TMZ Sports - Page 50

Police are on the hunt for a man who tackled the Colorado Rockies' mascot during a game on Monday ... believing he committed an assault with his surprising actions.

The incident happened at some point during the Rockies' game against the Cardinals at Coors Field ... when Dinger, Colorado's purple dinosaur cheerleader, hopped up on a dugout to fire up the crowd.

Suddenly, though, as Dinger was dancing around ... video shot by a fan in the stands shows a man jumped up and took the costumed character to the ground.

The moment initially seemed staged ... but, quickly, it was revealed it was anything but that.

The fan who shot the video suspected the man was inebriated ... writing in a caption on the video, "Boooo, drunk guy. [Love] you, Dinger!"

The Denver Police Dept. became aware of the incident shortly after it happened ... and confirmed to TMZ Sports it's now investigating it all as part of an assault case.

"We are working with our partners at the Colorado Rockies to identify the suspect," a DPD spokesperson told us on Thursday morning.

No arrests have been made yet ... but cops are urging anyone with information to reach out to Metro Denver Crime Stoppers.

Fans might be happy, but Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Matt Strahm is pissed off at MLB teams for extending beer sales into the 8th inning ... saying it's a decision that's not in their best interest.

Some baseball clubs have elected to forgo their usual 7th-inning cutoff in light of the quicker games this season ... with many serving up booze until the final 6 outs to help increase revenue.

Strahm thinks those teams went in the wrong direction ... saying they should actually stop serving earlier in the game so fans have enough time to get the alcohol out of their system before going behind the wheel.

"The reason we stopped in the seventh before was to give our fans time to sober up and drive home safe, correct?" the pitcher asked on the "Baseball Isn't Boring" podcast.

"So now, with a faster-pace game -- and me just being a man of common sense -- if the game is going to finish quicker, would we not move the beer sales back to the sixth inning to give our fans time to sober up and drive home?"

"Instead, we're going to the eighth, and now you're putting our fans and our family at risk driving home with people who have just drank beers 22 minutes ago."

Strahm says he's not surprised by the move, though ... because at the end of the day -- it's all about money.

"My thing is, when you're looking at the safety of your fans, that's probably not the smartest decision to extend it into the eighth."

"But, just using common sense -- we stopped it in the seventh for the safety of fans and people getting home. Like, it just, it makes no sense to me that you're going to allow it to the eighth inning."

The Women's Tennis Association is returning to China ... ending a one-and-a-half-year boycott imposed after tennis star Peng Shuai accused a high-ranking Chinese government official of sexual assault.

Now, the WTA says after talking to their players and the tournament representatives, they'll return to China later this year ... but they're standing by their decision to stay away at the time.

“The stance that we took at the time was appropriate. And, we stand by that. But, 16 months into this, we’re convinced that our requests will not be met. And, to continue with the same strategy doesn’t make sense,” WTA Chairman Steve Simon told the AP from Florida.

The unfulfilled requests were for a full and transparent investigation into Peng's accusations ... something that never happened. Simon says despite not getting what they wanted, the WTA hopes they can effect positive change from inside the country.

“Our members believe it’s time to resume the mission in China, where we believe we can continue to make a positive difference, as we have for the last 20 years, while at the same time making sure that Peng is not forgotten. By returning, hopefully more progress can be made.”

The decision is sure to ruffle some feathers ... but the WTA says the "great majority" of their athletes support the choice to go back.

In 2021, Shuai -- formerly the #1 ranked doubles player and Wimbledon winner -- claimed a Chinese politician sexually assaulted her several years prior. She later backtracked, saying she never accused Gaoli of sexual assault.

After revealing the alleged behavior, Peng seemingly disappeared ... and fans and colleagues across the world, including tennis stars Naomi Osaka and Novak Djokovic, expressed concern for her.

World Rally Championship driver Craig Breen was tragically killed on Thursday after crashing during a practice drive for an upcoming rally, his team announced. He was just 33 years old.

FIA confirmed the heartbreaking news in a statement ... saying Breen passed away "during a private testing accident" in Croatia.

"Our thoughts & prayers are with his loved ones & the Rally community at this difficult time," FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem said.

According to Hyundai Motorsport, Breen -- who was with co-driver James Fulton -- was practicing for the upcoming Croatia Rally when their Hyundai i20 N Rally1 car went off the road.

The car reportedly hit a pole and Breen died from his injuries. Fulton was unharmed.

The Irish driver began his racing career in 1999 with karting in Ireland ... before he made a switch to rallying in 2009. Breen competed in 81 rallies, and during his career, he became the champion of WRC Academy in 2011, and the 2012 WRC Super 2000 world rally champion as well.

Breen has a total of 30 stage wins and recently placed 2nd at Rally Sweden in February.

His father, Ray, was an Irish rally national champion.

Unfortunately, this tragedy is almost 11 years after Breen's co-driver and best friend, Gareth Roberts, died when they crashed in the Targa Florio rally in 2012. Gareth was only 24.

Jeff Hardy is back ... The Charismatic Enigma made his first AEW appearance Wednesday night since the company suspended him for his DUI arrest in Florida last June.

Hardy surprised wrestling fans at the Milwaukee Panther Arena in Wisconsin ... coming to the rescue of his brother, Matt Hardy, who had been getting beaten up in the ring.

Big Bill and Lee Moriarty blindsided Matt, Hook, and Isiah Kassidy ... but Jeff's music hit out of nowhere, and he ran out from backstage with a steel chair in hand, sending the crowd into a frenzy.

Jeff whooped everyone in the ring ... and then threw the chair at Lee's face. He later hit the wrestler with his signature twist of fate maneuver and a legendary Swanton Bomb.

"I am unbelievably proud of my brother @JEFFHARDYBRAND," Matt tweeted about Jeff's emotional comeback afterward.

Of course, Matt said earlier this week that Jeff's return was imminent following the legend's recent eye surgery -- though he expected it to be about 6-8 weeks from now ... not days!!

Matt reassured fans that Jeff's been caring for himself during his time away from the squared circle ... and his appearance in the ring on Wednesday night proved he has been doing just that.

The Chicago Bulls' MVP on Wednesday night wasn't Zach LaVine, Nicola Vucevic or DeMar DeRozan ... no, it was DeRozan's 9-year-old daughter, whose screams led to some of the best free throw defense in NBA history!!!

Here's the deal ... the Bulls needed to beat Toronto at Scotiabank Arena in order to keep their playoff hopes alive -- and they got an unexpected super assist from DeRozan's little girl to make it all happen.

During every free throw that the Raptors took in the 9-seed vs. 10-seed play-in game, Diar DeRozan unleashed blood-curdling shrieks from her seat in the stands ... and it absolutely befuddled Toronto players!!

Check out video from the game's broadcast ... you can hear Diar loud and clear -- and you can see Raptors players were visibly bothered by it!

In total, Toronto missed 18 of its 36 strokes from the charity stripe -- the most free throw misses in an NBA elimination game in over 50 years -- and wound up losing the game, 109-105.

After the win, DeMar said it all almost didn't happen -- because he was tempted to leave Diar at home so she wouldn't miss school. But, he told reporters he was sure glad he ultimately allowed her to come.

"I owe her some money," he said. "For sure."

The bad news for the Bulls, though ... DeRozan says Diar won't be able to make it for their do-or-die game on Friday against the Miami Heat -- as she has classes to get back to.

Jorge Masvidal says he ain't getting a fair shake in his aggravated battery case ... claiming in new court documents, obtained by TMZ Sports, that Colby Covington received preferential treatment from cops during their altercation in Miami last year.

In the docs, Masvidal says he has evidence that on several occasions during their confrontation on March 21, 2022, outside of a popular restaurant ... Covington was treated with "favoritism" by the Miami Beach Police Department.

Specifically, Masvidal says after the alleged attack ... Covington did not call 911 -- but instead phoned a high-ranking MBPD sergeant who was the UFC star's "pal and training partner ... so he could receive concierge police intervention."

Masvidal claims after Covington called the sergeant, the officer then radioed the matter into the station as a "Code 3" -- which, according to Masvidal, is "reserved for shooting and active dangerous felonies." Masvidal also says the sergeant "made additional calls to individual officers to 'get over immediately' to the scene" -- while also diverting "over 20 officers from their duties and responsibilities" to make sure they got Covington help.

In addition, Masvidal says Covington made a statement during a podcast interview prior to the street encounter that he "rolls with the Miami Beach Police Department" -- which Masvidal claims further proves he may have gotten special treatment on the night of the alleged attack.

Masvidal's attorney, Bradford Cohen, now wants several things -- including Covington's podcast comment -- to be admitted into evidence for the UFC fighter's impending trial in the case ... believing it will help prove his client is getting a raw deal.

"From our investigation and witness depositions it's clear that protocol was not followed that evening and Mr. Covington received preferential treatment," Cohen said in a statement this week. "Sadly, the people of Miami Beach that needed an officer that night, at that time probably suffered due to over 15 officers responding to a misdemeanor offense."

We've reached out to the Miami Beach Police Department for comment -- but so far no word back yet.

As we previously reported, Masvidal is facing serious jail time in the case after he was hit with charges of felony aggravated battery and felony criminal mischief following allegations that he punched Covington twice in an ambush outside of Papi Steak.

Meanwhile, Covington -- who claims to have suffered a brain injury, a chipped tooth, and a damaged Rolex watch in the attack -- appears to have recovered from the altercation ... as he's been rumored to be the next opponent for UFC welterweight champion Leon Edwards.

Laker Nation better prepare for the worst ... 'cause NBA super fan Jimmy Goldstein says L.A. has a snowball's chance in hell to beat the Memphis Grizzlies in the first round of the playoffs -- telling TMZ Sports it would be a complete shock if LeBron James and Co. won the series.

Goldstein holds the record for attending the most NBA games in the history of the league ... so naturally, he was present for the Lakers' play-in game against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Tuesday.

Jimmy G says he was thoroughly unimpressed with what he saw from the Purple and Gold in the overtime thriller ... adding it just goes to show they're really not poised to make a deep playoff run this season.

Goldstein points out the Wolves were without defensive stars Rudy Gobert and Jaden McDaniels ... and it wasn't a good sign that the Lake Show needed extra time to put them away.

He also thinks L.A.'s hot run at the end of the regular season was more due to the fact that their opponents were tanking ... which would explain why they were able to put together some wins.

Long story short -- if you're a betting person, Jimmy thinks you'd be throwing money away to pick the Lakers to win it all.

The Grizzlies vs. Lakers matchup starts on Sunday ... and if Goldstein is right, it won't be a long series.

Minnesota Twins shortstop Kyle Farmer will be spending several unexpected hours in a dentist chair on Wednesday evening ... after he took a 92 MPH fastball to the face earlier in the day.

The scene was terrifying ... in the bottom of the fourth inning of the Twins' game against the White Sox at Target Field in Minneapolis, a heater got away from Chicago ace Lucas Giolito -- and it ended up nailing Farmer right in the mouth.

Video from the game's broadcast shows the 32-year-old immediately crumpled to the ground in pain ... as trainers raced out to tend to him.

Somehow, though, he avoided a broken jaw -- news that Minnesota manager Rocco Baldelli called a bit of "a miracle."

"Thank God we got news that was better than what we were expecting," Baldelli told reporters after the game.

But, Farmer didn't come out unscathed ... Baldelli said his player will need surgery "to realign his teeth and fix a major laceration of the lower jaw."

Farmer had played nearly every day for the Twins this year, batting .226 with a home run and five RBI. It's unclear how much time he'll miss while recovering from the mouth injury.

He did get at least some morale boost Wednesday afternoon following the HBP -- as the Twins ended up beating Chicago, 3-1, while he was getting checked out by docs.

Jeff Bezos won't be the new owner of the Washington Commanders ... the Amazon founder reportedly won't bid on the NFL franchise despite months of interest, and a secretive meeting with Jay-Z.

According to Puck News, Bezos, whose net worth is $120 billion (according to Forbes), is no longer planning to buy Dan Snyder's team ... and barring something changing, JB won't be the team's new owner.

TMZ Sports broke the story ... Bezos and Jay-Z met for a secret meeting in L.A. in November, where we're told they discussed a potential partnership.

Although it won't be Bezos, it's still possible D.C. will have a famous owner. As we previously reported, Magic Johnson is part of a group with 76ers owner Josh Harris and billionaire Mitchell Rales. They reportedly submitted a $6 billion bid to buy the team.

The Lakers Hall of Famer confirmed the news on an episode of "Today" ... saying he's excited the bid is in and hopes Snyder makes the right decision.

Magic is no stranger to owning a team ... the five-time NBA champion has a stake in the LA Dodgers, Sparks, and LAFC, the pro soccer team.

Even in Year 20, LeBron James is still the most popular player in the league -- the Lakers' superstar forward led the NBA in jersey sales for the second half of the regular season.

The NBA announced the news on Wednesday ... confirming basketball fans can't get enough of LeBron and are showing their support by buying his No. 6 Lakers jersey.

Steph Curry, Jayson Tatum, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Luka Dončić rounded out the top 5 ... with Kevin Durant, Devin Booker, Ja Morant, Damian Lillard and Kyrie Irving making the list as well.

Additionally, the Los Angeles Lakers sold more merchandise than any other NBA team ... which isn't surprising, considering the franchise is a global brand and has won 17 championships.

The Warriors, Celtics, Suns, Bucks, Bulls, Knicks, 76ers, Mavericks and Nets also made the list.

Of course, James -- a four-time champion and MVP -- has been one of the faces of the league since he burst onto the NBA scene in 2003.

Dubbed "The Chosen One" before ever playing a game on an NBA court, James has lived up to the expectations ... and just became the league's all-time leading scorer, passing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar earlier this season.

The daughter of late soap star Kristoff St. John and professional boxer Mia St. John got arrested in Idaho after allegedly stripping down in a supermarket ... and cops say she later tried to escape from jail.

According to the arrest affidavit, obtained by TMZ, cops in Boise were called to a WinCo around 8 PM Monday night for a report of indecent exposure, with a store employee telling police Paris St. John was naked in the store, praying and meditating.

When cops arrived, they say Kristoff's daughter was naked in the store's front office. The woman who called police ultimately convinced Paris to put her clothes back on.

Police say Paris was arrested for indecent exposure and transported to Ada County Jail ... where cops claim she stood up and ran out of the jail's sally port when the door opened for an entering officer.

Cops say they told Paris to stop, but she ignored them and continued fleeing ... with police running after her, grabbing her and bringing her to the ground.

Paris was booked on three misdemeanor charges ... indecent exposure, escape, and resisting or obstructing officers. We're told Paris is currently getting mental health treatment.

The St. John family has been through a ton of trauma ... Paris' dad died 3 years ago from heart disease triggered by alcohol abuse ... and in November 2014, her brother Julian died by suicide.

Cleveland Browns defensive lineman Perrion Winfrey -- a fourth-round pick in the 2022 NFL Draft -- was arrested on Monday ... following allegations he got physical with his girlfriend during an argument.

According to court documents, obtained by TMZ Sports, prosecutors say the incident happened at around 7 PM in Harris County, Texas ... after Winfrey and his GF quarreled "over a dog and keys to a rental car."

Prosecutors allege that at one point during their argument, Winfrey grabbed the woman ... causing her bodily injury. According to the docs, bystanders actually had to intervene to break up the dispute.

Prosecutors say the woman told authorities Winfrey had assaulted her before during a previous incident.

Winfrey was arrested and charged with misdemeanor assault-family member, records show. He's due for a hearing in the case next week.

Winfrey, who starred at the Univ. of Oklahoma in 2020 and 2021, played in 13 games for the Browns as a rookie last season, recording .5 a sack and 22 combined tackles.

Jake Paul is getting his wish -- the Problem Child will enter the boxing ring with ex-UFC superstar Nate Diaz later this year ... TMZ Sports has learned.

We're told the massive event is slated to go down on Aug. 5 in Dallas, TX ... and will be put on by Jake's Most Valuable Promotions and Nate's Real Fight Inc. The bout will be a DAZN Pay-Per-View.

Jake just posted about the fight ... saying, "August 5th we commemorate the funeral for Nathaniel Diaz as we send him in casket back to Dana [White]."

"Refreshments will be provided at the service. Black Tie Attire."

As we previously reported, Jake has wanted to fight Nate for some time now ... even challenging him to a boxing match AND an MMA fight after announcing his partnership with the Professional Fighters League.

He even told us on two separate occasions in 2022 he wanted Diaz ... even calling him out after beating Anderson Silva in October.

This will be Jake's first fight since losing to Tommy Fury via split decision in February ... and Nate's pro boxing debut.

Nate -- who recently became a combat free agent after his UFC contract expired -- has a long list of impressive wins over the course of his MMA career ... including victories over Conor McGregor, Tony Ferguson, Cowboy Cerrone and Anthony Pettis.

As for Jake, he's beaten former UFC stars Ben Askren, Silva and Tyron Woodley, as well as Nate Robinson and AnEsonGib.

Angel Reese > Shaquille O'Neal
Angel Reese > Joe Burrow
Angel Reese > "Pistol" Pete Maravich
Angel Reese > Justin Jefferson
Angel Reese > Y.A. Tittle
Angel Reese > Odell Beckham Jr.

"[Angel Reese's] probably the greatest athlete ever to come out of LSU Sports," Shaquille O'Neal said on "The Big Podcast with Shaq," doubling down, saying, "Did you hear what I just said? Male and female."

It's not surprising that Shaq is super high on Angel. The Big Fella had her back in a major way when people got on the newly crowned NCAA champ for taunting Caitlin Clark with John Cena's "You Can't See Me" gesture.

LSU is known for its marquis athletes, past and present. Legends. Hall of Famers.

In addition to the guys up top, Patrick Peterson, Andrew Whitworth, Alan Faneca, Kevin Mawae, Ja'Marr Chase, Jamal Adams, Alex Bregman, Todd Walker, Tyrann Mathieu, Lolo Jones, Bob Pettit and so many more went to LSU.

Shaq -- who starred for the Tigers from 1989-1992 -- said he puts Reese ahead of other notable LSU athlete alums, including himself ... because she won a national championship for the university.

"She delivered that package," Shaq said. "It's a lot of names you can throw around, men and women, but she's probably the greatest athlete."

FYI, Reese averaged 23 points, 15.4 rebounds, and 2.3 assists this season.

"Some people are going to exclude it to women athletes," O'Neal said. "I'm not doing that. She's the greatest athlete to ever come out of LSU because she got it done. Joe Burrow got it done a couple of years ago, but she's way more athletic than he is."

Major League Baseball games have been a half-hour shorter under the sport's new rules, and it's awesome ... but there's one unintended consequence teams are dealing with -- lost money from missed beer sales!

And, because businesses don't like losing money, several teams around the league have extended the traditional 7th-inning beer sale cutoff time, allowing suds to be sold into the 8th inning.

Of course, MLB instituted a pitch clock this season, representing the largest rule change in decades (it's been a smash hit), producing games 31 minutes shorter than last season. Naturally, shorter games mean less time to sell concessions like beer, and sales are down.

The Milwaukee Brewers were the first organization to make a move (it makes sense) ... now allowing fans to purchase cold ones through the end of the 8th inning.

Brewers president of operations Rick Schlesinger recently vowed to go back to the old policy if the new rules caused any safety issues, saying ... “If it turns out that this is causing an issue or we feel that it might cause an issue, then we’ll revert to what we have done previously.”

Since the Brewers tweaked their policy, other teams have followed, including the Texas Rangers, Arizona Diamondbacks, and Minnesota Twins. All three squads are allowing beer sales through the 8th.

Now, other teams are also considering making a similar move.

Beer sales, and when they occur, aren't something MLB regulates. Years ago, most teams adopted the 7th inning cutoff as a way to reduce the likelihood of drunk people driving home after the game.

However, with the extension, and the games already being shorter, it's possible fans could be served a beer, and be behind the wheel of a car just a short time later.

Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) also weighed in, saying their concern is no one drive impaired.

“If it cuts off sales in the seventh inning, the eighth inning or the ninth inning, that really doesn’t affect our stance because regardless, we just don’t want people to drink alcohol and then drive home from the game,” a MADD executive said.