TMZ Sports - Page 50

A San Francisco bartender wearing a David Wright jersey was in for a huge surprise on Thursday ... 'cause she came face-to-face with her favorite New York Mets star -- and the moment was pretty awesome!!

TMZ Sports has learned -- the interaction went down at Local Tap on 3rd and Brannan in SF ... after David's friends noticed Kyl Goodman wearing the black #5 threads behind the bar.

Goodman -- a native New Yorker and longtime Mets fan -- says Wright's friends told her the Mets great was right down the street and they would arrange for her to meet him ... but she didn't think they were actually being serious.

Sure enough, Wright popped up at Local Tap shortly after ... and the two were all smiles as they hugged one another!!

"I thought you guys were f***ing with me," Kyl told Wright's friends in the video.

Wright -- selected by the Mets in the first round of the 2001 MLB draft -- played 14 seasons in the Big Apple ... and was a fan-favorite while playing third baseman for the organization.

The 40-year-old was a 7-time All-Star, 2-time Gold Glove winner, back-to-back Silver Slugger winner ... and finished his career with 242 home runs.

Wright retired from MLB in 2018 ... but he's still clearly just as popular even in retirement.

Put down your sammie for this one -- a fighter literally beat the puke out of his opponent during a kickboxing match this week ... and it goes without saying, the video is as disgusting as it sounds.

The wild moment went down during a Petchyindee event between Praewpraw and Dokmaipa in Bangkok, Thailand ... and according to MMA Fighting, the two were going at it for two rounds before the former started to take control of the bout.

Praewpraw started rocking Dokmaipa with some left crosses and knees in the third ... and when he connected on a hit to the gut, Dokmaipa lost his lunch right in the ring.

The ref decided to call it as soon as the vom started to fly ... but fortunately for everyone, it was the last fight of the night.

One staffer got the short end of the stick, though ... being forced to grab a broom and dustpan to clean up the mess.

Both fighters seemed to be fine afterwards ... sharing a moment before Praewpraw continued his celebration with his team.

Detroit Lions star Jameson Williams -- the 12th overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft -- has just been suspended six games ... after the NFL says he violated its gambling policy.

The exact allegations against the former Univ. of Alabama receiver are unclear -- though according to the Lions, one of Williams' violations included betting from an NFL facility on non-NFL games.

Several other players were hit with punishments for gambling policy violations on Friday as well, including receiver Quintez Cephus, defensive back C.J. Moore and wideout Stanley Berryhill, who were all teammates with Williams in 2022.

Cephus and Moore received indefinite bans and were cut by the Lions immediately afterward. Berryhill received a six-game suspension -- though he and Williams are still slated to remain on Detroit's roster.

"As a result of an NFL investigation, it came to our attention that a few of our players had violated the league's gambling policy," Detroit Lions general manager Brad Holmes said in a statement Friday. "These players exhibited decision making that is not consistent with our organizational values and violates league rules."

"We have made the decision to part ways with Quintez and C.J. immediately. We are disappointed by the decision making demonstrated by Stanley and Jameson and will work with both players to ensure they understand the severity of these violations and have clarity on the league rules moving forward."

Washington Commanders defensive lineman Shaka Toney was also suspended indefinitely on Friday for violating the NFL's gambling policy, the league announced.

When the NFL revealed its rulings ... officials added their probe "uncovered no evidence indicating any inside information was used or that any game was compromised in any way."

Mark Davis is blasting the Athletics, after the organization took another step towards leaving Oakland for Las Vegas, with the Raiders owner accusing the A's of screwing over the Bay Area!

Davis' beef with Oakland goes back to a time when he claims the organization prevented his football team from potentially building a new stadium on land the A's held the rights to but weren't using.

"I won’t forget what they did to us in Oakland," Davis told the Las Vegas Review-Journal. "They squatted on a lease for 10 years and made it impossible for us to build on that stadium."

Davis continued, "They were looking for a stadium. We were looking for a stadium. They didn’t want to build a stadium, and then went ahead and signed a 10-year lease with the city of Oakland and said, ‘We’re the base team.'"

Mark's comments come on the heels of news the Athletics signed a binding agreement to purchase 49 acres of land in Vegas with the intention of using the site to build a new stadium.

Of course, Davis brought his team to Sin City in 2020.

The Raiders used to share the Oakland Coliseum with the A's. Still, the relationship was far from peaceful, according to the 67-year-old owner, who says the team leaving Oakland without anything is "pretty screwed up."

Davis admitted he has "a lot of personal animosity towards the front office," explaining how they tried to phase the Raiders out of their marketing plans even with them still playing in Oakland.

"They marketed the team as 'Rooted in Oakland,' that’s been their mantra through the whole thing," Davis said. “The slogans they’ve been using have been a slap to the face of the Raiders, and they were trying to win over that type of mentality in the Bay Area. Well, all they did was f**k the Bay Area."

The stars were out both on and off the hardwood at the Clippers vs. Suns playoff game Thursday night ... as Floyd Mayweather, Queen Latifah and the Cavinder Twins all pulled up for the huge contest!!

Game 3 of the two teams' series went down at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles ... and even though both Kawhi Leonard and Paul George sat with injuries, the A-listers still packed the venue.

Mayweather, as usual, sat courtside ... and he was joined there by Chicago Bulls star DeMar DeRozan, who was just booted out of the playoffs last week.

Famous basketball twins Haley and Hanna Cavinder also had some great seats ... and they were even gifted personalized Clippers jerseys for the night too.

Scooter Braun, film producer Dick Wolf, Disney CEO Bob Iger and "Black-ish" creator Kenya Barris were all there to watch the Clips go at it with Devin Booker as well.

Queen Latifah -- who was just inducted into the National Recording Registry -- also made an appearance with a big smile on her face.

Everyone who got a ticket saw a heck of a game ... though the home squad ended up ultimately losing to Phoenix, 129 to 124.

Odell Beckham Jr. has been named as a suspect in an assault investigation after a woman went to police claiming the NFL superstar put his hand around her neck in an L.A. hot spot, but the Ravens WR claims the allegations are bogus.

Law enforcement tells TMZ Sports the alleged incident went down at Delilah several weeks back ... when a woman says 30-year-old OBJ went up to her and grabbed her throat with light pressure.

However, a rep for Odell told us they weren't aware of any investigation and hadn't been contacted by police. They also vehemently denied Beckham Jr. did anything wrong.

Our sources say after the alleged altercation, both the woman and Odell remained at the venue throughout the night without further incident.

A few days later, police met with the accuser and she filed a report.

We reached out to Delilah for comment. John Terzian, owner of the L.A. hotspot, told us  ... “We were contacted about an investigation and reviewed the videos, the claim is false.   There is no evidence of this person even being in the area where she claims the incident occurred.”

The allegations come just days after OBJ was announced as the newest star wide receiver for the Baltimore Ravens ... inking a one-year deal worth up to $18 million.

Twitter's looking really different right now, as some huge celebs are getting stripped of their precious blue checkmarks ... but despite Elon Musk cutting their verifications, some A-listers are handing the bird the monthly fee.

Taylor Swift, Khloe Kardashian, and Ryan Reynolds are among the bunch putting up cash to keep the badge ... as well as Soulja Boy and The Weeknd.

It doesn't stop there -- Arnold Schwarzenegger, Nick Carter, LL Cool J, O.J. Simpson, Sia, and John Cena seem to be shelling out the dough, too.

If you click on their checkmarks, you'll now see the following response -- "This account is verified because they are subscribed to Twitter Blue and verified their phone number.”

Worth noting, there are a couple reasons why their usernames still come with a side of blue. For starters, they could be paying to keep Twitter Blue's features -- uploading longer vids, making longer tweets and editing tweets.

Of course, these folks could have been paying the $11/month, and made the decision to unsubscribe within the past month ... so, the checkmark is just there until it expires.

You also might have noticed some celebs who have the check, but say they aren't paying -- well, Elon says he's covering the cost for a chosen few ... his Inner Blue Circle, if you will.

As we reported, celebs like Beyonce, Lady Gaga, Kim Kardashian and K-pop group Blackpink all had their verification revoked when the change rolled out Thursday ... but it looks like there are a decent amount doing their part to keep the lights on at Twitter HQ.

Two weeks after ringing the victory bell, Chicago White Sox star pitcher Liam Hendriks is officially cancer-free!!!

The 34-year-old announced the amazing news on his social media page Thursday ... posting a video and pics of his months-long battle to rid himself of the disease.

"How It Started VS How It’s Going….REMISSION," he wrote in a caption on his Instagram page. "🙏🏻 It’s official. I’m cancer-free."

Hendriks' team also confirmed the great news on Twitter ... tweeting, "Liam Hendriks is cancer free" with a green heart emoji.

The Chicago closer had an uphill battle to get to this point ... undergoing grueling treatment every 28 days since his January diagnosis.

Hendriks -- a three-time All-Star and 12-year MLB veteran -- thanked his wife, Kristi, earlier this month for remaining by his side during the harrowing ordeal.

"You held my hand every step of the way," he wrote in a message to her. "You were my voice of confidence and always made sure I felt loved and safe throughout it all. I love you."

The youth wrestler who clocked his opponent in the face following a match earlier this month has been cited for assault ... TMZ Sports has learned.

The Oak Park Police Dept. tells us the 14-year-old eighth grader was officially issued the citation on Thursday ... after he admitted to officers he punched his counterpart because "he was angry that he had lost the match."

The boy is now facing fines and penalties depending on the outcome of an adjudication hearing in Oak Park, Ill. next month.

As we reported, the incident went down on April 8 at Oak Park River Forest H.S. in Oak Park, Ill. ... after a 14-year-old SPAR Academy wrestler had won a match, 14-2, and had looked to shake hands with his opponent out of a show of sportsmanship.

Cops tells us ... when they arrived on the scene following the altercation, the victim had sustained a bloody nose from the cheap shot, but declined further medical care.

Police say all parties cooperated with the ensuing investigation.

It's unclear if the puncher will face further discipline -- such as a lifetime ban from wrestling -- but MMA legend Chael Sonnen told us this week he was hopeful the boy would avoid any sort of lengthy time away from the mat.

"This was a terrible moment," Sonnen said, "but it could also be a teachable moment."

LeBron James claimed he was too cheap to keep his blue checkmark, but his account showed otherwise on Thursday -- the Lakers superstar's page is now officially subscribed to Twitter Blue.

Thursday marked the end of legacy verified accounts on Elon Musk's app -- with the majority of users losing their badges unless they ponied up $8 a month to keep it.

As we previously reported, the King made his stance on the move crystal clear last month ... saying, "Welp guess my blue ✔️ will be gone soon cause if you know me I ain’t paying the 5. 🤷🏾‍♂️"

But someone on Bron's team must not have gotten the memo ... 'cause as superstars like Giannis Antetokounmpo, Russell Wilson and Aaron Judge said goodbye to the verify, his still has its badge.

The 4-time champ didn't get any special treatment -- his account's check says he subscribed to Twitter Blue just like everyone else who wanted to keep it.

Tom Brady, Klay Thompson, Conor McGregor and J.J. Watt are on LeBron's side -- their accounts are all subscribed to Twitter Blue as well.

There are now two teams on Twitter -- check and no check -- so, pick a side and tweet away, folks.

NHL center Morgan Barron is looking like something straight out of a horror flick after taking a skate to the face this week ... he just showed off his massive face scar while speaking with reporters on Thursday -- and it is brutal!!

Barron took a moment to meet with media before suiting up for Game 2 of the Jets' first-round contest of the Stanley Cup Playoffs ... and he gave folks a first look at the damage caused by the skating incident.

"You know, some guys have told me it looks better than expected and some guys look at me like I'm a science project, so I've kind of gotten both ends of the spectrum," Barron said. "I think it feels better than it looks."

In case you missed it ... the Winnipeg center suffered the injury during the first period of his team's 5-1 win over the Las Vegas Golden Knights on Tuesday, which required at least 75 stitches. But, somehow, Barron returned to the game about halfway through the second period after getting patched up!!

The resulting scar runs basically from his right eye up to the top of his forehead -- but Morgan is wearing his new addition with pride ... even cracking a smile for the cameras!!

Barron's eye also showed some discoloration in the aftermath.

The injury could've actually been much worse ... even though that may be hard to believe. During the incident, Vegas forward Chandler Stephenson quickly reacted and was able to pull Barron off Golden Knights goalie Laurent Brossoit's skate to avoid further, serious damage.

Mikey Williams -- one of the best high school basketball players in the country -- just pled not guilty to the six felony charges he was hit with in his shooting case.

Troy Owens, the attorney for the San Ysidro H.S. star point guard, entered the pleas for the Univ. of Memphis commit at Williams' arraignment hearing in San Diego on Thursday morning.

During the proceedings, which Williams attended remotely, a judge ordered the basketball player to stay away from the alleged victims in the case. Williams was also ordered to not be in possession of guns or ammunition.

Williams was charged with five counts of assault with a firearm and one count of shooting at an occupied vehicle ... after authorities allege he was involved in an altercation near his home in eastern San Diego on March 27.

Police say someone opened fire on a car that had five people in it -- including three minors -- following an argument at a nearby home. No one was injured.

Williams was arrested on April 13 over his alleged role in it all ... and after he posted bond, Owens said in a statement the hooper "maintains his innocence."

Williams is due back in court for another hearing on the matter in June.

Meanwhile, Williams' future college coach -- Tigers head man Penny Hardaway -- told media members on Wednesday Memphis has not cut ties with the star guard over the arrest.

Elon Musk's crusade to remove Twitter's blue checkmarks from legacy verified accounts is going into overdrive ... with a couple notable casualties among the celebrity ranks.

Beyonce, Lady Gaga, Kim Kardashian and K-pop supergroup BLACKPINK all had their blue checks stripped Thursday from their official Twitter accounts.

Elon targeted April 20 as the date for removing legacy blue checkmarks, announcing his intentions earlier this month, but lots of folks weren't sure if the bird app would actually follow through ... and now the reckoning is here.

For years, Twitter's blue checks were coveted ... they used to serve as the social media platform's official verification system, distinguishing prominent public figures from all the normies.

But, after buying Twitter for $44 billion, Elon decided to go in a different direction ... he's now charging folks $8 a month for subscriptions that come with blue checkmarks, and getting rid of the legacy checkmarks.

Tons of celebs have railed against Elon's policy ... including LeBron James, who said he wouldn't pay for a blue check, only for him to switch course.

Robert Griffin III and Brady Quinn are going at it ... the two former NFL quarterbacks were in a heated exchange on social media Thursday after the former Notre Dame signal caller criticized Ohio State QB and top draft prospect CJ Stroud for allegedly missing Peyton Manning's football camp.

RG3 clapped back at Quinn, who on Wednesday said the Buckeyes standout "ghosted" the Manning Passing Academy the night before previously committing to attend the camp.

Griffin was clearly pissed Quinn shared the unsubstantiated story, and he fired off a tweet letting Brady know as much.

"Brady Quinn’s attempt to tear down CJ Strouds’ character was BOGUS. CJ DID NOT no-show at the Manning Passing Academy without warning because he DID NOT COMMIT TO GOING. I know because I did the research."

RG3 continued ... "@Brady_Quinn said he simply repeated something he was told, but it is STILL YOUR RESPONSIBILITY to vet character damaging information yourself before echoing it to millions of people. Too often lies are reported and used to hurt players. THAT AIN’T RIGHT."

Quinn, the former 22nd overall pick who played four seasons in the NFL with the Cleveland Browns and Kansas City Chiefs, stood by his reporting, saying the information he received was vetted, adding it's not reflective of his opinion on Stroud.

Retired NFL player Ryan Clark and current NFL star cornerback Jalen Ramsey also took issue with Quinn's commentary, blasting the CBS analyst for seemingly trying to cast aspersions on Stroud ahead of the upcoming NFL draft.

Ramsey also ripped Quinn's reporting, labeling it a fake story and accusing BQ of "Tryna beak a kid down before the draft." Meanwhile, Clark said Quinn "is an example of [an] analyst telling stories of 0 value to diminish a man’s character while validating his own."

E-40's been hot about Sacramento Kings' security booting him from Game 1 of their playoff clash against the Golden State Warriors ... but tensions have since subsided, and their beef's officially been squashed.

On Thursday, 40 dropped his new single, "Front Row 40" ... which features the legendary rap star spitting his patented slang from inside the Chase Center where his beloved Warriors play.

Sources close to the production of the Jae Synth-directed video tell TMZ Hip Hop that 40 actually filmed the visual several months ago, and had always planned to drop it parallel to the Warriors' postseason run.

The clip also leverages plenty of star power ... with cameos from JAY-Z, Diddy, Snoop Dogg, Too $hort, 2 Chainz and GSW stars Steph Curry and Draymond Green.

But, the rollout takes on new meaning now in the wake of his removal from Sacramento's Golden 1 Center last Sunday, which resulted in 40 deeming the org racist -- but both sides are putting it in the rearview.

40 and the Kings released a joint statement that spoke to the issue's conclusion ... “Contrary to speculation, Mr. Earl 'E-40' Stevens did not stand excessively from his ticketed courtside seat; the outcome resulted from an unfortunate misunderstanding between both parties.”

Colin Kaepernick is stepping up to help a family find answers ... paying for the autopsy of a 35-year-old man who died under peculiar circumstances in county jail after the medical examiner's initial autopsy failed to provide answers.

LaShawn Thompson died in his Fulton County Jail cell in September 2022 ... and his family wholeheartedly believes the facility's horrific and unsanitary conditions led to LT's death. But, the official autopsy came back "undetermined."

Enter Colin. He heard about the story and wanted to help, so he contacted Ben Crump, attorney for the family, and offered to fund a second, independent autopsy.

Typically, autopsies can cost between $20-50k.

Aside from wanting to provide the family with closure, we're told Colin was, and is, upset about the conditions in which LaShawn, initially arrested for a misdemeanor simple battery, and other inmates endured.

In fact, it's those disgusting conditions the Thompson family believes contributed, if not caused, LaShawn's death.

"The cell he was in was not fit for a diseased animal. This is inexcusable and it’s deplorable,” Thompson family attorney Michael Harper said of the cell where LaShawn lived, and ultimately died.

The family has released several photos of the scene, as well as LT's body, which appears to be covered in bug bites.

In the wake of the outrage over jail conditions, three high-ranking jail officials have stepped down, with the Fulton County Sheriff saying, “It’s clear to me that it’s time, past time, to clean house,” adding they're making "sweeping changes" to the facility.