TMZ Sports - Page 50

Cincinnati Reds legend Joe Morgan -- one of the best 2nd basemen ever who went on to become an MLB broadcasting star -- passed away on Sunday. He was 77.

The Hall of Famer passed away Sunday at his home in Danville, CA. A family spokesperson says Morgan had been diagnosed with polyneuropathy -- a disease that affects the nerves.

Despite only standing 5'7" tall, Morgan was a force on the field -- racking up more than 2,500 hits during his 22 seasons in the big leagues.

Morgan made his MLB debut in 1963 and played until 1984 -- playing for 5 teams during his run including the Houston Colt .45s/Astros, SF Giants, Philadelphia Phillies and Oakland Athletics.

He's most famously known for winning 2 World Series titles with the "Big Red Machine" in Cincinnati in 1975 and 1976.

On top of the world titles, Morgan had a trophy case full of personal accolades -- 2-time National League MVP, 10 All-Star appearances, 5 Gold Gloves and 1 Silver Slugger.

His #8 was retired in Cincinnati in 1987. He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown in 1990.

After his playing career, Morgan became a successful broadcaster -- calling MLB games for ABC Sports, NBC Sports and ESPN.

He was so popular, they used this voice in the MLB 2K video games.

Reds CEO Bob Castellini released a statement on Morgan's passing, saying, "The Reds family is heartbroken. Joe was a giant in the game an was adored by fans in this city."

"He had a lifelong loyalty and dedication to this organization that extended to our current team and front office staff."

"As a cornerstone on one of the greatest teams in baseball history, his contributions to this franchise will live forever."

The baseball world has lost several legends in recent months -- including Tom Seaver, Lou Brock, Bob Gibson, Whitey Ford.

Rihanna isn't rocking with anyone who is NOT on the Lakers wagon ... but for those who are, she's got a tune for ya.

RiRi and her crew belted out "We Are the Champions" Sunday night to celebrate the Lakers bringing home their 17th NBA championship -- and while it might seem cliché for most people ... she makes it awesome.

Rihanna went with a classic yellow Kobe Bryant #24 jersey, and accessorized with purple and gold balloons for her Lake Show party. It's unclear where this bash went down, but looks like she was next to an RV.

She captioned her video, "if you ain’t on this time right now...bye. Lebron remains king 💪🏿 Lakers are the champs 💜💛 and Kobe is proud 🙏🏿 A.D thank you! #🏆 #Congratulations."

Meanwhile ... Dr. Dre -- a huge Lakers fan -- was hanging out with Rick Ross, a huge Heat fan. The Doc couldn't help himself but give The Boss a hard time after the Lakers wrapped up the series, 4 games to 2. Dre reminded Rick, "That's what it is! The Lake Show!"

Poor Rick, all he could do was sit there and take it. We don't know if these guys had money on the game, but if so ... they can both afford to pay up.

"His agent needs to be fired."

Ex-Dallas Cowboys player Jason Hatcher just went off on the Dak Prescott injury situation -- saying the QB's advisors should be ASHAMED for allowing him to play without a longterm contract.

"First of all, I wanna just send my prayers out to Dak," Hatcher said ... "[but] that young man and the team around him should have never allowed him to ever touch the field if he didn't have a longterm deal."

Prescott tried renegotiating a longterm deal with the Cowboys during the offseason, but ultimately agreed to play on a 1-year franchise tag deal that paid him $31.4 million guaranteed.

But, with Dak suffering that horrific ankle injury Sunday night, his future is in doubt ... and Hatcher is pointing the finger at Dak's agent, Todd France.

"There's no way in the world that his team should have allowed him to bet on himself during this situation," said Hatcher, a defensive lineman for the Cowboys from 2006 to 2013.

"He should've been in a comfortable situation with a longterm deal."

"Now, he's gotta start all back over again, rewind 4 years back when he came in as a rookie and prove himself all over again and he can play again and he can work through an injury or whatever."

Hatcher says if the Cowboys decide to cut Dak, fans shouldn't be upset with Jerry Jones because "there's no loyalty in business. It is business."

Class move from the biggest Philadelphia Eagles fan there is ...

12-year-old Giovanni Hamilton was so sad about the injury to Dallas Cowboys QB Dak Prescott, he shot a get-well message that'll hit you right in the feels.

Hamilton's story is pretty well known ... the way he's battled through 12 surgeries related to Schwartz-Jampel syndrome has inspired Eagles players like Carson Wentz and others.

Gio's condition has been described by his mom as a combo of muscular dystrophy and dwarfism. He's undergone surgical procedures on his hips, eyes, jaw and more.

So, when Gio -- who's an Eagles fan to the core -- found out about Dak's ankle, he fired up his camera Sunday to make a video for the injured QB.

"I just heard that Dak Prescott got hurt and you know, it sucks," Gio said.

"I’m the biggest eagles fan there is and you never wanna see that happen."

Gio added, "Even if it’s your most hated team, you never want to see that happen to anyone -- and you know Dak, I hope you see this, Brother, I hope you’re doing okay. I’ve been through a lot of pain but I can't even imagine. That looked like it really hurt."

Here's Seattle Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll going crazy in the locker room after his team's wild comeback victory ... AND IT'S THE PERFECT WAY TO START A MONDAY!

There's yelling, there's screaming, there's fist-pumping and light-flickering ... Pete was feelin' it!!!

And, for good reason, his Hawks had just completed one of the best 4th-quarter comebacks of the year ... led by QB Russell Wilson and wide receiver D.K. Metcalf.

They were down 26 to 21 to the Minnesota Vikings with less than 2 minutes left in the game -- but Wilson drove 95 yards, ultimately hitting Metcalf in the end zone with just 20 seconds left!!

Seahawks got the W in a ridiculous 27 to 26 victory. What a game!

Afterward, 69-year-old Carroll led the team in an energized back and forth ... and it'll get your adrenaline flowing!!

"Can you win the game in the 1st quarter?! NO!!"

Can you win the game in the 2nd quarter?! NO!!"

"Can you win the game in the 3rd quarter?! NO!!"

"Can you win the game in the 4th quarter?! YEAAAAAHHH!!!!!""

It's awesome.

The Seahawks are now 5-0 on the season and look like real contenders.

The parade is on hold, but the Lakers locker room celebration Sunday night was LIIIIIIIITTTTTTTTTT!!!!

LeBron James, J.R. Smith, Anthony Davis, Rajon Rondo, Dwight Howard, Jared Dudley threw on some protective goggles and let the champagne fly moments after defeating the Miami Heat!

J.R. Smith found his old pal, LeBron, and doused him in booze, while dancing around the locker room with all of his teammates!

There's a funny moment when J.R. steals LeBron's Finals MVP trophy and parades it around the locker room while smoking a cigar ... it's a pretty great sight to see.

After the madness, LeBron snuck out into the hallway to FaceTime his mother, Gloria ... and had an emotional moment with her where he credited her for all of his success.

"I love you, you are the reason why I am able to even do this, Mom," LeBron said.

LeBron reflected about how Gloria was a single, 16-year-old kid when she gave birth to LeBron -- and how she battled to raise him alone in Akron, Ohio.

"Everything that you been through, everything that I've seen -- there’s nothing that can stop me. 'Cause this sh*t right here, this is nothing compared to the sh*t you had to go through."

The COVID pandemic won't stop the Lakers from celebrating their NBA championship -- but it WILL delay the official victory parade for a bit.

The Lakers dominated the Miami Heat in Game 6 of the NBA Finals on Sunday 106 to 93 -- wrapping up the series 4 to 2. LeBron James, Anthony Davis and company made easy work of Jimmy Butler's squad.

So, let's talk celebration!!!

TMZ Sports has learned ... L.A. County and City officials have been working with team honchos to find a safe way for the team and their legions of fans to have a victory celebration in the wake of their 17th franchise title.

We're told several ideas were kicked around -- including an "in-car" celebration, where a limited number of vehicles would be allowed to pull up to a location to cheer on the champs.

But, a "car party" ultimately didn't feel like the right way to inclusively celebrate an accomplishment of this magnitude -- so, it was scrapped.

Now, we're told everyone involved is set on throwing a massive victory parade -- just like the old days -- but not until County and City officials give the all-clear.

We're told everyone involved is hoping a Lakers victory parade through the streets of L.A. can bring the city together in a big way -- especially with everything Los Angelinos have endured over the past year ... from the COVID shutdowns to the death of Kobe Bryant and more.

Obviously, there's no specific date being targeted at the moment -- it all depends on how the pandemic plays out.

In the meantime, celebrations have already begun inside the NBA Bubble in Orlando -- where players have been allowed to bring in a limited number of family members.

Since everyone in the Bubble was tested prior to entry -- and tested regularly once inside -- there's really no concern about having a massive victory party on the Disney World property ... starting right now!!

Dak Prescott suffered a horrific season-ending injuring Sunday --snapping his ankle in the worst possible way, requiring emergency surgery.

The Dallas Cowboys QB was diagnosed with a compound fracture and dislocation of his right ankle. He was scheduled to undergo emergency surgery Sunday night.

It all went down during the 3rd quarter of the Dallas Cowboys vs. NY Giants game. Dak was tacked by Giants defensive back Logan Ryan and it was obvious he was badly hurt right away.

The Cowboys medical staff rushed over to evaluate him ... and once the camera got a close-up shot, it was clear he'd suffered a break, likely his ankle.

27-year-old Dak was squirming in pain. Medical personnel eventually got him on a cart and wheeled him off the field. The guy was in tears.

Andy Dalton replaced Dak at QB and led the Cowboys to a 37 to 34 victory. Afterward, Dak's close pal, Ezekiel Elliott, summed up the situation this way -- "It sucks."

He continued, "I know we won, it just sucks to lose Dak, our leader. And I was talking to the guys and it's going to take all of us. It's going to take all of us to fill that void that we're going to be missing from #4. Just gotta go out there and play for him."

Dak's brother posted an update from the hospital saying, "God is good, and he’ll be back STRONGER than ever."

"I F***ING guarante3 IT.  Let’s go @dak continue to walk by #FAITH & I’ll make sure you continue to #FIGHT."

Get well soon, man.

Logan Ryan also commented about the injury. It's obvious he feels awful about the situation, but injuries are part of the game.

"First and foremost, the worst thing that happened today was the Dak injury, it's bigger than football," Ryan said.

"I feel terrible, it was a routine football play ... You've got a guy, and I am in a similar position, he is scratching and clawing at one year on his deal to try and get rewarded, try to do the right thing, try to show up to work, try to lead his team, try to get a lucrative contract."

Kristin Cavallari is back in the game, mackin' on a new guy in the Windy City.

Kristin was at Fulton Market, a bar and restaurant district in Chicago where Kristin has a shop nearby. She was all dressed up and clearly into this guy, though we don't know who he is.

As we reported, Kristin and Jay Cutler are getting divorced ... she announced in April. The divorce has gotten nasty ... Kristin has accused Jay of being controlling and manipulative and saying derogatory things about her to their kids.

Lots of people thought Kristin had hooked up again with ex-boyfriend and "Laguna Beach" alum, Stephen Colletti, back in August ... but we're told they've been friends for years and that all this was ... friends getting together.

NBA superstar Carmelo Anthony says his comeback is just getting started ... telling TMZ Sports he's nowhere close to being done in the league after a brief break.

It's no secret -- Melo was pretty much blackballed by the league until he signed with the Portland Trail Blazers in Nov. 2019 ... going 10 months without a gig.

We spoke with Anthony about his hoops future ... and he says there's no doubt in his mind he'll be suiting up for the Blazers next season.

FYI -- Melo was an important piece for the Blazers in the playoffs ... and even had a postseason-high 27 points in Game 5 before LeBron James and Co. went on to do their thing en route to the NBA Finals.

Melo had 15 points and 6 rebounds in the regular season as well.

Tatum O'Neal was allegedly suicidal at a Los Angeles area home, so cops responded and she was placed on a psychiatric hold ... law enforcement sources tell TMZ.

We’re told police and fire responded last month to a call for a suicidal person, after Tatum allegedly threatened to jump off a balcony.

Our sources say the 'Bad News Bears' star was transported to a local hospital once help arrived, and she was eventually placed on a psychiatric hold for further evaluation.

It's a pretty scary situation, especially considering Tatum's well-documented struggles over the years with addiction.

As you know ... Tatum has battled drug problems after separating from ex-husband John McEnroe way back in 1992.

Tatum, the youngest actress to ever win an Academy Award, eventually got clean and got her life back together, but in 2008 she was arrested for allegedly trying to score drugs. Other than that, she's remained sober by all accounts.

Philly Eagles cornerback Cre'Von LeBlanc says he's started a rap career to help his brother's dream come true ... telling TMZ Sports he wants to give him a platform after he gets out of prison.

26-year-old LeBlanc -- AKA "Strap" -- says what started as a hobby has now turned into something greater ... as he hopes to help his brother who is currently incarcerated.

"I know his passion that he has behind music and I just try to keep it going for him," LeBlanc says. "Because it's hard when you're a felon and you come home and it's hard to get a job, it's hard to do anything."

FYI -- LeBlanc's brother, Craig Jr., is serving a life sentence in a Florida prison after being convicted of attempted murder ... but Cre'Von hopes to reunite with him someday.

Cre'Von explains ... "So, I definitely want to build up the music side up for him. I know that his dream, aspiration and goals and just have something set in stone so when he comes home, he has something to come home to."

LeBlanc says the reaction he's gotten from friends, family and even strangers has been overly positive ... with everyone encouraging him to release more tracks.

Ryan Leaf's domestic battery arrest was NOT substance abuse-related ... so says the ex-NFL QB's attorney, who tells TMZ Sports the former San Diego Charger is still "100% sober."

There had been some concern after 44-year-old Leaf -- who has battled drug and alcohol problems in the past -- had suffered a relapse that led to his arrest on May 22.

But, when we spoke to David Greenberg of the Law Offices of Soda & Greenberg ... he told us that just wasn't the case at all.

"He is 100% totally sober," Greenberg said of Leaf, "and spends a good part of every day over the last five years helping other people remain that way."

In fact, Greenberg says the whole alleged incident was nothing more than a "minor dispute."

"Nobody was injured," Greenberg said. "There was no allegation of any kind of weapon or anything like that."

"This was a couple that had a small minor dispute and it's unfortunate that it ended up in the criminal justice system."

We broke the story ... Leaf was booked on a domestic battery charge at around 2 p.m. on May 22 -- and was formally hit with two misdemeanor charges by prosecutors this week.

But, Leaf cut a plea deal in court Friday ... and ultimately avoided further jail time in the case.

Greenberg said Leaf and his family are happy to have all this now behind them ... adding Ryan is still committed to helping people with substance abuse problems daily.

Aaron Judge's girlfriend just cut a deal with prosecutors and pled guilty to DUI, TMZ Sports has learned ... 8 months after she name-dropped the New York Yankees star during an arrest in Arizona.

You'll recall ... Samantha Bracksieck -- who's had an on-and-off relationship with Judge for years -- was pulled over in Scottsdale back on Feb. 25 after cops say she was driving with her headlights off.

During the stop ... police video showed Bracksieck admitted to a cop she had wine at Mastro's Steakhouse prior to getting behind the wheel.

When officers eventually slapped the cuffs on her for alleged drunk driving ... that's when she became standoffish -- and ultimately brought Judge up to the officers.

"Do you know who my boyfriend is?!" Samantha said at one point during the arrest, before later telling another cop, "My boyfriend is not in a spot where I should be, like, having this happen."

Samantha added during the stop, "He's like a public figure. So, like, me being arrested for, like, having two glasses of wine is not OK."

Despite her bringing the MLB superstar into the situation ... law enforcement still ended up hitting Bracksieck with 5 charges, including extreme DUI -- which is classified as a BAC of .15-.19.

But, court records show Bracksieck cut a deal with prosecutors Wednesday ... agreeing to plead guilty to misdemeanor DUI.

In exchange, prosecutors agreed to drop the rest of the charges, including the extreme DUI count.

According to court docs, Bracksieck was sentenced to 10 days in jail, though 9 were suspended and she was given credit for 1 day for time served. So, she won't get any additional time behind bars if she keeps her nose clean.

Bracksieck was also ordered to attend an alcohol abuse screening and complete any treatment recommendations. She was ordered to pay over $2,000 in fines and fees, as well.

Lindsey Vonn is parting ways with her "most prized possessions" from her career ... by auctioning off her iconic ski speed suits ... and it's all for charity!!

The retired skiing superstar's annual fundraiser was put on hold due to COVID-19 ... but that couldn't stop the folks at the Lindsey Vonn Foundation from helping out her cause, so she opened up her closet to raise money instead.

"My jackets, helmets and WINNING RACE SUITS that I never wanted to part ways with will help support young girls and women through our scholarship program for educational and stem programs," Vonn said.

Among the suits include her epic "Captain America" suit, which was made for the U.S. Olympic team in 2017 ... the white and rainbow suit from her 54th World Cup win in 2012 ... and her U.S. Ski team jacket from 2016-2017.

The goal is to raise $200k for the LVF ... which will help provide resources for the youth.