TMZ Sports - Page 34

The NFL is punishing Tom Brady -- the Tampa Bay Buccaneers superstar has been hit with a fine for kicking at Atlanta Falcons defensive end Grady Jarrett during Sunday's matchup.

The moment went down with 3 minutes left in the Bucs' 21-15 win over the Falcons ... when Jarrett was hit with a controversial roughing the passer penalty after sacking the 7-time Super Bowl champ.

As Jarrett got up off the ground, Brady appeared to kick at the DE ... although it's unclear whether he made contact.

Regardless, Brady -- who will have made more than $330 million for his on-field work at the end of his 23rd season -- was handed an $11,139 fine for the kick, the league announced on Friday.

Jarrett recently said he spoke to the league about the incident ... explaining his side of the situation.

As for the controversy surrounding the play, Garrett thought he did exactly what he was supposed to when he sacked Brady on the potential game-altering play ... but the refs threw the questionable flag, claiming Garrett committed the penalty.

Deshaun Watson is facing another sexual misconduct lawsuit in Texas after a massage therapist claims the now-Browns QB pressured her into giving him oral sex during a 2020 therapy session at a Houston-area hotel.

In the lawsuit, filed Thursday in Harris County under the name "Jane Doe," a licensed therapist claims the now 27-year-old Watson contacted her in December 2020 over Instagram DM and requested a massage.

The therapist, who was working at home during Covid, says she agreed to meet Deshaun at a local hotel, The Houstonian.

During the massage, the therapist claims ... “Watson removed his towel and offered to let her ‘get on top.’ Plaintiff refused to have sex with Watson, however, he was able to pressure her into oral sex with the Defendant.”

The therapist, who normally charges $115 per hour, claims she was paid $300 by the quarterback.

The woman claims she's "suffered from severe depression and anxiety" as a result of the interaction with Deshaun, according to the suit.

Doe's attorney, Anissah Nguyen, told ESPN ... "My client's experience with Deshaun Watson follows a series of disturbingly similar encounters reported by more than 20 women who have filed suit against the NFL superstar."

"Like so many others, my client spent nearly two years struggling to cope with the shame and trauma from all that he has stolen from her and the daily pain that has become her reality."

The lawsuit is not part of the group of suits settled out of court by Watson, and the filing comes just days after he was permitted to return to Browns practice. Deshaun is serving an 11-game suspension over the previous allegations against the QB.

Watson, nor his team, have yet to comment on the lawsuit.

Story developing ...

Bruce Sutter -- the first MLB pitcher to enter the Hall of Fame without starting a game -- has passed away. He was 69.

The star reliever played for the Chicago Cubs, St. Louis Cardinals and Atlanta Braves over the course of his career ... winning a World Series in 1982.

Sutter was the National League saves leader in five different seasons ... and won the Cy Young in 1979.

MLB commish Rob Manfred released a statement on Sutter's passing ... saying he had an "incredible baseball success story."

"Bruce will be remembered as one of the best pitchers in the histories of two of our most historic franchises," he added. "On behalf of Major League Baseball, I extend my condolences to Bruce’s family, his friends and his fans in Chicago, St. Louis, Atlanta and throughout our game."

Sutter -- a 6-time All-Star -- was the fourth reliever to get voted into Cooperstown in 2006 ... getting the nod on his 13th year of eligibility.

On top of the Baseball Hall, Sutter is also in the Cubs and Cardinals Hall of Fame ... and his #42 is retired in St. Louis.

José Altuve is still public enemy #1 in Los Angeles ... and the L.A. Kings made that clear by trolling the Houston Astros' star second baseman with a trash can reference during Thursday night's game.

The Kings were playing the Seattle Kraken at Crypto.com Arena ... when the announcer decided to have some fun at the expense of Altuve by playing a "look-alike" game on the jumbotron.

The game started innocently by showing people in the stands who resembled professional athletes like Dodgers star pitcher Tony Gonsolin and infielder Max Muncy -- but then it came time to have some fun.

The scoreboard then showed Altuve's picture, which was met with a chorus of boos ...  and then the image of a trash can was displayed as his doppelganger.

The fans immediately began cheering once they saw the side-by-side of Altuve and the trash can on the big screen ... and to make matters worse, someone was throwing out trash.

Altuve and the 'Stros defeated the L.A. Dodgers in seven games in the 2017 World Series, but L.A. fans feel robbed of that title after the Astros were found guilty of cheating.

In 2019, MLB determined that the Astros illegally used a video camera system and pounding on trash cans to steal signs during the 2017 regular season and postseason and parts of the 2018 season.

Since the scandal, the Dodgers have won the World Series in 2020 when they defeated the Tampa Bay Rays in six games ... and are currently vying for another this postseason.

Arik Armstead continues to help kids in Sacramento ... the 49ers star just made a $250k donation to Mercy Housing California aimed at educating almost 300 youths!

The 28-year-old defensive tackle presented MHC with the massive check before the Niners' Monday Night Football game against the Rams at Levi's Stadium on Oct. 3.

FYI, Mercy Housing California has provided affordable homes for over 20,000 Californians.

TMZ Sports has learned this is the second $250k donation from the NFL star, who partnered up with MHC back in 2021, when they launched the Armstead Academy ... which focuses on underprivileged students in Sacramento.

We're told the large contribution will supply academic programs -- including summer reading, college, and career exploration opportunities -- to almost 300 kids.

"We remain committed to positively impact youth lives," Armstead said Wednesday, "by providing the resources, tools, and positive spaces they need to thrive."

"Excited to continue serving with our partner @mercyhousing."

Several of Armstead's famous friends applauded the 7-year vet, including former Niners receiver Marquise Goodwin who wrote ... "Huge impact 🔥🔥👏🏿".

Floyd Mayweather's little grandson is riding in style -- just like grandpa -- who gifted the young boy a brand new white mini-Range Rover!!

Mayweather's daughter, Yaya, shared video of her son's new whip, showing Floyd posted up next to Kentrell Jr.'s baby Range.

"Look what I got my grandson," the 50-0 boxer said from his mansion, "So today, a baby Range Rover. Tomorrow ... a baby Lambo?"

"Every day is Christmas in the Mayweather home."

The boxing legend even turned the car on ... and Kentrell's whip sounds fast!

Of course, showering his grandson with gifts is nothing new -- when KJ was born in 2021, Floyd iced his wrist with a baby Rolex.

Floyd even dropped $18K on a mink car seat for his $350K Rolls-Royce earlier this year.

Not to mention, Kentrell Jr.'s dad is rap star NBA YoungBoy ... so it's safe to say the kid will always have the best of the best

Corey Phelan -- a minor league baseball player for the Philadelphia Phillies organization -- passed away after battling cancer. He was only 20 years old.

The team announced the sad news Thursday evening ... saying they are devastated over Phelan's death and described how his "positive presence and selflessness influenced everyone around him".

"Corey is and will always be a special person," Phillies director of player development Preston Mattingly said.

"His smile lit up a room and everyone who came in contact with him cherished the interaction. His memory will live on, especially with the Phillies organization."

The New York native -- who signed with the Phillies org. as an undrafted free agent in August 2020 -- found out about the non-Hodgkin's lymphoma in April after he passed out in the shower.

Phelan underwent scans ... and it was determined he had a 9-inch mass in his chest.

The pitcher received chemotherapy treatment at the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York after the diagnosis ... and went to visit the team when they played the Mets at Citi Field in May.

"That was one of the best nights ever," Phelan said, "getting to be able to talk with the guys in the locker room, Joe Girardi took me on the field, everyone supportive and nice."

"The whole Phillies organization has been nothing but amazing to me and my family."

Phelan -- who appeared in 9 games with an 0.93 ERA and 1.14 WHIP -- made his last Instagram post 2 weeks ago, saying "Can’t wait to get back out there🙏🏻❤️"

Deontay Wilder vs. Tyson Fury IV would be an absolutely HUGE fight, but not the biggest ... 'cause The Bronze Bomber tells us there isn't a fight in the sport bigger than him vs. Anthony Joshua!

"The biggest fight in the world is not [Fury], it's me versus Anthony Joshua. That's still the biggest fight in the world. Everywhere I go, people talk about that fight. That's the one that they want to see," the 36-year-old former heavyweight champ told Babcock on the "TMZ Sports" TV show (airs weekdays on FS1).

It's not that Deontay isn't down for another with Tyson ... because he is.

"Whether [Fury and I] fight four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten times, the heavyweight division is small. We can do those things because it's not packed like other divisions."

Wilder last fought in October 2021 ... losing to Fury via an 11th-round TKO. It was his third fight with the Gypsy King ... a trilogy that almost all boxing fans and experts agree was one of the greatest in the history of the sport.

Fury, generally regarded as the current best heavyweight in the world, recently said he'd be open to another scrap with Wilder.

As for Joshua, AJ's coming off a split decision loss against Oleksandr Usyk in August. The fight was a rematch of their September 2021 bout ... which Usyk also won.

Joshua, 24-3 (22 knockouts), is a longtime rival of the Bronze Bomber ... the men have talked about fighting for years.

If it is going to happen, it better be sometime soon -- Wilder tells us he plans to retire around his 40th birthday.

Until then, Deontay says this phase of his career is all about making his fans happy, and giving them the fights they want to see.

But, before those possible fights with Fury, Joshua, or anyone else, Deontay has to beat Robert Helenius this Saturday at Barclays Center in Brooklyn.

We spoke with Helenius ... who tells us he believes he has a slight advantage over Wilder since he was his sparring partner.

"You get a sense of feeling or how and what kind of punches are being thrown in the ring," the 38-year-old heavyweight said. "Of course, it’s good for me."

Wilder is a massive favorite (around -800) against the similarly sized 6'7" pugilist ... who has a professional record of 31-3 with 20 knockouts.

And when it comes to the doubters, Helenius vows to "show them that they’re wrong."

We also talked to boxing star Caleb Plant ... who is returning to the ring for the first time since losing to Canelo Alvarez -- his first loss -- in November 2021. Plant is fighting former multiple-time world champ Anthony Dirrell before Deontay goes to work.

Started from the bottom, now we're on soccer jerseys.

FC Barcelona will pay homage to Drake on Sunday ... by wearing the rap superstar's OVO owl logo on their kits for their big match against Real Madrid, the team announced Friday.

Barca -- whose main partner is Spotify -- explained the idea to honor the 6 God came after Drizzy became the first artist to reach over 50 billion streams on the platform.

"For the first time in our history, we are replacing the name of our main partner on the front of the jersey with an internationally acclaimed artist in Drake," Barca exec. Juli Guiu said.

"This initiative shows our potential to become a unique platform to offer experiences that help bring us closer to our fans while reaching out to new audiences around the world.”

The club will also wear a special version of the customized Drake-themed jersey during pre-game warmups -- which will feature his name on the back, and #50 to honor his stream record.

"We were really excited to celebrate one of the biggest games of the year and mark Drake’s milestone as the first artist to reach 50 billion streams," Spotify exec Marc Hazan said.

"We’ve always said that we want this partnership to be a celebration of fans, players, and artist’s on a global stage -- and there’s no bigger stage than El Clásico.”

Drake spoke about the gesture on Instagram ... saying, "this doesn’t feel real but it is."

Those closest to Tyler Skaggs had no idea the late pitcher was using pain pills at the time of his tragic death ... saying the details behind his fatal overdose were unbelievable.

Tyler's wife, Carli, and his mother, Debbie Hetman, spoke publicly about Skaggs' passing for the first time this week ... just days after ex-Angels communications staffer Eric Kay was sentenced to 22 years in federal prison for providing the drugs that took the pitcher's life.

"I loved him so much," Carli said while tearing up. "We had a love that was so special."

"That day still haunts me," Debbie added.

27-year-old Skaggs died after choking on his own vomit in 2019 ... and his autopsy showed a combination of oxycodone, fentanyl and alcohol in his system.

When asked about the troubling details surrounding his death ... both Carli and Debbie said they had no idea he had been taking pain medication.

"Yeah, that was the last thought that crossed my mind," Carli said. "It didn't even cross my mind actually."

"Not a clue."

Carli revealed the couple had plans to start a family after Skaggs returned from the team's road trip in Texas ... saying, "He would have made an amazing father. He was so great with kids."

"I wonder sometimes if I'll ever be as happy as I was. I have a lot of healing to do. I have faith that I'll get there. I know I'll never be the same. It's going to be different. But, I believe that I can find happiness again."

All seems well for the Stallones ... as Sylvester, his wife Jennifer Flavin, and their kids all attended a fashion show together -- this coming on the heels of the couple dismissing their divorce case.

Sly and Jennifer stepped out to the SS23 Runway Show on Thursday in San Marino, CA ... with 26-year-old Sophia and 24-year-old Sistine joining their mom and pops.

Sistine posted a TikTok vid, with the whole fam dancin' to some tunes together -- Sly even introduced Jennifer into the video to the words "bad bitches."

The 4 seem to be a happy bunch once again ... as you know, it's been choppy water for Jennifer and Sylvester the past couple of months -- Jennifer filed divorce docs in August, accusing Sly of secreting marital assets.

The "Rocky" actor denied the claims, but work began on a divorce settlement in September. The couple eventually decided to reconcile, officially dismissing their divorce earlier this month.

Draymond Green says he will be able to coexist with Jordan Poole and compete for a championship together ... but when it comes to being buddies again, he's "not sure" that's going to happen.

Green addressed the media for the first time since rejoining the Warriors on Thursday ... and made it clear he's ready to put last week's practice altercation behind him and focus on the season.

Draymond says he hung out with his kids during his time away from the team ... and had some "long days" dealing with the aftermath of the practice punch.

When it comes to repairing his personal relationship with Poole, which used to be tight, Green says the ball is in his court ... and it certainly doesn't sound like he's holding his breath.

"I'm not sure," Green added. "As I said before, that's not up to me. Nor do I think there's much relevance."

"Quite frankly, we both know how to play basketball and that is the most important for us. We're paid to do a job and we're gonna come and do that job to the best of our ability. We wanna continue to win so we gonna do what we have to do to win."

As TMZ Sports previously reported ... the beef between Draymond and Poole started in the parking lot and escalated at team practice last Wednesday, where our sources on site say Poole called several fouls during a scrimmage, and Draymond called him a "bitch" multiple times as a result.

Sources say Poole has been getting "cocky" lately over an upcoming contract, but multiple players have flat-out denied that's the case.

David Schumacher -- the nephew of racing icon Michael Schumacher -- suffered a broken spine during a terrifying crash in Germany, his family announced on Thursday.

The scene was tough to watch -- David's Mercedes-AMG GT3 crashed during the final round of the 2022 DTM season at Hockenheim ... after his car crashed into fellow racer Thomas Preining as the two were battling for seventh into Turn 8.

Ralf Schumacher, David's father, shared the update with German news agency Deutsche Presse-Agentur (DPA) ... saying his son has to wear a corset due to the accident but won't require surgery.

"When David came home, he was still complaining of back pain," Ralf Schumacher told the outlet. "We then decided to go to a hospital in Salzburg to have an MRI done."

David will be sidelined for at least six weeks.

The crash sparked a chain reaction -- causing Ricardo Feller to hit the back of Dennis Olsen's Porsche ... and prompting officials to red-flag the session.

David was taken to the hospital after the accident, where preliminary scans revealed that he suffered a scraped knee and bruising to his lumbar spine.

The crash ended David's season and any hopes he had of competing in the title decider at the Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters last Sunday.

Eastern Michigan basketball star Emoni Bates was deeply emotional as he sat handcuffed in the back seat of a cop car ... breaking down in tears and talking to his mom on the phone right after his gun arrest, footage obtained by TMZ Sports shows.

18-year-old Bates -- one of the top prospects in the class of 2021 -- was pulled over in Superior Township, Michigan after allegedly running through a stop sign around 10:45 PM on September 18.

During the traffic stop, Washtenaw County sheriff's deputies -- who immediately recognized Bates -- told him there was a strong scent of weed coming from his vehicle and asked if there were guns or drugs in the Mitsubishi Outlander.

Bates -- who was driving without a license -- initially claimed he didn't, but eventually came clean ... admitting he had marijuana and a gun, putting his hands up and complying with the officers.

The 6'9", 190-pounder was then placed under arrest and put into the back seat of the cop car. While his vehicle was being searched, cops allowed him to use his phone ... and he called his mother to apologize for the arrest -- breaking down in tears in the process.

During the search, cops found what appeared to be a bag of marijuana ... as well as the gun.

Emoni's mom, Edith, calmed him down during the phone convo ... and then handed the phone over to a man, who seemingly said he is the owner of the gun.

The man appears to ask if cops found "my stick in your car?" ... to which Bates replied, "Yeah."

Bates was hit with two felonies -- carrying a concealed weapon and altering ID marks on a firearm -- but on Thursday, Bates' attorney, Steve Haney, told ESPN he expects the charges to be dismissed after agreeing to a plea deal.

Haney says he will plead to a misdemeanor count of attempted illegal transportation of a weapon ... which will be dismissed off his record if he completes a diversion program.

The school confirmed the news to TMZ Sports ... saying, "The Eastern Michigan University department of athletics has received notification that there is an agreement between the Washtenaw County prosecutor's office and Emoni Bates' defense team that would result in the felony charges being dismissed."

The beef between Patrick Beverley and Russell Westbrook may not be over after all ... because Russ appeared to snub Pat during the Lakers' preseason game Wednesday night.

The awkward moment occurred in the third quarter of the home game against the Timberwolves ... when Beverley tried to rally his teammates on defense.

In the clip, Pat -- who was acquired via trade in the offseason -- was calling for a team huddle with LeBron James, Anthony Davis, and Lonnie Walker IV.

The issue ... Westbrook was reluctant to join Pat Bev's impromptu meeting on the court, leading AD to go over to Russ to see why he refused to join the huddle.

Beverley seemed to sense Russ wanted no part of his motivational speech, but that didn't stop him from repeatedly motioning for Westbrook to be included in the discussion.

The cringe moment -- which had the sports world talking -- comes as the Lakers prepare to kick off their season next week against the defending champion Golden State Warriors.

Even Jake Paul chimed in on the situation, writing, "Lakers need to pull the plug and trade Russell Westbrook for their sake and for The Brodie’s sake."

"He’s a star and needs his own team. Lakers need less stars and more Pat Bev’s," he continued.

The Lakers missed the playoff last season ... and with incidents like this, they could be in danger of history repeating itself.

Troy Aikman is speaking out publicly for the first time since making controversial remarks during "Monday Night Football," calling his comments "dumb."

"My comments were dumb, just shouldn't have made them," Aikman said during a radio appearance on 96.7 The Ticket, adding, "Just dumb remarks on my part."

Of course, during Monday night's Raiders-Chiefs game, the former Cowboys QB voiced displeasure with how the NFL is enforcing the roughing of the passer penalty.

"My hope is the competition committee looks at this in the next set of meetings, and, you know, we take the dresses off," the three-time Super Bowl champ said during the broadcast.

Aikman has been under siege ever since ... with the QB being accused of being sexist and misogynistic.

The roughing penalty has become a big talking point this season, especially given Tua Tagovailoa's injuries and the call Tom Brady received against the Falcons.

Aikman, however, isn't alone in his gripes with the NFL -- HOF head coach Tony Dungy took to Twitter to express his confusion with how rules are being enforced against quarterbacks.