TMZ Sports - Page 50

A former National Women's Soccer League player flashed a Nazi salute while driving by a pro-Israel rally this month ... and her ex-team is now condemning her actions while distancing itself from her.

Stefany Ferrer Van Ginkel -- who played for Angel City FC in 2022 -- gave the "Sieg Heil" salute from the passenger seat of a car while another pro soccer player, Samim Haydari, drove her through Beverly Hills.

Part of the incident was captured on video ... and in the clip, you can hear demonstrators shouting at the pair of footballers, "Shame on you!"

It's not clear, however, what led up to the interaction.

Angel City FC released a statement shortly after the video was posted on X ... saying, "Stefany Ferrer Van Ginkel (stefvangi21) does not play for Angel City Football Club, nor has she been affiliated with the club since November 2022. We condemn her recent actions and statements."

For their part, Van Ginkel and Haydari reportedly released an on-camera apology on Monday night.

According to KTLA, Haydari said, "I know we have approached the situation with hate and made it worse with our actions" ... before adding, "We acted childish." Van Ginkel, the outlet reported, did not speak in the clip.

8:38 AM PT -- Jake Paul is going off on anyone who is still hating on his boxing career after the big reveal ... telling any naysayers to simply "shut the f*** up."

"Boxer true and true, better record than me, more wins by KO than me, same weight."

Of course, haters gonna hate ... so it sounds like that'll continue no matter what.

Jake Paul is sending a direct response to his haters with his next opponent -- he just announced he's slated to fight pro boxer Andre August next month.

The Problem Child is going up against a 10-1 cruiserweight fighter with five knockouts under his belt ... and he's referring to the matchup as a serious challenge as he continues his quest to become a legitimate world champion.

"Ask and I shall deliver," Jake said Wednesday. "August has more KO’s then me, more wins then me, more experience then me, but I like to gamble."

"The path to world champ starts here. Just straight up boxing."

26-year-old Paul is 7-1 with four KOs in his career ... but many have criticized him for taking on older MMA fighters with little to no boxing experience.

The one boxer he actually has on his record is Tommy Fury -- and that's his only loss.

35-year-old August is by far the smallest name Jake has ever agreed to fight ... but he's exactly the type of opponent the purists would want to see him face off against.

The 5'10", 200-lb. Houston native last fought in August, when he won via unanimous decision. His only loss came in 2018. According to his Instagram page, AA claims to be a Texas state champion.

August addressed the upcoming event in a statement ... saying, "I don't talk very much. I’m all about that action! Jake Paul has the money, the fame, the team and the resources but he doesn’t have my hunger."

"When that bell rings, I am going to go straight to Jake Paul and ring his bell and send him back to YouTube for good."

The bout is slated to go down December 15 at the Caribe Royale in Orlando.

9:39 AM PT -- A source close to Kim Zolciak says the police never spoke to Kim and Kroy Biermann after the report was made, and the reporting person allegedly doesn't even live in the neighborhood.

Kim Zolciak and Kroy Biermann are in the doghouse with law enforcement yet again ... after some pissed-off neighbors called the cops after one of the estranged couple's dogs nearly attacked a kid.

Alpharetta, GA cops got a call last week about the Biermann dog from a woman who said it was off its leash ... the woman claimed this wasn't the first problem with the dog.

The caller told dispatch the dog "almost attacked her kids" last month, telling officers the pooch chased them -- but thankfully, no one was injured.

Given what allegedly went down, the caller said seeing the dog roaming without a leash was concerning, telling dispatch the dog is "super aggressive and never confined."

Kim and Kroy's dogs -- Stone and Sinn -- were apparently the topic of discussion in a Facebook group as well -- with a conversation posted on IG account @Thegoodthebadandthefake6 concerned parent saying a dog had tried to "tackle and attack" their kid, who was riding a scooter.

Folks chimed in, pointing the finger at the estranged couple and saying -- "It may be [Kim and Kroy's] dog. He is usually behind the gate in the front yard, but sometimes their driveway gate is open."

BTW, Sinn bit their son, Kash, back in 2017 ... nearly blinding him.

But the dogs are obviously not Kim and Kroy's only problems ... as we reported, local cops have been called a couple of times to their home, and body cam footage from August showed how unpleasant things have gotten in their house recently.

A former MMA fighter used his combat skills to open a can of whoop-ass on a knife-wielding assailant in self-defense... and the dramatic scene was caught on video.

Javier Baez drove back to his Miami apartment complex after a night out on Halloween ... and spotted Omar Marrero screaming and brandishing a knife in the parking lot, according to WPLG News.

After Baez parked his car, Marrero reportedly walked over and started hitting his window with the knife.

Marrero then opened the driver's side door and tried to slash Baez, who got out to dial down the escalating tension.

But it didn't work ... Marrero kept swinging the knife at Baez and retrieved a second blade from his vehicle nearby.

Baez wasn't intimidated, though, reverting back to his days as a mixed martial arts fighter and making quick work of Marrero.

Check out the video ... Holding one of the knives, Marrero charges at Baez, who lifts him up and body slams him to the ground. Baez then disarms Marrero and puts him in a chokehold.

Baez later told a WPLG reporter, "Once I started putting the choke in, he kind of just let it go because no one is worried about anything else but breathing when you’re losing air."

Baez added, "I was able to hold him down with my knee and call the cops, and he woke up, cops came, and it was good, easy peasy!"

TMZ just turned 18, and yes -- we're ready to take you on an eventful stroll down memory lane that hits all the highlights, and the biggest stories we've broken over the years.

It's been quite the journey since we first launched in 2005, and we've changed a helluva lot too -- but the one thing that's remained the same throughout our nearly two decades is that we report big news about Hollywood ... and more often than not, we're first to do it.

Here's a recap of where we've been, the stories we've unearthed and where we go from here.

Mel Gibson's Antisemitic DUI Tirade (2006)

We'd covered some big stories before this, but breaking the Mel Gibson DUI story back in the summer of 2006 undoubtedly put TMZ on the map -- and for good reason ... what our reporting unveiled turned out to be absolutely nuts, not to mention very ugly.

TMZ got a hold of the original report taken by the arresting officer, and it detailed a wild scene when officers pulled Gibson over along the PCH near Malibu ... which erupted into a vulgar and antisemitic rant by the actor that targeted Jewish people over and over again.

Here's just a taste of what law enforcement heard that night ... "F*****g Jews ... The Jews are responsible for all the wars in the world." He also asked of one officer, "Are you a Jew?"

The Sheriff's Dept. tried covering up the story, telling us there was no such rant. But then we obtained 4 pages of the arresting deputy's report, in which the rant was described in detail.

Michael Richards Uses the N-Word (2006)

Michael Richards' notorious stand-up set at the Laugh Factory in November 2006 will go down in history for all the wrong reasons ... 'cause he dropped the N-word repeatedly, and TMZ got the first video of this low moment.

The "Seinfeld" star absolutely lost it that evening while performing in front of a moderate-sized crowd -- this after he was heckled by some audience members, which triggered him to launch into a horrifically racist tirade ... screaming obscenities and racial slurs.

He apologized, but the damage was arguably done -- his career was never quite the same.

Britney Spears' Shaved-Head Umbrella Incident (2007)

Britney Spears started to unravel in late 2006, but all that came to a (shaved) head in early 2007 when she took clippers to her noggin and cut off her famous long locks ... going for a bald look. The manic move prompted a lot of concern about her state of mind and well-being.

Of course, everything hit the fan just a few days later when she attacked paparazzi who'd followed her to an L.A. gas station -- getting out of her vehicle and rushing them with an umbrella, all of which was captured on camera.

We were the first outlet to publish the chaotic scene .... and it marked the beginning of a downward spiral for Brit, which culminated with her being thrust into a court-ordered conservatorship about a year later. In 2021, she was finally released from the conservatorship -- cheered on and supported by hordes of her fans in the #FreeBritney movement.

Since then, her erratic behavior has worried people all over again -- but her problems are nowhere near what they were in the mid-2000s ... so for now, relatively speaking, she seems to be doing OK.

Move over Patrick Mahomes -- Joe Burrow is actually the best quarterback in the NFL ... so says Chad "Ochocinco" Johnson, who tells TMZ Sports the Cincinnati Bengals superstar deserves the title when he's 100% healthy.

Joey B has had his fair share of injuries in his short career -- he tore his ACL and MCL in his rookie season, forcing him to miss the final six games ... and, more recently, suffered a calf strain in July that continued to give him trouble early on in his 2023 campaign.

He's now proving he's back to his usual self after leading the Bengals to four straight wins ... and Ochocinco says this version of Burrow is all the evidence he needs to put him at the top of his QB list.

"A healthy Joe Burrow is the best quarterback in the NFL," 45-year-old Johnson -- who played for the Bengals from 2001 to 2010 -- said this week.

"You can argue Patrick Mahomes, you can argue what other quarterbacks, but he just is."

Burrow has been balling out lately ... with big wins over San Francisco and Buffalo over the past two weeks as the Bengals find themselves in the contender conversation once again.

Since Burrow was selected as the No. 1 overall pick in 2020, he has led the Bengals to five postseason wins and a Super Bowl appearance ... something Johnson said shouldn't be ignored.

"What he's done for that franchise in such a short amount of time, I mean, how can he not be [the best]?"

Speaking of Burrow, he appeared on this week's edition of "Inside the NFL" -- which airs Tuesdays on the CW -- and Johnson said he had a blast interviewing the Ohio product.

"It was a joy for me," Johnson said. "It was really, really dope."

The calls for Brian Cashman's job have never been louder, but the Yankees general manager ain't goin' down without a fight ... the longtime baseball exec got feisty with reporters on Tuesday while defending his team!

"I think we're pretty f***ing good, personally, and I'm proud of our people," Cashman told a horde of reporters at the GM meetings in Scottsdale, AZ.

Today's media sesh with Cash was highly anticipated... it's the first time Brian spoke since the end of an incredibly disappointing season that saw the Bronx Bombers finish in second to last place, just 2 games over .500, despite their near-$279 million payroll.

Cashman also addressed the perception that he's made a bunch of bad trades ... bringing up Sonny Gray and Joey Gallo, two former Yankees who struggled mightily in NYC, but have had success since leaving, with BC saying he "gets a kick out of" people criticizing the moves.

"Since Joey Gallo's left us, who's picked him up? Two playoff teams. Sonny Gray, he's currently in the competition for a Cy Young Award."

Cashman touched on a bunch more ... including the perception that the Yanks are overly dependent on analytics, something Brian says is flat-out untrue.

"No one is doing their deep dives, they're just throwing bulls*** and accusing us of being run analytically. To be said we are guided by analytics as a driver is a lie," Brian said.

Team owner Hal Steinbrenner also talked to the media during a virtual press conference, promising "big changes" to come.

The question is, as another season passes without a World Series win, will any of those changes involve Cash or skipper Aaron Boone losing their jobs as much of the fanbase wants?

Taylor Swift and Brittany Mahomes' friendship is Instagram official ... 'cause the wife of the Chiefs superstar QB finally shared a personal pic from their weekend in NYC where the singer spent some quality time with a few fellow K.C. WAGS!

Of course, Patrick's partner hit the Big Apple with Swift and her VIP gal pals Selena Gomez, Sophie Turner and Gigi Hadid a few days back ... locking arms with Travis Kelce's new boo outside the Bond Street restaurant.

Judging by Brittany's new social media posts, it looks like Taylor made some time for her new friends on Saturday, too -- Chiefs backup quarterback Shane Buechele's wife, Paige, and tight end Blake Bell's partner, Lyndsay.

As we previously reported, Paige and Lyndsay were spotted leaving Taylor's TriBeCa apartment following the Chiefs' matchup with the Miami Dolphins (which was in Germany) ... with the ladies decked out in gameday gear.

The foursome posed for photos as they enjoyed some champagne (we know Brittany loves her bubbly) ... and it's clear they've already hit it off.

We're guessing not everyone's going to love the photo sesh ... this is presumably why Travis' ex, Kayla Nicole, unfollowed her once-bestie, Brittany, explaining it was necessary in order to protect her mental health.

It was seemingly the last hurrah for the group ... at least for the foreseeable future. Swift's international tour kicks off on Thursday in Argentina.

Terrifying moment for soccer superstar Neymar's family -- three men reportedly broke into his partner Bruna Biancardi's Sao Paulo condo early Tuesday morning in an attempt to target her and their newborn baby.

Neymar and Bruna -- who started dating in 2021 -- weren't home at the time, according to local outlets ... but her parents were present when the intruders allegedly entered the residence.

Reports state two armed men and another suspect tied up Bruna's parents and proceeded to ransack the influencer's place ... taking luxury items like watches, designer purses and jewelry.

According to R7 newspaper, the suspects were allegedly looking for Neymar and Bruna's baby girl Mavie -- who was born in early October. In fact, the Al Hilal striker shared a picture with his child on Monday.

Thankfully, no one was injured ... and neighbors were quick to notify security during the home invasion.

One of the suspects -- a 20-year-old -- was arrested during the act. It is believed he is Bruna's neighbor and used his access to the neighborhood to allow the other suspects in the gate.

The other two suspects are still on the loose ... but so far, one has been identified.

Kroy Biermann's failure to respond to a repo case filed against him has finally reached its breaking point -- 'cause a judge just ruled he's gotta fork over his Rolls-Royce.

According to new court docs, obtained by TMZ, the former NFLer had a default judgment entered against him over the luxury car ... which he'd been leasing since 2020. BMW alleged he'd recently ghosted them on payments ... and filed a lawsuit so it could repossess the sweet ride.

Now, after months of no reply from Kroy ... a judge has signed off in favor of BMW, ordering Kroy to surrender possession of the Rolls stat.

In the judge's order, KB is instructed to hand over the vehicle to law enforcement in Fulton County where he lives so BMW can reclaim it.

It's unclear what Kroy's gonna do ... considering he hasn't uttered a peep in his defense in this case -- something tells us a tow truck might be pulling up to his crib in the near future ... and haul the car away.

Remember, BMW claimed Kroy had agreed to a 3-year lease with them -- from 2020 to 2023 -- and would pay $5,297.64/month ... for a total of $190k. However, the company alleged he'd stopped paying altogether -- with them saying the last sign of dough arrived in Sept. 2022.

Kroy's attorney spoke to us when this suit was first filed ... and the response was very much, it is what it is. Kroy acknowledges he's in dire financial straits right now amid his ongoing divorce with Kim Zolciak -- and it sounds like he's got bigger fish to fry besides a Rolls.

Their fancy house, for example, comes to mind ... with the bank moving towards foreclosure and Kim/Kroy trying to sell it off first in hopes of recouping some cash to handle the rest of their affairs.

With everything else going on in Kroy's life at the moment, he can afford to lose the Rolls.

Aaron Rodgers' ruptured Achilles is healing at a pace never before seen in an NFL player ... and there's a real chance the future Hall of Famer returns to the field this season ... sources connected to the QB tell TMZ Sports.

We're told 39-year-old Rodgers is in "no man's land" -- uncharted territory -- when it comes to the speed at which he's healing from the serious injury to his left leg. No player previously has come this far, this fast.

Typically, a ruptured Achilles takes 9+ months to recover. Aaron's injury happened on September 11, just 57 days ago. Using that timeline, Rodgers wouldn't be ready to return until training camp next year.

But, Aaron isn't conventional, and the 4x NFL MVP made up his mind shortly after the injury, he was going to do all he could to return this season.

Doctors, however, need to balance Rodger's eagerness with the danger of reinjuring his leg. They'll only allow him to play if they're confident he isn't at high risk of reinjuring the ligament, according to our sources.

What's interesting ... we're told one of the balancing factors is how much the Jets need Rodgers. If he's game critical, it would offset some of the risk. In other words, the more he's needed, the more risk can be tolerated.

As for why a 39-year-old is healing faster than any football player known to medicine, we're told it's a combination of the top doctors using cutting-edge procedures combined with Aaron's unrelenting approach to physical therapy.

All the talk of a comeback could be moot if the 4-4 Jets aren't in playoff contention. There's no point in rushing a return if Gang Green's playing in meaningless games.

Following the Jets Monday Night Football loss to the Chargers, Derwin James asked Rodgers when he was going to return.

Shaquille O'Neal wasn't a sore loser after his alma mater LSU shockingly fell to Colorado on Monday ... 'cause the Big Fella made an awesome gesture by congratulating the Buffaloes in the locker room!!

The No. 20 CU women's hoops team pulled off the major upset over Angel Reese, Hailey Van Lith and the No. 1-ranked Tigers in a 92-78 victory in Las Vegas ... stunning the defending champions in the season opener.

But Shaq -- who dominated in Baton Rouge from 1989-1992 -- wasn't too bummed to be a good sport for the big winners of the night ... sharing a postgame moment with head coach J.R. Payne and the athletes.

"Good game girls," Shaq said as he also shook hands with Payne.

O'Neal wasn't the only big name to show love for the Buffs -- three-time WNBA champ Candace Parker also gave the squad some motivation for the season.

"Hope to see you in the Final Four," she said.

Of course, the LSU women's team skyrocketed in popularity en route to winning it all earlier this year ... with Reese and Flau'jae Johnson becoming big names in the sport.

12:22 PM PT -- Aaron Rodgers is clarifying his comment about being back to action in "a few weeks" ... saying the whole conversation was just silly banter with a friend.

The quarterback discussed the popular sound bite on "The Pat McAfee Show" on Tuesday ... claiming he didn't expect mics to pick up what he was discussing with James -- and he wasn't stating fact.

Rodgers went on to say the previously stated timeline is pretty unrealistic ... and he is more like "a few fortnights" from suiting up again.

FYI -- a fortnight is 14 days ... so, see you in six weeks, Aaron??

Aaron Rodgers is telling people they won't have to wait long to see him get back on the field -- the New York Jets quarterback was caught on a hot mic saying he's only "a few weeks" from returning from his Achilles injury.

AR8 met up with Los Angeles Chargers star Derwin James on the 50-yard line following his team's 27-6 loss during Monday Night Football ... and when the two embraced, the All-Pro safety asked what everyone wants to know -- "When you coming back, man??"

Rodgers' response will have Jets fans salivating.

"Give me a few weeks," he answered.

Of course, the four-time MVP has been showing strong signs of improvement over the past few weeks -- he has been walking without crutches and throwing the football before games ... claiming he's well ahead of schedule with rehab since suffering the injury on September 11.

Worth noting -- it's entirely possible Rodgers might not have been too serious with his answer ... as he could have been playing it up for the cameras or wanting to keep the real timeline a secret.

Rodgers has made it clear he wants to return this season -- but the quickest Achilles recovery in NFL history belongs to Cam Akers, who returned after 5 1/2 months. If Rodgers takes the same amount of time, it'll be right around the Super Bowl.

Some of Hollywood's hottest stars flew east to the Big Apple to attend the so-called "Oscars of American Fashion" -- squeezing into their tight outfits that were just smokin'.

Kim Kardashian, Anne Hathaway, Gwyneth Paltrow, Demi Moore and Serena Williams all showed up for Monday night's annual Council of Fashion Designers of America's fashion awards at the Museum of Natural History in Manhattan.

KK was a real head-turner in her black, form-fitting leather dress with silver chains and a cross medallion around her neck.

Hathaway, who hosted the gala, sported a denim corset and full-length denim skirt with classy high heels -- topped off by Bulgari jewels.

Paltrow, Williams and Moore looked just as radiant. Gwyneth chose all-black attire with a stylish dress cut down the center ... Serena also wore all black and appeared ravishing. Moore took the silver route in her flashy gown.

As for the top honorees ... Gwyneth and her Goop brand snagged the CFDA Fashion Award for Innovation, while Serena won the CFDA Fashion Icon Award.

Other celebs also attended the ceremony including ... Martha Stewart, Mary J. Blige, Nina Dobrev, Karlie Kloss, Emma Chamberlain, Winnie Harlow, Nicky Hilton, Naomi Watts, La La Anthony, Lori Harvey and Shay Mitchell.

Jordan Poole is finally addressing the rumors he shelled out half a million bucks on a date with Ice Spice ... and the Washington Wizards guard says it's all fake news!!

The 24-year-old hooper's hilarious denial came during a meet-and-greet with fans this week ... when one young supporter asked him straight-up if there's any truth behind the talk of an extravagant romance with the MC.

"Definitely not," Poole said. "Definitely cap!"

If you're not aware of how this came to be, rapper Cam'ron started the drama back in May when he called out Poole -- then on the Golden State Warriors -- for his playoff performance.

"Jordan Poole, you spent $500,000 on an Ice Spice date," Cam said on his "It Is What It Is" podcast. "You’re a munch and you’re playing like a f***ing munch."

"This is not you from last year, bro. Go back to Milwaukee and figure it the f*** out and get back in the playoffs, 'cause you look crazy."

Fans ran with the $500k rumor ... especially since Ice Spice is one of the hottest female rappers out right now, and Poole had signed a four-year, $140 million extension months prior.

Poole's adamant response should be enough to clear his name of the wild rumor ... but it probably won't stop the internet trolls from sticking to it for entertainment purposes.

Poole's teammate sitting beside him thought his answer was hilarious ... but at least we now know straight from his mouth.

Let's play devil's advocate here -- Poole only denied dropping a ton of dough on a date with IS, so it's entirely possible he DID take her out ... just for much less. But it looks like she's never addressed the rumor in the first place.

Peyton Manning must've missed a production meeting ... 'cause the Hall of Famer looked absolutely shocked beyond belief when Arnold Schwarzenegger fed his pet donkey, Lulu, in front of millions during MNF, and the legendary signal caller's reaction was priceless!

The awkward moment went down during Peyton and brother Eli Manning's 'Manningcast' show on ESPN during the NY Jets vs. L.A. Chargers game Monday night.

As always, the famous football bros brought A-list guests to the show ... this time bringing on the one and only Arnold. But, the legendary action movie star wasn't alone.

And, it was Schwarzenegger's special guest that threw Peyton for a loop.

"Oh yes," Schwarzenegger calmly told Lulu as he fed her. The look on Peyton's face was hilarious!

Eli tried to alleviate some of the awkwardness ... by taking a shot at his older brother.

"What is that?!" Eli asked. "That donkey looks like you eating Peyton."

Of course, the 76-year-old actor, bodybuilder, and politician's love for animals is widely known .. and outside of his donkey, Arnold has a pet pony, pig, and some dogs.

Schwarzenegger recently explained how he got the donkey ... he and his GF felt their pony Whiskey needed a bestie, so he got Lulu.

"They were hanging out together, loving each other," Schwarzenegger told HOLA!. "She needed a companion. Look at them, they’re getting along!"