TMZ Sports - Page 42

Young Dolph would've turned 37 on Wednesday, and his good friend Deion Sanders didn't forget -- wishing the late rapper a happy birthday by sharing a clip of him and the Jackson St. football team.

Sanders posted the video on his Instagram page ... and featured a bunch of memories the Dallas Cowboys legend had with Dolph, who was tragically killed last November.

"God bless, Young Dolph," Sanders said in the video. "God bless my brother. I miss my brother."

The video features the moment when the Memphis rapper partied with the Tigers' squad in the locker room after their homecoming game in October 2021 -- while playing his song, "100 Shots."

"Happy Birthday My Brother @youngdolph," Sanders said in the IG post. "Your name will live FOREVER."

Dolph's girlfriend and the mother of his two kids, Mia Jaye, also celebrated Dolph's first birthday since his untimely death with two bday tributes.

"So yesterday, tomorrow and especially today my family and I will celebrate the man affectionately known as Daddy in our home and Dolph to the world," Mia said.

"Happy Birthday Daddy, we forever love you."

As we previously reported, Dolph was shot and killed outside of a cookie store in his hometown last Nov.

Brittney Griner says she was aware the U.S. government warned Americans traveling to Russia was dangerous ... but the WNBA star told a court in Moscow she decided to get on the airplane because she wanted to help her basketball team.

Griner's drug trial continued in Russia on Wednesday, and the 31-year-old hooper testified to the reason she returned to Moscow in February despite the travel advisory.

"It's the most important part of the season, after the break. It's playoffs. The whole season I worked, my team worked hard to get to a good position," Griner said, continuing, "There was nothing that was going to change that for me. I didn't want to let my team down.  I did know about the 'do not fly' advisory, but like I said, there was nothing that was going to change my mind on coming back and finishing my duty for my team."

Brittney's alluding to a "Do Not Travel" advisory issued by the U.S. State Department on January 23 ... where they warned of "the potential for harassment against U.S. citizens."

Of course, despite the fact Griner played several seasons in Russia (she's a 3x Russian League champ), she's an American citizen.

BG also addressed the reason for using cannabis ... years of sports injuries.

"Because of my injuries that I've had over the long career of basketball. From my spine, no cartilage in my knee. I was in a wheelchair for four months. I broke my ankle and I also sprained my knee really bad. So I was wheelchair-bound," Brittney told the court.

"The benefits from medical cannabis definitely outweigh the painkillers that they prescribe. The painkillers have really bad side effects. Medical cannabis, there are honestly no side effects that harm you."

Griner admits the cannabis was never supposed to wind up in her luggage ... and she still isn't entirely certain how it happened.

"I still don't understand to this day how they ended up in my bag. If I had to speculate, if I had to guess on how they ended up in my bags, I was in a rush packing. I was recovering from COVID, the stress of packing, making sure I had my COVID tests. Jet lag. And I was in a rush, throwing my stuff into my bag."

Joey Chestnut can't be stopped -- the greatest eater of all time just added another world record to his résumé ... after eating 44 Raising Cane's chicken fingers in just 5 minutes!!

Jaws accomplished the feat at the restaurant chain's new location on the Las Vegas Strip on Wednesday ... downing fowl (and even some sauce!) as the crowd cheered him on.

Of course, the spectacle was in honor of National Chicken Finger Day ... and it's safe to say no one celebrated the holiday better than Joey, who's a big fan of the food.

"The environment is as good as the food, and their chicken fingers are the best in the world," Chestnut said.

Here's the crazy part -- 44 wasn't enough to fill Chestnut ... 'cause after the clock hit 0:00, he kept eating!!

Joey is the biggest competitive eater in the world ... and is fresh off winning the Nathan's Hot Dog contest on July 4, securing his 15th Mustard Belt.

Chestnut says he'll be back to try and break his own chicken finger record ... and we believe him.

Stephen Curry proved he's human after all at the Oakland A's game on Wednesday ... throwing out the first pitch with his wife, Ayesha -- and let's just say it was NOT a strike.

The 4-time NBA champ was a guest at RingCentral Coliseum for the home team's matchup against the Houston Astros ... and naturally, the Currys were treated like royalty.

Steph even got in the batter's box and took some swings before the game ... making contact with the ball several times.

But when it came time for the couple to take the mound and show off their arms, it wasn't quite the outcome Steph could have hoped for.

Ayesha's pitch was right down the middle (although it didn't exactly make it to the plate) ... while Steph's sailed to the left.

The couple laughed it all off and clearly enjoyed themselves ... but ya gotta imagine Curry wishes he had a redo.

There might not be a Polamalu in the NFL anymore ... but there could be one in WWE rings soon -- 'cause TMZ Sports has learned Troy Polamalu's nephew, Talati Polamalu, is trying out for the wrestling org!

The younger Polamalu -- who's currently a rising senior offensive lineman at Georgetown -- hit Nashville this week to showcase his stuff for WWE execs (including Triple H, Big E and Paul Heyman!) in the days leading up to this weekend's SummerSlam event.

The college football player jumped on stage and tried to get the crowd going by asking them for a "Talofa!" and an "Aloha!"

Talati then explained he wants to be a role model in the WWE for overweight kids ... saying, "Look at me. You can do this. You can do whatever you want, you just got to put the work in."

We've yet to see Talati's moves in the ring -- but there's a strong chance they look pretty good ... 'cause, after all, the 21-year-old has wrestling in his blood.

He not only participated in the sport in high school, but his aunt is WWE superstar Tamina Snuka.

And, of course, his uncle is Troy -- so ya know the 6-foot-3, 324-pounder is athletic as hell.

Ja'Marr Chase might be the son of the decade ... 'cause the Bengals star just revealed he got his mom a new car and paid off her house with the first million dollars of his rookie contract.

The wide receiver got into details on how he spent a milli from his $19.8 million signing bonus on GQ Sports ... saying his first purchase was a $65k black Maserati for his mom, Toeleah, to replace her Audi that was in bad shape.

"The air stopped working in it, so she's not about to try to ride around in no hot car. So, gotta get her a car ASAP," the 22-year-old said.

"She was crying like tears of joy so that was good to see. She made me start crying."

But, that's not all -- the Pro Bowler also paid off the mortgage to her house that they've been living in for years.

"That's officially her house," Chase said. "We own it. That was about 100K."

"Making sure the house is paid for and the bills are straight so we can have somewhere and have the family crib."

Mama wasn't the only family member getting some out of Chase's NFL salary ... he says his brothers and sisters also got $15k each to spend on whatever they want.

When it comes to the rest of the $1M ... Chase says he spent it on jewelry, clothes, tattoos, and a $300k Rolls Royce -- and after all that, he was still able to save $400k!!!

Chase signed a $30.8M contract shortly after the Bengals drafted the former LSU Tiger as the 5th overall pick ... and became the NFL's Offensive Rookie Of The Year after 1,455 receiving yards and 13 TDs.

Arch Manning may be the next superstar QB in his football family, but he's still got a ways to go in the juggling department ... 'cause his uncle Eli just whooped him in a challenge -- and it's all on video!!

The former New York Giants star put the clip on his Twitter account on Tuesday ... showing the two quarterbacks going at it with a bunch of apples in what seemed to be a corner store.

But 3 seconds in, the 5-star high school recruit starts losing his touch ... and eventually yelps as he gets eliminated from the contest.

Eli thought it was freakin' hilarious ... and laughed at his 18-year-old nephew in the video.

He even trolled Arch with one word in the caption -- "rookie!"

Not only is Arch a newbie in juggling, but he'll be one in 2023 when he steps onto the University of Texas campus as the freshman quarterback of the Longhorns.

The Isidore Newman School signal-caller announced his commitment to the Big 12 team in June after receiving a ton of offers from top football programs including Alabama, Georgia, and Eli and Peyton's alma maters, Ole Miss and Tennessee.

NHL star Bobby Ryan -- who's battled substance abuse issues in his career -- was arrested on Monday at an airport after cops say he appeared to be wasted inside a terminal.

According to court documents, obtained by TMZ Sports, the incident happened at the Nashville International Airport in Tennessee ... after Ryan allegedly stole items from a store.

Cops in the documents say Ryan was captured on CCTV taking the goods without paying for them, before he eventually put them on a counter and entered a bar nearby in the concourse.

According to the docs, officers made contact with Ryan -- who they say was trying to order a drink at the bar -- and claim he exhibited signs of intoxication.

The 35-year-old -- who most recently played for the Detroit Red Wings -- "was not compliant with officers, had slurred speech, bloodshot eyes, and smelled strongly of an alcoholic beverage," according to authorities.

In the docs, police say Ryan was eventually taken into custody, where they claim he was unable to stand on his own without support.

"Ryan was unaware of his location, the day or time and posed a danger to himself," cops said in the docs.

Eventually, the hockey player was booked on a public intoxication charge. Court records show the case has since been dismissed. No word yet on why, we've reached out to prosecutors, but haven't heard back.

Ryan has been open about his issues with substance abuse in the past -- he stepped away from the NHL in 2019 in order to get sober. He famously returned to the ice just a few months later for the Ottawa Senators and scored a hat trick in his first home game back. He was emotional both during the contest and afterward.

Ryan went on later that season to win the Bill Masterson Memorial Trophy, awarded to the player who best demonstrates perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication.

The former Anaheim Ducks star did not play in the league last season.

Little People of America -- regarded as the largest dwarfism support organization in the world -- is going after Jerry Jones following his use of the m-word on Tuesday ... demanding he issue an apology immediately.

The LPA slammed the Cowboys owner in a statement to TMZ Sports ... just hours after the 79-year-old used the term while making a joke to a group of media members at the first day of Dallas Cowboys training camp in Oxnard, Calif.

"M***** is a term that has widely been known to be derogatory for years and should be common knowledge to anyone in the public arena, such as Jerry Jones," the LPA said. "Ignorance at this point is simply not an excuse. Any use of this disparaging slur along with suggestions or insinuations that our stature exists for amusement is deplorable and inexcusable."

Jones used the term while talking about Larry Lacewell -- the Cowboys' longtime Director of College and Pro Scouting, who passed away at 85 years old in May.

Jones said he wanted to "get me somebody, a m*****" to dress like Lacewell and stand next to him out at practices.

The LPA said Jones' use of the word perpetuates "harmful stereotypes" -- and is now imploring him to say sorry.

"Those who use the term m***** or any terminology that further stigmatizes people born with dwarfism are asked to educate themselves to eradicate this word," the org. said. "Little People of America is asking Jerry Jones to issue an apology and vow to use appropriate terminology rooted in respect and dignity going forward."

So far, no comment yet from Jones or the Cowboys since he made the remark.

Aaron Rodgers made quite the entrance at Packers camp on Tuesday ... strollin' into the building looking exactly like Nicolas Cage's character in "Con Air!!"

Check out video of A-Rodge heading into the Green Bay facility to begin his 18th season in the NFL -- dude was a clone of Cameron Poe.

The 38-year-old rocked long hair, a white tank top and blue jeans ... just like Cage in the 1997 action thriller.

And, yes, this all did appear to be planned ... 'cause Rodgers used famous quotes from the flick when throwing up pics of his Day 1 'fit on his Instagram.

"#greatestactorofalltime," Rodgers said. "What do you think I'm gonna do? I'm gonna save the f***in' day! #cameronpoe #day1 #year18"

Of course, Rodgers has been known to cause stirs with his training camp attire -- just last year, he headed into practice wearing a "The Office" t-shirt and some sick shades.

That look eventually led to one of Rodgers' best career seasons -- can the "Con Air" copy come through similarly?

Floyd Mayweather and Conor McGregor are reportedly "very close" to inking a deal to once again meet in the boxing ring, and Dana White has a thought -- "BULLS**T!"

TMZ Sports talked to the UFC President on Tuesday, and asked about a report out of the UK stating the two megastars were all but set to rematch in the near future.

"It's total bullshit!" White told us, adding, "That story came from a paper called The Daily Mirror which is a tabloid in Europe. It's total bulls**t!"

(Note: The Sun first reported the story. Daily Mail and The Mirror -- two separate outlets -- published stories referencing the initial Sun report.)

And, Dana's more than a spectator ... he's an interested party. Conor is under contract with the UFC ... meaning if he wants to box Floyd, the UFC honcho must be involved. Clearly, White -- who has a good relationship with Mayweather -- says it ain't happening ... at least not now.

Of course, Conor and Floyd boxed in August 2017 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas ... in what was one of the most promoted and talked about fights in the history of combat sports.

Mayweather, 49-0 in the ring at the time, won by TKO in the 10th round. It was McGregor's first time in a professional boxing match.

Since, Floyd retired after winning his 50th pro fight ... but he's still taken exhibition bouts against guys like Logan Paul.

As for Conor, he broke his leg last summer fighting Dustin Poirier, and while he's getting close to being fully recovered, he isn't there yet.

We also talked to Dana about a highly anticipated rematch that we definitely know is happening this weekend at UFC 276 ... Amanda Nunes vs. Julianna Pena II!

The Venezuelan Vixen forced The Lioness to tap in the 2nd round of their UFC 269 title fight ... and White believes the rematch isn't only one of the biggest fights in the history of women's MMA, but will have major ramifications on both their legacies.

We also chopped it up about Brandon Moreno and Kai Kara-France fighting for the flyweight interim title ... and Dana gives us his pick for a sleeper fight.

UFC 277 goes down Saturday night from Dallas, TX on ESPN+.

Before this handsome guy turned into a professional basketball player, he was just a typical preteen with exceptional athletic abilities, playing basketball in his backyard and growing up near Seattle, Washington.

After having a successful high school career, this dedicated kid more than earned his spot on the UCLA college basketball team but only played for one season before making his way to the NBA. He played for the Minnesota Timberwolves and currently plays for the Chicago Bulls.

Need one more clue? He won the "Slam Dunk Contest" back in 2015, making him the youngest champion since Kobe Bryant's 1997 win.

Kevin Hart had a priceless reaction to ex-NFL player Channing Crowder's appreciation for nudist colonies ... going full roastmaster mode and clowning the dude on his own show!!

The ex-Dolphins linebacker opened up on his "The Pivot" podcast about how he and his wife of 11 years, Aja, like to take annual exhibitionist trips ... saying, "Once a year, we go to a nudist colony. We go to a place where like you walk in and everybody just gets naked and walks around."

Hart -- who was a guest on the podcast -- looked at CC in complete disbelief ... and asked, "You hear whatchu saying out loud, brother?!"

"Y'all just ... just hanging out, or y'all f***ing these people?"

Crowder admits there are some swingers around when they take their trips ... but explains they don't participate, they just "like being around naked people together."

When CC asks Hart if he's into that kinda stuff ... he shuts down the idea.

"To be honest with you, I have no desire to be around a bunch of people I don't know just sitting there naked," Hart said.

Hart then ends the funny convo with a joke, saying "I'm willing to bet a good number it ain't a lot of put-together people going through this little stage."

Jerry Jones has just put his foot in his mouth at the opening day of Dallas Cowboys training camp ... using an offensive term for little people while addressing a throng of media members.

The team's owner was remembering the late Larry Lacewell -- the Cowboys' longtime Director of College and Pro Scouting -- when he used the m-word.

"Lace held court out here," Jones said while speaking about his former employee who passed away at 85 years old in May. "I'm going to get me somebody, a m*****, to stand up there with me and dress him up like Lace and think Lace is still out here helping us. Look at the practice with us."

"But, you know, we all need our props. A little memory that goes with him."

When saying the term, Jones -- who's 79 years old -- also used a hand gesture signaling he wanted someone smaller in stature.

If you're unfamiliar, the m-word has been deemed a derogatory slur by the Little People of America, who have urged people to stop using the word for nearly a decade.

We've reached out to the LPA for comment, but so far, no word back yet.

Sean Avery and his model wife, Hilary Rhoda, are headed toward splitsville ... she just filed for divorce from the ex-NHL player, TMZ Sports has learned.

Rhoda, who's made multiple appearances in Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issues, filed the court docs in Los Angeles this week ... citing "irreconcilable differences."

The two -- who got married back in 2015 -- officially separated just days ago on July 17, according to the court docs.

Rhoda -- who has one 2-year-old child with Avery -- wants physical custody of their son but checked the box to share legal custody with Sean.

She also indicated the couple signed a prenuptial agreement.

42-year-old Avery -- who played 10 seasons in the NHL before retiring in 2012 -- had shown no signs of trouble brewing in his relationship with Rhoda ... in fact, back in April, he penned a sweet birthday message to her on his social media page.

"Happy Birthday to the most beautiful woman in the world who continues to evolve as a creative and, more importantly, an incredible mother," he wrote.

Seattle Seahawks running back Chris Carson is walking away from the NFL -- the 27-year-old is reportedly retiring due to a neck injury.

Carson suffered the injury during Week 4 of the 2021 season ... and has been unable to suit up for a game since.

NFL Network reporter Ian Rapoport says Carson was working out in hopes of getting better ... but at this point, there hasn't been enough progress.

The report states Carson will not officially file his paperwork ... just in case he "dramatically" improves at some point.

The Seahawks will release Carson with a failed physical designation, which will help him to receive millions in injury protection benefits, Rap says.

If this is really the end, Carson finishes his career with more than 3,500 rushing yards and 24 touchdowns ... and 804 yards and 7 TDs through the air.

The former Oklahoma State star raked in roughly $9.4 million over the course of his career.