TMZ Sports - Page 50

Popeyes meme kid Dieunerst Collin's dreams are finally coming true ... the internet-sensation-turned-college-athlete just inked an NIL deal with the popular fast food chain!!

Popeyes tells TMZ Sports ... the chicken joint is officially partnering with Collin after it was brought to its attention that he was the kid in the viral Vine video from back in the day.

As part of the newly-cemented business relationship, Collin will be featured on a billboard near his hometown in New Jersey.

As we previously reported, 18-year-old Dieunerst publicly campaigned to join forces with Popeyes, writing on social media, "@popeyes I JUST WANNA TALK BUISNESS."

The current Lake Erie College offensive lineman asked people on social media to help him secure the deal ... and it actually worked out for him!!

"A lot can happen with the power of the internet behind you!" Collin said. "I can’t believe I can say I’m officially sponsored by Popeyes."

"Thank you to everyone who helped spread the good word!"

Collin's NIL deal with Popeyes is the latest good news for the 6'1", 330-pound football player ... he won a state championship with his high school, East Orange Campus, in NJ in 2021.

Fresh off Georgia's blowout national championship win, the Bulldogs already have a new enemy -- PETA -- 'cause the animal rights org. is calling for the victors to officially retire their live mascot, Uga.

TMZ Sports has learned, the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals fired off a letter to University of Georgia president, Jere Morehead this week ... asking the school to replace its iconic English bulldog, Uga X, with a human at sporting events.

The org. claims Uga's presence at games increases demand for breathing-impaired breeds like pugs, bulldogs and boxers ... and they want Georgia to lead by example.

PETA Executive Vice President Tracy Reiman released a statement on the matter ... saying, "As the back-to-back national champion, can’t UGA find it in its heart to honestly examine the impact of its promotion of deformed dogs and call time on its outdated, live-animal mascot program?"

"PETA is calling on Jere Morehead to be a peach and replace poor Uga with a human mascot who can support the team in a winning way."

Of course, Georgia has used live mascots since the 1950s ... starting with Uga I. The current mascot, Uga X, did not make the trip to Los Angeles for Monday's game due to the five plus hour flight.

Several Texas high school football players were hospitalized after their coach allegedly forced them do 400 push-ups as a form of discipline, according to multiple reports.

John Harrell, head football coach at Rockwall-Heath High School, was suspended and placed on administrative leave after a group of his players required medical attention following an off-season workout, according to FoxNews4.

Harrell, who's been with the program since 2019, is accused of making the students do "a large number of push-ups" as punishment for the athletes.

The alleged incident occurred on Friday during an off-season workout program. School principal Todd Bradford sent a letter to parents saying students "needed medical attention," with "some" requiring hospitalization.

The Dallas Morning News reports at least eight students were hospitalized.

One parent, whose child is hospitalized, says the players were made to do hundreds of push-ups in just an hour with no water or break.

The parent, who didn't wish to be identified, said their child was diagnosed with rhabdomyolysis, a severe medical condition that occurs when damaged muscle tissue releases its proteins and electrolytes into the blood. Rhabdomyolysis can be fatal or result in permanent disability.

However, not everyone believes the coach was wrong. Junior team captain, Brady Luff, told media water was available to the players, and they could've left if they wanted.

"[Coach Harrell's] treated us with nothing but respect, and he loves every single one of us like his own," Luff said.

Derek Carr is bidding farewell to the Las Vegas Raiders fanbase ... sending a heartfelt message to his first NFL team amid speculation he's played his last down for the Silver and Black.

"Raider Nation it breaks my heart I didn't get an opportunity to say goodbye in person," Carr said on Twitter. "We certainly have been on a roller coaster in our 9 years together. From the bottom of my heart, I am so grateful and appreciative of the years of support you have to my family and me."

"We had our share of both heart breaking moments and thrilling game winning drives, and it always felt like you were there next to me."

The Raiders benched Carr in favor of Jarrett Stidham for the last two games of the 2022-23 season ... and he was not with the team during that period. After that, all signs pointed to a breakup.

"It's especially hard to say goodbye because I can honestly say that I gave you everything I had, every single day, in season, and in the off season," Carr added. "It certainly wasn't perfect, but I hope that I was able to leave you with more than a few great memories as Raider fans."

"I once said that if I'm not a Raider I would rather be at home and I meant that, but I never envisioned it ending this way. That fire burning inside of me to win a championship still rages. A fire no man can extinguish; only God."

Carr says he's looking forward to joining a new team and giving 100% in hopes of winning a Super Bowl.

The Raiders selected Carr in the second round of the 2014 NFL Draft ... and he went on to accumulate 35,222 passing yards, 217 touchdowns and 99 interceptions.

The Raiders made the playoffs twice during Carr's time under center ... but did not earn a postseason victory.

LeBron James had the best day off Wednesday, sitting courtside at son Bronny James' Senior Night game at Sierra Canyon ... where the 18-year-old hoops star went off!

Bronny, in his last year at SC, took part in the yearly tradition ... where H.S. seniors are celebrated before their last home game of the season.

LBJ and his wife Savannah pulled up to support their 18-year-old son -- rockin' black hoodies featuring Bronny on the back -- where they took photos on the court.

Bronny's younger brother Bryce, who also hoops for the Trailblazers, and his little sister, Zhuri, also posed for the pic.

The 18-year-old guard put on a show, too ... coming close to registering a triple-double. James put up 18 points, 8 rebounds, and 7 assists in their win against Loyola.

BTW, LeBron wasn't the only star at Bronny's game, surprisingly ... Hip hop mogul Diddy was also in attendance, as well as former NBA player and Mavs assistant coach Jared Dudley.

Of course, this isn't the end of James' basketball career. He's set to graduate this spring, and he's received a ton of interest from colleges across the country, including Ohio State.

And after college, pops has made it clear he wants to play at least one season on the same NBA team as Bronny.

Grizzlies star Ja Morant gave a young fan his game-worn jersey and Ja 1 sneakers from Wednesday night's showdown against the Spurs ... after her autographed basketball was sadly stolen Monday night at the FedEx Forum.

Ellie Hughes, an 11-year-old Grizzlies fan, was at the Grizzlies-Spurs game Monday night ... and was trying to get Ja's attention when she laid the signed basketball down.

When Ellie looked back up, the basketball was gone. Ellie has been to every Grizzlies' home game with her grandfather since she was five, and the ball had a ton of sentimental value since she had been collecting signatures from players after games, according to actionnews5.com.

Enter Ja ... the 23-year-old discovered what happened to Ellie and wanted to help make things right for her and her family.

The Hughes family was at FedEx Forum again Wednesday ... and after the game, Morant got some facetime with the youngster, where he gifted her his jersey and sneakers.

“I was trying to get in contact w the fam," Morant said in his postgame interview. "I reached out & offered them two of the courtside seats that I give to my fam & told them after the game I would give my jersey & shoes."

"Definitely a good feeling to have them there supporting us and see that smile on their face at the end," he added.

In addition to the jersey and Ja 1 kicks Ellie received, she also got to watch Morant drop 38 points ... en route to the Grizzlies' 135-129 win over San Antonio.

Former USC star Charles White -- the 1979 Heisman Trophy winner -- died on Wednesday, the Trojans announced. He was 64 years old.

According to the school, White passed away in Newport Beach, Calif. after battling cancer.

"He was the toughest player I've ever coached," White's former head coach John Robinson said in a statement following the news of the former running back's death. "He was really unusual in that regard."

SC athletic director Mike Bohn added in a statement of his own that White was "one of the all-time great Trojans."

"He will always be remembered by the Trojan Family for the history he made on the football field and the legacy he left at Troy," Bohn said.

White got to SC's campus in 1976 -- and went on to have one of the most legendary college football careers ever. He totaled 6,245 rushing yards -- still a school record -- and earned unanimous selections to two All-American teams.

In addition to the '79 Heisman Trophy, White also won the Walter Camp and Maxwell awards that same season.

White, who also helped USC win a national title and three Rose Bowls, went on to be picked by the Cleveland Browns in the first round of the 1980 NFL Draft. He spent five seasons with the team, before finishing his pro career with the Rams.

He was eventually inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1996.

Emily Ratajkowski's making Madison Square Garden the setting for her own little soap opera -- she and Eric Andre hit the Knicks game, but not together ... instead, she was with a mystery dude.

Emily and an apparent new date were chatting it up courtside Wednesday night as the Knicks defeated the rival Pacers, 119-113.

The duo was definitely giving first-date vibes, but seemed to have some chemistry ... and even arrived together outside the Garden.

Once they were inside, the soap-esque plot twist became apparent ... as Eric was also enjoying the game.

The comedian didn't publicly make any contact with Emily -- with whom he recently went on a date -- but did do some celeb hype for the cameras and other Knicks fans.

It looks like he might've gotten the better seats than ER this time around, because he showed off his perfect view.

As we reported, Emily and Eric enjoyed a romantic evening together in NYC over the weekend, going out for food, drinks ... and presumably lots of laughs.

Emily's been super active on the dating scene since she filed for divorce from estranged husband Sebastian Bear-McClard in September ... the 31-year-old model's been linked to DJ Orazio Rispo, artist Jack Greer and, of course, Pete Davidson.

Kobe Bryant's game-worn jersey from his sole MVP season is about to hit the auction block ... and TMZ Sports has learned it could sell for a whopping $7 million!!!

The signed Purple and Gold threads are from Bryant's 2007-08 season -- the only time the legend won the NBA's Most Valuable Player award in his 20-year career -- which he wore for 25 games, including 6 playoff matchups.

Sotheby's, which is hosting the auction, tells us the item is the "most valuable Kobe Bryant game-worn jersey to ever appear at auction" as the Lakers legend "scored a total of 645 points over 8 months in this jersey."

He averaged 28.3 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 5.4 assists per game that season and led the Lakers to the NBA Finals.

What also makes the jersey so rare -- Kob signed the gear by writing his first name on the stitched number on the back.

FYI, this is also the same jersey Kobe was seen tugging on in the first round of the 2008 playoffs -- one of Bryant's most iconic photos of all time.

"This jersey has influenced popular culture in a way that is seldom seen in the sports community, becoming iconic and synonymous with the image of Kobe Bryant," Sotheby's said.

"In California alone, there are more than 15 murals depicting him in this jersey, with wings, American flags, and snakes in the background."

The jersey is expected to sell for anywhere between $5-7 million when bidding opens up on Feb. 2.

The current record for the most expensive piece of Kobe memorabilia is a worn, autographed jersey from his rookie year ... which sold for $3.7 million in 2021.

Amazing news ... Peyton Hillis' girlfriend says the former NFL star is off the ventilator and now "on the road to recovery" -- just days after he suffered significant trauma in a swimming accident in Florida.

Singer and actress Angela Cole, who's been dating Hillis since at least 2021, provided the positive update on her social media page late Wednesday night ... writing in a caption on a video of the couple, "Please continue to pray for he's still got a ways ahead of him, but thank you for all of your prayers and love and support thus far. It truly makes all the difference."

"Today was a good day," she added.

Hillis needed to be helicoptered to a hospital back on Jan. 4, after he reportedly jumped into the ocean on Pensacola Beach in order to save two of his children who were caught in riptides.

The former running back's uncle, Greg Hillis, said in a Facebook post after the accident that Peyton suffered kidney and lung damage in the rescue ... and in the ensuing days, things looked so dire, fans, family and friends actually held a prayer vigil for him in Arkansas.

But, according to Cole, Peyton's now on the mend.

"So proud of this man and so incredibly grateful for family and this incredible hospital," she said.

Miami Heat center Dewayne Dedmon got the boot from a game on Tuesday night ... and it's all 'cause he launched a massage therapy gun onto the court in a fit of rage.

For real.

The bizarre incident happened in the second quarter of the Heat vs. Thunder tilt at FTX Arena ... when Dedmon threw a bit of a temper tantrum following an impassioned argument with head coach Erik Spoelstra.

Video from the game's broadcast shows as Dedmon was walking away furious over the war of words with Spo, he reached down, grabbed a massage therapy device -- and hurled it over fans' heads and near players who were standing by the 3-point line.

Thankfully, no one was hit by the heavyish object ... but everyone on the hardwood was stunned by the incident nonetheless. Refs immediately ejected the 33-year-old over the act.

It's unclear what prompted the explosion from Dedmon -- Spoelstra only said after the game, "We're all a bunch of gnarly personalities ... That part was unacceptable."

It's expected the NBA will hand down further punishment on Dedmon later this month.

Despite the scene, the shorthanded Heat -- who were missing multiple players even before Dedmon's ejection -- somehow pulled off the win over the Thunder, 112-111.

Clipper Darrell was welcomed back to Crypto.com Arena with open arms on Tuesday ... as the L.A. Clippers and AEG showered their iconic superfan with gifts, champagne and some awesome tickets!

CD -- real name Darrell Bailey -- got the red carpet treatment in his second game back since he was knocked out by an arena security guard during an L.A. game on Dec. 12 ... and you can see in pics and videos, obtained by TMZ Sports, he had a blast in his return.

Darrell got to hang out with ex-NFL star Terrell Owens and actor Joe Torry -- after being hooked up with a bunch of goodies in the bowels of the arena.

Darrell, who also attended Sunday's Clippers game against the Atlanta Hawks, had a big smile on his face, appearing to have some courtside seats for the contest too!

And, as icing on the cake, the Clippers even treated Clipper Darrel to a big win ... as they rolled over the Dallas Mavericks, 113-101.

Of course, the scene was very different at the Clippers vs. Celtics game last month ... when a Crypto.com Arena staffer knocked out the superfan with a big punch following a dispute.

John Metchie III is inching closer to playing football again ... Texans GM Nick Caserio says the young wide receiver, diagnosed with cancer last year, could be ready to go by week 1 next season!

Caserio joined SportsRadio 610 in Houston Wednesday morning ... where he provided an update on the 22 year old, 2nd-round draft pick, who missed his entire rookie season because of Acute Promyelocytic Leukemia (APL).

"I'd say there's a chance that he'll be ready for the start of the offseason program," Caserio said. "I think there are still some things that he has to complete or go through. Quite frankly, it's amazing what he's done to this point."

"He actually looks better now than he did when we drafted him in the spring," Caserio said. "He's improved his strength, he's improved his lower body strength. His attitude has been great, even though he's been dealing with a lot of things medically."

Metchie was diagnosed with APL -- a blood cancer characterized by a marked increase in a type of white blood cells known as promyelocytes -- last July, and spent last season fighting the disease. Fortunately, doctors said APL is the "most curable form of Leukemia."

The Texans selected Metchie in the second round of the 2022 NFL draft ... after he started for Nick Saban at Alabama. Metchie compiled over 2,000 yards and 14 touchdowns in his last two seasons with the Crimson Tide.

During the NFL's "My Cause, My Cleats" initiative earlier this season, the Texans wide receivers, led by veteran Brandin Cooks, paid homage to Metchie with custom cleats that read "Metchie Strong" in honor of his fight against cancer.

Odell Beckham Jr. got snippy with a passenger who was annoyed by the NFL star's actions during his infamous plane incident back in November -- calling the person on the airline both "fat" and "ugly."

The interaction was all captured on Nov. 27 on police body camera video, which the Miami-Dade Police Dept. released this week, just moments before the 30-year-old former Rams receiver was booted off the plane.

In the footage, you can see cops approached the American Airlines ride at Miami International Airport and spoke with flight attendants, who told them Beckham was unresponsive despite them instructing him multiple times to put his seatbelt on. They eventually said they wanted him off the ride.

When officers made contact with Beckham, he downplayed the incident to them.

"I've never had this happen to me," Beckham can be heard telling the officers in the video.

Cops eventually told him in the clip, "We're going to have to deplane everybody on this plane, and then you're still going to get off." Beckham responded, "That's fine."

As passengers got off the plane, one of them told the Super Bowl champ to just get off ... and that enraged OBJ.

"You're everything wrong with the world," Beckham can be heard saying in the video. "Looking at me to get off a plane, for you. I would never. Ever in my life get off the plane for you. Specifically you. Maybe everybody else, I would get off the plane."

Beckham continued, "You gon' wait 40 minutes and I'm going to be on a private plane home. Yeah, with your fat ass. Get your ass off the plane for a second."

"Enjoy the cheese board on the way home with your ugly ass."

As we reported, Beckham was eventually escorted off the plane by authorities. His attorney said of the incident that Beckham had simply fallen asleep, and a flight attendant just blew the situation out of proportion.

Nerlens Noel's legal battle with Rich Paul is over -- the two sides have settled their dispute ... with the former first-round draft pick agreeing to pay his former agent and Klutch Sports their cut of his $5 million contract with the New York Knicks.

In 2021, Nerlens -- who has earned around $45 million over the course of his career -- filed a lawsuit against Paul and Klutch Sports Group, claiming he lost $58 million in potential earnings when Paul represented him from 2017-2020.

Noel accused Paul -- whose client list includes several other high-profile NBA superstars, including LeBron James -- of advising him to reject a $70 million offer and take a one-year deal instead.

Noel's lawsuit came after Paul filed a grievance with the National Basketball Players Association ... claiming the former center owed him $200,000 in commission for the Knicks deal, per ESPN.

According to Shams Charania, Noel, Paul, and Klutch Sports Group "amicably settled their ongoing dispute" ... with the hooper agreeing to cough over the dough and withdraw all legal proceedings.

In September 2022, District Judge Jane J. Boyle, dismissed Noel's lawsuit ... recommending that the case be addressed within the NBPA's arbitration system.

World shooting champion Jorge Ballesteros has tragically passed away after reportedly suffering a gunshot wound to the head. He was only 39.

According to the Spanish news outlet ABC Deportes, Ballesteros was found inside his car at the La Vaguada shopping center in Madrid on Monday.

He was transferred to the local hospital ... but sadly, passed away on Tuesday.

The Spanish athlete's former sponsor, Double Alpha Academy, confirmed the terrible news ... saying he was dedicated to the sport of the International Practical Shooting Confederation.

"His achievements in IPSC were many, but his crowning achievement was his IPSC World Champion title, which he won at the peak of his career," the academy said in a statement.

"Jorge's friendly personality, kindness and helpfulness in the shooting community will be greatly missed."

The Royal Spanish Olympic Shooting Federation also released a statement ... calling Ballesteros "the country's most representative and award-winning shooter" in IPSC history.

Ballesteros -- who was also a national police officer -- was a true winner ... he was a 17-time Spanish champ, 6-time Extreme Euro Open champ, and a 3-time IPSC European champ.

He also won the IPSC World Championship and the World Police Games title.

Ballesteros's last Instagram post was on Dec. 3rd after he was beaten by Christian Sailer in the World Championship ... saying he was passing the torch to the new winner.

"Sometimes things come this way and I must accept that life sometimes has different things prepared for us from what we expected or planned," Ballesteros said in the caption.

He leaves behind a wife and two children.