TMZ Sports - Page 17

Nick Swisher says the Phillies would not be two games away from a World Series title if they had kept Joe Girardi ... telling TMZ Sports the team's new manager, Rob Thomson, is the biggest reason for Philly's success this year.

"If it was Joe Girardi in this position," the former Big Leaguer told us, "I don't think Philly would be in this spot."

The Phils had started the season with Girardi at the end of the bench -- but put him on ice back in June after a disappointing 22-29 start. Thomson then became the interim manager, and the team took off.

Swisher told us he believes none of that ensuing success was a coincidence ... saying Thomson -- who was one of the outfielder's coaches during his time with the Yankees -- is just that good of a honcho.

"Rob Thomson has given that team the freedom to be themselves," Swish said. "He has given them the freedom to go out and play with freeness and be open and authentic."

Swisher clearly believes the guy and his team can close out the Astros this week, too ... telling us with the talent they have, and the fan support in Philly -- two more wins shouldn't be hard to come by.

As for what Swisher's been up to outside of watching this year's Fall Classic -- he's actually launched a new podcast, "The Nick Swisher Show," where he'll be interviewing people from all different walks of life about the importance of positivity.

"On this podcast, man," he told us, "we jump in!"

A 17-year-old boy has been arrested for his alleged role in the shooting of Washington Commanders running back Brian Robinson back in August ... cops confirmed to TMZ Sports on Wednesday.

The Metropolitan Police Department said the teen -- who was 16 at the time of the Aug. 28 incident -- was hit with a criminal charge of assault with intent to rob while armed (gun).

The boy's identity was not disclosed.

Cops added they are still on the hunt for an additional suspect ... who they say was captured on surveillance video brandishing a gun at the scene of the crime.

As we reported, Robinson was shot two times -- once in the glute and once in the knee -- after cops say two males attempted to rob him outside of a row of businesses in D.C.

Cops say after the suspects fired on the NFL player ... they fled the scene in a vehicle.

Robinson required surgery to fix the damage caused by the bullets -- but ultimately made a full recovery. He played in his first-ever game on Oct. 9 ... and has logged snaps in every Washington contest since.

Did Ezekiel Elliott just spoil the Cowboys' Thanksgiving Day uniform surprise?!?

It sure seems that way ... because the running back revealed the team's sweet, new throwback helmets on his social media page -- and then quickly deleted the post!

Dallas is scheduled to wear the white helmets and special uniforms for the food-filled holiday later this month -- but the team had yet to officially show them off to the public. It seemed they were waiting for closer to gameday to ceremoniously unveil them.

But, it appears Elliott didn't get that memo -- and dropped a pic of his Turkey Day helmet right on his IG stories on Wednesday afternoon. The post was up for about one hour, before it was swiftly taken down.

Of course, Elliott didn't unwrap the whole holiday gift -- the complete look still hasn't been seen -- so the team shouldn't be TOO disappointed in their star.

As for what the whole 'fit ultimately might end up looking like ... it likely won't be too far from the white helmet theme that the Cowboys wore last on Thanksgiving Day in 2012.

Karl Malone is a big fan of Post Malone -- and the feeling's apparently mutual, 'cause the rap star rocked the Hall of Famer's Jazz jersey during a recent concert in Utah ... and the Mailman, who happened to be at the show, absolutely loved it!

The Jazz posted video of Karl, 59, at Post's concert at Vivint Arena in Utah ... showing the "Congratulations" rapper getting showered with cheers from the raucous audience. The camera then pans to KM ... who has clearly jazzed the rapper rocked his jersey.

Of course, Karl rocked the iconic #32 jersey throughout his legendary NBA career.

And get this ... after the concert, Karl and Post linked up backstage, where they played beer pong! No word who won.

The Jazz selected Karl in the first round of the 1985 NBA draft ... and he spent 18 seasons with the franchise, beating up on the league for nearly two decades with running mate, John Stockton.

Although Karl never won an NBA title (blame Michael Jordan), "The Mailman" is recognized as one of the best power forwards in league history.

Malone was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2010 twice --- for his career with the Jazz and as a member of the 1992 U.S. men's Olympic basketball team.

Tom Coughlin's wife Judy, who was married to the 2-time Super Bowl-winning head coach for 55 years, passed away Tuesday morning after battling a rare and incurable brain disorder. She was 77 years old.

TC announced the terrible news Wednesday morning ... sharing a heartfelt statement on Judy's death.

"My cherished wife and our beloved mother and grandmother, Judy Whitaker Coughlin, passed away this morning at the age of 77," the longtime head coach wrote ... adding, "Judy was a remarkable woman in every way."

"She lived a life filled with love and unselfishly gave her heart and soul to others. Judy made you feel like an old friend from the first hug to the last. She was a mother to all on and off the field."

Coughlin continued ... "For everyone who knew and loved Judy, the enormity of her absence cannot be put into words, but the immense kindness she showed to others will always endure. Our hearts are broken, but we know she is free from suffering and at peace with our Lord."

Judy was diagnosed with progressive supranuclear palsy in 2020 ... but the presence of the illness wasn't known until Tom wrote a guest essay for The NY Times in August 2021, where he openly discussed his wife's sickness.

The Mayo Clinic defines the disease as "an uncommon brain disorder that causes serious problems with walking, balance and eye movements, and later with swallowing."

The disorder can ultimately lead to life-threatening complications.

In Coughlin's essay, you could feel his anguish.

"As so many of you are gearing up for another NFL season, I will be sitting far from the sidelines, at the bedside and holding the hand of my biggest supporter, my beloved wife, the mother of our children and a grandmother to our grandchildren," he wrote.

"After several years of doctors trying to pinpoint the disease that has been slowly taking her from us, Judy was diagnosed with progressive supranuclear palsy in 2020. It is a brain disorder that erodes an individual’s ability to walk, speak, think and control body movements. It steals memories and the ability to express emotions and, sadly, is incurable."

Daniel Snyder could part ways with the Commanders after all ... the team just confirmed he's hired Bank of America to explore a potential sale of the NFL franchise.

Snyder has received pressure to move on from his org. for years ... but, most recently, following multiple allegations of workplace misconduct, the cries for a sale have grown to a deafening roar.

In fact, just two weeks ago at an NFL owners' meeting in New York ... Indianapolis Colts honcho Jim Irsay came out and strongly suggested he'd be in favor of Snyder's ousting.

The Commanders said Wednesday Snyder is now looking into "potential transactions" following all of the recent backlash -- though it's clear, it's all very preliminary at the moment.

And, according to Forbes, the 57-year-old could just be simply looking into selling a "minority stake" of the team.

Washington officials did not provide further clarity on the situation ... only adding, "The Snyders remain committed to the team, all of its employees and its countless fans to putting the best product on the field and continuing to work to set the gold standard for workplaces in the NFL."

Former NBA star Amar'e Stoudemire -- who converted to Judaism in 2020 -- wants Kyrie Irving to own up to his actions and apologize for tweeting out a link to a movie filled with antisemitic rhetoric ... saying the Brooklyn Nets guard made a mistake.

STAT addressed the controversy surrounding Irving on ESPN’s "Get Up" Wednesday morning ... saying, "You have to give an apology because if you’re going to promote a documentary that has false allegations inside of it, and you may not understand that these allegations that’s inside the documentary are false, okay, you made a mistake, right? So apologize for it."

39-year-old Stoudemire says Kyrie created a problem by not expressing any regret over the situation ... and is giving the NBA and commissioner Adam Silver no choice but to look into it.

"I think something has to happen, intensive conversations with the commissioner about what he’s doing and what his plans are as a basketball player."

As for whether Kyrie should be suspended over the whole ordeal, Amar'e -- who previously served as an assistant for the Nets -- is on the fence.

"I mean, Kyrie’s a guy who’s trying to find himself," he added. "He’s always on this quest for learning and information. And if you’re not totally understanding what you’re learning and what you’re trying to promote, then just don’t promote it. Just learn quietly and try to figure it out."

"But once you start putting information out there that’s not true, then now it creates a problem."

Amar'e has gone after Irving in the past ... saying the guard's decision to not get the COVID-19 vaccine affected the team's chemistry.

Irving has been at the center of criticism for how he's handled the backlash ... with both Charles Barkley and Shaquille O'Neal calling him an "idiot" on TNT's "Inside The NBA."

Nike -- Kyrie's biggest sponsor -- released a statement regarding the matter ... denouncing hate speech of any kind.

"At Nike, we believe there is no place for hate speech, and we condemn any form of antisemitism," the Swoosh said on Tuesday.

TMZ Sports spoke with Amar'e about antisemitism back in 2020 ... when the six-time All-Star told us he wanted to "bridge the gap" between Black and Jewish people after comments made by Nick Cannon and NFLer DeSean Jackson -- for which they apologized.

More than a century later, a game-used bat from Ty Cobb's 1905 rookie season is up for auction ... and already has a bid of $236K, TMZ Sports has learned.

The piece of wood was manufactured by Hillerich & Bradsby ... and is 34.5 inches long and weighs 36.6 ounces. The ash bat has ball marks on the right and back barrel and a slight crack on the upper handle, according to Grey Flannel Auctions.

The lumber was graded a perfect 10 ... and is accompanied by a Letter Of Authenticity from  PSA/DNA, guaranteeing the legend used the wood during his rookie campaign.

Nicknamed "The Georgia Peach," Cobb spent 22 seasons with the Tigers -- serving as the team's player-manager for the last six -- where he won 12 batting titles with the franchise.

Cobb finished his career with a stellar .366 batting average -- and led the league in hits on eight separate occasions.

A winner of the 1909 Triple Crown Award and 1911 MVP award, Cobb was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1936, where he received an impressive 222 of 226 possible votes.

Simply put, he's one of the greatest baseball players to ever grace a diamond.

There have already been 10 bids ... with a high mark of $235,798.

Most roosters only have eight toes, but this Rooster could end up with seven ... 'cause Miles Teller says he'd consider parting ways with an appendage in exchange for a Phillies World Series win!!

The 'Top Gun' actor and diehard Philly fan joined Guardians pitcher Triston McKenzie and Yankees outfielder Harrison Bader for a quick interview before the Phillies' huge Game 3 win over the Houston Astros ... and was asked what he'd be willing to do to secure his beloved team's third Fall Classic title.

"I feel like you don't need all your toes," Teller joked.

When McKenzie followed up and asked if he was talking about losing several piggies, or just one ... Teller explained his proposed sacrifice should be more than enough.

"Easy buddy, a toe is still important!! One toe is not enough?! Get out of here."

But, in case he doesn't want to walk with a limp for the rest of his life, Teller has another idea.

"Gallbladder, I heard you don't need that."

As for the game, Teller and the Phillies were losing their minds as their team whooped the 'Stros 7-0 ... especially after Bryce Harper and Alec Bohm's dingers.

The Phillies are now up 2-1 in the series ... which means just two more wins before Teller's gotta stick to his word!!

Charles Barkley says the NBA flubbed its handling of the most recent Kyrie Irving drama ... explaining Tuesday night he believes the league should've suspended the Nets star over his controversial tweet.

Barkley didn't mince words while talking about the situation on "Inside the NBA" -- calling Irving an "idiot" ... and blasting the Association for not dropping the hammer on the point guard.

"I think Adam [Silver] should have suspended him," Barkley said. "First of all, Adam is Jewish -- you can’t take my $40 million and insult my religion. You gonna insult me, you have the right, but I have the right to say, ‘You can’t take my $40 million and insult my religion.'"

"I think the NBA, they made a mistake."

Of course, Silver did not level punishment on Irving ... despite the basketball player tweeting out a link to "Hebrews to Negroes: Wake Up Black America," a movie packed with antisemitic rhetoric.

Irving never apologized for sharing it ... and, in fact, two days after sending the tweet, he got into a tiff with a reporter who had suggested he had been "promoting" the film on his platform.

Irving did, though, eventually take down the tweet. He also said in a separate tweet he is not antisemitic.

But, Barkley's co-host, Shaq, had issues with it all as well ... calling Irving an "idiot" too.

Meanwhile, during TNT's broadcast of the Nets vs. Bulls game ... Reggie Miller, who was commentating the game, said he was disappointed there was not a vocal outcry from players in the league over it all.

The ACE family has a new estate to call home ... we've learned they've been renting out a $5 million dollar mansion in Hollywood and their monthly payment is five figures.

Our real estate sources tell us Austin and Catherine McBroom have been leasing the 5-bedroom home for $20,000 a month.

The newly constructed farmhouse is 4,900 square feet and it's got a home theater with leather recliners and a pool. The family room, living room and main suite all have fireplaces, and there's a firepit in a covered lounge next to the pool.

The main suite also has a walk-in closet, spa shower and a private deck and balcony ... and the home is outfitted with all the latest built-in technology.

Renting a multi-million dollar mansion is a change of pace for the ACE family ... remember, Austin and Catherine used to own a mega-property in Woodland Hills, but it was foreclosed on in 2021 and sold to another pair of YouTube stars ... Alan and Alex Stokes.

Boxing star Shakur Stevenson was standing shoulder-to-shoulder with Takeoff right before the rapper was shot and killed early Tuesday morning in Houston, TMZ Sports has learned.

Thankfully, Shakur wasn't physically injured.

25-year-old Stevenson, a former champ who's regarded as one of the best fighters in the world, was seen on video directly next to the Migos rapper ... wearing a blue hat as an argument turned deadly.

Shakur is from New Jersey ... but now lives in Houston. He was seen partying with Jas Prince earlier in the week. He's also friends with the Migos.

Takeoff was tragically murdered around 2:30 AM Tuesday morning outside of a bowling alley called 810 Billiards & Bowling ... following a heated argument between Quavo and another man.

It's during the verbal altercation that Shakur was seen next to Takeoff.

Houston PD has asked witnesses to come forward to recount their side of the story. It's unclear if police have been in contact with Stevenson or his people.

Mike Martz -- the man who once coached Marshall Faulk -- tells TMZ Sports Christian McCaffrey looks EXACTLY like the Rams Hall of Famer ... saying the new 49ers star is so good, he now expects SF to win the NFC West.

The former head coach of Faulk's St. Louis Rams broke it all down for us just a day after McCaffrey had a historic game against L.A. ... and it's safe to say he was blown away by what he saw.

Martz told us he couldn't help but see shades of Faulk when he watched the 26-year-old carve up the Rams for three TDs -- one rushing, one passing and one receiving -- and says he thinks the Niners are going to be the team to beat in their division going forward because of the tailback.

"He's the closest thing that I've seen to Marshall for quite some time," the 71-year-old said. "He's not Marshall, but he has those Marshall-esque type things within him."

The Niners picked up McCaffrey from Carolina for a bevy of draft picks -- and he's done nothing but produce in two games so far.

And, Martz says he only expects things to get better for the running back and his new team ... once Deebo Samuel makes his return from injury.

"What you could do with them is unlimited," Martz said.

Richard Reed -- a star high school football player in California -- was tragically killed in a fatal shooting over the weekend. He was only 17.

The San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department says deputies were dispatched to La Mesa Road and Jade Road in Victorville (85 miles northeast of Los Angeles) around 11 PM on Oct. 30.

They found a male with a gunshot wound lying on the street ... and sadly, the EMTs pronounced him dead on their arrival.

SBSD identified the victim as Reed, a standout football player from Silverado High School ... and his death has been ruled a homicide.

Reed was a versatile star ... playing offense, defense and special teams for the Silverado Hawks.

According to Max Preps, Reed had 269 rushing yards, 5 total touchdowns in 10 games this season ... adding 72 total tackles and 2.5 sacks on the defensive side.

He was named the All-Desert Sky League Defensive Player of the Year in 2021.

The Silverado H.S. principal says the Hawks football team is completely devastated over Reed's murder.

"Many of the players are still in shock, and when we heard the news today, football was the furthest thing from our minds," Principal Heather Conkle said ... adding the team is "unified" and will play their playoff game on Friday in his honor.

Britt Reid -- Andy Reid's son and a former Kansas City Chiefs assistant coach -- has just been sentenced to three years in prison ... over his role in a 2021 car crash.

Britt learned his fate at a hearing inside of a Missouri courtroom on Tuesday afternoon ... a little over one month after he pleaded guilty to felony DWI in the case.

Britt showed up to the proceedings in a grey suit. He addressed the courtroom, according to The Kansas City Star, by apologizing and saying, "Every time I see my daughter, I think about Ariel and how my decision affected her so deeply and her family.”

The mother of Ariel Young, the 5-year-old who suffered serious injuries in the wreck, submitted a victim's impact statement ... which was read in court. It, in part, included the words, "There are 5 of us that Britt Reid's choice to drink and drive hurt."

Britt had been facing a maximum of seven years behind bars. He had petitioned the court in September for nothing more than probation.

As we reported, Britt was accused of drinking back on Feb. 4, 2021, getting behind the wheel of his pickup truck ... and then causing a serious car accident that left Young with life-changing brain injuries.

Authorities say Britt was going 83.9 MPH in a 65 MPH zone just before the wreck, and had a BAC of .113 two hours following the accident.

The 37-year-old was working for the Chiefs at the time, and was slated to coach during the Super Bowl against the Buccaneers just days later on Feb. 7.

But, he did not end up coaching in the contest, and departed from the org. a short time later. He has not been hired by an NFL team since.

Washington Commanders head coach Ron Rivera is mourning the death of his beloved mother, Dolores ... it was announced Tuesday.

The sad news comes a week after the 60-year-old coach missed practice due to a "personal matter" concerning his mom.

Dolores was surrounded by her husband and family members when she passed away.

"The Snyders and the entire Commanders family extend their heartfelt condolences to Coach Rivera and his family," the team said in a statement.

"The Rivera family would like to say thank you for the many kind thoughts and prayers they have received."

It is unclear if Rivera -- who joined the Commanders in 2020 -- will be on the sidelines for Sunday's game against the Minnesota Vikings.

The Commanders are currently on a 3-game winning streak with a 4-4 record ... and battling to move up in NFC East.