TMZ Sports - Page 24

Do you smell what The Rock's daughter is cookin'?!?

WWE fans finally do ... 'cause Dwayne Johnson's offspring just made her in-ring debut with the org. on Tuesday night -- and the crowd was feeling it!!

21-year-old Simone Johnson unveiled herself as "Ava Raine" during the WWE's NXT program ... crushing a promo where she was revealed to be the fourth member of wrestler Joe Gacy's stable, Schism.

Simone had made some appearances on the shows before -- but only as a hooded figure. When she finally lifted her mask, though, fans went nuts.

Simone -- who initially signed with WWE in Feb. 2020 -- told the crowd during her segment that she sees the Schism group as a family ... adding that they complete her.

She didn't compete in her debut, which is what most wrestling fans are waiting for ... but, seeing her in a WWE ring was still an awesome moment.

Of course, the road to the ring Tuesday didn't come without adversity -- in May, Simone faced backlash for revealing she'd wrestle under a moniker not related to Dwayne's "The Rock" character.

Simone took on her critics headfirst -- acknowledging that even if she caved to the pressure to build her career around her father and their family, she would still be criticized harshly.

J.J. Watt and Kealia Ohai are parents!!

The Arizona Cardinals star and pro soccer player made the announcement Tuesday evening ... saying their baby boy arrived on Oct. 23.

The couple -- who got married in February 2020 -- shared a photo with their bundle of joy in the hospital bed on Instagram.

"Love and happiness have reached heights we never even knew existed," Watt said in the caption.

The couple also revealed their son's name -- Koa James Watt.

The great news had their post swarmed with comments from fans and NFL players ... including Watt's little brother and Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker, T.J.

"Welcome to the family Koa!!!" T.J. said on the post.

The Arizona Cardinals and the NFL also congratulated the 3-time Defensive Player of the Year ... with the league account saying, "KJ Watt! Congrats JJ and Kealia!"

This kid definitely has sports in his blood ... besides his dad being a 5-time Pro Bowler, his mom is a Chicago Red Stars midfielder. Plus his uncles are pros as well.

Safe to say the kid will have a future as an athlete if he wants.

An NBA fan didn't keep her head on a swivel while she was trying to take her courtside seat at a game on Tuesday night -- and she paid for it ... getting drilled in the noggin by an errant pass.

The painful moment happened just a few minutes into the Mavericks vs. Pelicans game in New Orleans ... when a woman had her back turned to the court as Dallas was trying to get a bucket on the floor.

Luka Doncic threw up a shot, missed, and when Dorian Finney-Smith grabbed the rebound -- he looked to kick the basketball out to one of his teammates.

The problem? His pass was tipped out of his hand -- and then it made a beeline for the unsuspecting woman's head.

The ball clanked off the back of her dome with some force ... but, fortunately, she appeared to be OK. Also, like a true champ, she didn't spill any of the water she was holding -- and laughed it all off.

Later in the game, retired NFL head coach Sean Payton showed off exactly how fans are supposed to handle themselves while courtside ... using some cat-like reflexes to nab a tipped ball that came his way before it did any harm.

The star players on Kanye West's Donda Academy basketball team will not be able to showcase their talents on one of H.S. hoops' biggest stages this year ... and it's all because of Ye's controversial antisemitic comments.

The Scholastic Play-By-Play Classics announced Donda has been scrapped from this season's schedule ... claiming West's "words and actions violate our values as a company and a country, and what we seek to ensure at all of our events -- a spirit of diversity, sportsmanship, inclusion, equity and mutual respect."

The tournament -- which has five national locations -- is a huge deal at the high school level ... and has hosted future NBA superstars like LeBron James, Kobe Bryant and Kevin Durant in the past.

Donda was originally slated to compete at the December 11 event in Louisville.

It's a huge bummer for the whole roster of kids -- including five-star guards Robert Dillingham (who's committed to Kentucky) and AJ Johnson ... as well as the other players on the squad who are also ranked nationally.

Scholastic Play-By-Play feels for the young athletes ... adding, "While we are firm in our reasoning for this decision, it does not diminish our heartache and regret for Donda's hardworking athletes who will lose out the most as a result of Kanye's actions."

"Unfortunately, we cannot in good conscience host an organization founded and directed by Mr. West at our events."

Kurt Warner clearly believes the finish line is here for both Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers ... saying this week that he believes both dudes need to seriously consider retiring after struggling to start this year.

"I think both of those guys look like they're exhausted," the Hall of Famer told PEOPLE ... before adding, "Maybe it is time to walk away."

38-year-old Rodgers and 45-year-old Brady are off to some of the worst starts of their careers in 2022 ... with the duo combining for a sad 6-8 record so far.

The legends also haven't been wowing anybody with their arms on the field ... Rodgers has no games with over 255 passing yards, and Brady has only crossed the 300-yard passing mark twice this season.

Warner seemingly believes it's all due to the wear and tear finally catching up to the grey beards ... and he's now urging the duo to take a long look at hanging up their cleats for good.

"It's okay to go, 'You know what? It's not how it used to be,'" Warner said, "'I may not be who I used to be,' or, 'It's just too hard overall to get everybody up to the standard.'"

He added that pressures of off-the-field lives for both guys might be playing into the subpar performances as well.

Warner, of course, knows a thing or two about the ending of a legendary football career ... he was one of the best to ever do it, before he finally called it quits following the 2009 season.

He said it wasn't easy to get to the end, but he eventually made peace with it -- and he appears to be advising the guys to follow a similar path.

"As I was going through the last couple years, it was becoming more and more prevalent that, 'Okay, this is taking too much from me and it's not just about enjoying the game anymore,'" Warner said.

Iggy Azalea took a lot of heat for what some called a lackluster halftime performance for the Las Vegas Raiders ... an unfair criticism if you ask Tory Lanez.

We caught Tory at LAX on Tuesday and got an update on his and Iggy's developing collab ... which he announced earlier this month.

Many fans speculated the two were dating, but Tory tells us they actually were locked in the studio for the past two and a half months ... taking a short break in order for Iggy to go on tour -- they'll resume operations in November.

Tory points out Iggy's past success ... her song "Fancy" isn't quite diamond, but at 8x platinum, there's a good chance it'll hit the mark.

Iggy was recently an honorary Raider when she performed at halftime ... going viral after a back-and-forth with a local sports reporter who predicted she'd blow it.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers could save their season ... if Rob Gronkowski unretired?!

Warren Moon fully believes that -- with the Hall of Famer telling TMZ Sports he thinks the 3-4 Bucs could turn everything around if Gronk came back this year.

Moon tells us he got the opinion based on everything he's seen out of Tom Brady on the field through seven games. He says he's witnessed the GOAT struggling in the pocket ... and missing an old reliable on important downs.

"He's been a security blanket for [Brady] for so long," Moon said of Gronkowski. "Whenever there's a key play that needs to be made, especially down in the redzone or whatever -- and they had a tough time scoring in the redzone last week -- that's the guy he would usually go to, Rob Gronkowski."

Brady's numbers haven't been horrible so far in 2022 -- he's got 8 passing TDs to just 1 interception -- but something does appear to be off. He only has one multi-TD game this year, and just two performances of over 300 passing yards.

Moon clearly believes Gronkowski could change all of that, and even help out the locker room with his "infectious personality" ... but there's just one problem -- he's not sure if the tight end is even considering coming out of retirement.

Gronk has said repeatedly over the last few months he's done, although his agent, Drew Rosenhaus, has claimed it wouldn't surprise him to see a comeback.

Antonio Brown is standing firm in his support for Kanye West ... releasing a lengthy statement explaining his decision to remain as president of Donda Sports -- citing his "dedication to freedom of speech, thought, and opinion."

The NFL receiver -- who joined the Donda staff earlier this year -- addressed the massive controversy surrounding Kanye following several antisemitic statements ... saying, "the world's reactionary and selective outrage at comments in the media made by my brother, Ye, have inflamed and sparked rampant conversation and reflection."

As companies like Adidas and Balenciaga cut ties with West, AB says the timing is not a coincidence.

"The people and brands that have relentlessly profited from Black ideas and Black culture chose to distance themselves at a very specific time: a time that demonstrated their prioritization of certain groups over others."

He added ... "None of us in this world are free of judgment, yet we live in a time where scrutiny and pessimism have driven our dialogues on cultural issues toward diatribes."

"Sensationalism and groupthink have forced people to not speak their minds and act out in fear rather than love. For these reasons, I stand by my dedication to freedom of speech, thought, and opinion."

Brown says he decided to speak out because he is against discrimination of any kind ... but makes it clear he's standing by Kanye's side.

"I remain true to the mission of Donda and our amazing staff and community," he says ... adding he believes Kanye's comments were taken "out of proportion" by the media.

"I remain committed to bringing new ideas, experiences, and designs to our world I remain in support of the humanity that is Ye."

The statement comes on the heels of sports superstars Aaron Donald and Jaylen Brown voicing their issues with Ye's comments ... which led them to leave Donda Sports.

Aaron Donald and Jaylen Brown are no longer Donda Sports athletes -- the two superstars just released statements saying they have cut ties with Kanye West over his antisemitic comments.

TMZ Sports broke the story ... Donald signed with Ye's Donda Sports in late May. At the time, he said it was the company's "whole family atmosphere" that convinced him to sign with West.

Brown followed right after ... signing with DS later that month.

Donda Sports started off hot with two huge names in their respective sports. Now, the organization has zero clients on its athletic roster.

Donald released a statement on Tuesday ... saying, "The recent comments and displays of hate and antisemitism are the exact opposite of how we choose to live our lives and raise our children. We find them to be irresponsible and go against everything we believe in as a family."

He added ... "As parents and members of society, we felt a responsibility to send a clear message that hateful words and actions have consequences and that we must do better as human beings. We do not feel our beliefs, voices and actions belong anywhere near a space that misrepresents and oppresses people of any background, ethnicity or race."

Brown -- who denounced Kanye's statements on Monday, but said he would remain with Donda -- also addressed his change of heart ... saying, "In the past 24 hours, I've been able to reflect and better understand how my previous statements lack clarity in expressing my stance against recent insensitive public remarks and actions. For that, I apologize."

"And in this, I seek to be as clear as possible. I have always, and will always, continue to stand strongly against antisemitism, hate speech, misrepresentation, and oppressive rhetoric of any kind."

Sylvester Stallone and Jennifer Flavin are doing a 180 after their recent divorce flap ... because now they look like a happy, funny reality TV family ... based on their most recent shopping trip.

Sly and Jennifer were back to doing couple things Tuesday, hitting up a Rite Aid in Beverly Hills and leaving the drugstore with a Just For Men hair coloring kit.

Sly's wife was openly carrying the $10.99 men's hair product in her hands as they strolled out into the parking lot ... it's definitely not what most would expect from a couple worth nine figures.

Sylvester's looking a little gray these days ... and it seems he's a DIY guy. Who needs Bev Hills docs when Rite Aid is around?!?

Kansas City Chiefs star Frank Clark was hit with a 2-game suspension on Tuesday ... as a result of two gun arrests in 2021.

As we previously reported ... Clark was busted two separate times within a three-month period for having illegal firearms in his car.

In March 2021, the 29-year-old was booked for illegal possession of a firearm after he and another man were initially pulled over in a 93 Toyota Supra for failing to display a front license plate.

During the traffic stop, cops say they saw the muzzle of a handgun sticking out of a bag in the back seat ... and after searching the vehicle, they discovered 2 loaded firearms -- a rifle and the handgun.

At the time of the arrest, Clark claimed the guns were not his ... and belonged to his security.

Clark was also pulled over for a routine traffic violation in June 2021 ... when cops say they noticed an uzi sticking out of a duffle bag in his Lambo SUV.

He was arrested and booked for illegal possession of a firearm.

In September, Clark pled no contest to two gun charges to close out the cases ... and was sentenced to community service and one year of probation.

The fire that completely destroyed NBA commentator Mike Breen's home last month was caused by a "careless disposal of staining material," officials tell TMZ Sports.

We broke the story ... the play-by-play man's Long Island house was engulfed by heavy flames at around 4 AM on Sept 25 -- and it was deemed a complete loss after the inferno was extinguished. Thankfully, no one was hurt or at the residence at the time of the fire.

After a thorough investigation, Nassau County Chief Fire Marshall Michael Uttaro tells us the blaze originated in the garage ... due to materials that had been improperly stacked in the space.

"The house was under construction," Uttaro said ... adding, "When all those materials are stored in a pile, they can combust causing a rapid fire."

Uttaro says fires like these have sadly become commonplace ... telling us "it happens often" -- but he said he's happy Breen and his family are safe.

Breen -- who's been an NBA announcer for 30 seasons and has become known for his "Bang!" call -- thanked everyone for their support during the Knicks' preseason game days after the incident.

The show REALLY must go on -- and Daniel Cormier proved that on Tuesday ... staying calm, cool and collected when an earthquake hit while he was shooting a TV segment!!

DC had been filming his "DC & RC" ESPN show with Ryan Clark -- when he suddenly and abruptly stopped his train of thought to tell Clark he was experiencing an earthquake!

"Oh, my God, Ryan, there's an earthquake," the UFC legend said. "There's an actual earthquake going on right now. My whole office is shaking right now."

"Shut the hell up," Clark responded in disbelief. "Are you good," the ex-NFL defensive back asked 43-year-old Cormier.

Of course, what Cormier felt was an earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 5.1 that hit the Bay Area late Tuesday morning, according to the U.S. geological survey.

Cormier informed Clark he was okay ... saying, "I'm good, I'm good. It's not a big one. It's just like a little one. Every now and then, you kind of get the rockies."

Although RC and DC weren't together, the two Louisiana natives shared a connection at that moment since they were both not used to experiencing earthquakes.

"It's so weird for someone from Louisiana where the Earth never shakes," said Cormier.

After it was all said and done, Clark commended Cormier for not panicking during the quake ... writing, "Broooooooo….@dc_mma really had a 5.1 earthquake while filming, and my dog didn’t budge."

Russell Wilson turned into William Wordsworth for Ciara's birthday -- gushing over his wife in an emotional post on Tuesday ... and praising her as the perfect mother, businesswoman and partner.

"God blessed the world on this day with you," the Denver Broncos quarterback said on Instagram. "I love you so much. You inspire the world!"

"Every morning your mission is to make the world a better place and you have a perfect score."

Seriously ... dude poured his heart out for Ciara's 37th birthday, sharing some special moments of them together as well.

He continued ... "But most importantly, you are God's beautiful child and HE is wildly obsessed with you. Keep Shining my Love. Thank you everyday for loving me, encouraging me, and joining forces with me everyday to do what God called us to do! That’s to LOVE & SERVE."

"May this year bless you with all of your heart's desires! Happy Birthday my Queen."

While it was a really touching post, some trolls decided to take to the comments to rip the QB for his rough 2-5 start to the 2022 season ... telling him to focus on throwing touchdowns.

The NFL has completed its investigation into whether two referees asked Mike Evans for an autograph ... and after speaking to both officials, it was determined the postgame interaction did NOT involve getting the Tampa Bay Buccaneers star's Hancock.

Video appeared to show Jeff Lamberth and Tripp Sutter running up to Evans with a piece of paper and a pen after the Bucs' 21-3 loss to the Carolina Panthers ... with many assuming they were taking advantage of an opportunity to get his signature.

The league just released a statement on the matter ... and said despite what it looks like, the refs weren't hunting for a signature.

"After speaking with the individuals involved, we have confirmed that the postgame interaction between Jeff Lamberth, Tripp Sutter, and Mike Evans did not involve a request by the game officials for an autograph," the NFL said.

"Both Lamberth and Sutter have been reminded of the importance of avoiding even the appearance of impropriety when interacting with players, coaches, and club staff on gameday -- including during pregame and postgame time periods."

So ... consider Autographgate over??

Ever seen two grown-ass men completely lose it in a haunted house?

Baltimore Ravens rookies Damarion "Pepe" Williams and Kyle Hamilton did exactly that when they bravely inched their way through a scary maze recently ... and it's all on video!!

The defensive backs decided to face their fears at the Bennett's Curse Haunted House out in B-More ... which has been voted one of the scariest in the world.

You can see Pepe and Hamilton try to "make it out alive" while wearing 3D glasses ... and it only took a first few steps in before the two were screaming for dear life.

Keep in mind, these two are NFL players ... but being some of the toughest dudes on the planet couldn't save them in the haunted house.

"Bro, I gotta take these glasses off," 24-year-old Williams hilariously said. "Why the walls coming out at me bro?!"

It became too much for Hamilton as monsters started jumping out of nowhere ... so, he decided to close his eyes and hold on to Pepe.

But, the best part had to be when the two were chased into a corner by a fearsome psychopath in a straight jacket during the asylum-themed portion of the maze.

"Watch out! Watch out!" Pepe yelled, "Get out my face! Don't look at him!"

Luckily, the two made it out safe and sound, but they were clearly stressed out from the whole ordeal.

"It was too dark in there for me," Pepe said. "Never thought I'd see the sunshine again, man."

"It was good, but it was bad," Hamilton added.