TMZ Sports - Page 50

You can't mess with Alek Manoah's fastball on the field, and you apparently can't mess with it off of it either ... 'cause the Blue Jays ace absolutely eviscerated an MLB Network analyst this week after the guy body-shamed him on live TV.

Anthony Recker, a former MLB catcher who's been breaking down players and games for the league's network for the past year, made the comments on "MLB Tonight" on Wednesday ... seemingly taking a shot at Manoah's 6-foot-6, 285-pound frame.

"Show me you're willing to put a little more time in the gym," Recker said.

Manoah caught wind of the remarks a few hours later -- and he was clearly pissed over them.

"Hey @Anthony_Recker my job isn’t to please you," the 26-year-old said on his Twitter page. "You are an outsider you don’t know me or my work ethic. What I do in the gym has clearly worked check the numbers, sucks you can’t say the same for yourself."

Recker immediately tried to backpedal on the comments, telling Manoah his remarks were taken out of context.

Manoah, though, wasn't buying it ... adding, "Youre just like everyone else. Love to talk and then wanna say sorry when you get called out. If you wanna see how an All Star, 1st team All-MLB, and CY young finalist trains. Come meet me [at the gym]."

The right-handed flamethrower then shared a bunch of videos of him getting after it in the weight room.

Former Blue Jays pitcher Marcus Stroman later entered into the conversation -- slamming Recker for his comments as well.

Hulk Hogan has a message for his fans ... "Don't believe everything you hear!"

Days after WWE Hall of Famer Kurt Angle provided a bleak health assessment of Hulk's current condition, saying he was in such rough shape he had no feeling in his legs and couldn't walk without a cane, TMZ Sports obtained a video which appears to show differently.

The clip, shot by Hulk's longtime friend and sports agent, Darren Prince, was shot Thursday night and shows 69-year-old Hogan very much walking without a cane, doing his best Ric Flair strut.

"Hulk Hogan here, the greatest of all time, a little stiff, a little sore, but woooooo!" before executing a walk that'd make Ric proud!

Of course, Angle, on the latest episode of his podcast, said he spoke with Hogan last month during the taping of WWE Raw's 30th Anniversary show and the WWE legend told him he “had the nerves cut from his lower body" during back surgery and "can’t feel his lower body."

Kurt, who's known Hulk for decades, went on to say ... "I thought [Hogan] was using the cane because he had pain in his back. He doesn’t have any pain. He has nothing at all. He can’t feel anything."

FWIW, Angle also talked about how great Hulk is ... so there doesn't appear to be any beef between the men -- just a bit of misunderstanding.

Of course, Hulk has battled severe injuries, especially to his back (he's had at least 10 back surgeries) as a result of decades of professional wrestling.

Joe Mixon is in the clear in his aggravated menacing case -- at least, for now -- prosecutors dismissed the charge against the Cincinnati Bengals star on Friday ... though there is still a chance they could re-file it at a later date.

Officials from the Cincinnati City Prosecutor's Office asked a judge to sign off on the case's dismissal early Friday morning ... and just minutes ago in a Cincinnati courtroom, Hamilton County Judge Curt Kissinger did just that.

"I will sign the entry of dismissal," the judge said at the hearing. "And the warrant will be recalled subject to further filing by the City of Cincinnati."

Prosecutors said in the courtroom they were asking for dismissal because they needed "additional investigation before we would move forward with this case."

They noted the alleged victim would like to still go forward with the charge "if we do decide to refile it."

As we reported, an arrest warrant for a misdemeanor count of aggravated menacing was issued for Mixon on Thursday ... after officials alleged he pointed a firearm at a woman on Jan. 21 and told her, "You should be popped in the face, I should shoot you, the police can't get me."

Mixon's rep, Peter Schaffer, said in a statement following the court filing, "It was a rush to judgment."

"I really feel that police have an obligation before they file charges -- because of the damage that can be done to the person's reputation -- to do their work," Schaffer added.

Kyrie Irving has reportedly demanded a trade ... giving the Brooklyn Nets an ultimatum -- either trade the NBA superstar, or watch him walk away in free agency,

The news just broke minutes ago ... with reports saying Irving wants to be traded ahead of the trade deadline on Feb. 9 -- but if that doesn't happen, he will sign with another team come August, according to Shams Charania.

Irving is in the final year of a four-year, $136 million contract with the Nets ... and was reportedly seeking a long-term extension from the franchise.

Kyrie -- who has been with Brooklyn since 2019 -- initially came to the Nets with his teammate and friend, Kevin Durant -- but now, it appears he wants out of BK ASAP.

Irving was the subject of trade rumors this past summer ... but the NBA champ came into the season with the hopes the Nets would one day sign him to a long-term deal.

The Nets are facing a dilemma -- trade Kyrie and split up him and KD, or watch Irving leave for nothing when he becomes an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season.

The NFL is promoting CPR awareness following the Damar Hamlin incident ... teaming up with the American Heart Association and Red Cross to help train those involved in youth sports to learn the procedure.

The league says it is committed to ensuring all participants at the youth sports level are educated properly and have the necessary equipment to respond to medical emergencies in light of what happened to the Buffalo Bills safety during Monday Night Football last month.

"Being able to deliver care in emergency situations is not just important at sporting events, but in all walks of life," NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said. "Our continued partnerships with the American Heart Association and the American Red Cross will ensure even more people have the capability to administer CPR and respond to emergencies."

"The tools and trainings exist to keep young athletes safe -- we embrace our responsibility to ensure that knowledge is in as many hands as possible for the greatest positive impact."

On Tuesday, 24-year-old Hamlin announced a collab with the AHA to create the "3 for Heart" challenge -- a campaign to spread CPR awareness and training.

"As you know, CPR saved my life earlier this year on the field, and CPR could easily save your life or someone you love," Hamlin said in a video posted on his Instagram account.

The league said throughout the month of February -- American Heart Month -- it will host a series of activities ... starting with a fundraiser via NFL Auction on February 9 during Super Bowl Week.

Saquon Barkley can pull off nasty juke moves against linebackers on the football field, but when it comes to dodgeball and Demario Davis ... ehhh, not so much.

The New York Giants star proved he ain't exactly elite at the children's game during the 2023 Epic Pro Bowl Dodgeball tournament ... taking a huge shot right to the face!!

Here's what happened ... Barkley and Davis, a New Orleans Saints linebacker, were the only ones left in the NFC offense vs. NFC defense competition on Thursday in Las Vegas -- and had to take each other out in a one-on-one showdown to win it all.

Barkley showed off some impressive defensive moves by bobbing and weaving at first ... but that ended quickly after Davis threw a heater right at the guy's face.

To his credit, Saquon shook it off -- and it actually helped his NFC team win ... because headshots aren't allowed, and Davis was DQ'ed for it.

"Got hit in my face," the 25-year-old said afterward on the Giants' Instagram, "but at the end of the day, we got the win. That's the only thing that matters."

Outside of the painful moment for Barkley, the night went off without a hitch ... featuring a crazy scene involving Cleveland Browns star Myles Garrett ... who really showed off his athleticism in the NFC vs. AFC final.

Win or lose, some Eagles fans won't have to stress about waking up early for math class the day after the Super Bowl ... 'cause one school district has already implemented a two-hour delay in honor of the big game.

The Gloucester City School District in South Jersey announced its plans to have a late start on Monday, Feb. 13 .. allowing kids and teachers to either celebrate -- or mourn -- the result of the game a bit longer before hitting the hay.

"It is a rare and special time for families to watch our local professional football team compete in the Super Bowl," school superintendent Sean Gorman said about the decision.

"We feel that it's important to give students and staff the opportunity to enjoy the game with the families and still attend school and work the next day safely and well-rested."

FYI, Gloucester City is located in Camden County in New Jersey ... and is located about 12 minutes from Lincoln Financial Field in Philly, where the Eagles play their home games.

Of course, some people view the Monday after the Super Bowl as a holiday -- kids and adults generally want to call off from work or skip school after all the partying.

Philly fans have a reputation for their passionate postgame antics -- they put that on full display when the Phillies advanced to the World Series ... and more recently, when the Eagles won the NFC Championship game.

Dejounte Murray should be good on sauce from Chick-fil-A FOREVER, or at least through the NBA season ... 'cause the Hawks star was gifted an enormous box filled with Polynesian packets!

The Hawks guard got the surprise gift in the locker room right after the team's 132 to 100 win over the Suns in Phoenix on Wednesday.

Of course, the NBA All-Star is obsessed with Chick-fil-A and their Polynesian sauce ... in fact, DJ was even eating CFA before the Hawks-Suns game.

Murray's love of the sauce is well known, so when rookie guard Adrian Griffin Jr. handed him a box wrapped with paper printed with IG messages from fans talking about his love of the sweet and sour sauce, DJ knew what was in the box.

"I already know what it is," Murray laughed, "Polynesian! Haha!"

And, unlike Karl-Anthony Towns roasting his teammate Anthony Edwards over his eating habits, it doesn't seem like anyone on the Hawks is bothered by DM's obsession with the sugary CFA sauces.

It might be because Murray -- who joined Trae Young and the Hawks last June following a trade -- has been eating on the floor, averaging 21.2 points, 6.1 assists, and 5.5 rebounds per game.

Dwayne Johnson's mom, Ata Johnson, was involved in a terrifying car crash on Wednesday night -- one that left her Cadillac totally mangled -- but, thankfully, he said "she's OK."

The Rock shared the news on his Instagram page Thursday evening ... revealing the accident was so bad, his mom's ride suffered a beat-up hood and bumper -- and a completely wrecked right front fender.

Fortunately, the former WWE superstar said the 74-year-old made it out of the accident apparently unscathed.

"Angels of mercy watched over my mom as she was in a car crash late last night," Dwayne said. "She’ll survive and continue to get evaluated."

He added, "This woman has survived lung cancer, tough marriage, head on collision with a drunk driver and attempted suicide. She’s a survivor, in ways that make angels and miracles real."

Dwayne didn't share further details of the crash -- but he did say it happened somewhere in Los Angeles ... and thanked the LAPD and LAFD for their rescue efforts.

Tyre Nichols, who loved to skateboard, could soon have his name emblazoned on skate parks in Memphis and Sacramento ... TMZ has learned.

Chief of Communications for the City of Memphis, Allison Fouche tells TMZ ... leaders are having preliminary conversations about naming a park after Tyre. Mayor Jim Strickland is floating the idea to the City Council.

We're told the Mayor is meeting internally with his team Friday to discuss plans, including whether they'll build a new park in Tyre's honor, or rename an existing one.

Since Tyre's tragic death, videos have been circulating online of him showing off his skateboarding skills. Most of the footage is from his time in Sacramento, CA before moving to Memphis.

Tim Swanson, media and communications manager for the City of Sacramento, tells TMZ ... councilmember Lisa Kaplan, Mayor Darrell Steinberg and City staff are working with Tyre's family to explore the best ways to honor his legacy, which could include renaming a skate park after him.

Tyre's parents are crowdfunding a memorial fund, and his mom says she'd like to use some of the money to build a memorial skate park for Tyre.

Tom Brady's been good at just about everything in his life, but Dr. Jenn Mann says the QB could now face some big adversity ... telling TMZ Sports she fears the future Hall of Famer could have a "very difficult transition" to retirement.

The "Couples Therapy" doc says it's normal for athletes to struggle once the game is taken away from them ... but given how successful Brady was -- and for how long he sustained the excellence -- she tells us she's worried the next few months might be really hard for TB12.

She explained ... going from a day-to-day process where everything from nutrition to emotional energy is determined by sport -- to it suddenly being removed -- can be "really surprisingly a difficult transition."

But, Dr. Jenn says there are plenty of solutions for Brady to ease all of that -- starting with the $375 MILLION broadcasting contract he inked with Fox before he hung up his spikes.

If that doesn't help -- the famed psychotherapist said she would recommend therapy for Brady ... as well as finding a new sense of structure ... to get the second chapter of his life started smoothly.

A warrant has been issued for Bengals star running back Joe Mixon's arrest in Cincinnati ... TMZ Sports has confirmed.

According to court records, the warrant is for a count of aggravated menacing -- which is described as when a person knowingly leads another to believe they will physically harm them or their property, unborn child or member of their immediate family.

Aggravated menacing is a first-degree misdemeanor, according to Ohio's State Laws and Regulations. If convicted, Mixon could face up to 180 days in jail and a fine.

Mixon, 26, just completed his sixth season in the NFL ... and the Bengals were eliminated from the playoffs on Sunday.

As a member of the Oklahoma Sooners football team in 2014, Mixon was charged with misdemeanor assault when he punched a woman after she shoved him in the chest. He entered an Alford plea ... admitting there was enough evidence to convict him. He got 1-year probation, 100 hours of community service and behavioral counseling.

We reached out to Mixon's rep for comment ... so far, no word back.

Jake Paul sharpened his trash-talking tools this week ... but it wasn't with his next boxing opponent, Tommy Fury -- the Problem Child traded verbal jabs with sports personality Bomani Jones in a heated interview.

The YouTuber-turned-pro boxer joined Jones' "Game Theory" this week ... and things went from 0 to 100 real quick.

In a clip from the HBO show, Bomani asked how the undefeated boxer would react if he ever loses a fight ... and Jake made it clear he has zero intention of ever having to cross that bridge.

"I don't plan on losing," Paul said. "I don't train to lose. I feel like that's probably your mindset. A lot of people like to project their mindsets onto me."

Jones interjects and says that's not the case -- he was just genuinely curious to hear whether Paul would still be as interested in boxing if he takes his first L.

That's when Jake gave the host a piece of his mind.

"I'mma be honest, bro, I don't know who the f*** you are. My PR team set up this interview."

If Aaron Rodgers gets traded this offseason, apparently it won't be to the 49ers ... the star quarterback said Thursday he's "not going to San Fran."

The Green Bay Packers star made the proclamation while getting set to tee off on a Par-3 at the Pebble Beach Pro-Am ... after a hole announcer had asked if he had any news to share.

Of course, Rodgers was smirking ear-to-ear as he made the statement -- so it's hard to determine whether or not he was being serious ... or just trolling the Northern California crowd.

Rodgers has been rumored to be on the trade block for weeks -- and with the health issues in the 49ers' quarterback room, many thought SF might be an ideal landing spot for the future Hall of Famer.

Then again, the New York Jets and the Las Vegas Raiders -- whose best player, Davante Adams, openly recruited Rodgers in a tweet on Wednesday night -- also make a ton of sense for the QB.

Green Bay has yet to say publicly if it's shopping the 39-year-old signal-caller ... but either way, a decision's gotta be made within the next few months, if not weeks.

Vanessa Hudgens and her MLB player boyfriend, Cole Tucker, have just taken their relationship to a whole 'nother level ... TMZ Sports has learned they're engaged!!!

A source close to the two tells us ... Tucker popped the question sometime at the end of 2022.

It's unclear when exactly the question was popped ... but the couple was in Paris in November -- a lovely place for a potential engagement to go down.

The "High School Musical" star and the Colorado Rockies utility man have been dating since 2020 -- and have been nearly inseparable since they initially became romantic.

Vanessa's been spotted at a ton of his baseball games over the past couple years -- and in Tucker's offseason, he's spent nearly all of his free time with the actress.

Just a few days ago, Hudgens proclaimed her love for the baseball player in a mushy social media post, writing, "I’ll stop the world and melt with you ❤️🥰."

Tucker's written similar messages to Hudgens on his Instagram too.

It was quite a 2022 for Tucker ... he started the year as a Pittsburgh Pirate before moving on to the Arizona Diamondbacks.

He ultimately signed as a free agent with the Rockies this offseason -- meaning he and Vanessa are now going to be spending a whole lot of time together in Denver in 2023.

Clemson men's basketball star Brevin Galloway has turned a horrifying injury into a huge boon for his wallet ... scoring a big NIL deal after he severely hurt his testes last week.

Men's underwear company Shinesty announced Thursday they signed the senior guard to a pact that promises to pay him some cash and give him a whole bunch of undies -- after he suffered a testicular torsion injury that he hilariously described in a social media video as his balls "exploding."

Galloway explained in the deal's announcement that he believed the ailment happened because he was wearing loose boxers. But, now, he says he's confident his new Shinesty Ball Hammock pouch gear will keep him -- and his babymakers -- safe and sound going forward.

"Now I can focus on dropping 3's," he said, "since I know Ball Hammocks won’t drop my 2's."

In the company's announcement, Shinesty officials said Galloway is recovering from his surgery nicely and will "return to the court later this month."