TMZ Sports - Page 34

The NFL will honor Queen Elizabeth II before the 2022-23 season kicks off ... with the league holding a moment of silence, TMZ Sports has learned.

Tributes throughout the sports world have been pouring in on Thursday ... with many athletes, organizations and events sharing condolences over the passing of Her Majesty.

In addition to the NFL's tribute, the BMW PGA Championship has suspended play until further notice ... with organizers saying golf would be paused for the time being in the wake of the Queen's death.

"Out of respect for Her Majesty and the Royal Family, play has been suspended at the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth Club for the remainder of Thursday, and flags at Wentworth Club will be lowered to half-mast,” a statement from the Tour reads, according to GOLF.com.

"Furthermore, no play will take place at the BMW PGA Championship on Friday, and the golf course and practice facilities will be closed."

Thursday was the first day of the BMW PGA Championship tournament -- which is held in Europe -- and one of golf's biggest names, Rory McIlroy, was competing in it.

As we reported, the Queen's family rushed to be by her side once the palace announced she was under medical supervision at her estate in Scotland.

The Royal Family announced the 96-year-old Queen -- the longest reigning monarch --  "died peacefully" hours later.

Another tribute took place at a match between FC Zurich and Arsenal ... with a moment of silence after halftime.

Players from both clubs stood with their arms behind their backs ... while fans in attendance followed suit by paying homage to the Queen.

An image of the Queen was also shown on a big screen ... saying, "In memorial Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II."

The Queen's impact was certainly felt ... evidenced by the reaction her passing is receiving from notable athletes like F1 star Lewis Hamilton, NFL quarterback Russell Wilson and pro boxers Tyson Fury and Jake Paul.

Hamilton expressed concern about Queen Elizabeth's well-being in the waning moments of her life ... saying he was hoping for better news and calling her a "real fighter."

"Dignity defined. An inspirational leader for many generations. Rest In Peace Queen Elizabeth II," Paul tweeted.

Former Washington Commanders captain Deshazor Everett has just been sentenced to house arrest in the criminal case involving his December car crash that resulted in the death of his girlfriend.

A judge handed down the sentence in a Loudoun County, Va. courtroom on Thursday ... two months after Everett pleaded guilty to misdemeanor reckless driving in the case.

The judge sentenced the 30-year-old to 12 months of house arrest, with nine months suspended, court records show. The judge also ordered the suspension of Everett's license for six months. He was also hit with a $2,500 fine, according to the records.

Outside of the courtroom following the ruling, Everett's attorney, Kaveh Noorishad, called it all "a fair decision."

Everett also spoke after the hearing ... and vowed "to be the best person" that his girlfriend "always wanted me to be."

As we previously reported, Everett was initially charged with felony involuntary manslaughter after officials alleged he was speeding before he crashed his Nissan GT-R. His girlfriend, Olivia Peters, was a passenger in the car, and died as a result of the wreck.

Everett cut a deal with prosecutors in July, pleading guilty to a lesser charge of misdemeanor reckless driving.

Everett -- who was released by the Commanders three months after the crash -- has not played football since the accident. He's currently an NFL free agent.

Adrian Peterson ain't done with football yet ... the future Hall of Famer says he still wants to play -- and he revealed to TMZ Sports he's got his eye on joining one of the three big Super Bowl contenders this year.

The former Minnesota Vikings star -- who's training his ass off to fight Le'Veon Bell in a celeb boxing match this weekend -- said despite his newfound goals in the ring ... he's hoping someone gives him a call to play football later this season.

Specifically, the running back said he's targeting the Bills, Rams and 49ers.

"There's a couple teams out there," A.P. admitted out in L.A. on Wednesday while gearing up for his big fight night with Bell. "Buffalo Bills would be a good team. The Rams, I don't know what need they'll have at running back. San Fran would be a good look."

Peterson said while Buffalo, L.A. or San Francisco would be ideal -- the plan is to ultimately chase a ring somewhere this year.

"There's a lot of teams that have the opportunity to advance far into the playoffs that I've thought about," he said.

For now, Peterson -- who last played for the Seahawks in 2021 -- is solely focused on boxing ... as his match with Bell is scheduled to go down at Banc of California Stadium on Saturday.

Adrian tells us he isn't worried about the age gap between him and the former Pittsburgh Steelers star (37 to 30) ... and is hoping his power and awareness get him a win.

Sad news out of the dog racing world ... 4-time Iditarod champion Lance Mackey passed away Wednesday after a battle with cancer. He was only 52.

As we previously reported, Mackey announced he was diagnosed with throat cancer for the 2nd time last August ... after beating the disease in 2001.

We're told the legendary dog musher was in and out of the hospital since June ... with Mackey saying on Facebook in August, "the past several months have been the hardest/worst part."

"Just wanted to say thanks to my friends and family for everything and I love you all so much. I Fully believe it is not my time yet and I’m still doing pretty good but I’m going to have a lot of things to get done in my life."

But, tragically, Mackey died Wednesday night.

Mackey's mother went to FB to break the terrible news ... before Lance's fans filled her comments paying tribute to the champ.

"May the champion musher Rest In Peace," a fan said under the post.

"Thanks for the memories. My sincere condolences to the entire Mackey family and friends. Sadly the world lost a great musher and a even greater person."

Mackey was one of the best in dog sledding ... winning both the 1,000-mile Yukon Quest and the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog race four times between 2005 and 2010. His father and half-brother are also dog mushers.

Mackey was honored by U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski for his accomplishments and Asteroid 43793 was named after him in 1990 by discoverers Carolyn Shoemaker and David H. Levy.

Mackey is survived by his two children ... whom he shared with his late partner, Jenne Smith, who died in an ATV accident in 2020.

A Virginia restaurant is doing some serious damage control after releasing a 9/11-themed seafood menu with items named after markers of the attack.

The Clubhouse restaurant came under fire Tuesday after manager George White posted the 'Patriot Day 2022' menu to Facebook with dishes that included a 'Freedom Flounder', 'Flight 93 Redirect' Crab Dip, 'Pentagon Pie,' '9-11 Oysters,' 'First Responder Flatbread' and the '2977 Chowder' -- a nod to the number of people who died on 9/11.

The 21st anniversary of the attack is Sunday, so it appears the restaurant thought the menu would act as a way to honor the victims ... but it clearly missed the mark.

White apologized shortly after, "I apologize for those I offended with the 9/11 seafood Sunday post. My intention was to bring attention to that horrific day 21 years ago. To honor those who lost so much as well those who gave everything that day. We will have a new theme tomorrow."

F1 superstar Lewis Hamilton is hoping for the best amid growing concerns about Queen Elizabeth's health ... saying he's praying for and thinking about the Royal Family during the troubling time.

The British driver -- who's currently preparing for the Italian Grand Prix this weekend -- took a moment to share kind words for Her Majesty on Thursday ... saying, "I think she's been such a strong leader for such a long, long time and so resilient."

"I know she's always been a real fighter, so my thoughts are with her. Obviously, I don't have any other more information so I don't know more about the situation."

Lewis -- who received his Member of the Order of the British Empire from the Queen in 2009 -- has met her several times over the course of his dominant career ... and has previously called her a "sweet woman" and "cool."

"My thoughts are with the family," Hamilton added. "My thoughts are with her. My prayers are with them. Hoping for better news soon."

AEW star MJF had an all-timer of a promo at Dynamite on Wednesday ... ruthlessly insulting the hell outta Josh Allen and the Bills -- and he did it in front of a ton of Buffalo fans!!

The hilarious moment went down at KeyBank Center ... when MJF made his return to the ring after months away. He started off praising the NFL quarterback and the city, but quickly turned on the audience -- disrespecting their appearance, their quarterback and even their incomes.

MJF called the crowd "grotesque, poor lard asses" as he unleashed the iconic promo ... with fans making sure they were pissed with his words.

But, it didn't stop there -- MJF then took his Allen Jersey off ... and slid it back and forth between his legs.

On top of that, MJF also teased leaving for a REAL wrestling promotion in 2024 ... amid rumors he is unhappy with his contract and has gotten interest from WWE.

A shirtless MJF eventually left the ring and let Moxley take the mic ... whose promo did not insult the thousands of fans in attendance.

Tom Brady and Gisele Bündchen's relationship is reportedly going through a serious rough patch ... and their issues are apparently so bad, they are not even living together.

The NFL superstar and his wife of 13 years have had several heated arguments recently ... and it all stems from his decision to return for another season with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Page Six was first to report.

The details that followed continue to back that narrative ... with People claiming the couple is not sharing time at home as they navigate through their "rough patch."

The outlet also states the family did not spend Labor Day weekend together -- with Gisele taking their kids to a Miami waterpark, and Tom electing to check out Jack (his son with actress Bridget Moynahan) at football practice in New York.

It's no secret -- Gisele has publicly expressed her desire for TB12 to call it a career for at least 5 years ... claiming Brady has nothing else to prove on the field and she would prefer he spent time with their family instead.

In fact, Bündchen spoke about their unbalanced structure with British Vogue earlier this year ... saying her focus is on their kids and taking care of things at home, while he focuses on football.

If the reports are accurate, it may explain why Tom mysteriously spent 11 days away from the Bucs during training camp ... which led to wild speculation on social media.

Remember, there were rumblings the QB was shooting episodes of "The Masked Singer," which he denied ... and other reports claim he was in the Bahamas with his wife.

When he finally spoke with reporters last week, he explained, "I'm 45 years old, man. There's a lot of s*** going on, so you just have to try and figure out life the best you can. You know, it's a continuous process."

Brady also hinted at having personal struggles during his "Let's Go" podcast with Jim Gray this week ... when he was asked about living "under a microscope."

"You always have moments," Tom said. "I don't think life is always the ultimate joy, I don't think life is always the ultimate pain, I don't think life is always the ultimate struggle, I don't think life is always the ultimate happiness."

"Your life ebbs and flows through the clouds and through the sun and through the rain and through the beautiful days and you appreciate the moments and you find joy in the little things."

He did not mention his wife during the episode.

Tom and Gisele got married back in 2009 -- they have two kids together, Ben (14) and Vivian (9) ... as well as 15-year-old Jack, Brady's son with Moynahan.

Don't be surprised if SoFi Stadium has a heavy tint of blue and red at Thursday night's Rams vs. Bills game ... because if Wednesday night is any indication -- THOUSANDS of Buffalo fans will be there supporting their team at the NFL's opening matchup.

TMZ Sports has obtained pics and video of a Bills Mafia meetup event in Hermosa Beach just 24 hours before Thursday's kickoff ... and you can see hundreds of people wearing Buffalo gear flocking to the bars and restaurants in the area to party ahead of the big game.

Dozens of fans in Josh Allen jerseys slugged beer, chomped on wings and led loud "Let's Go Buffalo!" chants.

People even hung signs and posters from the businesses in the city ... and we're told the celebrating went well past midnight.

First whistle for Thursday's contest will happen at around 5:20 p.m. PT -- but Buffalo fans have already planned a big tailgate at SoFi Stadium hours before that.

And, yes, we're sure tables will be broken and Zubaz pants will be aplenty.

Adrian Peterson and Le'Veon Bell finally gave us a long look at their boxing skills ahead of their big fight night ... with both dudes hitting the mitts at a workout in L.A. on Wednesday.

The guys took to a local gym's canvas and threw combos repeatedly -- just three days before they'll scrap at Banc of California Stadium.

Peterson put on the gloves first, and while his workout was less intense than Bell's ultimately was ... he showcased what appeared to be some big power.

A shirtless Le'Veon went next -- and he looked good. He was smooth and precise while showing off a chiseled frame.

The guys' fight is all part of the Social Gloves 2 event -- and will take place just before YouTubers Austin McBroom vs. AnEsonGib square off.

Bill Russell's 1975 Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame ring -- earned after dominating the NBA for 13 seasons -- is on the auction block, and is expected to sell for upwards of $200K!!

TMZ Sports has learned the ring, which SCP Auctions describes as a "fine piece of jewelry," weighs 65 grams and is 14-karat gold with 1.625 carats of real diamonds.

The top of the huge, 12 3/4 sized ring resembles a basketball, and has the words "Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame" encircling the brown enamelwork.

On one side of the ring is "William F. Russell" ... with the year "1975," when he was inducted.

On the other side is the word "Player" -- which Russell embodied throughout his career -- which sits above an image of Dr. James Naismith, the man credited with inventing basketball.

The ring also comes with a letter describing its rich history and provenance ... signed by the GOAT himself.

Remember, Russell famously declined to attend his induction ceremony in '75 ... saying he refused to accept the honor 'cause he felt others before him should be inducted first.

Instead, Russell -- a 13-time champ (11 as a player, 2 as a player-coach) -- opted to receive his ring in 2019 at a private ceremony with his wife, Jeannine, and close friends.

The Celtics legend passed away in July at age 88 ... and was celebrated through the sports world for his contributions to the game of basketball both on and off the court.

The NBA has since listened to the pleas of Hall of Famer Magic Johnson, who -- in the aftermath of Russell's death -- advocated the league retire Bill's iconic No. 6.

Russell's No. 6 will be retired throughout the league, making him the first player ever to receive the honor ... fitting considering his legacy and impact.

The ring has already been bid on 5 times ... with a high bid of $43,923.

He plays golf really well, belly flops perfectly ... AND he throws heat on the mound???

John Daly proved he can truly do it all on Wednesday night ... tossing a pristine fastball during the ceremonial first pitch before the Cardinals vs. Nationals game in St. Louis.

The legendary golfer toed the rubber dripping with swag too -- he rocked sandals and what appeared to be some Cardinals-themed board shorts.

Then, the guy fired off a laser ... wowing the crowd and the game's announcers.

If you're not impressed -- ya should be ... because many have tried to do what Daly did on the MLB bump before and have failed miserably (looking at you, Conor McGregor, 50 Cent and Dr. Fauci).

The golfer seemed to be good luck for the home team as well ... because after Daly's throw, the Cards went on to win a thriller, 6-5.

Meghan King claims her ex-husband, Jim Edmonds, has been verbally abusing her over their child custody arrangement ... so she got a temporary restraining order against him.

According to court docs filed in Missouri and obtained by TMZ, the ex-'RHOC' star got the court order back in June over what she describes as "frequent and consistent verbal abuse" via texts, as well as their shared Family Wizard app which they use to co-parent.

It's unclear what exactly what Jim allegedly said to her -- but sources connected to the case tell us it all has to do with their shared custody arrangement ... the pickup/drop-off schedule specifically, which Meghan claims Jim hasn't followed.

It seems Jim's been trying to have this case sealed -- at least according to MK. She wants it public, for all to see.

It's just the latest instance of fighting between the exes -- they've gone after each other publicly over issues related to their children. He's accused her of putting their kids at risk during the COVID lockdown after he learned she was partying in Miami.

A hearing is scheduled for later this month on whether to make the restraining order permanent.

Jim's rep, Steve Honig tells TMZ … “This request for an order of protection is completely baseless and furthermore makes an absolute mockery of the pain suffered by the millions of women in this country who are legitimate victims of abuse."

The Fitzmagic has officially run out -- recently retired NFL quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick tells TMZ Sports he's really done playing football for good ... even if a team in need comes calling.

39-year-old Fitzpatrick decided to walk away from the game earlier this offseason ... ending his career after 17 years in the league.

Of course, there's a history of guys retiring before getting the itch to come back -- we're looking at you, Favre and TB12 -- but Ryan says that's not the case for him.

"I'm retired," Fitzpatrick told us at the Empire State Building this week. "It's official. I'm done."

The journeyman signal-caller says that's going to stay his final answer even if there's demand for a fresh arm on a roster ... claiming his body wouldn't be too happy if he took any more hits.

"I don't know if my hip would be willing to and I'm comfortable what I'm doing right now."

So, what's he doing now?? Fitzpatrick will still be near the game as a TV analyst for Thursday Night Football on Amazon Prime Video this season ... and he says he's going to give it all he's got in front of the camera.

"There's still a lot of work and preparation that goes into talking about football," Ryan said. "It's more of the mental side of it than all the physical and recovery. I don't get hit anymore which is nice."

Blueface will not be stepping into the ring with Nick Young on Saturday -- the rapper has not yet been approved for a boxing license ... and now event promoter Austin McBroom is scrambling to find a replacement with only 3 days until fight night.

TMZ Sports is told the 25-year-old Thotiana rapper received a letter from the California State Athletic Commission on Tuesday informing him his application for a pro boxing license in the state would not be granted until he appeared before the organization in October.

Obviously, that means Blueface can't fight Swaggy P on Saturday's Social Gloves 2 card at Banc of California Stadium in L.A.

McBroom is headlining the event with rival and fellow YouTuber, AnEsonGib. Adrian Peterson and Le'Veon Bell are also fighting.

Of course, Blueface has made headlines lately for several violent altercations with his girlfriend Chrisean. It's unclear if those incidents played a role in the denial of a license.

It's not the first bout Blueface has been pulled from ... he was taken off the recent KSI card at the O2 Arena in London, where he was supposed to fight FaZe Temperrr.

Now, McBroom and his partners are working tirelessly to find a suitable opponent for the 6'7" former NBA star.

Story developing ...

The hottest sports take of the week goes to ... Jerry Seinfeld???

Yup, the comedian just unleashed the doozy on social media ... saying he believes the Mets' recent woes are all because of Timmy Trumpet.

Seriously.

Seinfeld -- a HUGE Mets fan -- made the claim in the comment section of SNYTV's Instagram post Wednesday ... pinning New York's September slide on Trumpet's Aug. 31 in-game concert.

"I blame that stupid Trumpet performance," Seinfeld said. "Celebrating in season. We haven’t won anything yet. Bad mojo."

Seinfeld then compared it to when his favorite team lost the 2000 World Series to the Yankees ... writing, "Same as when Baja Men showed up to play 'Who Let Dogs Out' in 2000 WS. Series ended right there."

Of course, it's going to be very hard to get Mets fans to agree with him. The team and its supporters have loved Trumpet and his famous "Narco" song, which plays over the stadium speakers when NY's closer, Edwin Diaz, comes out to the field.

In fact, the team's fans cheered LOUDLY when the musician played it in person at the Aug. 31 game.

Seems Seinfeld, though, is convinced it's all leading to the downfall of his beloved squad -- which is now tied for first place in the NL East with the Braves despite having a huge lead earlier this year.