TMZ Sports - Page 50

The governor of California has signed a new "Kobe Bryant Law" -- which makes it a crime for first responders to take unauthorized pictures of a dead person at an accident scene.

The measure -- which takes effect on January 1st -- was triggered by the aftermath of the Kobe Bryant helicopter crash ... when 8 local deputies were accused of taking or sharing death pics for unofficial business.

In fact, at least one deputy was accused of using a Kobe death photo to try and pick up a woman at a bar.

But, on Monday, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed the bill which will make it a misdemeanor for a first responder to take or share pics from an accident or crime scene for any purpose outside official law enforcement or genuine public interest.

Kobe's widow, Vanessa Bryant, has already filed a lawsuit against the L.A. County Sheriff's Office over the alleged accident photo scandal. She's suing for negligence, invasion of privacy and intentional infliction of emotional distress.

Tampa Bay Lightning star Mikhail Sergachev is clearly winning both on AND off the ice ... check out how his GF reacted to his Stanley Cup victory Monday -- she was crying tears of joy!!

Elizaveta Fedotova -- a smokin' hot yoga instructor -- posted footage of her watching her BF win his first-ever NHL championship ... and it's pretty touching.

Fedotova was catching the game on a small laptop ... and when the Lightning sealed the 2-0 victory to give them the series win over the Dallas Stars -- she started bawling!!!

"Simply the best morning this year!" she said in a caption after the win on a photo of a celebrating Sergachev. "My love! My champion."

Fedotova also posted a picture of her FaceTiming with the Lightning defenseman right on the ice after the win ... and it's adorable.

The two have been dating for years ... and they seem to have an amazing relationship -- Sergachev has even posted about how he takes yoga classes with her.

Great time for the 22-year-old, huh?!

Jorge Masvidal is going to battle for Donald Trump in Florida -- campaigning with Donald Jr. this upcoming weekend in the hopes of winning the battleground state.

The 35-year-old UFC star from Miami is scheduled to link up with Don Jr. on Saturday. The plan is to hop on a bus and travel to 3 different rallies.

According to ESPN, the events will go down in Tampa, Orlando and Miami ... with the last rally taking place at the American Top Team (ATT) gym where Jorge trains.

Several other fighters are reportedly planning to attend (ATT is one of the top MMA gyms in the country) -- but so far, it's unclear who's on the guest list.

The rallies are being dubbed, "Fighters Against Socialism" -- and with Mavidal being of Cuban descent, it's a personal issue for him.

Masvidal's father reportedly fled from Cuba in a homemade raft when he was only a young teen to escape communism.

FYI -- Florida -- with 29 electoral college votes -- is a critical state for Trump ... where he is currently down a few points to Joe Biden in the latest polls.

Trump recently praised Jorge at a campaign event last week for his epic knockout of Ben Askren -- and Masvidal was PUMPED the President knew his name.

Masvidal isn't the 1st UFC fighter to campaign for the Prez ... Henry Cejudo, Justin Gaethje AND Colby Covington -- Jorge's former friend-turned-enemy -- recently showed up to a rally for Trump in Nevada.

Ex-NFL star Albert Haynesworth was arrested for domestic violence and disorderly conduct Monday ... after an alleged shouting match with his ex-GF, Brittany Jackson.

Cops were called to the home of Brittany Jackson's current boyfriend in Cleveland, TN around 4:30 PM ... after Haynesworth allegedly showed up unexpectedly and began yelling at both of them.

Jackson claims Haynesworth drove 2-and-a-half hours from his home in Franklin to confront them in person after making violent threats over the phone.

Once police arrived, Brittany and her boyfriend told Haynesworth to stop yelling and cussing ... but the 39-year-old ex-NFL star allegedly continued to cause a scene.

Officials say the former All-Pro defensive lineman did NOT put his hands on either Jackson or her BF ... but broke the law by posing a serious threat of causing bodily harm.

Online records show Haynesworth bonded out of Bradley County Justice Center on Tuesday and is no longer in custody.

It's not Haynesworth's first legal incident with Jackson -- they had a domestic violence incident in 2017 when the 6'6", 350-pounder claimed she "kicked (him) in the nuts."

At the time, Haynesworth also claimed he had called police on Jackson for alleged violent incidents more than 10 times during their 17-month relationship.

Khabib Nurmagomedov wants NOTHING to do with Conor McGregor -- turning down a rematch AND a chance to coach against the Irishman on an upcoming season of "The Ultimate Fighter."

It's all according to Khabib's manager, Ali Abdelaziz, who tells TMZ Sports his client thinks Conor is nothing more than "human trash" and never wants to work with him in any capacity ever again.

Here's the deal ... Khabib is set to fight Justin Gaethje for the lightweight championship on Oct. 24 at UFC 254.

Ali -- who reps both Khabib and Justin -- says Dana White called him up recently to discuss post-fight plans, including the next season of the reality-style competition show, "The Ultimate Fighter."

"Last week, Dana White called me, said Ali what do you think about if Khabib wins, him and Conor will do the 'Ultimate Fighter' on ESPN?"

Ali says the plan would be for Khabib and Conor to coach separate teams of aspiring MMA fighters on the show, which would ultimately lead up to a Khabib vs. Conor rematch in the Octagon.

But, Ali says Khabib wouldn't even consider the idea ...

"Khabib turned it down," Ali said ... "He said, 'This man is a human trash. He’s garbage.'"

"When you touch sh*t, you smell like sh*t. [Conor] hasn’t earned the fight."

Ali says Dana made the same 'Ultimate Fighter' offer to Justin Gaethje if he beats Khabib.

There's more ... Ali also ripped Conor for posting private direct messages between Conor and Dana White on social media.

FYI, last week Conor posted messages from February asking Dana to set up a fight with Justin Gaethje.

Ali says Justin had been gunning for a fight with Conor for YEARS -- but Conor repeatedly turned him down.

By the time Conor finally called for Gaethje, Ali says Justin was already prepping for a fight with Tony Ferguson in May in hopes of earning a title shot with Khabib.

Justin won that fight and got his wish. Ali essentially says Conor missed his window.

Meanwhile, Conor "retired" from MMA back in June -- though nobody really believes the 32-year-old is done.

In fact, Conor has claimed to be putting together a boxing match with Manny Pacquiao in Saudi Arabia in Winter 2020 -- AND he's talking with Dustin Poirier about an exhibition match in Ireland in December.

Since Conor is still under contract with UFC, it seems he would need the organization's blessing to participate in either event ... and from what we're being told, Conor shouldn't hold his breath.

Also, Ali tells us he's been talking with high-powered friends in Saudi Arabia who say Conor would NEVER get the green light to fight there because of the things he's said about Muslims in the past.

Ali even tweeted to Conor calling BS -- saying, "Who the hell advising you you saying you fighting in Saudi Arabia and promoting your proper 12 trash drink Saudi Arabia is a Muslim country they don’t allow alcohol dumb ass."

Meanwhile, Conor is still dealing with legal issues in Corsica stemming from a September incident. He's accused of attempted sexual assault and indecent exposure -- though McGregor insists he's innocent.

Bottom line ... Conor is all over the place with his career. It's unclear exactly what he wants and why he's so out of step with Dana White and the UFC.

NFL lineman D.J. Fluker claims his ex-girlfriend kidnapped their daughter earlier this month -- and he's concerned things could get worse.

Here's the deal ... Fluker claims his ex, Kimberly Davis, was supposed to have a supervised visit with their daughter and Fluker's sister on Sept. 19, while the Baltimore Ravens offensive lineman was away in Houston to play the Texans.

But, Davis allegedly kicked Fluker's sister out of the apartment and refused to return the child back to D.J. Fluker reportedly told Davis she did NOT have permission to keep their daughter overnight but Davis still wouldn't hand over the kid.

So, 29-year-old Fluker called police -- but Davis still refused to return the child.

Finally, cops arrested Davis on Sept. 22 and now she's facing a charge of kidnapping a child younger than 16 years old.

If convicted, Davis faces up to 30 days in jail and a $250 fine. She's since been released from custody.

Fluker told cops he's in "fear for the safety of our daughter" and added, "I don’t feel safe during this time," according to The Baltimore Sun.

Davis was arrested back in July after allegedly punching Fluker in the nose during a dispute. She was charged with 2nd-degree assault for that incident.

Patrick Mahomes' fiancee is ride-or-die with the QB, FOR SURE ... 'cause Brittany Matthews shaded the HELL out of the NFL over its rankings on video Monday -- and it's pretty great.

As the Chiefs star was shredding through the Baltimore Ravens' defense like it was a JV team on "Monday Night Football" ... Matthews was talking some smack on social media.

And, at one point, after Mahomes had scored his FIFTH touchdown of the game ... Brittany got REAL PETTY with her celly -- and referenced Mahomes' #4 ranking on the NFL's Top 100 list this summer.

Matthews counted to four on four of her fingers ... with the last one being -- yup, you guessed it -- the middle one!!!

And, to keep piling on ... she took to Twitter, writing, "No, let them keeping ranking him #4 in the league.....we love it."

Matthews was also caught on cam cheering on her man by calling him a straight-up "boss!"

For Patrick's part, he's never been a fan of his Top 100 ranking ... famously putting out a one-emoji tweet after it was revealed 3 players were said to be better than him.

COVID-19 pandemic, step aside ... the TB Lightning partied like it was 2019 after beating Dallas -- going insane in the locker room and chugging booze straight from the Stanley Cup!!!

The celebration all went down Monday night, after Tampa Bay earned a 4-2 series victory over the Stars ... and the scene was wild!!!

Lightning players poured a grip of champagne and beer into Lord Stanley -- and then got after it ... opening their throats and throwing booze straight down the hatch.

Check out video of the celly ... winger Pat Maroon and defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk were the chugging all-stars -- while others on the squad enjoyed some sips from the cup as well.

And, we know what you're thinking ... but NHL players have been locked away in a bubble with daily COVID testing the last couple months -- so this is all safe!!!

Of course, the Lightning earned every bit of this moment ... they were heartbreakingly swept out of the playoffs last season despite being the favorite, so the win Monday meant a helluva lot.

But, some Lightning fans weren't as careful as the players with their Cup parties ... take a look at people PACKING the streets in Tampa to celebrate the win.

The University of Purdue has suspended 13 student-athletes for throwing an on-campus party that violates the school's new COVID rules.

The bash went down on Saturday night in a residence hall on the Purdue campus in West Lafayette, Indiana ... and once University officials found out about the party, they took action immediately.

All 13 student-athletes -- along with one student who isn't an athlete -- must be OUT of their dorms by Wednesday to begin serving their suspension.

The school says the actions of the students violate the "Protect Purdue Pledge" -- which is basically a new set of rules to minimize the spread of COVID-19 ... wear masks, social distance, wash hands, etc.

The school has not identified the suspended athletes by name -- or even said which sport they play.

In fact, all Purdue has really said is that they're all "out-of-season" athletes -- which means they're not part of a program that competes in the Fall.

The University issued a statement to ESPN saying, "While this is an unfortunate occurrence, we hope it's instructive for all Boilermaker students and reinforces the importance of protecting everyone on campus during this time."

As for the athletes, Purdue is expecting them to appeal -- and officials say they will handle that process "expeditiously."

"Each case will be resolved in a manner that meets the objectives of (1) protecting the health & safety of the campus community and (2) educating students on how to effectively adhere to the Protect Purdue Pledge."

And, the next head coach of the Atlanta Falcons is ... Andre Rison???

The former NFL All-Pro tells TMZ Sports he wants to replace Dan Quinn as the head man in Atlanta ... and he says he's dead serious about taking over the reins.

DQ hasn't been officially relieved of his duties yet ... but after blowing ANOTHER huge lead Sunday -- this time a 16-pointer to the Bears -- many believe Quinn's time as Falcons coach will be over soon.

And, Rison tells us he's got hopes Arthur Blank will give him a legit shot at the job whenever that happens ... saying he's qualified to help turn Atlanta back into a Super Bowl contender.

"I'm waiting on that call!" Rison says.

It might sound crazy on the surface ... but Rison tells us he's quietly been building up a coaching resume since he retired from the NFL two decades ago.

Andre's been a high school head coach as well as part of Michigan State's staff ... and he thinks that, combined with his playing history, makes him more than qualified for the job.

Doc Rivers is officially OUT as Los Angeles Clippers head coach ... after a quick exit from the NBA Playoffs.

58-year-old Rivers has coached the Clips since 2013 ... and after adding Kawhi Leonard and Paul George this last off-season, L.A. Clippers were favorites to win an NBA title.

Despite having a 3-1 lead on the Denver Nuggets, the Clippers were eliminated in the Western Conference Semifinals.

Shortly after they were bounced from the playoffs, there were reports of turmoil within the team ... with PG allegedly feuding with his teammates.

Rivers addressed losing his job on social media, writing ... "Thank you Clipper Nation for allowing me to be your coach and for all your support in helping making this a winning franchise. When I took this job, my goals were to make this a winning basketball program, a free agent destination, and bring a championship to this organization."

"While I was able to accomplish most of my goals, I won't be able to see them all through. Though it was a disappointing ending to our season, you are right there and I know what this team is capable of accomplishing with your support."

"Thank you to all the players, coaches and staff for helping us get here. Most importantly, thank you to the fans. We went through a lot, and I am grateful for my time here."

Of course, Rivers -- who is 943-681 as a head coach -- won a ring with the Boston Celtics in 2008.

Not even a high-ankle sprain could kill this adorable moment for Christian McCaffrey ...

Here's video of the injured NFL superstar getting some much-needed TLC from Olivia Culpo's dog ... and it's probably the cutest thing you'll see all day!!

Culpo and her pup, Oliver Sprinkles, have been away from the running back for a few days ... as the 24-year-old has been rehabbing an injured ankle.

But, Culpo and her man finally reunited Monday ... and the reaction OC's dog had in seeing McCaffrey again will melt your heart!!

Check out the video ... Culpo came through the door with doggo in hand, and as they got to McCaffrey in the living room -- it was a full-on face-lick sesh!!

It should be noted ... McCaffrey had some sort of wrap on his ankle and didn't seem to put too much pressure on it to get to the dog -- so, breathe easy, Carolina fans.

As for Culpo ... she seemed to love every minute of the McCaffrey-Oliver reunion -- writing, "Someone's excited to see their dad!!!!"

UFC middleweight Paulo Costa wants another crack at Israel Adesanya ... calling the champ "human trash" for air humping him after Saturday's fight.

The Last Stylebender easily handled Costa with a 2nd-round TKO ... and promptly hit him with an NSFW celebration by getting on top of him and thrusting.

Costa says he had no idea what Izzy was doing at the time ... but now that he was able to see the footage, he's demanding revenge in a vicious video with the caption, "Adesanya is human trash. This has become a grave situation !"

"I disapprove 100%," Costa said in the video. "To me, this is mortal now. Nobody can stop me.

"I want my rematch and you know I will wait for you."

Costa goes on to say "something happened" before their big fight ... and he will be fully prepared the next time around.

"I'm not [making an] excuse here to my people, to my fans. but I will be 100% to fight him and to make him pay. That's my words. Save my words."

Kourtney Kardashian gets knocked down, but she gets up again ... and again and again and again ... that's how her surf lesson went in Malibu.

Kourtney paddled out looking to ride some waves in Malibu Sunday, and with the help of a surfing instructor and never-give-up attitude ... she had a great time wiping out over and over and over.

You can see Kourtney's clearly a beginner, but she finally stood up on the board and wouldn't let her struggles wipe a huge smile off her face.

WARNING: THIS VIDEO WILL MAKE YOU SQUIRM!!!

Lindsey Vonn just showed off the dental procedure she had to undergo to get new chompers ... and it's gnarly as hell!!!

The Olympic gold medalist put drill to teeth Monday, filming the whole process ... and in the video, you can see it doesn't appear to be the most pleasant experience.

The dentist ground down Vonn's two front teeth into little nubs ... and even Lindsey had to acknowledge it's some "pretty gross content."

Fortunately, the doc was able to build Vonn's teeth back up ... and afterward, the 35-year-old showed the pearly whites were no worse for wear!!

Ex-NHL star Matthew Barnaby is off the hook in his bar fight case ... TMZ Sports has learned the former Dallas Star had his charges officially dropped Monday.

Barnaby was accused of choking a bouncer in a skirmish at a downtown Nashville, TN bar in March ... and the scene, according to cops, was pretty wild.

In police docs, cops say witnesses told them then-46-year-old Barnaby, his girlfriend and other bargoers had gotten into a scrap ... when Matthew allegedly began choking a bouncer.

Cops added when they questioned the former hockey player about the incident ... they say he reeked of alcohol and had slurred speech and watery eyes.

Barnaby was arrested and eventually charged with misdemeanor public intoxication and misdemeanor assault ... and was facing jail time.

But, court records show the case was dismissed at a hearing Monday.

According to Barnaby's attorney, prosecutors said the alleged victim did not want to pursue the charges in the case -- so it was dropped.