TMZ Sports - Page 50

The Cleveland Browns celebrated their first playoff win since 1994 the only way they knew how -- by epically roasting JuJu Smith-Schuster with a locker room celebration for the ages!!

Of course, the Steelers WR had some words for the AFC North rivals leading up to their Wild Card matchup ... calling Cleveland the "same old Browns" and claiming he was unfazed by the new-look team.

Baker Mayfield and Co. clearly had JuJu on their minds after taking care of business Sunday night ... trolling the TikTok-loving star with a taste of his own medicine.

Kareem Hunt, Jarvis Landry and more led the Browns' insane locker room celly following their 48-37 win over Pittsburgh ... blaring Pop Hunna and Lil Uzi Vert's "Adderall (Corvette Corvette)" and having some choice words for the receiver.

Remember, JuJu was infamous for his pregame ritual -- which included dancing to the same song while standing on opposing team logos prior to kickoff.

Landry mocked JuJu with some moves of his own ... while several Browns players recited the receiver's bulletin board material.

"The Browns gon' be the Browns!!!" Hunt said on IG Live ... with guard Wyatt Teller adding, "Same old Browns, huh?!"

It's a huge moment for the Browns ... who now have to prepare for the defending champion Kansas City Chiefs next week.

Another big loss for Donald Trump ... the PGA says it's now pulling a major golf event from one of the president's courses, explaining playing there "would be detrimental" to the brand.

The golf org. made the announcement Sunday -- formally shredding its plans to play the 2022 PGA Championship at the Trump National Golf Club Bedminster in New Jersey in the wake of the riots at the U.S. Capitol.

"It has become clear that conducting the PGA. Championship at Trump Bedminster would be detrimental to the P.G.A. of America brand," PGA president Jim Richerson said in a video statement, "and would put at risk the PGA’s ability to deliver our many programs, and sustain the longevity of our mission."

Seth Waugh, the CEO of the PGA, further explained the decision to pull the event Sunday night ... telling the Associated Press it's all related to Trump's role in the unrest at the Capitol.

"Our feeling was given the tragic events of Wednesday that we could no longer hold it at Bedminster," Waugh said. "The damage could have been irreparable. The only real course of action was to leave.”

For Trump's part, POTUS' org. said in a statement it's "incredibly disappointed" with the PGA's decision ... adding, "This is a breach of a binding contract, and they have no right to terminate the agreement.”

FYI, the PGA Championship is one of golf's four biggest events every year. It was held at TPC Harding Park in San Francisco this year and won by Collin Morikawa.

It's unclear what course will now host the '22 event.

Listen up Pokémon fans, you've got a clear path to feel like Togekiss -- the happiest Pokémon ever -- 'cause a 1999 Pokémon first edition complete set's about to hit the auction block.

The folks over at Goldin Auctions will soon auction off this 103-Pokémon card set that's in mint condition and expected to fetch upwards of $750,000. The collection includes the highly sought-after Charizard card.

Each card is gemstone certified. Goldin says while the cards have rounded corners, the Professional Sports Authenticator has given it a Gem Mint 10 grading ... meaning they're virtually perfect cards.

The fact that the set expected to earn three-quarters of a mil is pretty impressive ... since nearly 30 billion Pokémon cards have been traded since the craze started.

Some of the other cards in the set include Alakazam, the cute Blastoise, Chansey, Mewtwo and Poliwrath. That might sound like gibberish to some of you, but trust us ... that's badass.

BTW, it also has 72 Devolution Spray cards! 😲

The auction opens Monday with a minimum bid of $125k. If that $750k mark sounds far-fetched, think about this -- just last month, Goldin Auctions sold a pristine Charizard for nearly $400k.

If JuJu Smith-Schuster's Browns shade wasn't enough to fire up Cleveland ... here's EVEN MORE bulletin board material for the Dawg Pound -- courtesy of ex-Steelers player Ike Taylor!!

TMZ Sports spoke with the former Pittsburgh DB this week ... and when he was explaining Smith-Schuster's "nameless, gray faces" comments, Taylor said JuJu wasn't exactly wrong!

"Well, first of all, there is no rivalry," Taylor said of the Browns vs. Steelers. "You know, the only rivalry when it comes down to Pittsburgh is the Baltimore Ravens. That's the only rivalry we look at."

"We never looked at Cleveland, we never looked at Cincinnati as no rivalry. That's just how it was."

Don't get it twisted, Taylor still has a ton of respect for Cleveland -- he praised Baker Mayfield for his progress -- but he says there's definitely a big brother little brother relationship between the Steelers and Browns.

"It's not in a disrespectful way," Taylor tells us. "It's just if you're a Pittsburgh Steeler, that's how you look at other teams."

If you missed it, Smith-Schuster spoke with reporters on Thursday and said he doesn't look at the Browns any differently this season compared to years' past when they were awful.

"The Browns is the Browns," JuJu said.

The answer to finding Tom Brady's eventual replacement in New England is NOT Jimmy Garoppolo ... so says ex-Patriots TE Jermaine Wiggins, who tells TMZ Sports that's a bad plan!!

The Pats are rumored to be poking around the idea of possibly re-acquiring Garoppolo from San Francisco this offseason ... after the QB has had an up-and-down 4 seasons in the Bay Area.

And, because of Garoppolo's familiarity with NE (Bill Belichick drafted him in 2014) ... some think it'd be a great move for the Pats!!

But, when we spoke with Wiggins this week ... he told us he'd search elsewhere for a franchise signal-caller -- explaining Garoppolo is just injured too damn much.

"Nah, man, we don't want Garoppolo, man," Wiggins says. "He can't get on the field -- he's always hurt. When you look at him, the problem with him is he can't stay healthy. He's always hurt."

"I don't want a quarterback that's only going to play 6, 7, 8, 9 games for the year. So, nah, Jimmy G can stay on the left coast."

Wiggins does have a point -- Garoppolo has played in 6 or fewer games for the 49ers in three of his four seasons in the red and gold while battling various injuries.

So, who would Jermaine prefer? The tight end says he sure wouldn't mind if the Pats made a run at trading for Deshaun Watson (even if he thinks it's a pipe dream).

"I don't know who's gonna get in there with him because I'm saying, he intimidating. He's a big guy, you already know he got big arms and stuff like that. He's got good range."

That's Evander Holyfield -- one of the greatest boxers of all-time -- speaking glowingly about 36-year-old, ex-NFL star Brandon Marshall's skills in the boxing ring.

Marshall -- a 6x Pro Bowler -- last played ball with the New Orleans Saints in 2018 ... and took up boxing last year.

BM -- who previously called out top heavyweights like Anthony Joshua -- went down to 58-year-old Holyfield's gym in Florida ... and the 2 men got in a boxing workout.

Obviously, Marshall's a helluva athlete ... but we've recently seen that being strong, or jumping high doesn't always translate to being able to throw hands (sorry, Nate).

But, The Real Deal says Marshall's the real deal in the ring.

"Brandon, ya know, he looks good balance-wise. We weren't really sparring but he got good balance and hey, he look like he could be a good fighter."

Holyfield even compared the 6'4", 230 lb. former football player to arguably the greatest knockout artist of this generation -- The Bronze Bomber.

"[Brandon] pretty much got the same reach as the heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder," Evander says.

It's the most wonderful time of the year!! No, not the holidays -- It's NFL Wild Card Weekend ... and to celebrate, here are the wives and girlfriends of the postseason!!

Of course, Tampa Bay Buccaneers QB Tom Brady and Seattle Seahawks QB Russell Wilson are back in the playoffs yet again ... which means their lovely wives Gisele and Ciara will be cheering their men on this weekend.

But, for the first time EVER, we can include Baker Mayfield's wife, Emily, in our postseason gallery ... thanks to the Cleveland Browns finally making it back to the playoffs for the first time in forever!!

There are more newcomers this season -- from Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr.'s wife, Kianna ... as well as Washington Football Team QB Kyle Allen's girlfriend Summer Juraszek.

We can't forget about Los Angeles Rams QB Jared Goff's stunning GF Christen Harper ... who has been cheering for her man all season in her favorite gameday bikinis.

So, sit back and enjoy the festivities this weekend.

Bills Mafia beware -- the Mayor of Buffalo says there will be NO table-smashing tailgates on his watch ... telling TMZ Sports the home playoff game is not an excuse to break COVID-19 protocols.

Bills fans are notorious for their wild pre-game antics -- from bowling ball shots to dousing themselves in condiments to assaulting tables in support of their beloved team.

With Buffalo hosting its first home playoff game since 1996 on Saturday, fans may be eager to go back to their crazy antics -- but we're told officials will NOT be turning a blind eye to large gatherings, considering the pandemic is still in full force.

We spoke with Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown ... who tells us, "We are advising people to stay away from tailgating. Tailgating will NOT be allowed by the county or the county sheriffs department."

"We are encouraging people to watch the game, cheer loudly, celebrate the Bills but do it with people in their own household."

FYI -- Buffalo is currently in "Orange" phase, which means no dining unless outdoor and otherwise approved.

Around 6,700 Bills fans WILL, however, be able to attend the game -- the team required each spectator to get a COVID-19 test this week -- but as the mayor said, they won't be able to do their usual pregame routine.

And, get this -- Mayor Brown had tickets to the game ... but tells us he gave them to 2 essential employees in the city's public works department who deserve to have some fun.

"Those are the people that been on the front lines keeping our city going through this pandemic, picking up garbage, plowing the snow so I thought it was absolutely the right thing to do."

We also spoke with Buffalo PD Chief of Staff Jeff Rinaldo, who tells us they aren't expecting any issues ... and praises Buffalonians for following guidelines throughout the pandemic so far.

Aside from the pandemic, another factor that could keep Bills fans at home?? It's expected to be 36 degrees on game day.

But hey, this is Bills Mafia we're talking about.

Warren Moon says Deshaun Watson does NOT want out of Houston yet ... telling TMZ Sports he believes the Texans QB simply wants to see some significant changes in the org.

"He literally loves playing in Houston," the Hall of Fame quarterback tells us. "He loves the city. He's involved in it a lot. But he definitely wants to win."

Watson, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, is "extremely unhappy" with the Texans heading into this offseason ... reportedly upset over his lack of input so far in the hiring process of the team's new GM and head coach.

Now, many believe that could lead to a trade ... but when we spoke with Moon -- a close friend of Deshaun's -- the 64-year-old told us he's not expecting the QB to be dealt with anytime soon.

In fact, Moon tells us he's pretty confident 25-year-old Watson will still be under center in Houston in 2021.

"If they really sit down and listen to this guy, and listen to what his feelings are, they'll give him a lot of input into who that next head coach is going to be," Moon says.

"And if that happens, I think he'll be happy there."

The problem? Moon believes if Houston doesn't do that ... a trade request from Watson could then follow.

"This is a guy that comes from a Clemson program where he won a national championship, he lost another one in the championship, so he's used to winning football," Moon says, "and it just hasn't been that way for his team this past year and he sees them going in a downward slide."

If the Texans aren't able to keep Watson happy ... Moon says he believes a bunch of teams could be suitors for his services.

A basketball card collector hit the JACKPOT -- pulling an ultra-rare, 1-of-1 Zion Williamson card -- and he's not wasting any time CASHIN' IN on the super valuable piece.

Here's the deal ... an Australian fan ponied up $750 to reserve 1 card from a box of 2019-20 Panini Flawless Basketball cards (a box generally runs around $7K).

The man lives thousands of miles away (and we're still in a pandemic), so an employee from Firehand Cards in Southern California pulled the card on Christmas Eve ... while the fan watched online (see video below).

Keep in mind ... the fan knew he bought a card, but had NO IDEA which one.

The card was a Zion NBA Logoman ... arguably the most sought after basketball card of the year. The card contains Williamson's signature, and patch from a game-worn jersey from his rookie season with the Pelicans.

The fan hit up Ken Goldin of Goldin Auctions, and they struck a deal to put the card on the auction block.

Goldin arranged for his nephew who lives in Cali to pick up the card from the shop ... and deliver it to PSA -- a premiere memorabilia grading service. A day later the card was graded mint condition, and is now on the auction block.

GA tells us they expect the card to bring in around $750,000 ... once the auction goes live January 11.

Philadelphia 76ers star Danny Green has turned his favorite superhero into some iced-out jewelry -- coppin' a Power Rangers pendant filled with ... you guessed it, GREEN diamonds!

TMZ Sports has learned ... Green was on a new-team, new-jewelry kinda vibe after being traded to the Sixers a few months after winning the title with the LA Lakers last season.

So, the 33-year-old wing hit up celeb jeweler Leo Frost to hook him up ... and, as a huge Power Rangers fan, he asked for a sick piece -- and Leo delivered!

The ice is INSANE ... it looks exactly like a Power Rangers mask -- and it's filled with 48 carats of green, black and white VVS diamonds, plus 14k of white gold!!!

Unclear what Green paid for the piece ... but don't worry, we're sure he could afford it -- he's made $81 million in 12 seasons in the NBA!!

As for why the Green Ranger ... Danny's last name is, of course, Green -- but Leo says it's also because "whatever team he ends up on, he ends up balling out."

"That's what the Green Ranger did on Power Rangers," Leo tells us.

It makes sense ... Green has played for the 5 teams and won 3 NBA championships (Spurs, Raptors, Lakers).

Does this look like a guy who's pissed with his team?!?

Here's Houston Texans superstar QB Deshaun Watson enjoying a romantic getaway with his beautiful GF Jilly Anais ... and the dude is smiling from ear-to-ear!!

The love birds are picking up right where they left off after the QB surprised her with a lavish party for her 25th birthday earlier this week ... getting some much-needed R&R somewhere in paradise.

A shirtless Watson and bikini-clad Jilly posed for a quick snap while getting some rays on board a boat on Friday ... and yeah, we're jealous.

Of course, there is talk Watson -- who just signed a 4-year, $160 MILLION deal back in September -- is upset with the team for not including him in their search for a new general manager ... and there's speculation he could ask for a trade this off-season.

In fact, Watson went as far as to subtweet the hell outta his team earlier this week ... saying, "Some things never change...."

The Texans went ahead and hired ex-Patriots exec. Nick Caserio to take on the role earlier this week ... and CEO Cal McNair says he hopes to speak with his star QB once he gets back from vacation.

From the looks of it, that may be a while, Cal .. dude might book a few more days at the resort!!

UFC fighter Irwin Rivera has been arrested for 2 counts of attempted murder ... according to a jail official.

31-year-old Rivera is a UFC bantamweight (135 lbs.) fighter who first fought with the promotion in May 2020. Rivera is 1-2 in the UFC ... and 10-6 as a professional.

Rivera was booked into the Main Detention Center in West Palm Beach, FL around noon on Thursday, per jail online booking information.

The UFC issued a statement on Rivera's arrest, saying ... “UFC is aware of the recent incident involving Irwin Rivera and subsequently received information from his management that he has been exhibiting behavior consistent with mental health issues.”

The statement continues ... “The allegations are extremely troubling and the organization is currently gathering additional information. The investigation is ongoing and any potential next steps including disciplinary action or medical attention will be determined upon the conclusion."

"Furthermore, UFC has informed Rivera’s management that he will not be offered a bout at this time.”

Before his arrest, Rivera was originally scheduled to fight at UFC Fight Night in March.

Adam Thielen is turning one amazing gesture into two ... the Minnesota Vikings star is now auctioning off his Alex Trebek tribute cleats to raise money for pancreatic cancer research.

The 30-year-old wide receiver rocked the spikes for a game just days after the "Jeopardy!" host died in November -- and the homage was awesome.

One of the cleats featured an image of Trebek with a halo. The other had a painted-on "Jeopardy!" style placard that read, "We Will Miss You, Alex."

Now, Thielen is taking the cool tribute one step further ... announcing Friday he's going to sell the footwear with all of the proceeds slated to help the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network find a cure.

As we previously reported, Trebek died due to the disease ... and urged "Jeopardy!" audience members just days before his passing to be wary of symptoms and get tested.

The auction for Thielen's cleats begins Friday and ends Jan. 18.

A 3rd ring is on the horizon for Mookie Betts, 'cause the Dodgers superstar just popped the question to longtime GF Brianna Hammonds -- and she said yes!!!!

28-year-old Betts and Hammonds met way back in middle school ... and have been dating for 15 years. They have a 2-year-old baby girl together.

Of course, Mookie is fresh off winning a World Series ring with the Dodgers (his 2nd WS title) ... but says this is the real highlight.

"Winning another World Series was great, but putting a ring on MY MVP is the REAL BLESSING! I am a blessed man," Betts says.

"(Brianna) has been by my side since we were teenagers. Together we’ve grown mentally, physically, and spiritually. She is my best friend, mother of my child, my lover and my soon to be wife."

As for the ring ... it's a huge 7-carat rock, according to People.

And get this, Betts got an assist from his buddy C.C. Sabathia for the big moment -- the ex-MLB ace staged an awards ceremony to honor Mookie with his pitch in Foundation's 2020 Legacy Award ... but there was a huge surprise.

During his acceptance speech, Mookie revealed the real reason for the night -- he asked Brianna on stage, read her a heartfelt poem and then got on one knee!!

Tommy Lasorda -- a Dodgers legend and arguably the most famous manager in MLB history -- has died, TMZ Sports has confirmed.

He was 93 years old.

The Dodgers released a statement Friday morning ... saying Lasorda suffered a sudden cardiac arrest at his California home and was transported to the hospital with resuscitation in progress.

He was pronounced dead at 10:57 PM Thursday night.

As we previously reported, Lasorda was admitted to a Southern California hospital back in mid-November in "serious condition" ... and required sedation. He was also put on a ventilator.

But, Tommy's condition improved over the past few weeks ... and just a few days ago, he returned home.

Though, tragically, Lasorda passed on Thursday.

"Words can not express my feelings," legendary manager Bobby Valentine said on Twitter. "A friend and mentor for 52 years is no longer with us. Tommy no one will ever fill the void you left. Thank you for everything. R.I.P."

Lasorda was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1997. He led L.A. to World Series titles in 1981 and 1988.

Lasorda also won Manager of the Year twice in 1983 and 1988.

"In a franchise that has celebrated such great legends of the game, no one who wore the uniform embodied the Dodger spirit as much as Tommy Lasorda," Dodgers president Stan Kasten said.

"A tireless spokesman for baseball, his dedication to the sport and the team he loved was unmatched."

Kasten continued, "The Dodgers and their fans will miss him terribly. Tommy is quite simply irreplaceable and unforgettable."

Lasorda wasn't only a big deal on the baseball field ... he became an incredibly popular pitch man in the 90's -- starring in commercials for brands like Slim Fast.