TMZ Sports - Page 28

The Philadelphia Eagles had to go through not one but two terrifying moments during their preseason game on Thursday night ... when a duo of their players needed stretchers to leave the field after sustaining scary injuries.

The moments happened in the second half of the Eagles' 18-18 tie against the Browns in Philadelphia ... when receiver Tyrie Cleveland and defensive lineman Moro Ojomo hurt their necks on separate plays.

Tyrie's looked the most horrifying ... in the third quarter of the contest, he jumped up to haul in a pass -- but when he came down, he landed awkwardly on his head. He stayed on the turf for several minutes ... before he was strapped to a backboard and carted off.

One quarter later ... Ojomo was going in to make a tackle on a scrambling quarterback, when his teammate came in and accidentally collided with the back of his neck. He, too, stayed on the ground for minutes -- before requiring a stretcher to leave the field.

The Eagles ruled both guys out of the game almost immediately ... though, thankfully, the team said each one did have movement in all their extremities.

"I haven't talked to the doctors yet, but it sounds like they're moving around," head coach Nick Sirianni said after the game. "I don't know anything else besides that."

Four other Eagles players were injured in the contest as well -- including first-round pick Nolan Smith -- though none of their ailments were considered as serious as Cleveland and Ojomo's.

Max Holloway is crushed by what's happening on Maui, and the UFC star, born and raised in Hawaii, believes matters have been made worse by the government's response to the disaster.

TMZ Sports talked to a very emotional Holloway, 31, as he finished preparation for his UFC Fight Night scrap against The Korean Zombie on August 26. Although the fight is going down in Singapore, it was Maui that was very much on Blessed's mind.

"It's tough man. Everything that's going on in Lahaina now is heartbreaking."

As bad as things are, Max says he's seen incredible strength in the community.

"The amazing thing is how Hawaii can come together and pull through. The people of Hawaii are coming strong together."

Of course, Maui is in crisis. The death count is currently at 111, including children, but is expected to rise sharply, as over 1,000 people are still missing. Aside from the tragic loss of life, the area has been ravaged, with hundreds, if not thousands of structures -- homes, businesses -- burned to the ground.

Much of the affected area still hasn't been searched ... and Max says he's not satisfied with the government's response.

"Here, the state, the government at so many levels, I'm straight up going to say it, they failed the people of Lahaina and it's kind of heartbreaking," Holloway said.

"When it felt like they were lollygagging, too, after everything happened, the people, the Hawaiian people, the locals there are the ones that stood up, that took on the responsibility, and are helping, and are still helping as we speak. Man, it's just super heartbreaking."

Because it's clearly having such an effect on Max, we asked him if he considered backing out of the fight. But that wasn't going to happen, because Holloway believes this can be a distraction for the people.

"If I can take their minds off of it for a second, a minute, five minutes, whatever it is, I always go in there thinking Hawaii is on my back. I'm going in there a little bit heavier right now."

As for those people impacted, Max had a message.

"My main message to the families that are directly impacted, stay strong. We're all here for you guys. We're gonna keep this going for you guys. We're in for the long haul on this fight."

"This is just the beginning, and we know. The recovery is going to take a long time. Everything is gone, and we know this, and we're here for the long ride."

Dana White says he's sure Mark Zuckerberg wants to take a fight in the UFC -- and, get this, he tells TMZ he's definitely not opposed to making the Meta boss' wish a reality.

White joined Harvey and Charles on "TMZ Live" on Thursday to preview this weekend's big UFC 292 card ... but before he talked Sean O'Malley vs. Aljamain Sterling -- he spilled the beans on what he knew about the failed Zuck vs. Elon Musk matchup.

He said both guys were dead serious about brawling ... but when Elon wanted to go more of an informal route with the bout -- Zuck decided to pull away.

"He and I talk multiple times a week," White said of Zuckerberg. "And we had dinner last Monday. He's very serious about competing. And when he mentioned it, he said -- listen -- what he was saying in response to Elon was there are tons of professional organizations out there and this is the way this should be done, not in some backyard or whatever Elon was saying."

He added that Zuck understood the fight would have to be sanctioned by an athletic commission, there would need to be proper medical testing and drug testing ... and when Elon didn't seem to get that -- he said Zuckerberg pivoted.

As for what's now next for Zuck ... White told the guys "I would say he is absolutely interested" in battling it out with a UFC fighter in White's org.

And, Dana said it's a possibility he makes it all happen.

But, until then, White's in Boston getting ready for a helluva fight on Saturday night between O'Malley and Sterling.

Damian Lillard is set to release his fifth studio album "Don D.O.L.L.A." this week -- a feat he says is only reserved for legit artists and not ones halfway committed!!!

TMZ Hip Hop obtained video of Dame previewing the album last night at Soho House in West Hollywood ... where he told the crowd he considers himself a seasoned rapper at this point, listening to criticisms to always improve on his craft.

The NBA star says March's season-ending injury gave him time to beef up the album ... which boosts guest appearances from Rick Ross, Mozzy and longtime collaborator, Lil Wayne ... who's appeared on ALL of Dame's albums thus far!!!

Several pro athletes also dabble in making hip-hop music, but Dame says he earned his stripes freestyling for "4-Bar Fridays" on IG before graduating to SoundCloud.

Big milestone for Brooks Koepka and Jena Sims -- the golf star and his model wife brought their child home this week ... 20 days after the baby boy was born.

The first-time parents shared the awesome news on Thursday ... posing with little Crew at the Jupiter Medical Center, where he spent nearly three weeks receiving treatment in the NICU.

Sims praised everyone involved in treating their son over that tough period ... calling the staffers "angels on earth."

"He's ours now," Sims said.

It's been a long journey to get Crew home after he was born six weeks early. At the time, Sims detailed the agony she was going through, saying, "leaving the hospital without your baby is something I wish on no one."

But, things are much better now ... and the family couldn't be happier!!

In fact, Crew is now getting acquainted with their adorable pup, Cove ... with the four-legged friend already sniffing around as he lay in a carrier at home.

All of the professional sports teams in Los Angeles have come together to help those affected by the wildfires in Hawaii ... pooling up $450,000 to send to the Red Cross to support the victims.

The Lakers announced the generous donation Thursday morning ... saying they and the other teams in the City of Angels wanted to do what they could to make sure Hawaiians are getting aid during their time of need.

In addition to the Lakers -- who had previously held their training camps in Hawaii for more than two decades -- the Clippers, Angels, Angel City Football Club, Chargers, Dodgers, Anaheim Ducks, L.A. Galaxy, LAFC, Kings, Rams and Sparks all contributed.

"Despite California and Hawaii being separated by more than 2,000 miles," the Lakers said in a statement, "the two states are very connected with a robust Hawaiian community calling Southern California home."

More in the sports world have also recently pitched in, including Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, whose been consistently speaking with organizations in Hawaii with the hopes of getting people to donate to the Hawaii Community Foundation Maui Fund.

Legendary surfer Kelly Slater told us last week he and the surfing community also plan on helping out by sending money and supplies.

IShowSpeed can breathe a sigh of relief after he accidentally exposed his penis in front of thousands of live stream viewers on Wednesday -- TMZ Sports has learned the popular gamer is NOT banned from posting on YouTube following the incident.

As we previously reported, Speed exposed himself while playing "Five Nights at Freddy's" -- which appeared to be a genuine wardrobe malfunction as he reacted to a big moment in the game.

The internet superstar was horrified after his junk was shown on camera ... repeatedly saying, "Oh my God" and abruptly ending the stream.

We reached out to YouTube on the matter ... and we're told Speed did, in fact, remove the upload from his page following the mishap.

While the video did violate the platform's policies against explicit content, we're told Speed is good to continue to upload to YouTube moving forward.

Of course, anything Speed posts in the future will also be subject to the platform's community guidelines ... but it seems the company is forgiving when it comes to honest mistakes.

Speed -- real name Darren Watkins -- has gone radio silent following the incident ... but given this news, he may be back sooner than later.

Somebody check on Michael Jordan -- it sounds like his arch nemesis' ex-wife is close to being his daughter-in-law ... 'cause Marcus just revealed a wedding date with Larsa Pippen is "in the works."

The happy couple hit up Jones in West Hollywood for dinner on Wednesday ... and as they were leaving the restaurant, the G.O.A.T.'s son was asked if wedding bells were in his future.

"We're looking for a location," Heir Jordan said with a big smile on his face.

When the cameras followed up about whether they had a date set, Marcus explained the two have kickstarted the planning process.

To spark further speculation, Larsa was spotted wearing a ring on THAT finger ... although it's unclear if it's a legit engagement ring just yet. It's worth noting -- Pippen has worn the ring in a few recent Instagram posts as well.

It may be MJ's worst nightmare -- remember, #23 famously said he did NOT approve of the relationship while leaving a restaurant in Paris last month.

Larsa and Marcus later addressed the clip ... with Scottie's ex claiming MJ's comments left her "embarrassed" and "traumatized," and the latter insisting his pops gave his blessing ... but didn't want to fuel speculation their relationship had anything to do with his infamous feud with Michael's longtime wingman.

Regardless of what the Hall of Famer thinks, Larcus were inseparable at Drizzy's show earlier Wednesday evening ... with Pippen grinding all over Jordan throughout the night.

Fittingly, Marcus' shirt read, "Hug me I'm horny!!"

Well, this is bee-zarre.

Tennis star Stefanos Tsitsipas confronted a female fan during his match Wednesday after he claimed she made buzzing noises in an attempt to distract him.

It all happened during Tsitsipas' match against Ben Shelton in the Cincinnati Masters ... when he thought a bee was following him around the court during play.

The No. 4-ranked player in the world made an attempt to swat at the apparent bug with his racket ... before he realized the noise appeared to be actually coming from a spectator sitting behind him.

Tsitsipas went directly to the umpire to let him know what he thought the fan was doing.

"Do you think that's OK?" Tsitsipas said to the umpire.

That's when the 25-year-old went over to the crowd asking which one of them was making the sounds. You can see in broadcast footage from the match one fan pointed directly to a woman in the front row wearing a hat and shades.

"It has never happened in my career," Tsitsipas said to the umpire. "I know they're supporting the [other player]."

"It's the lady over there. I want her out. She needs to go."

The umpire negotiated with Tsitsipas, telling him he would tell her to stop ... and Tsitsipas did as well by confronting her before getting back to the match.

Willie McGinest is fighting back in his restaurant attack case ... pleading not guilty to all charges, TMZ Sports has learned.

According to a spokesperson for the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office ... the New England Patriots legend entered the pleas at a hearing on Tuesday.

McGinest had been first hit with the charges -- one felony count of assault with a deadly weapon, and one felony count of assault by means of force likely to cause great bodily injury -- in March ... after he had been accused of beating the hell out of a man during a December 2022 attack at Delilah in West Hollywood.

A lawsuit filed by the alleged victim in the case claimed McGinest snapped on him after he had made a comment about USC -- Willie's alma mater -- and its Pac-12 title game loss to Utah.

Video of the alleged incident we obtained shows McGinest and several others punching the man repeatedly ... before the ex-NFL star grabs a nearby bottle and hits man in the head with it.

McGinest did publicly apologize over it all days after the allegations surfaced ... saying in a statement, "To my family, community, friends, and youth I mentor, please know I feel horrible for my actions and take full responsibility."

Joe Mixon will head into the 2023 NFL season with his road rage case in the rearview mirror ... the Bengals running back was just found not guilty on Thursday morning.

The tailback had been in court on trial in the case since the start of the week ... and after four days of back-and-forth between prosecutors and Mixon's attorneys -- a judge found him not guilty of misdemeanor aggravated menacing.

Mixon -- wearing a light-colored suit and navy blue tie -- did not take the stand during Thursday's proceedings. He appeared relieved after the judge's ruling was announced.

Joe did not speak with reporters after court ... directing media members to speak with his attorneys instead. One of the lawyers said outside of the courtroom, "We thought it came out the way it should have."

The 27-year-old football player was initially charged in the case back in February ... after a 43-year-old woman alleged he had pulled a gun on her on Jan. 21 and threatened to shoot her over a dispute the two had been having on a roadway in Cincinnati.

The charge was at first dismissed just a couple days after it was filed ... but the case was reopened on April 7 after investigators said they found "new evidence." Mixon pled not guilty to the charge less than two weeks later on April 19.

Mixon is expected to have a huge role for the Bengals this year ... after the team parted ways with his primary backup, Samaje Perine, in the offseason. It's unclear if he's still facing punishment over the criminal case from the NFL despite Thursday's ruling.

One lucky Colts fan got a rare piece of memorabilia from Anthony Richardson this week ... 'cause the rookie quarterback gifted the kid a signed cleat right off his foot!!

The incredible gesture happened at Indy's training camp on Wednesday ... when the 4th overall pick of the 2023 NFL Draft met with supporters at the Grand Park Sports Campus.

In clips from the scene, you can see the large crowd begging Richardson for his autograph ... but he took it a step further by taking off his white Nike cleat and signing it before handing it to a young girl ... and her reaction is priceless!!

The 21-year-old was able to hook up a couple of fans with his John Hancock before a team staffer drove him and his little brother -- who was wearing his helmet -- off the field.

By the looks of it, Richardson would still be there right now signing for fans if he didn't get whisked away!!

Richardson is definitely becoming a fan favorite ahead of the season ... besides being named QB1 this week, his old rap verse from a year-old music video has also gone viral, with fans saying he should drop a mixtape.

"I need this rap with him coming out the tunnel on GameDay," one fan tweeted.

Ex-NFL star Doug Flutie stepped outta retirement to suit up for a Savannah Bananas baseball game on Wednesday ... and if you're a fan of shenanigans, this is the clip for you.

Of course, the Georgia-based exhibition team is known for wacky antics and entertaining contests ... and on Wednesday, the squad enlisted the former Heisman winner during its stop in Brockton, Massachusetts.

Flutie fit right in during his appearance ... entering the game by flailing around a box of his signature cereal, Flutie Flakes, and gathering his teammates together for a huddle and lining them up in formation on the mound before throwing a deep pass into the outfield.

The older fans in attendance loved the cameo ... but it wasn't the only one of the night -- ex-MLB star Johnny Damon also threw on an all-yellow jersey to try to help get the Nanners a win.

Michael Oher knew the Tuohy family were his "legal conservators" in 2011, despite claiming in legal docs that he just became aware this February ... and the proof is in the former NFL star's own book.

Oher wrote "I Beat The Odds: From Homelessness, to The Blind Side, and Beyond" -- a memoir that was released in 2011 -- and specifically talked about the legal relationship he had with the family.

"It kind of felt like a formality, as I'd been a part of the family for more than a year at that point. Since I was already over the age of eighteen and considered an adult by the state of Tennessee, Sean and Leigh Anne would be named as my 'legal conservators,'" Oher said.

Michael continued ... "They explained to me that it means pretty much the exact same thing as 'adoptive parents,' but that the laws were just written in a way that took my age into account. Honestly, I didn't care what it was called. I was just happy that no one could argue that we weren't legally what we already knew was real: We were a family."

Of course, it seemingly puts a hole in Oher's story. Just this week he claimed in legal documents filed in Tennessee that he only found out about the conservatorship in early 2023 ... a move his attorney alleges the Tuohy's pulled to gain "total control over Michael Oher's ability to negotiate for or enter any contract."

His beef with Sean and Leigh Anne Tuohy centers around money he claims they earned from the hit movie, "The Blind Side" ... of which he says he got nothing.

However, the Tuohy's issued a statement refuting Oher's claims across the board -- forcefully denying they got rich from the film, and saying they never misled Michael about the conservatorship.

Oher's attorney asked for an accounting of money the family made through contracts negotiated on his behalf ... in what appeared to be a precursor to a lawsuit.

It'll be interesting to see what happens now that the book has resurfaced, since Oher clearly knew of the conservatorship.

Druski is starting his own sports agency, but his first client is no joke -- the superstar comedian is signing Florida Gators star and NFL Draft prospect Princely Umanmielen!!

TMZ Sports is told Druski -- who boasts millions of followers on social media -- is launching the athletics branch of his 4Lifers brand ... with the defensive standout coming on board as his inaugural signee.

Umanmielen is widely regarded as one of the top defensive ends in the country ... and has been named to the Chuck Bednarik and Lombardi Award watch lists this season after racking up 39 total tackles, 4.5 sacks and 2 forced fumbles for the Gators in 2022.

Before making his way to Gainesville, 6'5", 254-pound Umanmielen was a four-star recruit out of Manor, Texas.

And, we're told while Druski likes to be playful on social media and with his comedy career, this isn't something he's taking lightly ... and he wants to make a serious name for himself in the industry.

"Launching 4Lifers Sports Agency allows me to combine my two passions -- sports and entertainment," Druski tells us.

"Our team is committed to providing athletes with the resources, support and marketing opportunities to grow on and off the field. The process begins today with Florida Gators star Princely Umanmielen’s addition to our family."

Druski has built quite the portfolio in the sports world recently ... he's already a co-owner of Fan Controlled Football's Shoulda Been Stars.

In fact, when he joined forces with the league, he made it clear he understood the responsibility that came with the role.

Painful night at the ballpark for Lars Nootbaar ... the St. Louis Cardinals star foul-tipped a ball so hard into his man region -- he had to leave the game.

The incident happened in the fifth inning of the Red Birds' Wednesday night tilt with the Oakland A's ... when Nootbaar was trying to send a changeup over the outfield wall.

Instead, however, his bat barely got a piece of the baseball as it crossed the dish ... and it, unfortunately, bounced off the ground and ricocheted right into his junk.

At first, the game's announcers believed it had smacked off one of his shins -- but when the replays showed it went directly into his family jewels ... they knew exactly what was going down.

Nootbaar, meanwhile, was in a world of pain ... he writhed on the ground for several moments -- before he somehow got up. He would go on to strike out during the at-bat ... and then leave the game to get all checked out.

It's unclear exactly how the guy is now doing ... the Cards only said afterward he was removed "due to a lower abdomen contusion."

To add insult to injury, Nootbaar's Cardinals lost 8-0.