TMZ Sports - Page 11

Alvin Kamara's football season will start a little later this year ... the NFL just announced they've suspended the Pro Bowl running back 3 games for his role in a brawl in Las Vegas last year.

28-year-old Kamara, who was facing a felony battery charge, struck a plea with prosecutors last month, ultimately pleading no contest to a lesser misdemeanor charge. Alvin has to complete 30 hours of community service and make a 6-figure payment to the victim, who was seriously injured.

With the criminal case closed, it was just a matter of time before the NFL announced AK's punishment ... and that finally happened on Friday.

"Alvin Kamara of the New Orleans Saints and Chris Lammons of the Indianapolis Colts are suspended for their teams’ first three regular season games of the 2023 season for violating the NFL’s personal conduct policy, the NFL announced today."

"The suspensions stem from their involvement in a February 2022 incident at a Las Vegas establishment."

FYI, Lammons was also involved in the incident.

The fight happened on February 5, 2022 -- the day before the Pro Bowl -- at the Cromwell Hotel ... where Kamara was seen, along with several other men, putting a beating on another man near a bank of elevators.

Cops said Kamara punched the man at least 8 times.

For his part, AK has accepted responsibility ... he even spoke about the incident at practice on Friday.

"It's a tough ordeal to be in," Kamara said. "You know, I never want to be involved in something where someone gets hurt or severely injured or anything. Poor judgment on my end, definitely a bad decision, but I'm a man. Everything I've ever done in my life, I've stood on. And I can take accountability for it and I can say when I'm wrong and I was completely wrong."

Alvin, a former 3rd-round draft pick and 5-time Pro Bowler, is heading into his 7th season with the New Orleans Saints.

It may have been raining cats and dogs in Utah, but one furry creature literally fell from the sky at a recent Real Salt Lake MLS game ... 'cause a raccoon came crashing down into the press box!!

The wild moment happened at the RSL vs. Club Leon match that was slated to go down on Thursday ... and during a weather delay, a hole formed in the ceiling above the journalists.

All of a sudden, a trash panda dropped into the room outta nowhere ... and the scene from inside was quite hectic.

A local reporter shared a clip from the madness -- apparently, the critter was hungry ... 'cause it made a mad dash for the popcorn machine as soon as it landed in the press box.

Eventually, the raccoon made its way to the concourse at America First Field ... where it got held up on a second-floor overhang as stadium workers used a broom to try and catch it.

The raccoon crawled it's way up toward safety ... but as it reached the top of the railing, the curious creature slipped and plummeted to the floor.

Fans chased after the raccoon on the ground level ... with the procyonid showing off some shifty speed before it was eventually captured.

Folks on the scene say the raccoon was released at a nearby creek.

LeBron James took in a concert Thursday night, but it wasn't the Taylor Swift show in L.A. ... instead King James attended Brent Faiyaz's show in Toronto with good friend Draymond Green -- and the hoopers were clearly having a blast!

And for once, LeBron even knew the words! 😅

Concertgoers spotted the NBA champs and agent Rich Paul in what looks to be a VIP area, rockin' back and forth to Faiyaz's "Dead Man Walking" hit.

You can tell LeBron definitely knew the song ... he was singing word for word.

Of course, the NBA legend has been known to flub a line here and there in the past.

Whether it's a track by Lil Baby, Pop Smoke, or 6lack's "Stay Down" (remember "yabadabadodobo old navy" -- the lyrics are actually "Hoppin' out the car, no photos, baby.")

All kidding aside, it's awesome to see LeBron in good spirits, out and about ... after the terrifying health scare his family endured last week, when his son Bronny was hospitalized after going into cardiac arrest.

Conor McGregor took his growing family out to the beaches of the South of France this week ... and the UFC superstar was clearly excited for his baby on the way -- kissing his partner's tummy during the outing!!

The Notorious and Dee Devlin threw on their bathing suits and soaked up the sun during their getaway ... chowing down on some food, running in the water and taking selfies.

Conor also showed his love for his unborn fourth child ... rubbing all over Dee's stomach and hugging her.

As we previously reported, Conor revealed back in June his partner is pregnant again ... and he couldn't be more excited about the new addition.

The whole family appeared to be in great spirits at the beach ... despite the recent controversy surrounding the former champion outside the Octagon.

As we previously reported, Conor was accused of raping a woman at the Miami Heat NBA Finals game in June ... which is still under investigation. He has denied any wrongdoing.

Conor was also spotted rushing out of a funeral in Ireland last month ... although details surrounding the incident remain unclear.

Jalen Kitna is opening up, addressing accusations he possessed child pornography ... and the college quarterback clearly wants it known people haven't heard the full story until now.

Remember, the 20-year-old former Univ. of Florida signal caller was arrested in November, accused of possessing an explicit image of a minor online. The child pornography charges were ultimately dropped last month, and JK pled "no contest" to two lesser misdemeanor charges.

Now, with the criminal case behind him ... Jalen wants people to know what actually happened.

"Out of respect to the legal process I have chosen to remain silent the last 8 months, knowing the accusations levied against me as a teenager were not accurate and would be proven to be not true. The extensive 6 month long investigation brought the prosecution to the conclusion I knew all along - this was not a child pornography case," Kitna wrote.

Jalen explained what occurred the day he was arrested by police.

"November 30, 2022, at the age of 19, detectives arrived early in the morning and started asking about my pornography use. I was totally compliant, I shared all my passwords, and hid nothing from them," Kitna explained.

"They told me an image I shared online was potentially of an underage female. I was shocked, because I had found it on an easily accessible, legal site, and I was never looking for illegal material. The photo included only a portion of the female body, I had no reason to believe the photo might be illegal."

Despite his cooperation, Jalen says he was taken into custody.

"Regardless, they arrested me on suspicion of possessing child pornography. As they put me in handcuffs I tried to process everything. It sounded like they believed I searched out and shared illegal pictures, but I knew that I had not."

Kitna, who was removed from the U of Fl. football team after the arrest, says he was thoroughly evaluated by a physician, who found he had no "deviant characteristics."

"After a full day of evaluation and testing by a specialized doctor of 40+ years, the doctor determined I have no deviant characteristics, had normal interests as a teenager, and I’m in the lowest possible percentile for likelihood to commit a crime," Kitna explained.

As for the plea deal he agreed to, Kitna says he wants people to know he never made any admission of guilt.

"The misdemeanor plea of 'no contest' is not an admission of guilt and I was not adjudicated by the court, meaning there was no conviction. The police have returned all my devices, because they contain no illegal material. And the University of Florida has lifted the campus ban imposed during the investigation."

Kitna, who also apologized to his family and friends in the statement, also vowed to spread his story, letting others know how "naive decisions can lead to catastrophic consequences."

"I understand that there are many who will never get past the original headlines, but for those who want to look at this objectively, I hope this will provide details to see the truth."

"I know with the continued love and support of those close to me–and hopefully some understanding by others–I’ll have a chance at the life that I dreamed of and worked so hard for. I am determined to use my story to help others avoid the pitfalls of naive technology use."

Taylor Swift's L.A. concert is the biggest event of the year for sure, which is why 70,000 people packed into Sofi Stadium Thursday night, shouting lyrics that can be heard far and wide ... much to the chagrin of some very tired homeowners!

Taylor's first of 6 concerts ended at 11:45 PM, depriving some residents of their 8 hours of shuteye. One person in particular -- truth be told it's a dude who works at TMZ -- groused as he recorded Taylor and her legion of fans singing "You Belong with Me," complaining of the loud noise seeping from the stadium.

Fact is ... this guy is a known curmudgeon, so discount his displeasure. Nonetheless, the noise is really loud.

It's interesting ... in 2021, during rehearsals for the Super Bowl Halftime Show, when Dr. Dre and his crew wanted to keep the performances top secret, Stadium staff blasted rock music outside so neighbors couldn't tattle on the set list and the surprise guest (50 Cent). That too pissed off some residents, including our guy, so this is all par for the course.

Johnny Manziel is opening up on his serious mental health battles following his NFL career ... revealing he purchased a gun and intended to use it on himself.

The former Heisman Trophy winner addressed his suicidal thoughts in Netflix's "Untold: Johnny Football" documentary, which drops next week ... saying he had his demise all mapped out -- he would blow all his money, and then take his own life.

"I think I was just running from problems," Manziel said. "It was probably a $5 million bender. Direct self-sabotage, trying to burn this thing down."

Manziel's issues on and off the field were well-documented at the time ... and he said he burned so many bridges that he felt "the ride was over."

"I had planned to do everything that I wanted to do at that point in my life. Spend as much money as I possibly could and then my plan was to take my life. Months prior, I went and bought a gun I knew I was going to use. I wanted to get as bad as humanly possible to where it made sense and it made it seem like an excuse and an out for me."

It's unclear if Manziel actually attempted suicide ... but he said "the gun just clicked on me."

Johnny appears to be doing much better now ... and he's even opening his own bar near his old college campus at Texas A&M this fall.

The City of Angels is officially the City of Swifties -- Taylor Swift has kicked off her 6 sold-out shows in Los Angeles, and fans had a lot to go wild over on night number 1.

Taylor took the stage Thursday night at SoFi Stadium for her "Eras" tour ... rockin' the crowd of over 70,000 after a killer opening act by HAIM. She brought the sister group back out later in the night to perform "No Body, No Crime" together.

TS had a surprise for her L.A. fans ... dusting off "I Can See You" from "Speak Now (Taylor's Version") -- the first time she's ever performed it live. Safe to say, the crowd went ballistic.

Swifties also pointed out a fun fact -- Taylor sang "August" from her "Folklore" album in August for the first time ... pretty neat.

It was a star-studded event at SoFi ... Vanessa Bryant was there with her daughters, Natalia and Bianka. tWitch's wife Allison Holker was in the crowd, as was Ashley Tisdale, Nick and Vanessa Lachey, and "Outer Banks" star Madelyn Cline -- and that was just Thursday.

As we reported, the LAPD is working with Metro to help with the flood of fans heading to and from SoFi while Taylor's in town ... beefing up the amount of officers throughout the big Metro system.

The L.A. County Sheriff's Department said it's "providing a similar level of visibility as the 2022 Superbowl" ... in other words, LAPD ain't messing around when it comes to Taylor!!

Diana Taurasi made history, and then she partied!

DT and the Phoenix Mercury were extra-lit, chuggin' champagne in the locker room after Thursday's game ... after the star guard became the first WNBA player to amass 10,000 points!

The record-breaking moment happened during the Mercury's game against the Atlanta Dream on Thursday, where the 10x All-Star dropped 42 points in a winning effort.

'We are a part of history," Mercury coach Nikki Blue said after the game. "That was so much fun. Let's do it again!" coach said, laughing.

That's when Taurasi, 41, got the party started, spraying champagne with her teammates, and drinking some bubbly, too ... while rocking her custom "The Drive To 10k" shirt.

Brittney Griner -- who is taking a mental health break from the team -- even pulled up for the special moment, rockin' a Taurasi jersey.

Taurasi leads the WNBA's all-time scoring list ... sitting atop a list of greats like Tina Thompson, Tamika Catching, Tina Charles, and her former UCONN teammate Sue Bird.

Of course, Taurasi is considered one of the best WNBA players ever and was even given the nickname "White Mamba" by Kobe Bryant.

Taurasi started her basketball career at Don Antonio Lugo in Chino, California and spent four seasons at UCONN where she won three NCAA titles under Geno Auriemma.

The 6-foot guard was the first overall pick in the 2004 WNBA draft and has won 3 championships, 2 WNBA Finals MVPs, and the 2009 WNBA MVP, amongst other accolades.

"Euphoria" star Javon Walton is remembering his late costar Angus Cloud as one of the most genuine people he's ever met ... telling us there's not a lot of folks like Angus out there.

Javon and Angus played brothers on the hit HBO series for two seasons ... but their brotherly bond runs deeper than the "Euphoria" script. Javon says Angus had "the purest soul ever" and it's still tough to process just how suddenly Angus died.

Javon, who recently signed with Jake Paul's Most Valuable Promotions, tells us Angus took him under his wing from the beginning, and always wanted to see him thrive and succeed.

TMZ broke the story ... Angus died Monday at his family's home in Oakland, CA, where his mom called 911 to report a potential overdose.

Taylor Swift shared a special moment with Kobe and Vanessa Bryant's daughter, Bianka, during her "Eras" Tour stop in Los Angeles ... gifting the 6-year-old her "Red" hat and a big hug.

Vanessa and her daughters were among the Swifties for the singer's first of six sold-out concerts at SoFi Stadium on Thursday ... with mom decked out in a custom jean jacket to honor the late Lakers legend.

But, it was Bianka who had her wildest dreams come true ... with Swift picking her out of the crowd and bringing her up to the stage in the middle of the show.

For those who don't know, Swift gives out her iconic hat to one lucky fan every time she performs "22" ... something that's been quite the phenomenon throughout the tour.

Taylor shared a warm embrace with Bianka -- she hugged her and said a few words before putting the hat on her head ... and the entire stadium erupted in cheers and applause over the gesture.

"We love you @taylorswift ❤️," Vanessa said on Instagram.

The Bryant family has been tied to Swift for years -- not only are they all huge fans, but Kobe also took the stage at Staples Center to reveal a banner to honor her record for sold-out shows at the venue in 2015.

Gigi was also a massive Swiftie ... and Vanessa shared a throwback of her late daughter rocking out to "You Belong With Me" prior to attending Thursday's show.

Sorry boxing fans, there will be no Terence Crawford vs. Canelo Alvarez super fight ... 'cause Bud tells TMZ Sports he has absolutely zero interest in fighting his fellow boxing superstar!

In the wake of his dominating performance against Errol Spence, which Bud ended with a 9th-round TKO, the boxing world has been salivating over a potential future scrap between Crawford and Alvarez.

So, we caught up with 40-0 (31 KO) Terence, and asked him ... do you want Alvarez?

"No, not at all," Bud flat out told us. "Canelo really don't interest me because of the size factor."

Bud's got a point. While both men are about 5'8", Crawford's a 147 lb. welterweight. It's true, Alvarez used to fight in the weight class, but it's been years since he's been that light. Canelo, who has bounced around divisions over the last few years, is currently fighting in the 168 lb. super middleweight weight class.

Speaking of Saul moving around ... even Bud joked that it's hard to keep track of where he is, saying, "You don't know what weight [Canelo's] fighting at when he fighting."

Even though it won't be Canelo, that doesn't mean there aren't big fights on the horizon for the welterweight king ... including a possible rematch with Errol. Though, it's clear Bud prefers another bout over running it back with ES.

"That's my obligation in the contract and I gotta honor that if that's the next move for me and my career," Crawford said of the rematch clause.

Jermell Charlo is also very much in the mix.

"I would definitely choose Jermell Charlo. It's a meaningful fight," Crawford said. "It's more history. It's more on the table."

Regardless of who it is ... fans would be wise to appreciate the undefeated boxer while he's still kickin' ass, because the soon-to-be 36-year-old says he won't be around for too much longer.

Aaron Rodgers doesn't just have a new football home, he's got a new crib, too ... the Jets superstar quarterback dropped nearly $10 million on a brand new, gorgeous New Jersey estate!

The $9.5 million, 8-bedroom, 10-bathroom pad is located in Montclair, NJ, according to Daily Mail, which broke the story ... and was just recently built in 2022.

The 4,000-sq.-ft. house, which sits on about 2 acres of property, is located about 10 miles from Met Life Stadium where the Jets play on Sundays.

Records indicate the home, which was originally listed for $11 million, sold at the end of June.

The "stunning and immaculate" estate is described as an "ultra-private architectural masterpiece" ... and comes complete with a gourmet kitchen, media room, wine cellar, and 3-car garage.

The home also has an incredible view of the New York City skyline.

The Jets, who traded for the 4x NFL MVP in April, started training camp a couple of weeks ago and will begin their season in early September.

Many experts have anointed Gang Green as Super Bowl contenders this season.

Boxing star Devin Haney can breathe a sigh of relief -- his felony gun charge has been dropped, TMZ Sports has confirmed.

The L.A. District Attorney says Haney's case was declined last week due to insufficient evidence ... but it was not announced until his court appearance on Thursday.

We broke the story ... Haney was out in Hollywood on July 12th when the vehicle he was riding in was pulled over for an unsafe lane change and failure to use a turn signal.

Police said Haney -- who wasn't driving -- and his security got out of the car ... and during their search, they found a semi-automatic handgun under the driver's seat.

No one claimed the gun, but the car was in Haney's name ... leading to his arrest for felony possession of a concealed weapon. He was booked and released on July 13th on a $35k bail.

Themba Gorimbo's days of living in the gym are over -- the UFC fighter now has his own place to call home ... thanks to an incredible gesture from his idol, Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson.

The movie superstar and WWE legend surprised Themba at his gym in an emotional meetup last week ... holding up on a promise he made after hearing the mixed-martial artist's story about fighting with just 7 dollars to his name.

But, as it turns out, their interaction at the gym was just the beginning of their special time together ... 'cause Themba's hero had something else up his sleeve (even though he wasn't wearing any).

Here's how it went down -- The Rock initially said they were going to meet up with his friend, Jay, at his apartment in Miami ... but once they got to the pad, Themba would soon find out there was no "Jay."

After walking around and seeing framed family photos all over the place ... Themba quickly realized he was standing inside his new apartment!!

"I was so moved by your story," The Rock told Gorimbo. "When I found out you were sleeping on the couch in the gym ... now there's no more couch sleeping. This is your house. Welcome home!"

"Now you can bring your kids here, man, your family. This place is yours. You don't have to think about anything. The only thing you think about is your family, getting them over here, getting them with you, training, and becoming a champion."

Themba was overcome with emotion ... thanking Johnson for the act of kindness.

L.A. ain't messing around with Taylor Swift in town ... cops are beefing up security for public transit, with an operation that'll be taken as seriously as football's biggest day.

The L.A. County Sheriff's Department announced Tuesday that LAPD is working with Metro to support the swarm of folks heading to and from Taylor's 6 shows at SoFi Stadium -- providing a ton of officers through the spread out Metro system.

The dept. says, "The Department is providing a similar level of visibility as the 2022 Superbowl in order to ensure the safety of the public throughout the Metro System."

In case ya forgot, tickets for her SoFi shows sold out instantly on Ticketmaster, so the only way to score tix at this point is by shelling out thousands for resale.

Swifties in L.A. have been going nuts over her arrival -- with fans already waiting for hours just to grab some merch!!!