TMZ Sports - Page 24

Flo Rida just landed a sweet $80 million settlement in his lawsuit against Celsius energy drink, and the "My House" rapper says that means he's about to turn up his charitable efforts in a big way!!!

TMZ Hip Hop caught Flo Monday at LAX, fresh off his Grammy weekend where he kept an extra big grin on account of winning his copyright lawsuit against the beverage co. in January.

Flo tells us his musical success allowed for retirement several years ago, but this new influx of cash will enable more philanthropic endeavors ... such as his Big Dreams For Kids charity that powers his own Florida Youth Football league.

Flo says his league is over 10,000 players strong, and he flew several of them out to Cali to train with Snoop Dogg, and his famed football league from the Netflix series.

He's optimistic the players will grow up to be doctors, lawyers or even professional athletes.

In terms of Celsius, Flo says he's still a co-owner, and has no hard feelings in the aftermath of the lawsuit.

Ronnie Rivers almost matched his entire NFL rookie salary in one night ... 'cause the Los Angeles Rams running back won half a million playin' cards at a Vegas casino!!

The 24-year-old was at Caesars Palace in Sin City on Saturday when he got lucky at the Mega Progressive Jackpot table ... and we're talkin' REAL lucky.

Rivers pulled a Royal Flush at the three-card poker table ... the most improbable hand you can hold. The odds of getting a RF are 1 in 649,000.

Rivers and his friends went crazy, and rightfully so ... as they filmed the jackpot sign at the table climb up over $514,000.

"500,000!!!" his friend yelled, "Ronnie!!!"

What makes this reward even better is he won it on a special weekend ... his and his mother's birthday.

In winning, he almost doubled his rookie salary ... the former Fresno State RB, who went undrafted, signed with the Rams practice squad in September 2022 before making it to the active roster a few months later.

He signed a $705K deal last year with ... and will earn a base salary of $870K next season.

Patrick Mahomes is going to enjoy a cold one with a side of foot sweat if the Chiefs win the Super Bowl on Sunday ... 'cause the K.C. star said Monday he'll chug a beer right outta Cooper Manning's boot if they get the dub over the Eagles!!!

The quarterback made the promise to the oldest Manning brother during a fun interview at Super Bowl week's opening night -- after Cooper had asked him a series of questions about cowboy boots.

Eventually, Mahomes said as long as Cooper joined him in the beer guzzling, he'd drink one down out of the footwear -- no problem.

"Post-Super Bowl, if you bring that thing there, and we get the win," Mahomes said, "I'll drink the beer out of the boot with you."

Of course, the 27-year-old signal-caller had a couple caveats. No. 1 -- it's gotta be Coors Light (everyone knows Mahomes loves his Silver Bullets), and No. 2, Cooper has to be hygienic about it all.

"I've got to make sure you wash your socks before we do that," Mahomes said.

While the two were laughing over the bet -- odds are pretty good it'll go down. After all, Mahomes was no stranger to pouring beer down his throat the last time the Chiefs won the Super Bowl in 2020.

Former Premier League star Christian Atsu, who played for Chelsea and Newcastle, is missing after a massive earthquake hit Turkey on Monday ... with multiple outlets reporting he's feared to be trapped underneath rubble.

The 7.8-magnitude quake rocked the country at 4:17 AM -- killing scores of people and leveling buildings ... and according to local reports out of Turkey, Atsu has not been seen or heard from since the shaking began.

Newcastle officials tweeted they're "praying for some positive news." The Ghana Football Association added in a tweet of its own, "Our thoughts and prayers are with Christian Atsu and our brothers and sisters in Turkey and Syria. We remain hopeful for positive news."

Atsu, a 31-year-old winger, joined Turkish club Hatayspor back in September ... and had just played in a game for them hours before the earthquake on Sunday night, scoring a goal.

He had previously played for Al-Raed in Saudi Arabia in 2021-22.

According to reports, more than 2,300 people have died due to Monday's earthquake ... with many more missing -- as search and rescue efforts remain ongoing.

"My message to Jake Paul is good luck and I hope you've trained and I hope you got an ambulance on speed dial because you're gonna need it."

That's Tommy Fury with a very ominous warning for The Problem Child ... just 3 weeks before their highly anticipated February 26th boxing match in Saudi Arabia.

Of course, the men have been scheduled to fight two other times (more on that later) ... and the bad blood is so real, 23-year-old Fury says he's never wanted anything as badly as he wants a win over 26-year-old Paul.

"This is all that's been in my mind for the past two and a half, three years because I'm a professional, legitimate fighter, and my name has been lingering with Jake Paul for quite some time now and Jake Paul is not on my level," Tommy told Babcock on the "TMZ Sports" TV show (airs weekdays on FS1).

"Jake Paul is not even considered a legitimate fighter and to have my name dragged through the mud with his, I want to prove a point."

Fury continued ... "In three weeks, I get my chance. I don't wanna take it both hands, I wanna school this man. I'm gonna take him to the trenches and he will be drowned. There's no way he can last eight rounds in the ring with me."

Tommy says he's going to put Jake down, and he's going to do it early.

"I see me putting him away early, the way I'm punching in the gym, what I'm doing to people in the gym," Fury said, adding, "There's no way. When the shots land, he will be going down. He will not get up."

Babcock asked Tommy what he'd say to all the people who believe he will find a way out of the fight with Jake.

"I say to those people they need to wake up. Don't worry. I'll be in Saudi Arabia ready for February 26th. I'm ready to go now. I can't wait to get on this plane and get over there."

"I'm gonna hurt this man seriously come February 26th and if he banking on me for not showing, well if that's where he getting his confidence from, then he needs to think again 'cause I'll be there and I'll be right in his face come fight night."

We also talked to former UFC star turned BKFC boxer, "Platinum" Mike Perry ... who Paul has tapped as the replacement fighter, should Tommy fail to make it to fight night.

NASCAR star Kyle Busch says he was detained by authorities in Mexico last month ... after he says they found a handgun in his bag at an airport.

Busch said it all happened following the conclusion of his vacation with his wife, Samantha, in late January.

According to the 37-year-old driver, he was going through airport security screening ... when he realized he accidentally brought his firearm in his luggage.

Busch claims he has a valid concealed carry permit for it -- but its discovery still alarmed authorities, who detained him over it all.

"I was not aware of Mexican law and had no intention of bringing a handgun into Mexico," he said in a statement on his social media page Monday.

"When it was discovered, I fully cooperated with the authorities, accepted the penalties, and returned to North Carolina."

Prosecutors in Quintana Roo appeared to address the incident in a statement released over the weekend. Officials said the defendant, ID'ed only as "Kyle Thomas 'B'" from the state of Nevada, was detained following the discovery of a firearm on Jan. 27. They noted that following an investigation, he was sentenced to three and a half years in prison as well as a fine.

Busch made no mention of a prison sentence in his statement Monday.

"I apologize for my mistake and appreciate the respect shown by all parties as we resolved the matter," Busch said. "My family and I consider this issue closed."

Dr. Dre and Interscope Records are marking the 30th anniversary of "The Chronic" by recreating the roller rink hysteria from back in the day when the album first dropped!!!

TMZ Hip Hop got video from the star-studded party at the Hollywood Palladium ... which partnered with Usher to host a pop-up of the world-famous Flipper’s Roller Boogie Palace, and the "Confessions" singer proceeded to cut the rink in his custom glow-in-the-dark skates!!!

Not to be outdone, Floyd Mayweather showed how his fancy boxing footwork translates to wheels ... as did Chris Brown, DaniLeigh, Mike Epps, Jermaine Dupri, Teyana Taylor and many more.

We're told Dre didn't skate but chatted it up with execs from Interscope and Power 106 while DJ Battlecat and Bryan-Michael Cox mixed 'Chronic' tracks in their overall sets.

'Chronic' music vids such as "Let Me Ride" and "Nuthin' But a 'G' Thang" also played on the monitors while Coi Leray, Lil Tjay, Fivio Foreign, Jim Jones, MGK and Megan Fox, Jason Lee and Drumma Boy filled up the celeb-packed crowd.

This year, however, Dre's not only basking in his old glory ... he's dropping an album titled "Casablanco" with longtime collaborator Marsha Ambriousus and has also been in the studio with Snoop Dogg and Eminem for more musical developments.

A police officer was blunt with Vontae Davis during his DUI arrest on Saturday ... telling the ex-NFL star straight up, "You almost killed somebody."

The stern chat with Davis was captured on Florida Highway Patrol dash cam footage, obtained by TMZ Sports, after officers said the two-time pro bowler had crashed his Tesla into another car during a wreck on a highway at around 7:50 AM.

In the video, you can see Davis appeared to be dozing in and out of consciousness as officers attempt to question him about the leadup to the accident.

They asked him where he had been, if he had been drinking, if he was injured, and if he'd submit to field sobriety tests. Davis answered some of the questions -- others not so much. He seemed to be slurring some of his words during his replies.

At one point, the video shows he told a cop he had been to a club and had consumed two "mixed drinks" prior to getting behind the wheel. He said he left the venue at around 2 AM, and had no recollection of a car crash.

Officers eventually told him he was under arrest -- and when Davis asked why, one of the cops didn't mince words.

"Your eyes are bloodshot," he said. "Your speech is slurred. You can barely stay awake. All right? You almost killed somebody."

When Davis said he "didn't almost kill nobody" -- the officer responded, "Yeah, man. They were in a truck on the side of the road. You took them completely out. And there was a father and son there on the shoulder."

Davis, who played 10 seasons in the NFL with the Colts, Dolphins, and Bills, was ultimately arrested and booked for DUI.

Las Vegas Raiders star, Darren Waller pulled up to the 2023 Pro Bowl with some new tats you absolutely could not miss ... because they were both on the sides of his head!!

The NFL tight end got the scalp ink on Saturday while the Pro Bowl games were going down at Allegiant Stadium ... and TMZ Sports has learned he flew out his go-to guy, Kali from Atlanta, to make sure it was all done right.

You can see in one of the pieces, there's an angel playing the trumpet. In the other, there's a falcon taking flight. Both are HUGE -- occupying most of the 30-year-old's cranium.

No word on what the images mean to Waller ... but Kali, who has done basically all of the tats on Waller, tells us the football player didn't complain once while the ink was going into his head.

"Sat like a champ," Kali tells us. "Always does."

Kali said it took a total of three hours to do the overall head piece -- and, when it comes to the healing process, the artist said it'll be just like any other tattoo ... as long as it's kept clean and moisturized.

LeBron James admits he's "disappointed" the Lakers didn't reunite him with his old teammate Kyrie Irving ... saying Monday he thought a trade for the point guard could have given him the chance to win multiple championships in L.A.

LBJ sat down for an interview with ESPN's Michael Wilbon ... and when the topic of Kyrie came up, it wasn't hard to see the King was heartbroken the Lakers got beat out by the Mavericks in a swap for the Nets superstar.

"Definitely disappointed," James said. "I can't sit here and say I'm not disappointed."

James called Irving someone he knows he has great chemistry with -- and someone who "can help you win championships."

The 38-year-old, though, said he's already getting over it ... telling Wilbon, "My focus has shifted back to where it should be, and that's this club now and what we have in the locker room."

As we previously reported, Irving was sent to Dallas on Sunday after he requested a trade last week. As part of the swap, Dallas sent over Spencer Dinwiddie, Dorian Finney-Smith, a first-round pick and a handful of second-rounders.

L.A. reportedly tried hard to get into the mix for Irving -- as did the Heat, Suns and Clippers.

James and Irving previously had success in Cleveland, when they went to four consecutive NBA Finals. They won a title in 2016 after overcoming a 3-1 deficit against the Warriors.

After news broke that Irving was on the move from Brooklyn to Dallas, James sent out an eyebrow-raising tweet that said, "Maybe it's me."

It's unclear who or what James was referring to, though the timing was interesting. But, either way, the four-time time NBA champion says he's moving past the disappointment of it all.

Dan Snyder's football team is up for sale -- and now, so is his massive pad in Maryland ... TMZ Sports has confirmed he's listing his huge D.C.-area property on Monday.

Michael Rankin of TTR Sotheby's International Realty tells us the Potomac home will officially go on sale with a price tag of $49 MILLION. It'd be, according to multiple reports, the largest sale of a property ever in the area if it gets the asking price.

The place is amazing ... it features 30,000 square feet, five bedrooms and 13.5 bathrooms. It's also got a basketball court, a theatre, a wine cellar, a library, a spa, and a gym ... and sits just feet away from a river.

The Washington Business Journal reports Snyder originally bought the place in 2000 -- and expanded on it in the ensuing years. According to the outlet, though, he hasn't lived in the home for a while.

The timing of the listing is obviously interesting -- Snyder announced back in November he was exploring a sale of his beloved Commanders team as well ... and both Jeff Bezos and Jay-Z had expressed big interest in putting in a bid for the franchise.

A.J. Green is moving on ... the star wide receiver announced on Monday he's retiring from the NFL after 11 seasons in the league with the Bengals and Cardinals.

"I’ve never been a man of many words, so I’ll keep this short," Green wrote on Instagram, adding ... "Thank you. Thank you to all who have supported, encouraged, and inspired me throughout my career."

34-year-old Green continued ... "Special thank you to the University of Georgia, Cincinnati Bengals, and Arizona Cardinals for the opportunity to pursue my dreams. I’ve stayed true to the game and it owes me nothing. Be blessed.. Love y’all! The next chapter begin."

Green was selected by the Bengals in the first round of the 2011 NFL draft ... where he spent the first nine seasons of his career playing in Cincinnati.

A 7x Pro Bowler, Green was one of the best wide receivers to ever put on a Bengals uniform, accumulating 649 receptions, 9,470 yards, and 65 touchdowns during his tenure.

Green finished his Bengals career second all-time in receptions, yards, and touchdowns, behind only Chad Johnson, who also played 11 seasons with Cinci (2001-2011).

In 2021, Green signed with the Arizona Cardinals -- joining forces with wide receivers DeAndre Hopkins and Christian Kirk -- where he spent the final two years of his career.

Green's former quarterback, Kyler Murray, praised the wideout after his announcement ... writing, "One of the best to ever do it. Appreciate ya bro."

Tom Brady not only won't be working the Super Bowl for FOX on February 12, but he won't be behind a mic next season, either ... the G.O.A.T. said Monday he's not beginning his broadcasting career until 2024.

The former Buccaneers signal-caller revealed his plan is to take all of 2023 off during a chat with Colin Cowherd on "The Herd" -- saying he won't begin calling games for FOX until the fall of '24.

Brady said he's looking to use the downtime to get good at the gig before officially stepping into the booth full-time.

"One thing about my career, whether that was when I was drafted by the Patriots or signed in free agency with the Bucs, I wanted to be fully committed," Brady explained. "I never wanted to let people down -- I think my biggest motivator was that."

"So, even in the future I want to be great at what I do and that always takes some time and strategizing and learning and growing and evolving."

Brady said in addition to leaning on others in the broadcasting world -- he's also going to be spending '23 "catching up on other parts of my life that need some time and energy."

The future Hall of Famer initially inked a 10-year, $375 million deal with Fox in May 2022 ... with the expectation that he'd begin calling games once his football career wrapped.

Clearly, though, Brady is looking for a break from everything for the next 18 or so months ... and he said Monday FOX officials were cool with it all.

In the meantime, former NFL star Greg Olsen will continue to be FOX's lead color commentator. He's slated to call the Eagles vs. Chiefs game on Sunday with play-by-play man Kevin Burkhardt.

NY Jets star Quinnen Williams and his wife just announced they're expecting a baby (!!), and they channeled Kim Kardashian and Kanye West when making the big announcement, posting a video reminiscent of the former couple's infamous music video "Bound 2"!

The All-Pro DT and his wife Maranda broke the news Monday on Instagram they're expecting a baby girl on Monday.

The Williams' have Ye's song playing in the background while the two are holding hands and kissing in a canyon.

Look familiar? Of course, it does!!

In the "Bound 2" music video, Kanye is all over then-fiancée Kim Kardashian while riding a motorbike in front of landscapes ... including canyons.

"May God grant us a healthy baby," Maranda said in the caption, "and always protect our princess. 💓"

Williams met Maranda at the University of Alabama where he became a CFP Champion in 2017, a unanimous All-American, and First-Team All-SEC.

Two years after the defensive tackle went 3rd overall in the 2019 NFL Draft, the two got married.

"I’m so happy that I found my true love, my partner in crime, my heart and soul, MY WHY," Williams said, "She is a blessing from above."

Lil Baby's bond with James Harden can't be broken ... and it's because they both have amazing eagle eyes when it comes to the girls on the scene.

We caught Baby leaving Nightingale in West Hollywood on Sunday night, fresh off of his contribution to the Grammys 50th anniversary hip hop tribute ... and he tells us he and The Beard are both "snipers" -- in other words, they can spot a fine woman a mile away!!!

Baby and James have been baller-blockin' for years together ... never letting silly things like the NBA schedule block their stunting.

Back in December, James totally ignored a 29-point loss to his old Nets team to celebrate Baby's friend's birthday in Houston, with Travis Scott in tow ... and who can forget Baby's 2020 bash where James dropped $300K on the "Yes Indeed" rapper ... in addition to mounds of honey buns, his favorite snack.

Brace yourself, Trent Dilfer just dropped the hot take of the year, actually saying he's not impressed with Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers feats in the modern NFL because it's "super easy".

50-year-old Dilfer made the comments about Brady and Rodgers during ESPN's Bullies of Baltimore 30 for 30 documentary on the Ravens, explaining why what TB 12 and AR do ain't all that impressive given how football is played these days.

"The modern-day game does not impress me. It's super easy when you don't get hit as a quarterback and when you can't reroute receivers and when you can't hit guys across the middle," Dilfer said.

"I love Tom Brady. I love Aaron Rodgers. I love these guys. It's not impressive. What's impressive is what they did," alluding to old school QB's.

Obviously, Dilfer's comments came as a bit of a head-scratcher for fans. After all, Brady and Rodgers won a combined 8 Super Bowls (Brady 7, Rodgers 1) and 7 MVPs (Brady 3, Rodgers 4).

Despite the nearly unrivaled success, Trent clearly believes Brady and Rodgers have been aided by the rule changes that have benefited offenses ... and he's not along. There are some NFL fans (and even former players) who echo Dilfer's sentiment.

Interestingly enough ... Tom and Trent's careers overlapped. In fact, Brady, in just his second season, won his first Super Bowl (SB 36) just one year after Dilfer won with the Ravens during the 2000 season, behind one of the most dominant defenses ever.

Over the their careers, Brady threw for 89,214 yards, 649 touchdowns and 212 interceptions (23 seasons), Rodgers 59,055 yards, 475 touchdowns and 105 interceptions (15 seasons), and Dilfer 20,518 yards, 113 TDs and 129 picks (in 13 seasons).