

Just two days after Cam said he believed a real woman should "cater to a man's needs" and know how to cook and "when to be quiet" ... Kayla shaded the hell out of the former NFL star.

She ripped him for appearing to define a woman's worth by her abilities in the kitchen and her willingness to "allow a man to lead" -- eviscerating him in a video on her Instagram page.

"This man said that you need to be able to cook and know when to be quiet," Kayla said. "Because that's what his momma did. Like, boy! Go date your momma then!"

The Chiefs star's GF explained her beef with Cam further in a series of tweets on her Twitter account ... calling Cam a straight-up "bozo" for his comments.

"Pretty sure the average woman is capable of making edible food," Kayla said. "How do you think she’s survived thus far?"

"It's really not a matter of can she cook -- it's more like does she want to cook for your hungry hippo ass."

Kayla -- who's been dating Kelce since 2017 -- then poked fun at Cam for currently being without an NFL team ... saying, "He has nothing but time to 'be quiet' and get that ass in the kitchen."

Logan Paul is finally revealing how he broke his hand last year ... admitting it happened while drunkenly attempting to get the high score on an arcade boxing game.

TMZ Sports posted pics of Logan with a busted hand back in September ... but for the longest time, no one knew the 5 Ws and 1 H about the injury.

As it turns out, the Maverick was out on the town in Germany ... and when he came across an arcade punching bag at a bar, he grew determined to stroke his own "I'm a real boxer" ego and get the top score.

Logan says the bartender warned him beforehand about a column positioned right next to the game that has resulted in several broken hands in the past ... but he had his eyes set on his goal.

"I said, 'Guy, I'm a boxer,'" Logan said on his "Impaulsive" podcast. "I go, 'I'm not going to hit the f***ing wall.'"

Sure enough, on Logan's third and final attempt ... he gave himself a running start, wound up and his hand made solid contact with the Column of Doom ... shattering his paw in the process.

But, before he went to the hospital, Logan decided to record some epic #content ... showing off his bones and joking about trying the game one last time.

Eventually, Logan went to get checked out, where he learned he broke his third metacarpal -- which is located at the base of the middle finger.

The scary part -- Paul says he was told it's a career-ending injury for boxers.

"It was very hard to hear, it was very depressing -- especially when you're drunk, hearing things like this," Paul said.

But, Logan says he's recovered now and is already back to training ... and as he told us last month, he is planning to take a fight in 2022.

Joey B Baby and the "B" stands for baseball??

NFL superstar Joe Burrow isn't just great at throwing the pigskin -- the Bengals QB took the mound to throw the first pitch at the Reds' Opening Day game ... and it was a strike right down the middle!!

The AFC champ was a VIP guest at Great American Ballpark in Cincinnati on Tuesday ... meeting and hanging out with Joey Votto and others before the Reds' matchup against the Cleveland Guardians.

But, it was #9 who displayed his skills first ... as he took the mound to throw the ceremonial toss, with Bengals head coach Zac Taylor lined up behind the plate as his catcher.

Joey looked calm as ever as he prepared for the throw ... and naturally, it was a perfect strike.

The crowd, of course, cheered for their QB ... after all, the dude's got the whole city in the palm of his hand after taking the Bengals to the Super Bowl in just his second season in the league.

Cain Velasquez has finally broken his silence on his attempted murder case -- releasing a statement from jail on Tuesday, thanking his supporters and urging "the true victims of this case" to come forward.

Velasquez just posted the message on his social media page -- just hours before he's set to go before a judge for a hearing in the case -- saying he's grateful for all of the fighters and fans who have pleaded for his release from jail following his February arrest.

"To everyone that has expressed your support, my family and I will never be able to thank you enough," Velasquez said. "From the bottom of our hearts and the depths of our souls, we are forever grateful for your love."

The 39-year-old did not go into detail about his side of the story in the case, but he did say it's "complex and slowly unraveling as we speak."

As we reported, officials say Velasquez shot at Harry Goularte multiple times on Feb. 28 in Santa Clara County, Calif. ... after the man was accused of molesting one of Velasquez's close relatives.

Velasquez has been hit with 10 criminal charges, including one count of felony attempted murder.

In his note, Velasquez urged the "true victims of this case" -- presumably others he believes Goularte has molested -- to speak out.

"May God give you the strength to come forward," the UFC legend said. "Though it is most difficult to relive the pain that has happened to you, in speaking the truth, justice will be served and your own true healing will start."

"I will never stop helping or loving my community and all of you. Thank you for loving me."

Velasquez's hearing is slated to begin at 1:30 PM PT. There is a chance he could finally be released from jail following the court session.

A youth baseball umpire was attacked on the field during a game over the weekend and was forced to go to the hospital ... after he says a coach disagreed with some of his calls.

Sam Phelps was behind home plate for a boys baseball game on Saturday in The Colony, Texas ... when he claims a few of his out/safe, balls/strikes decisions pissed off a coach on the field.

Phelps explained the situation to FOX4, saying it all came to a boiling point in the third inning ... seconds after he called a kid safe at home.

Phelps says the coach walked out of the dugout, mocked him and then shoved him to the ground after Phelps ejected him.

Video from the diamond shows the coach put his hands near the umpire's face, pushed him hard -- and caused the man to hit the dirt with force.

Phelps says he went to a nearby medical facility in an ambulance and was checked for head injuries, before he was ultimately released later in the evening.

Phelps said he's now looking to press charges against the coach -- explaining he believes punishment is necessary in order to protect everyone involved at games going forward.

"I don't want to destroy anyone's life," Phelps said. "But, I would like this to be a learning opportunity to get this out there."

We reached out to The Colony Police Dept. ... and a spokesperson told us officers did respond to the scene and did take a report. The spokesperson added an investigation is underway.

As for the coach's future at the baseball park, the org. that hosted the game Saturday told FOX4 it's banned the man and his team from all future events.

Nets forward Kevin Durant is condemning the tragic subway shooting in Brooklyn on Tuesday ... calling it "devastating" and saying he "hates senseless violence."

Durant addressed the media after the Nets walkthrough ahead of their play-in game tonight against the Cavaliers at the Barclays Center.

"It's devastating," Durant said, adding ... "I don't know the details. To hear the sirens out front of the practice facility and see so much commotion going on outside, you hope and pray for the best for everybody involved."

Durant said he received a text saying there might be heavy traffic on his way to the arena but the reason for it was never specified. Durant told reporters he initially heard about the tragedy from his teammates, but admits he didn't know the severity of the situation.

"I hate violence," Durant said, "I hate senseless violence."

"Hopefully we can figure out the details and get everybody to safety and get everybody the help that they need, but it's a tough situation right now."

Durant, of course, is referencing the mass shooting that occurred at a Brooklyn subway station this morning in NYC where at least 10 people were shot and several others were left injured during the chaos, according to the Associated Press.

The incident happened at the 36th Street station in the borough's Sunset Park neighborhood, which is not too far from where the Nets practice at the HSS Training Center.

Head coach Steve Nash also responded to the shooting, calling it "a very tragic morning," saying the Nets org. is "devastated for the community and those directly involved."

As of now, the Nets are still expected to host the Cavs tonight as both teams fight for playoff seeding.