TMZ Sports - Page 28

Peyton and Eli Manning, along with Steelers legend Jerome Bettis, did their very best impression of Egon, Ray, Winston and Peter ... going to The Bus' alma mater, the University of Notre Dame, searching for a ghost in a hilarious Ghostbusters skit!

The three NFL legends came together for a special Halloween mashup episode of Peyton's Place and Eli's Place on ESPN+ (produced by Omaha Productions) -- where they became parapsychologists from the classic ghost-chasing movie -- and headed to South Bend, Indiana on the hunt for the ghost of George Gipp.

Gipp was an ND running back under Knute Rockne between 1917 and 1920. You may not recognize the name "George Gipp," but you've heard the phrase ... "win one for the Gipper." George is the Gipper.

In 1925, GG was sick and on his deathbed, when he famously delivered this line to his coach, telling him to use it to motivate the players.

"I've got to go, Rock. It's all right. I'm not afraid. Sometime Rock, when the team is up against it, when things are wrong and the breaks are beating the boys, ask them to go in there with all they've got and win just one for the Gipper. I don't know where I'll be then, Rock. But I'll know about it, and I'll be happy."

In the skit, Peyton, Eli and Jerome head for campus in the Ghostbusters' Ectomobile ... all while rocking the GB iconic jumpsuits.

Bettis wasn't feelin' the threads at first ... but Eli had a hilarious response for the former Notre Dame star.

"What?!" Eli said, "Did you think we'd be wearing a crop top or something?"

Peyton also jokes about Eli losing his spot on the ManningCast to Bill Murray -- who played Dr. Peter Venkman in the Ghostbusters movies.

Tom Brady continues to make history -- a rookie card signed by the G.O.A.T himself just sold for $2.4 million, the highest sale for any football card at public auction this year!

PWCC, who auctioned the card, says the Brady rookie card -- from the 2000 Playoff Contenders Championship Ticket set -- was hot from the start, crossing the $1 million mark just 16 hours after bidding opened.

We're told the $2.4 mil haul makes it the third-highest public auction sale for a Brady card and the third-highest public auction sale for a trading card this year.

It's no shock this particular card sold for so much money. The card itself is super rare ... only 100 were ever produced. Making it worth even more, the card was graded Mint (and the autograph was graded as perfect).

87 of the 100 cards have been graded at some point, but only a small handful have come back Mint, thus the exorbitant price.

"This is an extremely desirable card featuring the greatest quarterback to ever play the game," PWCC exec Jesse Craig said.

A Houston Astros fan ran onto the field during the team's playoff game against the Yankees on Thursday night and hugged Jose Altuve ... and TMZ Sports has learned he was ultimately arrested over the stunt.

The man hopped Minute Maid Park railing during the ninth inning of Game 2 of the ALCS ... and quickly made a beeline for Houston's biggest star.

The guy -- later ID'ed as 27-year-old Jose Alvarado -- dodged security long enough to actually get to Altuve ... and then he planted a big hug on the Astros second baseman.

Altuve surprisingly didn't seem bothered by the interaction, stayed calm, and hugged the fan back. He even appeared to be down to take a selfie with the guy right in the middle of the outfield grass.

Eventually, however, security came in to break the scene up -- with six guards wrestling him to the ground.

A spokesperson for the Houston Police Dept. tells us Alvarado was taken into custody and booked on a misdemeanor criminal trespass charge.

Jail records show he's still behind bars.

Altuve said after the game he wasn't concerned the fan had bad intentions when he saw the man's Astros jersey.

"He just said, 'We need to win -- I spent all my money on the ticket,'" Altuve said of the incident. "And I was trying to tell him that, 'Yes, we're trying to win.' We were about to take a selfie, but then security guys got there and did their job."

Sara Lee's husband, Westin Blake, is breaking his silence over the wrestling star's tragic death ... sharing an absolutely heartbreaking letter to his late wife on Friday.

As we previously reported, the former "Tough Enough" winner passed away at 30 years old earlier this month ... a death that shocked the entire wrestling community.

The former WWE Superstar -- who had three children with Lee -- poured his heart out in the emotional Instagram post ... sharing a picture of them together.

"I loved you from the first moment I saw you," Blake said on Instagram. "I would always say that you were an angel walking on this earth."

"Beautiful, compassionate, strong and so loving. An angel that blessed me with 3 of the most beautiful children I could imagine."

Blake -- real name Cory Weston -- praised Lee for being the backbone of their family ... and leaving an impact on all who knew her.

"I really don’t know what to say in these uncertain times. I just know that death can’t take away the memories we made."

"I can’t promise that I will stop grieving but I know now, that you’re free. I can’t thank you enough for giving me the best years of my life so far."

"❤️ I LOVE YOU SARA❤️"

Christian McCaffrey officially became a San Francisco 49er on Thursday ... and the superstar running back gave a touching tribute to his first NFL home after being traded, saying, "Carolina, I will always love you."

The blockbuster transaction went down Thursday night ... with the Panthers shipping away their 2017 8th overall pick in exchange for a handful of draft picks.

The 26-year-old thanked Carolina for embracing him for more than half a decade before heading to the Bay Area ... saying, "I'm forever grateful for all of the people who have helped make these past 5 1/2 years so special for me."

"Thank you from the bottom of my heart. Carolina, I will always love you💙 #KeepPounding."

McCaffrey has been the center of trade rumors for weeks ... with the team looking to go in a different direction. Head coach Matt Rhule got canned for going 1-4 to start the season, and Robbie Anderson was traded to the Arizona Cardinals.

Now, the franchise just gave up its most successful and popular player since Cam Newton.

The Los Angeles Rams were also in the running for CM ... but surprisingly, the Buffalo Bills -- who were reportedly interested in landing the playmaker -- were not.

McCaffrey's model girlfriend, Olivia Culpo, also posted about the trade ... saying, "So many emotions right now."

She also posted a pic holding Christian's hand ... captioning it, "Ready for anything with you."

Culpo and McCaffrey first went public in 2019 ... and she has hit up as many Panthers games as she could over the past few seasons.

On the bright side, OC will have a much shorter flight from L.A. to Niners games now!!

Fivio Foreign is blaming arena production staffers for his recent performance woes during the Brooklyn Nets' halftime show ... and says he needs a redo to make the city proud.

TMZ Hip Hop caught up with Fivio at the scene of the crime -- Barclays Center, the Nets' homecourt -- and his view of the disastrous performance is his production team would've handled things perfectly, unlike the one he worked with that night.

Fivio says everything was fine during soundcheck, but at halftime, his inner earpiece was lower than the crowd noise ... and the sound was delayed in his ear.

ICYMI, Fivio got fried on social media because the Brooklyn rapper seemed to forget his lyrics altogether for a full 3 songs.

Fivio tells us Internet reactions didn't phase him much ... he remembers getting trashed online when his sound went out performing with Kanye West during one of his many Donda events last year.

He's also laughing off haters claiming he was too high to remember the words -- Fivio tells us that chapter of his life is over, and he dropped a few bars about it.

Celebrities often go all out when it comes to their Halloween costumes ... and a lot of them look smokin' hot in their garb, so we've gotta ask -- Who'd you rather?!

Cowgirls have always been a popular costume choice during the spooky season ... and Draya Michele & Kim Kardashian have been down this road before ... so which one's hogtied your heart?

Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion are 2 of the hottest rappers in the game ... not only for their bars, but for their Halloween outfits, too! So who caught your eye?

Ric Flair is on the fence about whether he'll ever wrestle again ... telling TMZ Sports he'll "never say never" to taking another match -- but for right now, he's retired.

Of course, the 73-year-old Nature Boy and his son-in-law Andrade El Idolo whooped Jay Lethal and Jeff Jarrett in what was billed as his "Last Match" back in July ... but as recently as September, he's flirted with the idea of coming back once again.

We spoke with Flair about whether he's 100% done ... and even Naitch isn't too sure if he'll ever return.

"I don't know," Flair told us out in LA this week. "I've already promised [I was done] once. Right now, I'm not doing anything. But, never say never."

Flair even gives us a flex to prove he definitely still has the muscles -- but given the health issues he had leading up to and during the last match, it's understandable why he's not adamantly vowing to come back.

Flair previously said he passed out twice from dehydration during the event ... and leading up to it, he had plantar fasciitis.

In the meantime, Naitch -- who was hanging with manager Darren Prince -- has been working alongside Mike Tyson for his "Ric Flair Drip" cannabis ... and he says it's been "raining money" since his partnership with Tyson 2.0.

If it really is the end of Flair in the ring ... he had one of the most memorable careers ever.

Longtime NBA referee Tony Brown, who spent 20 seasons in the league and was one of the league's most respected officials, passed away on Thursday after courageously battling pancreatic cancer.

He was 55 years old.

The NBA announced the awful news this afternoon.

“Tony Brown was one of the most accomplished referees in the NBA and an inspiration to his colleagues. After his pancreatic cancer diagnosis early last year, Tony fought courageously through countless rounds of treatment to return to work this past season at the NBA Replay Center, demonstrating the dedication, determination and passion that made him such a highly respected official for 20 years," commissioner Adam Silver said.

"The entire NBA family mourns Tony’s passing and we send our deepest condolences to his wife, Tina; their children, Bailey, Basile and Baylen; and his fellow referees.”

Brown, who was diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic cancer in 2021, officiated 1,110 regular season games and 35 playoff games throughout his NBA career.

Tony's wife, Tina, released a statement thanking everyone for their support during this difficult time.

“We are and have been sustained by the consistent outpouring of love and support through this journey in developing strength, acceptance and peace," Tina wrote.

“We ask that you join us in that spirit as we prepare to celebrate Tony’s life. Our biggest thank you to our village of family and friends, near and far, old and new. Your love is immeasurable. Thanks to the Lustgarten Foundation and PanCan. Keep striving for the cures."

Several NBA stars are devastated by the tragic news ... including Jayson Tatum and LeBron James who said he will miss seeing Brown on the court.

"R.I.P. Tony man!! Great ref but greater dude!" James said via Twitter.

"Loved when I ran on the court for warmups and he would be on the game that night! Your smile & laugh will be missed tremendously here in our sport!"

Officials for the Bucks and Sixers game on Thursday are wearing '6 STRONG' purple wristbands to honor Brown's referee number.

Mississippi State football player Sam Westmoreland was found dead on Wednesday at a church ... cops tell TMZ Sports.

A spokesperson for the Oktibbeha County Sheriff's Office says they discovered the offensive lineman's body after they were called out to Blackjack Missionary Baptist Church in Starkville regarding a death investigation.

The spokesperson said they canvased the scene after arriving ... but cleared it a couple hours later.

The OCSO official did not release a cause of death ... saying a probe into the case is still ongoing.

They added, though, that they had "no reason to suspect foul play" at this point.

Westmoreland had just joined the Bulldogs roster this year ... and was playing offensive tackle while majoring in industrial technology at the school.

"Sam was a beloved son, brother and teammate, and a tremendous young man with a limitless future," MSU head coach Mike Leach said in a statement Wednesday. "He will always be remembered and deeply missed by everyone who knew and loved him."

Westmoreland was just two days away from celebrating his 19th birthday.

Zion Williamson's NBA return was one for the books ... but before the Pelicans star hit the court at Barclays Center, he received a custom "Terror Squad" chain from Joey Crack himself, Fat Joe!

TMZ Sports has learned Joe wanted to hook up the NBA superstar with something nice, so he gifted him a custom TS piece made by Avi Davidov, owner of Pristine Jewelers in NYC.

The chain's made with gold and diamonds ... and there really wasn't a special occasion outside of the South Bronx rapper being a fan of Williamson.

But, Zion didn't just walk away with the Terror Squad piece ... Avi tells us he also copped a new timepiece that took the jeweler 10 days to make, and is worth 6 figures!

With Zion's latest purchase, he joins Diddy, Meek Mill, Nas, DJ Khaled, N.O.R.E., and Gucci Mane on the list of celebs who own a timepiece from the world-renowned jeweler.

Before Wednesday night's game, Williamson hadn't played an NBA game since May 2021 ... thanks to a foot injury that sidelined him for the entire 2022 season.

Tom Brady isn't about to give up and quit on the Buccaneers ... and the Tampa Bay quarterback finds it pretty comical to think otherwise -- laughing off the notion and saying he has no immediate plans to retire.

TB12 was asked about whether he was considering hanging it up mid-season during media availability on Thursday ... which wasn't really a thing until the guys on "PFT Live" had a hypothetical conversation about the topic earlier this week.

Despite no real reason to believe Brady was thinking about leaving the sport behind, he answered the question ... but with some humor.

"That's really why I'm here. I'm here to announce finally ... you guys pushed me to the brink," Brady joked before getting serious.

"I love the sport, and I love the teammates," Brady said. "And I want to go do a great job for this team like I always have. No retirement in my future."

Even the reporter knew the idea was pretty "crazy" ... but Brady's comment should put any speculation to rest.

WWE Hall of Famer Kevin Nash's son, Tristen, who recently started working with his father's podcast, tragically passed away this week ... it was announced Thursday.

He was only 26 years old.

No cause of death has been revealed.

Sean Ross Sapp shared a statement on behalf of Tristen's parents, Kevin and Tamara, confirming the terrible news -- adding the family is asking for privacy during this difficult time.

Tristen's death comes seven months after Kevin lost one of his best friends in the wrestling industry, Scott Hall, who died earlier this year at 63.

Today actually would have been Scott's 64th birthday.

Rest in peace.

Chess grandmaster Hans Niemann is suing one of the sport's biggest legends for $100 MILLION ... because he says the guy made up claims that he cheated during a match.

Niemann played Magnus Carlsen -- a five-time reigning World Chess Champion and the highest-ranked chess player ever -- at the Sinquefield Cup in St. Louis back on Sept. 4 ... and, in Niemann's words, "soundly defeated" him.

Afterward, the 19-year-old budding superstar danced on Carlsen's grave, taunting him during an interview ... and that's when Niemann claimed all of the trouble began.

The chess player, in a lawsuit filed on Thursday in Missouri, said 31-year-old Carlsen couldn't accept defeat, became "enraged" ... and launched an all-out attack on his rival.

Niemann says Carlsen fabricated a story that he had cheated to win the match. Days later, when the two were supposed to run things back at the Julius Baer Generation Cup ... Niemann says Carlsen "gutlessly forfeited the game after making one move" and then repeated the "false" cheating accusations against Niemann.

Niemann says the ramifications of Carlsen's lies were endless.

He claims that despite several independent and unbiased sources clearing him of any wrongdoing during the Sept. 4 match ... Carlsen used his partnership with Chess giant Chess.com to essentially blackball him in the chess world.

He says in the suit that the org. banned him from its website and all of its future events -- which comprise the majority of the world's most prestigious chess tournaments.

Niemann says he's suffered irreparably from Carlsen's defamatory allegations ... and is suing for NINE figures.

Tom Brady has just issued an apology for comparing the NFL season to military deployment ... admitting Thursday afternoon that it was all a "poor choice of words."

Brady actually interrupted a reporter at the beginning of his Buccaneers press conference to deliver the mea culpa -- saying he wanted to express to everyone who "may have taken it in a certain way" that he was sorry.

Brady initially made the war-themed comments during his "Let's Go!" podcast on Monday ... while talking with Kevin Durant about the struggles he's encountered when trying to balance work and pleasure in the middle of a season.

"I almost look at like a football season like you're going away on deployment for the military," Brady said. "And it's like, 'Man, here I go again.'"

The remarks were hit with backlash almost immediately, with many on social media calling them tone-deaf. Army veteran Brad Thomas, who fought in Black Hawk Down, even took to his Instagram page to blast the quarterback over it all.

"Hey @tombrady - this statement is naive and offensive on many levels," he wrote. "You play a game, for entertainment, and seem to have lost your perspective."

Brady clearly felt bad about everything ... looking downtrodden as he delivered his apology Thursday.

DeAndre Hopkins is back!

The Arizona Cardinals receiver -- one of the best in the NFL -- is making his return to the field after serving a 6-game suspension for PEDs ... and he's amped!

The 30-year-old even dropped a hype video celebrating his comeback hours before the Cardinals' "Thursday Night Football" home game against the New Orleans Saints.

"Don't call it a comeback," DHop captioned the clip.

The video shows the 5-time Pro Bowler's recent workout with a mix of LL Cool J's "Mama Said Knock You Out' song and Black Sheep's "The Choice Is Yours".

Several NFL players showed support for Hopkins in the comments ... including teammate Budda Baker who wrote, "It’s Time!!! 🔥🔥🔥"

As we previously reported, DH was suspended in May for violating the league's PED policy. Hopkins initially appealed the punishment, before withdrawing.

His return couldn't come at a better time ... the Cardinals just lost star receiver Marquise "Hollywood" Brown for a month due to a foot injury.

And, Hopkins is one of Kyler Murray's favorite targets ... in the last two regular seasons, the two connected for 1,979 yards and 14 touchdowns.

"I'm excited to have him back," the Cardinals QB said earlier this week, "He's been waiting on this moment. He's an electric player."

The Cardinals are currently last in the NFC West but with DHop back ... AZ could make a run.