TMZ Sports - Page 50

Patrick Mahomes is giving some insight into how his baby son got the unique "Bronze" nickname ... saying it's all thanks to his little brother, Jackson.

The Kansas City Chiefs superstar spoke with reporters for the first time since the newest Mahomes was born earlier this week ... and he explained how if he ever had a son, he wanted him to be Patrick Lavon Mahomes III.

But, instead of giving the kid a traditional nickname like "Trey," Patrick said he wanted to go for something different ... and it was his TikTok star brother who came through with the idea.

"My brother Jackson, whenever we were trying to find something that was a little unique and different, he said, 'What about Bronze? It fits perfectly with Sterling,'" Mahomes told the media on Wednesday. "So, we went with that."

"It works out well," he added. "He can have his own thing now where he's not Patrick, he's Bronze, even though he's Patrick. And, Sterling and Bronze can have that connection moving forward."

Florida Gators quarterback Jalen Kitna -- the son of ex-NFL star Jon Kitna -- was arrested in Florida on Wednesday, TMZ Sports has learned.

The 19-year-old was just booked into jail minutes ago -- at around 3:20 PM ET.

Further details surrounding his arrest were not made immediately available.

Jalen -- a touted recruit out of Burleson H.S. in Texas -- committed to the Gators in 2020. He joined the team in 2021, and redshirted. He saw his first on-the-field action this season, making his debut against Eastern Washington in October.

In total, he's appeared in four games for UF -- with his best performance coming against EWU, when he threw for 152 yards and a touchdown.

There had been speculation he could start the team's bowl game later this year if Anthony Richardson, a coveted NFL draft prospect, opts out of the postseason contest.

Jalen's father, Jon Kitna, played for the Cincinnati Bengals, Dallas Cowboys, Detroit Lions and Seattle Seahawks over the course of his career ... and was named the 2003 Comeback Player of the Year. He threw for nearly 30,000 yards and had 169 touchdowns in 14 seasons.

Incredible scene in Australia following the team's huge World Cup victory Wednesday ... fans took to the streets of Melbourne with flares and parties to celebrate -- at 4 AM!!

Aussie supporters started to go wild just seconds after Australia defeated Denmark, 1-0, in Qatar to advance to the round of 16 for the first time since 2006 ... and in a matter of minutes, the celebration grew to insane proportions.

Videos, which have now gone viral, show hundreds of people jumping up and down as smoke and fires from flares covered the sky.

Of course, during the game, fans were going crazy as well ... with one video showing people losing their minds following Matthew Leckie's game-deciding goal.

With the win, Australia will now play next on Sunday.

A 27-year-old Iranian man was reportedly killed by state security forces Tuesday night after he was shot in the head for honking a horn in celebration of Iran's defeat in the World Cup.

According to multiple reports, including from the Iran Human Rights NGO, Mehran Samak was killed by government agents after he joined dozens of other demonstrators on the streets in Bandar-e Anzali, a city in northern Iran, in protest of the regime's abysmal human rights record.

Samak was sitting in a car next to his fiancée when a security officer walked up and shot him, according to Iran International.

After he was hit, Samrak was reportedly rushed to a local hospital, but was pronounced dead shortly after arriving.

The United States beat Iran in a thrilling 1-0 game on Tuesday ... slamming the door on the middle eastern nation's hopes of advancing to the knockout stage.

Despite the Iranian regime's oppressive nature, protests have steadily broken out since September ... when 22-year-old Mahsa Amini died three days after being arrested in the nation's capital of Tehran for allegedly violating the Islamic dress code.

The protests quickly broadened to include the general rights of the country's citizens. Over 400 people have been killed for participating in the protests, according to a human rights org.

Mehran Samak was reportedly laid to rest Wednesday morning. BBC Persia posted a video the outlet says is from the funeral service. Mourners were heard yelling, "You are the filth, you are the immoral, I am a free woman," a phrase BBC says has been used frequently during the unrest.

Given the tense situation inside the country, the players -- caught in between the government and its citizens -- have faced incredible pressure.

Prior to Iran's first W.C. match against England, players didn't sing the national anthem. But, that lasted just one game after the players were reportedly threatened by the government, where players were essentially warned ... sing or face possible retribution.

Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Kris Letang -- one of the biggest stars in the NHL -- has suffered a stroke ... and will now be off the ice indefinitely, his team announced Wednesday.

General manager Ron Hextall said Letang was diagnosed with the stroke on Monday after suffering symptoms. The GM called the news "shocking" -- but added the 35-year-old is currently in good spirits.

"We are grateful that Kris is doing well," Hextall said. "We are thankful to the medical staff and the physicians at UPMC."

Letang -- who previously suffered a stroke in 2014 and missed over two months of that season -- has now been ruled out of Penguins games for the foreseeable future.

"He is a warrior on the ice," Hextall added, "but first and foremost, he is a son, father, husband and friend. His health is our number one priority."

Added Letang, "I am fortunate to know my body well enough to recognize when something isn't right."

"While it is difficult to navigate this issue publicly, I am hopeful it can raise awareness. It is important for me that my teammates, family and the fans know that I am okay. I am optimistic that I will be back on the ice soon."

Letang has played in 21 games this season, logging one goal and 11 assists.

Canelo Alvarez is apologizing to Lionel Messi and the people of Argentina after threatening to kick the soccer superstar's ass ... saying he's learned from the mistake.

"These last few days I got carried away by the passion and love I feel for my country and made comments that were out of place for which I want to apologize to Messi and the people of Argentina," the boxing champ said in a statement on Wednesday.

"Every day we learn something new and this time it was my turn."

Canelo unleashed on Messi following Argentina's win over Mexico on Sunday ... accusing the striker of disrespecting his home country's jersey in the locker room.

"He better pray to God that I don't find him!!" Canelo said on Twitter at the time. "Just like I respect Argentina, he has to respect Mexico!"

Despite fans' attempts to explain the apparent misunderstanding to Canelo -- including a message from Messi's own teammate, Sergio Aguero -- the boxer refused to change his stance until Wednesday.

Davide Rebellin, a decorated pro cyclist from Italy, died after tragically being hit by a truck while training on his bike ... local outlets reported on Wednesday. He was 51.

Rebellin was instantly killed in the incident at Montebello Vicentino in northern Italy, according to lI Gazzettino.

The outlet says the driver who collided with Davide did not stay at the scene and has yet to be identified. The Italian national police force is actively looking for the culprit.

It is unclear if the individual was aware that they hit and ultimately killed Rebellin, according to reports.

Rebellin turned professional and competed for his home country at the Barcelona Olympics in 1992 ... and went on to have a successful career as a cyclist.

He won the Amstel Gold Race, La Fleche Wallonne and Liège-Bastogne-Liège in 2004.

Rebellin's career wasn't without controversy, though -- in 2008, he was stripped of his Olympic Medal after testing positive for CERA, a blood-boosting drug.

The Italian Olympic Committee's decision to disqualify Rebellin for doping resulted in a 2-year ban.

However, the pro cycling star continued to compete up until this past October ... capping off his remarkable 30-year career at the Veneto Classic in Italy.

A parachute likely saved a base jumper's life, but not the way you think ... the chute got stuck on a rock moments after the man slammed into a cliff wall, preventing him from careening to the ground at high speeds from 100 feet above.

It all happened over Thanksgiving weekend at the Kane Creek Canyon in Moab, Utah ... about 4 hours southeast of Salt Lake City.

Hikers at the location recorded a base jumper leaping off a 400-foot cliff known as the Tombstone ... when out of nowhere, a gust of wind seized the parachute, forcing him right into a rock wall at a high rate of speed, seemingly knocking him unconscious.

What happened next probably saved the jumper's life ... the chute got caught on the cliff and stopped him from falling to the ground with, at best, a partially deployed chute.

The jumper was rescued after hanging on to the chute and the cliff for over an hour, according to FOX 6 ... and was airlifted away.

Of course, base jumping is the sport of jumping off of fixed objects like buildings, bridges and in this case, cliffs. Yes, it's very dangerous ... jumping from relatively low heights, and near objects, the chance for serious injury or death is very real.

Brazilian soccer legend Pele has been hospitalized again ... but his daughter is assuring the public there is "no emergency" regarding her father's health.

The 82-year-old has been battling colon cancer, and has been in and out of the hospital on multiple occasions since his diagnosis in 2021. But, following his latest visit to a Sao Paolo medical facility this week, ESPN Brasil reported the famed soccer player's health was "worsening."

Pele's daughter, however, said in a statement there's no need for panic ... insisting her father has not received any new bad news -- and is simply regulating his medication.

"I will be there for New Years and promise to post some pictures," Kely Nascimento said Wednesday. "Really and truly, we appreciate the concern and love!!"

Pele initially had a tumor removed in Sept. 2021, and underwent chemotherapy treatments a short time later.

He's often kept a positive attitude throughout his battle, saying in a video message on his birthday last month that "life is good."

Ciara went all out for Russell Wilson's 34th birthday ... hittin' a super sexy dance for her hubby -- AND penning him a sweet love letter, too!!!

Wearing a skintight, leather mini-dress, the "Level Up" singer took to TikTok to show love for her NFL player boo ... dancing around to a birthday song while blowing him a kiss.

She later hit Instagram to tell the Denver Broncos quarterback just how much she loved him on his big day Tuesday.

"Intelligent, Beautiful, Loving, Caring, Thoughtful, Consistent, Special, Anointed, Rare, A Legend, a Winner, Everything that is YOU!" she wrote in the caption of steamy photos of the couple. "I love you so much Birthday Boy @DangeRussWilson! Today a King was born! I love you so much! I’m so proud to celebrate you today and everyday 👑"

Russ, like always, cherished both posts from his wife of 6 years ... responding in the comments, "Uh oh ... Momma TikTokin' again."

"I am grateful I get to spend the rest of my life with you," he added. "And one day Eternity in Heaven. I love you Mrs. Ciara Wilson."

As for how they celebrated ... they spent at least part of the day giving back to the community, with the two dropping by Centura Parker Adventist Hospital in Colorado to visit some patients.

Of course, there was a birthday cake involved, too.

Jake Paul heard what Paddy Pimblett told TMZ Sports loud and clear ... 'cause the Problem Child is now sending a new sparring offer to The Baddy -- proposing a January 5 boxing session in Puerto Rico.

The two fighters have been jawing back and forth ever since Paddy claimed the Paul vs. Anderson Silva bout was fake ... with Jake offering $1 million if the UFC star could beat him in a 5-round sparring exhibition. If Paddy were to lose, he'd have to help sign all the fighters from the U.K. in Paul's United Fighters Association.

The only issue -- Paddy is slated to fight in Las Vegas next weekend ... and he told us if Jake REALLY wanted the smoke, he could meet him in Sin City after he's done with Jared Gordon at UFC 282.

Paul is now putting a fresh offer on the table ... and while he isn't budging on the location, he is giving Paddy plenty of time to rest up after his Gordon fight before flying to Puerto Rico for the $1 million session.

"Fella my team told me you have been trying to book me for ur podcast, Jan 5th," Paul said minutes ago. "So I'm sending you a jet to bring you to Puerto Rico."

"Both of our teams will film. We spar, 5 rounds and then we can do your podcast. By then you will be back to your normal weight. No excuses. 🤝?"

Paddy -- who actually thinks the YouTube superstar is a solid fighter -- has yet to respond to Paul's counter ... but told us Tuesday he is 100% down to box.

Members of the Iranian national soccer team could face arrests -- or, perhaps worse, brutal beatings -- upon their return home from the World Cup ... this according to multiple experts, who fear for the team's safety following Tuesday's loss to the U.S.

Kenneth R. Timmerman, a political author and an expert in Iran, told the NY Post this week that after the team's initial protest of its country's national anthem on Nov. 21, and its subsequent bouncing from the huge soccer tournament, players could now be facing retribution.

"I would be afraid of arrest," Timmerman said. "Even if they had won, they would have been arrested, soundly beaten, and warned, 'Don't ever do this again.'"

Former CIA covert operations officer Mike Baker added that punishments for the players could be "brutal."

"Given what we've seen from the Iranian regime … they've shown themselves to be brutal," Baker said, "and there's no reason to believe they're going to suddenly become rational."

Iran chose to not sing along to its national anthem ahead of its W.C.-opening game against England ... to show support for protestors in its home country.

But, four days later, against Wales, that protest ceded, and players sang to the tune. Prior to their loss to the U.S. on Tuesday, players sang once again ... amid reports that their families could face "violence and torture" if the protests picked back up.

Still, Baker said the initial protest, combined with the 1-0 loss to the Americans, could turn into fines or arrests.

"Neither is good if you’re an Iranian player upon returning home," he said.

Middle East Institute's Fatemeh Aman, however, said she believes the team could be spared ... telling the Post, "You can't arrest the entire national team at the same time, you can't do that."

Dwyane Wade is going after his ex-wife again over her decision to try to block their daughter's name and gender change ... this time calling Siohvaughn Funches-Wade's objection to the court petition both "libelous" and "nonsensical."

Wade spelled it all out in new court documents, obtained by TMZ Sports, saying his 15-year-old daughter, who is transgender, should be allowed to legally change her name and gender ... despite Funches-Wade's objection filed earlier this month.

Wade argues in the docs it's all in Zaya's "best interest" ... saying, "A court order affirming her identity will allow Zaya to live more comfortably and honestly in all aspects of her life -- from simple introductions and food orders, to applying for a driver's license and filling out college applications."

He added in the docs, "This petition is about allowing Zaya to take on the milestones of being a young adult with confidence and joy."

Earlier this month, Funches-Wade argued in court documents that the move should barred ... alleging, among other things, that Dwyane "may be pressuring our child to move forward with the name and gender change in order to capitalize on the financial opportunities that he has received from companies."

Dwyane called the allegations B.S. in a social media post shortly afterward ... and he expounded on that opinion further in Tuesday's filing.

"Siohvaughn's allegations are libelous at their core, and are, at best, nonsensical," Wade's attorneys wrote in the docs. "Dwyane filed this Petition because Zaya asked him to."

Model Ivana Knoll -- known as the "World Cup's Hottest Fan" -- believes Qatar's harsh clothing guidelines have been completely relaxed while hosting the soccer competition ... telling TMZ Sports her attention-grabbing outfits have been a fan favorite with the locals.

Knoll has been sporting her own sexy custom wardrobe at the stadium throughout the opening stages of the tournament ... leaving many to question whether she'd face punishment for showing too much skin.

We spoke with Knoll about her fashion statements at the World Cup ... and she says she meant no disrespect to the Qatari people with her designs. Instead, Knoll feels like everyone should have the decision to wear whatever fits within their own culture.

Qatar sees it completely differently, though ... and the tourism site specifically states men and women visiting the area are "expected to show respect for local culture by avoiding excessively revealing clothing in public."

Taking that into consideration, the businesswoman says she first tested the waters by wearing a long dress with cleavage to Croatia's first match on Nov. 23 ... and after she made it through the whole contest without a hitch, she knew she'd be able to wear a more revealing outfit on Sunday.

Eventually, Knoll -- who has more than 900k Instagram followers -- felt comfortable enough to wear a bikini to the beach ... and despite how popular her posts on social media became, she says she faced zero issues with authorities or the public eye.

"The locals confirmed to me that I can wear whatever I want," Knoll tells us. "But I didn't know that my video in a bikini walking by the sea would be such a big deal. The whole country is speaking about it. Everybody knows me here, and I saw that I was accepted."

Knoll explains she was not worried about any consequences with the country ... adding, "I was never afraid to be arrested to be what I am, and I don't think I can hurt someone wearing a bikini. And if that deserves to be arrested, then arrest me."

Christian Pulisic is on the road to recovery ... and despite getting injured against Iran Tuesday, the U.S. soccer star says he fully intends to play on Saturday against the Netherlands!

Pulisic scored the game's only goal late in the first half (en route to the U.S.'s 1-0 victory over Iran) ... but he was injured after colliding with the goalkeeper on the play, sidelining him for the entire second half.

According to FOX Sports reporter Jenny Taft, 24-year-old Pulisic was transported to the hospital for further evaluation after suffering an abdominal injury during the collision.

A pic of Christian laying in a hospital bed was posted on social media with the caption, "So f***ing proud of my guys. I'll be ready Saturday. Don't worry 🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽❤️❤️❤️."

The United States victory over Iran was so big ... even President Biden could barely contain his excitement.

POTUS was delivering a speech in Michigan during the high-stakes match ... and was pumped when he learned the U.S. won.

"That's a big game," the commander in chief said with a huge smile on his face, as chants of "U-S-A!" broke out.

The USMNT will enter its game against Netherlands as a sizeable underdog ... but with Pulisic vowing to be on the pitch, the USA likes its chances a whole lot more!

UFC star Paddy The Baddy" Pimblett is responding to Jake Paul's $1 million sparring challenge ... telling us he's 100% down to box the Problem Child this week in Las Vegas!

The 27-year-old UFC star joined Babcock on the "TMZ Sports" TV show (airs weekdays on FS1) ... where he was asked about 25-year-old Paul's offer to spar, and whether he's truly interested.

"Of course [I'm interested], but I'm under contract by the UFC and [Jake] said this knowing full well I'm fighting next week, know what I mean?" Paddy said.

"As if he does not know I'm fighting next week and he's like, 'I'll fly you to Puerto Rico.' Come to the PI next week. Come to the [UFC Performance Institute] next week and bring $1 million in a bag and I will spar with you."

"I'm in the PI in Vegas on Thursday, I land on Thursday, so even though I'm low on calories and I'm only about 170, he likes picking on smaller people anyway," he added. "But, if he wants to wait until after my fight, until the Monday, because I'm still in Vegas 'til the Tuesday, but I'm about 185, 190 pounds, I'm game!"

"Tell him not to worry, he can come to PI and we can get in the cage. Simple as."

If you haven't seen it yet, Jake posted video to his social media pages Tuesday throwing down the gauntlet ... offering Pimblett a mil if he could beat him in a sparring session. If Paul wins, he wants Paddy to commit to joining his United Fighters Association (UFA).

"I have a proposition for you. Since you wouldn't rig a fight, right? Let's spar. Fly to Puerto Rico. I'll get you a private jet. We can do 5, 3-minute rounds, boxing. If you win, I'll give you a million dollars," Jake said.

"But, if I win you have to join the United Fighters Association and help me sign up all the fighters in the UK. Let's spar. Since you wouldn't rig a fight. A million for you. Put your money where your mouth is. Let's go."

As Paddy said, he can't be in Puerto Rico next week because he's the co-main event at UFC 282 on December 10 (he's fighting Jared Gordon) at the T-Mobile Arena. But, he's down to spar in Sin City.

Despite the trash talk coming from both guys, Pimblett was somewhat complimentary of Jake's abilities in the ring (6-0, 5 KOs).

"I don't even think he's a bad boxer. I think he's a decent boxer now 'cause all he's done is boxing in the past two years. I think he'd beat Tommy Fury. I know he wouldn't beat me."

Paddy also sent a message to Jake ... in the event they were to set a real bout, and not just spar.