TMZ Sports - Page 50

Ivan "Pudge" Rodriguez just got in front of a camera with his manhood nearly on full display ... and he's hoping the hilarious sight will now help save some lives.

The MLB legend stripped down to his undies as part of a partnership with underwear company Saxx -- filming a 75-second commercial with the goal of raising awareness for testicular cancer in mind.

In the vid, Rodriguez rocked a pair of boxer briefs that he insisted held his family jewels "like a catcher's mitt" ... before he introduced a "Ballgorithm" that will ultimately raise cash for the good cause.

Rodriguez and his co-host explained ... the algorithm -- a math equation centered around the number of bad balls that a pitcher hurls during a contest -- will be applied to every Rangers vs. Diamondbacks World Series game this fall ... and then that figure will be multiplied by 1,000.

That total number will then be turned into dollars and donated to the Testicular Cancer Foundation -- a cause Pudge tells TMZ Sports he cares deeply about.

"The purpose is just to make people laugh and make people aware to go check themselves," he said, "and we did a nice commercial."

The MLB Hall of Famer -- who's now working as a special assistant to the general manager of the Rangers -- said he's been catching a lot of ribbin' both inside and outside of the Texas clubhouse over the vid ... but he couldn't be happier that it might prevent tragedies for people going forward.

"For me, that's the most important thing," he said. "Pay attention. This is a disease you can get in the early ages. So, our message is just to go check, because you never know."

Luis Rubiales, former Spanish soccer president, was banned by FIFA from all national and international soccer activities for three years after kissing Jenni Hermoso following Spain's World Cup win in August.

46-year-old Rubiales was initially benched for 90 days while the international soccer body investigated the situation ... until Monday when their findings were finally made public.

"The FIFA Disciplinary Committee has banned Luis Rubiales, the former president of the Spanish Football Association (RFEF), from all football-related activities at national and international levels for three years, having found that he acted in breach of article 13 of the FIFA Disciplinary Code."

The rule essentially says anyone associated with a team, in Rubiales' case, the president, must behave in a way consistent with "decent conduct," including "behaving in a way that brings the sport of football and/or FIFA into disrepute."

Of course, Rubiales kissed Hermoso, without her consent. He was also seen grabbing his crotch, as well as throwing another player over his shoulder.

Luis, per FIFA guidelines, now has ten days to appeal the decision, and that's exactly what it sounds like he will do.

Rubiales fired off a message on X in Spanish (which has been translated), writing ... "I will go to the last resort so that justice is done and the truth shines 💪 Due to the many efforts of some politicians, media and institutions, the disproportion and injustice committed is becoming increasingly clear"

Despite insisting he had no ill intent and initially refusing to step down from his post, Rubiales finally resigned in mid-September.

It's no secret Matthew Perry loved pickleball ... but now we're learning the game also helped him tremendously in his recovery from drug abuse.

The "Friends" actor played pickleball religiously at Riviera Country Club near his L.A. area home -- and he even had a personal coach, Matt Manasse.

Manasse told People magazine ... Perry used the game as a tool to keep him away from drugs and on the straight and narrow.

"He thought it was something that could help in his recovery and he was doing an awesome job," Manasse said.

Manasse noted Perry was so passionate about the game he would play five times a week and talk incessantly about it.

"[Perry] got so much better, always made everyone laugh," Manasse said, adding, "He was competitive, not in a bad way at all. He loved it. When he hit an unbelievable shot, he would tell you about it for days."

Manasse also described Perry as a caring person who was always trying to help others, especially recovering addicts by introducing them to pickleball at Riviera.

TMZ broke the story ... Perry, 54, apparently drowned in his jacuzzi Saturday after playing 2 hours of pickleball at the country club. We're told he was in good spirits during the game.

Later that afternoon, his assistant returned to his house after running errands and discovered Perry was unresponsive. The assistant called 911, Perry's mother and one of his siblings, as well as another person.

Law enforcement tells us ... authorities discovered anti-depressants, anti-anxiety drugs and a COPD drug inside Perry's house. COPD refers to Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, which is often used to treat emphysema or chronic bronchitis. Perry smoked cigarettes during his life.

Mary Lou Retton is opening up about her battle with pneumonia for the first time since she contracted the illness earlier this month ... and she says while she is recovering, she's not totally out of the woods yet.

In a statement posted to her Instagram page on Monday afternoon, the Olympic legend thanked her followers for all of their support ... but added that her recovery from the ailment is moving at a snail's pace.

"I'm beyond blessed to have the opportunity to make this statement," the 55-year-old said. "I am overwhelmed with all the love and support from the world as I fight. I am forever grateful to you all!"

"I'm with family continuing to slowly recover and staying very positive as I know this recovery is a long and slow process," she added. "I appreciate everyone's respect of my privacy at this time."

Retton was diagnosed with a rare form of pneumonia at the beginning of October ... and ended up in the ICU over it all.

During her multiple-day stay at the hospital, her family revealed she suffered a "scary setback" ... and at times, things seemed dire. Thankfully, however, Retton was able to fight through it all ... and returned home to recover last week.

In her statement Monday, she promised to reveal more about her fight at a later time.

"I love you all," she wrote.

The University of Colorado football team apparently left California with more than a loss on the field -- several Buffaloes players claim they had jewelry stolen from their lockers during their matchup against UCLA on Saturday.

Deion Sanders' son, Deion Jr., shared the allegations in a postgame video posted on Sunday night ... showing multiple athletes in shock outside the Rose Bowl after discovering their valuables were taken.

Star safety Cam'ron Silmon-Craig was one of the players who claimed they were affected ... saying, "You're gonna play football and know your s*** safe. That joint messed up."

Another player stated he had just gotten his chain the day prior ... and whoever snagged his stuff took it right out of the box.

An investigation into the matter is underway, according to OutKick.

"The UCLA athletic department confirmed that a report was filed to the Pasadena Police Department following the UCLA-Colorado football game regarding items that were reportedly missing from the Colorado locker room," the school said in a statement.

"UCLA is in communication with law enforcement, Rose Bowl Stadium officials and the University of Colorado on the matter."

The Buffaloes fell to the Bruins, 28-16 ... falling to 4-4 on the season.

Looks like Taylor Swift & Travis Kelce are dominating the Halloween game this season, much to the surprise of no one ... appearing as skeletons on front lawns everywhere.

The spooky version of the couple has been popping up across the country, as made apparent from the viral vids online ... one shows Travis and a whole lotta versions of Taylor in her Halloween Era -- paying homage to the singer's multiple looks in her "Eras" tour concerts.

One fan also had a bunch of different Taylors out front, with a skeleton Travis cheering them on in a folding chair on the sidelines.

They're all pretty creative, TBH ... one display was done up to look just like a private concert -- with the decorator even taking over the local airwaves, so anyone that drives by can listen along with the undead crowd!

As you know, Taylor and Travis are the talk of the town right now, with their romance in full swing ... so the pop-ups don't seem that far outta left field. Folks have even been dressing up as the iconic duo over Halloweekend, as expected.

Former NHL player Adam Johnson tragically died this weekend after his neck was slashed by a skate blade during a game on Saturday.

He was just 29 years old.

Johnson was playing in an Elite Ice Hockey League game for the Nottingham Panthers in England when the horrifying moment happened.

As the ex-Pittsburgh Penguins center was taking the puck across the blue line, an opposing player on the Sheffield Steelers kicked his skate into the air and struck Johnson in the throat area. Johnson was rushed off the ice and received immediate treatment ... but he later succumbed to his injuries.

South Yorkshire Police said officers were on the scene and are currently investigating "the circumstances surrounding the incident."

"We would encourage the public to avoid speculation regarding the incident while we continue our enquiries," the SYP said.

The Panthers, meanwhile, called the moment "a freak accident" ... adding that they're "truly devastated" over it all.

"The Panthers would like to send our thoughts and condolences to Adam's family, his partner and all his friends at this extremely difficult time," the team said. "Everyone at the club including players, staff, management and ownership are heartbroken at the news of Adam's passing."

Johnson played for the Penguins in the 2018 and 2019 seasons -- logging a goal and three assists in 13 games. He went on to play professionally overseas ... and had just signed on to skate for the Panthers this season.

"The Pittsburgh Penguins join the entire hockey world in mourning the loss of Adam Johnson, whose life tragically ended far too soon," the Penguins said in a statement Sunday. "We offer our deepest condolences to Adam's family and friends, as well as all of Adam's past and present teammates and coaches. Adam will always be a part of the Penguins family. It was our honor to watch him fulfill his dream of playing in the National Hockey League."

The Panthers announced Sunday their game against the Glasgow Clan on Tuesday has been postponed in the wake of Johnson's death. Further changes to the schedule were being considered, the team added.

Haters really ARE gonna hate, hate, hate, hate, hate -- the Denver Broncos told Travis Kelce and the Kansas City Chiefs to "shake it off" after their shocking upset loss on Sunday ... by trolling the hell outta them with a Taylor Swift jam session.

The Broncos stunned the Super Bowl champs in a 24-9 home win in Week 8 ... and right after the game clock hit zeroes, the Mile High Stadium speakers started blaring the tight end's new lady's hit song, "Shake It Off."

It's a clear shot at the hype surrounding Tayvis ... with many accusing NFL broadcasts of going overboard with coverage every time the pop superstar attends games.

Swift was nowhere in sight for the shocking loss ... so the theory that she's Kelce's good luck charm is starting to sound pretty legit.

TK had six receptions for 58 yards in the contest ... less than half the production he had a week prior with Swift watching from a suite.

Kelce was in great spirits prior to the loss -- rocking out to his boo's biggest songs following his appearance at Game 1 of the World Series in Texas on Friday.

Kim Kardashian's underwear line just teamed up with a huge partner -- it's none other than the freaking NBA -- to be the official underwear of the league.

The announcement came Monday ... SKIMS is now officially collaborating with the National Basketball Association, and the team-up goes well beyond just the men's league -- SKIMS is gonna sprinkled into the WNBA and USA Basketball as well for this.

Their new venture is part of a multi-year deal, and is a huge win for Kim -- as this'll give SKIMS a whole new level of exposure.

She says, "I am incredibly proud of SKIMS partnership with the NBA, as it is a reflection of SKIMS growing influence on culture. Together, SKIMS and the NBA will connect people of all backgrounds through fashion, sport, and talent, and I look forward to seeing the partnership thrive."

The NBA's commish, Adam Silver, is excited too, adding, "SKIMS has quickly become one of our most culturally-influential brands. We look forward to bringing NBA fans and SKIMS users unique experiences, new offerings and premium products through our partnership."

Now, in terms of what they're actually going to do together ... it's a little ambiguous at this point. Silver says fans will start to see SKIMS pop up in creative ways at league events going forward -- including the All-Star Game, in-season tournaments and probably the playoffs.

Basically, get ready to see SKIMS signage all over the place at basketball stadiums and beyond ... you'll likely see some players wearing the gear, too.

Of course, this comes on the heels of KK launching her men's line -- which has been a record-setting bestseller on the digital marketplace ... and which actually roped in some high-profile athletes, such as Neymar Jr., Nick Bosa and even OKC's Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.

Screw diplomacy, Gov. Gavin Newsom is playing to win ... even if he's gotta mow down a grade school kid on a basketball court, during what's supposed to be a diplomatic visit to China!!!

No, it wasn't intentional, but the Guv really did put a hurting on the tyke while playing a little pickup hoops at a public school in Beijing. It all played out like an 'SNL' skit -- Newsom showing off by spinning the ball on his finger, and then dribbling and spinning toward the hoop.

Problem is ... Newsom tried to put down his best Kobe Bryant-esque move, but ended up stumbling, and crashing right into a kid! They both slammed to the ground, but looks like a "no blood, no foul" situation.

The Governor gave the kid a few playful slaps on the back, everyone laughed and they got up uninjured.

Just five months into hanging up her golf spikes, Michelle Wie West is admitting to TMZ Sports there's at least a modicum of a chance she unretires at some point in the future.

"Never say never," she said out at LAX this week.

Then again, Wie West -- who called it a career in July following this year's U.S. Women's Open -- said she believes she's almost certainly done for good.

As for what she's been up to in retirement ... Wie West said golf is still part of her weekly routine -- it's just nowhere near what it used to be when she was a phenom hunting for major championships.

"I definitely don't practice, that's for sure," she said with a smile. "I just play."

Wie West says she's also been doing a little gardening ... and being a mom to her daughter.

And, if you thought any relaxation was involved now that her time on pro greens is over ... she said that's simply not the case, hilariously telling us, "I'm a mom -- I don't relax!"

Magic Johnson just joined the 10-figure club -- and he's in the prestigious company as only one of a few athletes to reach the achievement ... so says Forbes, anyway.

The famed magazine -- which prides itself on keeping tabs on stars' fortunes -- says their new tally on the Laker great has now made him an official billionaire ... and he's got change to spare with the title. According to them, Earvin's estimated net worth is around $1.2 bil.

They say his massive wealth post-basketball comes as a result of a hodgepodge of investments he's made over the years -- and if you know anything about Magic, that tracks.

The dude's a partial owner in a number of pro sports teams -- including the Dodgers, the Sparks, MLS' LAFC and more recently ... the NFL's Washington Commanders. Interestingly enough, though, these minority owner stakes aren't what make him rich-rich here.

Apparently, it's Magic's 60% stake in a life insurance company called EquiTrust ... which he snapped up in 2015. The company's been booming in profits since then -- and he's rolling in the dough as a result.

There are more investments Magic's made that tipped him over the edge ... including movie theater chains he's bought into, as well as a Starbucks partnership he entered into a while back. He's also got an extra minority stake in a PepsiCo bottling plant outside of D.C.

Of course, he's also a media mogul ... not to mention an incredibly recognizable face just about everywhere he goes -- which probably helps when he gets booked for appearances.

Like we said, Magic hitting this benchmark puts him in an exclusive group among 3 other athletes in the billionaire stratosphere ... that'd be LeBron James, Tiger Woods and Michael Jordan. Now Magic's there too -- and to be honest, it was probably a long time coming.

6:02 PM PT -- More details are surfacing about the circumstances surrounding Matthew Perry's death ... as sources tell us he actually died at his own house after some physical activity this morning.

We're told Matthew came home sometime in the AM after a 2-hour round of pickleball, and that he sent his assistant out on an errand shortly thereafter. We're told when the assistant returned about 2 hours later, he discovered Matthew unresponsive ... and called 911.

Unclear if what Matthew was doing before his passing played any role in his death at this point -- the investigation into his death is underway.

Matthew Perry -- one of the stars of "Friends" -- has died ... TMZ has learned.

Law enforcement sources tell us the actor was found Saturday at an L.A.-area home ... where we're told he appears to have drowned. Our sources say first responders rushed over on a call for cardiac arrest. It's unclear where exactly on the grounds this happened.

Our sources say he was found in a jacuzzi at the home ... and we're told there were no drugs found at the scene. We're also told there is no foul play involved.

Perry is most famous for his role as Chandler Bing on the hit '90s sitcom, which ran for 10 seasons ... and with him in all 234 episodes. His character was a fan fave, as was his performance -- mannerisms and lines of which have gone on to be recreated and spoofed by fans all over the world. One comes to mind, in particular ... "Could (blank) BE more ..."

While "Friends" was his biggest claim to fame ... MP starred/guest starred in countless other TV shows over the years -- such as "Boys Will Be Boys," "Growing Pains," "Silver Spoons," "Charles in Charge," "Sydney," "Beverly Hills, 90210," "Home Free," "Ally McBeal," "The West Wing," "Scrubs," "Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip," "Go On," "The Odd Couple" and more.

He had also acted in a handful of memorable films (mostly comedy) ... like "Fools Rush In," "The Whole Nine Yards," "Three to Tango," "The Kid," "17 Again," "Getting In," and many others. He's been off the scene more recently ... not having acted since a TV miniseries in 2017.

While his onscreen persona was affable and upbeat, Matthew suffered mightily behind the scenes -- notably, from his addiction to drugs and alcohol ... pain killers, specifically. He was hooked on Vicodin for years -- even while on 'Friends' -- and had been in and out of rehab.

Matthew opened up about this painful chapter of his life in a memoir he put out last year -- where he detailed the struggles he had ... including his clear weight loss/gain on the show.

During his press run for his book ... Matthew did a number of interviews where he got incredibly emotional -- including one with Diane Sawyer, where he detailed his story.

While Perry appeared to be clean and sober a year ago, the year prior -- when he and the other cast members were plugging the "Friends" reunion show -- drew concern from fans ... as they felt he appeared unwell, at times slurring his words and looking a bit out of it.

On top of his substance use ... Matthew also dealt with health issues, some of which were serious and required hospitalization. One such incident stemmed from a gastrointestinal perforation -- which forced him to undergo emergency surgery ... but he luckily recovered.

Matthew never married, but he was briefly engaged to Molly Hurwitz a couple years ago ... which came to an end after only 6 months. Before that, he'd been linked to Lizzy Caplan.

He was 54 years old.

RIP

The budding friendship between Taylor Swift and Brittany Mahomes isn't just for cameras on Sundays ... they've exchanged phone numbers and they're giving BFF vibes!!!

Sources close to Taylor and Brittany tell TMZ ... they swapped digits the first time Taylor went to a Kansas City Chiefs game to cheer on Travis Kelce, back on Sept. 24, and they've kept in touch ever since -- texting each other even when it's not gameday.

We're told Taylor and Brittany don't only see each other at Chiefs games ... and all their fun times NFL fans see on camera aren't just for show, as some folks are speculating.

Case in point ... Taylor and Brittany took shots together at Travis' after-party for the first game TS attended, as the WAGs were hanging out at the shindig.

From there, they progressed to hugs and dances in the players' family stadium suites ... and then this past Sunday, Taylor and Brittany debuted their new handshake to much fanfare.

Travis and quarterback Patrick Mahomes have a strong connection on and off the field ... and the same can be said for Taylor and Brittany.

Peyton Manning and Pat McAfee are back together on the football field again ... and believe it or not, it's Pat who's training the Hall of Fame quarterback -- how to punt!

The former Indianapolis Colts teammates reunited at Lucas Oil Stadium this week for a Halloween episode of Peyton Places on ESPN+ (produced by Omaha Productions) ... where Peyton got a personal tutorial on how to perfect the "coffin corner."

If you're not hip to what a coffin corner is ... it's when the punter kicks the ball between the opponent's 5-yard line and the endzone, giving the offense terrible field position.

"Here Peyton, you try," McAfee said. "Nobody wants to see me punt the ball. They wanna see you do terrible with this."

Considering it's the Halloween episode, they actually placed a literal coffin on the field as a target ... and Peyton had a helluva time getting it down.

But after several tries, Manning finally had some success -- all while wearing a vest and slacks!

"You just hit it," McAfee yelled. "Let's go!!!"

Of course, getting trained by McAfee helps -- the guy's a 2-time Pro Bowl punter who booted more than 575 punts for over 26,000 yards.

The guys were teammates on the Colts from 2009 to 2011 ... right before Peyton signed with the Denver Broncos, where he won his 2nd Super Bowl.

Pat and Peyton are both TV guys now -- McAfee has his show on ESPN, and Manning has the famous "Monday Night Football" Manningcast with his brother, Eli (which airs on ESPN 2).

Ryan McKenna, famous for snapping a viral Super Bowl selfie years ago with Justin Timberlake, is in more legal trouble -- this time cops say he pulled a few no-nos for a guy on probation.

According to new legal docs, obtained by TMZ, Ryan was arrested earlier this month in Florida after his probation officer discovered he'd traveled out of state without permission.

The PO says he got suspicious when Ryan sent an email saying he was "unsure" of any outstanding conditions for October, even though Ryan had already checked in for the month.

When he called Ryan, he didn't answer ... so he dialed his mom, and she told him Ryan was back in Naples, FL, where Ryan had been arrested in February in the case that led to his probation.

Problem is ... the PO says Ryan's address on file is in Massachusetts, and he's supposed to get permission before leaving the state.

When Ryan finally called back, he admitted being back in Florida without getting the PO's permission ... and based on that "unusual behavior," the officer tested Ryan for drugs and alcohol, and says it came back positive for booze.

Major screwup on Ryan's part, and not just because he's under 21 -- as we first reported, Ryan's also not allowed to consume alcohol as a condition of his probation.

Ryan copped to drinking on Oct. 12, even though he'd previously told his PO he didn't. The officer says Ryan was upfront about knowing booze was off limits and lying to his probation officer is also a violation.

Ryan was arrested, posed for a new mug shot and is due back in court Monday morning for arraignment.

TMZ broke the story ... cops were called to a California Pizza Kitchen in Naples, on the eve of the Super Bowl, after they were told Ryan was drunk and had hit his buddy.