TMZ Sports - Page 11

Noah Gragson's getting taken out of the driver's seat after liking a meme that mocked George Floyd -- and he's owning up to the fact that he screwed the pooch.

The race car driver -- who competes professionally for NASAR's Cup Series -- was suspended indefinitely Saturday by his stock car team, Legacy Motor Club, which announced he was being benched just a day before the FireKeepers Casino 400 at Michigan International Speedway ... in which Gragson was supposed to participate.

That ain't happening now -- Josh Berry is now taking his place. LMC denounced Gragson's social media activity by saying his actions "do not represent the values of our team."

As for Gragson himself, he's apologized ... writing, "I am disappointed in myself for my lack of attention and actions on social media. I understand the severity of this situation. I love and appreciate everyone. I try to treat everyone equally no matter who they are. I messed up plain and simple."

It's unclear when NG hit the like button for this Instagram meme, but it was pretty offensive. The image shows the live-action version of Sebastian the crab from 'The Little Mermaid,' with Floyd's face superimposed. A caption reads, "Under Da Knee, Under Da Knee."

Buckle up ... Jorge Masvidal's opened the door to a possible UFC return. He also wants to smash Conor McGregor's face ... preferably in the street, not an Octagon.

The 38-year-old MMA superstar sat down with Michael Babcock on the "TMZ Sports" TV show (airs weekdays on FS1) ... when the topic turned to the BMF title.

"I think I'm going to have to come back and snatch that belt up real quick. Something like that. But not at [155 lbs.], they gotta come up to [170 lbs.]," Masvidal said.

Gamebred continued ... "A UFC fight. Not now, but at some point, I think I gotta come back."

Of course, Jorge was the OG BMF belt holder ... he defeated Nate Diaz at UFC 244, and took home the belt, which was presented to him by The Rock.

Last weekend, Masvidal, who retired after his April fight with Gilbert Burns, was on hand in Salt Lake City ... and presented the belt to Justin Gaethje after he defeated Dustin Poirier.

We asked Jorge ... who would you want to fight in your return?

"Whoever's got the BMF belt," Masvidal started answering ... and that's when McGregor came up.

"Really I would like to fight Conor because he's such a bitch. I can't stand that dude. But him on the street for free, 'cause he'll never fight me in the ring."

"He never mentions my f***ing name in a comment," Jorge said, adding ... "[Conor's] calling out Dustin and Justin. Shut the f*** up, and do the due process. You f***ing bitch!"

If you're a fan of Masvidal, you know before Strikeforce, Bellator, or the UFC, he got his start fighting in the streets ... alongside the great Kimbo Slice.

"Conor doesn't want [a fight with me]. He's shut it down like 3 or 4 times and he's told people that I'm too big for him, yet he's at my weight class, 170," Masvidal said, explaining why he doesn't believe the fight would ever happen anywhere besides the street.

"He knows that the way that I'd beat him is the way that he wins fights. Stand up, f***ing punching his teeth in and kicking his ribs in, so I know it's just not good for his brand."

Even though Jorge hasn't been fighting, it doesn't mean he hasn't been busy.

Since retiring, Masvidal's launched his very own fight promotion, Gamebred Bareknuckle MMA ... and he's proceeded to book big fights with combat sports superstars.

In fact, former UFC heavyweight champions Junior dos Santos and Fabricio Werdum are fighting on September 8 at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, FL ... a rematch of their UFC 90 scrap (2008), which FW won by KO.

There's much more with Jorge ... including his plans for his promotion, who he'd like to sign next (Derrick Lewis, anyone?), his renewed beef with Ben Askren, and of course, that coveted return to the cage!

Sorry, Jets fans ... Randy Moss says despite New York's huge offseason, Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs are still the team to beat in the AFC.

But, the NFL legend tells TMZ Sports he's stoked for the year NY is about to have regardless ... saying he can feel a completely different energy emanating from the Big Apple after the arrival of Aaron Rodgers.

"I felt the buzz when the Jets were down," said Moss, who works in New York for his role as an ESPN analyst, "and now I'm feeling the buzz when they're ready to look forward to some big things from this organization."

Moss says he's totally impressed with the way Rodgers has integrated himself into his new team and community ... noting he's seen a far different body language from the QB from what he's witnessed in the past.

Now, he thinks it'll all spell out "an MVP-type-caliber season" for the 39-year-old signal-caller

"I just think the sky's the limit for the New York Jets," he said.

The 46-year-old Hall of Famer, though, would apparently still put his money on Mahomes to take the AFC title this year ... telling us the favorite in the conference "is still Kansas City."

Drake is picking sides in the upcoming Jake Paul and Nate Diaz fight ... placing a bet on The Problem Child to fall short ... and judging by the massive wager, Champagne Papi's feeling confident.

Drizzy posted the Stake betting slip on social media Friday night ... and he's risking $250,000 to win $1 million. In order for Drake to cash out, Nate has to win his fight with Paul.

Here's how Drake's explaining his bet ... "Jake is a dog but I can never bet against a Diaz brother that's just how I was raised."

Drake's switching up when it comes to the YouTuber-turned-boxer ... remember, he bet $400k on Jake to knock out Tommy Fury back in February, but Jake didn't make it happen and Drake lost.

But, Jake says Drake has won tons of money on him in the past ... though that doesn't appear to be influencing Drake's bet this time around.

The fight's going down Saturday night at the American Airlines Center in Dallas ... and Jake's a heavy favorite, though Drake is going for the underdog here.

Jake and Nate are chomping at the bit to fight ... their Thursday press conference spiraled into a massive brawl.

Tyron Woodley isn't done with the Paul brothers just yet -- the former UFC champion tells TMZ Sports that after two fights with Jake, he now wants Logan!!

"The Chosen One" was giving us his take on Jake's upcoming bout against Nate Diaz on Saturday ... when the conversation turned to his own boxing career.

We asked Woodley whether he would volunteer to be Logan's opponent for his event with KSI and Tommy Fury on Oct. 14 ... and a lightbulb went off in his head.

"I would love to fight Logan Paul," Woodley -- who lost to Jake in August and December 2021 -- told us.

Of course, the two have a bit of history ... and Woodley remembers the older Paul bro running his mouth back when he was feuding with Jake.

"Logan, what's crackin'? You was talkin' mad s*** while I was fighting your brother and I almost kicked your Polaroid off the boxing ring because he was distracting the fight, talking and hitting the canvas and taking pictures."

Woodley also claims Logan was supposed to be on the same card as his scrapped fight with KSI ... saying Paul was going to fight Dillon Danis until he injured himself in WWE.

"So, if y'all wanna do it again and flip the coin, let's get it cracking ... I was about to get to training anyway, let's get it in."

Stars have ditched the chlorine pools and watered down Summer 2023 with some action-packed adventure while living out their H2O fantasies! From wakeboarding at the lake to scuba diving in the tropics, come explore the open waters with the stars who aren't shying away from sporting wetness!

Ride the wave with Kaitlyn Bristowe who was a total baddie sippin' wine while wakeboarding, "Riverdale"s Ross Buttler rode the rapids with his raft and crew ... and Hailey Bieber took a timeout from her boarding to pose with her precious paddle!

Geno Smith went back and forth with cops during his arrest last year, arguing he was too big to fit in the squad car, video obtained by TMZ Sports shows.

Smith, who was cleared in the case on Thursday, was pulled over in King County in January 2022 after Wash. State Patrol said he was driving his Rolls Royce erratically (96 MPH in a 60 MPH zone), switching lanes without signaling, and claiming he smelled like booze.

The video shows Smith outside of his car as the officer attempted to explain why he was stopped. The cop requested Smith take a sobriety test, but the signal caller refused, so he was put in cuffs.

Smith, who's now 32, was led back to the police car, and he sat down halfway, before he became agitated with officers who asked him to scoot in.

"Are you guys being serious right now or what?" Smith asked. "How am I gonna fit in this car? Explain to me how I'm gonna fit in this car?"

Smith then began to ague the merit of his arrest ... questioning how cops determined he was driving under the influence. The officer explained ... his driving.

Smith laughed it off and then seemingly attempted, unsuccessfully, to fit his body inside the car.

"I can't fit in here. I don't know what you want me to tell you, I'm 6'4"," Smith argued. "If y'all can't get a car that can fit me, I don't know understand what y'all telling me."

"I don't know how y'all fit people in here. Other Black males that look like myself at 6'4" but I don't know what you guys do but I can't fit back here."

Smith -- who signed a 3-year, $105 million deal with Seattle in March -- eventually figured it out and remained quiet for the remainder of the video.

However, according to a police report, Smith allegedly told an officer he had a "little d**k", made threats, and had to be restrained at the hospital while his blood was drawn. Those instances were not captured on the video we obtained.

The Kings County Prosecuting Attorney's Office confirmed on Friday his BAC was .038, which is below the legal limit of .08. His THC levels were also below the legal limit.

Philadelphia Eagles offensive lineman Josh Sills was found not guilty on rape and kidnapping charges on Friday ... and he is now expected to rejoin his team.

As we previously reported, the 25-year-old was indicted less than two weeks before Super Bowl LVII last year ... following a three-year investigation into the allegations made by a former high school classmate.

Sills, who was in Ohio at the time, was accused of forcing the woman to perform oral sex on him for approximately 20 minutes while he drove her home in his truck, according to the police report obtained by TMZ Sports.

Following four days of testimony and three hours of deliberation in an Ohio court ... Sills was acquitted of both charges.

"I'd like to thank you for everything you’ve done," Sills said after the acquittal, according to The Philadelphia Inquirer.

"I'd like to thank my family for supporting me from day one. I've done nothing wrong, and am glad that was proven today."

As a rookie, Sills appeared in just one game for the Eagles last season.

Tom Brady ain't the only quarterback staying in great shape in retirement -- 'cause Eli Manning is lookin' like he's ready to make a comeback ... showing off his solid physique while on vacation with his friends!!

The 42-year-old former signal-caller was aboard a yacht in Portofino, Italy this week ... and he was joined by his old center, Shaun O'Hara, Capital Partners CEO Ben Weprin, and their spouses and friends.

Manning unleashed his inner child as he played with pool noodles, sea scooters, and, of course, a football ... but what really caught our attention -- dude looks GOOD!!!

Now, Manning was never really out of shape during his 16 seasons with the Giants, but the guy hasn't snapped the ball in nearly half a decade ... but it's clear he's making sure he's keeping up with his fitness.

Manning and O'Hara even piggybacked on a jet ski ... proving they're just as close as they were during their playing days.

Of course, Brady doesn't play games when it comes to fitness and health, either ... and we recently caught him on his own vacation in Greece lookin' lean and well.

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.