TMZ Sports - Page 50

Ian Kinsler wasn't repping the Rangers or Astros last night, the former MLB star had a bigger cause on his mind than the ALCS ... the 4x All-Star, who is Jewish, threw out the first pitch wearing a Team Israel jersey.

Kinsler is a special assistant to the Rangers general manager ... and the organization invited him to kick off Game 3 of the American League Championship Series at Globe Life Field in Arlington, TX with the ceremonial first pitch.

IK was born in America but obtained Israeli citizenship (dual citizenship w/ U.S.) a few years back when he wanted to play for Israel at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo. Ian then went on to serve as the manager for the Israeli team at the World Baseball Classic in 2023.

Since the horrific attack two-and-a-half weeks ago, Kinsler says he's been following the situation on the ground closely.

Kinsler is just one of many star athletes and celebs who have spoken out since October 7 ... 1,400 Israelis have been killed since the incursion began.

Perhaps none have done more than Floyd Mayweather, who sent his plane full of supplies to Tel Aviv over the weekend. He also FaceTimed IDF special forces soldiers and walked in a pro-Israeli march in Los Angeles.

Nate Diaz is letting Jake Paul know his calendar is WIDE OPEN on December 15 ... and what better time for a rematch, according to the MMA superstar from Stockton!

The Problem Child announced he was returning to the ring in mid-December, but didn't name an opponent. 38-year-old Diaz clearly wants the fight ... and even went as far to post a flyer promoting the fight.

"Rematch December," Diaz said in the IG caption. "You ain’t got nobody to fight."

"So I’ll beat your ass Dec 15th."

Of course, the men fought in August ... a fight Nate lost by unanimous decision. Paul knocked Diaz down in the fight, but overall, it was an entertaining fight.

Still, reaction seems mixed over the idea of a second scrap. But, there are some notable MMA fighters who seem eager to watch the guys go at it again, including Anthony Pettis, Roy Nelson, and BJ Penn.

"Easy money 💰!!!!!!," Penn wrote in the comments, "Nate will hurt him when they step in the ring again."

Paul did respond to Diaz's offer on Thursday, instead suggesting he fight Derek from Betr, who has clashed with Nate in the past.

Buns were on the menu at Eric and Jessie James Decker's house on Wednesday ... 'cause the ex-NFL star ditched his clothes and cooked dinner in the buff -- and luckily for us, his wife shared the visuals!!

The 36-year-old former wider receiver proved he's more of a tight end in retirement ... getting completely naked and throwing on an apron to commemorate JJD's new cookbook hitting the shelves earlier this month.

"To celebrate one week of 'Just Eat' being out I know I promised we would do another cheeky Eric cookbook photo 😂," JJD said on Instagram. "So in honor here it is and Eric also made his chicken chili tonight and let me say, yum yum yum!!!"

JJD made sure not to put Eric's whole ass out there for the world to see, though ... censoring his booty with a carefully placed emoji.

As it turns out, Eric has been doing his part to help spread the word about his partner's project -- he also went buck nekkid and posed with her book back in August.

Mark Davis threw on his dancin' shoes at the WNBA Finals on Wednesday night ... hitting some wild moves after his Las Vegas Aces won their second consecutive championship -- and the team loved it!

The Raiders owner -- who bought the Aces in 2021 -- couldn't have been more thrilled to see his team beat the New York Liberty in Game 4 for the title ... storming the court and moving his body in a way we've never seen from the 68-year-old.

Rockin' his trademark white getup, Davis rolled his hands, gyrated his hips and fist pumped ... all while his players cheered him on.

"Go Mark!" the ladies yelled while Davis grinned from ear to ear. "Go Mark!"

He, of course, wasn't the only one who got down in order to celebrate the Aces' second straight title ... a twerkin' sesh also happened when Sydney Colson and Kierstan Bell got after it before the team popped champagne.

The night also featured a special moment between Aces guard Kelsey Plum and her NFL star husband, Darren Waller. Because the game was in New York, the Giants tight end was able to watch his wife -- and when she won it all, he gave her a big smooch.

Candace Parker, meanwhile, was another person who was filled with joy over the Finals win ... she became the first player to win three WNBA titles on three different teams (Sparks in 2016, Sky in 2021, and now the Aces).

The party ain't over either ... the championship parade is scheduled for Monday in Sin City.

There's new images raising eyebrows surrounding the timeline of Sophia Bush and soccer star Ashlyn Harris' relationship ... posing for flirty photos, and laughing together months before either had filed for divorce.

For starters, Sophia and Ashlyn attended Cannes back in June, both participating in a panel about uplifting women in sports ... and sitting right next to each other. Sophia posted 4 images from the event, two of which included Ashlyn.

However, in one of those images, Sophia and Ashlyn are both smiling and laughing while Sophia reaches over and grabs Ashlyn's arm.

There's also a pic Ashlyn posted of her and Sophia from the June Cannes trip where she's got her arm wrapped around Ashlyn as they pose for a selfie ... definite signs the two were very comfortable with each other.

Sophia and Ashlyn posed together in July as well ... snapping a pic at the La Copa Mundial Femenina watch party in Los Angeles.

As we reported ... Sophia and Ashlyn are currently going strong. Sophia filed for divorce August 4 and Ashlyn Harris filed for divorce from her fellow soccer star wife, Ali Krieger, on September 19. Ashlyn and Ali have two young kids together.

Shockingly enough, a report from DailyMail claims Ashlyn told Ali their relationship was over only days after returning from Cannes.

Ali has not yet spoken publicly about the split, but Sophia's estranged husband, Grant Hughes, issued a statement of support, telling us, "Grant will always want the best for Sophia, and is supportive of all that makes her happy and fulfilled."

Former NFL running back Rashad Jennings fumbled away the chance at some easy cash during a "Wheel of Fortune" game Wednesday night ... blowing an easy puzzle so badly, it surely had "Kill Bill" fans screaming at their TVs.

The ex-New York Giants tailback was on the show competing for charity alongside former NFL stars Jared Allen and Marcellus Wiley ... when he couldn't solve a riddle that almost every pop culture fan could.

The "Rhyme Time" board looked like this ... "DRIVING TO RENO WITH _UENTIN TARANTINO" ... obviously only missing a "Q" in Quentin Tarantino's name.

But, somehow, Jennings didn't know that ... and when he made his guess for the final letter of the expression, he said, "P" -- losing his turn.

Wiley then cleaned up Jennings' mess ... correctly guessing the "Pulp Fiction" director's name -- much to the delight of Tarantino supporters everywhere.

No one quite knows if the blunder ultimately cost Jennings his chance at making it to the final round of the game show ... but, of course, it certainly didn't help.

The 38-year-old, though, had to take some solace knowing Wiley wasn't able to finish the night off with a win -- he couldn't solve a fairly easy puzzle where the answer was "THAT WAS OBVIOUS."

Travis Kelce is leveling up his living situation big time -- and part of the reason has to do with Taylor Swift ... TMZ has learned.

Sources familiar with the situation tell us the Chiefs tight end just bought a new home in Kansas City, with the sale closing Tuesday. We're told he snapped it up for just under $6 million ... and, yes, for that kinda dough in KC, he's getting a place that's way bigger and more secluded than his old house.

Our sources say this pad is in a gated community, and it's a straight-up mansion ... 6 bedrooms, 6 baths and over 16,000 square feet of living space!!!

It also screams luxury ... we're told there's a pool with a waterfall attached -- plus, a tennis and pickleball court, not to mention a mini golf course. Now, as far as why he upgraded ... our sources say there were a few things nagging him, including needing more privacy.

We're told at Travis's old house, it was simply far too accessible, and was starting to become a tourist attraction ... with people swinging by and staking out the place -- Travis was getting uncomfortable with the situation.

That actually proved to be an issue as recently as this past weekend ... when TayTay came to visit Trav in Kansas City, only to have paparazzi park outside waiting for any shots of the couple.

Bottom line, he wanted to be in a more secure spot -- and yes, our sources say him dating Taylor right now certainly factored into his decision.

And, we know what some Swifties might be thinking, but, no ... we're told he bought it with his own cash, and it's his alone.

Burt Young -- best known for his role as Paulie in the "Rocky" film franchise -- has died.

The Oscar-nominated actor passed away in Los Angeles on October 8. A cause of death was not disclosed.

His manager told TMZ, “Burt was an actor of tremendous emotional range. He could make you cry and he could scare you to death."

Young appeared in dozens of movies and TV shows during his decades-long career. Some of his most notable flicks included "Chinatown," "Once Upon a Time in America," "Back to School" and "The Pope of Greenwich Village."

He also landed parts in 2 hit TV programs, "M*A*S*H" and "Baretta."

But, Young will always be remembered most for playing Paulie, the rough and tumble brother-in-law of Sylvester Stallone's Rocky Balboa.

They starred together in each of the five "Rocky" movies from 1976 to 1990, as well as the final one in the series, "Rocky Balboa," in 2006.

Young received an Academy Award nomination for his portrayal of Paulie in 1976, but lost to Jason Robards as Washington Post editor Ben Bradlee in "All The President's Men."

Young was 83.

Sophia Bush is in a new relationship, but she's in no rush to talk about it ... staying quiet about things with recently divorced USWNT star Ashlyn Harris.

Sophia touched down at LAX Wednesday, just one day after news broke she and Harris were a new item. Sophia wasn't in the mood to talk -- avoiding answering about how she and Ashlyn met or what it's been like to get support from her estranged husband, Grant Hughes.

As we reported, Grant's been nothing but supportive of Sophia's new relationship -- just two months after Sophia filed for divorce.

In a statement to TMZ, a rep for Grant tells us, "Grant will always want the best for Sophia, and is supportive of all that makes her happy and fulfilled."

Sophia's not the only one who recently got divorced, Ashlyn and her wife Ali Krieger filed for divorce just last month after 4 years together ... they've got two young kids together.

Mary Lou Retton has suffered a "scary setback" this week in her battle with a rare form of pneumonia ... and she now remains in the ICU fighting for her life.

The Olympic legend's daughter, Shayla, provided the concerning update in a video on her social media page Wednesday evening ... saying Retton had been showing signs of improvement prior to the turn.

"Basically, at the beginning of this week," Shayla said, "we were going on the up-and-up. We were so excited. Seeing so much progress. And then yesterday, we had a pretty scary setback. She is still in ICU."

Thankfully, there is at least a bit of positive news ... Shayla said Retton had a much better day Wednesday, though the 55-year-old former gymnast is clearly nowhere near out of the woods yet.

"We're just working through some things as far as her setback goes," Shayla said.

Retton has been in the ICU since earlier this month ... though plenty have sent prayers her way in the hopes she improves. So far, over 8,000 donors have given more than $450,000 to a SpotFund created on her behalf ... something Shayla said she's super grateful for.

Alex Volkanovski was literally holding his adorable newborn Reign when he got the call -- Charles Oliveira was out and Islam Makhachev needed an opponent -- and the 145 lb. champ almost instantly knew it was time for daddy to go to work!

Volkanovski joined Michael Babcock on the "TMZ Sports" TV show (airs daily on FS1) on Wednesday ... where Alex "The Great" talked about the phone call he received late last week from his manager.

"I think I might've had Reign, my newest addition to my family, my newborn Reign," Alex said ... "I might've been holding her, and [my manager] gets on the phone and says, 'Mate, you wouldn't believe it.' And I'm like, 'What's up?' Did not cross my mind one bit. I'm thinking it's for something else. He goes, 'It's looking like Charles isn't going to make it and they need someone.'"

Volkanovski was obviously shocked ... and after conferring with his coach, Joe Lopez, and wife Emma, the decision was clear -- we've got a fight in less than two weeks, and it's going down halfway across the world.

Of course, Makhachev was originally scheduled to fight Oliveira -- a rematch of UFC 280 (Islam won by 2nd round submission).

In some ways, Volkanovski, who lost by unanimous decision to Islam in February (although many people think he actually won), believes the lack of a training camp could actually be beneficial.

"I'm feeling good. I'm excited. That's one thing that I've taken out of all this whole thing, obviously, it's crazy. But man, it's gonna be fun. I don't think I've ever been this excited for a fight.

"Obviously you get excited, but you go through camp, and camp can be exhausting. Mentally and physically exhausting thinking about the fight the whole time. Now I don't have time for that. As soon as I heard about it I had a smile on my face and it hasn't gone away even until now."

Patrick Mahomes ain't satisfied with a baseball, soccer, pickleball and F1 team -- the Kansas City Chiefs superstar just revealed he wants a stake in an NFL organization when he retires.

The two-time Super Bowl champ made his intentions known in a press conference with reporters on Wednesday ... just one day after it was announced he invested in the Formula One Alpine racing squad.

"I think Tom [Brady] is trying to do it right now, but that's definitely where you want to get to," Mahomes said. "I love this sport and want to give back in any way possible. When I'm done playing, obviously I'll be a Chiefs fan, but at the same time I want to have that competitive edge I've always had my entire life."

Of course, 28-year-old Mahomes will have to wait until he hangs his helmet up for good before he can hop on board with NFL ownership ... as the league's current rules prohibit active players from having a piece of any organization.

While he waits, Patrick says he's looking at all opportunities to expand his portfolio ... but he's already had a great start -- investing in the Kansas City Royals and Kansas City Current, just to name a few.

"I'm always looking around," Mahomes added. "I can't do it in the NFL while I'm playing, so I'm always looking around at other sports. It's hard to get in all sports, NBA, and all that different type of stuff, but I'm always keeping my ears open. If they give me the opportunity, I'm going to jump at it."

It's been over a month since Max Scherzer has thrown for the Rangers, but ALCS announcer Joe Davis says the Astros still better be wary of the ace ... telling TMZ Sports the guy could turn into "a psycho" in Game 3 on Wednesday night.

"I mean this in the best way I could," Davis said of the term with a smile, hours before Texas and Houston kick-off.

"I wouldn't be shocked if he found a way to go five innings and they couldn't touch him."

Of course, Davis says he could see things going the other way for the 39-year-old too ... as Scherzer's been away from the mound for such a lengthy period of time while trying to get his shoulder healthy.

"I think it's the most fascinating storyline of this series," Davis said. "What are they going to get from Scherzer?"

If last week's ALDS celebration showed anything, it's that Scherzer will be fired up to take the bump Wednesday night regardless ... particularly with the Rangers already up 2-0 in the series.

The chiropractor to a ton of Hollywood stars -- ranging from the Kardashians to Logan Paul and Kevin Hart -- won't be providing services any time soon ... cuz he's now behind bars.

Dr. Patrick Khaziran is famous for appearing on "The Kardashians" and working with huge names like Jamie Foxx and Diddy ... but he got busted for his role in a fraud scheme with former NBA players and is now locked up at USP Lompoc in California.

Known as "Dr. Pat" to the Kardashians, he's featured on the latest episode of the famous family's Hulu series ... getting high praise from Khloe, who is trying to sell him as the answer to Scott Disick's lingering back problems from a 2022 car accident.

In the episode, Scott and Khloe pay Dr. Pat a visit at his chiropractic office in Los Angeles ... which prosecutors claimed was at the center of a scheme to defraud the NBA's health plan out of millions.

The feds say Dr. Pat created fraudulent invoices former NBA players used to bill the league's healthcare plan for medical services that were never actually provided.

The FBI says Dr. Pat was part of the fraud scheme from at least 2016 to 2019 ... during which the feds say he cost the NBA health plan $1.3 million in losses, pocketing $439K for himself and splitting the rest of the dough with former NBA players.

Dr. Pat, who is also a favorite of current NBA players Tristan Thompson and Justise Winslow, was ultimately convicted ... and in February he was sentenced to 30 months in prison.

A University of Georgia student tragically passed away over the weekend ... after falling 90 feet while rock climbing at a nature facility in Alabama. She was only 18.

Yutong Zhang -- who went by Faye -- was killed around 12 PM on Oct. 14, the Cherokee County Coroner's Office confirmed to AL.com.

Officials rushed to the scene after Zhang fell at the Cherokee Rock Village ... a park featuring boulders that reach 200 feet.

Zhang was a member of the Active Climbing gym in Athens, Georgia ... and the establishment released a statement on the tragedy, mourning her loss.

"Our thoughts are with Faye's family, friends, and the University of Georgia community at this difficult time," the gym said.

"We join them in mourning this profound loss and honoring the vibrancy, passion, and kindness that she brought into our lives."

"Faye, your spirit will forever be a part of our community. Rest in peace."

The university is also saddened by the passing of Zhang, who was in her first year at UGA.

"Our deepest sympathies go out to the student’s family," UGA spokesman Greg Trevor said, "and we will continue to provide counseling and support to members of our community who have been affected by her passing."

Chandler Jones was just released from jail ... and apparently one of his first orders of business was to take a selfie video outside the station.

"Fresh out of jail again," Jones said in the clip. "Ya'll Pray For me."

Chandler Jones has been arrested in Las Vegas again.

The former Raiders star was locked up on Tuesday, according to jail records ... the second time in less than three weeks that police have placed the football player into custody.

Records show he was booked on a charge of violating a domestic violence temporary protection order ... and as of Wednesday morning, he remained behind bars.

No further details surrounding the arrest were made immediately available.

Jones was previously arrested for two counts of the same offense on Sept. 29 ... after authorities claimed he went to a woman's home, grabbed some of her items from her backyard, and then appeared to burn the stuff while "completely nude inside of his own backyard."

Jones was released by the Raiders shortly after the initial arrest.

The 33-year-old, however, appeared to be in good spirits following it ... smiling and laughing with artists while at a local tattoo shop in early October.