TMZ Sports - Page 50

James White is hanging up his cleats ... the New England Patriots running back announced Thursday he's retiring from the NFL after 8 seasons in the league.

White -- AKA "Sweet Feet" -- shared the announcement on social media ... in a heartfelt post where he addressed the Pats organization.

"It has been an honor to represent my family, my teammates, and the people of New England as a Patriot!" said White.

"Reflecting on my nine years in the NFL, and all the sacrifices it took to get here, there are many people that were just as much part of this journey."

The three-time Super Bowl champ thanked Robert Kraft and Bill Belichick for "giving me the opportunity to live out my childhood dream" ... calling it a "tremendous blessing" and "honor."

"To say that Foxboro will always hold a special place in my heart is an understatement. It's been the most significant chapter of my adulthood; my kids were born here," James wrote.

"It's the place we know the best as adults and where I have grown and created my family."

Kraft released a statement on White's retirement ... saying, "James White has always been one of the most reliable and dependable players on the field."

"Our fans will remain eternally grateful for his record-setting performance in Super Bowl LI when he helped the Patriots overcome a 20-3 deficit by scoring 20 points, including the game-winning touchdown in overtime."

White -- selected by the Pats in the fourth round of the 2014 NFL draft -- was one of the most reliable weapons for Tom Brady out of the backfield and as a receiver.

The highlight of White's career was his performance in Super Bowl LI against the Falcons. With the game knotted at 28-28 in overtime, "Sweet Feet" scored the decisive touchdown ... sealing the game for the Pats.

JW finished the game with 14 receptions for 110 yards (129 yards total), scoring 3 touchdowns and a 2-point conversion. A legitimate argument could be made he earned SB MVP honors ... and Brady may have agreed. Tom gave James his MVP prize ... a brand new truck.

White only played in 3 games last season ... due to a hip injury that sidelined him for most of the year.

White's ex-teammate, Julian Edelman, showed respect to James' career, writing, "Mr. Reliable. Congrats on a legendary career bubs @SweetFeet_White."

In March, White signed a 2-year, $5 million contract extension keeping him in New England ... but, it appears he's had a change of heart.

Huge victory for Lamar Odom -- the ex-NBA star is finally in possession of his own Instagram page again ... after claiming his former management refused to give him access.

Odom shared his relief on the social media platform on Wednesday ... saying, "I'm back! Got access to my account thanks to Instagram."

Odom -- who was without his IG since late July -- was fighting like hell to get his account back. In fact, he literally went to the IG headquarters in California to get it handled this week.

It was an awful experience for LO, especially because his former management was desperately posting to get clout or make a few bucks right up until he regained control over the page again.

"Anything you saw posted in my story or on my page was not me posting or commenting from this page," Odom said.

The former hooper also praised his NEW management in the return message ... thanking Gina Rodriguez for her efforts in making things right.

Remember, Odom ripped his old team last month ... saying, "my social media is not yours! If I chose to leave, that's the decision I make. Your decision shouldn't be to highjack my social media."

The Diamondbacks vs. Pirates game on Wednesday night got a whole lot more interesting in the 8th inning ... when two fans invaded the field -- and juked the hell out of stadium security while they were out there!

The guys jumped from the stands in the middle of a Pirates player's at-bat and raced toward the outfield ... and then caused chaos for several moments.

Video shot from inside of Chase Field in Phoenix shows the men did laps around a bevy of guards who were trying to bring them down -- and at one point, one of the guys even stripped his shirt off.

The highlight of their jaunt, though, came when one of the men evaded a security member so badly, the worker actually fell flat on their face.

But, after running around for nearly a full minute -- the guys gave up, and guards appeared to take them off the field without further incident.

Aaron Rodgers gave a group of kids from the Washington County Boys & Girls Club the experience of a lifetime yesterday ... surprising them with some facetime while on a tour of iconic Lambeau Field!

The Green Bay Packers star QB was in the building, as he gears up for his 18th NFL season, when he ran into a group of about 20 kids who were soaking up the sights of historic Lambeau.

That's when the tour took an awesome turn for the kids. Rodgers, who was leaving the locker room, emerged and asked, “Does anyone know which locker is Aaron Rodgers?” ... as the youngers looked at him in disbelief.

Aaron stopped and posed for a group photo with the kids ... and dished out a few high fives to the little ones.

It's not uncommon for groups to run into Packers players during the tour (the tour route takes you by the locker room), but tour participants never know who, if anyone, they may see.

It just so happened to be perfect timing for the B&G Club ... because they got some facetime with a future 1st ballot Hall of Famer.

Steven Seagal's pro-Russia publicity stunt isn't sitting well with orgs dedicated to helping Ukraine ... not in the slightest.

A rep for NOVA Ukraine, a nonprofit that spreads awareness of the war while providing aid to Ukrainians, tells TMZ ... the fact Seagal showed up at a Russian prison site -- where upwards of 50 innocent lives were taken at Putin's behest -- is despicable, especially since it served as nothing more than a photo-op.

They call it a "reprehensible example of how when your career is already tarnished some of us scrape to the lowest levels of Earth to claw back any relevancy, even being paraded around by dictators who oppose the U.S."

The rep adds that those who are flirting with Russia during this dire time -- like Seagal -- deserve to have sponsorships and opportunities stripped from them ... much like how businesses are exiting en masse there in general. SS hasn't had a mainstream Hollywood career in ages, so that wish is already coming true for NOVA.

Michael Capponi -- President of the Global Empowerment Mission, another org that’s working to help Ukraine -- tells TMZ ... Seagal, per usual, is acting as a pawn for Putin and that the guy was clearly given special access to the jail in question.

He continues by saying they've been on the ground there for 5 months, and adds this about the narrative Seagal and Russia are trying to spin ... "The notion or suggestion that Ukraine is doing this to themselves is not only patently false, it's dangerous misinformation and comes solely from Russian propaganda."

Capponi concludes ... "This is nothing but someone drinking too much Kool-aid. It has 0 merit. Ukraine is doing everything it can to defend its sovereignty. Ukraine is not attacking its own people."

Karl-Anthony Towns and his beau Jordyn Woods were spotted jewelry shoppin' in Italy this week -- and it's got us all wondering ... are those engagement rings they're looking at?!?

The couple has been out in Bellagio, Italy the past few days, soakin' in a vacation during KAT's NBA offseason ... and TMZ Sports has learned they popped into a jewelry store on Wednesday evening to browse through some bling.

Witnesses say they looked at necklaces and other items -- but at one point, they both appeared to lock in on the rings.

Of course, the two -- who have been dating since 2020 and have professed their love for each other continuously over the last two years -- are not yet engaged (at least not publicly), so their perusal of the store's finger band selection is intriguing!

Unclear if they bought anything they liked ... but we're told they looked super happy together nonetheless, calling each other pet names and holding hands.

Vanessa Bryant dissolved into tears as her lawyer addressed the jury in opening statements, saying the 8 L.A. County Sheriff's deputies who took photos of the bodies of her husband and child took the pictures "for a laugh like they were souvenirs."

Vanessa's lawyer said the deputies "poured salt in an unhealable wound" by using their cellphones to take the photos for personal use. The lawyer described "pictures of broken bodies, close-ups of limbs and burnt flesh."

The lawyer played the deposition of a Sheriff's detective who said his wife didn't want to see the photos, and that's when he told her they showed "piles of meat."

The attorney says Vanessa lives "in fear, anxiety and terror" that someday she and her family will see the photos.

The lawyer said Vanessa's children were her everything, Kobe was her everything, and she will be forever haunted by what the deputies did.

The crux of the case involves L.A. County Sheriff's deputies who took photos of the bodies of Kobe and daughter Gianna at the crash scene and then shared them with colleagues. In one case, a deputy allegedly showed the photos to a woman at a bar, and the bartender is the one who blew the whistle on him.

Vanessa claims in the lawsuit ... the conduct of the deputies caused her severe emotional distress, adding it was an invasion of privacy. Lawyers for L.A. County responded by claiming Vanessa's emotional distress is rooted in the crash, not the photos.

Horrible news from the sports world ... Ben Stelter, the 6-year-old Edmonton Oilers super fan battling brain cancer has passed away, his father announced Wednesday.

"The world lost the most special boy and an absolute hero last night," Ben's dad wrote on social media.

He continued ... "Ben, you were the best son we could ever hope for, and you were my best bud ever. Your sisters were so lucky to have you as such a sweet brother."

"You fought so long and hard and beat so many odds," he added.

Ben -- who was diagnosed with glioblastoma (an aggressive type of cancer that can occur in the brain or spinal cord) about a year and a half ago -- got a chance to meet the Oilers team in March, even accompanying team captain Connor McDavid onto the ice before a game.

That night, Ben -- gearing up for another stint of chemotherapy -- wore a custom Oilers jersey with his last name "Stelter" and the number 2 ... as the fans and players provided support and words of encouragement.

Ben attended many Oilers games throughout the season ... and became a good luck charm for the team, evidenced by their impressive record with him in attendance.

"Ben’s coming to the game tonight and has his eye on the cup," Mike wrote in June. "The @EdmontonOilers are 10-0 with Ben in the building at Rogers Place. #LetsGoOilers #BenOilersStrong."

The organization addressed Ben's passing online, Tweeting ... "We are mourning the passing of our dear friend, number one #Oilers fan, good luck charm & inspiration, Ben Stelter. Although small in stature, Ben's impact on our team & community were massive.  Play La Bamba, baby. 💙🧡"

The Oilers were eliminated from the playoffs by the Avalanche in game 4 of the WCF. Colorado went on to win the Stanley Cup.

Ben's presence will forever be missed on the ice and in the locker room going forward.

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.