TMZ Sports - Page 50

Madonna's confirming she's got a knockout new boo ... this one's a young boxer boy toy, and they're already in PDA mode.

The 64-year-old singer went IG official Tuesday with 29-year-old Josh Popper ... she posted a shot of them smooching while wearing black masks -- very Ye-ish, TBH (sans antisemitism). Madge captioned the pic, "Killers who are partying."

She said they were making out at a Purium party, and she was dressed as Queen Esther -- maybe not a historically-accurate look, but it's not like anyone's gonna tell Madonna.

The Queen of Pop was spotted earlier this week with Josh, supporting him ringside at one of his recent matches in NYC.

FYI -- Josh hasn't turned pro yet in the boxing world, only competing in a few fights so far ... although he's made it clear that's his dream. Before stepping into the ring, he was a defensive lineman at Rowan University.

He's also featured on the latest season of Bravo's "Summer House" as a boxing coach to cast member Samantha Feher.

You'll recall, Madonna called it off with her model BF Andrew Darnell 2 weeks ago -- soon after getting criticized for the way she looked at this year's Grammy Awards.

He landed Barack Obama ... now, Eli Manning has his sights set on his next dream "ManningCast" guests -- Jerry Seinfeld and Larry David!!

TMZ Sports played a pivotal role (or so we tell ourselves) in helping Peyton and Eli book the former president on their alternative broadcast of "Monday Night Football" last season ... with the older bro joking Eli's interview with us back in February 2022 is what helped seal the deal.

Considering our influence, Babcock and Lucas gave Eli the opportunity to shoot his shot for his next dream guests on the ESPN2 show ... and he's got some big names in mind.

"I think now, I'm a big 'Seinfeld' fan, so I think a Jerry Seinfeld, Larry David ... something in that realm would be pretty cool," Eli told the TMZ Sports TV show (airs on FS1) at his Easter event with The Children's Place.

The pairing would be pretty great ... considering Jerry is a big Giants fan, and Larry is known as a diehard Jets backer. There are also reports the "Seinfeld" creator played a role in getting Obama to appear on the "ManningCast" last year ... so maybe it's time for him to do it as well.

Eli admits he never thought he'd be able to land a former president ... adding, "I'd never imagine when I retired from playing football I'd ever interview Barack Obama for a segment while watching a football game at the same time. That kind of blew my mind."

"I thought I'd just say something outrageous, it would never happen. I could just keep saying the answer for years to come. Obviously, I can't do that now."

The legal problems continue to mount for Bam Margera, the former "Jackass" star was arrested for domestic violence after a woman told police he kicked her.

The San Diego County Sheriff's Department tells TMZ ... Bam was arrested last Thursday around 5:30 AM after deputies were called to a home in Escondido, CA for a domestic dispute.

We're told the alleged victim told deputies Bam kicked her ... and he was arrested and booked into the Vista Detention Facility on a charge of corporal injury on a current or former spouse, cohabitant, dating partner or fellow parent.

Law enforcement says the alleged victim told police her "husband" kicked her ... but our sources say the alleged victim is NOT Bam's estranged wife Nikki Boyd, but rather his current girlfriend.

TMZ broke the story ... Nikki filed for legal separation from the "Jackass" star last month, when her attorney David Glass told us the decision was a direct result of Bam spending time with their son while Nikki believed him to be under the influence.

The SDCSD says Bam posted $50,000 bail the day after his arrest and was released from custody.

The L.A. Clippers' new arena isn't gonna be a dump -- but you can certainly take one there -- 'cause Steve Ballmer is hyped up about all the toilets being installed at his team's new $2 billion facility.

Ballmer -- the former CEO of Microsoft -- took the podium at the construction site on Tuesday ... and let Clippers fans know that going to the bathroom won't be an issue at the team's new home in Inglewood.

"1,160 toilets and urinals!!" Ballmer told the crowd. "Three times the NBA average number of toilets and urinals. We do not want people waiting in line. We want them back to their damn seats at the end of the half, before the game."

Ballmer was clearly fired up about Intuit Dome, set to open in 2024 ... and so were his players, led by superstars Kawhi Leonard, Paul George, and Russell Westbrook.

Of course, the Clippers currently share Crypto.com Arena -- formerly known as Staples Center -- with the Los Angeles Lakers ... but will move to Intuit Dome for the 2024-2025 season after more than 20 years.

The Clips have been playing in the same city as the Lakers since 1984 ... but the two teams have only been playing in the same arena since 1999.

Ballmer and his players -- dressed in construction vests and hard hats -- toured their new facility ... and were all smiles as they took team pics at the ceremony.

Jake Paul says his fight with Tommy Fury was soiled from the start -- The Problem Child just revealed he had a wet dream before his loss to TNT ... which wasted all the testosterone he was building up for weeks.

Jake went into perhaps too much detail on his brother Logan's "Impaulsive" podcast this week ... when he admitted his, umm, "release" pissed him off to the point where it may have factored into how he performed in the ring.

Logan -- who says he experienced the same problem prior to his fight against KSI -- explained the reasoning behind the practice ... saying Jake was "building his batch" so he could rack up so much testosterone, he'd turn into an "angry f***ing fighter."

Only problem is -- Jake had a lil accident just hours before the fight ... wasting two weeks of holding it all in.

Jake described how he felt right after he realized what happened ... saying, "I f***ed myself -- literally -- over."

"I literally woke up in a panic, like, 'F***. F***, f***, f***, f***.'"

Jake isn't blaming his whole loss on the wet dream, though ... saying, "I think it's one of many reasons."

Logan sympathizes with Jake ... saying, "I remember when it happened to me, mentally, I was kinda destroyed a little bit."

"You had just done this thing that isn't easy for three weeks to a month, holding your batch in ... it's not easy. And then, on the day of the f***ing fight, all your progress is destroyed. You're back to zero."

"And, it isn't a little release, either, by the way. It's like ... it's a lot, dude."

Of course, Jake lost to Tommy via split decision in Saudi Arabia ... and if there's a rematch, he's gotta be hoping he can hold it in next time.

Multiple cops reportedly entered Joe Mixon's Cincinnati-area home on Monday night ... hours after they launched an investigation into an alleged shooting in the NFL star's neighborhood.

The Hamilton County Sheriff's Office said its officers headed out to the 7900 block of Ayers Road -- where Mixon lives in Ohio -- at around 8:25 PM after receiving a call of gunshots being fired.

A juvenile, according to cops, had been injured and transported to the hospital.

On-the-scene reporter Chancelor Winn said deputies cordoned off Mixon's home with caution tape after arriving -- and, at one point, knocked on his door while saying, "Sheriff’s Department. Come out."

Eventually, per Winn, they gained entry into the Bengals running back's home at around 1:30 AM. They left roughly two hours later. No arrests were made.

It's unclear if Mixon had any involvement in the investigation -- but WLWT News 5 reports his sister said the 26-year-old "was not involved in the shooting Monday night that injured a teenager."

Mixon has yet to publicly comment on the matter.

Story developing ...

Gotta start 'em young ... and Patrick and Brittany Mahomes are doing just that -- 'cause their 2-year-old daughter, Sterling, is already showing off her athleticism in an adorable video!!!

The Kansas City Chiefs superstar and his wife posted footage of their oldest child's soccer session on Tuesday ... showing off her goal-scoring abilities.

Mom and Dad are happy as can be as Sterling kicks the ball around ... and she even gets creative at one point -- picking up the ball and scooping it into the net.

Sterling was certainly blessed in the genes dept. -- her family is full of athletes.

Of course, Brittany knows her way around the pitch -- she was a star at University of Texas at Tyler ... and ranks among the top in pretty much every offensive category in the school's history.

And Patrick ... well, you know about that guy.

Time sure is flying -- Patrick and Brittany's first child just celebrated her second birthday at a fun bash last month.

"My baby girl is a whole 2 years old!" Brittany said at the time. "I can’t even believe it. These have been some of the best years of my life being your mama Sterling Skye! You make everyday a good day! 💗✨"

"Now please stop growing up😭😭😭"

Daniel Jones ain't going anywhere ... he's staying in New York with the Giants -- agreeing to re-sign with the team for a WHOLE LOTTA cash!!!

According to NFL Network's Tom Pelissero, the 25-year-old quarterback will be inking a new four-year deal with the Giants worth $160 MILLION. There's also $35 million in incentives tied to the contract too, Pelissero added.

The new pact now makes Jones one of the highest-paid players in the NFL ... averaging just a few mil per year less than guys like Aaron Rodgers, Russell Wilson and Patrick Mahomes.

Jones was certainly deserving of the new contract -- at least based on his play in 2022 -- he threw for 3,205 yards and 15 scores ... while rushing for 708 yards and seven more TDs.

He also led the G-Men to a playoff win over the Vikings as well.

Tom Brady may not be getting into stand-up comedy, but he's not going back to football, either ... 'cause just a day after rumors of a TB12 comeback lit up the internet, the G.O.A.T. made it clear a return to the NFL isn't happening.

"Anyone who thinks I have time to come back to the NFL has never adopted a 2 month old kitten for their daughter," Brady wrote on social media.

The talk of a return hit a fever pitch after Rich Eisen said there was talk around the NFL Combine in Indianapolis that Brady "might not be done after all," with insiders saying ... "keep an eye on Miami."

"If Tua [Tagovailoa] may not be ready to go and suddenly, there's Tom Brady sitting in Florida, where his family is located and he can easily locate himself. Keep an eye on that I was told by a couple of birdies at the Combine."

Of course, the Dolphins were one of the teams very interested in Tom's services after his first Super Bowl-winning season in Tampa Bay.

Brady retired on February 1 ... in what was a relatively understated announcement, vowing he was done for good (this time). Ten days later, the 7x Super Bowl champ officially filed his retirement papers with the league.

One of his first acts as a retired man was a trip to the animal shelter ... where he picked up two adorable Siamese kittens for his 10-year-old daughter Vivian.

Plus, why get lit up by 325 lb. defensive tackles when you can chill on your brand new 77-foot yacht, "TW12VE ANGELS."

All hell broke loose between JJ Redick and Kendrick Perkins on "First Take" Tuesday morning ... with the two former NBA players going at it over the league's tight MVP race.

Redick and Perk have been bickering over the topic for the past week ... with the Boston Celtics champ accusing MVP frontrunner Nikola Jokic of stat-padding to win the award -- and implying white NBA reporters have a bias toward white players when it comes to voting.

Fast-forward to Tuesday, when Redick bashed Perk's notion race had anything to do with the MVP race ... saying, "What we just witnessed is the problem with this show, where we create narratives that do not exist in reality."

JJ continued ... "The implication, what you're implying, [is] that the white voters that vote on NBA are racist. That they favor white people. That is exactly what you stated. We all know what you implied the other day. We all know what you implied just now."

Perkins vehemently disagreed with Redick's criticism ... screaming at the former NBA star-turned-commentator ... saying, "I stated the facts and you not about to sit up here and act like it's something more than that."

In case you missed it, Perk explained his side last week ... saying, "When it comes down to guys winning MVP since 1990, it’s only three guys that won the MVP that wasn’t top 10 in scoring -- Steve Nash, Jokic, and Dirk Nowitzki. What do those guys have in common?"

Kendrick doubled down on his position after JJ's callout on Tuesday ... tweeting, "Last year I was a c***. This year I’m a racist. Well damn, which one is it? IT’S NEITHER. I call out facts and not afraid to address the elephant in the room."

Dwyane Wade's daughter, Zaya, made her runway debut in Paris on Tuesday -- crushing it in a green wool ensemble -- and Dad couldn't have been prouder, cheesin' on the sidelines ... and even shedding a tear!!!

The 15-year-old hit the catwalk at Miu Miu's Paris Fashion Week show ... and looked as cool as ever -- while struttin' in a jacket, skirt and brown high-heeled shoes.

Wade, alongside Gabrielle Union, had a front-row seat for it all ... and check out video posted to Instagram by Zaya's stylist -- the Miami Heat legend looked like he had just won another NBA championship.

Wade said on his social media page he was "proud" of it all -- while adding, "I'm not crying, you're crying."

The entire time that he watched Zaya go to work, the 41-year-old was seen grinning ear-to-ear ... and afterward, he gave her a big hug and words of encouragement.

He also took to his Twitter page to share a photo of the fam at the event ... writing in the caption, "Just an icon living. Zaya’s @MIUMIUofficial debut."

The Women's Tennis Association has secured the proverbial bag in a big way ... locking down a $150 million investment from the private equity firm that co-owns LaLiga, and the goal is to blow up the sport and increase player pay!

"Obviously, the ambition is to materially grow women's professional tennis. Grow our profile, its value, the prize money," WTA Chairman Steve Simon said, adding, "This arrangement is certainly going to provide for us to create more investment opportunity to our players and our tournaments."

The WTA and CVC Capital Partners formed WTA Ventures LLC. The new subsidiary will oversee all sponsorship, broadcast rights, gaming, and more.

The WTA was founded by Billie Jean King in 1973. The tour has more than 50 events yearly across the world. Unfortunately, outside of the four Grand Slams (U.S. Open, Wimbledon, French Open, Australian Open), prize money is significantly lower in the women's game. Hence the partnership.

The new deal has players hopeful that with an influx of cash and CVC's connections, the game will grow, and the money will follow.

“This is exactly what women’s tennis needs and I’m excited for what’s to come. For so long, we’ve been championing the sport for women across the world and it’s great to have the investment and belief in the players and WTA product,” number 3 ranked player Jessica Pegula said.

The daughter of the Buffalo Bills owners Terry and Kim Pegula isn't the only player pumped about the future prospects of the WTA.

Number 1 ranked player Iga Swiatek also believes the new deal could be a game changer.

“I am proud to be a part of the WTA, as they are committed to innovating the sport, investing in the players, and promoting us all over the world. I’m inspired to be a part of the evolution of women’s tennis and building out the next 50 years of the WTA.”

It's a familiar deal for Luxembourg-based CVC. A few years back, CVC struck a $2+ billion deal with LaLiga, the top soccer league in Spain. Like with the WTA, the partnership put the company in charge of sponsorship and broadcasting.

Plaxico Burress is weighing in on the Ja Morant controversy ... calling on the Memphis Grizzlies superstar to learn from his mistakes -- after Morant was suspended for brandishing a gun on an Instagram Live video over the weekend.

"If you can't learn anything, learn from me," Burress said Tuesday on "The Carton Show." He added, "Make better decisions because you really don't want for him to have that label being that he's so young. He has the opportunity to be the face of the NBA. He's that great of a player."

Of course, Burress is speaking from personal experience ... in 2008, the former New York Giants wide receiver, who caught the game-winning touchdown in Super Bowl XLII, suffered an accidental, self-inflicted gunshot wound at a nightclub in NYC.

Plaxico did not have a license to carry a gun in NYC ... and turned himself in on charges of criminal possession of a handgun. Burress eventually accepted a plea deal that saw him spend two years in prison, effectively derailing his NFL career.

Burress would return to the NFL in 2011 with the New York Jets, but he retired a few years later after making a return to the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Plaxico's life changed because of the mistake ... and that seems to be the message he's trying to convey to 23-year-old Morant, who's been embroiled in drama recently.

"You want to see him mature as a person as his game is getting better," Burress said, "and I think that all comes with time and being around the right people."

Minnesota Vikings receiver K.J. Osborn is a straight-up hero ... the football player -- along with three others -- helped save a man from a burning car after a fiery crash on Sunday.

The 25-year-old went into details about the terrifying incident on Adam Schefter's "The Adam Schefter Podcast" Monday, saying he was in an Uber on his way home from a workout in Austin, Texas ... when he saw a car that had crashed and caught fire.

Osborn said he, his driver, and two others nearby immediately pulled over to help ... and when they realized how serious it was, all four of them rushed to the car to pull the man out of the vehicle.

"He was kind of in a daze," Osborn said. "I don't know if he was conscious but I think he felt the heat coming to his legs and obviously he just got into a big crash so he's kinda out of it."

"That's when we began to talk to him, try to get him out and he was able to a little bit, you know, muster something for himself before we were able to."

Osborn believes if he and the group didn't spring into action, the man -- who only suffered minor injuries -- would not be alive today.

"No, he doesn't live," Osborn said. "I think that car would've burned on fire. It would've been really tragic."

Osborn said he never thought in his wildest dreams that he would be a part of something like this ... but he's glad he and the other three heroes were on the scene -- calling it all, "Right Place Right Time."

"I believe God had me, us, at the right place at the exact right time," Osborn later said of the incident on his Twitter page.

Osborn's quarterback, Kirk Cousins wasn't surprised by his wideout's heroism ... saying on his social media page Tuesday, "This is totally on-brand for @KJ_Osborn. Just a tremendous person & teammate."

The Michigan native was selected by the Vikings in the 5th round of the 2020 NFL Draft. In the past two seasons, he's logged in 1,305 receiving yards and 12 touchdowns.

He's also currently working on his master's degree in criminal justice at the University of Miami ... with his eyes on joining the FBI or Secret Service after his NFL career ends.

LeBron James channeled his inner LaVar Ball on Monday ... declaring his 18-year-old son, Bronny, is "definitely" a better basketball player than some guys in the NBA right now.

"Man Bronny definitely better than some of these cats I've been watching on league pass today," King James said on Twitter as he recovers from his foot injury. "S*** lightweight hilarious 🤣🤣🤣🤣."

Some bird app users assumed the tweet was fake ... but it's certainly real and was posted on Bron's verified account.

Of course, Bronny is a high school star ... and some draft experts think he could be a top-10 pick when he's draft eligible in 2024.

The 6'2", 180-pound Sierra Canyon guard still has to wait a year before going to the league ... and he's yet to announce a potential college he'll attend in the fall.

LeBron has been able to get an up-close look at Bronny's skills at games recently ... sitting in the front row -- rocking a boot -- as his oldest son dropped 21 points in a playoff contest.

The Lakers superstar was surrounded by hype throughout his high school career at Akron's St. Vincent-St. Mary ... and his tweet will certainly put an even brighter spotlight on Bronny.

No, Ja Morant is not throwing away his NBA career ... at least, that's according to Richard Jefferson, who tells TMZ Sports the star's latest lapse in judgment is simply a young man "making mistakes in front of the public eye."

The former NBA champ made the comments to us out at LAX on Monday -- just two days after Morant filmed himself brandishing a gun while out at what appeared to be a Colorado strip club.

Many believe the 23-year-old is tanking his own career -- as he's now not only under police investigation over the footage, but he's also been booted from his Grizzlies team for the time being.

Jefferson, though, said he doesn't have any concerns this could derail the superstar's track in the Association ... telling us he's confident Morant will learn and grow from the fallout with relative ease.

"Him and his family are good people," Jefferson said, before adding, "I believe in him. I believe that he'll kind of turn things on. And, look, we've seen men come through worse and come out on the other side."

Morant -- who was also accused of flashing a gun at a high school basketball player during an altercation with the teenager at his home last summer -- vowed on Saturday to seek out help.