TMZ Sports - Page 35

Gisele Bundchen hit Costa Rican waters on Thursday for a little morning of surfing ... and she looked goooood -- both on the board, and off of it!

Tom Brady's ex didn't stay in the ocean long -- getting in only about 40 minutes of wave-riding -- but check out the photos from her gnar-shredding sesh ... she sure seemed to make it all count.

Bundchen got up on her ride several times ... cruising into shore with some serious pace over and over again.

She impressed while away from the board as well ... showing off a toned body in a black bikini.

In between it all, Gisele found time to give a little love to her daughter, Vivian ... holding hands with the young Brady as they got out of the water.

As it turns out, the surf spot was a pretty popular one on Thursday ... 'cause Shakira hit it up just a couple hours later as well -- and rode in some whitewash too!!

Unclear if the ladies have linked up while out in Costa Rica this week -- though we know they've gotten close over the last few months ... going on a mid-May dinner date with their kiddos in Miami.

This will blow your mind -- an official from the government of Italy contacted Mark Zuckerberg about staging a UFC fight against Elon Musk at the most legendary battleground in the world ... Rome's Colosseum ... TMZ Sports has learned.

Sources with direct knowledge tell us ... the Minister of Culture reached out to Zuckerberg a few days ago about staging what could be the biggest fight in the history of the world in the most fabled fight theater in history.

Our sources say both Elon and Mark would love for the fight to go down at the Colosseum.

We're told Zuckerberg's people passed on the message to UFC Prez Dana White, whose people contacted the Minister.

As for the venue itself -- one of the 7 Wonders of the World -- there have not been large events held inside the nearly 2,000-year-old amphitheater in hundreds of years, and only a few hundred spectators can be seated in temporary seating within the theater.

Sir Paul McCartney performed inside the Colosseum in 2003 for an exclusive charity show before 400 people who paid up to $1,500 -- but other than that, all other concerts have been held just outside the structure.

It's unclear where a Musk vs. Zuck fight would go down -- inside or outside.

Multiple sources with direct knowledge tell us if you're gonna bet on whether this fight goes down ... wager that it's happening. We're told both Musk and Zuck are "all in," and have been negotiating with Dana about the details of a fight daily ... multiple times each day for more than a week.

The biggest obstacle is height and weight disparity, although both men have no issue with it. The question ... if the fight were to go down in Vegas -- which was the goal until the Colosseum offer surfaced -- the Nevada Athletic Commission would have to sign off. Given that Zuck is 5'7" and weighs 145, and Elon towers over him at 6'2" and weighs 230, it's a little problematic. Nevertheless, this would be an exhibition fight, so the rules might bend.

Now that Italy is interested, it opens up so many more possibilities.

Originally Published -- 6/29 9:39 PM PT

Two University of Buffalo football players have been charged with animal abuse ... after prosecutors say they were seen on video earlier this month beating a 4-year-old miniature Poodle with a leather belt.

According to the Erie County District Attorney's Office ... the incident happened at around 9 PM on June 13 inside an apartment in Amherst, N.Y.

Authorities allege 19-year-old Blake Hiligh, a cornerback, and 20-year-old Zachary Pilarcek, a tight end, filmed themselves striking the dog repeatedly ... in what was an apparent attempt to discipline the animal. Prosecutors say the two then uploaded the footage to social media.

On June 14, prosecutors say they hit both men with one misdemeanor charge of overdriving, torturing and injuring animals.

Officials also say the poodle, named Kobe, was seized and transported to a local Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals ... where it received treatment for abrasions and bruises.

Both Hiligh and Pilarcek appeared in court for their arraignment on Thursday ... and pleaded not guilty to the charges. Following the proceedings, Hiligh's attorney told a group of reporters, "My client regrets the actions."

"We love our dogs," the lawyer added. "We love our pets. Sometimes they do frustrate us. Sometimes we do discipline them sometimes. I don't believe it was in a cruel manner."

Both Hiligh and Pilarcek have been dismissed from the UB football team over the allegations.

"The UB football program has zero tolerance for this type of behavior,” UB football head coach Maurice Linguist said.

"After learning about this incident, I immediately suspended the two young men from all team activities before permanently dismissing them from the program earlier this month. At UB, not only do we expect our student-athletes to excel on the field and in the classroom, but we also expect them to be outstanding citizens in our community."

It was a rough day to be a Golden State Warrior on Thursday ... while Klay Thompson and Steph Curry were bad on the golf course, Draymond Green showed he's got ZERO skills when it comes to chugging beer!

The comically awful showing from the NBA stars all went down during the eighth iteration of The Match at the Wynn Golf Club in Las Vegas ... when the Splash Brothers were trying to beat Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce in the annual charity golf event.

Thompson and Curry struggled mightily against the Kansas City Chiefs superstars ... losing the contest in just 10 holes.

But, perhaps the bigger story happened earlier in the evening ... when Kelce gave Green a booze-slugging contraption and 12 ounces of Coors Light.

The tight end tried his best to get Green to pour it out properly down his throat -- but check out the video ... Green was awful!!

The 33-year-old got more of it on his shirt than in his mouth -- and Kelce was cracking up over it all!!

To his credit, Green was a good sport about the snafu ... though he did try to blame Kelce's device for the mishap.

For Kelce's part, he showed he had absolutely no issues with the thing just a few minutes before Green's debacle ... slamming a Silver Bullet in less than four seconds.

The day -- despite the Warriors' worst efforts -- was still a good one nonetheless ... it showed Mahomes is truly good at everything, AND it raised a ton of cash for various charities.

Good work, guys!

Nike is gearing up to relaunch Kobe Bryant's line with the Swoosh, the sportswear giant's CEO announced to investors on Thursday ... and fans won't have to wait long, products are expected to drop before the end of August!

CEO John Donahue spoke on an earnings call this week, where he announced some seriously awesome news ... "It's going to be an exciting summer as we set the stage to relaunch the Kobe brand in advance of Kobe Day on 8.24," JD said.

Donahue, nor Nike, expounded further, so specifics surrounding Kobe's brand are still unclear.

A relaunch wasn't always a foregone conclusion. The longtime partnership between Nike and Kobe/KB's estate came to an end in April 2021 when a new contract could not be agreed upon.

Fast forward to March 2022 ... when Vanessa Bryant announced the estate reached a new deal with Nike, restoring one of the most successful partnerships in shoewear history.

At the time, Vanessa said of the new agreement ... "We're excited to announce our partnership with Nike is going to continue! I am so proud that my husband's shoes are still the most worn by players on NBA courts and that the demand for his shoes remains so desired by his fans around the world."

Bryant continued ... "With this new partnership, fans will soon be able to have access to Kobe and Gigi Nike products for years to come and with Nike donating 100% of the net proceeds yearly for Gianna’s shoes to our Mamba and Mambacita Sports Foundation."

Since the reunion, the releases from Nike have been sparse. There were Kobe 4 and 6's released on a limited basis, but there haven't been any major drops.

Lamar Odom is worried for Bam Margera ... worried he's keeping bad company.

As we first reported ... Bam was detoxing in San Diego earlier this month with Lamar's help, but he left early, and given Bam's track record, Lamar is concerned.

Lamar clearly thinks Bam is hanging with the wrong crowd, saying, "Who you surround yourself with is critical. We are the company we keep."

Bam actually stayed with Lamar last weekend after leaving the detox center, but he bounced and Odom thinks that's more than problematic.

Lamar thinks there's a card his friends and family can play that could get Bam's attention ... namely his ability to see is son, Phoenix.

Remember, Bam threatened to smoke crack until he died if he couldn't see his kid, so that could be a pressure point that works.

Lamar says he's going to try and track Bam down and encourage him to go to rehab at the Odom Recovery Group.

Roy Jones Jr. is one of the best boxers ever, but the legendary fighter is stepping back in the ring with an opponent like never before, massive bodybuilder and social media star NDO Champ!

54-year-old RJJ and 39-year-old NDO Champ -- who is 250 lbs. of solid muscle -- are fighting Friday night in the Metaverse (more on that later).

NDO Champ, government name Robert Wilmote, is an IFBB Pro bodybuilder who has over one million followers on Instagram ... and has gone viral a bunch of times. There's a good chance you've seen NDO's videos online.

Much different than Roy's typical opponents ... which he concedes.

"It's much different than I'm used to. It's kind of like Godzilla versus King Kong. You know, King Kong being the gorilla, that's what he kind of reminds me of with all the muscles and he's such a big dark figure," Jones Jr. said.

But, RJJ has a strategy to deal with his powerful foe ... "be smart enough not to run into the foolishness." The "foolishness" being a big power punch.

As for how he sees the fight going, Jones Jr. says he'll win ... it's just a matter of whether it's by knockout or not.

"Depends how good of a punch he can take. He can't take good punch then he goes to sleep. All depends on what happens. I don't know, I've never been in the ring with him. I've never seen him box. There's no film on him. That's what makes it so different."

Roy continued ... "You don't know what he's bringing. You don't know if he's gonna be a Mike Tyson puncher or a guy with a lot of muscle that can't punch at all."

Champ, as you may expect, sees things playing out a bit differently.

"Listen, we don't train to lose. We don't train to come in there and play. If that's the case, I'll go back doin' something else, you feel me. No disrespect, I salute the OG, but it's wartime."

NDO continued ... "I'm not coming in there to congratulate you on all our successes, nah, you shouldn't have gotten in this ring with this man. You shouldn't have gotten in the ring with me. I'm a born stone killer!"

Shaquille O'Neal and Charles Barkley are gonna love this -- Kenny "The Jet" Smith has landed back on the beaches of Miami ... and he brought along the stunning Aline Bernardes for another relaxing day in the sun.

The "Inside The NBA" cohost and his lady first made waves back in May when they were spotted out in Florida together ... which, naturally, had his TV buddies cracking jokes left and right for the next few days.

Luckily for Smith, the NBA season is over ... so he can enjoy his free time with the model without worrying about the guys cracking jokes in front of a national audience.

Smith and Bernardes appear to be really into each other -- they were closer than ever as they rocked their swimsuits and went for a soak in the water on Thursday.

While their first trip to the beach was pretty chill, there was more PDA this time around -- Aline wrapped her arms around the NBA champ as they walked deeper into the ocean.

It looks like the return to the beach was entertaining for both ... they smiled from ear-to-ear throughout the day.

Domingo German received ALL of the love after throwing a perfect game Wednesday night ... getting a hero's welcome at the Yankees' team hotel -- and TMZ Sports has video of it!!

The star pitcher showed up to the swanky San Francisco spot just minutes after making history in an 11-0 win over the A's at the Oakland Coliseum -- and you can see in the footage, a TON of fans showed up to celebrate his moment with him.

As soon as he stepped off the bus, Pinstripes supporters cheered loudly ... and showered him with "Perfect game!" chants.

German was so grateful for the warm responses -- he spent a few moments signing autographs for those who lined up.

One of the fans who was there tells us ... German appeared super happy the entire time, thanking everyone there for their support.

Of course, the 30-year-old deserved all of the praise after his performance on the mound ... his nine flawless innings marked just the 24th time in MLB history that a pitcher has been perfect throughout a night at the ballpark.

No word yet on how the party was when Domingo got inside the hotel ... but the Yanks had a day game Thursday afternoon -- so it probably wasn't too rowdy.

Saquon Barkley isn't letting feisty contract negotiations with the Giants keep him out of the gym ... he just showed he's lifting more than ever -- box squatting somewhere near 600 pounds for reps!!!

Despite currently being in a back-and-forth with New York brass over his pay ... Barkley made it clear he's still prepping for the 2023 season nonetheless -- showing video of him Thursday getting busy in the weight room.

Barkley posted the footage to his Instagram page ... and the strength he displayed while doing box squats in the clip truly looks superhuman.

It's unclear how much exactly it all is -- but if the plates are the standard 45-pound ones ... it's 585 total LBs!!!

And, check out the video ... he got it up and down four times!!!

It all might just be a message to his team ... as both he and the Giants are currently at odds over the running back's contract. He wants a boatload of cash over a multitude of years -- while the Giants seem like they'd be happy if he'd just play on the franchise tag this season for right around $10 million.

Things have gotten so testy between the two ... Barkley told reporters earlier this month he'd contemplate sitting out the season if a deal isn't reached by the NFL's July 17 deadline.

Isaiah Rodgers will be away from an NFL field for the foreseeable future ... the league just suspended the Indianapolis Colts defensive back indefinitely for violating its gambling policy.

NFL officials announced the ruling on Thursday morning ... adding that two other players -- Colts tight end Rashod Berry and free agent defensive lineman Demetrius Taylor -- were also hit with the same punishments.

Titans offensive lineman Nicholas Petit-Frere, meanwhile, was banned six games for gambling policy violations as well.

Rodgers' punishment had been looming for weeks ... after he admitted earlier this month that he had broken the league's betting rules.

It's unclear exactly what all of the guys' violations specifically were -- the NFL didn't say when making its announcement -- but it did reveal Rodgers, Berry and Taylor will only be able to return to the gridiron if they petition for reinstatement at the end of this season.

While Berry and Taylor were viewed as more of role players ... the loss of Rodgers is a big one -- he's played in 45 games for the Colts the last three years, and has been a special teams ace in addition to a productive cornerback.

"I am very sorry for all of this," Rodgers said in a statement earlier this month.

Thursday's bans for gambling violations are hardly the first the NFL has doled out in the last year or so -- stars like Lions wideout Jameson Williams and Jaguars receiver Calvin Ridley have also been punished recently over the betting policy.

Cody Bellinger ... MLB star, father, and now fiancé -- the Chicago Cubs first baseman just proposed to his Sports Illustrated model girlfriend, and she said yes!!!

Chase Carter -- who has also graced the cover of Maxim magazine -- shared the exciting news on social media, posting a photo of her massive new ring in front of the Chi-town skyline.

Fans of Carter and Bellinger -- who began dating in 2020 -- were stoked for the couple ... with one follower saying, "That’s a huge ring holy moly."

Another one commented, "I'm over the moon happy for you guys!!!"

The World Series champ and Carter welcomed their second child together in April ... after having their first daughter, Caiden, in November 2021.

There's a lot happening for Cody. In addition to the second baby and engagement, Bellinger also signed with the Chicago Cubs after a rocky end to his tenure in Los Angeles.

Of course, the 2-time All-Star and Gold Glove winner signed a 1-year deal with Chicago in December 2022 after the worst offensive season of his career ... where he's looking to return to his old form.

Ryan Mallett's death does not appear to have been the result of violent riptides in Florida waters ... according to authorities, the belief is the tragedy was all simply a freak accident.

Okaloosa County Sheriff Eric Aden said in a video statement Wednesday there was "no indication of dangerous conditions" in the Destin area where Mallett drowned on Tuesday.

"We were under a yellow flag," Aden said, "which is a just swim with caution."

"It just seems to be just a tragic accident and not something to do with the conditions of the surf or tides or currents."

Initial reports said Mallett was among a group of swimmers who had been out in the ocean struggling to make their way back to shore. Mallett, authorities said, went underwater while fighting to return to safety -- and when he was eventually pulled out, he was unresponsive. He later was pronounced dead at a local emergency room.

Many had believed dangerous and unseen riptides were what caused the tragedy ... but Aden insisted those were "misperceptions out there."

"There were no indications of any 'riptides,'" Aden's office added in a written statement.

Authorities also released some body cam footage Wednesday from the incident ... showing the beach's conditions as officers raced to the scene.

Mallett's death rocked the sports world ... everyone from Tom Brady to Rob Gronkowski to Bill Belichick mourned his passing in the hours after the news broke.

Sophia Culpo says Braxton Berrios is lying through his teeth about how their relationship ended ... sharing what she claims are receipts to back her side of the messy breakup.

Olivia's younger sister posted multiple alleged text exchanges and pictures with the Miami Dolphins wide receiver from as recent as February ... which would debunk the NFLer's timeline that the two decided to call it quits a month prior.

In the convos posted to the model/influencer's TikTok, SC and BB appear to be on the rocks ... with the two seemingly discussing the public speculation surrounding their relationship. Berrios' responses make it seem as if he's willing to work through their differences ... reassuring Culpo he will "do everything in my power" to make sure the situation doesn't blow up any further.

The most explosive allegation came in Sophia's caption of the post ... where she says the couple broke up following the Drake concert during Super Bowl weekend when Braxton was "seen making out with another girl."

As we previously reported, Braxton went to Instagram to defend himself earlier this week ... saying cheating was not a factor in the split -- despite rumors he was seeing TikTok star Alix Earle while he was still dating Sophia.

Culpo seems ready to put the drama to bed ... saying, "Not bitter, in fact I know this situation has been one of my biggest blessings."

Carey Price hasn't made many mistakes throughout his legendary NHL career, but on Wednesday, he committed one of the biggest blunders of all ... fumbling his team's draft pick announcement!!!

The snafu all went down early on in the first round of the 2023 NHL Entry Draft ... when the Montreal Canadiens tapped their goaltender to reveal their franchise's top pick.

Price -- who hasn't played for Montreal since 2022 while battling knee issues -- started off the announcement just fine ... he said what's up to the fans in the building, and then began to say the No. 5 overall pick's name.

The problem? All he was able to get out was "David" ... before he realized he couldn't remember the future rookie's last name!!!

Price stood up there uncomfortably for several moments trying to get someone to help him out -- and, finally, Canadiens GM Kent Hughes mercifully bailed him out.

"We planned it that way," Hughes said, grabbing the mic from Price. "David Reinbacher!"

Everyone cheered and eventually moved on from Price's mishap ... although the goalie certainly didn't let things go afterward -- apologizing for it all on his social media page.

"Boy that was embarrassing," the 35-year-old wrote on Twitter. "Sorry David….. Reinbacher."

Something tells us David and the rest of the Canadiens will forgive the guy ... after all, he's helped the team win 361 games over the past 15 years.

San Antonio Spurs guard Devonte' Graham has pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of driving while impaired stemming from his July 2022 arrest ... TMZ Sports has learned.

According to a spokesperson for the Wake County District Attorney's Office, Graham entered the plea during a court hearing on Tuesday after cutting a deal with prosecutors.

We're told the speeding charge that Graham was also facing in the case will be dismissed as part of the deal.

A sentencing hearing for Graham has now been slated for next month.

The 28-year-old NBA player was initially hit with the two charges back on July 7, 2022 ... after authorities in Raleigh, North Carolina say he had been doing 63 MPH in a 40 MPH zone while intoxicated at around 3 AM.

Police at the time said after pulling over Graham for speeding, breath tests revealed he had a BAC of .11.

Graham -- a former second-round pick in the 2018 NBA Draft -- had been playing for the New Orleans Pelicans at the time of the arrest ... but he was traded to the Spurs roughly seven months later as part of a deal for Josh Richardson.

Graham went on to play in 20 games for San Antonio, averaging 13 points per game.