TMZ Sports - Page 3

Cameron Smith, #2 ranked golfer in the world and winner of The Open, is nearing a deal to join LIV Golf, TMZ Sports has learned … which would make him the latest star to join the Saudi-backed organization.

Of course, big names like Phil Mickelson, Dustin Johnson, Brooks Koepka and Bryson DeChambeau have defied the PGA Tour and inked huge money deals to play in the new league. Smith, by far, would represent the highest-ranked player they've been able to lure over.

Our sources tell us they'd be shocked if the deal didn't happen.

In fact, after winning at St. Andrews, Smith was asked by reporters about rumors he was going to LIV. Cam's response? He wasn't thrilled with the question, but didn't say no.

“I just won the British Open, and you’re asking about that? I think that’s pretty not that good,” Cameron said. “I don’t know, mate. My team around me worries about all that stuff. I’m here to win golf tournaments.”

As for the money Smith would receive, that's not known ... but obviously it'll be significant.

For reference ... Mickelson was reportedly paid $200 million to sign with LIV. DeChambeau's contract was said to be around $125 million. All the big named players received huge deals.

Of course, the PGA Tour and LIV are in the midst of a full-on war with each other ... as the upstart org. has persuaded some of the game's biggest names with windfalls of cash. The Tour has responded by threatening to ban players who sign.

In fact, there was talk last week that LIV players may not be allowed to compete in the four Majors starting in 2023 ... a move that'd be a huge blow to the golfers.

Not all of the biggest golfers have said "yes" to LIV. Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy both turned down lucrative offers. Woods's offer was said to be "high nine figures," according to LIV CEO Greg Norman.

Want to make a quick buck on Monday night's Home Run Derby? Bet on Pete Alonso ... 'cause Joe Musgrove -- one of the best pitchers in baseball -- tells TMZ Sports he thinks the Mets' star first baseman will win it easily!!

The San Diego Padres ace -- who's personally thrown against nearly every one of the participants in this year's derby -- said even though it's a stacked field, he believes the Polar Bear will come out on top for a third straight time.

"Dude," he said, "it's hard to pick anybody other than Polar Pete, man."

Musgrove told us he believes the 24-year-old's swing is just too good for the other seven participants -- Kyle Schwarber, Albert Pujols, Juan Soto, Jose Ramirez, Corey Seager, Julio Rodriguez and Ronald Acuna -- to beat out.

"His swing is so easy," Musgrove said. "Simple. Repeatable."

As for someone who he'd love to see compete with Alonso in the finals of Monday night's event -- Joe told us he's going to be pulling for Pujols there.

The 29-year-old, who's making his first All-Star appearance this week (and will no doubt be hopped up on his favorite Celsius drink at the events), added that he's hoping to meet Shohei Ohtani while out at the fun festivities.

Police in Milan are adamant they did nothing wrong when holding soccer star Tiemoue Bakayoko at gunpoint ... saying while the situation ended up being a "misunderstanding," they were in the midst of searching for someone allegedly involved in a shooting.

"With reference to the video released today, related to a police check carried out against the Milan player Tiemoue Bakayoko, we underline that the check -- occurred during an operation whose context justified the adoption of the highest security measures," police said in a statement to CNN.

Police said the search "was carried out in a manner that was absolutely consistent with the situation of danger" for "self-protection purposes."

"It was a misunderstanding, but colleagues behaved correctly," police said.

The incident involving 27-year-old Bakayoko -- who joined Milan on a two-year loan last summer -- happened about two weeks ago, but went under the radar until video of the incident went viral on social media Monday.

On Monday, AC Milan said the search occurred following a shooting in the nearby area.

Police added once they established Bakayoko's identity and confirmed he had no role in the crime(s) allegedly committed, he was released without further incident.

It's a sad day for Steelers fans -- the transition from Heinz Field is officially underway ... with the stadium's iconic ketchup bottle signs coming down on Monday.

Last week, the Pittsburgh Steelers announced they're partnering with tech insurance company Acrisure for a 15-year naming rights deal ... which will end the Heinz Field era after 20 years.

A news photographer from KDKA captured the first steps of the makeover on Monday -- showing the massive Heinz ketchup bottle sign being removed by a crane and placed on the ground.

Some of the construction workers on site even used it as a photo opp -- posing in front of the bottle after it came down.

While some fans are hurt over the change, Steelers President Art Rooney II is excited about the new name ... saying in a statement the org. is "excited to partner with Acrisure for the naming rights to our stadium."

"We are very appreciative to partner with Greg Williams and his company, and we look forward to a long, beneficial relationship for years to come."

Steelers Hall of Fame coach Bill Cowher likes the name change as well ... adding,  "Pittsburgh will always be a very tough place to play."

Well, 7,000+ Black and Gold fans disagree ... and started a petition in hopes of halting the change.

Based on the quick action to remove all things ketchup from the building, it's not looking good for their cause.

A massive fight broke out at a basketball game over the weekend ... when a referee was attacked by several people -- including a player -- after appearing to throw a punch at a coach during a heated in-game altercation.

The violent incident happened during the Hardwood Classic X RecruitLook Summer Finale in Kansas City ... after a coach appeared to lose it over a technical foul call.

In the video, the coach -- wearing blue shorts and a grey shirt -- gets in the ref's face after hearing the whistle ... and it's clear he's beyond frustrated with the call.

The ref then seemingly tried to create distance by putting his arm out, but the guy wasn't having any of it ... appearing to push his hand out of the way.

The referee then threw a right hook -- although it's unclear whether it actually landed -- and immediately started backpedaling as a mob of people ran on the court and started chasing after him.

That's when the brawl broke out ... with the ref getting jumped by what appeared to be other coaches, spectators, and even a player, who attempted to kick the official while he was down on the ground.

Unclear if anyone was hurt in the incident ... but after the parties were separated, the official stumbled away, falling at one point, and needed to be helped off the court by several individuals.

The man claiming to be the ref posted about the incident on social media ... saying, "I had just called a tech right before the camera came to me. That's why he was pushing up on me like that."

"F*** another tech at that point. He had to catch one."

He added ... "And yeah, that coach was just looking for a reason to start something, he couldn't take the ass whooping like a man."

We've reached out to law enforcement and the teams involved in the incident ... so far, no word back.

An indoor football game turned into a wild street fight this weekend ... when players, coaches and fans all brawled in the stands following the conclusion of the action on the field.

It all went down on Saturday night -- after the West Texas Warbirds whooped the Dallas Prime at the Ector County Coliseum in Odessa.

Video shot by spectators at the arena shows as soon as the final whistle blew -- players went after each other off the field.

Soon after, others got involved ... and you can see in the footage, one coach appeared to rip off a player's helmet and then start throwing haymakers.

All hell then broke loose ... with players from both teams jumping in the action.

Eventually, a Dallas Prime player made his way into the stands and got into it with a fan -- appearing to strike the guy in the head with a left hook.

Somehow, authorities were able to take control of the situation after about 10 minutes of fighting.

Addressing reporters afterward, Ector County Sheriff Mike Griffis said, thankfully, it appeared "no one sought medical treatment or went to the hospital" following the melee.

Tristan Thompson is having no problem finding companionship on his trip to Greece ... a getaway on the heels of news he and Khloe Kardashian are expecting a baby together via surrogate.

TT -- decked out in a floral-pattern shirt -- was spotted walking hand in hand through the streets of Mykonos with a mystery woman around 5 AM Sunday morning. Tristan had previously been partying at a club called Bonbonniere ... so it's possible he met her while out.

It's not the first time we've seen the NBA player out partying 'til the late hours of the night overseas ... he was at the same club Friday surrounded by several women and smoking hookah.

Of course, the trip to Greece comes just days after TMZ broke the story Tristan and Khloe are expecting a baby boy via surrogate.

What's not clear is when the baby was or is expected to be born. When we broke the story Wednesday, we were told the birth was imminent, and it was even possible the baby had already arrived.

Curt Schilling clearly has no problem seeing Brittney Griner's detention in Russia drag on ... the ex-MLB star said Sunday night he believes the WNBA player should "pay the penalty for breaking another country's laws."

Schilling wrote the controversial statement on his Twitter page -- in a response to LeBron James' plea to bring Griner home.

"I know this may seem like a stretch," the 55-year-old said. "But something like 300 million people understand 'OBEY THE F***ING LAW', why is that such a challenge?"

"And why on earth should she NOT pay the penalty for breaking another country's laws?"

Griner has been locked in a cell in Russia since mid-February, after authorities said they found hashish oil in her luggage at an airport in Moscow. At a hearing in the case earlier this month, Griner pled guilty to the charges ... telling a judge at the time, "I didn't want to break the law."

Schilling obviously believes her plea and subsequent statements are justification for her to remain behind bars as long as Russia sees fit.

"She, as far as I know from every quote of hers," Schilling said, "has NEVER denied committing the crime, not once."

The United States government, meanwhile, has classified Griner as "wrongfully detained" and is in the process of negotiating with Russia to bring her home.

Don't call Anthony Richardson "AR-15" anymore ... the Florida Gators star quarterback says he's done with the nickname as mass shootings continue to persist in the U.S.

The QB, who wears #15 for the Gators' football team and had leaned into the gun-themed nickname for the past year or so, formally announced the dropping of the moniker in a lengthy statement on his Twitter page Sunday afternoon.

"It is important to me that my name and brand are no longer associated with the assault rifle that has been used in mass shootings," Richardson said, "which I do not condone in any way or form."

Richardson initially wore #2 when he arrived on the Gainseville campus in 2020, but switched to #15 in 2021. A short time later, he began selling shirts, jerseys and wristbands with the "AR-15" nickname on them as well as a scope logo.

But, Richardson said that will now cease ... adding that he and his representatives are currently in the process of building a new brand.

Better get to your seats early for the Nick Young vs. Blueface boxing match later this month ... 'cause Swaggy P tells TMZ Sports the fight is going to be over in a matter of seconds!!

The ex-Lakers star made the prediction to us out in L.A. earlier this week ... saying it'll only take him about 15 ticks to knock out the "Thotiana" rapper.

Nick said he's confident for a myriad of reasons ... but explained he believes Blueface's lifestyle is ultimately why he'll dump the 25-year-old in Round 1.

"He's a rapper," the former hooper said. "They've got to be in the studio all night. You've got to drink, you've got to smoke. We don't do that type of stuff."

Blueface, meanwhile, was just as confident that he'd beat Young when we spoke to him out in L.A. this week -- telling us he has plans to actually toy with the 37-year-old in the fight to make him "look bad."

As for post-fight plans, Blueface says he's going to box further after the Young tilt, telling us he's already got a match planned for late August.

Young, meanwhile, says if the money's right ... he'll continue boxing -- adding, "I'm just going on a knock-a-motha-f***as-out tour."

Shaquille O'Neal has returned to form -- at least in the EDM sense -- because the dude is out here in Europe head-banging with a bunch of normies ... at a festival he's performing in.

The NBA great was spotted moshing at Tomorrowland in Belgium -- where he's slated to hit the stage as his music persona, DJ Diesel, in a set that's sure to rock the crowd. Seems Shaq wanted a head start though ... 'cause he immersed himself in the crowd beforehand.

Check out this awesome video, shot by photojournalist Adam Glyn, in which Shaq is being mobbed by festival-goers ... this as he towers over them and matches their energy.

It's pretty surreal to see -- but then again, maybe not ... SON has proven time and again that he's very much so of the people, and Tomorrowland seems to be no exception. Of course, Shaq has done this before -- but not for a while ... last time he was out there was 2019.

We already know Shaq is a renaissance man -- with his hand in a lot of different ventures, business and otherwise -- so him in a setting like this really isn't all that crazy if you think about it.

Felice Herrig has turned her tootsies into cash cows -- the combat sports star tells TMZ Sports she's raking in the dough ... by selling her used socks and pics of her feet on OnlyFans!!

Yep, you read that correctly -- the newly-retired MMA fighter and current Bare Knuckle FC fighter tells us she's living very comfortably by snapping shots of her lil bulldogs ... and it's now given her the freedom to fight at her leisure.

Felice tells us all her fans with foot fetishes have asked for some up-close looks for a while now ... and she's more than happy to fulfill their requests.

But, some folks out there even want to possess some of her USED socks ... which she's shelling out for $150!!!

Pretty sweet gig, huh??

The money Herrig is making now has allowed her to fight whenever she wants ... unlike how things were previously in her long career.

As for her new transition over to BKFC, Felice tells us it's the perfect fit for what she's truly passionate about in fighting -- admitting her heart wasn't in MMA.

"Now, it's coming full-circle," Herrig tells us. "I get to go back to doing what I love. And actually, boxing has always been my number one."

Up first, AnEsonGib ... next up, KSI and Jake Paul?!

Austin McBroom tells TMZ Sports that's his exact plan ... saying after he makes quick work of Gib in their celeb boxing match later this month, he wants fights with KSI and Paul.

McBroom said ideally, KSI -- who's fighting YouTuber Alex Wassabi in a celeb boxing match of his own next month -- would be first up at the end of this year.

After that, McBroom, a former college basketball player turned YouTuber turned boxer, says he wouldn't mind a scrap with Paul.

"I'm more excited about KSI," McBroom told us out in L.A. this week while promoting his Gib fight. "Obviously, the winner of KSI [and I], maybe Jake will take that into consideration."

McBroom, though, knows he has to get through Gib first to make any of that happen -- and he made it clear, he expects that victory to go down with ease.

"I think I'm going to knock him out, or it's going to be a complete stop," McBroom said. "He's going to get hurt."

McBroom is 1-0 in his celeb boxing matches so far -- you'll recall, he pummeled Bryce Hall in a June 2021 event. Gib, meanwhile, is 3-1 in his celeb boxing matches, with his lone loss coming to Paul.

The two will fight on July 30 -- on the same card as Adrian Peterson, Le'Veon Bell, Nick Young and Blueface.

Shocked, honored, humbled ... just a few of the words MMA star Kayla Harrison used to describe being nominated for the Best MMA Fighter, telling TMZ Sports simply being included with the other fighters is fantastic.

The 32-year-old, undefeated (14-0, 11 KO + Subs) PFL star was recently nominated for an ESPY Award ... alongside UFC stars Kamaru Usman, Alexander Volkanovski and Charles Oliveira.

Usman, Volk and Oliveira have all dominated their respective division over the last year.

"I was initially shocked, and then ... honored, I think honored and humbled by it. Every one of those fighters is a Hall of Famer. They're legends, each in their own right. I'm a fan in each and every one of them, inside the cage, outside the cage. It was a big honor for me, huge honor," Harrison says.

And, you may have noticed Kayla is unique amongst the other nominees ... for more than one reason.

"It's awesome. To be the only female fighter nominated. To be the only non-UFC fighter nominated."

Kayla says even though her goal isn't to win awards, it's still nice to have hard work and success recognized by the fans.

"There are moments where in your career you question, does anyone understand? I'm working really hard, I'm trying really hard, I'm doing my best, I'm trying to get back, I'm trying to build a legacy, I'm trying to be dominant. I'm doing all this work."

Kayla says although it's not necessarily something based off "merit" -- you win by fans voting for you -- it's still nice to see people recognizing and appreciating all the hours of blood, sweat and tears.

Speaking of voting ... if you'd like to cast a virtual ballot Kayla, click here.

A bunch of other huge stars are also nominated for awards ... athletes like Steph Curry, Aaron Rodgers and Aaron Judge are up for awards.

Tristan Thompson is about to be a new dad again -- but instead of being in L.A. for the imminent birth ... he's halfway across the world, living it up with some lovely ladies.

TMZ has obtained footage of the NBA star at a club called Bonbonniere in Mykonos, Greece very early Friday morning (2:30 AM) -- where we're told he was surrounded by friends, plus, some female company ... a handful of women seemingly hanging around near him too.

The clip here isn't great lighting-wise, but we've brightened it up and slowed it down ... and sure enough, there's Tristan. Of course, he's also been photographed strolling around Mykonos the past few days -- so yeah, TT's in Europe right now.

As you can see, there's about four different women around him -- two of whom seem to be focusing their interactions on him specifically -- and even more hotties roaming about.

While you don't see any explicit PDA here in the footage, eyewitnesses tell us Tristan appeared to be getting cozy with at last one gal that was in the mix, and getting a little handsy throughout the night.

Of course, it's the dude's prerogative to do this. As we all know, he's officially unattached -- this after Khloe Kardashian dumped him amid yet the latest cheating scandal with Maralee Nichols, whom he also impregnated -- and they strictly have a co-parenting relationship now for True.

That's all fine and good, but as TMZ first reported ... this new baby is about to be born any day now, if it hasn't popped out already -- which it may well have by now.

NASCAR driver Bobby East was fatally stabbed this week by a drifter during a bloody altercation at a California gas station, police and media reports say.

Tattoo-faced Trent William Millsap is being sought by police in connection with East's murder, which occurred at a 76 gas station around 6 PM Wednesday, according to Deadline.

East reportedly got into a war of words with Millsap while the racecar driver was pumping gas. It wasn't clear what sparked the argument, but Millsap allegedly plunged a sharp object into the chest of East.

Cops were called to the scene and reportedly performed life-saving measures on East until paramedics arrived. East was then rushed to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

Millsap, who had an outstanding parole warrant, is a drifter who frequents motels in the usually safe and crime-free Westminister area. He is considered armed and dangerous.

East was a three-time U.S. Auto Club champion who snagged the USAC Silver Crown Championships in 2012 and 2013.

Bobby was 37.

RIP