TMZ Sports - Page 10

Jacksonville Jaguars associate strength coach Kevin Maxen just came out as gay ... in what is believed to be a first for a male coach in major men's pro sports in the United States.

The Jags staffer made the announcement in an interview with Outsports on Thursday ... saying he's ready to live his truth without worrying about revealing his sexuality anymore.

"I want to be vocal in support of people living how they want to live, but I also want to just live and not feel fear about how people will react," Maxen -- a former strength coach with Baylor and Vanderbilt football -- said.

Maxen added he consulted NFL free agent Carl Nassib -- who came out 2021 -- for some advice about the process ... explaining he wanted to help build acceptance of LGBTQ+ members in sports.

The former college football linebacker also revealed he is happily in a relationship ... saying he has been seeing his partner, Nick, for more than two years.

"It wasn’t until recently -- and with the immense love and support of my family, my friends, colleagues and peers, and the courage and sacrifice from my partner -- that I realized I have the right and responsibility to love and be loved, and that maybe sharing this will hopefully give someone else the strength to accept their own life and take control of their own story."

As for how his team will react, Maxen believes it will not be an issue as long as he continues to do his job.

Channing Frye had a "welcome to the NBA" moment before he even made it to the league ... 'cause he claims Richard Jefferson racked up a whopping $36,000 tab on his credit card the night before he was drafted!!

The pair of Cavs champions/former Arizona Wildcats detailed the 2005 rager on their "Road Trippin'" podcast this week ... when RJ invited Frye and his crew of 20-30 friends to go clubbing in the Big Apple.

The former No. 8 overall pick says the group included a ton of ex-Arizona guys like Gilbert Arenas and Luke Walton, Nets and Knicks players and fellow class of 2005 draftee "David Lee's punk ass" (RJ's words, not ours) ... but there was no issue with rolling deep, 'cause Jefferson had clout in the city after helping the Nets reach the NBA Finals.

"Richard, for lack of a better term, ran that demographic of New York," Frye says.

Once they got inside the club, it was bad news for Frye ... who willingly handed over his card to RJ after he asked him to "hold the table."

As it turns out, Frye says the massive group ended up partying on his dime the whole night ... with the final damage coming out to a mind-blowing $36,000!!

"They swipe it, they swipe it," RJ says. "He's just getting crushed. And this is kind of like a rookie hazing."

Channing rightfully freaked out over it all ... explaining, "The NBA money hadn't even got into the ozone yet, and my phone is blowing up."

"My s*** is still college s***, I don't even have an NBA check yet!!"

RJ insists he was looking out for his guy the whole night ... saying he was acting as a security blanket in case things went south.

The NFL has just approved the sale of the Washington Commanders ... meaning Dan Snyder's polarizing run as a league owner is now officially over.

Roger Goodell said all of The Shield's teams unanimously rubber-stamped the deal on Thursday afternoon ... making Philadelphia 76ers owner Josh Harris, as well his partners, Magic Johnson and David Blitzer, D.C.'s new honchos.

"Congratulations to Josh Harris and his impressive group of partners," Goodell said in announcing the move. "Josh will be a great addition to the NFL. He has a remarkable record in business, sports, and in his communities."

"The diverse group that Josh has put together is outstanding for its business acumen and strong Washington ties and we welcome them to the NFL as well."

Harris and his team initially struck a deal with Snyder to buy the Commanders for $6.05 billion back in April ... making it the most expensive franchise purchase in sports history.

The move will inspire plenty of jubilation for Commanders fans ... as Snyder's 24-year tenure was mired in losses on the field -- and plenty of controversy off of it.

You'll recall, Snyder's team was fined $10 million back in July 2021 ... after the NFL had investigated claims that several high-ranking figures within the franchise sexually harassed and verbally abused female employees regularly.

On Thursday, the NFL also said Snyder will be forced to pay $60 million ... after independent investigator Mary Jo White found he had been inappropriate with one of Washington's former cheerleaders during a work-related dinner.

White also said Thursday that Snyder's team "appears to have improperly shielded" millions of dollars in revenue from the rest of the NFL -- things Goodell called unacceptable.

"The conduct substantiated in Ms. White's findings has no place in the NFL," Goodell said.

Snyder officially finishes his time as an NFL owner with a 164-220-2 record. The team only won two playoff games under his leadership.

Swizz Beatz felt it best to channel Al Pacino's Scarface out in Miami for DJ Khaled's We The Best golf tournament ... judging from the new "Tony Montana" track he spun to get his fellow rap stars grooving!!!

TMZ Hip Hop obtained video from Timbaland giving Swizz a grand intro Wednesday as he deejayed Khaled's pre-party.

Swizz let the beat drop on the Scarface-inspired track ... and began rapping about waking up and putting on a suit like the infamous fictional gangsta.

Khaled and son Asahd, Diddy, and Jeezy all approved of the track, and sources at the party tell us the room was quite the royal hip-hop royal ballroom, mixed with pro-athlete elites.

We're told Quavo, Fat Joe, Bun B, Angie Martinez, Cedric The Entertainer, all convened under the tent with the likes of Matt Barnes, Bubba Wallace, Terrell Owens, Gary Sheffield ... and many more!!!

Diddy also got a sneak peek grab at the winner's trophy and hoisted it like it was throughout the function.

Patrick Mahomes may not be scared of 300-pound defensive linemen ... but he showed on Thursday that when it comes to bees, he's absolutely terrified!!!

The Chiefs quarterback was getting in a little break with his teammates and coaches while out at Kansas City's workout ... when, suddenly, a bee invaded their meeting -- and the quarterback lost it.

Normally cool, calm and collected ... Mahomes panicked -- and then ran around in a circle, doing anything he could to get away from the winged creature.

Check out the video ... Mahomes wasn't the only one scared -- backup QB Shane Buechele and the Chiefs' staffers weren't pleased either.

The 2-time NFL MVP managed to get away, though ... and afterward, he was able to have a laugh about it all.

"I don't mess with bees 🤣🤣," he tweeted.

Of course, this is far from the first time a star athlete has had to deal with a bee recently ... Jimmy Butler just went through a similar ordeal during his press conference after winning Game 7 against Boston in May.

Viktor Hovland had a truly crappy shot at the Open Championship on Thursday ... when a bird decided to drop a deuce all over the golf star right as he was about to swing!!

The gross moment went down on the 15th hole of the major tournament in Liverpool --Hovland was lined up for his second shot ... when a savage bird flew by and handled its business right on top of his arm.

"What was that??" Hovland's caddy asked ... to which the fifth-ranked player in the world responded, "I just got s*** on."

Hovland's caddy did the dirty work and wiped away the doo-doo with a towel ... as the pro looked up in the sky in search of the culprit.

The announcers also had fun with the incident ... saying, "A bird just dropped 'something' on Viktor Hovland" as the booth giggled.

Out with the old, in with the new!

That's what Spurs' Sandro Mamukelashvili did to his family's car ... replacing their old SUV, a black Nissan Murano with a brand new electric car ... and the surprise was captured on video!

The Spurs forward, who starred at Seton Hall University, re-signed with San Antonio (1 year, $2 million) in March -- and he's putting his money to good use ... copping a white electric Volkswagen ID4.

Sandro's family was extremely happy and even took the new whip out for a spin.

"Surprising my family with a new car," the 24-year-old wrote on Instagram. "I’m so blessed to be in this position. MAMU FAM 💪🏼❤️."

The story is extra sweet because the family has been through a lot. Sandro's dad Zurab is a cancer survivor ... and he was living overseas in Georgia while Mamu was hooping at The Hall. In 2020, when #16 ranked SHU was playing #21 ranked Butler at The Rock in Jersey, Mamu knocked down an incredible game-winning shot ... and it happened to be the first game his dad was able to attend in nearly a year.

"As soon as he drew up the play, I was like, “I’m gonna make this.” When I did, all I did was stare at my father the whole time," Mamu told the NY Post at the time.

"He was pointing at me, and I was pointing at him. I feel like it was one of the proudest moments he had."

Jordan Addison is fast on the field and apparently off of it too ... 'cause TMZ Sports has confirmed the new Vikings star was cited by cops on Thursday morning after they say he was going nearly 100 MPH over the speed limit.

According to the Minnesota State Patrol ... the first-round pick was spotted doing 140 MPH in a 55 MPH zone while traveling in his Lamborghini Urus on Interstate 94 near Minneapolis at around 3:07 AM.

Cops say after they pulled over the 21-year-old ... they issued him a citation for speed and reckless driving. They added officers faced no resistance from the former USC star during the stop.

"This remains an open investigation," MSP officials said.

The Vikings, meanwhile, said Thursday afternoon, "We are aware of last night's traffic incident involving Jordan Addison and are gathering additional information."

Forget the PGA, Larsa Pippen and Marcus Jordan were all about the PDA at a golf tournament Thursday ... touchin' and smoochin' each other all over the course.

The couple attended DJ Khaled's inaugural "We the Best Foundation Golf Classic" in Miami ... and the two -- as they've been for most of the past few months -- were inseparable.

They shared a golf cart for most of the day -- planting kisses on each other while riding from hole to hole. They could hardly keep their hands off each other on the greens as well ... getting in embraces in between putts.

Jordan, though, was able to separate himself from Larsa for at least a few minutes to get his ball up and down the fairways -- and his swing didn't look too bad!

His attire wasn't shabby either ... check out the sweet, pink Jordan 4 cleats he sported for the occasion!!

As we've previously reported ... Jordan and Pippen began their romance in late 2022 -- and despite Michael Jordan's apparent disapproval of it all, they've been going as strong as ever.

In fact, Pippen said on her and Marcus' "Separation Anxiety" podcast earlier this month she's "never been this happy with anyone."

Ben McKenzie says celebrities should not be selling digital currencies ... instead, he says they should stick to the usual stuff, like overpriced water, so folks won't go belly up.

The former "O.C." star joined us on "TMZ Live" Thursday and we asked him about the huge ad blitz from celebs who were pushing crypto during the Super Bowl and beyond ... only for the market to crash.

Ben's since written a book about the rise and fall of crypto, "Easy Money," and he's got some strong opinions ... like how celebrities should never be giving financial advice.

Ben thinks all the folks featured in those Super Bowl ads for crypto ... like Tom Brady, Lindsay Lohan, and Larry David, just to name a few ... would be better served selling car insurance, soap and H2O.

For Ben, the big difference here is the unregulated status of cryptocurrency ... plus the fact celebs are not licensed financial advisors ... and he feels Hollywood contributed to what he sees as the largest Ponzi scheme in history.

Tons of folks lost money when the crypto boom went bust and lots of folks got sued ... and Ben says fraudsters used the lure of celebrities to reel in marks.

Kim Kardashian is putting her name in the hat for the Team USA gymnastics team ... showing off her tumbling skills while rocking a bikini at the beach!!

The reality TV star and business mogul decided to put her athleticism to the test with a cartwheel during a luxurious getaway this week ... and she stuck the landing!!

Now, is KK destined for the 2024 Olympics in Paris?? No ... but she certainly appeared to be enjoying herself nonetheless.

Kim -- who doesn't have the biggest background in sports but played a cheerleader in "Disaster Movie" -- subbed a leotard for a black thong and white t-shirt for the stunt ... making it quite the cheeky affair.

The comment section cracked lighthearted jokes under the pics ... with one user saying, "thank you Kim Kardashian for putting gymnastics on the map."

Another account wittingly added, "Kimone Biles."

Kim may not be an Olympian herself, but she's still connected to the world's biggest sporting event -- her SKIMS clothing line was an official sponsor for Team USA for the summer games in Tokyo.

The G.O.A.T.'s getting a boat ...Tom Brady just announced he's joining a new electric boat racing league as a team owner!!

The former NFL superstar and the newly formed E1 World Championship league made the move officially official on Thursday morning ... revealing the ex-QB will now compete against teams owned by tennis star Rafael Nadal, Formula 1 star Sergio Perez, former soccer star Didier Drogba and more beginning in 2024.

The league promises to be packed with action ... featuring all-electric ships that move on tight courses at speeds of over 100 kilometers per hour.

"UIM E1 World Championship combines several things l love," Brady said when announcing his ownership stake in the league ... "speed, intensity, being on the water, intense competition, and innovative leaders."

He added, "My message to our competition: be prepared for second place because we are aiming for the top! LFG!!!"

45-year-old Brady also said he was pumped that the league -- which is aiming to have 10 teams with mixed-gender pilots -- will be more environmentally friendly than other racing sports.

As for how Tom got started in the process ... he told CNN this week he fell in love with the boating culture following his move to Tampa Bay in 2020.

And, yes, he did say he plans to get behind the wheel of the boats sometime soon -- even though he won't be a pilot when official races begin next year.

"You're damn right I'm going to be in that cockpit at some point," Brady said. "I love speed! I love driving fast!"

Boxer Daniella Hemsley -- who went viral for exposing her boobs in the ring after her win over the weekend -- is setting the record straight about her future in the sport ... saying she's NOT banned from competing, she's just taking a break to recover from her injuries.

The OnlyFans model bared it all in excitement after defeating Ms. Danielka at the Kingpyn Boxing semifinals on Saturday ... lifting up her sports bra to flash the crowd.

Kingpyn released a statement on the incident ... apologizing to anyone offended and saying Hemsley "will not be appearing in the Final event and has decided to take some time away from boxing."

Many translated this to Hemsley being BANNED from the promotion ... but she claims that's not the case at all, addressing the whole situation in a YouTube video.

"I am NOT banned from Kingpyn, guys," Hemsley said. "I have simply decided to take a few weeks off from training to recover, to recover my body, and I plan on coming back fighting again in the winter."

Daniella -- who claims to have injured her thumb and elbow in the bout -- added she actually suffered a wardrobe malfunction during the flash ... as she initially had fire stickers covering her nipples to avoid nudity, but they came off during the fight due to sweat.

The stunt got mixed reviews ... as fans were pleasantly surprised on social media, but promoter Eddie Hearn hated it -- saying destroyed so much work that has been done to include women in the sport.

The Marlins will be on the hunt for a new third base coach for the next few weeks ... 'cause their current one, Jody Reed, suffered a broken leg after he was struck by a foul ball on Wednesday.

The painful moment all went down during Miami's game against the St. Louis Cardinals at Busch Stadium ... when Jesus Sanchez was in the batter's box taking hacks against Dakota Hudson.

At one point during the AB, Sanchez lined a pitch right at Reed ... and it hit the coach flush in the lower leg.

"Look out Jody Reed!" the game's announcer said after the baseball tagged him.

Reed tried to walk it off ... but he had to exit the contest due to the pain. Later in the evening, Marlins manager Skip Schumaker revealed tests showed Reed had fractured a bone.

"He's going to be down," the coach said. "I'm not sure how long, but he had X-rays and the doctor said it was broke, so we'll see how long he's out for, unfortunately."

Oscar De La Hoya is weighing in on one of the best fights in years -- Errol Spence vs. Terence Crawford -- a fight The Golden Boy agrees is as close to evenly matched as a fight could be ... but that doesn't mean the boxing legend doesn't have a prediction!

"I think it is a 50/50 fight," De La Hoya told us in NYC on Wednesday ... before giving us his pick.

"I like Crawford, I've always liked Crawford. I mean, I love Spence, but Crawford has more of the elusive style, more combinations. It's gonna be a good fight. If Spence wins, he's gonna knock out Crawford. If Crawford wins, it'll go to decision."

Vegas seems to agree with the boxing legend ... Crawford is a small favorite in the bout, heading into fight week around -160 (wager $160 to win $100).

Of course, it's the fight boxing fans have been talking about -- clamoring for -- for years ... and it's just a week and a half away, going down July 29 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

Spence, 33, is undefeated with a record of 28-0 with 22 knockouts. He's the unified welterweight (147 lbs.) champion, holding the IBF, WBC, and WBA belts.

As for Crawford, he too has never lost ... and comes into the fight with a 39-0 record with 30 knockouts. "Bud" is also a champ, holding the WBO welterweight belt. He's been champion in three different weight classes.

There's more with ODLH. We also talked to the boxing Hall of Famer about the Tyson Fury and Francis Ngannou "money grab" boxing match, scheduled for October.

A mass shooting broke out in New Zealand near where the U.S. women's national soccer team is gearing up for this week's World Cup ... but, thankfully, officials for the squad said all of its players and staffers are safe.

According to New Zealand police, gunshots initially rang out on Wednesday morning at a construction site in Auckland's CBD -- just a few miles from where the USWNT and other countries are slated to compete in the prestigious soccer tournament.

Police said a shooter opened fire inside the site at around 7:22 AM ... and then continued moving through the building while repeatedly discharging his gun.

Cops say when they arrived on scene, officers attempted to engage the gunman ... who had barricaded himself inside of an elevator shaft.

"Further shots were fired from the male," cops said in a statement ... "he was located deceased a short time later."

Authorities say two people -- plus the suspect -- died during the incident. Several others, they added, were injured.

The USWNT said in a statement following the tragedy that "all of our USWNT players and staff are accounted for and safe."

"Our security team is in communication with local authorities," team officials continued, "and we are proceeding with our daily schedule."

New Zealand officials added that while the situation was "alarming," they believe the incident "has been contained and is an isolated" one.

"We can also advise that this is not a national security risk," they said.

The World Cup is slated to kick off in Auckland on Thursday ... when New Zealand takes on Norway at Eden Park.