TMZ Sports - Page 50

Travis Kelce is being painted as a cheater by one of his ex-flings ... but sources close to the NFL superstar say she's full of it, and only trying to grab her 15 minutes of fame.

If you missed it, Maya Benberry, who won Travis' E! dating show "Catching Kelce" back in 2016 just did an interview where she called Kelce a cheater, warning Taylor Swift, "Taylor seems like such a fun girl with a beautiful spirit so I wish her the best of luck but I wouldn’t be a girls' girl if I didn’t advise her to be smart!"

Maya told Daily Mail, "Once a cheater always a cheater."

Sources close to Kelce tell us the two only dated for a month after the show, and couldn't publicly announce their actual split because of a contract they had in place with the network.

The source tells us Travis never cheated on Maya.

Our source adds Kelce and Maya haven't spoken in about 5 years ... and her interview is, "A poor excuse of someone trying to get her 15 min of fame."

Baseball Hall of Famer Brooks Robinson -- one of the greatest third basemen in MLB history -- has passed away, the Baltimore Orioles announced Tuesday.

He was 86 years old.

The O's released a statement on the tragic news ... saying, "We are deeply saddened to share the news of the passing of Brooks Robinson. An integral part of our Orioles Family since 1955, he will continue to leave a lasting impact on our club, our community, and the sport of baseball."

Robinson -- who earned the nicknames "Mr. Hoover" and "The Human Vacuum Cleaner" as a result of his defensive playmaking abilities -- spent his entire career in Baltimore from 1955-1977 ... winning the World Series in 1966 and 1970, and being named the Most Valuable Player during his second championship.

Robinson had stellar longevity -- he was an 18-time All-Star and 16-time Gold Glove winner and won the 1964 MVP.

While he turned heads on the field, he was also a force in the batter's box -- recording 2,848 hits, 268 homers and 1,357 RBI.

Robinson was a shoo-in for the Hall of Fame -- he was inducted in his first year of eligibility in 1983, which had never happened before for a third baseman.

His No. 5 jersey was retired by the organization.

The legend remained close to the franchise over the years -- the O's honored him on the 45th anniversary of his retirement in 2022 ... where he rode on the field and greeted fans before a game.

Tyreek Hill has some big goals for his post-football career -- the Miami Dolphins superstar says he wants to dive into the porn industry after he retires from the NFL.

... and he's not screwing with us!!

The 29-year-old wide receiver revealed his intentions while streaming on Twitch ... when fellow NFLer Mike Evans brought up the fact Hill has a bright future even after his playing days are over.

Hill agreed ... but little did the Buccaneers great know, he was referring to making highlight reels in the bedroom instead of on the field -- which is exactly what he plans to do.

"Nah, when I retire, bro, I really wanna be a porn star though, bro," Hill said. "Like, dead serious. Like, you think I got that?"

The conversation went dead silent ... forcing Hill to follow up.

"No?"

Evans tried to change his mind ... suggesting a career as a comedian instead.

"You already got like 12 kids, s***," Evans said ... pointing out his family has grown a bit over the years.

It certainly sounds like the Super Bowl champ can't be swayed ... as he remained adamant about venturing into adult films.

Kroy Biermann says he has no desire to call off his divorce from Kim Zolciak despite having sex a couple weeks ago ... claiming banging her doesn't mean he's changed his mind.

The retired NFL player just fired back at his estranged wife ... making it clear he is still gung-ho about divorcing her, selling their Georgia mansion and moving somewhere else with their kids.

In new legal docs, obtained by TMZ, Kroy says the fact he had sex with Kim "does not indicate a desire to reconcile" and he "remains steadfast in his desire to divorce" her.

TMZ broke the story ... Kim claims Kroy's latest divorce petition is all a sham because they're living together and having a ton of sex, and she's trying to get a judge to toss the whole thing.

But Kroy says folks shouldn't put a whole lot of stock into the fact they had sex earlier this month ... he says it doesn't change his position.

In the docs, Kroy says their home is set to be foreclosed on in November and he accuses Kim of trying to drag things out to stop him from selling their place to pay off their mountain of debt.

Kroy sounds like he has some post-nut clarity ... he claims their current situation is toxic for their kids and he wants to push forward with the divorce, claiming Kim's called the cops to the home 4 times in 4 months, with the latest incident being witnessed by their youngest daughter.

Ja Morant's been laying low, but the Grizzlies superstar just made a rare appearance, surprising a bunch of kids at a Memphis basketball court ... hooking everyone up with his signature Nike kicks during hoop sesh!

24-year-old Morant, who will serve a 25-game suspension to start the season, along with Nike held the "Only Basketball" event this week ... and as you'd expect, the kids were super hyped when the 2x All-Star pulled up to the gym.

And, not only did Morant ball out with the youngsters (including throwing down a massive dunk) ... he also gifted the young athletes his Ja 1s, along with other athletic gear.

Morant even offered some advice to the kids, encouraging them to stay focused on the game and stay away from the outside noise.

"Believe in yourself," Morant said. "You know have confidence in yourself."

"There's going to be a lot of outside stuff that can distract you from your ultimate goal. Just stay locked in, tune it out, and stay true to yourself."

BTW, the new "Chimney" colorway for the Ja 1 Nike's were revealed this week ... and they feature his iconic phrase, "We ain't ducking no smoke" on the side. They'll drop later this year.

Morant has been virtually nonexistent this off-season ... laying low after the controversy from his second gun video rocked the NBA.

Of course, Ja flashed a gun on his friend's Instagram Live (just two months after the first incident with a handgun in a Denver-area strip club in March) ... resulting in the 25-game ban.

New Mexico State didn't only beat rival University of New Mexico earlier this month ... quarterback Diego Pavia also allegedly peed on UNM's logo -- an act that was seemingly captured on video!

New Mexico St. and UNM, in-state rivals, squared off on September 16 ... a game NMSU won 27-17. Pavia, their junior signal caller, went 9/14 for 203 passing yards and 2 touchdowns.

Nice game.

But, perhaps feeling he hadn't done enough, Pavia seems to have offered the grounds crew an assist by (allegedly) watering the indoor ... turf?

Per leaked video, a person wearing sweats (no uniform), appearing to be the quarterback, was seen urinating on the Lobo logo. It's unclear if this was before or after the game.

A spokesperson for UNM told the Albuquerque Journal they became aware of the video several days after the game, and notified NMSU of the situation.

If Pavia's in trouble -- and let's be honest, he likely is -- New Mexico State says they will not reveal any disciplinary information, citing "federal privacy laws."

Pavia, who became the full-time starter last season after sharing time as a freshman, has started all five of NMSU's games (they're 2-3), including the team's 20-17 loss to Hawaii on Saturday.

Here it is -- the first audio snippet of Joey Votto's performance in a local production of "The Spongebob Musical: Youth Edition" ... and the MLB star is really good!!

As we previously reported, the Reds great recently partnered with The Children's Theatre of Cincinnati for its upcoming iteration of the musical based on the classic animated show ... taking on the role of the iconic "French Narrator."

TMZ Sports has obtained a short clip of one of Votto's voiceovers ... and the guy sounds pretty close to the original!!

Votto is comfortable with his French accent -- after all, he was raised in Toronto, so he has plenty of experience speaking the language.

The 2010 MVP spent a solid amount of time in the booth as he recited his lines ... and while he won't be present on stage October 14-23, the attendees will certainly appreciate his involvement in the production.

In fact, a ton of fans are praising Votto for offering his time to participate in the show ... but it shouldn't come as a surprise, as he's been heavily involved in the community throughout his career.

Morgan Wallen certainly doesn't need help filling seats at his concerts, but he still called on his good buddy Peyton Manning to spread the word about his new tour ... and the Hall of Famer delivered -- rocking a fake mullet and showing off his pipes for the job!!

The country superstar announced he's going back on the road for his "One Night At A Time 2024" shows ... but instead of just posting the dates and locations on his social media, he decided to have some fun with it.

Wallen enlisted both Peyton and Eli to appear in a short sketch ... with the former Colts and Broncos signal-caller donning a wig and hat and singing "Last Night" before picking up a FaceTime call from the singer.

In the phone chat, Wallen explained he wanted Peyton to make a clip to announce the tour ... but asked him to leave out his signature dry comedy and give a straightforward statement on the big news.

"No dressing up ... no singing ... and do not overdo it with the bad jokes," Wallen told Peyton.

"Avoid the bad jokes, kinda like that new hairdo of yours," Peyton clapped back ... referring to MW's new shaved head appearance.

The two-time Super Bowl champ was bummed about the instructions ... and said if Wallen wanted a boring, uncreative vid, he should have just hit up his younger brother.

The comment gave Wallen a lightbulb moment ... and sure enough, Eli popped up to handle the gig just as requested.

Of course, Peyton had to give one more silly joke before the end of the clip ... making a song pun for good measure.

As for the tour, MW said ... "Been one of the best years for me and my music so we're gonna run it back.. same tour name, staying on this album and many more cities to visit."

The jacket Travis Kelce was spotted wearing while leaving the Chiefs game with Taylor Swift has already sold out -- ya know, the one renamed in honor of one of the singer's most beloved albums.

As we reported, fashion line KidSuper had a matching denim jacket and pants on its site, named "Bedroom Painting," but the company slapped "1989" on it after the vid of Travis and Taylor went viral -- a nod to Tay Tay's 2014 album, and her upcoming, re-recorded release.

Don't forget, Taylor's appearance at Sunday's game wasn't the first interaction they've had -- sources told us they've been together "several times" over the last few months ... having person-to-person interactions in a "very private setting."

Well, it looks like fans everywhere have been dying to get their hands on the duds because all sizes of the $295 jacket are sold out ... and the $285 pants are currently marked as "low stock."

Safe to say, KidSuper's marketing plan worked -- even though they dubbed it the "1989" jacket after Travis bought it, that clearly didn't stop folks from jumping on board!

Of course, the big game was the first time Taylor met Travis' parents, Donna and Ed -- and it seemed like Taylor fit right in with the gang.

Kim Zolciak is firing back at Kroy Biermann, claiming his latest divorce petition is a sham and wants to get it tossed --- because they're still having a lot of sex!!!

According to court docs, obtained by TMZ ... the 'Real Housewives of Atlanta' alum says she's been repeatedly banging her estranged hubby ever since he filed for divorce from her -- for the second time -- in late August. Kim says their latest fooling around session was just a few weeks ago on September 7.

Kim says Kroy's claim the marriage is "irretrievably broken" is bogus, because how can it be broken if they're still doin' the deed?

She also says the fact they are still living under the same roof is further proof the whole "irretrievably broken" thing is just plain wrong.

Kroy has filed for divorce twice, most recently on August 24. He has said Kim's gambling problems have led them down the path to financial ruin, and he wants out.

Alabama State's Jacob Freeman punched a security guard in the face during Saturday's Florida A&M game, an attack that was caught on video ... and now the wide receiver has been arrested.

The altercation started when Freeman, number 16, lost his cool with a fan on the sidelines ... and seemingly attempted to get to the person. Security attempted to step in and stop JF, which evidently angered the Alabama State player.

That's when Freeman, helmet still on, threw a quick right, landing square on the guard's face, who immediately clutched the area that had been punched.

On Sunday, Freeman was arrested by the FAMU Police Department, according to the Leon County Sheriff's Office. Freeman was charged with one count of "battery causing bodily harm".

Freeman took a mug shot and was eventually released from jail.

However, he won't be seeing a football field anytime soon ... Bama St. suspended him for his behavior.

"We do not condone the actions of the student-athlete, nor are the actions representative of the expectations set forth by the athletic department and our university," the athletics department said in a statement.

Hornets head coach Eddie Robinson Jr., during a SWAC coaches media call, said Freeman is remorseful, "but at the same time, he has to go through the process of his actions."

LSU women's basketball head coach Kim Mulkey was forced to undergo heart surgery in June after doctors discovered she had an artery that was nearly completely blocked.

But, thankfully, she says she's now doing well.

The 61-year-old revealed the ailment was initially discovered way back in May after she had noticed some tingling in the tip of one of her fingers.

She said the problem led to her going to a doctor -- and following some testing, she told ESPN she found out she had "plaque on her carotid arteries."

Further testing showed she had a blockage in her heart -- and would need to have two stents put in to fix the issue. She held off on the surgery until after the Tigers' May visit to the White House.

"You're awake for the procedure," she said, according to ESPN. "Then they told me, 'You were 95-99% blocked in one artery.' And I said, 'Doc, why didn't I feel bad in any way?' He said, 'You're what's called an asymptomatic patient. You're the ones that can die suddenly and drive cardiologists crazy.' I asked if I was likely to have had a heart attack without the procedure, and he said, 'Yes, eventually.'"

Mulkey is now feeling good and taking medication to make sure the problem doesn't return. She's also urging people to go get checked out, even if they're feeling OK.

"The issue with my heart, it was really just luck that we found it," she said. "So I will keep telling people, 'Get yourself checked out. You have nothing to lose, and it could save your life.'"

The USC Trojans were without Bronny James during their first team practice on Monday ... but according to coach Andy Enfield, the star freshman is in good spirits as he recovers from his cardiac arrest in July.

Enfield shared the update after the Trojans' training session ... and while he didn't have any new information on Bronny's hoops return, he said the Lakers superstar's oldest son is crushing it off the court.

"Bronny's doing very well," Enfield said, according to ESPN. "But we just can't comment on anything medically. He's going to class and doing extremely well in school, and we're really excited for him."

"He's around when he can be. And he's getting caught up [with] some schoolwork and doing very well. His grades are excellent right now, and he's being the true student-athlete."

Enfield went on to explain there is no timetable for Bronny's college debut ... but made it clear he still believes the 18-year-old will be a "valuable part of our basketball team."

As we previously reported, Bronny was diagnosed with a treatable congenital heart defect last month ... and his family believes he will be able to continue his career on the hardwood.

Usher is downplaying all the fallout his viral moment with Keke Palmer caused, at least on his end ... he thinks the whole debacle was sensationalized so he simply used the situation to their advantage!!!

The R&B icon was confronted with the issue Tuesday on "The Breakfast Club" as he explained the differences between his Vegas shows -- like the one that jeopardized Keke's relationship and his newly announced Super Bowl LVIII Halftime gig.

Usher was asked if he felt any guilt about creating a wedge between Keke and her boyfriend Darius Jackson this past 4th of July weekend.

Usher blames the internet for blowing up the spot but has no regrets for their make-good, in the form of the "Boyfriend" music video starring Keke that leaned into the moment.

The world's still heavily invested in Keke and Darius ... the actress recently pled the 5th in the name of Beyonce on morning TV.

As for the Super Bowl, Usher says Jay-Z woke him up early in the morning about a week ago with the good news, but played it coy when asked about any potential guests joining him on the big stage.

Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce are not "officially" dating, at least not yet ... but they are definitely headed in that direction, and the early returns seem promising.

Sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ ... Taylor's appearance at Travis' NFL game Sunday was NOT the first time they were together. We're told they have been together "several times" over the last few months.

While Taylor's show of support was very public, our sources say their person-to-person interactions before Sunday were always in a "very private setting."

Still, it's interesting Taylor is already meeting Travis' parents ... our sources say Sunday marked Taylor's first introduction to TK's mother, Donna, and father, Ed.

As you know, TayTay watched Travis score a touchdown from a suite with his family ... and cameras caught their excitement.

We're told Taylor's time with Donna, Travis' mom, went "very well" ... and that the matriarch calls Taylor "a lovely person."

Taylor has yet to meet Travis' older brother Jason -- sounds like that will have to wait -- he's busy playing for the NFL's Philadelphia Eagles.

Taylor and Travis smiled for the cameras as they left Arrowhead Stadium together after his Kansas City Chiefs pummeled the Chicago Bears, 41-10 ... leaving in a convertible. We're told they took a shot with some friends before leaving the stadium.

We didn't see any PDA from Taylor and Travis in public, but our sources say they were holding hands at the restaurant he rented out for his family, friends and teammates after the game. At one point Taylor was sitting on Travis' lap.

Taylor fit in well with Travis' friends and family ... she came to the game alone -- bodyguards excepted -- and was chatting up everyone.

Taylor's upcoming tour dates could make a full-blown relationship tricky ... she's about to go back on tour in a few weeks, and then in November she heads out for her tour's international leg. Meanwhile, the NFL will consume Travis' life, potentially through February's Super Bowl.

Las Vegas Raiders superstar Chandler Jones claims he was forced into a mental health hospital last week ... and "injected" with a foreign substance.

The 33-year-old NFL player said it all happened after authorities told him "people were concerned about me because of my posts online."

"I answered my front door," Jones said Monday evening on his X page in what appeared to be pictures of recent journal entries, "and a group of 5 to 7 were there to put me in an ambulance where I was later injected and I asked them not to."

The pass rusher -- a two-time All-Pro -- says he was first taken to Southern Hills Hospital, before he was transported to the Seven Hills Behavioral Health Hospital, a treatment facility for those struggling with mental health issues.

"They tried to force me to take meds and injections," he said of his time at the facility.

Jones added that the place was not one for "high-profile athletes."

"My first night I slept on the floor and was not offered a bed," he said ... adding, "I'm still confused on what I did wrong. I'm stuck here. I'm very sane."

In his notes, Jones claims he tried to contact the Raiders "for help," but he's yet to hear back.

He also said he's continuing to work out despite the facility's conditions.

"All I know is whoever put me in here had bad intentions," he said.

Jones has not played for the Raiders this season after he was placed on the non-football illness list following a social media rant earlier this month where he declared that he did not want to play for Vegas anymore.

For the team's part, head coach Josh McDaniels has called the matter "personal" and "private."