TMZ Sports - Page 50

Damar Hamlin's father just provided the whole Buffalo Bills team with an encouraging update on a Zoom call ... telling the squad their teammate is making progress, and "the team needed it."

Hamlin's dad, Mario, reached out to the entire Bills team on Wednesday, according to Adam Schefter ... and provided some much-needed (good) news on Hamlin's condition.

It's unclear what exactly the news was ... but word is it was positive, and it was a huge relief to the players, coaches and staff.

Of course, the Bills also provided a promising update on Wednesday saying the 24-year-old safety was showing "signs of improvement" just days after he went into cardiac arrest during the Monday Night Football game against the Cincinnati Bengals.

The game was suspended after the scary incident and Hamlin has been in intensive care at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center since.

The NFL announced they will not resume the Bills-Bengals game before Week 18 ... and there's been no decision on if/when they'll resume the Bills-Bengals game.

Hamlin -- who logged 91 total tackles, 1.5 sacks, and a forced fumble this season -- has received a ton of support from players and fans from around the country.

Jake Paul is officially kickstarting his MMA career -- the Problem Child just signed a multi-year, multi-fight deal with the Professional Fighters League ... and he's already making his first offer to Nate Diaz.

Paul shared the news on his YouTube channel early Thursday morning ... saying not only is he going to fight for the PFL, but he will also serve as the organization's Head of Fighter Advocacy, where he will help market fighters and recruit new talent.

Paul says he wanted to be an MMA fighter before he ever ventured into boxing ... given his wrestling background growing up in Ohio.

Paul has shown off his MMA training in the past ... posting videos from Jay Glazer's Unbreakable gym. It doesn't sound like Jake is immediately ready for a fight ... but makes it clear he's serious about the new journey.

Paul says he is also teaming up with PFL honchos to launch the PFL PPV Super Fights division ... which will give fighters 50% of revenue.

In his announcement video, Paul -- who's 6-0 in the ring, with impressive wins over former UFC stars like Tyron Woodley and Anderson Silva -- disclosed a two-fight offer he made to Nate Diaz ... where the two would first face off in a boxing match, and then fight in the PFL six months later.

"Nate Diaz, I'm down to fight you in your own damn sport," Paul says. It's a two-fight deal. Let's make it happen."

"I've already disrupted boxing," Paul says. "And now, it's time to disrupt MMA. I know this is such a tough sport, and it's not going to be easy. But, if I can do it in boxing, I can do it in MMA."

The New York Giants may not need to search for their next franchise QB after all ... so says Warren Moon, who told TMZ Sports that Daniel Jones has the tools and right coach to succeed!

"I think he finally has the coach now that figured out what his strengths and weaknesses are, and he's taking advantage of those," the Hall of Famer tells us about Daniel's rookie head coach, Brian Daboll.

"I think Daniel can be the guy for the future," Moon says, adding ... "And he's in the last year of his contract, so we'll wait and see what happens as he gets into the playoffs and how he plays in the playoffs."

The NFL legend told us DJ is playing with more confidence, and it's all because "they're doing the things that he does well," like using his legs and minimizing his passing attempts.

However, Moon says Jones "doesn't have that great of talent around him," adding that the team needs to get Daniel some better receivers and then "you'll see his game go to another level."

Moon said he doesn't think the 9-6-1 Giants will be in the sweepstakes for Alabama star quarterback Bryce Young -- who is projected to be selected at the top of the draft -- in part because of the emergence of Jones this season.

"The Giants wouldn't be in that territory to get him," said Moon. "They're gonna draft somewhere around 20 or something up there from where they finish, so he's probably out of the question."

Moon believes Jones -- selected with the 6th overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft -- has cemented himself as a bonafide starting QB in the league, leading the Giants to the playoffs in his fourth season (and as a franchise for the first time since 2016), despite the team's limited roster.

Uhh ... we're pretty sure fingers aren't supposed to bend like that.

Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Rondale Moore's pinky is pretty busted right now ... and if you needed proof, just check the cringeworthy update he posted to his Instagram page on Wednesday.

It's unclear how it happened -- Moore was placed on injured reserve last month with a groin injury ... but regardless of how it happened, it appears he visited a doctor in Beverly Hills to get it fixed.

Unclear whether the digit is broken or dislocated ... but these injuries tend to happen with receivers.

Moore was in the middle of his second year in the league before going on IR ... and had 41 receptions for 414 yards and a touchdown in eight games after missing the first three contests with a hammy injury.

The 22-year-old former Purdue Boilermaker was a second-round pick in 2021 ... going 49th overall to the Cards.

Jen Shah's upcoming sentence might be stiffer thanks to a woman who informed the feds about a restraining order she once got against the reality star ... and prosecutors want the judge to take it into account.

Prosecutors in Jen's federal fraud case just filed new docs this week asking the court to consider a 2019 restraining order obtained by a woman who claims she once had some trouble with the 'Housewives of Salt Lake City' star.

The feds say the woman reached out to them via a letter and now want the judge to take a look at how she described their interaction.

With Jen's upcoming sentencing hearing on Friday, prosecutors want to make sure the judge sees what the woman had to say, because they believe it to be consistent with how JS interacted with others. In other words, they think the woman's account will back what they claim they've discovered about Jen's character throughout these proceedings -- and it seems like prosecutors are hoping it leads to a harsher sentence.

Now, as for what this mystery woman claims happened, it's quite a tale ... dating back nearly 4 years, when she alleges JS stalked and harassed her.

TMZ has obtained her restraining order docs from back then, which were filed in Nevada, and she details an alleged tryst her husband was having with Jen -- which erupted into a blowout when the woman sent screenshots of texts to Jen's own hubby.

The woman claims when Jen tried confronting her, she ignored her -- which allegedly pissed off Jen to the point of her driving across state lines to try to see the woman in person. She alleges Jen showed up unannounced on her doorstep at 2:30 AM.

She says she eventually called the cops, and in the end ... the woman got her TRO granted. Unclear what came of it after that -- but it seems prosecutors want a judge to hear about it anyway before deciding how many years Shah gets in the fraud case.

Remember, the feds are asking for at least 10 years behind bars.

Cincinnati Bengals head coach Zac Taylor says football was the last thing on Sean McDermott's mind after Damar Hamlin's medical emergency ... revealing the Buffalo Bills head coach told him, "I need to be at the hospital."

Taylor opened up to reporters for the first time since "Monday Night Football" on Wednesday ... breaking down what exactly happened after Hamlin left the field in an ambulance.

The fourth-year coach said he always knew McDermott to be nothing but the utmost professional ... and proved it as he handled the serious situation, and whether the game would continue.

"I won't disclose any of the private conversations Sean and I had except for this," Taylor said minutes ago. "When I got there, the first thing he said was, 'I need to be at the hospital with Damar. I shouldn't be coaching this game.'"

"That to me provides all the clarity because there was no ... unprecedented is the word that gets thrown around a lot about this situation because that's what it is," Taylor added. "But in that moment, he really showed who he was. That all his focus was just on Damar and being there for him, being there for his family at the hospital. And at that point, I think everything trended in the direction it needed to trend and the right decisions were made there."

The game -- which had playoff implications on the line -- was ultimately suspended ... and the NFL says it will not be made up this week.

It's still unclear if it will be rescheduled ... or scrapped altogether.

President Joe Biden says he spoke "at length" with the mom and dad of Damar Hamlin ... after their son went into cardiac arrest on the field during Monday Night Football.

POTUS briefly spoke to the media in Kentucky before hopping aboard Air Force One ... when he revealed he had a conversation with the Hamlin fam.

46 was also asked whether football was just too dangerous ... in the wake of the terrifying medical emergency.

“Look, the idea that you're gonna have, look you've got guys that are 6'8", 340 pounds running a 4.8 40 ... If you hit somebody with that kinda ... now that's not what happened here ... but I just think it’s, I don't know how you avoid it,” Biden said.

Biden's comments come a day after White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters ... “We hope his condition and his health improves quickly, and like the rest of the nation our thoughts and prayers are with him, his family and his teammates.”

Of course, everyone from LeBron James to Tom Brady have sent well wishes to the 24-year-old second-year pro ... in addition to millions of fans across the world.

In the wake of the incident, hundreds of thousands of people even dipped into their own wallets, donating an astounding $6 million to Damar's charity toy drive.

Hamlin is still fighting for his life in a Cincy hospital, though the team provided a positive update on Wednesday.

"Damar remains in the ICU in critical condition with signs of improvement noted yesterday and overnight."

"He is expected to remain under intensive care as his health care team continues to monitor and treat him."

Kyler Murray was all smiles after having successful surgery on his ACL ... posting a photo from his hospital bed and assuring fans he'll be back!

The Arizona Cardinals quarterback shared the snap via social media on Wednesday -- three weeks after he suffered a non-contact knee injury during Monday Night Football against the Patriots.

On Dec. 13, the tough news was confirmed -- the 2-time Pro Bowler's season was over after an MRI confirmed he tore his ACL.

Despite the way the season ended, Murray was in good spirits on Wednesday ... saying his surgery went according to plan..

"Thank you for all the love and prayers," the 25-year-old captioned his post. "I appreciate the support and positivity more than I can express, I’ll be back. 🥋"

Cardinals coach Kliff Kingsbury co-signed Murray's cheerfulness by telling the media his signal caller is "excited" to start rehab and return to the team.

"I think it can be kind of a reset for him," the third-year coach said on Wednesday.

"We know we had our struggles this year offensively and we feel like we can play at a much higher level. And I think he understands that he can build himself back better and attack this thing."

The 4-12 Cardinals and Murray -- who signed a 5-year contract worth over $230 million -- were eliminated from the playoffs in Week 15 ... but still have one more game against the 49ers.

Danielle Reyna -- the mother of USMNT player Gio Reyna -- is admitting she's the individual who notified U.S. Soccer about a 1991 domestic violence incident involving Gregg Berhalter.

As we previously reported, Berhalter claims someone outside the organization was attempting to get him fired by exposing an altercation from when he was an 18-year-old college freshman ... in which he kicked his now-wife, Rosalind, after an argument.

Danielle -- who's married to ex-Team USA captain Claudio Reyna -- says she told U.S. Soccer about the incident because she was unhappy with how Berhalter spoke about her son following the World Cup.

Shortly after USA was eliminated, Berhalter said he was close to sending a player home for his actions on and off the field ... and although he never named Gio, it was clear who he was talking about.

Danielle released a statement on Wednesday ... saying, "I thought it was especially unfair that Gio, who had apologized for acting immaturely about his playing time, was still being dragged through the mud when Gregg had asked for and received forgiveness for doing something so much worse at the same age."

Danielle -- who played for the USWNT in 1993 -- also claims Berhalter is making his 1991 incident out to be less serious than it actually was.

"Without going into detail, the statements from yesterday significantly minimize the abuse on the night in question," she added. "Rosalind Berhalter was my roommate, teammate and best friend, and I supported her through the trauma that followed."

Danielle wasn't the only one pissed -- Claudio also released a statement to ESPN ... saying he spoke with U.S. Soccer officials about how Berhalter was handling his son, but denies making any sort of demands.

"While in Qatar, I shared my frustrations about my son's World Cup experience with a number of close friends, Earnie [Stewart] and Brian McBride among them. However, at no time did I ever threaten anyone, nor would I ever do so," Claudio said Wednesday.

FYI -- Gio barely played during the World Cup ... despite expectations he would play a big role in America's run.

U.S. Soccer is investigating the Berhalter incident ... as well as "potential inappropriate behavior towards multiple members of our staff by individuals outside of our organization."

The mastermind and architect behind the college admissions scandal is going to end up like Lori Loughlin and Felicity Huffman ... by spending time behind bars.

Rick Singer was sentenced to 42 months -- 3.5 years -- in federal prison for his role in the Varsity Blues scandal.

Remember ... the feds say Singer was the architect of a massive, decades-long fraudulent scheme to get high school students into elite colleges and universities across the country ... including the daughters of celebs like Lori and Felicity.

TMZ broke the story ... prosecutors were pushing for Singer to get 6 years behind bars, arguing he profited from the scheme more than anyone and therefore deserved a much longer sentence than the parents, college coaches and others received.

Singer's lawyers, meanwhile, asked for a maximum of 6 months in the big house.

It's worth noting ... more than 50 parents, coaches and associates of Singer's received sentences ranging from 30 months in prison to just probation. Lori was sentenced to 2 months behind bars, while Felicity got 2 weeks.

Singer was initially staring down a maximum sentence of 65 years behind bars ... but he ended up cooperating with the feds and was the key to convicting the parents and coaches. Prosecutors say Singer wore a wire at the government's direction to nail the targets, and also made hundreds of recorded calls.

Damar Hamlin wasn’t only brought back to life on the field during Monday Night Football, but also as he arrived at the hospital ... this according to his uncle, who says the Bills safety's heart stopped for a second time.

Thankfully, medical personnel was again able to restart his heart.

Hamlin’s uncle, Dorrian Glenn, spoke to CNN outside the Cincinnati hospital on Tuesday ... where he provided an update on his 24-year-old nephew.

"He's still sedated right now," Glenn said. "They just want him to have a better chance of recovering better. So, they felt if he was sedated, his body can recover a lot faster than if he was awoke and possibly cause other complications."

Glenn said Hamlin is using 50% of a ventilator now ... a big improvement from earlier in his hospitalization.

Hamlin's uncle added the former Pittsburgh Panther suffered lung damage ... but remained optimistic he would be able to breathe on his own.

Glenn also talked about the sheer terror the family felt as they watched their loved one collapse before CPR was performed for about 10 minutes on the field in Cincy.

"We were all in tears," Glenn added. "I'm not a crier, but I've never cried so hard in my life. Just to know, like, my nephew basically died on the field and they brought him back to life, that's just heartbreaking. To see all those grown men crying and all the emotion, it really was a gut punch, man."

"I would have been crying no matter who it was, but for it to be my nephew, it just had that much more impact on me, man," he said. "I'm just glad he's still alive and able to fight and try and get better and recover."

Dorrian also stated doctors have positioned Damar on his stomach in an effort to relieve pressure on his lungs.

"I just want to show my gratitude for the medical staff that were on hand," Glenn added, "because if not for them, my nephew probably wouldn't even be here."

Cowboys star Micah Parsons laid into former NFL player-turned-commentator Bart Scott ... who blamed Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins for causing Bills safety Damar Hamlin's cardiac arrest during "Monday Night Football."

"Yoo are we serious?!!?," Parsons tweeted. "Why do we let some people speak on tv?! This was a  freak incident but putting fault on another player is wild! They should make some of these guys go over lines or something or not even give them a seat at the table!"

Parsons wasn't done, firing off another tweet in response to Scott ... writing, "Like does not even consider how Tee Huggins feels before airing some bull shut like that! That traumatic event he just went through! I swear some of these tv guys have too much egos on these stages we give them!"

ICYMI, during an appearance on ESPN's First Take, Scott seemed to insinuate Tuesday Higgins was in part responsible for Hamlin going into cardiac arrest on the field.

“Right before the tackle, he lowers his helmet, and he kind of throws his body into his chest,” Scott said on FT. “He’s standing up because he’s thinking he got to chase Tee Higgins at an angle to make a tackle, so he didn’t expect Tee Higgins to launch his body back into him."

He continued ... “It’s one of those things, a lot of times you see it as a linebacker … a running back comes through the hole, and he knows the contact is coming, so he lowers his helmet, and you can’t get underneath him so he’s able to get into you and your chest is exposed."

"They have taken that out of the game, but they don’t really regulate it as much as possible. I expect the league will be a lot more vigilant when it comes to that and using that penalty.”

As you know by now, Hamlin was carted off the field Monday night after his heart stopped on the field, and remains hospitalized at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center, where the 24-year-old appears to be making signs of progress, according to the Bills.

Scott responded to Micah directly on Twitter Wednesday, saying, "It’s wasn’t concise in my explanation but this was from the third segment. The first segment I said exactly what u said, it was a freak incident. And expressed my concern for Higgins and was happy his mom was there."

The love for Damar Hamlin is everywhere -- even Niagara Falls, which was illuminated in blue lights to show support for the Buffalo Bills player amid his recovery.

The landmark -- which is 19 miles from Buffalo and spans the border between Ontario, Canada and New York state -- displayed the tribute for 15 minutes on Tuesday night.

"Our collective thoughts are with him, his family, his team and the City of Buffalo," Niagara Falls' Twitter account shared.

The blue light was featured at the American Falls and Canadian Horseshoe Falls -- two of the three waterfalls at the iconic tourist spot.

As we previously reported, the 24-year-old safety went into cardiac arrest after tackling Tee Higgins during the Bills' "Monday Night Football" game against the Cincinnati Bengals.

Hamlin -- who was unconscious -- received CPR on the field and was taken to the University of Cincinnati Medical Center in "critical condition."

As of Wednesday, he remains in the intensive care unit.

Since the scary incident, fans and celebs from all over have shown support by penning sweet messages and donating to Hamlin's Chasing M's toy drive ... which surpassed its initial goal of $2,500.

The GoFundMe page currently has more than $6 million in donations ... with huge contributions from Tom Brady, Robert Kraft and the Patriots, Russell Wilson and Ciara and Matthew Stafford.

Sasha Banks is back in the ring ... just not with the WWE.

The former women's champ officially joined New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW), debuting as "Mercedes Mone" with the promotion.

Mercedes Varnado, who went by "Sasha Banks" during her tenure with the WWE, arrived at NJPW's WrestleKingdom 17 at the Tokyo Dome in front of a packed crowd.

Mone confronted Kairi, former WWE athlete and the current IGWP women's champion, setting up a showdown between the two at New Japan's Battle in the Valley event on Feb. 18 in San Jose, California.

"I am here in New Japan and Stardom to make more [history]," Varnado said on the mic after she attacked Kairi.

You'll recall ... last May, Mercedes, alongside WWE superstar Naomi, reportedly walked out of a taping of "Monday Night Raw." Neither wrestler appeared on any of the company's programming since the incident.

Sasha and Naomi were suspended indefinitely -- and Wrestling Inc. reported WWE released Banks in June.

Ahead of her NJPW debut on Wednesday, which was not publicized, Mercedes -- who spent ten years with the WWE -- thanked a host of individuals who helped her over the years, naming Vince McMahon, Triple H, Stephanie McMahon, William Regal, and the WWE Universe.

Dillon Danis and KSI will NOT be facing off in the ring -- at least not next weekend -- the MMA fighter has allegedly pulled out of their boxing match just 10 days before the event was slated to go down.

The two were supposed to scrap at OVO Arena Wembley on Jan. 14 ... which would have been Danis' first competition since 2019.

But according to Misfit Boxing's Mams Taylor, folks who doubted Danis would actually go through with the fight were right to be skeptical.

"The real reason is, from what they said to me, is that he's underprepared, he has no coach, he might be struggling with weight," Taylor said on Wednesday.

"For someone who cares about his reputation as much as he does, or what people think of him, I didn't think that this would be something, despite many people saying the opposite. Like, 'Look, he's not going to show up to the fight.'"

"They were right."

KSI isn't giving up on the whole event, though ... as he just tweeted, "The show must go on. I’m still fighting January 14th."

Former UFC star Phil Baroni was reportedly arrested for allegedly killing his girlfriend in Mexico over the weekend ... and the details are terrifying.

According to the Mexican outlet, Tribuna De La Bahia, police found Baroni's girlfriend naked and unresponsive in bed with a sheet covering her. The report says cops noticed bruises and markings all over her face and body ... and she showed no sign of life.

When authorities looked at Baroni's body, they reportedly noticed his hands were red. They took photographs.

As for what Phil said transpired, the retired fighter tracked down authorities and told them he got into a drunken argument with his girlfriend in their hotel room when things turned physical.

Baroni reportedly told police he was upset after finding his GF slept with another man, so he told her to take a shower -- but she refused.

Baroni claims he then grabbed the woman by her arms and forced her into the shower ... which led to her hitting her head.

The 46-year-old -- who was reportedly under the influence of drugs and alcohol -- reportedly claimed the woman couldn't get out of the tub by herself, so he assisted. She then complained of being cold, so Baroni said he took her to bed, removed her clothes and wrapped her in a blanket.

Baroni then says he went out for cigarettes and beer, per her request.

When he got back, Baroni reportedly told authorities he believed the woman was asleep. Tragically, she was deceased.

Authorities are planning to conduct an autopsy on the alleged victim to determine her cause of death.

Baroni was arrested for murder ... and is currently behind bars.

The former MMA star fought for a bunch of top promotions during his career ... including the UFC, Pride and Bellator. Baroni last fought in September 2019 ... where he lost via submission.