TMZ Sports - Page 15

Tua Tagovailoa won't be under center when the Dolphins take on the Jets this Sunday, the team just announced, after the 24-year-old QB sustained a brutal hit to the head on Thursday Night Football.

Mike McDaniel, the Fins' first-year head coach, told media Monday Tua was still in concussion protocol and was out for the week 5 clash with the division rival Jets.

Of course, Tagovailoa was on the receiving end of two brutal hits within a five-day period.

The first came during Sunday's week 3 game against the Bills, when Tua was slammed to the ground, appearing to hit his head. He attempted to stand up, but wobbled, falling to the ground. Many experts say it was a clear-cut sign of a concussion ... but team officials insisted it was actually a back injury.

Then, just days later during "Thursday Night Football," a nationally televised game against the Bengals, Tua again took a huge hit to the head. The former 5th overall pick lay on the ground, hands "postured," unconscious. Medical staff rushed out, removed Tua's facemask, put him on a stretcher, and took him to the hospital.

Tagovailoa was released later that night ... and flew back to Miami with his teammates on the team plane.

We spoke to traumatic brain injury expert, Chris Nowinski, last week after the second injury ... and the former football player and WWE Superstar told us Tua shouldn't play again this season, and should consider never playing for the Dolphins again after the handling of the injuries.

It's not just Nowinski who believes the situation was handled inappropriately ... in fact, the NFL-NFLPA are conducting a joint investigation aimed at looking at what went down behind the scenes with Tua's injuries.

Coach McDaniel was asked about the inquiry ... and he says the organization will be an open book.

Niners wideout Ray-Ray McCloud will channel Bow Wow's Calvin Cambridge for "Monday Night Football" -- TMZ Sports has learned he's copped a pair of custom "Like Mike" cleats for the big contest against the Rams!!

The 25-year-old receiver hit up Joe Castro to get the movie-themed spikes done ... and we're told after the Cali artist spent about 10 hours making them, they're now set to arrive just in time for kickoff.

The Nike Untouchable Speed 3 cleats painted in 49ers' gold and red came out pretty sweet -- with both shoes featuring depictions of Bow Wow from the movie.

"Like Mike" is also written on the cleats as well.

If you haven't seen it ... the 2002 film is a classic -- it features an orphan named Calvin Cambridge (played by Bow Wow) who becomes an NBA superstar after wearing a pair of sneakers he found that once belonged to Michael Jordan.

Several H.S. football players in California were booted from their team after filming a racist prank where they sold their Black teammates at a "slave auction," TMZ Sports has learned ... and now the team has been forced to forfeit the entire year over a lack of eligible players.

Once the district got word of the video, made by members of the River Valley H.S. (CA) FB team, which was apparently meant to be funny, they acted swiftly ... kicking off the offending players for violating the student-athlete code of conduct.

"Re-enacting a slave sale as a prank tells us that we have a great deal of work to do with our students so they can distinguish between intent and impact," Yuba City Unified School District Superintendent Doreen Osumi wrote.

"They may have thought this skit was funny, but it is not; it is unacceptable and requires us to look honestly and deeply at issues of systemic racism."

Osumi said the students will be disciplined, but it's as much about teaching, too ... "education, honest, open discussions and instruction will guide our students to realize that their choices and actions have consequences."

The superintendent said the district is working to make sure the student body can learn from this situation -- adding she sees this as an opportunity for students to be more "aware, thoughtful, and considerate of others."

“When students find humor in something that is so deeply offensive, it tells me that we have an opportunity to help them expand their mindset," Osumi said.

River Valley hadn't exactly gotten off to the best start. They were 0-6, according to Max Preps. Football season in California usually kicks off mid-August, and with the playoffs, can go through mid-December.

How'd you like to get punched in the face and tossed over a row of seats in the nosebleeds at Petco Park ... all while a mariachi band played on the field!

Oh, and someone was recording.

The crazy scene went down during the San Diego Padres-Chicago White Sox game on Sunday ... when an innocent fan started recording as the band began performing. That's when the fan noticed the fight ... and turned the camera on the two men who had squared off.

The fight didn't last long ... one of the men threw a bomb that landed on the other guy's head. With the punched fan stunned, the guy who delivered the right hook then pushed the injured guy over the row of seats in front of them.

Other people tried to intervene ... and for his trouble, that guy got thrown over his seat, too.

The whole melee caused panic in the section ... fans were fleeing the area, hoping to avoid catching an errant punch.

This latest fight comes just a few days after another brawl happened at Petco ... where Padres and Los Angeles Dodgers fans went at it right in the stands.

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar says Kyrie Irving has done something "more destructive, insensitive, and just plain silly" than his COVID-19 vax stance ... going off on the NBA superstar for sharing a controversial Alex Jones video on social media.

The Brooklyn Nets guard came under fire last month after reposting a 2002 clip of the "InfoWars" host ranting about a New World Order that would release plagues into society for financial gain ... which featured the caption "Alex Jones Tried To Warn Us."

Irving's Jones endorsement came weeks after the talking head apologized in court for claiming the Sandy Hook shooting was a hoax ... so the timing was a bit odd to say the least.

Now, KAJ is weighing in on Irving's actions ... saying if it weren't for young basketball fans, he'd be "dismissed as a comical buffoon."

"Alex Jones is one of the most despicable human beings alive and to associate with him means you share his stench," the Lakers legend said on his website.

"When I look at some of the athletes who have used their status to actually improve society-- Colin Kaepernick, LeBron James, Muhammad Ali, Bill Russell, Billie Jean King, Arthur Ashe, and more -- it becomes clear how much Irving has tarnished the reputations of all athletes who strive to be seen as more than dumb jocks."

Abdul-Jabbar says people shouldn't just scoff at Irving -- there should be action -- and he wants those outraged to write to the All-Star's sponsors to demand they cut ties with him.

"Irving does not seem to have the capacity to change, but we have the capacity to keep fighting against his brand of destructive behavior."

FYI -- Irving's deal with Nike is most likely up after this season, but KAJ points out he still has deals with Pepsi and 2K Sports.

Sean Avery has been involved in yet another spat with his neighbors ... this time he was so irate over the way they parked their cars on a street near his home, he threatened to snap their windshield wipers.

TMZ Sports has learned ... the dispute all went down last Thursday in Hollywood Hills, when the former NHL player confronted a couple people, including teenagers, over some vehicles that were stopped on the street.

Avery -- who said he was house-sitting for someone who lived on the block -- was clearly livid with everyone, explaining he believed the cars were parked illegally. He demanded they move them at once.

The neighbors, though, weren't happy with the way he approached them about it all -- and a massive argument in the street ensued for several minutes.

At one point during the feud, Avery said, "The next time one of you guys parks your cars there, I'm going to snap your windshield wipers off. One-hundred percent. One-hundred percent. Ask around!"

He later added to one of the men who was filming the squabble, "Dude. You're too f***ing short to actually, like, try and challenge anyone. Just shut up."

Multiple times during the argument Avery called some of the men an offensive term for little people.

We're told the tiff eventually died down without further incident. Cops were not called.

Of course, this is not the first time Avery has been filmed being upset with someone near his home ... just last year, he broke a man's car mirror after he claimed the guy hit him while he was jogging in the street.

Seahawks star DK Metcalf avoided a crappy situation on Sunday ... being carted off the field during the Lions game to make sure he made it to the toilet in time for an emergency bathroom break!!

Metcalf had to go No. 2 right in the middle of Seattle's Sunday contest with Detroit ... and it apparently came on so strong -- he needed a personal escort to the lavatory at Ford Field.

Metcalf hopped on a cart to make the expedited run to the John -- and, fortunately for the wideout, the plan seemed to work out OK for him ... because he returned a few minutes later in good shape.

Metcalf joked about it all on Twitter following the game ... saying, "That clinch walk wouldn't have made it." He added a crying emoji.

Despite the awkward scene, Metcalf ended up having a hell of a day ... racking up seven catches for 149 yards in a big 48-45 Seahawks win.

A man attending the Steelers game on Sunday has tragically died -- after officials say the fan fell from an escalator at the Pittsburgh stadium.

The Pittsburgh Department of Public Safety said police and EMS responded to Acrisure Stadium at around 4:45 PM -- moments after the Steelers had lost to the Jets -- after receiving a "fall from height" call.

When they arrived on scene, they said they immediately tended to the man ... before transporting him to a local hospital.

Sadly, officials say he later died there from his injuries. The man's ID has yet to be released.

The Steelers said in a statement Sunday night they were aware of the situation and "are working with local authorities and helping their investigation into the matter."

Vanessa Bryant went to the Bad Bunny concert in L.A. this weekend -- and it seems two's all the company she needed for premier box seats.

The widow of the late Kobe Bryant was seen attending the show at SoFi Stadium Saturday, and she ended up getting her own VIP suite ... with just a few people on hand. It was her, a female friend and a few security guards who were also tagging along.

We're told the suites go for around $25k or so -- and based on the footage, it seems she was enjoying it mostly to herself and her gal pal. Unclear who the other woman was, though.

You can tell she was trying to keep a low profile, not wanting to photographed or filmed on the way out -- with her bodyguards shielding her. It seems she might've actually been rolling solo when it was all said and done ... you don't see the other lady with her at the end here.

Eyewitnesses tell us she made the most of it nonetheless. We're told she stayed through the whole thing -- catching Cardi B's guest performance, too, no doubt -- and enjoyed the smorgasbord of eats, even dancing a bit apparently.

Remember, she's fresh off a tough court case that she won ... so it's good to see her out.

Adam Levine took the stage for the first time since his cheating scandal, and he and his band were met with cheers.

Adam performed Saturday night with his band, Maroon 5, at Shaquille O'Neal's annual fundraising gala, "The Event." It went down at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Vegas.

Adam had some company onstage ... Shaq joined him as the band performed "This Love."

Social media judgments be damned ... it was a great evening that benefited the Boys & Girls Clubs and Communities in School. One hundred percent of the proceeds are going to charities.

Shaq has been squarely in Adam's corner, making it clear ... "Adam is a personal friend of mine. He's always been a great guy."

As for the scandal, Shaq said, "It is not my job to say, 'You did this. You did that. You shouldn’t have did this. You shouldn’t have did that,'" he continued. "As far as I can say, he’s coming to help kids out this weekend. He’s a good man in my book."

Adam and his pregnant wife, supermodel Behati Prinsloo, are presenting a united front. They've been seen out together, and got on a private jet a few days ago. It's unclear if they were going to Vegas, but that seems likely considering Behati was at the fundraiser.

At least 125 people were killed Saturday after a stampede erupted during an Indonesian soccer match.

It was a horrifying scene ... fans swarmed the field and opposing sides squared off as they fought violently.

Police were at a loss, firing rounds of tear gas. In fact, it was a fatal move, because fans ran for the exits ... causing a stampede.

Dozens were reportedly trampled to death. Others died by suffocation.

More than 300 others were injured and taken to nearby hospitals, but a number of them died en route or once they got to the ER.

Mark Cuban says despite a rehab stint and some recent positive updates, Delonte West is still struggling to get on the right path.

The Dallas Mavericks owner told TMZ Sports out in NYC this week that he's been keeping in contact with his former player ... and, sadly, he said West is continuing to fight to get healthy.

"It's a struggle for him," Cuban said. "I mean, addiction is awful. And mental illness is awful. He's at the point in his life where he's got to want to be helped."

West has battled substance abuse issues in his past -- and has been spotted panhandling in the streets several times in the last few years.

But, back in 2020, Cuban helped him check into a rehab facility. And, this past June, West landed a flooring gig -- and appeared to be getting back on his feet.

Cuban, though, said West still has a long way to go.

"You know, he's got to want to help himself first," Mark said. "I've tried. I know it's tough on him, but I wish him nothing but the best."

Dak Prescott's thumb ain't looking so hot these days, but his neck certainly is ... because TMZ Sports has learned he's copped a new, custom diamond chain -- that's worth $100,000!!

We're told the Dallas Cowboys superstar -- who's currently sitting out with a thumb injury -- hit up Jason of Beverly Hills in L.A. before this season began to have some new drip made.

The guys kicked around some ideas for the piece ... but they eventually settled on a "D4K" pendant -- and it's insane.

We've learned the ice has 35 carats of flawless diamonds ... and it's all set onto white gold.

Jason praised the QB after he finished the product, calling Dak "easily one of the most humble athletes we've ever worked with."

Prescott has yet to be spotted on the sideline wearing it -- but perhaps when he finally returns from his injury, it'll make its NFL debut.

Ben Wallace knows being an NBA coach isn't easy, but the former NBA star tells TMZ Sports that his ex-teammate Darvin Ham is the perfect man for the Lakers' job.

"I know he's a great locker room guy," Wallace said at LAX this week ... "I think the guys are going to rally around him. I think his message is going to be on point for that team."

"I think it's just a matter of him buying into the system and going out there playing basketball. You can look at the team and tell they're built to win."

Wallace, who played 16 seasons in the NBA, primarily with the Pistons (he also played for the Wizards, Bulls, Magic, and Cavs), says NBA coaches don't get enough credit for the work they put in.

FYI, Wallace and Ham played together from 2003 to 2005 ... and won a championship together in 2004.

Ben -- a four-time All-Star and four-time Defensive Player of the Year -- visited his old pal at Lakers practice this week, where he was seen talking with Patrick Beverley, who was recently acquired by trade.

The Lakers had an extremely disappointing 2021-22 season, going 33-49, and missing the playoffs.

We also asked Ben if he had interest in becoming a head coach himself, and while Big Ben didn't rule out the possibility, he told us he's not looking to dedicate his entire life to the job ... 'cause he's enjoying life.

"That's a lot of work," Wallace said ... "It's a lot of work. I'm back around the team. Maybe I'll get that buzz once or twice, but for now, I'm enjoying what I'm doing."

Wallace also spoke about "Undrafted" -- the cannabis company he launched with RAIR Cannabis -- along with his own strain, "Undrafted," which he hopes to bring to L.A. (it's currently in Michigan).

"Not trying to replace anything," the NBA champ said about marijuana, adding, "It worked for me. I just encourage people, if you're doing something and it works for you, you should stick with it."

Nia Long doesn't have much to say about her partner's cheating scandal -- but her body language and accessories speak volumes.

The actress was approached by a photog Saturday in L.A. -- where she surfaced for the first time with her son, Kez -- and the obvious was asked ... how's she feeling about the fact that Celtics HC Ime Udoka was found to have been in an extramarital affair with a staffer?

She stayed mostly silent, saying she didn't want to comment -- but when asked if she's working things out with Ime, watch how she reacts ... it's telling. Since the news broke of her fiancé's infidelity, she's kept a low profile -- and hasn't been seen publicly until now.

Also of note ... it doesn't look like Nia's wearing her engagement ring, although she doesn't always rock it when out and about. Still, at a time like this -- it seems important.

As we reported ... sources tell us Nia felt blindsided by the whole thing, especially since he had moved her and their kid to Boston somewhat recently -- even though the investigation had been taking place for months, with no one giving her a heads up until it hit the fan.

We've also been told that the cheating hits close to home -- because the woman with whom Ime hooked up was actually known to Nia personally. She actually helped Nia move to Boston, and was involved in team-related travel too.

Trouble on the waterfront in Ohio -- a couple of fishermen have been accused of cheating to make their catches seem heavier than they were ... and the video proof is damning.

Chase Cominski and Jake Runyan -- both locals -- were apparently caught stuffing their walleye with weights and other debris ... with things coming to a head on Friday as their fish were being weighed, and then cut open to expose the truth on Lake Erie.

As you can see, tourney officials started pulling out these little metal balls from the insides of the fish that Cominski and Runyan had up for consideration -- some are saying they're made of lead, but in any case ... they seem to have been jammed in for extra poundage.

There are also slices of what some claim are fish fillets -- in other words, these guys are alleged to have cut pieces of other fish and stuffed them inside as well, clandestinely.

Some outlets are reporting that these two fellas were actually the frontrunners of this tournament -- dubbed the Lake Erie Walleye Trail in Cleveland's Gordon Park -- but that obviously came to a screeching halt when everyone caught wind of what had happened.

You can hear the utter outrage from people on the ground ... they were screaming at these guys, demanding answers and even threatening to call the police. Runyan was asked on camera if he had anything to say for himself -- but he stayed silent and just looked on.

There are reports of the fisherman going on to win other contests in and around the area -- and now, all of the accolades (and prize money) they've racked up are coming into question.

The official event page on FB had a harsh statement, calling out these gentlemen as straight-up cheaters. They write, "Disgusted guys and gals, I’m sorry for letting you down for so long and I’m glad I caught cheating taking place in YOUR LEWT at the same time."