TMZ Sports - Page 50

Scary morning at the Dallas Cowboys' facility ... the team has canceled practice and its media availabilities after a staff member reportedly suffered a serious medical issue Tuesday.

The team has been mum on the circumstances surrounding the incident ... but NFL insider Josina Anderson reports a strength and conditioning staffer "had to receive serious medical attention."

"There is concern for this individual's well-being, per sources," Anderson added.

The Cowboys did say in a statement the medical emergency is NOT coronavirus related.

Canceling practice is a big deal for the Cowboys ... they play for 1st place in the NFC East against the Washington Football Team on Thursday, and every rep on a short week matters.

Dallas is coming off a huge victory over the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday ... and is now looking to go on a win streak that could get it into the playoffs despite a 3-7 start.

It takes a lot to impress Tony Hawk when it comes to skating -- but the legend was BLOWN AWAY by an athlete who learned to ride despite being paralyzed from the waist down.

Hawk met up with Evan Lalanne -- who was badly injured in a fall at Bishop Peak in San Luis Obispo, CA back in 2016.

Lalanne lost the use of his legs in the accident -- but still wanted to figure out a way to participate in action sports.

So, he built himself a motorized skateboard and mastered it -- his IG page is loaded with some insane videos!!

Lalanne was invited to appear on the 'Ellen' show (airs Tuesday) where he met up with Tony Hawk!

Here's where the story gets even better ... Lalanne offered to take Tony for a spin ... so they linked arms and Evan zipped Hawk around the parking lot like a beast!

Ya gotta watch the video -- these guys are FLYING and Tony was clearly impressed!!

"Had the privilege of meeting [and skating with] @evan_lala on the set of @TheEllenShow. In true DIY/skater fashion, he created a custom motorized skateboard to ride in his wheelchair. He towed me until I got speed wobbles then pulled away like a veteran racer. Episode airs today."

Evan isn't doesn't just shred on wheels -- he's also a para-Alpine ski racer!!!

Back in 2019, Evan talked about his condition -- saying, "If I’m gonna be paralyzed, well, then I might as well be really good at it."

No fancy car. No fancy Rolex -- MMA fighter Emiliano Sordi spent his $1 MILLION prize money on something much more important.

HE USED EVERY CENT TO FEED HUNGRY PEOPLE IN HIS HOME COUNTRY!

Amazing, right?!

The 29-year-old earned his $1 mil check by winning the Professional Fighters League light heavyweight season and playoffs in 2019. Dude can fight.

Now, Sordi -- AKA "He-Man" -- is revealing how he spent the dough ... and it'll warm even the coldest of hearts.

The Argentinian fighter says the COVID pandemic has been especially brutal in his home town of Rio Cuarto -- and in an interview with the Hablemos MMA podcast on Monday, he explained why he felt compelled to step up and help.

"Everything here is very rough," Sordi said (via MMA Junkie). "The economy is very bad. The situation is looking very ugly."

"We started giving food to about 300 people and we got to a point where we gave food to 3,000. So economically, I didn’t enjoy any of [the $1 million prize]."

Sordi said he worked with the city to obtain the proper permits to deliver food throughout the area via pickup truck from March through August ... and the operation grew as time went on.

"I didn’t buy anything. I didn’t go on vacation. I mean, I was locked at home. But I used those resources to help people who were going through a rough time."

Emiliano (22-8) says despite his efforts, there are still folks in need ... but he understands he's made an impact with what he's done so far.

COVID is now ruining the greatest dog race in the world -- because the reigning Iditarod champ says travel restrictions are forcing him to bail on the 2021 event.

Thomas Waerner -- the musher who famously won the 2020 Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race back in March -- says getting in and out of Alaska with his 16 dogs seems like an insurmountable task with the pandemic still wreaking havoc all over the world.

"I had to make the difficult decision to not start in the Iditarod 2021," Waerner said in a Facebook post.

"It is a lot of work to get to the starting line in a normal year, and in this COVID times it is not possible to get dogs and myself to Alaska."

The race is slated to begin on March 7 -- with mushers and their pooches trekking through 1,000 snow-covered miles to the finish line. There are still 57 mushers expected to compete, according to the AP.

Waerner -- who's from Norway -- famously won the event earlier this year ... but got stuck in Alaska for MONTHS after his victory due to travel restrictions. He finally caught a flight home in June.

As we previously reported, the 2020 event was highly criticized for allowing fans to gather in masses to watch the event without masks or any PPE. This year, organizers are taking the COVID issue much more seriously, bringing on a doctor who specializes in infectious diseases to help with the safety protocol.

As for Waerner, he dominated the 2020 race and adorably thanked his lead dogs -- K2 and Bark -- after crossing the finish line.

Pass the gravy, mashed potatoes, stuffing ... and ketchup?!

Yup, Patrick Mahomes says he loves the tomatoey stuff SO MUCH, he's planning on slathering it all over his Thanksgiving Day meal!!!

The K.C. Chiefs superstar -- well known for his love of ketchup -- confirmed with the guys on KCSP 610 Sports Radio on Monday that he will, in fact, even put ketchup on his turkey.

"Yeah, dude, I mean come on," Mahomes said. "You got to put ketchup on that!"

In fact, Mahomes says if ham is part of his Thanksgiving feast Thursday as well ... that'll get the ketchup treatment too!!!

And, when the guys asked him if he was joking ... Mahomes said flat-out, hell no!

"Come on," the Chiefs star said with a laugh, "you know me better than that!"

Mahomes' infatuation with ketchup clearly knows no bounds ... in the past, he's admitted to putting it on steak, eggs and mac and cheese. The guy even has an endorsement deal with Hunt's to make sure he's always got a fresh bottle handy!

Michael Jordan collectors are gonna LOSE THEIR MINDS -- because some of the most coveted shoes from his career are hitting the auction block for the first time ever.

First, check out the black and red Jordans that MJ rocked during Game 4 of the NBA Finals in 1991 ... the year Jordan won his first NBA championship.

The kicks were signed by MJ and gifted to Sonny Vaccaro -- the former Nike executive who signed His Airness to his first sneaker deal.

And now, Vaccaro is putting them on the auction block through Goldin Auctions, where the shoes are expected to fetch between $500k and $750k!!!

"In my 6-decade career in basketball, I was fortunate to spend 7 years working together with Michael Jordan during my time at Nike, and these Air Jordans represent the moment that he became the most iconic athlete on the planet, as well as the culmination of my career and friendship with Jordan," Vaccaro said in a statement.

"Worn during his very first NBA Championship with the Bulls, and the first for Nike with Jordan, the sneakers were a gift from Jordan to commemorate this amazing achievement."

"The sneakers have remained in my collection for 30 years, and as Jordan’s legacy has only grown as the undisputed greatest of all time, I feel that now is the time to share them and their story with a new generation."

There's more ... Goldin Auctions also MJ's 1985-86 game-used Air Jordan Dunk Sole Sneakers -- 1 of only 5 pairs known to exist!

Goldin says these are the first pair to ever hit the public auction block -- and are expected to hit the $800,000 mark!

"The sneakers are a classic pair of red and white Air Jordans worn during Jordan’s second season, which have the black Nike swoosh logo on each side and the original Air Jordan logo on the ankle," Goldin says.

"Jordan returned from injury during the March 15th, 1986 game against the Milwaukee Bucks after recovering from his broken foot, and he wore variations of the Air Jordan 1s for the remainder of the season."

The shoes also contain a Nike code which show the letters "PS" -- which means they were a "Player Sample," not made for the masses.

Tristan Thompson signing with the Boston Celtics isn't a game-changer for him and Khloe Kardashian ... other than the historic Boston-L.A. rivalry hitting closer to home.

Sources close to the couple tell TMZ ... Khloe and True will not be uprooting themselves from Los Angeles by moving to the East Coast with Tristan.

We're told Khloe plans on making extended visits to Boston with her 2-year-old tot to see her daddy when schedules allow for it ... but L.A. will remain home.

Our sources say True has her routine, her family and especially all of her beloved cousins in L.A. ... and both Khloe and Tristan don't want to take that away from her. Instead, they're set on making long-distance work.

As you know ... Khloe spent a lot of time in Cleveland with Tristan when he was on the Cavaliers -- including when she gave birth -- but returned to L.A. amid the fallout of him cheating on her, and has remained there ever since.

The 2 managed to reconcile over the pandemic months in L.A. after Tristan's NBA season ended -- signaling they were a couple again by doing things like taking hikes together. Nevertheless, we're told Khloe's steadfast on staying put with True.

Shannon Sharpe believes it's complete "bulljive" that Tom Brady didn't stick around after "Monday Night Football" to shake Jared Goff's hand ... and now, the Hall of Fame tight end says it's time to "call his ass out" for it.

Brady played REALLY poorly in the Buccaneers' loss to the Rams -- his interception with seconds to go in the 4th quarter sealed the 27-24 L for Tampa Bay.

And, as the clock was expiring, Tom bolted straight to the locker room pissed off ... leaving Goff without a postgame QB-to-QB handshake.

The scene was actually kind of sad ... Goff appeared to be looking for Brady after the game -- but the G.O.A.T was nowhere to be found.

Of course, Tom did the same thing to Nick Foles earlier this year after a loss to the Bears ... and now Sharpe is straight-up calling the guy a sore loser over it all.

"I guess Brady doesn’t know Goff well enough to shake his hand after losing. Yet, he knows every qb after he wins," Sharpe said. "Brady is full of what the elephant left on the show ground."

"His attitude is bulljive and it’s time to call his A** out on it."

The NFL has recommended players limit their contact postgame in order to prevent a possible spread of coronavirus ... but to Shannon's point, Brady has stuck around after every Bucs win to still shake his opponents' hands.

How do you get 200 turkeys to people in need in Hawaii?

HAND 'EM TO MARSHAWN!

The ex-NFL star grabbed his Beast Mode shorts, some PPE and a few friends -- and hit the streets of Oahu on Monday to distribute 200 turkeys ahead of Thanksgiving.

FYI, Hawaii's economy has been hit particularly hard from the COVID pandemic -- crushing the tourism industry for months.

Tons of people are out of work and struggling -- and Marshawn Lynch decided a little Turkey Day love could go a long way.

So, he teamed up with Young's Fish Market, Tamura Super Market and other partners to get the birds to the people who could use some help this holiday season. Ex-NFL wideout Chad Owens, who's from Hawaii, was on hand to help out with the giveaway.

The video, shot by KHON's Rob DeMello, is fantastic -- showing Lynch bouncing from car to car ... dropping off turkeys like he was Santa in November!

At one point, he even struck a QB pose using a turkey as the football!

Don't throw it. Stick to the ground game.

He's got TWO of the best knockouts of the year -- but UFC rising star Joaquin Buckley says he's still not ready to quit his day job ... at Walgreens!

Buckley first went viral for that insane spinning back kick knockout of Impa Kasanganay back on Oct. 11 -- a knockout Dana White praised as one of the greatest finishes EVER.

He followed that up at UFC 255 by destroying Jordan Wright in the 2nd round -- earning his second "Performance of the Night" bonus in a row!

So, when we spoke with the 26-year-old St. Louis native, we asked if he was finally ready to leave his gig at the pharmacy chain and focus on MMA full time.

The short answer ... he's not ready to part ways with the big "W" just yet!

"The thing is ... besides UFC -- and they're giving me these big checks -- I still don't have a business of my own. So, I need to just keep working," Buckley says.

The fighter says it's important for him to maintain a "working mentality and work ethic" -- "So, I'm gonna just keep holding down a job."

Buckley says if he's able to grow a real business from his MMA exposure, he'd consider walking away from Walgreens ... but for now, he's not going anywhere!

Buckley says he's working on a clothing apparel line called Solid Foundation and he's optimistic about it -- but "until my business is off the ground, we still gon' be working at Walgreens, yessir."

The craziest part, Buckley is already trying to get back in the Octagon and fight again IN JANUARY!!

He's hoping to get a crack at 34-year-old welterweight James Krause -- and it's obvious, these two have VERY bad blood.

"He's just out here spreading lies and spreading rumors [about me] ... it's getting frustrating and for him to think he can just keep talking his stuff without any type of punishment or any type of consequences, it's ridiculous!"

Here's Darius Leonard narrowly avoiding another awkward conversation with his wife ...

The Indianapolis Colts superstar actually checked his gloves Sunday before throwing them into the crowd ... dodging Wedding Ring Catastrophe Part II by the narrowest of margins!!!

If you ain't familiar ... back in September, Darius ripped off his gloves in celebration of a win and tossed them to a fan in the stands.

Turns out, though, his wedding ring had gotten stuck in one of the gloves ... and the 25-year-old linebacker had to beg on social media to get it back!!

Fast forward to Sunday ... and after a huge win over the Green Bay Packers, Leonard wanted to give his gloves away again -- and nearly threw the ring with them AGAIN!!!

Fortunately for Darius, he learned his lesson and actually checked the gloves before launching them.

The video is pretty funny ... Leonard realizes his mistake just before throwing the gear -- and, thankfully, a Colts staffer was able to fish the ring out.

The jewelry was saved, the fans got the gloves ... and Darius is still living the happy-wife, happy-life lifestyle.

Buffalo Bills tight end Tommy Sweeney has been diagnosed with a serious heart condition as a result of COVID, this according to head coach Sean McDermott.

The 25-year-old -- who was drafted by the Bills in 2019 -- was initially put on the COVID result list back on October 24 ... but his health took a turn for the worse.

Coach McDermott says Sweeney was being tested by a cardiologist, per NFL protocol, when he was diagnosed with myocarditis ... which is essentially an inflammation of the heart.

According to the Mayo Clinic ... "Severe myocarditis weakens your heart so that the rest of your body doesn't get enough blood. Clots can form in your heart, leading to a stroke or heart attack."

Yeah, this is serious stuff -- but Mayo Clinic notes, "Early diagnosis is key to preventing long-term heart damage."

The diagnosis means Sweeney will miss the rest of the 2020 NFL season -- but the Bills are confident he can recover and return to the tea in 2021.

McDermott says it's his understanding Sweeney's condition is connected to COVID. He also notes Sweeney appears in "good spirits."

It's been a tough year for Sweeney who suffered a foot injury back in July and was hoping to claw his way into some playing time in the 2nd half of the 2020 season.

MMA star Kayla Harrison didn't just beat her opponent to a bloody pulp this weekend -- she got blood splatter everywhere ... even in her own mouth!

Harrison absolutely DOMINATED Courtney King at Invicta FC 43 on Friday night -- with the ref ultimately stopping the fight in the 2nd round.

But, good God, THE BLOODY CARNAGE!!

Harrison busted up King's face so bad, she looked like Darth Maul at the end of the fight.

So, what was going through Kayla's mind as she was soaked in her opponent's blood?

"I was surprised by how much blood there was and that the doctor didn't stop it because I was literally slipping in blood," Harrison tells TMZ Sports ... "It was like a slip n' slide in there. It was disgusting!"

And, here's where things really get gross ...

Harrison said she has a habit of licking her lips -- even during the fight -- and admits, "I licked my lips and I was like 'Oh God, I just tasted blood!'"

"So gross! So GROSS!"

We asked Kayla if she ever felt bad for Courtney during the fight -- and yeah, turns out she's a human being!

"Yeah, of course! There's two Kaylas. There's the Kayla that's like 'This is barbaric! Oh my god, I don't wanna punch her anymore' like, 'I don't wanna do this' ... and there's the part that's like, 'No this is my job. This is what I was meant to do -- hit her harder!'"

Horrible news for the Baltimore Ravens -- the team's top 2 running backs, Mark Ingram and J.K. Dobbins, have tested positive for COVID ... and will NOT play on Thursday night.

So, first and foremost ... prayers up for a speedy recovery.

Secondly ... GO GRAB GUS EDWARDS FOR YOUR FANTASY TEAM RIGHT NOW.

Both Ingram and Dobbins tested positive on Monday -- leading Baltimore to shut down the team facility ASAP.

The team noted defensive lineman Brandon Williams was also put on the COVID list because he's considered a close contact. He's also out for Thursday.

The Ravens (6-4) are slated to take on the Pittsburgh Steelers on 'TNF' -- with Gus Edwards now expected to get the majority of the workload at running back.

Running back Justice Hill is also expected to see more playing time.

Ravens head coach, John Harbaugh, said the team reopened the facility Monday afternoon -- and it seems the plan is to play Thursday as scheduled.

"We're just carrying forward with our normal schedule at this point, working hard and getting ready for a big challenge Thursday night against the undefeated Steelers," Harbaugh said.

Matt Stafford's wife is apologizing once again for unloading on government officials for imposing more lockdowns during the pandemic ... saying of her rant, "I couldn't have said it any worse."

If you missed it ... Kelly Stafford -- who's been married to the Detroit Lions star QB since 2015 -- went ballistic last week over Michigan's latest COVID restrictions.

In her tirade, which she posted on her social media page, Kelly said the new lockdown rules imposed by governor, Gretchen Whitmer, felt like a "dictatorship" ... and she pled with officials to just open everything back up.

"I understand there’s a pandemic, and I understand it’s very scary. I’m scared of it, too. If you are at risk, do not leave your house until there’s a vaccine," Stafford said.

"But, shutting down all these small businesses, things that people have worked their life for, shutting them down again is not the answer. Because they will not make it."

Kelly's comments were met with immediate backlash ... and it grew so loud, the 31-year-old apologized just hours later.

And, on Monday, Kelly felt the need to backpedal off her comments yet again ... saying sorry in a lengthy post on her Instagram.

"I know where my heart was, but no matter, it should have never been said," Kelly wrote. "I was feeling frustrated and emotional..And in that moment, I said the wrong thing."

"In doing so, I overlooked so many important people that wake up every day to help all of us. Those in our hospitals -- doctors and nurses -- who are tired and scared, but put all of that to the side and continue to be relentless in fighting this pandemic every day. And the families who are watching their loved ones fight or the families who have a loved one who has lost the fight -- I truly am sorry."

Kelly continued, "I directed my frustration to the wrong thing. I used a word that made it political, when this is, in the end, about people. I do worry about people losing their businesses/livelihood and employees being laid off..not knowing how they are gonna get by but this on a grand-scale, is about the health and safety of everyone. Our family will do our part to help others through this and, as always, do what is recommended to keep people safe."

THIS IS EXACTLY HOW YOU CELEBRATE SIGNING A $195 MILLION NBA CONTRACT!!

Utah Jazz star Donovan Mitchell was so fired up the moment the deal was done over the weekend, he ripped off his shirt and dove right into the pool ... with his socks still on his feet!!

Technically, the contract only guarantees $163 million -- but Spida can hit $195 mil if he makes one of the 3 All-NBA teams.

Still, Donovan lost his mind when the deal was done -- and the reaction video is perfect!!!!

After he dried off, Donovan cracked open a bottle of Don Julio 1942 while his agent, Ty Sullivan, gave an emotional toast.

"You're a role model," Sullivan said ... "Hopefully we're doing this again, and again and again."

"My thing to you is continue to inspire and be responsible and just continue to grow."

Sullivan added ... "You earned this and I know you're going to do the right thing. And from all of us at our agency, myself and my family, congratulations to the 3 of you and your family."

FYI -- 24-year-old Mitchell has averaged nearly 23 points, 4 rebounds and 4 assists a game since entering the league as the #13 overall pick in 2017.