TMZ Sports - Page 50

Brittney Griner is fighting back in her drug case in Russia -- formally filing an appeal of her conviction in the foreign country, days after she was sentenced to 9 years behind bars there.

Griner's attorney confirmed the filing to CNN on Monday. It's not immediately known what the grounds of the appeal are, or when it will be heard in court.

The move, though, was expected -- after Griner was convicted and sentenced on Aug. 4. The WNBA superstar admitted to having hashish oil in her luggage at a Moscow airport, but she told a courtroom she packed it inadvertently and had no intentions at all of breaking the law.

Regardless of the appeal process, the U.S. -- which has called Griner wrongfully detained -- is continuing attempts to strike a prisoner swap deal with Russia in order to bring the 31-year-old home.

"I call on Russia to release her immediately so she can be with her wife, loved ones, friends and teammates," Biden said following her conviction earlier this month.

"My administration will continue to work tirelessly and pursue every possible avenue to bring Brittney and Paul Whelan home safely as soon as possible."

Make some room in Cooperstown for Justin Crawford in about two decades -- 'cause Johnny Damon says the Philadelphia Phillies' top draft pick is about to have a MONSTER MLB career!!

Damon -- who used to play against Justin's father, Carl Crawford, in The Show -- made the guarantee to TMZ Sports while out at an event in NYC earlier this month.

"He'll probably steal 500 bases," Damon said of Justin, "hit a couple hundred home runs. Just be a menace to his opponents throughout the years."

Justin was officially taken by the Phils with the #17 overall pick in last month's MLB draft -- and because of his skill set and famous father pedigree, everyone's assuming he's got a bright future ahead of him.

But, Damon, who had to try to get Carl off the base paths for years when the two were AL East rivals in the early 2000s, took it one step further -- and said he's expecting flat-out, Hall-off-Fame-level greatness from the 18-year-old.

"I'm happy for Carl," Johnny said. "And I know his son is going to have a great Major League career."

Ex-NFL star Prince Amukamara and the Players Choir are ready to be the newest members of NSYNC -- 'cause the footballer-turned-singer says his guys are ready to collab after the pop star approved their rendition of his song on "America's Got Talent!"

If you missed it, the Players Choir -- a group of 11 former NFL athletes including Amukamara, Isaiah McKenzie, and Bryant McKinnie -- performed Justin Timberlake's "Can't Stop The Feeling!" on 'AGT' earlier this week ... and they killed it!

Timberlake was very impressed, sharing the clip of their gig on his Twitter with praising hand emojis ... and, Amukamara says they were hyped about the nod.

"Anytime you do another artist's song, you want to make sure that you make them proud first and foremost," the former Giants cornerback tells us this week.

"Getting that stamp of approval from Justin was huge!"

Does this open doors for a collab with the award-winning singer? If it does, Amukamara tells us the squad is down for it.

"Of course!" Amukamara said, "No one is gonna decline that!"

"It was just even awesome for him to retweet us and show us some love. If that opportunity comes, we're all gonna be jumping up and down for that."

Until then, PC -- who made their debut in 2008 -- will continue to sing on stage with more to come soon.

"Being on stage was awesome," Amukamara said, "and if we get another opportunity which I'm sure we will and we have been."

"Stuff's coming up so it's awesome."

WWE Superstar Austin Theory knows it's damn near impossible to replace his former boss, Vince McMahon ... but there's one person he believes can and will get the job done, and that's the billionaire's son-in-law -- Triple H!!

TMZ Sports spoke with 25-year-old Theory -- who was with rising women's star Raquel -- out at LAX ... and asked him his thoughts on HHH succeeding Vince as the company's heartbeat.

"Triple H, I feel like he has a very creative mind," Theory said, "and I think now he always says it's very hard to fill Mr. McMahon's shoes, and it's gonna take a lot of people to do that."

Theory and Raquel both expressed that there's a level of comfortability with "The Game" in charge as the head honcho ... and the relationship they developed with him formed during their time in NXT.

"I would say for me, and I'm sure she feels the same way, but both of us coming up in NXT and Triple H was in charge there along with Shawn Michaels, and for us, it was a great experience," Theory said.

"I feel like there's a lot more freedom now and a lot more to explore," he added.

Theory called Vince, his former on-screen mentor, "iconic" and said that anybody stepping in after him would inevitably have tough shoes to fill because of what Vince meant to the world of sports entertainment.

"I would just say with Mr. McMahon, he's always gonna be, I think John Cena just said it, if there was a Mount Rushmore, he'd be the only one on it," Theory said.

Sorry boxing fans, a potential Evander Holyfield vs. Mike Tyson exhibition is not happening ... The Real Deal tells TMZ Sports, it's just too late for the legends to square up again now.

Remember, Holyfield and Tyson were trying to set something up in the spring of 2021, but were so far apart in negotiations, they just couldn't come to an agreement.

When we saw Holyfield out at LAX this week -- we had to ask if there's been any movement on the front ... and he said, sadly, no.

"It's too late," the 59-year-old told us.

The two originally squared up back in 1996 and 1997 -- and both fights were epic (for various reasons) ... leading many to believe a third, less-serious tilt a couple decades later would be appealing.

Holyfield actually agreed ... but he added, "I'm done now."

The 59-year-old former boxing champ last fought in September 2021, losing an exhibition match against Vitor Belfort.

L.A. cops have a dark culture when it comes to grizzly death scenes, keeping "ghoul books" with photos of famous people who met violent deaths.

As we reported, Vanessa Bryant is suing the L.A. County Sheriff's Dept. among others after learning 8 deputies took personal cellphone photos of the remains of Kobe and Gianna Bryant, and then passed them around to co-workers, family, friends and even strangers.

Deputy Doug Johnson testified he did not regret taking photos of the remains, claiming he was ordered to do so by a higher-up, even though that higher-up had said he gave no such order.

Johnson said he took 25 photos, although another officer claimed it was more like 100.

The deputy admitted he took shots of Kobe's remains, although he says he didn't know at the time it was the famed basketball star. He also took pics of a body in a ravine near the crash site ... a body of a black child with long hair ... presumably Gianna.

Johnson stuck to his story, saying he would not have done anything differently.

Vanessa, who is suing for, among other things, emotional distress, broke down at times during the testimony.

The Cowboys have a problem at wide receiver ... and it seems Antonio Brown is willing to help out -- telling TMZ Sports this week, "Tell Jerry Jones to call me!"

Dallas' receiver room took a big hit this month, when free agent acquisition James Washington injured his foot. With Michael Gallup already out while recovering from ACL surgery, the team now has just one truly proven player at the position ready to go for Week 1 -- CeeDee Lamb.

Brown appears to be down to change that in Big D -- saying out in Bev Hills that he wants the Cowboys owner to give him a shout ... presumably to talk about a contract.

Of course, it's unclear how serious Brown is about it all -- he's been extremely focused on his music career this offseason, and has even created a new dance for one of his songs that's since gone viral.

It's also unknown if Jones would want AB -- considering all of the baggage that he seemingly carries and drops off whenever he joins teams.

As for his last squad -- the one that cut him following his wild outburst at MetLife Stadium -- Brown told us he still misses the Bucs and their QB, Tom Brady.

"Tell him I miss the passes," he said of TB12. "I'm still open!"

Rick Macci -- the iconic coach who helped Serena Williams become a household name -- says he's happy the tennis superstar is walking away from the sport on her own terms ... telling TMZ Sports he's not surprised by her decision.

Of course, the former player and coach played an important role in shaping both Serena and Venus' careers ... teaching the sisters in their youth as they became the best sister duo in the world.

We spoke with Macci about Serena's recent retirement announcement ... and he says he wasn't shocked by the news.

"It doesn't surprise me," Macci said. "Listen, she's doing this on her terms. She has a lot of things going on. I'm just happy for her because she's making the decision and she's doing it on her terms."

"It's not an injury, she's not hanging on too long or anything like that, but what I really like it's gonna end at the U.S. Open. That's where she won her first Grand Slam and people in New York love it. I think it's gonna be a must-see TV and knowing Serena, she's gonna go out with a bang.

Macci says he understands Serena's mindset -- and if she can't commit 100% to her craft on the court, then it's time to walk away.

The Williams sisters' coach sent a special message for Serena ... saying, "You're doing it on your terms. Most of all, you're happy and that's the most important thing."

Danny Dimes will play more like Danny Dollars this season ... so says Victor Cruz, who tells TMZ Sports he's confident Daniel Jones will produce in "the most important year of his life."

The New York Giants quarterback is entering the final year of his rookie contract -- and if he doesn't play well, it could be the last time he gets a shot at being a QB1 in the NFL.

But Cruz told us out in NYC this week he believes Jones will put it all together this year ... saying, "I think he will be [the guy]."

"I think he has all the tools to do so," the former NY superstar receiver added. "And I think the Giants put a good enough team around him to see what they got."

Jones hasn't had the best training camp so far -- he's missed throws in practice, and in the team's first preseason game on Thursday night, he completed just six of 10 passes for 69 yards.

There may be just as many eyes on the crowd as on the ring when Teofimo Lopez steps into the squared circle this weekend, 'cause the former unified champ tells us some of the biggest stars in the world are attending his fight.

"I've been contacting everybody to let everyone know honestly we're gonna have Odell Beckham Jr. at the fight, we're gonna have Akon, Lil Wayne, I've been contacting everyone tryna have everyone come and support," 25-year-old Lopez tells TMZ Sports.

"It's all love and support at the end of the day and that's the type of man I am. I wanna let people know, I wanna show that I am that type of fighter, I am that guy. I'm the man of the hour, the man with the power, the man too sweet to be sour."

Lopez, who beat pound-for-pound king Vasyl Lomachenko in October 2020, snatching his three belts, lost to George Kambosos Jr. in November 2021. It was the first loss of his career.

It'll be the first time Lopez has been back in a ring for a sanctioned fight following the loss ... and his opponent, Pedro Campa, is tough. The 30-year-old fighter has a 34-1-1 record with 23 knockouts.

Despite a tough challenger, Teofimo says he made changes to his team following the L, and he's ready to go.

"We had to cut a lot of people and bring some new people in just so we can what's the different environment that I need. My team now, it feels so more as a team, as a unit, as it should be," Lopez says.

And, Teo feels awesome.

"I'm feeling the greatest right now. What else can I say? Preparation went really well, push myself to the limits, man, to greater heights, and just seeing how much I can really handle. I think that overall it's been amazing."

In addition to the stars that'll be in the building, Oscar De La Hoya will also be in the building. But, this is a business trip for the legendary boxer. His fighter, Ryan Garcia, is a possible opponent for Lopez.

That's why Teofimo says he extended an invite to The Golden Boy.

"I actually invited Oscar De La Hoya a couple weeks before he decided to make that announcement so it's been on his mind," Lopez said, referencing ODLH telling the media he was going to scout TL.

But, Lopez isn't convinced Ryan actually wants to fight.

"If you're gonna call me out, better keep that same energy 'cause after Saturday night, I don't want them to make some excuse. If you're gonna talk about it, be about it. I've seen Ryan Garcia call out so many fighters and yet, has fought one of them. I don't believe anything until it's on contract and it's on paper."

"I don't give a f*** and don't be surprised they like me more out there."

😂😂😂😂😂

That's Marlon "Chito" Vera (candidly) talking about fighting former UFC champ/future Hall of Famer Dominick Cruz in his hometown of San Diego ... the main event at Saturday's UFC Fight Night.

FYI, Vera is 29 years old and ranked 5th in the bantamweight division. Cruz is 37, and the #8 ranked bantamweight.

"I bring what people want to see, I bring what they like and it's the fire," Chito told us, adding ... "Maybe, in the beginning, they might be a little going for him but crowds love me, dude."

Chito has won three fights in a row, including beating Frankie Edgar (November 2021) and Rob Font (April 2022), and believes the Cruz fight is a chance to put the world on notice.

"It's a great opportunity to shine. It's a great opportunity to show the world what's up. It's a great opportunity to just let the UFC know I'm the next guy coming out for that belt and I can say all the crazy s*** I want but at the end of the day, I gotta get there and win and I'm prepared for that."

There's much more in the video with Vera!

We also talked to Dom -- who believes he's on the path to once again being champ -- and he couldn't be more pumped to continue that journey in front of his hometown fans.

"Well, it's incredible. San Diego, you know, we've been known a lot for saying we can't get that world championship -- baseball, football, all these sports. You've had a two-time world champion that was born here that has been representing that state for a long time."

"I'm here! I'm the champion of San Diego!"

Deshaun Watson is showing regret for his actions as his NFL future remains in limbo ... saying he's "truly sorry to all the women" he impacted.

Watson is facing a massive suspension after being accused of sexual misconduct with more than 20 women ... and before the Cleveland Browns' preseason game against the Jacksonville Jaguars, he spoke about the claims made against him.

"Look, I wanna say that I'm truly sorry to all the women that I impacted in this situation," Watson said.

"The decisions that I made in my life that put me in this position I would definitely like to have back but I want to continue to move forward and grow and learn and show that I am a true person of character and I am going to keep pushing forward."

Watson was initially handed a 6-game ban for his alleged misconduct ... but the NFL is trying like hell to extend the punishment.

He is currently playing for the Browns as he awaits the NFL's decision.

"I know I have a lot of work to put in, especially on the field to be able to make sure I'm ready to play whenever that time comes, whenever I can step back on the field." he added.

Shocking news in the baseball world ... Fernando Tatis Jr. -- one of the best players in the MLB -- has just been suspended 80 games!

Commissioner Rob Manfred announced the ban on Friday afternoon -- after he and the league say the San Diego Padres' all-world shortstop tested positive for Clostebol, a performance-enhancing substance.

According to the MLB, Tatis' suspension will begin immediately.

The Padres, meanwhile, said in a statement that they were "surprised and extremely disappointed" to learn of the positive test.

The team added that they "fully support" MLB's joint drug prevention and treatment program and "are hopeful that Fernando will learn from this experience."

After sitting out all of this season with a wrist injury, Tatis Jr. was just about to return to the Padres within the next few days.

And, everyone in the org. was stoked for it -- because the team just added stars Juan Soto and Josh Bell at the trade deadline ... and figured the duo, plus Tatis Jr., Manny Machado and the rest of the roster, would then push for a World Series run.

Tatis Jr. will now be ineligible to compete in the postseason this year -- and due to the length of the ban, he'll have to serve part of the suspension in the 2023 season as well.

The United States and England are facing off in the 2022 World Cup ... a match American soccer legend Alexi Lalas tells TMZ Sports could be the most popular match in USA history.

"There's going to be a U.S. England game in the group stage and that has the possibility to be the most watched soccer game in American television history," 52-year-old Lalas told Babcock when he joined the "TMZ Sports" TV show (airs weeknights on FS1) on Friday.

August 12th isn't any arbitrary day -- it means we are exactly 100 days out from the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar -- a tournament America hasn't played in 8 years ... after failing to make the cut leading up to the 2018 WC in Russia.

Lalas says it was a real make-or-break moment for USA Soccer.

"It's almost like we took a step back in order to go two steps forward. It was a real come to Jesus type of moment for the United States soccer community and in particular the U.S. Men's National team."

Alexi, who played in the 1994 World Cup, continued ... "They came and they've come back stronger. Like I said, this is a team that has a chip on their shoulder to a certain extent. This is a team that I think has a beautiful arrogance and yeah, this is a team with some swagger with some young players. I think that's gonna excite the American public."

There's much more. The U.S. squad has swagger, but can they make a deep run in the tournament? Alexia says we probably aren't winning the World Cup just yet, but it's not an impossibility.

"I'm not putting my money on the U.S. Men's National team winning the World Cup I'll put your money. Look, it is still a long shot but anything can happen."

In order to advance, the team has to perform well in the group stage ... and that includes the matchup with England, scheduled to go down November 25 from Al-Bayt Stadium in Al Khor, Qatar.

Ja Morant knows the perfect way to celebrate a marriage -- the NBA star congratulated a newlywed couple he met at a jewelry store this week with shots of Casamigos!!!

It all went down on Thursday at the famous Icebox store in Atlanta ... which happens to be Ja's go-to spot when it comes to coppin' new bling.

The Memphis Grizzlies guard was doin' just that when a couple pulled up ... and Morant realized they had a lot to celebrate.

You can see in the video ... a staffer introduced Morant to the newlyweds, which resulted in downing some Casamigos.

"Congrats! Congrats! Congrats!" Morant said. "I got some tequila shots if y'all wanna take some."

Of course, the new husband and wife didn't turn down his offer ... and they all came together for a toast.

"Congrats to y'all," Morant said. "One day I hope I can get married."

BTW, this ain't the first time the 23-year-old took down some tequila at Icebox ... in April, during his $55k shopping spree, Morant had some Don Julio with Gunna.

File under: Big man problems.

Shaquille O'Neal proved his size is no match for furniture ... 'cause the Big Aristotle broke his chair while giving relationship advice to women, and the viral moment was caught on video!!

The hilarious mishap happened on an episode of Shaq's "The Big Podcast" -- when O'Neal and his co-host, Nischelle Turner, were talking about what leads people to ghost each other ... when disaster struck!

Shaq offered his response ... leaning back and stretching then suddenly, you hear a crack and a look of concern on the face of the gentle giant.

"I broke the chair, I broke the damn chair," O'Neal said to Turner, who was in awe at what she just witnessed.

50-year-old Shaq -- who stands over 7 feet tall and weighs over 300 pounds -- laughed about the blunder. However, O'Neal knew the jokes would fly once the Internet saw the footage.

O'Neal admittedly struggled with his weight during the pandemic ... but the big fella has been making strides to get back on the right track, including exploring options like going vegan.