TMZ Sports - Page 43

Jim Harbaugh -- fiercely against abortion -- says he'd be willing to raise the baby of any of his Univ. of Michigan football players, if they had an unplanned pregnancy, and the couple decided to have the baby.

"I've told [them] the same thing I tell my kids, boys, the girls, same thing I tell our players, our staff members," Harbaugh said on Saturday, "I encourage them if they have a pregnancy that wasn't planned, to go through with it, go through with it," Harbaugh told ESPN's Gene Wojchiechowski.

"Let that unborn child be born, and if at that time, you don't feel like you can care for it, you don't have the means or the wherewithal, then Sarah and I will take that baby."

The Wolverines head coach -- who signed a $36.7 million extension in February -- was the keynote speaker at a recent "Right To Life" event.

During the anti-abortion speech, 58-year-old Harbaugh spoke about having the "courage to let the unborn be born."

As for why he chose to speak out about the controversial topic, Jim says while it may be difficult, it's an incredibly important issue for America.

"I just think this issue of life, save a life, the abortion issue is one that is so big that it needs to be talked about," Harbaugh said.

"It's a life or death type of issue and I believe in and I respect people's views but let's discuss it because there's passion on both sides of this issue."

The Cincinnati Bengals will be without superstar quarterback Joe Burrow as training camp kicks off -- the signal-caller is going under the knife to have his appendix removed.

The news broke just minutes ago ... with Ian Rapoport saying #9 will miss a bit of time due to the procedure.

Burrow showed up at the Bengals facility over the weekend to work out alongside rookies and injured players ... and Tuesday marks the first official day of camp.

The news comes amid contract talks for the 25-year-old ... with team president Mike Brown saying the focus is to give him an extension before his deal runs out.

While it's a slight bummer for Bengals fans, Rap says the decision was made based on the understanding it would be better to get the appendectomy out of the way sooner than later.

Makes sense -- the Bengals are coming off their most successful season in forever ... and are hoping to make another run at the Super Bowl this season.

Hope Solo has pleaded guilty to DWI -- over three months after she was arrested in North Carolina for driving while intoxicated with her children in the car.

The former U.S. women's national team goalkeeper made the plea in a Forsyth County courtroom on Monday after cutting a deal with prosecutors, TMZ Sports has confirmed.

In exchange for the guilty plea, we're told the two other charges she was facing in the case -- one count of child abuse and one count of resisting arrest -- were dismissed.

The judge gave Solo a 24-month suspended sentence. She was also ordered to pay fines and fees, and comply with the terms of a substance abuse assessment.

As part of the sentence, we're told Solo has already completed a 30-day, in-patient rehabilitation program at the Hope Valley treatment facility in North Carolina earlier this summer.

Following the plea in court, Solo released a lengthy statement on her social media page ... admitting "I underestimated what a destructive part of my life alcohol had become."

"The upside of making a mistake this big is that hard lessons are learned quickly," the 40-year-old added. "Learning these lessons has been difficult, and at times, very painful."

"I continue to be a student of the greatest school called life and I will continue to learn and grow from these experiences. I will continue to gain empathy, knowledge, and stories to share."

"I consider this a gift to pass it on to others because pain shared is pain lessened."

We broke the story ... Solo was arrested back on March 31 after cops say they found her passed out behind the wheel of her car in a Walmart parking lot while her two children were in the vehicle with her. Cops say during the stop, she displayed signs of impairment and reeked of booze. They added that she had refused sobriety tests at the scene.

More legal trouble for former Las Vegas Raiders first-round pick Damon Arnette ... he was just arrested again -- this time after cops say they found a cocaine-like substance in his pocket during a traffic stop.

According to police documents, obtained by TMZ Sports, Arnette was pulled over twice in his gray Dodger Charger on Monday night/Tuesday morning in Miami Beach, Fl.

During the first stop, which police say occurred at around 8:56 PM on Monday, cops say in the documents they found Arnette had been driving on a suspended license -- and issued him a citation.

According to the docs, cops say they told him he was not permitted to drive the vehicle until his license was reinstated -- though they did say they "permitted another licensed driver to drive the vehicle from the traffic stop."

Cops, though, claim in the documents that hours later -- at around 12:48 AM on Tuesday -- they noticed Arnette driving the same car, so they pulled him over again.

During that stop, cops said in the docs as soon as they verified he was, in fact, the driver of the car -- they placed him under arrest and cited him for knowingly driving with a suspended license.

But, during the arrest, cops say they searched Arnette's person, and found a small baggie "containing white powdery substance consistent with that of cocaine" in his front pants pocket.

They say they also found a straw "that was cut into a small piece resembling a device that is common for cocaine usage."

Jail records show Arnette was booked at 3:09 AM on three charges -- possession of a controlled substance, possession of drug paraphernalia, and driving on a suspended license. It's unclear if he's bonded out yet.

Of course, this is not the first run-in with the law Arnette has faced since he was drafted into the NFL -- you'll recall, he was arrested in Vegas back in January 2022 after he allegedly threatened a valet with a gun.

Arnette was released by the Kansas City Chiefs immediately following that arrest. He had previously been cut by the Raiders in 2021 after a video appearing to show him holding guns while making threats had surfaced.

25-year-old Arnette has played in just 13 total games since he was drafted. He's currently an NFL free agent.

A couple of Red Sox fans turned Fenway Park into their own Octagon during Monday night's game ... with two men getting into a violent altercation on the ground -- forcing security to get involved.

The incident went down as Boston hosted the Cleveland Guardians ... and it all seemingly got started over a beverage.

The person who posted the altercation claims the man in red spilled a drink on the fan in white ... which led to both guys duking it out on the stadium floor.

The fan in white throws several punches as the man in red holds him down on the concrete ... before two security guards intervene and diffuse the situation.

No word on whether the guys were arrested -- the video cuts off as the guards swoop in and hold them back.

One fan is heard yelling, "let's f***ing go, woo!!" as the altercation unfolds ... with others watching the action in the distance.

A soccer player tragically died weeks after he was brutally attacked by multiple people on the pitch during a soccer match in Oxnard, California earlier this month.

The man was only 29.

According to the NY Post, the brawl happened around 11 AM on July 10th at Oxnard High School -- about 90 minutes west of downtown Los Angeles -- when Misael Sanchez was allegedly beaten by opposing players and spectators after a dispute over a referee's call.

The assault left Sanchez severely injured and unresponsive on the field. EMT took him to a local hospital, the Ventura County Medical Center.

Sadly, 15 days later the family announced Sanchez died. The cause of death will be determined during an autopsy.

"My family is heartbroken and still in disbelief, as we expected a bright future for him," the family said on Monday via GoFundMe.

"Misael was assaulted by multiple assailants on July 10, 2022, and left in critical condition. We were not ready for this type of goodbye."

The family is now asking for prayers and for any donations to cover Sanchez's funeral.

"Thank you for the love, support and prayers."

Brittney Griner spoke with a media member on Tuesday for the first time since she was arrested back in February in Russia ... saying she had "no complaints" about her detention and adding that she wanted to wish her wife "good luck on the bar exam."

Griner -- who was back in court Tuesday for yet another hearing in her drug case -- spoke with an ABC News producer from behind bars inside the Moscow courtroom.

The outlet recorded the conversation, and in the audio, you can hear Griner calmly send the message to Cherelle Griner (who's been studying to become a lawyer) -- while adding she's "just waiting patiently" for a resolution in her drug case.

Brittney held up a photo of Cherelle minutes before the chat with the reporter. She also wore a sweatshirt that had "Black Lives Are Loved" written on it.

During the hearing, according to Reuters, Griner's legal team argued the WNBA star had used medical cannabis to help deal with her injuries -- and was not using the drug recreationally.

As we reported, Griner has pled guilty to charges that she brought hashish oil in her luggage to a Moscow airport back in February -- though she said she had no intention of breaking Russian law.

One of Ukraine's Olympic heroes is putting on his cape again by sacrificing his gymnastic silver medal in order to help his country fend off the Russian invaders.

Ruslan Mezentsev put his medal -- earned during the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney -- on the auction block, and TMZ Sports has learned it's now sold for $14,438.

Bidding just ended on July 21, and as we first reported ... Ruslan had pledged to donate all the money to Ukraine, to help fund his homeland's war efforts against Russia. We're told the auction house even donated the buyer's premium.

The now 41-year-old Olympian was a member of his country's men's team when they competed in the all-around competition back in 2000. Ruslan participated in the floor exercise, pommel horse, and still rings.

Ultimately, he helped his team take home the silver medal by scoring 28.725 and bringing the team's total 230.306. The Ukrainians finished just 1.613 points behind China, which won the gold medal.

Now, that silver medal is in the hands of an anonymous bidder ... and Ruslan, who is originally from a town called Kropyvnytskyi in central Ukraine, is giving all the coins back to his country as the war continues.

Danny Garcia has an edge over José Benavidez that cannot be matched, no matter how many miles he runs, or rounds he spars ... the former world champ was born with an extra toe, and that's all the advantage he needs!

Sure, Danny's totally kidding ... but this is an excuse to talk about one of our favorite clips ever.

If you haven't seen it, back in 2015, the 36-3 welterweight took off his Jordan's and literally proved he had an extra digit on his foot.

So, when we recently talked to Danny, we asked the 34-year-old about the toe ... in addition to a bunch of serious questions about returning after a lengthy layoff, and whether Garcia can once again be champ.

"I'm gonna keep showing it off because when I was a kid, I was ashamed of it," Danny said, adding, "Now, I'm somebody. That six-toe brought me a long way."

And, perhaps the extra appendage has actually helped in some way ... "I've never been knocked down!"

All jokes aside, Garcia says he's ready for 30-year-old Benavidez (27-1-1) ... and understands there are doubters considering his last match was a loss to Errol Spence in 2020. But, Danny says he's as fast and strong as ever, and he's ready to rock.

"It was tough in the beginning but the way I've been sparring, the way I've been training, the way I've been running ... everything is stronger and faster," Garcia said.

"I didn't lose a step. I feel great!"

So, with the boxing skills and physical advantage, Garcia says Benavidez is gonna need a little more help to beat him come July 30 at the Barclays Center (on Showtime).

"I already got the advantage. I got an extra body part. He's gonna need an extra arm to beat me."

Shaquille O'Neal's son, Shareef, is continuing to work towards his dreams of making it to the NBA one day -- he just signed a 6-figure contract with the G League.

22-year-old Shareef will play for the Ignite -- a developmental team based in Nevada, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic.

Shareef took to Twitter to express how pumped he was about the opportunity, writing, "VEGAS LETS DO IT !! Thank you, ignite !"

Specifics of the deal have yet to be disclosed ... but it means the young hooper is getting another shot at improving his game after teaming up with the Los Angeles Lakers' Summer League team this season.

Shareef averaged 4.5 points per game when he got playing time, and was efficient when he touched the rock ... shooting 60% from the field.

Shareef has plenty of people rooting for him ... like former Lakers head coach Byron Scott, who believes if he cleans up a few things in his game, he can play in the NBA like his father.

"I think he looked a little bit out of place," Scott said of O'Neal's Summer League play. "He wasn’t ready. I think he still has a little ways to go. I think the talent is there. Obviously, the athleticism is there."

Congratulations are in order for Bre Tiesi -- the model and Nick Cannon just welcomed their baby son to the world!!

Tiesi -- Johnny Manziel's ex-wife -- announced the news on Monday ... saying it was an at-home, unmedicated birth.

"This was the most humbling / limit pushing yet awakening and completely empowering experience," Tiesi said on Instagram.

"This experience has changed me forever and I couldn’t of asked for a more amazing and supportive partner. Daddy showed the f up for us ... I couldn’t of (sic) done it without you. 💙 I can’t believe he’s here 🤗."

This is Cannon's eighth child and Tiesi's first.

NC addressed the news in Tiesi's comments ... saying, "You never cease to amaze me!! Full of passion, drive, focus, brilliance and most importantly love!!! ❤️❤️❤️❤️."

"Honored and privileged to experience this beautiful miracle with you! Thank you for the greatest gift any human can give to another. For this my love is forever indebted."

We broke the story ... Nick and Bre went public with the pregnancy back in January, announcing at a baby shower they were having a baby boy.

Manziel -- who was married to Tiesi from 2018-2021 -- has yet to speak out on the baby's birth ... but his sister, Meri, liked Bri's post, so we're assuming he's heard the news.

The Phoenix Mercury continue to honor their star player, Brittney Griner, as she remains in a Russian jail cell ... this time, the team handed out 1,500 sneakers to the community, an ode to her charity.

The WNBA team shared video of the amazing deed Monday ... saying they collected all the shoes last week after they launched the fifth annual 'Heart and Sole Shoe Drive' on behalf of Griner back in April.

"Today, we got to do some outreach with the Phoenix Rescue Mission," Mercury's head coach Vanessa Nygaard said, "and it was really touching to be out here."

"This is day actually 152 that BG's been wrongly imprisoned, and what better way to honor her and to think about her and keeping her thoughts to go out and do outreach in our community."

You can see Nygaard -- named Mercury's HC in January -- and her team hit the city streets distributing the sneakers, from Nike to Adidas, to the community ... and even talked to a couple of people after their awesome donation.

"To pass out the shoes that were so generously given by all the people who care about BG and to physically hand those to people in need was extremely touching and I hope impactful for our community," Nygaard said.

"But, we really can't wait for is the day that BG returns and we all get to go out with BG and love our community and celebrate her and everything that makes the valley so proud."

As we previously reported, Griner has been in Russian custody since February on drug possession and smuggling charges. She previously pled guilty and is facing up to 10 years in prison.

J.R. Smith has no clue why Damian Lillard won't leave the Trail Blazers ... saying this week he believes the NBA superstar should bounce from Portland and chase rings somewhere else.

"Like, I love Dame," Smith said on the upcoming episode of Fubo Sports Network's "No Chill with Gilbert Arenas." "I love his game. I respect him for doing what he's doing. But at the same time, it's like, you just going to rot in Portland, bro?"

Lillard has been a Trail Blazer since the org. took him in the first round of the 2012 NBA Draft -- and he's thrived there, making six All-Star games while averaging 24.6 points per game.

But, deep runs in the playoffs have been few and far between -- notably because his supporting cast hasn't been great. And, Smith -- along with Gilbert Arenas -- clearly believes it's time for the 32-year-old to go find a new team that'll give him the proper help he needs to win a Larry O'Brien Trophy.

"I'm trying to win, bro," said Smith, a two-time NBA champ.

Arenas added that he believes a lack of rings will hurt Lillard when it comes to the nation's conversation about his legacy.

"The people you put in front of me are not even close to my stature," Arenas said, "but because they got a ring, they get pushed in front of me."

Lillard, though, doesn't appear to have any desire to bolt from the Pacific Northwest -- he just signed another extension with the Trail Blazers earlier this month, committing to the team through the 2026-27 season.

A cop forcefully grabbed Green Bay Packers star AJ Dillon and shoved him in the back during a soccer game at Lambeau Field this weekend ... and now, police say they've launched an internal review into the matter.

The incident happened on Saturday -- when during a weather delay at the Manchester City vs. FC Bayern match, Dillon hopped down onto the field in order to rile up fans in attendance.

According to Dillon, two security guards gave him permission to be on the field, and even helped him get down from his seat "so I could do a lambeau leap and hype up the crowd."

But, videos show one cop apparently didn't get that message -- and got physical with the tailback as he was preparing to jump over the wall behind one of the end zones.

The cop eventually let go of the 24-year-old -- who later said despite the aggressive nature of the interaction, he wasn't upset about it at all.

"Just miscommunication between parties," Dillon wrote on his Twitter page on Sunday. "The @GBPolice are great people and I’m glad we have them down there for our games to keep us safe. Standing there in the pouring rain with all those people it’s hard to know what’s going on with just one. All good."

A spokesperson for the Green Bay Police Dept. tells TMZ Sports ... "It is clear that there was a miscommunication between the Officer and Mr. Dillon."

"The Green Bay Police Department appreciates the perspective and supportive words from Mr. Dillon. The Green Bay Police Department Professional Standards/Internal Affairs Division has initiated a review of this incident."

Charles Barkley is naming his price in order to join the Saudi-backed LIV Golf tour ... saying he'd hop on board if they offer him a whopping $60 million!!

The NBA legend addressed the org.'s reported interest in bringing him on as a commentator with the "Dan Patrick Show" on Monday ... saying he's more than happy with his current situation with TNT, but a certain number would get him to sign on the dotted line with LIV.

"Well, consider how much money I make now, it would take a really huge number for me to give up my life right now," Barkley told Patrick.

While Barkley didn't want to go into details about his current income, Patrick threw out a number -- $20 milli total between TNT and endorsements -- and Chuck admitted the guess was pretty spot-on.

Dan asked Chuck how he'd respond if LIV decided to triple his income ... and it's safe to say Barkley wouldn't be able to decline such a lucrative offer.

"If they triple it, and next time I'm on your show, the first question better be, 'Charles, where we celebrating at tonight?'" Barkley said.

"That should be your first question, that should be your first question if they triple what I'm making now. Your first question should be, 'Hey, Charles, where's the party tonight?'"

Barkley also said despite all the backlash surrounding the tour, he has no issue with guys like Phil Mickelson, Dustin Johnson, Bryson DeChambeau, and Brooks Koepka leaving the PGA tour for LIV ... 'cause at the end of the day, money talks.

"150 million dollars to play golf 15 times a year? I have no problem with those guys taking that money."

Former Los Angeles Lakers F Slava Medvedenko is selling his two NBA championship rings from '01 and '02 ... and it's all to raise money for his home country, Ukraine, as the war continues to rage on in the country.

The rings, on the block at SCP Auctions through August 5, are expected to sell for at least $100K total, and 100% of the money from the sale will go to Slava's Fly High Foundation.

The foundation aims to support Ukrainian children by repairing sports in schools in areas that have been hit the hardest by the war, According to the Associated Press.

Medvedenko says he plans to use the money from the sale of the rings, which he earned playing alongside Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant, to repair or rebuild fitness centers destroyed by missiles, bombs, and artillery fired by Vladimir Putin's military.

“We want to restore gyms because the Russian army bombed more than a hundred schools,” Medvedenko told The AP during a phone interview.

“Our country, they need a lot of money to fix the schools. Sports gyms are going to be last in the line to fix it. In Ukraine, we have winter, and kids need to play inside.”

Slava -- who spent 7 seasons in the NBA -- says he felt compelled to help after witnessing firsthand Russian rockets flying through the night sky as the former Laker watched from a Kyiv rooftop.

“In this moment, I just decided, ‘Why do I need these rings if they’re just sitting in my safe?’” Medvedenko said. “I just recognize I can die."

"After that, I just say I have to sell them to show people leadership, to help my Ukrainian people to live better, to help kids."

Despite having no military background, the 43-year-old, 6'10" ex-hooper -- equipped with his binoculars and AK-47 -- has served in Ukraine's territorial defense during the war.

As Medvedenko continues to help Ukraine during the war with Russia, he's already plotting how he can use sports to restore some normalcy and return prosperity to his war-torn country.