TMZ Sports - Page 17

U.S. Women's National Team legend Abby Wambach is distancing herself from a health company supported by Brett Favre ... after finding out the business has been accused of being involved in the massive Mississippi welfare funds scandal.

ESPN reports Wambach -- a member of the sports advisory board for Odyssey Health -- had her mentions on the company's website scrubbed Thursday afternoon ... after hearing that a lawsuit filed by the state of Mississippi alleged $2.1 million intended for welfare recipients was directed to the health company instead.

Odyssey Health is a drug company developing a nasal spray to treat concussions ... and Favre is reportedly its biggest investor. Kurt Warner, Mark Rypien, David Ross and Steve Mariucci are also members of the org.'s sports advisory board.

Wambach explained her decision to walk away in an email Thursday to ESPN ... saying, "Minutes after learning this new information, I initiated the process to immediately and fully divest myself from any involvement -- financial and otherwise -- with Prevacus/Odyssey Health Inc."

"A process that I insisted be complete by end of day today."

Wambach added she "genuinely believed this company was being transparent about a product that could spare the next generation of athletes from the severe impact of concussion injuries that I endured as a professional athlete."

"I am profoundly angry, disappointed, and saddened by what I learned today."

Wambach's decision to fully divest from the drug company comes on the heels of more troubling allegations for Favre ... whose charity, Favre 4 Hope, is under fire for donating money meant for children and cancer patients to USM's athletic foundation between 2018-2020.

Years ago, Mark Cuban allowed Steve Nash to walk -- after six successful seasons in Dallas -- and the Mavs owner still hasn't forgiven himself, calling the blunder the billionaire's biggest basketball regret.

OSDB caught up with the 64-year-old owner in NYC this week ... and asked which move he kicks himself over in his almost 23 years of NBA ownership.

"Probably letting Steve Nash go. Yeah, I regret that. It's been almost 20 years now, and I still regret it," Cuban said.

Of course, Nash played six seasons in Dallas, and even made two All-Star teams. But, when his contract expired in 2--4, Steve left for the Phoenix Suns.

At the time, Nash said he was "sad to leave my teammates," but excited to be "going somewhere where they really wanted me."

He went on to win back-to-back NBA MVP awards.

It's not that things didn't work out for the Mavs, too. They made the Finals in 2006, losing to the Dwyane Wade and Shaquille O'Neal-led Miami Heat.

Then, in 2011, the Mavs once again made the Finals ... but this time, Dirk Nowitzki wouldn't be stopped. Dallas beat LeBron James' Miami squad in 6.

It appears Sylvester Stallone and Jennifer Flavin are back on track, at least if body language is any indicator, just weeks after she filed for divorce.

The married couple of 25 years were spotted Thursday in deep convo outside a grocery store in Calabasas. Notice Sly's hand on Jennifer's leg as they chat ... certainly not a gesture that would be made if the two were still super pissed at each other.

TMZ broke the story, sources close to the two told us there was not a prenup in place, and they were working out a divorce settlement after filing docs to put a pause on any public proceedings. At the time, we were told the divorce was still happening.

However, by the looks of things, the two are at least working on figuring things out -- and even possibly a total reconciliation.

Remember, it was last month when Jennifer filed divorce docs -- accusing Sly of moving marital assets -- a claim he's denied. There was also Sly's infamous new ink of his Rottweiler, Dwight, he got on his arm ... covering a portrait of Jennifer.

Sly told us the dog wasn't the reason he and Jennifer split, they'd simply grown apart.

Frightening moment during free practice at the Singapore Grand Prix -- AlphaTauri driver Pierre Gasly just barely escaped as his car burst into flames ... and the video is wild.

The incident went down as the 26-year-old made his way into the pit lane ... and as his car was being tended to, the area near his air box caught fire.

Luckily, Gasly was able to hop out of the vehicle as his pit crew put out the blaze.

Pit reporter Ted Kravitz provided an update on the Sky Sports broadcast ... saying, "Everything’s been sorted out. There’s been a bit of tape that’s been out over the fire-damaged engine cover."

"The team are telling me the fire started when the fuel breather was connected to the car but it was put out quickly and then he’s going back out on the circuit."

The Singapore GP is known for giving drivers one of the biggest challenges on the calendar due to humid temperatures and the nature of the track.

Eugene Quaynor -- a team captain on the Oral Roberts University men's soccer team -- was tragically killed in a fiery car crash in Oklahoma this week. He was just 23 years old.

The Tulsa Police Department said Thursday it received calls around 10:20 PM on Wednesday about a collision at 71st and S. Yale in Tulsa -- five minutes from the university.

According to cops, Quaynor was inside a silver Nissan at a stoplight when it was rear-ended by an SUV. Cops say Quaynor's car was hit so hard, it was pushed through the intersection and struck a retaining wall.

The vehicle then caught fire with Quaynor inside. Cops say bystanders tried to get him out by using rocks to break the vehicle's windows, but the flames became too intense.

Authorities say they found Quaynor deceased in the car when they arrived.

The Tulsa Police Department said the driver of the SUV initially attempted to flee the scene, but was detained by EMSA paramedics until officers came on the scene.

TPD says "charges against the driver who caused the crash will be recommended to the District Attorney's office" after they said the man "was unsteady on his feet, unable to walk, and appeared to be severely intoxicated."

Quaynor transferred to ORU from the University of Ghana and started playing for the Golden Eagles in 2019. He scored four goals during his first three seasons.

Quaynor played his last game for the Golden Eagles on Sept. 24. ORU announced Thursday it has postponed Saturday's game against St. Thomas in wake of Quaynor's death.

"He was a team captain and known for his captivating smile," the team said in a statement. "Eugene's presence is missed."

"Thank you for your prayerful support of the family in this time of bereavement."

Minnesota Wild player Brandon Baddock inadvertently socked a linesman in the face while fighting with Dallas Stars winger Jerad Rosburg during a preseason game ... and gotta say, refs got a chin!

It all went down Thursday night during the Minnesota Wild's game against the Stars ... Baddock was fighting Rosburg on the ice when linesman CJ Murray attempted to break up the scrap.

In the clip, you see Baddock elbow Rosburg, whose jersey was over his face ... prompting Murray to separate the two players.

At that moment, Baddock fired a straight right ... and it connected with the referee.

Murray, a former hockey player (probably why he didn't crumble to the ground), eventually restored order -- separating both players -- and it appears nobody was injured.

It was obviously an accident ... but, good luck getting a favorable call now.

The bromance between Stephen Curry and Suga is continuing to blossom ... with the Warriors superstar gifting the BTS member some signed worn shoes after Golden State's preseason contest in Tokyo!!

As we previously reported, the two have basically become besties during the Dubs' trip to Japan ... with Suga hitting up their practice and handing out signed albums to the whole team, and getting a signed Curry jersey from the 2022 MVP.

The whole hangout was documented on social media ... which had the entire BTS ARMY excited the huge basketball fan was getting a personal experience with one of the NBA's best teams.

The 29-year-old K-pop icon was present for GSW's 96-87 win over the Washington Wizards on Friday ... and after the game, the buds met up for yet another special moment.

Curry decided to give Suga a special sneaker gift ... saying, "Here you go, my man. These are the ones I warmed up in."

"Thanks for coming. All the best. My kids loved the video, so thank you, bro. Appreciate you coming."

Suga looked appreciative of the gesture ... and we're sure he'll take great care of the sneaks.

A popular Wisconsin news anchor took her own life ... after sending texts to a friend and her ex-fiancé, revealing the pain she was going through right before she shot herself.

27-year-old Neena Pacholke killed herself in Wausau, WI last month ... in the home she and her ex, Kyle Haase, purchased together back in July.

According to the police report, obtained by TMZ, cops were dispatched to their residence after getting a call from a friend to do a welfare check -- claiming Neena was "making suicidal comments via text message."

Her text read, "He [Kyle] told me he hates me and will feel like a million bucks once I am out of his life."

She also sent a last text to Kyle -- who broke things off with Neena just 7 weeks before their wedding -- saying, "I`m so sorry to do this to you but I can't handle any of this pain anymore."

Police arrived at her home, heard a noise, followed by the sound of something falling. By the time they entered, Neena had already shot herself in the head with a handgun. Cops found a receipt showing she bought the weapon 90 minutes before killing herself.

Her Google searches the night before also showed her looking up ways to end her life.

Pacholke played point guard at USF from 2013 to 2016. The school's women's basketball team said following her death last month that it was heartbroken over her passing.

Former Dallas Cowboys tight end Gavin Escobar -- who was picked in the second round of the 2013 NFL Draft -- has died ... after an apparent rock climbing accident in California.

He was just 31 years old.

Officials say they received a report of two injured rock climbers at Tahquitz Rock in Idyllwild at around 12:25 PM on Wednesday. When they made it to the scene, they say they found that both victims had died. Escobar was ID'ed as one of the hikers -- a 33-year-old woman, Chelsea Walsh, was ID'ed as the other.

Further details surrounding the causes of death were not immediately available. Authorities did say they were investigating it all.

Escobar was a star for San Diego State from 2010 to 2013 ... before he was drafted by the Cowboys. He went on to play four seasons in Dallas -- piling up eight touchdowns.

He later saw time with the Chiefs, Browns, Ravens and Dolphins -- and eventually wrapped up his football career in 2019 in the Alliance of American Football league.

In retirement, Escobar -- a father of two -- had become a firefighter with the Long Beach Fire Department.

The Cowboys, Aztecs and the LBFD all paid homage to Escobar and his family on Thursday night.

"Our thoughts and prayers go out to Gavin's family," SDSU football head coach Brady Hoke said in a statement. "I know his wife, Sarah, and daughters, Josey and Charlotte, were everything to him. Gavin was a great man, father, son and teammate, and will be deeply missed by all."

Terrifying moment during "Thursday Night Football" ... Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa was rushed to the hospital after suffering what appeared to be a significant head injury.

The 24-year-old signal-caller was injured in the second quarter of Miami's game against the Bengals ... when he was wrapped up by a defender and thrown to the turf.

Tagovailoa's head slammed off the ground hard -- and he immediately seemed to lose consciousness.

Trainers and team personnel raced to tend to him ... before they eventually strapped him to a backboard and transported him to a nearby hospital in Cincinnati.

The Dolphins say he, thankfully, "is conscious and has movement in all his extremities."

Tagovailoa had exited last week's game against the Bills after sustaining an injury on a similar play -- though he and the team told media members afterward he only suffered a back injury.

Story developing ...

Tom Girardi and Erika Jayne's trove of fancy schmancy stuff up for sale at their court-ordered estate auction were a huge hit ... 'cause they just raked in some big bucks!!

The ex-couple's fire sale was launched September 21 and lasted about 5 hours ... designed to pay down Tom's whopping bankruptcy debt. Needless to say, it generated worldwide interest, especially with Erika's 'Real Housewives of Beverly Hills' fans.

John Moran Auctioneers, which helmed the online/in-house auction, has now released the results. In total, 253 pieces sold for a grand total of $493,641. Not too shabby, but it's hard to fathom it'll make much of a dent in Tom's overall debt, estimated at $101 million last year.

Tom came under scrutiny after allegations surfaced his old law firm mismanaged tons of client assets for their own use. Erika tried to distance herself from the whole mess.

Some of the hottest items hawked from the divorced couple's Pasadena mansion included a J. Seward Johnson Jr. bronze sculpture ($13,750), a black lacquered cabinet with mythological oil paintings ($11,875), a black lacquered Chinoiserie-style console table with gilt highlights ($10,000) and two Michael Taylor “Montecito” outdoor garden armchairs ($7,150).

Tom's cherished sports memorabilia also got some love from one of the more than 8,000 bidders. A historic 1993 Spaulding NBA Finals Ball signed by Michael Jordan sold for $4,688.

The man who was arrested for throwing a bottle at Jimmy Haslam during the Browns' loss to the Jets earlier this month had several questions for cops following the incident, including, "Am I going to jail for a while?!?" ... new police video, obtained by TMZ Sports, shows.

Jeffrey Miller was put into the back of a squad car at FirstEnergy Stadium on Sept. 18 after he had been accused of hurling a water bottle at the Cleveland owner during the fourth quarter of the game ... and while officers were handling him, he asked a few things.

First, Miller -- a 51-year-old who lives in Ohio -- said, "Can I call my wife and tell her I'm not coming home?"

He later asked, "I'm being arrested for throwing a water bottle?!?"

In the video, you can hear officers say he was actually being taken into custody for "assault, failure to comply ... and disorderly conduct."

As we reported, cops say they ID'ed Miller as the bottle thrower on surveillance video after Haslam had been seen being hit by the object while he was making his way into a stadium tunnel.

In police documents, officers say Miller failed to stop when authorities initially attempted to detain him. They say when they eventually got him to a police room in the stadium, Miller stated, "It never hit the field."

The Browns have said they are planning to ban the fan from home games going forward.

"Fan, player and staff safety is the top priority in our building and behavior that puts others in danger will not be tolerated," the Browns said in a statement two days following the incident.

Many people believe Khabib Nurmagomedov is the greatest MMA fighter ever, but ... future Hall of Famer Tyron Woodley isn't one of 'em!

T-Wood was a guest on "BS w/ Jake Paul" -- the Problem Child's new show on betr (Jake and Tyron are cool with each other despite earlier beef) -- when the topic turned to Tyron's best fighters.

First, the fighters that made the former UFC welterweight champs cut:

Jon Jones ... "Best fighter we've seen whether he's fought consistently or whatever the case."

Anderson Silva ... "I would say is the G.O.A.T. because he did it in a really respectful way," Woodley told Paul, adding ... "He beat people without being able to talk the shit that everybody else did."

Demetrious "Mighty Mouse" Johnson ... "is the most well-rounded fighter we've ever saw."

GSP ... "I f**k with Georges St-Pierre because he was very respectful all the time."

Tyron also praised MMA vet Carlos Condit ... who he called his "favorite fighter to watch" back in the day.

What about 34-year-old Khabib, who finished his career with a blemish-free, 29-0 record ... and racked up wins over Edson Barboza, Dustin Poirier, Justin Gaethje, and Conor McGregor??

Surely impressive in the Octagon, and someone Tyron respects a good deal ... but Nurmagomedov isn't one of the greats in his eyes.

"[khabib] on my top 10 list? Probably not. I f**k with Khabib. I like him, I respect him a lot. I think he's a good fighter. I think his type of fight for that weight class (lightweight), nobody could do that besides Sean Sherk back in the day, but like, he was just really aggressive, but I didn't see the wrestler with good hands fight him so I couldn't really jump on that train."

Nurmagomedov retired after defeating Gaethje in October 2020. Since setting his gloves down in the Octagon, fans have clamored for a match with former lightweight champ Charles Oliveira ... whom some believe has the tools to beat Khabib.

Joel Embiid is officially a U.S. citizen -- the Sixers big man just revealed he was sworn in at a recent ceremony in Philadelphia!!

Embiid -- a native of Cameroon -- told the Associated Press Thursday that his wife, Sports Illustrated model Anne De Paula, and their young son factored into his decision to go through the process.

"I've been here for a long time," Embiid told the outlet. "My son is American. I felt like I'm living here, and it's a blessing to be an American."

The 28-year-old -- who averaged 30.6 points per game last season for Philadelphia -- also has citizenship in France.

Embiid is following in the footsteps of other NBA athletes who have obtained U.S. citizenship recently ... like Enes Kanter Freedom, who opted to add "Freedom" to his name during the process.

The former KU star has been in the NBA since 2014 ... and has become one of the league's most dominant big men over the past six seasons.

No word on whether this changes Embiid's national team allegiances to the Red, White and Blue ... right now, he says he's only focused on winning a championship in Philly.

UFC star Chris Weidman just shared some awful news ... his nephew was diagnosed with a rare and aggressive form of cancer -- and he's now asking everyone for their help and support.

The former middleweight champ published a video message on his Instagram page on Thursday revealing that his nephew, Josh, was diagnosed with alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma in July. He said it's an extremely rare disease that "starts in the muscle tissue and usually affects athletic young kids."

Weidman said Josh will now have to undergo chemo for 42 weeks in order to try to fight it off.

The fighter explained the road is going to be a long one -- but he said there are ways people can pitch in and help.

Weidman urged his followers to share his video message, make a donation to Josh's GoFundMe page, and shave their heads to show solidarity with the boy.

In the 38-year-old's video message, Weidman, Josh's brothers, cousins and other family members were all seen cutting off their hair.

The mixed martial artist also shared some of Josh's basketball, football, wrestling and lacrosse highlight clips in his post.

"This is my family," Weidman said. "This is my nephew."

"I just want to be able to help out my family the best way I possibly can. I appreciate your help."

A Manny Machado fan pummeled a Dodgers supporter in a wild fistfight at the Padres game on Wednesday night -- connecting with haymakers over and over again.

The scrap went down at some point during L.A.'s 1-0 win at Petco Park -- when two rival fans started throwing hands at each other after getting into some sort of disagreement in the stands in right field.

Video from the scene shows the Dodgers fan got the worse end of the deal almost immediately -- getting rocked with a huge right hand at the start.

The Padres fan didn't let up ... and appeared to tag the guy in the face with a few more strikes.

Eventually, the Dodgers fan was able to turn the tilt into a wrestling match ... before a bunch of other L.A. fans raced in to break up the altercation.

The man appeared to have some injuries to his face -- after the fight, he rubbed his eye area repeatedly.

No word if the SD fan had any ailments.