TMZ Sports - Page 50

Jordyn Woods and Kylie Jenner might be mending their relationship, but fans for both women aren't shy in voicing their opinions on the whole thing ... with some all for the rekindling and others totally against it.

The comment section on Jordyn's IG has become a very active chat room, where folks are expressing concerns over the model's rekindled friendship growing with Kylie. Kylie's comments are taking off too -- with a pretty mixed bag of reviews.

While some fans are supporting the move to be friends again, there's also a large portion who aren't ... in Jordyn's comment section, one user is bummed about her taste in pals, while another feels downright betrayed, commenting ... "Girl wtf was you doing out with Kylie after we fought vehemently for you." One fan even declared Jordyn's "better and happier" without Kylie by her side.

Kylie's comment section doesn't look much different than Jordyn's ... with fans offering up warnings on taking Jordyn back -- considering what happened the first time around.

While it's obviously not how either KJ or JW feels, the consensus among their fans is each is doing just fine after losing her former besties in the fallout of the Tristan Thompson drama.

TMZ broke the story ... Kylie and Jordyn had been hanging out for over a year, prior to their public sushi outing -- working on getting their friendship back to where it once was.

Wiz Khalifa is getting ready to throw that high cheese when he takes the mound at the Pirates game ... 'cause the rapper says he's planning on being "stoned af" for the ceremonial first pitch.

The Pittsburgh native -- who's in town for his "High School Reunion" tour -- will do the honors before his hometown team hosts the Cleveland Guardians on Monday ... and he's got a perfectly on-brand strategy in place ahead of his big moment at PNC Park.

"Finna get stoned af and throw this first pitch at the pirates game," Wiz tweeted to his 36 million followers.

It may not just be ganja powering Wiz through the toss, though ... 'cause he also added, "Shroomed out throwin a baseball is crazy."

To prove he wasn't kidding (not like he needed to), Wiz also posted a picture of his supply ... showing two big jars of weed, as well as some mushrooms.

You could say Wiz is sorta paying homage to former pitcher Dock Ellis, who famously claimed to have thrown a no-hitter while high on LSD back in 1970!!

High or not, Wiz will still probably throw a better pitch than 50 Cent.

Saquon Barkley will enter the 2023 season without a long-term contract -- the superstar running back and New York Giants were unable to come up with a new deal before Monday's deadline ... and now, the former No. 2 overall pick is weighing in on the stalemate.

Both sides were working until the last minute in hopes of reaching an agreement ... but despite the Giants reportedly upping their offer (there are rumblings they were offering $13 million a year), they were left without a solution.

"It is what it is," Barkley tweeted shortly after the news broke ... which certainly doesn't sound like he's happy with the end result.

The Giants placed the $10 million non-exclusive franchise tag on Barkley shortly after signing quarterback Daniel Jones to an extension in March ... but there's a chance he could now sit out the entire upcoming season.

In fact, Barkley has reportedly already decided to sit out training camp ... which would not result in fines, as he has not signed his tender.

It wouldn't be the first time a player of Barkley's caliber has missed a whole season due to failed negotiations -- Le'Veon Bell skipped all of the 2018 season as a result of his own dispute.

Francis Ngannou says Tyson Fury will rue the day he underestimates the former UFC heavyweight champ!

"[Tyson] has said a lot of things. He better just get ready for October 28th because if he's not taking this seriously, I think he might get surprised and get some regrets for his life," 36-year-old Ngannou told TMZ Sports just days after his highly anticipated boxing match with the Gypsy King was announced.

Fury, by nearly everyone's account, is the best present-day heavyweight boxer ... but Ngannou isn't content with cashing a big check just to lose his boxing debut.

"I'm going there to box. I'm going to walk into this fight as a boxer. And I'm impressed to see how people are counting me out of this and it also gets me excited. You know, one more thing that they keep doubting on me. And as usual, I might keep proving them wrong."

Despite Francis' confidence, Tyson doesn't seem too concerned, sending a message to Ngannou over social media, taking a shot at his opponent.

"Ngannou, you're getting it, you big dosser. You big stiff dosser, you're getting knocked out. You're getting knocked out, friend!"

We also talked to the former UFC star about how he plans to prepare for the bout ... and Francis is thinking about bringing in two of the greatest heavyweights of all time.

"I think getting some advice or some training from Mike Tyson would be good. I also think of somebody like Lennox Lewis, which could be good."

Francis continued ... "I love his boxing style, very basic, but very sharp, efficient, you know, want to all those stuff like classic, but very good, I love stuff like that. So yes, one of those guys, we are reaching definitely reaching out."

FYI, Fury is a heavy favorite -- to the tune of -1250 (risk $1,250 to win $100) -- but Ngannou is unbothered.

Kylie Jenner and Jordyn Woods have been spending time together and working on mending their relationship for over a year ... a friendship we're told Khloe Kardashian never put any restrictions on following the drama with Tristan Thompson.

Sources close to the pair tell TMZ ... the 2 have been hanging out privately for a while, and this weekend's sighting just marked the first time they've been spotted out and about by the public since their rekindling.

You'll recall, the 2 were best friends since 2012, but everything fell apart in 2019 when Jordyn kissed Khloe's ex-BF and baby daddy, Tristan Thompson. BTW, Jordyn admitted Tristan kissed her, but shot down the idea that there was any romance between the two.

Despite the messy fallout, we're told Khloe never held her little sis back from being friends with Jordyn -- the unfriending was Kylie's call. Sources say there were more issues with the friendship than just the Tristan drama at the time, so everything kinda collapsed all at once.

We're told everyone's moved on from that saga, though ... Kylie and Jordyn were best friends back in the day, and they're now working to hopefully get back to BFF status again.

Ohio State freshman receiver Carnell Tate's mother was tragically killed in a shooting on Sunday. She was just 40 years old.

Law enforcement says the fatal incident happened around 2 AM in the Garfield Park neighborhood in Chicago ... where a woman was shot multiple times in an alleged drive-by.

The victim was rushed to a nearby hospital ... where she, unfortunately, succumbed to her injuries. She was later identified as Ashley Griggs, Tate's mother.

Four others, aged 38 to 42, were also injured in the shooting. Reports say they are in fair condition.

Chicago PD says one of the injured victims claimed the shooter was "traveling in a vehicle at the time of the shooting."

Tate -- a Chicago native -- moved to Florida to play at IMG Academy, where he averaged 20.3 yards during his senior year in 2022. He was 247Sports' 22nd-ranked player in the country.

The 4-star prospect committed to OSU that December ... and is considered one of the best incoming freshman receivers.

Ashley was excited about Tate's upcoming season -- in fact, one of Griggs' last posts was about his No. 17 Buckeyes jersey going up for sale online.

MLB legend Johnny Bench is sharing his regret after making an antisemitic comment about late Cincinnati Reds general manager Gabe Paul over the weekend ... admitting his words were "insensitive."

Several former Reds stars were in attendance to honor Paul's enshrinement in the franchise Hall of Fame on Saturday ... and at one point, Pete Rose made a comment about the Jewish executive's involvement in his first professional deal.

"When I got out of high school in 1960, Gabe Paul signed me to a contract for 400 bucks a month," Rose said ... to which Paul's daughter, Jennie replied, "That cheap ... never mind."

That's when Bench made his controversial comment ... adding, "He was Jewish."

Most of the crowd laughed at Bench's jab ... but the 2-time World Series champ later apologized for the comment.

"I apologized to Jennie for taking away from her father the full attention he deserves," Bench said. "Gabe Paul earned his place in the Reds Hall of Fame, same as the others who stood on that stage, I am sorry that some of the focus is on my inappropriate remark instead of solely on Gabe's achievement."

A group of hero kids did their best Baywatch impression over the weekend, rescuing a "drowning" Shaquille O'Neal (don't worry, he was pretending!), and bringing the gigantic NBA legend to safety at a resort pool in Hawaii.

Don't worry -- Shaq's totally fine! But, he did have some fun in Honolulu over the weekend, where the Big Fella was in town to DJ at The Republik.

O'Neal had some downtime, so he hit up the pool ... where he was spotted by a group of kids. The 7'1 legend is a tough man to miss.

A fan named Daniel Chavez got the interaction on video ... showing Shaq playing with about ten kids in the pool, before pretending to drown so they could save the 7'1, 300+ pound behemoth.

Needless to say, all Shaq had to do was stand up.

Fans thought it was hilarious and adorable at the same time ... with one writing, "There is no better celebrity when it comes to interaction with everyday civilians better than Shaq."

"He genuinely loves his fans and people. He treats everyone the same no matter where he is or what he doing‼️"

Chavez also shared a video of DJ Diesel on the turn tables during what he does best (outside of hoops) at his sold-out event.

Ariana Grande and her husband Dalton Gomez have been separated since January, and they are heading toward divorce ... sources connected to the couple tell TMZ.

As we reported, Ariana was not wearing her wedding ring at Wimbledon over the weekend ... in fact, she's been ringless a lot these days.

We're told a few months back the 2 tried a reconciliation, but it failed.

One source with direct knowledge told TMZ, their relationship "is heading for divorce."

Ariana and Dalton have been thousands of miles apart since December, when she started filming "Wicked." Our sources say they were having problems even before that.

We're told they remain friends and still talk on the phone regularly, but, according to sources, the marriage is kaput.

It was early 2020 when we first saw the two of them making out at dinner at Bar Louie in Northridge, CA. At the time, no one really knew who Dalton was or how serious the couple's relationship had gotten.

The couple tied the knot in May 2021 in a very private ceremony at Ariana's home in Montecito.

Ex-NFL star Russell Okung just revealed he lost more than 50 pounds after going 40 days without food for a SECOND time ... and the results are nothing short of jaw-dropping.

The former sixth overall pick in the 2010 draft has completely transformed his life in retirement ... embarking on a mental and physical journey through long-term fasting.

Okung -- who weighed more than 300 pounds during his playing days with the Seahawks, Broncos, Chargers and Panthers -- went on his first fast earlier this year, in which he lost more than 100 pounds.

The former offensive lineman is now 192 pounds after completing his second round of fasting over the weekend ... but he makes it clear the challenge is not all about losing weight.

The 34-year-old explained his decision to go through with the process for a second time ... saying, "Ultimately, I was still transitioning out of the NFL, I had a lot of questions about the world."

"My entire worldview was completely shifting. There's still a lot of questions that I have. I don't want to say that they went away, but I do want to acknowledge that I have much more clarity, peace and acceptance that there are things that I cannot change," he added.

"There are things that I can change and I am really [interested] in bringing my entire self to every experience that I encounter. I'm very happy 'cause I feel rooted. I feel grounded. I know why I'm here."

Russell shared a video of his first meal on Sunday ... and he was overcome with emotion as he sipped juice.

Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes winner Funny Cide, who became the 30th horse to win the first two legs of the Triple Crown in 2003, passed away on Sunday from complications of colic.

He was 23 years old.

Funny Cide emerged as a fan-favorite racehorse after defeating odd-on favorite Empire Maker at the 2003 Kentucky Derby ... and winning again at the Preakness Stakes.

The famed thoroughbred fell short of the Triple Crown ... finishing in third at the Belmont Stakes.

Funny Cide competed until 2008 ... winning 11 races overall and raking in more than $3.5 million in career earnings.

For the final 15 years of Funny Cide's life, he retired to Kentucky Horse Park ... where he was a member of its Hall of Champions.

Sackatoga Stable -- the ownership group for the "Gutsy gelding" -- shared the tragic news in a statement ... saying, "We are so grateful to Kentucky Horse Park for giving our guy a wonderful retirement. To say we will miss him, is an understatement."

Jose Santos Jr. -- son of Funny Cide's jockey, Jose Santos -- paid tribute to the legend ... writing, "By me, you will be remembered for the moments you gave our family. You are a family member to me."

"It hurts to know I’ve lost that, but I will never lose the memories you gave me, as well as the love I have for you ... Fly high champion"

An oblivious fan seemingly trying to take a selfie caused a massive crash at the Tour de France on Sunday, extending their arm/phone and making contact with a competitor, wiping out over a dozen riders!

It all happened about 30 miles into the 15th stage (there are a total of 21 stages) of the world's most prestigious cycling event, when the fan hit American rider Sepp Kuss, sending him careening to the ground. Then, cyclists behind Kuss fell when they ran into him/his bike.

Thankfully, none of the cyclists appeared to suffer serious injury -- just bumps and bruises.

Sepp talked to Cycling News about the accident, saying ... "There was a spectator leaning into the road, I guess. It just happened suddenly, and that’s part of the Tour, there are a lot of people. Ideally, that wouldn’t happen, but it’s the biggest bike race in the world and a lot of people don’t know exactly what’s going on."

The U.S. rider added ... "unfortunately, somebody wanted to get a selfie. I didn’t really see it coming."

After the stage, which Wout Poels won, a number of different riders and teams cautioned fans ... don't interfere.

"I’d like to tell the spectators to enjoy the race and be there to cheer for us without standing on the road or pouring beers on us," Jonas Vingegaard, the overall race leader told reporters.

“Please be careful, so that the party remains a party for the racers but equally for you. You don’t need a phone to create mind-blowing memories,” Team Confidis tweeted.

It's reminiscent of 2021 ... when a fan, like this weekend's incident, caused a massive pileup after their sign made contact with a rider.

A bunch of rain couldn't kill Lionel Messi's vibe at his big Inter Miami introduction on Sunday -- the soccer superstar was happy as ever as he made his grand entrance with his new team.

The lavish celebration was delayed two hours due to a pestering thunderstorm ... but there was no way the thousands of fans at DRV PNK Stadium were going to miss out on seeing the Argentinian striker's first appearance with the MLS club.

Messi cracked a joke about the downpour while addressing the crowd .. saying, "Tonight, we’re doing this Miami-style in the rain. This is holy water!!"

He also got serious during his speech ... saying he's thankful for all the local fans giving him a warm welcome ever since he touched down in the States.

"Truthfully, I'm very excited, very happy to be here in Miami and be with you," Messi said. "I'm eager to start training and to compete. I come here with the same desire to compete, desire to win and help the club to continue to grow."

Messi -- who's reported to make up to $150 million overall during his time with Inter Miami -- also doubled down on his decision to venture to MLS ... saying it's going to be a positive experience for both sides.

Team owner David Beckham also took the mic to share a few words ... saying it's a "dream come true" to have Messi join the family.

Ric Flair just launched an energy drink, and while it won't necessarily make you a stylin', profilin', limousine riding, jet flying, kiss-stealing, wheelin' and dealin' son of a gun ... you can now drink like The Nature Boy!

Wooooo Energy debuted earlier this week ... and TMZ Sports was joined by the WWE Hall of Famer and his business partner, Chad Bronstein.

"I think it's gonna be the most successful venture that I've ever been involved with in my life," Flair told us.

Of course, energy drinks are as hot as they've ever been ... look no further than people like Logan Paul and KSI, who have also launched their own drink.

But, Chad says Wooooo isn't your standard, caffeine-loaded, sugary drink ... like some others in the industry.

"It's a different type of energy drink. We have a proprietary blend of functional mushrooms, not psychedelic mushrooms, make it very clear, it's mushrooms you can buy at Whole Foods today. Lions Mane, Reishi, etc., it's a proprietary blend, so you don't really have that jittery feeling if you drank a Red Bull," Bronstein said.

The pair says the plan is to blow the drink up ... and they've already started getting product out to different areas of the country.

"We launched in markets on the east coast in thousands of stores, we're going midwest, [west] coast, California, we're online. We're going to be making some pretty large announcements with some partnerships. We're getting involved with doing some exclusives with sports teams, as well. It's going to be a massive distribution."

Ric and Chad have even hit the streets spreading the word about the drink ... hooking up a custom golf cart, and driving around South Florida, giving away the energy drink.

Flair even threw a big party at Hulk Hogan's bar, Hogan's Hangout, in Clearwater, FL.

LeBron James might be immortalized outside two arenas by the time his career is over ... so says Lakers legend James Worthy, who tells TMZ Sports he could definitely see the NBA superstar getting statues in Cleveland AND Los Angeles.

The three-time NBA champ spoke with us about the King's Purple & Gold legacy earlier this week ... and he said it's entirely possible James gets the bronze treatment outside Crypto.com Arena one day.

"It depends on what he does here out," Worthy said at the Teqball USA Pre-ESPY party. "Personally -- and I think he'd agree -- he hasn't been here long enough."

"But I think his overall greatness, when you have a player like LeBron, who breaks Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's [all-time scoring] record in Los Angeles, does it as a Laker, then wins a championship as a Laker, you can't argue that he could get a statue in Los Angeles."

"And he could get one in Cleveland as well," Worthy added. "So, I don't know about Miami, but bringing one to Cleveland and Los Angeles, it's doable, in my opinion."

It's assumed LeBron will get a statue in Cleveland -- after all, he's by far the greatest player in franchise history and led the Cavaliers to their first championship.

There are currently six Lakers statues outside the arena ... including Shaquille O'Neal, Magic Johnson, Jerry West, Kareem, Elgin Baylor and broadcaster Chick Hearn.

Novak Djokovic lost at Wimbledon today, but worse than that ... he had just about everyone in Hollywood around to see it go down live, including the brightest stars on the books.

The tennis legend was facing off against the up-and-coming Spanish sensation, Carlos Alcaraz, and ended up losing in the 5-set match ... only winning the first and fourth ones. It was an intense back-and-forth, but in the end -- Alcaraz took it home in dramatic fashion.

As wild as it was to see the long-reigning Djokovic fall, it was even crazier counting the number of celebs in the building -- at least a dozen or so A-listers had filled the stands.

Some of the biggest names on hand to see these two tennis titans ... Brad Pitt, Daniel Craig, Rachel Weisz, Nick Jonas, Ariana Grande, Andrew Garfield, Jonathan Baily, Idris Elba, Emma Watson, Daniel Bruhl, Tom Hiddleston, Hugh Jackman, and even Prince William and Kate.