TMZ Sports - Page 50

A soccer fan opened up his wallet in a big way to nab a trip to the Cristiano Ronaldo vs. Lionel Messi exhibition on Thursday ... dropping a staggering $2.6 MILLION to score a VIP ticket to the game!!

Saudi officials had put the once-in-a-lifetime pass to the event up for an auction earlier this month in order to promote the game ... promising that the winning bidder would get the red carpet treatment when Messi's Paris Saint-Germain team plays Ronaldo and Saudi All-Stars in a friendly in Riyadh.

The initial bid was $266,000 ... but, eventually, Saudi businessman Mushref al-Ghamdi closed things out with a $2.6 million offer -- and he was pumped for the purchase.

According to Saudi officials, the lucky football fan will now get to meet both Messi and Ronaldo at the game. He'll also get access to the teams' locker rooms -- and the trophy presentation afterward.

The money, meanwhile, will be going to a good cause ... it was announced this week it'll all be donated to charity.

The game will not only feature Messi and Ronaldo -- France star Kylian Mbappe and Brazil star Neymar are expected to compete as well.

CeeDee Lamb is an All-Pro receiver, but he might be an even better teammate ... 'cause the Dallas Cowboys star gave kicker Brett Maher some solid words of encouragement after missing multiple PATs during Monday's playoff game against the Buccaneers.

The Cowboys just released footage of players mic'd up for the Wild Card matchup ... showing the rollercoaster of emotions the team went through amid the 31-14 blowout.

One clip shows Lamb quickly consoling Maher after missing a second-straight point attempt ... making sure the special teams star wasn't beating himself up too much for the blunders.

"We're behind you, bro, you're good," Lamb said as Maher made his way back to the bench. "You're good, bro."

Maher was clearly happy to hear the kind words ... saying, "Appreciate you."

Lamb followed up with even more nice things to say ... adding, "S***, you've done bailed us out hella times. We're with you, bro. I promise you, we're with you."

Maher -- who was still visibly trying to wrap his head around the failed attempts -- replied, "Appreciate you, buddy."

Despite the solid gesture, Maher went on to miss a total of four extra points -- an NFL record -- but eventually was able to get one through the uprights.

Novak Djokovic was irate with a fan who kept heckling him during his match at the Australian Open on Thursday ... claiming the guy was "drunk out of his mind."

It all went down at the Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne, Australia ... Djokovic was competing against Enzo Couacaud in a singles match when he lost his cool.

Djokovic -- visibly frustrated at the fan who was trolling him -- walked up to the chair umpire and demanded the individual be removed from the event.

"Are you going to get this guy out," Djokovic asked the umpire. "The guy's drunk out of his mind," Novak continued as he pointed to a spectator in the crowd.

Novak told the ump during their heated exchange ... the fan had been giving him a hard time the entire match and asked the official if the person would be removed.

"He's not here to watch tennis," Novak said. "He just wants to get in my head. You heard him ten times. I heard him at least 50 times."

Djokovic wasn't pleased with the umpire's response, or lack thereof ... and grew increasingly annoyed at the fact the ump did not budge and toss the fan from the stadium.

Damar Hamlin is continuing to make huge strides in his road to recovery ... Bills head coach Sean McDermott said the defensive back is now at Buffalo's practice facility "almost daily," and nearing a return to team meetings and more.

McDermott provided the good news in a Wednesday chat with media members ... saying Hamlin has recovered enough from his medical emergency two and a half weeks ago to the point where he's now "just trying to get back to a little bit of a routine."

"It's limited just overall," the Bills' head man said ... explaining Hamlin isn't quite ready for meetings or a full day of work just yet. "Just getting himself acclimated again and taking it one step, one baby step at a time here."

As we reported, Hamlin went into cardiac arrest on Jan. 2 during the Bills vs. Bengals "Monday Night Football" game ... but has steadily improved over the last couple weeks.

He's been up, walking and talking ... though he's yet to attend a Bills game since his release from the hospital. But, he's watched his teammates intently from home, even tweeting his thoughts on Buffalo's playoff game against the Dolphins last Sunday throughout the contest.

It's not yet clear if he'll make it to the sidelines to catch the Bills' huge playoff game against Cincinnati on Sunday ... McDermott stressed it's a day-by-day process for the 24-year-old.

Local law enforcement made contact with Kevin Nash after he hinted at having suicidal thoughts earlier this week ... and thankfully, the WWE legend stated he has no plans to harm himself.

The Volusia County Sheriff's Office in Florida tells TMZ Sports ... deputies reached out to 63-year-old Nash following the comments he made about his son's death on the 'Kliq This' podcast.

We're told Kevin explained to the VCSO that he has no intention to act on what he said ... and he was seemingly doing okay when they checked on him in person.

As we previously reported, Kevin spoke about 26-year-old Tristen's passing on Monday ... and his remarks were troubling.

"Today is week 12 that I lost my boy," Nash said. "Time flies when you got a gun in your mouth. I mean -- time flies when you're having fun."

Sean Oliver, Nash's cohost on the show, warned the WWE Hall of Famer not to joke around like that, especially since he owns guns.

However, Nash defiantly told Sean, "I can do whatever the f*** I wanna do. Long as I leave a note."

The conversation then switched to how Kevin has been coping with Tristen's loss ... and how it's been an uphill battle for the pro wrestling legend.

Nash's comments sparked concern throughout the wrestling community ... with fans flooding social media with support for him.

Lisa Guerrero says her one season as a reporter for "Monday Night Football" was absolute hell ... revealing things got so bad at the gig, she actually suffered a miscarriage while on the sidelines during a game.

The 58-year-old, who took over the 'MNF' role from Melissa Stark in the 2003 NFL season, explained the horrifying situation in her new book, Warrior: My Path to Being Brave.

She said from the day she first got the job, she faced unfair ridicule and criticism from males in the sports world ... particularly from her 'MNF' boss, executive producer Freddie Gaudelli.

Guerrero claimed in the memoir Gaudelli criticized her work often ... and it, combined with the misogynistic trolling she received regularly from viewers, gave her such stress, she had actually considered dying by suicide.

Guerrero -- who had gotten pregnant with her fiancé, former MLB pitcher Scott Erickson, during the season -- says the mountain of pressure eventually came to a head late in the year ... when she suffered a miscarriage while on the job.

In the book, according to an excerpt obtained by PEOPLE, the former "Best Damn Sports Show Period" host said she was doing her reports from the sideline, when all of a sudden, she felt intense pain in her abdomen. Moments later, she said, "I could feel blood leaking."

Guerrero said she wanted to bolt to the bathroom, but had to do a live shot first. She said she felt "dizzy and nauseated" during the hit. Eventually, she made her way to the restroom.

"As I sat on the toilet," Guerrero said, "I couldn't believe the blood pouring out of me. It had soaked through my pants. I shoved a bunch of paper towels in my underwear."

Guerrero said she didn't tell anybody about the episode, and finished her work for the night, before heading to the airport.

"I don't blame one person for this," said Guerrero, who was fired from 'MNF' following the '03 season. "The miscarriage wasn't because of Freddie, and it wasn't because of one radio talk show host or one bad column. It was a culmination of the entire season of negativity and cruelty. It was really cruel."

She added that she's now hoping her story can deter bullying and trolling moving forward.

The Packers will donate $100,000 worth of Automated External Defibrillators to schools and recreational sports leagues in the Green Bay area ... in light of Damar Hamlin's medical emergency, the team announced Wednesday.

The team collaborated with Bellin Health, the team's official healthcare provider, to donate money for 80 AED devices ... which typically cost around $1,000, and can save lives. Unfortunately, many places aren't equipped. Green Bay is looking to change that.

The Packers and Bellin Health released a joint statement ... saying the donation would provide the AEDs where youth and recreational sports are played across Wisconsin and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.

"After seeing Damar Hamlin's shocking cardiac arrest and witnessing the incredible response from the emergency personnel and medical professionals who treated him, we recognized our responsibility to take action in our own community," said Packers Exec Mark Murphy.

He continued ... "Damar's injury also reminds us that cardiac emergencies are experienced each day throughout the country and our region."

"We're proud to work with Bellin Health to equip more athletic facilities and organizations with AEDs, as well as the tools and skills they need to save a life."

After the facilities receive the AEDs, which administer a shock to the heart to reestablish an effective rhythm, Bellin Health said they would ensure reps from the various organizations are adequately trained in CPR and AED use.

"We are extremely grateful to the Green Bay Packers for this incredible donation of life-saving equipment to the communities we serve," said Bellin Health President Chris Woleske.

"Access to this equipment combined with education surrounding how to provide aid in a cardiac emergency is proven to save lives."

Joe Burrow had a digit disaster at his press conference on Wednesday ... 'cause the superstar quarterback wore the wrong jersey!!

The 26-year-old showed off the new look as he met with reporters ... and he was immediately asked if he was ditching #9 for #8.

Naturally, as soon as Burrow looked down to check what they were talking about ... he started cracking up.

"I guess I put the wrong one on," Burrow laughed. "So what happened was, I forgot about the press conference ... so I put my jersey back on. But apparently, it wasn't my jersey."

"Guess it's been that kind of day, huh?"

FYI -- #8 belongs to Brandon Allen, the backup quarterback who resigned with the Bengals last March.

Hopefully, Burrow remembers to wear his own jersey when the Bengals take on the Buffalo Bills in the Divisional Round of the playoffs on Sunday.

Speaking of the game, Burrow eventually got to talkin' about the big road matchup ... and he's not concerned about the Bills being the betting favorite.

"I always enjoy going on the road. Just you and your guys," Burrow said. "It feels like it's you against the world and that's where we like to be."

"Never feel like an underdog."

Jay Briscoe's death sent shockwaves throughout the sports entertainment world ... with his contemporaries, past and present, paying tribute to the late Ring of Honor wrestler, who tragically died in an auto collision in Delaware.

Paul Michael Levesque -- better known as Triple H -- tweeted, writing, "An incredible performer who created a deep connection with wrestling fans across the globe. My condolences to the family and friends of Jay Briscoe."

WWE Superstar Seth Rollins spoke about what it was like to compete against Jay ... and the impact Briscoe had on shaping the wrestler he is today.

"Being in the ring with Jay Briscoe got me my first ROH contract," Rollins tweeted. "He and Mark being so selfless helped Jimmy and I find our footing as AOTF. Without him, I don’t know if Tyler Black could ever have been Seth Rollins."

WWE Superstar Sami Zayn was speechless after Jay died ... writing, "I don’t have the words right now to properly convey my sorrow. I love Jay & Mark Briscoe. Always have. I wouldn’t be here without them."

He added ... "I’m very lucky to have shared the ring & shared so many laughs with Jay Briscoe, and I’m so sad to know neither will happen again. RIP, my friend."

As we previously reported, AEW founder Tony Khan announced Tuesday that Briscoe, who had been wrestling with the Ring of Honor promotion since 2002, passed away.

Briscoe and his brother, Mark, are one of the greatest duos in tag team history ... and at the time of Jay's death, they were the current Ring of Honor World Tag Team champions.

Wrestling legends X-Pac and Matt Hardy echoed similar sentiments ... saying they were "heartbroken" and "devastated" over Jay's death but also paid homage to the incredible performer and man he was.

WWE commentators Booker T and Vic Joseph shared their condolences on-air during NXT's show Tuesday night.

We also talked to WWE official, Adam Pearce ... Jay's longtime friend, who shared some memories when he joined Mojo on the "TMZ Sports" TV show on Wednesday.

NBA champion and former coach Chris Ford -- credited with making the first three-point basket in league history -- has died, his family announced Wednesday. He was 74 years old.

"Chris was beloved by his family, friends, and teammates," his family said in a statement. "He had a great love for his family, the city of Boston, the fans, and the entire Celtics family. He always showed humility and respect for all those that were fortunate enough to be a part of his life."

The C's also addressed Ford's passing ... saying, "The Boston Celtics sends their deepest sympathies to the Ford family and their many friends."

The Pistons selected Chris in the second round of the 1972 NBA draft ... and he spent his first seven seasons with Detroit before joining the Celtics.

Chris played the final four years of his career with Boston ... and was a vital member of the 1981 team that won a championship over the Houston Rockets.

Ford won two more NBA titles with the Celtics in 1984 and 1986 as an assistant coach ... and became the eleventh head coach in franchise history in 1990.

As head coach, Ford led his former teammates Larry Bird, Robert Parrish and Kevin McHale to the playoffs several times.

Ford also coached Bird, Isiah Thomas, Michael Jordan, Charles Barkley and Patrick Ewing in the 1991 All-Star Game.

Antonio Brown is deflecting responsibility for a sexually-explicit private picture shared on his Snapchat ... claiming his account was hacked.

The ex-NFL superstar broke his silence on the situation Wednesday ... saying he's working with the social media platform to resolve the issue.

As we previously reported, AB's account posted a picture of his ex, Chelsie Kyriss, performing oral sex on him in bed ... and the image was shared all over the Internet.

Chelsie addressed the photo shortly after it went public ... saying she was aware of the post and reported it to Snap.

Chelsie also stated she had previously asked AB to keep their past relationship private ... but he's refused.

A spokesperson for the platform told TMZ Sports AB's account was suspended and an investigation was underway, citing Community Guidelines that "prohibit sexually explicit content and bullying or harassment of any kind."

Given AB's previous Snap activity -- including posting fake nude images of Gisele Bundchen -- it's entirely possible he is attempting to cover his ass ... considering almost all states have laws on the books to punish people who post revenge porn.

But, if his account was seriously hacked, it's a truly unfortunate situation for everyone involved.

The car crash that killed pro wrestling star Jay Briscoe on Tuesday also left his two daughters in critical condition ... cops announced on Wednesday.

According to Delaware State Police, the wreck happened in Laurel at around 5:09 PM ... when the driver of a 2019 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 suddenly veered into Briscoe's lane, and slammed head-on into his 2016 Chevrolet Silverado 2500.

Cops say the driver of the Silverado 1500, 27-year-old Lillyanne Ternahan, and Briscoe (real name Jamin Pugh) were pronounced dead at the scene ... but Briscoe's two passengers, his 9-year-old and 12-year-old girls, survived.

Both, however, were taken by ambulance to a nearby hospital in critical condition.

Ashley Pugh, Briscoe's wife, said in a Facebook post on Wednesday morning that the family needed prayers.

"Gracie is on her way into surgery on her back," Ashley said. "Jamin would want the whole world praying for his little girl. WE BELIEVE IN THE POWER OF PRAYER!! Pray for the doctors and everyone working on her! Pray for her precious legs to move again! Pray for Jayleigh who has some pretty serious injuries, but is stable and resting!"

"Pray for strength for all of us!" she added. "We have a long long road ahead of us!"

"Justtttttt a bit outside."

Charlie Sheen, Corbin Bernsen, and Tom Berenger reunited, almost 34 years after the first 'Major League' movie hit theaters, with the three actors hitting up a sports collectors convention in Houston (feels like it should've been Cleveland) ... where they signed autographs and took pics with a gang of fans.

It's one of the first times the three stars of the movie have been together since the movies were released decades ago. "Major League" came out in 1989 ... and "Major League II" in 1994. There was a third movie, without Sheen and Berenger (Bernsen appeared in the film), but we won't talk about that.

Sheen portrayed the movie's most notable character, Ricky "Wild Thing" Vaughn ... a flame-throwing pitcher with bad eyesight and questionable control.

Berenger played Jake Taylor ... a former All-Star catcher whose body -- particularly his knees -- broke down from all the innings behind the plate.

Bernsen played Roger Dorn ... the team's prima donna star third baseman.

If you haven't seen the movie, shame on you ... it's hilarious.

Multiple gunshots rang out at the end of a high school basketball game in Oklahoma on Tuesday ... sending fans scrambling for their lives -- and the horrifying incident was all captured on video.

It happened at Del City H.S. after the school's boy's basketball team beat Millwood High, 62-58.

In a broadcast of the game, you can see as fans were leaving John Smith Fieldhouse ... two shots went off, causing chaos in the gym.

Spectators immediately bolted for cover ... as the broadcasters of the game threw their stream to commercial break, and then ducked underneath the scorer's table to cover themselves.

DCHS Principal Steve Gilliland said in a statement following the contest that a gun was fired after a fight had occurred at the conclusion of the game.

"The Del City Police Department is onsite and investigating the incident," Gilliland said.

One adult male was shot, police told KOCO ABC 5 News, and taken to the hospital. His condition is currently unknown.

Cops told TMZ Sports on Wednesday they hadn't received any reports of students who were injured in the incident. No arrests have been made ... and an investigation remains ongoing.

The Navy isn't gonna be happy with this.

Stephen A. Smith had a BOLD take this week, but it wasn't about whether Dak Prescott is elite ... it was his reaction to Rihanna performing the Super Bowl halftime show -- simply saying, "she ain't Beyoncé."

The ESPN personality made the comment during his appearance on "The Sherri Show" Wednesday ... claiming it's no shade to RiRi, but will most certainly come across that way with the singer's diehard fanbase.

"Rihanna's music is fantastic," SAS said during the interview. "She's great. She's a sister. I love her dearly, I listen to her music, I'm gonna support her 'til the cows come home."

"I'm just telling you, for me, there's Beyoncé and there's everybody else. Just like there's Michael Jackson and there's everybody else."

Smith says he isn't NOT excited to see Rihanna do her thing ... but makes it clear there's only room for one at the top.

"Ladies and gentlemen, [Rihanna is] a lot of things. She's spectacular actually and congratulations on new mamahood. There's one thing she's not -- she ain't Beyoncé."

SAS says he mentioned Beyoncé because the icon did the SB XLVII show in 2013 without the likes of Coldplay and Bruno Mars ... although she did have support from her former Destiny's Child groupmates, Kelly Rowland and Michelle Williams.

Here's the thing, though -- Rihanna could certainly do her gig alone as well ... as her show has been completely under wraps since it was announced.

Smith goes on to explain his stance ... comparing the situation to the show's host.

"I like television," he added. "I like a lot of talent out there. There's some spectacular females in television, I just want to say that. Everybody ain't Sherri. That's not throwing shading on them. That's appreciating their greatness but understanding, there's levels!"

Bottom line, both Rihanna and Beyoncé are incredibly successful and talented ... so there's really no need to pit them against each other. But, Stephen A. is entitled to his opinion.

The whole interview airs Wednesday ... check your local listings.

Flyers defenseman Ivan Provorov refused to show up for his team's warmups on Tuesday night ... boycotting Philadelphia's decision to have its players wear rainbow-colored jerseys that supported the LGBTQ+ community.

Provorov, who ultimately ended up playing in the game after the Flyers switched back to their normal uniforms, said after the contest he made the decision due to his Russian Orthodox beliefs.

"I respect everybody and I respect everybody's choices," the 26-year-old said. "My choice is to stay true to myself and my religion. That's all I'm going to say."

Reporters attempted to ask Provorov further questions about the decision ... but he shut them down, saying, "Did you not hear what I just said? Can you respect that?"

Flyers head coach John Tortorella, meanwhile, seemed to back his player's choice ... telling media members after the game he never once considered not playing Provorov, despite the pregame protest.

"It's one thing I respect about Provy," the 64-year-old manager said. "He's always true to himself. And, so, that's where we're at with that."

The Flyers opted to wear the pregame kits -- as well as wrap their sticks with rainbow-colored tape -- in order to promote inclusivity in a sport that's historically struggled with diversity. Philly auctioned off its players' pregame items after the game, donating proceeds to groups who are helping grow hockey in diverse communities. Provorov was the only Flyer who didn't have memorabilia up in the auction.

The team spoke generically about the issue in a statement just before the game ... saying, "The Philadelphia Flyers organization is committed to inclusivity and is proud to support the LGBTQ+ community. Many of our players are active in their support of local LGBTQ+ organizations, and we were proud to host our annual Pride Night again this year. The Flyers will continue to be strong advocates for inclusivity and the LGBTQ+ community."

The NHL has yet to comment on it all.

Provorov ended up playing a team-high 22:45 minutes in the game against the Ducks, which Philadelphia won, 5-2.