TMZ Sports - Page 22

Michigan State University has informed Mel Tucker of its plans to fire him ... just days after the suspended Spartans football coach was accused of sexual misconduct.

Rape survivor and activist Brenda Tracy recently claimed Tucker made unsolicited sexual comments and masturbated during an April 2022 phone call ... which led to a formal Title IX complaint and investigation.

Tucker was suspended on Sept. 10 ... and on Monday, the school announced its plans to terminate his contract for cause.

MSU Vice President Allen Haller said the decision has the support of the administration and board ... adding Tucker has been hit with a written notification of the plans to kick him to the curb.

Haller noted in the statement that Tucker now has seven days to plead his case and try to keep his job.

"This action does not conclude the ongoing Office for Civil Rights case; that rigorous process will continue," Haller said.

Tucker -- who signed a $95 million deal in 2021 -- has adamantly denied any wrongdoing ... admitting he had an intimate relationship with Tracy, but claimed she initiated the private convo with comments of her own.

He also said the allegations were simply an attempt to "revive her career" ... but it's clear the school felt otherwise.

J Balvin knows how to have a good time ... and he made sure his model GF was doin' the same for her birthday, which is why he threw her a luxurious surprise party!

The Colombian artist rented out a massive villa -- over 7,000 square feet -- on the Miami Beach waterfront for his boo, Valentina Ferrer's, 30th bday Sunday night ... with about 35 people showing up to celebrate, including her family.

We're told he flew her parents, siblings and other family members out from Argentina for the big day -- their 2-year-old son, Rio, was also in attendance but likely didn't party as hard as the rest of them.

The food was another highlight ... J Balvin hired a private chef from Colombia who put together a spread of Argentinian meats to enjoy. There was also a DJ bumping beats throughout the night  -- and no, JB unfortunately took the night off and didn't perform.

We're told Valentina had no idea about the party, so it was a well-kept secret ... especially getting her whole fam to show up!

FYI, it was a whirlwind weekend for the couple ... they were enjoying the NASCAR Cup Series in Tennessee Saturday where J launched his shoe collab with Nike Jordan before jetting over to Miami.

LeBron James is giving his personal review of Diddy's new project ... and it's safe to say the rap mogul got the King's approval -- 'cause Bron actually took the time to learn the lyrics!!

Well ... some of them.

The Los Angeles Lakers superstar is infamous for his backseat jam sessions whenever new music drops ... and it was only a matter of time before he gave his two cents on the Bad Boy founder's latest effort -- "The Love Album: Off the Grid," which dropped last week.

Bron went through three of his favorite tracks -- "Pick Up," "It Belongs To You," and "Brought My Love" ... vibin' out as each tune blasted in his Maybach.

James even tried his best Jacquees-esque falsetto at one point ... singing along until a fast-cadenced part of the song seemed to catch him off-guard.

The four-time champ rolled with the punches, though ... pretending to crush each word. In reality, it was more like the time he tried to do karaoke to a 6lack song.

"Man O Man!!!!!!!," James captioned his vid ... calling the project "an ABSOLUTE FKN STONE COLD VIBE!!!!!"

Travis Hunter sustained a lacerated liver during a brutal late hit on Saturday during an epic in-state rivalry game with Colorado State ... and now the star cornerback/wide receiver will miss several games, at the least.

"I'm told Travis Hunter sustained a laceration of his liver," Skip Bayless announced on FS1's Undisputed on Monday, before saying it "should heal on its own in 3 to 4 weeks."

In fact, Colorado was so concerned over the injury to 20-year-old Hunter -- one of the most talented football players in college football -- he was hospitalized after the double-overtime victory so doctors could evaluate him.

The scary hit happened with just under 5 minutes remaining in the first quarter of the game ... with 18th-ranked Colorado trailing Colorado State, 14-7.

QB Shedeur Sanders tried to deliver a deep ball to a streaking, but well-covered Hunter. The ball was slightly overthrown. As the rock landed a few feet in front of Hunter, safety Henry Blackburn delivered a big, late (and arguably dirty) hit on Travis, who went down and was clearly in a lot of pain.

The official immediately threw a flag.

Hunter briefly returned to the game but didn't play in the second half.

Colorado ultimately won 43-35 ... but the play left a bad taste in the mouth of a lot of fans, including LeBron James.

"Like I don’t understand the difference between targeting and what I just witnessed. I’ve seen others get thrown out for far less. That was blatant and uncalled for IMO!" Bron wrote on social media.

Blackburn, a captain on the Col. St. team, has been catching hell online ... so much so he's deactivated comments on his Instagram.

As for Hunter's return, he'll likely miss the Oregon (9/23), USC (9/30) and Arizona State (10/7) games, at the least.

Tamar Braxton says her car was broken into and ransacked -- and she's lamenting the fact she doesn't feel safe, even at home ... which is understandable considering the video.

The singer posted 4 clips on IG Monday, which show a handful of men going through a vehicle in a covered, seemingly subterranean garage ... rummaging around and removing various items as they appear to be staging a getaway in another car.

Tamar writes, "I got robbed. At home. I’m not safe anywhere. I don’t know why I keep getting violated. I had a lot in my car cause I don’t live anywhere cause I’m not safe anywhere or with anyone."

It's unclear when exactly this took place, but if it was on Sunday ... that's shocking, because she was at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta to sing the National Anthem ahead of the Packers-Falcons game. Tamar is known to have property in the ATL area, too.

The other notable thing about this is the fact that Tamar says she doesn't "live" anywhere anymore because of situations like this ... which has sparked concern online.

A 53-year-old man tragically died while attending the Patriots' home game against the Miami Dolphins on Sunday ... after experiencing what officials are calling an "apparent medical event."

According to local outlets, the incident happened in the 300s section at Gillette Stadium around 11 PM ... in the closing minutes of New England's 24-17 loss.

The man -- Dale Mooney of Newmarket, New Hampshire -- was rushed to a nearby hospital, where he was pronounced dead. Details surrounding the incident have not been revealed at this time.

The Norfolk District Attorney's Office tells TMZ Sports the investigation is ongoing and is currently in its preliminary stages. No charges have been filed.

Another medical emergency also went down at the same game ... when a second man suffered cardiac arrest earlier in the night.

According to reporter Bridget Condon, two off-duty firefighters sprang into action and conducted CPR for several minutes ... bringing the man back to life. His current status has not been released at this time.

Shaq Barrett's first career touchdown was an emotional one ... as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers linebacker dedicated the moment to his daughter who drowned earlier this year.

The two-time Pro Bowler helped secure the Bucs' victory over the Chicago Bears on Sunday ... when he intercepted Justin Fields' pass and reached the end zone en route to the 27-17 win.

After the win, Barrett said his 2-year-old daughter's passing has inspired him to push even harder this season ... and he paid tribute to her as he spoke with reporters.

"I always played for my family already, but then having, like, that extra incentive and making me want to go a little harder for her, it never stops," the 30-year-old said during the post-game press conference.

"It's always going to suck but at least I’m able to shine some spotlight on her a little bit."

Barrett added he believed the moment was "divine intervention" ... and that God has something in store for his family.

"He just setting us up for something. Can't say better because I don't know what can be better than having my baby girl here but he is setting us up for something that we need."

"I'm just ready for it. I'm waiting for it and I'ma believe in his plan for sure."

As we previously reported, Barrett's daughter, Arrayah, drowned in their backyard pool on April 30. Since the tragedy, the family has installed devices around the home to prevent another accident ... and launched a foundation in her name that will educate parents on water safety.

Patriots fans clearly left a bad taste in Tyreek Hill's mouth ... 'cause after the Dolphins torched the Patriots off the field, the Fins superstar receiver laid into them off the field, calling them out for some of the worst fans in the NFL!

29-year-old Hill ripped the New England fans to the media after the Dolphins' 24-17 win at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough on Sunday night.

"Those fans are some of the worst in the NFL," the 7x Pro Bowler told reporters, "And I'm going to stand on that, they are real nasty."

Hill continued, accusing some of the Patriot faithful of having said some brutal stuff during the game.

"Some of the things they were saying wasn't, you know, I wouldn't say in church."

"So yeah, it felt great to wave goodbye to the fans, and I'll do it again. Bye."

Of course, the 0-2 Patriots are off to their worst start since 2001 ... and their fans are surely on edge. The Pats had a chance to win Sunday's game but came up a few inches short on the final drive.

It's not the first time Hill and Patriots fans had beef .... in 2018, a Pats fan flipped Cheetah the bird and threw beer at him after he scored a touchdown while a member of the Kansas City Chiefs.

Kim Kardashian knows how to carry herself in front of paps who are snapping away, but it seems one of her sons is still learning the ropes ... or, maybe, he just thinks he's #1.

7-year-old Saint was walking into an Islands burger joint in L.A. Friday after his basketball game, accompanied by a couple of pals, plus his mom ... not to mention a bunch of bodyguards. Naturally, paparazzi were all over the place too.

As the whole group was heading toward the front entrance, Saint let the photogs on hand know how he felt about their presence ... throwing up a middle finger.

The sight of a little kid throwing up the F-U signal is pretty funny in and of itself, but the way KK reacts to Saint's gesture is even more hilarious, TBH.

Let's just say she's very much in mom mode ... softly trying to muzzle her kid and get him to behave -- but she's not going very hard. Perhaps he's telegraphing how she really feels!

Now, in terms of who exactly he's channeling between his 2 parents ... Saint's leaning into his Kanye genes here. We've seen Ye flip his lid at paps over the years. It's definitely funnier when the kid does it, though.

Do you think Kim Kardashian was actually angry about Saint West flipping off paparazzi, or was it just for the cameras? Vote below.

The New York Jets appear to be experiencing some turbulence without Aaron Rodgers ... with two of the team's biggest stars voicing their frustrations online after losing to the Dallas Cowboys.

The Jets took their first L of the season in their first full game sans the 4-time MVP ... and Sauce Gardner and Breece Hall were clearly irked after the 30-10 defeat.

Gardner must've been searching his name on social media shortly after the contest ... 'cause when he noticed a tweet from a Cowboys fan account calling out his performance defending CeeDee Lamb, he clapped back with receipts.

"Damnn y'all really love sayin my name on this app lol," Sauce said on X. "He didn't catch a ball on me today. Source: Me."

Gardner -- who seemingly deactivated his account after the post -- also backed himself up on Instagram while on the team plane ... posting his stats to debunk the notion he's fallen off in his second pro season.

As for Hall, he appeared to be upset about his lack of carries ... posting four football emojis to represent the same number of rushing attempts he had in the outing.

Hall -- who's still limited after recovering from an ACL injury he suffered last season -- finished the game with nine rushing yards, after earning more than 120 in Week 1.

An Antonio Gates hasn't been in the NFL since the 2018 season ... but another could be on the way soon -- and, according to the Chargers legend himself, the next one could be better than the first!!

Gates tells TMZ Sports ... his boy -- Michigan State Univ. redshirt freshman receiver Antonio Gates Jr. -- has the goods to one day make it to the NFL, and be an even bigger star than he was once he arrives.

"I think so," Gates said out in Beverly Hills this week. "I really believe that."

So far, the younger Gates is still learning how to be effective on the collegiate level ... after not playing the entirety of the 2022 season, he's played sparingly in 2023.

But, the elder Gates said with all the resources at his disposal -- a transformation into a beast on the gridiron isn't far off.

"I can kind of give him the information that's important for him to be successful," Gates Sr. said. "So, he's got a great future ahead of him."

But, either way, Gates Sr. said he's a very proud Papa nonetheless.

Adele may be a married woman again -- at least that's what the Internet thinks, yet again, after she gave her boyfriend, Rich Paul, a very significant promotion in the title department.

The singer was doing her Vegas residency show Saturday, and per usual ... she was going around chopping it up with her audience, weaving in and out of rows of seats and interviewing folks on the spot Oprah-style. What else is new, right?

However, this time around -- a slip of the tongue appears to have befallen Adele ... 'cause when a female fan asked if she could marry her, Adele said she was already hitched.

Check it out -- Adele turns this woman's marriage proposal down in hilarious fashion ... saying she's straight, and not just that, but that her "husband" was in the crowd and probably wouldn't appreciate it. She didn't say Rich's name -- but he's the only dude she's seeing.

It's unclear if Adele simply misspoke here, or if she did actually say "I do" the famous basketball agent -- who reps the likes of LeBron James and tons of other NBA stars.

We do know that Adele has spoken glowingly of Rich Paul since they first got together a couple years ago. She's even gone so far as to say she's the happiest she's ever been in a relationship with him ... so, it's easy to see her walking down the aisle with him.

This is far from the first time people have speculated on where things are between Rich and Adele. There's already been a first wave of marriage rumors dating back to last September ... when eagle-eyed fans noticed a book at her house that a title of "The Pauls."

Teyana Taylor just confirmed what folks have long suspected about her and her husband, Iman Shumpert ... their relationship is over.

The singer officially broke the news Sunday, taking to IG with a lengthy statement. She writes, "Not too much on my bestie! In all fairness, Iman and I are separated and have been for a while. To be 1000% clear, 'infidelity' ain’t one of the reasons for our departure."

She adds, "We are still the best of friends, great business partners and are one hell of a team when it comes to co-parenting our 2 beautiful children. Most importantly we are FAMILY & in the 10yrs together, 7yrs married we ain’t ever played with or about THAT."

Teyana goes on to explain that the reason she's kept this under wraps is because she's private ... and didn't feel like it was anyone's business -- a decision she's happy with as she and Iman have been able to navigate this on their terms without so much noise.

She finishes by saying ... "The only reason I’m even sharing THIS part of the chat is because the narratives are getting a little out of hand & it’s unfair to all parties involved. I hope this provided some clarity for y’all. Okay AunTey taking y’all back out the chat bye!"

Travis Kelce is said to be "hanging out" with Taylor Swift -- something the NFL world just can't get enough of ... and which bled into Sunday's broadcast of his big game.

NFL announcer Ian Eagle -- who called the Chiefs game Sunday -- snuck in a Swift reference after TK scored his first touchdown of the season against the Jags. It was a simple toss from Mahomes into the end zone ... but a big deal since Trav missed last week's opener.

As Travis and his teammates were celebrating ... Eagle said, "Kelce finds a blank space for the score!" His broadcasting partner didn't say anything, but everyone picked up on it.

Even right after this, Eagle kept it going ... saying Kelce was able to shake it off considering he didn't play last week following an injury. So, yeah, everyone's still giddy about the news.

ICYMI ... word of Travis and Taylor possibly dating first started to percolate earlier this week after The Messenger reported they've been seeing each other lately. Other outlets confirmed they're spending time together ... but stopped short of saying they're full-blown dating.

Based on what Travis's bro had to say about it on TNF ... sounds like they're just banging.

Remember, back in July ... Travis revealed he tried shooting his shot with Taylor during one of her concerts -- but apparently got denied at the time. Since sharing this story, however, it sounds like TS got in touch and then some -- which just goes to show, manifesting is real!

If Taylor and Trav are, in fact, keeping it casual ... that lines up with how she handled the Matty Healy fling earlier this year. TayTay's obviously doing her thing post-Joe Alwyn.

Lamar Odom is likely to see his car insurance bill go way up ... he crashed his Mercedes into two parked cars in an early morning accident.

A rep for Lamar tells TMZ ... Lamar was behind the wheel when he got into a car crash around 3 AM Monday in a residential area near his home.

We're told Lamar was driving home from a friend's place in Northridge when he dropped his phone inside his Mercedes, reached down to retrieve it, lost control and smashed into a pair of cars parked on the street.

Lamar's rep says his white Mercedes hit another white car, which bumped into another car parked in front of it.

Lamar's airbags deployed, and he wasn't injured and didn't need medical assistance ... though he was a little shaken up and his Mercedes is now mangled.

Cops were called but LAPD did not take a police report after responding to the scene. We're told officers spoke with Lamar, asking him if he had been drinking, to which Lamar said no and told cops about being sober and owning rehab facilities.

Cops did not perform a field sobriety test.

Lamar, we're told, then explained to LAPD how the accident happened ... and the owners of the impacted cars came out of their homes and Lamar gave them his insurance information.

Fortunately, we're told no one was inside the parked cars at the time of the crash ... though Lamar's Mercedes was towed and his security drove him home.

The best QB of the 2020 NFL Draft class might not end being Joe Burrow, Justin Herbert, Jalen Hurts OR Tua Tagovailoa ... at least, that's according to LeRoy Butler -- who tells TMZ Sports it could actually be Jordan Love!!

The Packers legend made the eyebrow-raising claim following Green Bay's win in Week 1 ... explaining he thinks that after sitting behind Aaron Rodgers the past three years, Love could now be best set up for success out of all the '20 signal-callers.

"I think he may be better than those guys," the Packers legend said, "because he's going to have that opportunity because he had to sit and wait."

Sunday's victory over the Bears marked just the second time ever that Love has started an NFL game ... but Butler was clearly impressed.

The Hall of Fame defensive back loved the way the 24-year-old -- who the Packers took with the 26th overall selection in 2020 behind Burrow, Herbert and Tagovailoa -- played within himself ... and he liked it so much, he now believes there's a chance Love finishes his career as 2020's best pick.

Butler actually compared the situation to his own career ... saying that while 47 guys were drafted ahead of him -- and played way more than him as a rookie -- he's now got a bust in Canton.

"There's a lot of guys who went before me," the 1990 second-round pick said. "But I'm in the Hall of Fame -- and they're not."