TMZ Sports - Page 50

FIFA just hit Senegal with a $180,000 fine (175,000 Swiss Francs) ... after fans of the soccer federation shined lasers at Egypt's Mohamed Salah during a World Cup qualifying game last month.

It all went down when Egypt was taking on Senegal in a crucially important game in April. The game, tied after regulation, went to penalty kicks to determine who would advance.

Salah, one of Egypt's star players, as well other members of the club, had green lasers repeatedly and intentionally shined in their eyes/face as the team attempted their penalty kicks.

As a result, Salah and his teammates missed their penalty kicks, and Senegal won the match, 1-0 (3-1 PK), advancing to the next round.

Of course, spectators can't bring lasers to soccer matches, as they pose a danger to the public safety of the fans and athletes on the field.

However, that didn't deter fans -- seeking a competitive advantage for their respective soccer club. Now, FIFA officials have lowered the financial boom as a result of the fans' actions.

"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," FIFA said after the incident.

"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."

As for how FIFA came up with the punishment for Senegal, the governing body said its disciplinary panel compared it to other cases from WC qualifying games where similar incidents happened.

Senegal must also play a future game in a stadium with no fans.

Floyd Mayweather may be retired from boxing professionally, but he isn't done making money ... in fact, "Money" says he plans to continue making bank into his 90s just like Warren Buffet.

The 45-year-old undefeated boxer posted a sweet video of his young grandson watching "grandpa" train. Floyd wrote the caption of his post to the young boy, and offered him some wise words.

"Grandson, I’m very thankful for your great Granddad teaching me the sweet science of boxing, to hit and not get hit. I believe in working smarter, not harder. I retired from the sport undefeated with all my accolades and on my own terms," Floyd wrote.

"Even in retirement, I’m still able to milk the game of boxing, continuing to make 8 figures or more. I will continue to do exhibition bouts making tons of money and people from all around the world will continue to pay because my hustle is just different."

FYI, Floyd's referring to his dad, Floyd Mayweather Sr., when he says "great Granddad"... a former fighter turned trainer who coached Floyd as he became the world's best and most popular boxer.

Then, Floyd made it clear ... just because he's done fighting professionally, that doesn't mean he's done making money.

"I will continue to do exhibition bouts making tons of money and people from all around the world will continue to pay because my hustle is just different. If Elon Musk, Bill Gates, Jeff Bezos, Warren Buffett, and the Waltons continue making money in their 50’s, 60’s, 70’s, 80’s, and 90’s, then I’m not retiring from making money and I’m younger than all of them."

Of course, Elon, Bill, Jeff, and Warren are 5 of the richest people in the world ... and are all at least 50 years old.

Here's a breakdown of age and money (according to Forbes).

Musk, 50, is the world's richest (known) man ... and has a current net worth of $251 billion.

Bezos, 58, is the third wealthiest person on Earth ... amassing a fortune worth nearly $148 billion.

Gates, 66, is right behind the Amazon founder (BG's 4th wealthiest) ... he's worth $130 billion.

Buffett, 91, is the oldest person Floyd named ... but the 6th wealthiest person hasn't slowed down. The "Wizard of Omaha" is still the Chairman and CEO of his massive holding company, Berkshire Hathaway. Warren is worth $117 billion.

Now, Floyd's wealthy (he once made over $300 million for 30 minutes of work -- see Conor McGregor fight), but not that wealthy, yet.

Horrifying scene at a youth flag football event in Virginia on Sunday ... two people were hit by bullets after an argument broke out on the sidelines in the middle of a game.

Prince Williams County Police confirmed to TMZ Sports that they were dispatched to Benton Middle School in Manassas on Sunday after receiving a call about gunfire at around 10:15 a.m.

When officers arrived, PWCPD says they found two men had been shot while a youth flag football game was taking place.

Dean Ladson -- who's part of the 703 United Youth Football team -- captured PWCPD carrying out one of the shooting victims ... and later told FOX 5 that it all appeared to start after people got into a verbal altercation at the game.

"The guy standing maybe closer than you and I pulls out a gun," Ladson said, "he shoots the other gentleman, then he takes off running up the hill."

Ladson says his 11-year-old son was there when the terrifying incident happened ... but he -- and all the other children at the game -- are thankfully safe and sound.

"He's fine," Ladson said. "He made a statement to my wife, she asked how he was doing and he said he's just glad to be alive. That's harsh for an 11-year-old to have to say."

PWCPD says the two shooting victims are expected to survive.

Police added that they have not yet apprehended the shooter ... telling us they're still on the hunt for a suspect described as a "black male, with a medium complexion, between 5’6”-5’10” and a thin build." Anyone with information is asked to call PWCPD at 703-792-7000.

Another parent, Amanda Proch, made a comment on the PWCPD Facebook page about the shooting -- and thanked law enforcement for their service.

"Thank you PWC Police Department for your quick actions! My kids were at that game and I am blessed to say they are safe," Proch said.

The James Madison Univ. softball team will not play another game this season ... the school announced it's canceled all of its remaining contests in the wake of Lauren Bernett's tragic death.

"This was an extremely difficult decision and one that was not made lightly," JMU head coach Loren LaPorte said in a statement Monday morning.

"We are so grateful for the support of our fans all season and for the love from the softball community during the past week. We will use this time to continue healing and to honor Lauren's memory while finishing the academic semester strong."

JMU had four games remaining on its schedule ... one against Virginia on Tuesday and three against Elon slated for this weekend. The school had previously canceled games against Longwood and Delaware after learning of Bernett's death.

"We're thinking about our graduating seniors whose careers have come to an abrupt conclusion," LaPorte said. "We will make sure that they are honored for the commitment and dedication they have made as student-athletes at James Madison University."

As we reported, Bernett -- who had just won Colonial Athletic Association Player of the Week honors for her roles in games in mid-April -- died by suicide last week. She was just 20 years old.

Whoops!!!

A Guardians fan hilariously spilled his beer on a woman sitting next to him after he whiffed on trying to catch a foul ball coming his way ... and the epic fail was all caught on video!

The funny moment happened during the Guardians game against the A's on Saturday ... when a fan tried to make the play of the day -- and got nothing instead.

You can see in video from the stadium, the foul ball was coming the guy's way, and he tried his best to snag it using only his left hand, but he bobbled it ... and then, disaster hit.

The Cleveland fan's drink went flying as he jumped into the air to try to nab the baseball ... and it spilled all over the woman's face and her food.

It's unclear if the woman, who was also a Guardians fan, had any relation to the guy who doused her in beer ... but she didn't seem TOO upset at the guy over it all, laughing and smiling at the blunder.

History was made in the Tennessee vs. Auburn college baseball game on Sunday ... a pitcher threw a ball that was clocked at a staggering 105.5 MPH!!!

The ridiculous heater was thrown by Ben Joyce in the seventh inning of the Vols' tilt with the Tigers in Knoxville ... and check out video of the pitch -- the ball was an absolute blur as it reached home plate!

According to baseball historians, it's the fastest a pitch has ever traveled in a college game.

Of course, the throw shouldn't surprise too many ... Joyce has been lighting up radar guns all year -- constantly hitting 103 and 104 MPH.

But, still, you can hear in the broadcast footage of the pitch -- fans in the stands let out audible gasps as the 105.5 flashed on the stadium's radar gun.

Joyce, a redshirt junior, used the crazy fastball to throw four innings of 1-hit ball on Sunday ... securing the win for the Vols while striking out six Tigers batters.

Shaquille O'Neal is looking to fuel his 7'1", 320-pound body with NO meat -- the NBA legend says he's TRYING his best to go vegan!!

Shaq opened up about his health ambitions with comedian Rip Micheals at Slutty Vegan in Atlanta ... where he explained on the "Urban Eats and Treats" show how he's able to eat his favorite foods and still look out for his body at the same time.

"My friend introduced me to this place and it's healthy," the Big Aristotle said in the clip. "For example, I like cheeseburgers, right. But the way she cooks it, I can eat healthy, but still feel like I'm eating bad."

O'Neal -- who played over 20 years in the NBA -- says the "Slutty Vegan" joint in Atlanta allows him to eat his favorite foods without the guilt.

"Whenever I want to cheat, I come over here and cheat," Shaq added.

FYI -- 'Urban Eats & Treats' is a new food and travel series from Kevin Hart's Laugh Out Loud Studios ... where Micheals and his celebrity friends search for the best food and laughs in their respective cities.

Some of the show's featured guests include Shaq, DJ Envy, Bill Bellamy, Nick Cannon, Russell Peters, Deon Cole, Tamar Braxton and more.

The big fella says his healthy diet would usually consist of chicken salad, steak, and fish ... but now that he's trying to make changes, the S.V. restaurant helps him feel like he's pigging out.

Of course, Shaq is involved with multiple businesses as an owner -- Papa John's, Auntie Anne's, and Krispy Kreme to name a few ... but surprisingly, he says he doesn't go there for his junk food.

Floyd Mayweather helped a guy turn in his back into the biggest yearbook signature page ever -- etching his name right into his skin ... just one more out of hundreds already there.

The boxing great was on hand Saturday for The Parlor Games Celebrity Basketball Classic (presented by Celebrity Sports Entertainment), where he was one of many celebs in Vegas for star-studded game on the court.

At one point, though, it appears he was approached by social media influencer Funky Matas -- who's kinda famous for all the writing on his body ... specifically, his entire back.

Stars like Will Smith, Gerard Butler, Steve-O, Michael J. Fox, Elijah Wood, Christopher Lloyd, Chris Rock, Usain Bolt, Tara Reid, Mike Tyson, Tony Hawk, Rob Schneider, Travis Barker and even the guy who voiced SpongeBob SquarePants ... just to name a few.

All in all, he's got upwards of 300 signatures -- yes, he's world record holder -- and now ... Floyd's in the pantheon too. Dude did seem a little hesitant though, and we can't blame him.

Prince Harry might be far across the pond, but he's still a Brit -- just look at him galloping with a stick in hand as he tries to whack a ball ... all the way over here in sunny California!

The Duke of Sussex got his polo on Friday during a match at the Santa Barbara Polo and Racquets Club, where we're told he played on a team called Los Padres (the green jerseys, it seems) alongside a pal of his ... and apparently this happened last minute.

In any case, Hare clearly needed to stretch it out before getting on the horse to ride -- and he did exactly that ... with some mid-level squats, and extra effort to work out his glutes.

Of course ... his wife, Meghan Markle, was also there to watch her prince do his thing -- and once Harry was on the field ... it appears he saw some serious action. The dude's been playing a long time, BTW, dating back to his youth ... so the sport comes naturally.

This has gotta make him feel right at home ... which is nice, since he's sorta keeping London at arm's length at the moment -- this following his brief visit recently to see meemaw.

He told Hoda Kotb not too long ago that he misses his family ... but dodged the follow-up when his brother and father were specifically brought up -- alluding to the ongoing rift.

There were 2 fights connected to the boxing showdown between Katie Taylor and Amanda Serrano Saturday night -- the fight in the ring, and the fight between their supporters, Jake Paul and Conor McGregor.

Katie beat Serrano in a split decision at Madison Square Garden. Conor -- true to form -- who's in Katie's corner, zeroed in on Jake on social media, comparing him to deceased BBC personality Jimmy Savile ... a man who was suspected of sexual abuse.

McGregor wrote, "Who the f*** is this jackass in the pink Jimmy Savile glasses?"

Now what a shock, we say jokingly, Jake responded ... "I'm the one who has done more for fighters than you ever have; the one who has won five fights in the past two years while you have lost five."

Jake wasn't done ... "The one who isn’t owned by Dana White, the one who made the fight you just watched happen, the one who got your hero Katie Taylor paid, that’s who."

McGregor's comeback ... a pic of Savile sporting pink glasses similar to the ones Jake wore at the Garden.

The 2 have been trash talking for months now, and ya gotta think a fight would line both their pockets with millions and millions of bucks. Problem for Conor -- Jake is 6'1" and 210 lbs, while Conor's 5'8", and now weighs about 175 lbs.

A youth softball umpire in Mississippi claims an irate parent assaulted her, allegedly punching her in the face, all 'cause the mom didn't like the way she was calling the game ... and now the parent has been arrested for assault.

Ump, Kristi Moore, tells TMZ Sports the alleged incident went down Saturday, April 9 ... when she was umpiring a 12 and under softball game between MVP and Southern Select in Laurel, MS.

Moore says the mother of a child on MVP named Kiara Thomas allegedly began yelling profanities at her, saying, "I will slap the f*** outta you bitch," as Kristi was calling the game.

Kristi tells us Thomas was asked to leave the field, but refused to, and told her she'd be waiting to confront her after the game was over.

And, according to Moore, the mom kept her word. The ump claims Thomas walked up to her and punched her square in the eye, causing a black eye, cuts and scratches under Kristi's eye.

Moore says she didn't immediately go to the hospital, but did seek medical attention the next day ... when she went to see a doctor for severe bruising she says she sustained during the altercation.

Thankfully for Kristi, she says a staff member at the softball field jotted down the license plate of the vehicle Thomas was driving after she left the field following the alleged attack.

And, according to police docs we obtained, 32-year-old Thomas was apprehended by authorities after they initiated a traffic stop ... and arrested for simple assault.

Moore bonded out the same night she was locked up, per the Laurel PD incident report.

The longtime ump also says the USFA softball organization has banned Thomas and the team, MVP, from the league.

USFA has not directly confirmed the banning of MVP and Thomas.

As for Moore ... she tells us she's rescheduled her upcoming games in order to take a much-needed break, saying she isn't mentally ready to call games.

Dez Bryant ain't done with football yet ... the former Dallas Cowboys superstar tells TMZ Sports he's not retired -- and still wants to catch passes from Kyler Murray in the desert.

We got Bryant out at Planet Hollywood in Las Vegas this week ... and he made it clear, despite not playing since the 2020 season, he's not callin' it a career yet.

In fact, Dez told us he's still gunnin' to get a contract with the Arizona Cardinals.

"Kyler, the coach -- I love the swagger over there," said the 33-year-old, who initially revealed to us back in 2021 that he wanted to be a Card. "I just love the guys, especially DeAndre Hopkins -- that's my boy. We real close."

Bryant said he'd be willing to take a bit of a backseat in order to play for Kliff Kingsbury -- explaining he wouldn't mind being a backup wideout and a locker room guy if needed.

Bryant told us being a mentor to young players is something that's important to him ... and, clearly, he believes he could be valuable in that role and beyond for the Cardinals.

As for if he's still in shape -- Bryant said not quite yet, but he told us he ain't too far off.

LeBron James is getting a ton of blame for the Lakers' failures this season, but Kent Bazemore is coming to his teammate's defense ... telling TMZ Sports the King did everything he could to help L.A. win.

A quick Google search of "LeBron Lakers" will show experts and analysts pointing the finger at the 4-time champ over the team's inability to make the playoffs ... especially after his reported influence on acquiring Russell Westbrook, an experiment that crashed and burned.

But, Bazemore wants to hear none of that talk -- sticking up for what James has done on-and-off the court.

"The dude was third in the league in scoring," Baze said at LAX this week. "What else do you want him to do? He put his body through a lot this year to be there for us."

37-year-old James finished with 30.3 points, 8.2 rebounds and 6.2 assists a game this season ... bringing him 1,325 points away from passing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar on the all-time list.

"He's chasing Kareem," Kent added. "He's done a lot for the game. He's given a platform to a lot of people. He's changing the world."

When asked if LeBron deserves more respect for what he's done over the years, Bazemore replied, "100%."

Charles Cross is unsure what to get his mom when the cash starts to roll in from his new Seahawks contract ... but she tells TMZ Sports she knows exactly what she wants -- a new home!

The former Mississippi State offensive tackle was taken by Seattle with the #9 overall pick in Thursday's NFL draft -- and with that slotting, he's set to make a whole lot of money.

So, a few hours after he got picked, we had to ask him -- what's the first purchase going to be?!

"I'ma do something for my mom," the 21-year-old said.

Charles, though, didn't know exactly what to get her ... but when we asked her, she made it pretty clear!

"A home," Cross' mother said. "Just a nice home."

Cross' mom told us she's very proud of her son -- who went from being a redshirt freshman to being named First Team All-SEC in 2021 ... adding that she and him are "very excited" to be the newest members of the 12s.

Adele is close to finalizing a deal to bring her Vegas residency to a new home ... with her sights set on a premiere date in a few months.

Sources with direct knowledge of the singer's plans tell TMZ ... she and her team are in serious talks with the people over at Planet Hollywood, and will do the show at Zappos Theater -- barring any unforeseen setbacks.

As we reported, Adele was supposed to do a residency at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace earlier this year -- but the show was derailed and canceled after what she first claimed was a COVID outbreak, but then it came out the postponement was really over creative issues.

Our sources say there'll be some major perks for Adele at Zappos ... she'll have full creative control over the show. And, get this, we're told Adele will also rake in a large cut of ticket sales -- a significant enhancement considering Zappos holds 7,000 people compared to The Colosseum's 4,100.

As for the dates, the official schedule is still being worked out, but the aim is for a late summer start that will run through the end of 2022 -- makes sense considering she recently revealed she wants to have a baby in 2023.

You'd think there might be some bad blood between The Colosseum and Zappos with Adele -- but both venues fall under the Caesars Entertainment family -- so all is good.

Adele's been spending the last few months with her bf Rich Paul, taking in NBA games and even dropping in at a London gay bar for some fun.

It'll either be the couch or Tampa Bay for Rob Gronkowski in 2022 ... 'cause the tight end tells TMZ Sports the only team he'd come back to the NFL for is the Buccaneers.

We got Gronk just before he partied his face off at his "Gronk Beach" fiesta in Las Vegas on Friday ... and he told us he's down to just two options for his immediate future.

The first, retirement. The second, the Bucs. And, that's it.

"It's just the Bucs," Gronkowski said. "Love that organization, man. Love the guys there. It's family over there."

Gronk had appeared to flirt with the idea of playing for another team earlier this offseason ... at one point, praising Joe Burrow so heavily, some wondered if he could end up in Cincinnati.

But, the 32-year-old future Hall of Famer made it clear this week, if he does come back, "it'll be the Bucs."

Gronk still appears to be a ways away from making any final decision, though ... instead, he's focused solely on getting after it in Sin City this weekend.