TMZ Sports - Page 50

Soulja Boy is getting a kick outta being proved wrong, for a change -- after Shaquille O'Neal stepped up to make it clear HE is the first "rapper" to possess a one million dollar bill.

Shaq reacted to SB's Instagram video of himself flexing the fake currency ... and essentially said ... sorry, Soulja, I did that way back in '92 when you were just 2.

That would explain why the "Crank Dat" rapper has no recollection of Shaq's feat, but Soulja's taking it well.

SB conceded to Shaq, but added ... he forgot The Big Aristotle rapped back in the day, as the NBA HOF'er has been moonlighting as a DJ for years now. Shaq actually dropped 4 rap albums, the last one coming in 1998.

He didn't post hard evidence of his $1M bill, but there's no doubt he has experience spending big.

Two Kansas high schools say they've launched an investigation after several students at a recent basketball game allegedly yelled the n-word -- while waving around a Black doll.

The incident went down Saturday -- when the Topeka H.S. boys basketball team took on Valley Center H.S. in Valley Center, KS.

During the contest, according to Topeka players, several VC students hurled racial slurs and offensive language at them. They also say some of the spectators taunted them with a Black baby figurine.

One video shot by a Topeka student shows the doll being held up by some fans in the stands as the action was unfolding on the court. Another clip appears to show students calling one of the players a "p***y."

Topeka head coach Geo Lyons said in a change.org petition that despite the "racial slurs, threats and disgusting taunts" -- Valley Center officials "did not address any of these actions while play was taking place although they were very aware."

On Tuesday, Valley Center officials said they hadn't found any evidence of racist language being used at the game ... but on Wednesday, they, along with Topeka admins, released a joint statement explaining they've launched a probe into it all -- and investigations are ongoing.

"As both districts work in a unified manner to investigate matters related to the athletic events on Saturday, we as superintendents are both committed to ensuring a safe and respectful climate at school events," the statement read.

"Incidents that occurred when individuals did not conduct themselves in ways that reflect our commitment to supporting students have been handled, and there are investigations that are ongoing. We will work together to ensure the appropriate individuals are held accountable and work together to prevent such incidents in the future."

Plies is ecstatic about Brittney Griner's release from a Russian prison ... and says there's no reason for Paul Whelan's plight to overshadow the WNBA star's homecoming.

The Florida rapper went on a rant about people, like his cousin, who are focusing on the sad and disappointing fact Whelan -- a retired Marine -- is still in a Russian prison, as he has been for almost 4 years.

Plies acknowledges Whelan's sentence is BS ... but says no one gave a damn about Whelan before BG got detained and turned into a political pawn. He suspects Paul's newfound supporters are really just Brittney haters.

That particular shoe might fit Dallas Cowboys star Micah Parsons, who has since apologized for initially reacting to the news with an outcry for Paul. For what it's worth, Whelan himself told CNN Thursday he's disappointed in Biden for not making a deal for his release.

The embattled WNBA star was released Thursday in exchange for "Merchant of Death" arms dealer Viktor Bout ... after nearly 10 months of diplomatic negotiations.

Plies says he has a new nickname for President Joe Biden: "Big State Biden"

Brittney Griner and Viktor Bout crossed paths on a UAE airport tarmac in the hours after the United States and Russia agreed to a prisoner swap ... and the moment was all captured on video.

The footage, shot by Russian state media outlet TASS, was released on Thursday afternoon.

In the clip, you can see Griner, wearing a red jacket, walking along with officials outside of private planes ... before coming into contact with Bout.

The men in the video all shook hands once they got within feet of each other. It's unclear if Griner and Bout did the same -- the video cut out as the WNBA star appeared to step toward the arms dealer.

In the footage, you can clearly see Griner's signature dreadlocks have been cut off. The last time we saw her at a court hearing in late October, her hair had still been long.

Further video released on Thursday shows Griner was in great spirits after the trade between the two countries was made ... telling someone on a plane that she was "good" -- and "happy."

Griner had been detained in Russia since February -- following allegations she brought hashish oil in her luggage to a Moscow airport. In August, she was sentenced to nine years behind bars in the case.

Her wife, Cherelle Griner, said Thursday morning at the White House she was ecstatic her wife was on the way home ... explaining she felt her family was "whole" again.

The Washington Commanders were allegedly behind the release of troubling old emails that resulted in Jon Gruden's firing as Las Vegas Raiders head coach, a new House Oversight and Reform Committee report claims.

The 79-page report -- titled "How the NFL and the Washington Commanders Covered Up Decades of Sexual Misconduct" -- was released on Thursday, more than a year after launching the investigation -- and it's ugly for Dan Snyder, with the committee concluding he "permitted and participated in" the horrific workplace culture.

In fact, the committee says Snyder attempted to shift blame onto others and away from himself, and even provided a host of damaging emails sent and/or received by former team president Bruce Allen to the House Oversight Committee ... the day before Allen was set to testify.

Those emails contained the profane and arguably racist messages sent by Jon Gruden years earlier ... which were published in the Wall Street Journal. Gruden, the Raiders head coach at the time, was forced to step down from his job as a result of the scandal.

The report says Allen asked a member of the NFL's legal team why they'd released the emails to the paper, to which the attorney responded ... "We didn’t do it at the league office. It came out of their side."

Of course, the emails from about a decade ago, which contained homophobic language and racial tropes, were made public by The Journal in October 2021 ... and the Super Bowl-winning coach stepped down shortly after. He has not worked as a coach since.

In addition to the revelation about the emails, the Committee report paints a damning picture of an organization rife with workplace misconduct, much of it originating from the very top of the Commanders.

Last month, Snyder announced he'd hired a bank to investigate potential interest in a sale for the Commanders.

As we reported, Jeff Bezos and Jay-Z, both interested in acquiring the team, recently had a secret dinner meeting in Los Angeles to discuss a potential partnership.

Tekashi 6ix9ine has been spending a ton of time in the boxing gym recently ... but those looking to see him settle his many beefs in the ring are SOL -- 'cause TMZ Sports is told the rapper is NOT interested in taking a celebrity fight.

The New York rapper hit up the Black Box Gym in Dubai earlier this week ... getting in a workout with 17-3 Iranian boxer Mohammad Ali Bayat Farid.

You can see the 26-year-old look throwing a couple of right hooks at Farid's mitts and working some defensive moves ... all while wearing Crocs.

Despite Tekashi's effort to improve his skills, it's not for any particular reason aside from staying in shape -- even though one would think he could be gearing up for a bout after his recent brawl with DJ Lucasdirty in Dubai.

Tekashi tells us he has "nothing brewing in the boxing world" ... and he's just doing his best to keep off the pounds.

A few years back, Tekashi felt some type of way about being fat-shamed online and vowed to make a change.

"I've been gaining a lot of weight and a lot of people have been calling me fat," Tekashi said in 2018. "They're drawing pictures of me. Instead of drawing me like the regular Tekashi, they're drawing me like fat Tekashi."

"I've been making a lot of money and haven't been caring about my physical appearance. So I want my fans to, like, join me."

Paul Whelan ain't happy that he's still behind bars in Russia ... saying Thursday he's "disappointed" with Joe Biden and his administration after he wasn't included in the Brittney Griner deal.

Whelan spoke with CNN from a penal colony in Russia just hours after the U.S. successfully swapped arms dealer Viktor Bout for Griner ... and he expressed angst that he's still behind bars -- while the WNBA star is on her way home.

"I am greatly disappointed that more has not been done to secure my release, especially as the four year anniversary of my arrest is coming up," said Whelan, who's been locked up in Russia on espionage charges since 2018.

"I was arrested for a crime that never occurred," he continued. "I don't understand why I'm still sitting here."

It should be noted, Whelan is obviously a prisoner ... and certainly could've been coerced into expressing disappointment in Biden.

The retired Marine did, according to CNN, say he was "very happy" for Griner ... but he noted the conditions he's in, and the way he's being treated by Russian authorities, couldn't be further from ideal.

"It's quite obvious that I'm being held hostage," he said.

Whelan added that he hoped the Biden administration "would do everything they could to get me home, regardless of the price they might have to pay at this point."

"My bags are packed," he said. "I'm ready to go home. I just need an airplane to come and get me."

Whelan is currently serving a 16-year prison sentence.

Biden said Thursday that Russia would not budge when the U.S. tried to include Whelan in the Griner swap ... but he insisted that he and his administration are doing everything in their power to get him back.

Brittney Griner's on her way back home ... and plenty on U.S. soil are celebrating her freedom -- including Barack Obama, the NBA and the WNBA.

All three released statements following the news of the 32-year-old's release from Russian custody -- with Obama saying he's "grateful" ... while praising Joe Biden for helping facilitate the trade.

"Kudos to @POTUS and his administration for the difficult diplomatic work involved to make it happen," Obama said. "We’re looking forward to having Brittney back home."

The commissioners of the NBA and WNBA, meanwhile, both said they, too, are "thrilled" with Thursday's prisoner swap.

"The WNBA is grateful beyond measure to the Biden Administration, the Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs, and all those who played a role in bringing BG home today," Cathy Engelbert said.

Added Adam Silver, "We thank the members of the NBA and WNBA community who never wavered in their efforts to raise awareness of Brittney's unjust circumstances."

Griner had been detained in Russia since February ... after authorities accused her of having hashish oil in her luggage as a Moscow airport. She was slated to remain in a Russian prison for the next nine years -- but after the U.S. agreed to trade arms dealer Viktor Bout, she was allowed to return home Thursday.

Biden said he spoke with the WNBA star after making the trade, saying she was "in good spirits." Her wife, Cherelle Griner, said she felt like her family is now "whole" again.

Kyrie Irving and Hillary Clinton were among other celebs, athletes and politicians who shared their joy over the news on their social media pages Thursday.

Not all, however, have been thrilled with the prisoner swap -- with some, including Dallas Cowboys star Micah Parsons, upset that wrongfully imprisoned Marine Paul Whelan was not included in the deal.

But, Biden and other U.S. officials said Thursday they're still working tirelessly to bring him home ... with the president saying in an address to the nation, "We are not giving up. We will never give up."

Dallas Cowboys star Micah Parsons is apologizing for slamming President Joe Biden over the Brittney Griner deal ... admitting he was speaking "out of emotion" and wasn't educated on the topic.

The 23-year-old was livid after the Griner news broke Thursday morning ... solely because retired Marine Paul Whelan has been behind bars in Russia since 2018 after being accused of spying.

Parsons -- whose father is a military vet -- was irked after finding out Whelan wasn't part of the deal to bring BG home ... saying, "Wait nah!! We left a marine?!! Hell nah."

The 2021 first-round pick clarified he was thrilled Griner was on her way back to U.S. soil ... but explained, "I just have family who have served and it’s crazy to me the President wouldn't bring him home too."

"I'm the furthest thing from a Trump supporter but I'm not a fan of Biden either."

Parsons later backpedaled on his stance ... saying he talked things over with some people and now has a better understanding of the situation.

"I should have been more educated on the topic and not tweeted out of emotion for my family and other who have served," Parsons tweeted. "For that I apologize."

"Also if what I'm told about the attempts to bring Ret Marine Paul Whelan home are true then the best outcome was accomplished. I pray Mr. Whelan comes home but am extremely happy for Brittney and her family."

"I am not too prideful to admit when I've made a mistake."

After nearly 10 grueling months behind bars in Russia, Brittney Griner is finally heading back home.

U.S. officials said Thursday they've struck a deal with the foreign country ... agreeing to a prisoner swap to free the WNBA star.

It's a 1-for-1 trade ... with the U.S. slated to send over Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout -- AKA the "Merchant of Death" -- in the swap.

President Joe Biden revealed Thursday morning that he personally spoke with Griner after executing the trade, adding, "She is safe. She is on a plane. She is on her way home."

Griner has been detained in Russia since February -- after she was accused of bringing hashish oil in her luggage to a Moscow airport. In August, she was sentenced to nine years in prison. An appeal of that ruling was denied in October.

Last month, the 32-year-old had been moved to a prison in Mordovia ... where experts said she was facing homophobia, racism and 16-hour work days.

At the time, reps for Griner said she was "trying to stay strong."

At a news conference Thursday morning, with Griner's wife, Cherelle, at his side, Biden told the nation, "I'm glad to be able to say that Brittney is in good spirits. She's relieved to be finally heading home."

Cherelle added, with a big smile on her face, "Today my family is whole."

As for Paul Whelan, another American who the U.S. has classified as wrongfully detained in Russia, Biden confirmed Thursday they are still actively negotiating for his release.

"We are not giving up," he said. "We will never give up."

Pete Davidson is back on Instagram, but there's a catch ... it's a joint page with Eli Manning!!

Yes, the former Giants star quarterback and comedian joined forces to launch the IG page together ... debuting the account Wednesday night with an IG video in Davidson's apartment.

"Hello Instagram," Davidson said on his Giants-themed bed, "I have decided to come back, but only with the GOAT."

"Stay tuned for more photos on the gram!"

The duo shared a video and a couple of photos, including a pic of Davidson's small helmet tattoo. Eli captioned the post, "confirmed ... Pete's a Giants fan."

The guys also worked on one-handed catches (a la Eli to Odell Beckham Jr. vs. the Dallas Cowboys) ... and Davidson has hands!

Fans loved the idea of the joint account ... they flooded their comments with support, with one saying, "lmfao the link up I never knew I needed 🐐".

FYI, Pete -- who's been MIA from IG since 2018 (he occasionally returns before deactivating again)  -- and Eli already have over 17k followers, as of Thursday morning.

Kyrie Irving gave the middle finger to Nike with a message on his signature shoes Wednesday night ... covering the swoosh logo and etching "I am Free Thank You God I am" on a patch of tape after his breakup with the sneaker giant.

Irving hit the court at Barclays Center for the first time since becoming a shoe-free agent on Monday ... and while he decided to keep wearing his own kicks, he made sure to distance himself from his former partner.

Irving rocked the Nike Kyrie 3 PE in the "Raygun" colorway for the matchup against the Charlotte Hornets ... but if you look closely, the side logo is covered with black tape.

Kyrie switched kicks mid-game -- which is not uncommon for NBA players -- and the second pair also had the Swoosh scribbled out with black marker.

You'll recall ... the brand suspended its relationship with Kyrie after he tweeted a link to a film containing antisemitic content ... saying there was no place for hate speech at Nike.

Irving, however, continued to don Nike sneakers during games ... though it's unclear if he was contractually obligated to or if the decision was a personal choice.

Right after news broke that the Kyrie era was over at Nike, the 30-year-old tweeted out a GIF that read, "There's nothing more priceless than being free."

Bobby Wagner's miserable 2022 season just got at least somewhat brighter ... TMZ Sports has learned he won't face criminal charges for tackling a field invader earlier this year.

A spokesperson for the Santa Clara Police Department tells us ... after investigating the Oct. 3 "Monday Night Football" incident, police "did not file charges with the Santa Clara County District Attorneys Office."

Cops had initially launched the probe on Oct. 4 ... after Alexander Taylor claimed he was assaulted by Wagner after running onto the field during the L.A. vs 49ers game at Levi's Stadium.

According to a police report, Taylor said he suffered a headache, a concussion and a burn on his inner right bicep following the altercation with Wagner.

The Rams and their star linebacker never seemed overtly concerned over the report ... with Wagner saying he took down the man because "you never know what that person got in they pocket, in they hands, whatever."

Head coach Sean McVay added, "We all know where Bobby's intentions were, and I support Bobby Wagner."

TikTok star Megan Eugenio -- AKA "Overtime Megan" -- is adamantly denying she took a picture in bed with Antonio Brown ... saying flat-out, the person in the snap "is not me."

A picture of the controversial ex-NFL superstar laying alongside a mystery woman made the rounds on social media this week ... which appeared to be a post on his personal Snapchat.

Given the person's appearance, fans of the sports personality initially speculated Megan was the one cozying up with A.B. ... but on Wednesday, she put an end to the rumors.

"I cannot believe I have to say this but that is not me," Eugenio said on Instagram alongside several crying laughing emojis.

Megan has a massive following on social media -- over 2 million on TikTok and 500k on Instagram -- and as of October 2022, was dating pro hockey player Cole Schwindt.

It's unclear who the woman in the pic actually is ... and if it was even real, given A.B.'s history of sharing Photoshopped images.

Remember, he inexplicably posted a poorly edited picture of Tom Brady's estranged wife Gisele to the social media app last month.

The timing is also uncertain, considering A.B. is currently busy dealing with police over an alleged domestic battery incident.

A Deion Sanders mural at Jackson State University was defaced -- but not by the student seen in a viral video circulating online ... TMZ Sports has learned.

A rep for JSU tells us the mural depicting Coach Prime in a Jackson State hoodie and hat was recently messed with, though it's unclear when it exactly happened -- and the culprit remains unknown.

The school rep says the student seen wiping Deion's mural, which initially went up for football season/Homecoming around October, was trying to clean it up ... and received permission from the university to do so.

We're told it's unclear if police are investigating the mural's initial defacement.

The video of the student wiping the Sanders tribute made rounds on social media this week ... in the aftermath of the coach announcing over the weekend that he was leaving JSU for Colorado.

Matthew Stafford's wife, Kelly, is issuing a mea culpa ... saying she's truly sorry for calling an Instagram troll a "misogynistic pig" after he criticized her for not wearing makeup.

The troll left his rude comment under a photo of Kelly and her kids ... saying, "[Matthew] could have his pick of women so just a little bit of makeup."

"If you weren't married you'd have it on."

Kelly was so pissed about the hurtful words ... she clapped back and called him "a typical misogynistic pig," while also sarcastically wishing him a happy holiday on her IG story.

But, just a few hours later, Kelly had a change of heart ... and shared her regret for stooping to the troll's level.

"I resorted to name calling which I truly do not like," Stafford said. "So I apologize to [the troll], but maybe you should think about if someone said that to your wife or daughters ... I'm sure you would be wildly upset."

Stafford continued ... saying makeup has never been her thing and her confidence doesn't even come from her appearance.

"It's a big reason I love my thirties because I am finally comfortable in my skin," Stafford said. "I know what I stand for and my values, and knowing who I am is what gives me confidence."

"Name-calling is not something I am fond of, so please accept my apology, but understand how upset you would be if the tables were turned."