TMZ Sports - Page 32

Remember that hot pink Michael Jackson hoodie Pete Davidson wore courtside as Stephen Curry broke the all-time three-point record at Madison Square Garden??

The look just got a lot more iconic ... 'cause TMZ Sports has learned the comedian just got the Marcel Zago-designed threads signed by the Golden State Warriors superstar!!

Of course, the former "SNL" star hilariously stood out like a sore thumb when Steph broke Ray Allen's NBA three-point record on December 14 ... jumping to his feet and cheering after Curry hit #2,974 in front of the packed arena.

Considering Pete's pink look will forever be in the background of the special moment, we're told his people reached out to Steph's memorabilia partner, USA Sports Marketing, in hopes of getting the hooper to sign the hoodie ... and Steph happily obliged!!

USA Sports Marketing -- Steph's memorabilia partner -- tells us they received the sweater from Pete's camp to have Curry sign it ... and the 4-time NBA champ thought the idea was hilarious.

Curry and USA SM posed together with the hoodie ... and we're told it's going back to Pete, who will probably hold onto it forever.

A competitive eater is breathing a (fiery) sigh of relief today ... 'cause officials just revealed the man's insane ghost pepper meal back in November has officially become a new watermark.

Gregory Foster gobbled down 17 of the world's spiciest ingredient in one minute roughly nine months ago in San Diego ... and Guinness World Records formally crowned him the new king of heat eating on Wednesday.

It's great news for the guy -- because his run at the record was excruciating.

Check out video of his snack ... the peppers were packed with so much fire, he actually had to wear gloves for the occasion. Yet, somehow, he nearly ate the full plate -- consuming a total of 3.98 ounces -- in 60 seconds, barely beating the old record of 3.42 ounces.

"This attempt was solely a personal endeavour to achieve another Guinness World Record alongside my currently standing [ones]," Foster said after the record was announced Monday. "I love chilli eating and pushing myself."

Of course, Foster is used to feasts like these -- the two other Guinness records he holds are the most Carolina Reaper chilies eaten in one minute, and the fastest time to eat three Carolina Reaper chilies.

He's also the founder of Inferno Farms -- where they make sauces in the hottest flavors -- so, yeah, he's a glutton for this kind of stuff.

Brett Favre says based on everything he's learned since he's retired, he believes he suffered "thousands" of concussions in his NFL career.

The Hall of Famer explained his theory on The Bubba Army radio show this week ... after he was asked how many serious head injuries he had while playing QB in the NFL.

Favre said if he had gotten that question a few years ago -- he would've said just three. But, after digesting recent studies on concussions, the 52-year-old believes the number is now actually in the four-figure range.

"Concussions happen all the time," Favre said. "You get tackled and your head hits the turf, you see flashes of light or ringing in your ears but you're able to play -- that's a concussion."

"So, based on that, [I've suffered] thousands," he continued. "Had to be, because every time my head hit the turf, there was ringing or stars going, flash bulbs ... but I was still able to play."

Favre was obviously never formally diagnosed with that many -- but he certainly did hit the turf a lot in his 20-year career. In his stints with the Falcons, Packers, NY Jets and Vikings, he was sacked 525 times just in regular season games alone.

One of Favre's scariest head injuries came in a 2004 game against the Giants ... when the Packers star threw a touchdown pass to Javon Walker after hitting his head -- something he didn't remember doing, according to then-Giants QB Kurt Warner.

"That's what's kind of frightening about the concussion thing -- it's the ones that seem minor that do the damage 'cause you're able to play and keep going," Favre said.

Eli Manning is going from football to futbol -- the two-time Super Bowl champ just revealed he's officially joining the NJ/NY Gotham FC ownership group.

The former NY Giants superstar was formally introduced as one of the club's newest minority owners on Wednesday ... alongside current Giants exec Pete Guelli, who's also taking a slice of the franchise.

Manning explained his reasoning behind the business move -- saying it made complete sense.

"I have lived and worked in this community for almost two decades," said Manning, who played his entire career with the G Men. "It's home to me, and Gotham FC is my family's favorite soccer club."

"Combine that with the organization's strong leadership, talented roster, and sustained growth, and it became clear that joining this great group was a fantastic opportunity."

Gotham FC chair Tammy Murphy is excited about bringing Manning on board ... saying, "Eli is known for the positive and influential impact he has on our communities."

"His legendary work ethic, drive for success, and passion for giving back to the community will be tremendous assets for our club."

Gotham FC exec Ed Nalbandian also lauded the new additions ... saying, "Having two people with track records like Eli and Pete recognize the value of our club and the strength of our brand speaks volumes about Gotham FC's upward trajectory."

"Their investment, influence, and additional resources will allow us to be even more successful on and off the field."

Manning and Guelli join big names like Kevin Durant and Carli Lloyd ... who also recently joined the ownership group.

Manning -- who spent 16 seasons with the Giants -- retired from the NFL after the 2019 season, but it's clear Eli still has a soft spot for the area.

Frank Gore grabbed a naked woman by her hair and dragged her across a hotel room's hallway during an altercation in Atlantic City, N.J. last month ... according to new, bombshell court documents obtained by TMZ Sports.

Cops say the incident between the NFL legend and a 28-year-old woman happened in the early morning hours of July 31 on the 59th floor of the Tropicana Casino's Havana Tower.

According to the docs, Gore "forcibly" gripped the woman by her hair ... before "violently dragging her nude person along the floor of the 59th hallway."

As we previously reported, Atlantic City Police said officers were initially called out to the scene at around 8:11 AM on the 31, but did not make any arrests after they said the woman "did not exhibit signs of injury."

Gore, though, was ultimately charged days later with simple assault after cops said they further investigated the allegations.

Gore, according to records, is due in court for a hearing in the case in October.

He's yet to publicly comment on the accusations.

The legendary "Judo" Gene LeBell -- possibly the most badass man to ever walk the earth -- has died at the age of 89, and some of the biggest sports stars in the world are showing love in light of his passing.

LeBell passed away Tuesday ... leaving behind an incomparable legacy in mixed martial arts and wrestling.

Nicknamed the "Godfather of Grappling," LeBell's journey to stardom began when he won the heavyweight and overall Amateur Athletic Union National Judo Championships in 1954 and 1955.

LeBell is widely credited with introducing catch wrestling and grappling techniques to pro wrestling and MMA.

Speaking of MMA ... long before Royce Gracie and Ken Shamrock fought at UFC 1 (1993), Gene fought in the first televised bout in America in 1963.

Gene, with his judo and grappling, beat top-ranked light-heavyweight boxer Milo Savage.

LeBell also trained some of Hollywood's biggest names like Chuck Norris and Bruce Lee.

Gene and Bruce first met during filming of the TV show "The Green Hornet" ... and became friends, often training together.

He also served as the referee for Muhammad Ali's crossover bout with Antonio Inoki in 1976.

Gene, also an actor and stuntman, appeared in hundreds of movies (there's a totally unverified story about LeBell and Steven Seagal going at it on set -- look it up).

Expertise aside, LeBell was revered for his relationships with fighters and wrestlers over his storied career, most notably former UFC women's bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey.

Gene trained Rousey (a former Judo star) ... and he also worked with WWE legend "Rowdy" Roddy Piper, the inspiration for the "Rowdy Ronda" character.

On Wednesday, Ronda posted a photo of her and Gene together ... captioning the pic, "Legend."

Triple H, a 14-time WWE champ, took to Twitter to express his gratitude and appreciation for Gene's contributions to the industry over the years.

"Gene LeBell remained a towering figure in the history and expansion of mixed martial arts and sports entertainment," HHH wrote. "A teacher to many of the sport’s greats, his influence is felt throughout @WWE to this day."

"Our thoughts are with his family and loved ones at this time."

Michael Jordan's game-worn jersey from his last NBA Finals win is hitting the auction block -- and if you're interested, you better have deep pockets ... 'cause it's estimated to sell for over 3 million bucks!!

TMZ Sports has learned this Chicago Bulls gear is from Game 1 of the 1998 NBA Finals  -- also known as MJ's iconic "Last Dance" season.

MJ wore the red jersey when he banked 33 points against the Utah Jazz -- and even though the Bulls lost, they ultimately won the series, 4-2  -- Jordan's 6th NBA championship.

Sotheby's Auction says this rare piece is one of the most coveted items for collectors.

"Jordan's 1998 NBA Finals Game 1 jersey is among the most highly desired pieces of sports memorabilia," Sotheby's said in a statement, "and the present example is one of just two Finals jerseys to ever appear at auction, from any of his six championships."

And, come September 6, you'll get your chance to place your bid. The auction house estimates the jersey will sell for around $3 million.

Sotheby's says that's the highest appraisal for His Airness' jersey, but when it comes to the G.O.A.T., a Finals jersey doesn't come cheap.

If you haven't taken Cody Simpson's swimming career seriously yet, you definitely should now -- the singer will be representing Australia in a stacked head-to-head meet with the United States this month ... proving he's among the top talents in his country.

It's been a helluva year in the pool for Simpson -- the 25-year-old is fresh off winning a gold and a silver medal in the Commonwealth Games earlier this month ... after placing first in the 4x100 freestyle relay and second in the 4x100 medley relay.

The hot streak will continue for the former swimming prodigy-turned-teenage heartthrob ... as he's been selected to compete for his home country in a big exhibition against the United States -- the Duel In The Pool.

The event is set to go down at Sydney Olympic Park on August 20 and 21 ... and Australia head coach Rohan Taylor says those picked to compete should be honored.

"Any Australian team you make is special, but when presented with the opportunity to face our greatest rival in front of a home crowd I know these athletes will step up to the challenge," Taylor said. "Pressure is a privilege, and it is one we embrace."

Remember, Simpson just decided to get serious about swimming again back in 2020 ... and his personal best times have been drastically improving ever since.

Bizarre scene in the Pirates game on Tuesday night -- a player's phone spilled out of his pocket while he was sliding into a bag ... and his manager was pissed about it!

Pittsburgh second baseman Rodolfo Castro committed the blunder in the fourth inning of the Buccos' tilt with the Diamondbacks ... when he went head first into third base.

As the 23-year-old was reaching the bag safely, his iPhone flew from his back pocket ... and hit the base at the same time as he did.

Castro -- who was just called up from the Minor Leagues for Tuesday night's game -- was initially oblivious to it all, but had to pick it up after an ump pointed out to him that it was on the ground. He then handed it over to his third base coach, who didn't appear pleased.

Following the game, which the Pirates ended up losing, manager Derek Shelton was clearly not thrilled with Castro either ... telling media members, "This was just a kid who made a mistake. It’s just one of those things we move forward from and tell him, 'You can’t do that.'"

Castro, meanwhile, said afterward he felt "horrible" about the incident ... and added that it was completely unintentional.

Of course, outside of the unprofessional look of having a phone out during the middle of playing in an MLB game ... the league has become highly sensitive to technology use in the field of play (thanks, Astros).

Dr. Anthony Fauci's no longer havin' trouble with the curve -- 'cause after he epically botched his first pitch effort in D.C. in 2020, he was able to redeem himself with a respectable toss at the Mariners game on Tuesday night.

Fauci took the bump just before the M's played against his childhood favorite Yankees in Seattle -- and while he didn't exactly look like Gerrit Cole out there, the pitch was MUCH better than his first go-around two years ago.

You'll recall, at that Yanks vs. Nationals game in Washington, Fauci threw a ball so poorly, it landed some 10-15 feet away from home plate. The COVID-19 expert was dragged for the throw, with social distancing jokes continuously flying following the terrible heave.

But, Fauci has clearly worked on his arm since -- and was nearly able to throw a lollipop strike to Mariners manager Scott Servais at T-Mobile Park.

Fauci gave a fist pump following the toss -- and Servais was stoked for him, congratulating him, and then getting him to sign his mask!

As for how the doc was received at the game ... there was a smattering of boos from the crowd, but overall, it seemed to be a pleasant evening for Fauci -- who got to see the home team win a 1-0, 13-inning thriller.

NFL legend Frank Gore has been hit with an assault charge ... after cops say he was involved in a domestic violence incident with a 28-year-old woman last month.

The Atlantic City Police Dept. tells TMZ Sports ... back on July 31 at around 8:11 AM, officers were called to the Tropicana Atlantic City in New Jersey regarding a report of a domestic violence dispute.

Cops say a 28-year-old woman, who they did not identify, was speaking with hotel security ... but "did not exhibit signs of injury and complaints were not filed at the time."

Police, though, say after an investigation was launched ... Gore was ultimately charged this week with simple assault "related to the domestic violence incident."

No further details regarding the allegations were revealed.

According to court records, the 39-year-old former San Francisco 49ers superstar is due for a hearing on the matter in mid-October.

Gore is widely considered one of the greatest NFL running backs ever -- he played 16 seasons in the league, and rushed for 16,000 yards ... the third-most all-time.

"This is gonna be a billion-dollar company. I know it. I feel it."

That's Jake Paul proclaiming his new company, "Betr" -- aiming to not just turn the betting world on its head, but also sports media -- will one day be worth at least 10 figures.

TMZ Sports talked to the 25-year-old Problem Child and his partner Joey Levy ... who broke down the new venture.

"We announce our new company Betr which has two parts. One is sports betting and online casino and the other is a media content factory. We plan on taking over the sports world and changing it forever. Bringing new sports content," Jake told us.

Levy says Betr will focus on so-called "micro bets" ... which allows bettors to put money down on wagers during a game.

"We kind of view micro betting as the TikTok-ification of sports betting, and kind of like the final level of introducing instant gratification to the sports betting experience."

(Instead of betting on the Yankees to beat the Red Sox ... think putting money down on whether Gerrit Cole's next pitch is a strike.)

That's half of the new biz. The other part is Jake's show.

"We already got some big guests lined up for the next couple of weeks. Anyone from the heavyweight champions of the world in boxing to rappers. I'm bringing everyone on the show to talk about sports," Paul told us.

"I don't wanna do the long drawn-out sports show. I want it to be quick, easily digestible, you know, 20, 30, 40 minutes, and just fun. A fun sports show."

And, Paul says his show will be very different than any sports show that's existed in the past.

"These sports show hosts are stuck in their set, they can't get drunk and talk about sports, they can't curse even. How you supposed to talk sports without cursing? So that's where we're really changing the game."

The company has already raised $50 million ... with investments from some big celebs like Travis Scott and Ezekiel Elliott.

Marshawn Lynch's car appeared undrivable by the time cops arrived and busted him for DUI on Tuesday ... with one tire completely missing, and at least one other flattened.

TMZ Sports has obtained pictures of the 2020 Shelby GT500 cops believe Lynch was driving prior to his arrest ... showing the front-left wheel's rim resting on the pavement, with no tire in sight.

Witnesses tell us they saw Lynch parked at the scene around 5:45 AM -- roughly two hours before his arrest -- and claim at one point, the running back exited his car to sit on the curb with the driver-side door wide open.

We're told Lynch remained at the scene until cops arrived ... who ultimately determined he was impaired and arrested him for driving under the influence.

We're told Lynch left a trail of damage on the road until his car reached its resting point ... with visible marks on the pavement and curbs. As we previously reported, sources say Lynch was driving into roadside curbs prior to the arrest.

Lynch was taken to jail and booked for DUI -- he's also facing charges of failure/refusing to surrender proof of security, unregistered vehicle and failure to drive in a travel lane.

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell didn't hold back when talking about Deshaun Watson on Tuesday ... calling the Browns' star quarterback's behavior "egregious" and "predatory."

Reporters talked to Goodell on Tuesday at a meeting to approve the sale of the Broncos ... with the commish being asked why the league is appealing Watson's six-game suspension.

“Because we’ve seen the evidence,” Goodell said.

“[Judge Sue L. Robinson] was very clear about the evidence," Roger told reporters, adding ... "There were multiple violations here, and they were egregious and it was predatory behavior."

The commissioner continued ... "Those are things that we always felt were important for us to address in a way that’s responsible," the statement read.

Of course, the NFL announced Wednesday they were appealing the 6-game suspension handed down to the former Texans QB.

The NFL Players Association has been critical of the decision to appeal ... saying the league should respect the ruling. But, Goodell flat out says the appeal is their right, so they took it.

“As you know, it’s part of the CBA that two parties had the right. Either party could certainly challenge and appeal that, and that was something we thought was our right to do, as well as the NFLPA," Goodell said.

"So we decided it was the right thing to do.”

Actor Steven Seagal, a vocal supporter of Vladimir Putin, showed up at a Russian-controlled prison camp ... the site of an explosion on July 29 that slaughtered at least 50 Ukrainian prisoners.

Seagal seems to be surveying the wreckage ... eyeballing some of the shrapnel that killed the Ukrainians. There were hundreds of Ukrainian prisoners in the camp at the time of the blast.

Putin bestowed Russian citizenship on Seagal back in 2016 ... this after Seagal spoke out in favor of Russia's annexation of Crimea.

Seagal is been vocal in his support of Putin, calling him "one of the greatest world leaders, if not the greatest world leader alive today."

Ukrainian military officials have accused Russia of intentionally moving prisoners to the facility, knowing it would be the site of an attack.

As for Seagal, he was banned back in 2017 from entering Ukraine territory.

ESPN reporter M.A. Voepel -- who's been covering sports for the outlet for more than two decades -- has come out as transgender ... saying Tuesday, "I'm transitioning to male."

Voepel said he decided to open up about his true self this week because he's slated to receive the Naismith Hall of Fame's Gowdy Award next month -- an honor recognizing media members who have made great contributions to basketball -- and he wanted to be there "as authentic self."

"Fear can keep us paralyzed for decades, especially when we think we will lose all that is dear to us, including career," Voepel said.

"At some point, you realize you need to have faith that your happiness/well-being is worth pursuing, and also have faith in other people's kindness and grace. Grateful for a company that supports all of its employees, for terrific family and friends, and for societal progress."

Voepel, who formerly went by Mechelle Voepel, added, "Please feel free to call me Voepel, MV, Michael, Mike; I’m good with them all."

Voepel has had a huge career with ESPN after initially joining the company in 1996 ... covering the WNBA, women's college basketball, volleyball and much more.

"I may look and sound a little different," he said. "Glad to be who I've always been inside. Dedication to covering women’s sports, a lifelong joy as well as job, and admiration for all involved -- players, coaches, execs, fans, referees, colleagues -- that stays exactly the same. Thanks!"

Immediately following his announcement, several ESPN personalities congratulated him ... including T.J. Quinn, who wrote, "Proud to have you as a colleague."