TMZ Sports - Page 50

The son of Philadelphia Flyers interim GM Daniel Briere -- Mercyhurst Univ. ice hockey player Carson Briere -- has been accused of shoving a woman's wheelchair down a flight of stairs over the weekend ... and now, cops say they're investigating the matter.

The incident was captured on a bar's security camera at around midnight on Saturday.

In the footage, you can see two men walk up a staircase and notice a wheelchair sitting at the top of it. One of the men, identified online as Briere, wearing a backward white hat and a dark-colored sweatshirt, then sits in it, before attempting to wheel around in it.

Eventually, Briere gets out of the chair -- before pushing it down the stairs. He then walks away from the scene.

Twitter user @juliazukowski -- who first posted the video -- claims the chair had been left at the top of the stairs because its owner "physically had to be carried down to use the restrooms." She created a GoFundMe page on Wednesday, to raise money for a new chair.

Mercyhurst University said in a statement after the video began circulating on social media that it -- and police -- have launched an investigation into it all.

"Late this afternoon, Mercyhurst University became aware of the disturbing video in which one of our student-athletes is seen pushing an unoccupied wheelchair down a flight of stairs at a local establishment," school officials said in a statement Tuesday. "Our Office of Student Conduct and Department of Police and Safety are investigating."

The school would not confirm Carson Briere was at the center of the probe ... telling TMZ Sports on Wednesday morning, "We are just beginning our investigation and cannot comment on the process."

Carson Briere joined the Mercyhurst hockey team back in 2020. He had previously played for Arizona State's ice hockey team, but was dismissed from the team after the program said he violated rules.

In his three seasons with the Lakers, he's tallied 59 points.

His father, 45-year-old Daniel Briere, played in the NHL for 17 seasons, and was just named the Flyers' interim GM on Friday. We reached out to the NHL team for comment, but so far, no word back yet.

Georgina Rodriguez is opening up on the death of her and Cristiano Ronaldo's twin baby boy ... breaking down in tears as she relived the tragedy.

"This year I had the best and the worst moment of my life in an instant," the 29-year-old said in a trailer for her Netflix show released on Wednesday.

Rodriguez was overcome with emotion as she discussed the aftermath of the devastating experience that impacted their family last April ... saying, "Life is hard. Life goes on."

"I have reasons to move on and be strong."

The clip shows the soccer superstar with their newborn baby, Bella Esmeralda ... and Rodriguez said he was a rock for her as they did their best to return to normalcy.

"Cris really encouraged me to continue with my agenda," Rodriguez added. "He said, 'Gio, get on with life. It'll do you good.'"

"My priority right now is my family and my children," she said. "I'm so happy and thankful."

Aaron Rodgers just admitted he wants to be a New York Jet in 2023 ... saying it's clear to him the Green Bay Packers no longer want him.

The star quarterback broke everything down about his current situation on The Pat McAfee Show on Wednesday afternoon -- saying as of last Friday, he had decided to not retire ... and his intention is to now "play for the New York Jets."

He added that following conversations with Green Bay execs, he believed the Packers "would like to move on" as well.

Rodgers said he's not the one holding up an official Green Bay to NY trade from going through -- saying it's the Packers who are the ones preventing a deal. He explained ... his former team is still trying to work out compensation for the QB.

The 39-year-old said he harbors no ill will toward his former team for the way it's all going down now ... but he did say he wished the Packers had been more honest with him following the season.

He told McAfee that, initially, Green Bay brass had said "take as long as you want" ... and "if you want to come back and play, the door is wide open."

But, Rodgers -- who admitted he had seriously considered retiring ("90 percent," he called it) prior to his darkness retreat in late February -- said things changed when he returned from isolation.

"Multiple people that I trust around the league said that there was some shopping going on," Rodgers said. "[The Packers] were interested in moving me."

He added, "They're ready to move on with Jordan [Love]. That's awesome. Jordan is going to be a great player, he's a great kid."

No word yet on when a trade will happen -- but one thing is clear, it appears to be truly a matter of "when" now ... no longer "if."

Mark Wahlberg is a damn prophet -- the actor's long-standing prediction that Baker Mayfield would be Tom Brady's successor actually came true on Wednesday ... with the quarterback signing with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in free agency.

Wahlberg spoke highly of the former first-overall pick with TMZ Sports on three separate occasions dating back to June 2018 ... saying Bake was the guy to take over for TB12 when the 7-time Super Bowl champion decided to retire.

Of course, Mark's initial prophecy wasn't completely accurate -- he was hoping Mayfield would take the reins in a New England Patriots uniform ... but that was before Brady moved to the Buccaneers.

We're not gonna focus on that minor detail -- after all, who could have imagined back in 2018 Brady would ever wear another uniform?!

Mayfield -- who's become buddies with Wahlberg over the years -- is joining the Bucs on a 1-year deal worth up to $8.5 million ... and has a good shot at lining up under center for Tampa Bay when the season rolls around.

Ja Morant is a product of the gangsta rap he hears every day -- so says his elder NBA statesman Patrick Beverly, who also thinks the embattled All-Star can make a proper comeback.

Pat Bev recently weighed in on the Ja situation on his Barstool Sports podcast, and pinpointed today's rap music as the catalyst for the 22-year-old's shocking downward spiral.

PB said, "I think music has a lot to do with this now. Especially with this culture, everybody holding a gun in the video is okay, bling on your teeth that's okay, pants halfway down your ass, that's okay."

The current Chicago Bull also valued music from "back in the day" over today's tunes ... "The culture now is ‘shoot 'em up, bang, bang, shoot 'em up, bend you over, I got this amount of money, I’m on private jets, that that that.’ That’s what the younger generation is."

Bev also speculated had Eminem rapped about totin' guns, his rabid fan base would've followed suit, but instead, they opted to copy Slim Shady's baggy hoodies and jeans from the "8 Mile" era.

On Monday, Ja entered a counseling program and is rumored to miss the remainder of the Memphis Grizzlies' season. He's been vocal about the hardcore hip hop he consumes before games -- citing Lil Baby, Moneybagg Yo, NBA YoungBoy and the incarcerated Pooh Shiesty as his go-to rappers.

Pat Bev's commentary may mirror old-school ethos -- repeated by OGs like Melle Mel -- but younger crops of rappers have been voicing similar opinions regarding the state of hip hop.

Was Darren Waller traded because his head coach Josh McDaniels wasn't invited to his wedding?!

Well, maybe. At the very least, McDaniels is anti-love.

Of course, 30-year-old Waller was traded to the New York Giants Tuesday, prompting Robert Griffin III to fire off a tweet.

"Darren Waller JUST GOT MARRIED to Kelsey Plum of the Las Vegas Aces and Josh McDaniels’ wedding present was to trade him to the New York Giants. McDaniels is NOT a romantic."

Plum saw RG3's tweet and responded ... "Prolly cause he wasn’t invited to the wedding lol"

FYI, Waller and Plum married just 11 days ago, and officially became Mr. and Mrs. following a beautiful ceremony on March 4.

Now, it's entirely possible Kelsey and Darren had a small/intimate wedding, and no one from the Raiders attended.

However, there are reports there was tension between Waller and McDaniels.

In fact, Waller -- who played four seasons with the Raiders -- was upset with McDaniels, according to Vic Tafur from The Athletic ... after the new coach leaked news of their private wedding to reporters at the NFL Combine.

Whatever the reason for trading an elite player, Plum says they're stoked to be coming to the Big Apple!

"Actually couldn't be better, we're so excited," Plum said on Instagram after the trade. "NY let's get it 💙."

LeBron James is still sidelined with an injury, but that didn't stop him from making a highlight play on Tuesday  -- the L.A. superstar had an adorable moment with a young fan when he penned a special message in a copy of his "I Promise" book for her!!

James was on the bench as his Lakers defeated the Pelicans at the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans ... but when he wasn't cheering on his teammates, he was busy connecting with a little girl in the stands named Parker, who was wearing a purple and gold #6 James jersey.

"Dear Parker, Nice meeting you!" LeBron said of the interaction on Instagram. "You’re a beautiful Young Black Queen! Don’t let nothing stop u from being whatever your mind and heart desires! Just from our short encounter yesterday I know you’re destined for greatness and i will always love you!!!"

"God bless you and best wishes to you ♾️🤎! Sincerely Mr. LeBron James aka Bugs Bunny friend!"

Of course, the "I Promise" book, published in 2020, shares the same name as the "I Promise" school that James helped start in Akron, Ohio ... and it reminds kids that success starts with them.

After James finished writing in the book ... he shared a warm embrace with the little girl, and it appears she mouths, "Thank you," to the 4-time MVP before walking away.

As we previously reported, James was working out and getting up some free throws at the team's shootaround earlier Tuesday ... the first time since he went down with the tendon injury.

Suns forward Torrey Craig will have to make an unexpected visit to the dentist chair today ... and it's all thanks to Giannis Antetokounmpo, who accidentally knocked a tooth out of the dude's mouth during a game on Tuesday night.

The painful moment happened in the third quarter of Milwaukee's tilt with Phoenix ... when Giannis was trying to blow by Craig to get to the basket.

As the Bucks superstar was dribbling, though, he stuck out his elbow -- and inadvertently smashed it into Craig's mouth.

The 32-year-old went crashing to the ground ... and a few seconds later, cameras showed he was searching on the court for a tooth he had lost in the collision with the 7-foot, two-time MVP.

Broadcast cameras showed Craig was able to eventually find it ... and, yeah, it was kinda gross.

Craig somehow stayed in the game ... but to add insult to injury, his team went on to lose, 116-104.

He and Giannis, however, didn't appear to have any bad blood over the collision -- the two former Milwaukee teammates were seen chattin' it up after the contest, smiling.

Bad Bunny might be pushing for a collab with Ariana Grande ... singing one of her songs at the top of his lungs with James Corden, and he says is the English song he knows best!

The Puerto Rican rapper was riding shotgun with JC during Tuesday's episode of 'Carpool Karaoke' -- a segment on 'The Late Late Show.'

The two fellas were driving around ... having the time of their lives and singing along to different songs. However, when Corden turns on Ariana's 2014 hit featuring Zedd, "Break Free," Bad Bunny really puts on a show.

He tells the talk show host ... "I think this is the most English song that I most know" as he sings along.

Ya gotta see the moment the chorus comes on, the guys are both in mid convo but they break free from all that and go full-fledged concert mode.

Bad Bunny even showed Corden what the life of a pro wrestler entails ... enlisting the help of future WWE Hall of Famer Rey Mysterio to help teach James some moves inside a ring.

Of course, the car ride took many turns ... and the two talked about a number of things like how the "Me Porto Bonito" rapper, chose his stage name and his rise to fame.

The Bella Twins are going back to their roots in their post-WWE careers -- the famous wrestling superstars will be known professionally by their birth names moving forward -- Nikki and Brie Garcia.

The duo announced their decision on "The Nikki & Brie Show" ... saying it was time to say goodbye to the Bella Twins moniker once their contracts with Vince McMahon's organization expired.

Nikki and Brie joined WWE in 2007 ... and were known as the Bella Twins throughout their rise and fame with the promotion.

Nikki explained the two are now so much more than wrestlers -- they're mothers, businesswomen, television producers and more ... and the name change will help them dive into their future endeavors.

"I just want to thank Brie Bella, the character, the name, all of it that I have been the last ... 16, 17 years," Brie said on the show.

"I am so excited to close that chapter on Brie Bella, put that book to the side, and open up a new one and see what Brie Garcia's going to do next."

"And I am so beyond grateful for Nikki Bella," Nikki added. "Nikki Bella, she powered me, she inspired me, she truly made me become fearless. And the road that she has paved, what she's done for women and the youth -- and will continue to do as Nikki Garcia."

Travis Kelce is weighing in on the NFL's greatest tight end debate ... telling TMZ Sports he's not worthy of the G.O.A.T. title.

Many have thrown Kelce's name into the debate lately -- including Giants star Darren Waller and Chiefs great Christian Okoye, who both told us #87 will go down as the best to ever play the position by the end of his career ... over legends like Tony Gonzalez, Rob Gronkowski and Antonio Gates.

So ... now that he's a two-time champion, what does Kelce think about being considered the tight end G.O.A.T.??

"Nah, there's a lot of great tight ends out there," Kelce said. "I can't just say I'm the best."

The Kansas City Chiefs superstar points out his set-up with Patrick Mahomes and a Super Bowl-winning team certainly helps his success ... adding, "I know I'm taking advantage of the situation, though."

Kelce already ranks among the top tight ends in receiving yards, catches and touchdowns through 10 seasons ... and shows no signs of slowing down. If he ends up #1 in all those categories by the time he retires, it'll be hard to argue he isn't the G.O.A.T., no matter what he thinks.

Speaking of being humble, we also talked to Kelce about the rave reviews he got after hosting "Saturday Night Live" last weekend ... and he downplays the high praise -- telling us he had a lot of fun, but isn't too sure about having enough talent to make it in acting.

Stanley Wilson Jr.'s family claims the ex-NFL player didn't simply collapse and die while in police custody last month ... they believe he was actually beaten by law enforcement officials before he passed away.

The attorney representing Wilson Jr.'s family, John Carpenter, said at a news conference on Tuesday photos of Wilson Jr.'s body show the Detroit Lions cornerback was a victim of excessive force before he died suddenly at a Los Angeles County mental hospital on Feb. 1.

Carpenter said pictures of abrasions on Wilson Jr.'s head appear to show he was kicked or stomped. Images of markings on his wrist, meanwhile, seem to reveal he was cuffed at the time of the attack, Carpenter said.

Wilson Jr.'s mom, Dr. D. Pulane Lucas, said county officials had told her the former football player had collapsed and fallen out of a chair while going through the intake process at Metropolitan State Hospital before he died. But, Carpenter said the photos show a "stark contrast to what we've been hearing."

Carpenter filed three claims against L.A. County on Tuesday morning over it all -- one on behalf of Wilson Jr.'s mother, one on behalf of his father, and one on behalf of his estate -- asking for damages in excess of $45 million.

"The County has grossly misrepresented the cause and circumstances of Stanley Wilson Jr.'s death," the attorney said in the court filings.

Carpenter added during the news conference that he has yet to receive Wilson Jr.'s autopsy results.

As we reported, Wilson Jr. had been in custody following his vandalism arrest back in August ... but after he was declared incompetent to stand trial -- he was transferred from county jail to the Metropolitan State Hospital, where officials say he died.

Law enforcement sources told us at the time foul play was not suspected.

MLB star Kiké Hernandez's ass is covered in case he accidentally poops his pants again ... 'cause he was gifted more than a thousand Dude Wipes to get him through the season!!

ICYMI, the 31-year-old recently revealed in a Q&A with Justin Turner he accidentally sharted on the field during the 2020 National League Division Series ... and blamed it on antibiotics he was taking for a tooth infection at the time, which caused him to have diarrhea.

Well, the folks at Dude Wipes got wind of Kiké's misfortune ... and decided to send him a ton of butt-friendly items -- just in case disaster strikes again.

We've learned the personal care brand hooked up the World Series champ with regular and to-go wipes and some toilet spray ... and Kike was stoked!

In fact, Hernandez was so thrilled that he took a photo with a bunch of the product ... smiling from ear to ear.

It was great timing on Dude Wipes' part  ... Red Sox Opening Day is in just two weeks!

Gisele Bündchen and her jiu-jitsu instructor are reunited in familiar territory -- her home in Costa Rica, and she's giving him a peek at what her ex, Tom Brady, might be missing.

Gisele showed off her perfectly toned abs Monday as she got in some exercise with Joaquim Valente ... venturing out on a walk with a couple of super cute pups. We know GB retired from modeling years ago, but those abs still scream supermodel.

Costa Rica's fast becoming a favorite destination for Gisele and Joaquim ... we saw them down there a couple months ago, when they were riding horses together through the jungle.

Of course, Gisele and Tom used to frequent CR when they were married ... for family trips and romantic getaways -- but now it seems Joaquim is enjoying Gisele's slice of paradise. We're referring to her property down there.

The trip to Costa Rica would seem to lend more credence to the thought Gisele and Joaquim are more than just friends or jiu-jitsu buddies ... but they're still not making anything official. Or unofficial, for that matter.

Gisele's camp's been claiming Joaquim tags along on family trips to train her and her kids ... but they do a lot of things without the kiddos that, at least, look couple-y.

Costa Rica seems to be Gisele and Joaquim's territory now. But, Tom's got his cats!!!

Nelson Thomas -- a star on MTV's "The Challenge" -- just revealed he is the man NFL player K.J. Osborn and three others helped pull from a fiery car crash earlier this month ... thanking the group for saving his life.

As we previously reported, the Minnesota Vikings receiver said he was in an Uber heading home after a workout in Austin, Texas on March 5 ... when he saw a car that had crashed and caught fire.

Osborn, his driver and two others rushed to assist ... and were able to pull the man away from the fiery scene.

As it turns out, it was Thomas who the group of heroes saved ... and he is giving each of them a shout-out.

"I want to thank [K.J.] for being on the scene and filming my rescue," Thomas said in a tweet ... adding he is "forever grateful" to the three others for getting him out of the car and "risking their own lives to save mine."

Thomas also shared pictures of his injuries from the hospital bed -- which appear to be cuts and burns on his ankle and arm -- and says he is feeling well and getting stronger, but has a ways to go before he gets back to 100%.

"Words can’t explain how grateful I am to be alive," Thomas said. "God is truly great and he has you in his hands no matter who you are."

Upstart Bronx MC Connie Diiamond is currently basking in the glow of a King's cosign ... after LeBron James publicly approved of her show-stealing "Move" freestyle!!!

LBJ has been nursing a right tendon injury in his foot for weeks now ... but the NBA scoring champ's ears are just fine, and Tuesday he posted a celebration of Connie's flow and tenacity on the mic.

The Def Jam signee celebrated LBJ's validation on her IG page ... letting fans know the song -- which she recorded months ago -- is now on digital service providers.

The track samples Ludacris' stadium classic "Move Bitch" -- which was also released on Def Jam back in 2001, so the synergy is real.