TMZ Sports - Page 34

This is wild ... so many collectors are sending in their sports cards to be officially graded by PSA, the company has been forced to temporarily suspend services!

In other words, the hobby has exploded over the past several months -- and PSA can't handle the sheer volume of submissions.

FYI, PSA -- aka Professional Sports Authenticator -- is one of the most trusted names in sports memorabilia.

Collectors will often send cards to be "graded" -- which includes a thorough examination of everything from the physical condition of the item to the quality of an autograph.

PSA is widely respected in the industry -- so most people with a potentially valuable card, will submit the item to PSA for grading.

The problem ... there has been a well-documented surge in the card collecting industry over the past year, with sports collectibles in particular selling at never-before-seen prices.

In fact, PSA says the surge is still in full swing -- and in a statement Tuesday, the company explained, "We recently received more cards in three days than we did during the previous three months."

"Submissions continue at never-before-seen levels."

PSA president Steve Sloan says the company is unable to process submissions for the foreseeable future, so it is suspending submission services on 3 of its most popular levels until they can get caught up.

"Effective immediately, PSA is temporarily suspending our Value, Regular and Express service levels. This will allow us to fully unbox and receive the recent surge of orders and focus on our most impacted service lines."

Sloan adds, "Given our growing backlog, it would be disingenuous for us to continue to accept submissions for cards that we will be unable to process in the foreseeable future ... it is necessary to properly serve the customers who have already submitted to PSA."

PSA is hoping to bring all services back by July 1.

Bottom line -- the sports card market is blowing up with no signs of stopping any time soon.

Michael Chandler vs. Khabib Nurmagomedov?!?!

It's not completely out of the question, according to Chandler who tells TMZ Sports he wouldn't be surprised if Khabib eventually changed his mind about the whole retirement thing.

Chandler is currently set to fight Charles Oliveira at UFC 262 on May 15 for the vacant UFC lightweight belt ... but he's EXTREMELY confident he'll smash his way to the title -- which begs the question, who's next!?

Conor McGregor? Tony Ferguson? Justin Gaethje?

Maybe ... but Khabib is only 32 years old and still VERY involved in MMA, coaching stars like Luke Rockhold and recently serving as a cornerman for his brother Abubakar Nurmagomedov at UFC 260.

Chandler tells TMZ Sports ... he thinks Khabib will be paying very close attention to the lightweight division to see if he gets the urge to step back in the Octagon.

"He's gonna be very intertwined with the UFC for decades to come and especially the lightweight division. He's still very young so we'll see what happens in the future."

Chandler says he considers Khabib to be the greatest of all time -- and would respect whatever decision he makes regarding his fighting future.

But, for now, Chandler says his focus is on Oliveira -- the #3 ranked lightweight.

"Charles Oliveira poses a lot of threats on the ground but I've never even come close to really getting submitted," Chandler says.

"I have a kind of a 6th sense when it comes to the ground game to not be submitted."

So, how does Chandler see the fight going? He wants to overwhelm his opponent with brute violence.

"Hit him. Hit him as hard as I can numerous times on the feet. Keep the fight standing, put him in panic mode, knock him out in the 1st round."

An NCAA college basketball referee collapsed on the court during the Gonzaga vs. USC game on Tuesday -- but he was conscious and alert as he was taken to the locker room.

Just 4 minutes after tipoff in the Elite Eight matchup, Bert Smith crashed to the floor in a terrifying scene -- triggering team trainers and other medical personnel to race to his aid.

Smith was positioned on the baseline near the Gonzaga bench ... when he suddenly fell backward. It looks like his head may have slammed on the court during the fall.

Trainers from both teams wasted no time sprinting to Smith's side to provide immediate medical attention -- while another person rushed over with a stretcher.

The good news ... Smith began moving around relatively soon after the incident -- and by the time he was loaded onto the gurney, he was able to sit up and cross his arms.

He was even chatting with the trainers as he was wheeled off the court.

No word yet on what caused Smith to collapse -- but video shows he was having difficulty standing up during the previous possession.

Smith was replaced by William Henderson -- an alternate referee who was at the game in case of an emergency. Obviously, alternate refs never hope to be called into action, but Henderson was ready and stepped up so play could resume.

Smith has been an NCAA ref for years ... and has previously spoken about his passion for basketball and being a part of the game.

"I love being part of the game," Smith said in an article on Referee.com. "The arrival at the arena, the pregame, being with various partners, the competition, the players, coaches, ambience, the focus and concentration needed on each possession."

Luke Bryan hooked a big one on a fishing trip -- HIMSELF!!!

Luke did what country stars do -- hung out the gone fishing sign and headed for the lake in his pickup.

The "A.I." judge cast a line, but there was a snag -- in his hand. Yep, Luke rather calmly showed off a fish hook that sunk deep into his thumb ... in 2 places.

Luke and his guitar tech hightailed it to a doctor's office to get the hook removed, and even though it seemed excruciating, Luke was laughing as he shot video of himself and worried it might violate HIPAA!!!

It was so gnarly, Luke thought the hook penetrated down to the bone.

The backstory here ... before he started fishing, Luke reposted a pic of 2 cans of hard seltzer next to fishing rods. We're not suggesting alcohol was a factor, but we're not saying it wasn't either.

Scary moment for the Utah Jazz ... the team's plane was forced to make an emergency landing shortly after takeoff Tuesday after a bird strike.

Donovan Mitchell and the rest of his squadmates were off to Memphis for their Wednesday game against the Grizzlies ... when just minutes into their flight, the plane suffered engine troubles.

Delta officials confirmed the issue was due to contact with birds ... saying in a statement, "As the aircraft was taking off it hit a flock of birds. The left engine was shut down, the pilot declared an emergency in return to Salt Lake International Airport."

"Aircraft landed without incident and was able to taxi back."

Flight records show the plane was only in the air for a matter of seconds before it had to come back to the runway. Delta officials say they're working on getting a new plane for the team.

Fortunately, it appears no one was injured during the tense moments ... and Mitchell seemed to celebrate that good news by tweeting out a praying emoji after the incident.

As of now, the Jazz are still set to take on the Grizzlies in Tennessee at 5 PM PT on Wednesday.

We know what you're thinking ... and yes -- a bird strike is what forced U.S. Airways Flight 1549 to make an emergency landing on the Hudson River back in 2009.

Remember, Captain Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger lost all engine power after striking a flock of Canada geese.

Fortunately in both cases, with Sully and the Jazz, the plane landed safely with no major injuries.

IT'S A WRAP FOR THE GAP ... at least, temporarily.

Michael Strahan underwent a procedure to close the iconic gap between his two front teeth and he looks great!

Strahan teamed up with Dr. Lee Gause at Smile Design Manhattan -- and explained he wanted to explore what he would look like without the famous space in his megawatt smile.

Long story short ... Strahan says if he would have discussed closing the gap with anyone in his life -- from friends to business associates and people online -- they would have tried to talk him out of it.

But, we're told the dentist proposed a temporary solution -- essentially a removable dental piece that gives the look of a filled-in tooth line.

After the procedure, the 49-year-old NFL legend and beloved TV host looked in the mirror and declared, "I love it! Holy f**k!"

Yes, we notice the timing of the dental work ... April 1 is right around the corner -- but we'll see if Strahan sticks with the new look.

Obviously, Strahan's gap was iconic -- and he's talked about it for years ... explaining his parents told him to embrace the look.

He previously put it this way ... "I made the conscious effort to say, 'This is who I am.'"

In fact, just days before the big reveal, Strahan tweeted -- "I rock my gap with pride! It’s who I am!"

Lindsey Vonn busts her ass in the gym ... so why not show it off on the beach?!

The Olympic skiing legend posed for a series of bikini pics taken during a recent vacation with some friends ... and she looks incredible.

"You can judge me if you want, but I’ve been working hard in the gym and taking care of me," Vonn said ... "So I’m going to post some bikini pics because I’m proud of myself."

36-year-old Vonn is still a gym-aholic, despite retiring from competitive skiing in 2019.

She's a regular client of celebrity fitness guru Gunnar Peterson -- who commented on the photos ... saying, "Oh Hell yes you are!!! Work work workED!!! Posting mine next!"

In fact, Vonn is such a fitness junkie, she posted a video working out in a beachfront gym from the same trip ... saying, "Working out on vacation. Doesn’t get much better."

Her pal and fellow gym nut Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson called her out for the lack of plates on her squat rack!

BIG MAN CARTWHEELS COMING IN HOT!!!!

Alabama star QB Mac Jones had a Pro Day interview interrupted by one of the guys who used to block for him -- and it was HILARIOUS!!!

The flipping OL was Landon Dickerson -- who despite tearing his ACL just a few months ago, showed off some incredible athleticism whiles Jones was chatting with the SEC Network on Tuesday.

The Tide center cartwheeled at least 5 times ... and when Jones finally noticed -- the expected first-round pick in next month's NFL draft started cracking up!!

Landon even capped off the awesome flips with a funny wave ... and it all had Jones ROLLING!!

Of course, the guys were all smiles for good reason ... Bama's second Pro Day of the year went off without a hitch -- with the Tide stars showing out for a bunch of NFL head coaches, including Bill Belichick, Sean Payton and Kyle Shanahan.

Jones dropped several dimes to Heisman Trophy winner DeVonta Smith ... while star 'Bama running back Najee Harris did some drills for scouts as well.

Here's a comically awful take from Baylor women's basketball coach Kim Mulkey ...

The 58-year-old said Monday night she thinks the NCAA should STOP coronavirus testing at both the men's and women's Final 4s this month ... all to ensure players' availability.

Yeah, it's bad.

Mulkey dropped the terrible opinion unprompted following her team's 69-67 loss to UConn ... explaining she believes players playing in the championship games is more important than the idea of preventing the spread of COVID.

"I don't think my words will matter," said Mulkey, who's an NCAA coaching legend. "But after the games today and tomorrow, there's four teams left, I think, on the men's side and the women's side."

"They need to dump the COVID testing. Wouldn't it be a shame to keep COVID testing and then you got kids that test positive or something and they don't get to play in the Final Four?"

Players, coaches and staffers at both the men's and women's tournaments this year have been COVID tested daily ... with only one tournament game -- the men's VCU vs. Oregon game -- canceled over the testing.

But, Mulkey believes the NCAA shouldn't even risk the chance of a positive test affecting the final games of the tournaments ... continuing, "You just need to forget the COVID tests and get the four teams playing in each Final Four and go battle it out."

The craziest part about the statement ... Mulkey actually contracted coronavirus last year and seemed to clearly understand the dangers of it, telling reporters a short time after she recovered, "COVID is real. I've had it -- come talk to me some time."

The men's Final 4 action is set to begin Saturday. The women's meanwhile is slated to tip-off on Friday.

The kneeling ban for athletes at the U.S. Olympic trials is over.

The U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee has decided it will NOT punish athletes who take a knee -- or engage in any other sort of peaceful protest -- at the Olympic trials.

In other words, American athletes hoping to use the platform to shine a spotlight on police brutality and racial injustice are now allowed to follow Colin Kaepernick's lead without fear of sanctions.

The USOPC issued a 9-page explanation -- acknowledging it decided to implement the new policy after conferring with its new Council on Racial and Social Justice.

The org. spells out several forms of peaceful protests that will be allowed at the U.S. Olympic trails -- from kneeling to raised fists to wearing clothing items with statements like "Black Lives Matter" and "justice."

It won't be a free for all -- there are still limits regarding how athletes can demonstrate. For example, athletes are not allowed to do anything that could affect competition -- like forming a human wall that would prevent opponents from completing a race, etc.

Also, hate symbols such as swastikas and nooses are also not allowed.

So, how will the new policy affect the Olympic Games in Tokyo?

That's where things get a little tricky ...

The USOPC says its new policy will extend to the 2020 Games -- but notes this caveat ... it cannot prevent a "third party" from taking action.

USOPC is obviously referring to the International Olympic Committee -- which oversees the 2020 Games.

Just because kneeling is cool with the USOPC doesn't mean the IOC will sign off as well.

Bruce Arians' momma clearly didn't raise a quitter ... 'cause the Bucs coach stuck to his word this month and got a HUGE tattoo to commemorate Tampa Bay's Super Bowl win!!!

The 68-year-old head coach had promised to get the ink if his team scored the victory over the Chiefs ... and just a few weeks after the Bucs' big win, Arians went under the needle.

The tat is big as hell ... it appears to be centered up on the top of his left shoulder blade -- and it's AWESOME.

The piece features the SB LV emblem, the 31-9 score of the Bucs-Chiefs game, and it also has the Buccaneers' logos.

"I’m a man of my word," Arians said, revealing the art on Tuesday. "'When we win the Super Bowl, I will get a tattoo' well I got mine and I love it!!"

Of course, Arians now joins an ever-growing list of Bucs who got Super Bowl tattoos after securing the ring ... Mike Evans and Antoine Winfield both got theirs done a few weeks ago.

You name a song after Tyler Herro, you get a Tyler Herro game-worn jersey!!

That's exactly what happened to Jack Harlow Monday night -- the rapper linked up with the Miami Heat star after they took on the Knicks ... and was gifted Herro's sweaty threads right off his back.

Of course, Harlow gave the 21-year-old sharp-shooter the ultimate shoutout in October 2020 with his single titled -- you guessed it -- "Tyler Herro."

In fact, Herro made a guest appearance in the music vid ... when Harlow says, "My homeboy, Tyler, he play in South Beach. He told me this summer he gon' fix my jumper."

Harlow -- who's fresh off performing the hit track on "Saturday Night Live" this past weekend -- decided to stay in town a few extra days to watch his buddy play at MSG ... all while mingling a bit more with 'SNL' star Pete Davidson.

Harlow and Herro got to chat after the game ... and posed for a pic on the court while Harlow held up his new gift.

BTW, Harlow picked a solid game to attend -- Herro racked up 18 points, 4 assists and 3 rebounds in the 98-88 win for the Heat.

No word on whether Herro ever helped Harlow with his jumper ... but the rapper DID team up with Quavo to beat Lil Baby and 2 Chainz in a celeb game during All-Star weekend.

It's all about the Benjamins when Lil Kim's on stage ...  which is why the rap legend made it rain with suitcases full of cash during her amazing performance Monday night at the Brooklyn Nets game!

The Nets booked Lil Kim to perform as part of the team's annual Women’s Empowerment Game -- which celebrated the "achievements, contributions, and overall impact women have had on our society."

Well, Kim has contributed to the world of hip-hop and fashion in a big way -- and when she hit the stage, she rocked Barclay's Center with some of her biggest hits.

The Queen B came through heavy in shiny Nets gear -- she had a role in the costume design -- and performed classics like "Ladies Night" and "Lighters Up" while the Brooklynettes danced beside her.

But, when "All About the Benjamins" came on, ya know Lil Kim had to make it rain with some dolla bills -- so the dance team busted out suitcases full of green!

Afterward, the team presented Kim with a special custom Nets jersey ... and her reaction was PRICELESS!

"Oh my God, I'm about to cry!" she screamed holding up the jersey ... "I always wanted my own jersey!".

FYI, Lil Kim was put on to the rap game back in the early '90s by late rapper Notorious B.I.G.

She's sold more than 15 million albums worldwide, won over 41 awards .. and is considered one of the best female rappers of all time.

"It's crazy seeing my dad. I'm like, 'Where's my mom? She's gonna come. And, obviously, she's not gonna show up. That affected me, but I go out there and play the best I can for this team."

Karl-Anthony Towns admits it was extremely emotional to have his father back in the stands at his NBA game on Monday -- the first time he's attended a game in person since the death of Karl's mom.

As we previously reported, Jackie Cruz-Towns passed from COVID-19 complications on April 13, 2020.

Jackie and her husband, Karl Towns Sr., were staples at their son's basketball games from the youth level all the way to the pros ... but Karl Sr. hadn't been to a game in person since her death.

That changed on Monday when Karl Sr. strutted into the Barclay's Center in Brooklyn to watch his son's Minnesota Timberwolves take on the Nets.

"Gonna do it for his mom tonight," Karl Sr. said on his way to his seat ... "Wolves, let's go!"

Unfortunately, Minnesota couldn't overcome that insane Nets offense and lost 112 to 107 -- but Karl Jr. played REALLY WELL, finishing with 31 points, 12 rebounds and 5 assists.

After the game, KAT opened up about what it meant to have his father back in the building.

"It was really the first time having family watch me playing in person,"  Towns said.

"He understood how upset I was after the loss ... But he came to me, and he told me something I don't know if he should've told me. It got me a little emotional. He told me my mom would've been proud with how I played tonight."

KAT said he also shared an emotional moment with his dad BEFORE tip-off.

"Me and my dad got emotional before the game. Because he made his presence known. It affected me because my mom always did that.”

“My mom would be the one to go to the stanchion or be there and wave at me until I said hi to her or came and hugged her.”

Nick Caserio -- the Houston Texans new GM -- is finally weighing in on the Deshaun Watson sexual misconduct allegations ... and he's making it clear, if they're true, his team won't stand for it.

"The allegations, what’s been discussed, are certainly troubling," Caserio said on the team's "Texans All Access" podcast this week.

"Organizationally that’s not something that we can condone, those types of actions."

Caserio was careful with his words and was obviously not trying to insinuate Watson is either guilty or innocent -- but made it clear if there's any truth to the allegations, the team will be compelled to take some sort of action.

Caserio, though, insists his team will let the case play out in the courts before making any decisions on Watson's future ... explaining, "It’s a legal process so we’re certainly respectful of that."

Nineteen female masseuses have filed lawsuits against Watson ... alleging the Houston quarterback was sexually inappropriate with them during massage sessions.

And, Tony Buzbee, the attorney representing the women -- all using the pseudonyms "Jane Doe" to protect their identities -- says there's AT LEAST one more lawsuit coming this week as well.

Watson -- who had demanded a trade before the allegations hit the court system -- has denied any wrongdoing ... claiming he's the victim of an attempted shakedown.

Deshaun's attorney, Rusty Hardin, has backed the NFL star ... saying in a statement earlier this month, "I believe that any allegation that Deshaun forced a woman to commit a sexual act is completely false."

Add Jon Jones to the list of athletes who have a major problem with the Lil Nas X "Satan" shoes ... with the UFC superstar calling them absolute "bulls**t."

The quick background ... Lil Nas X collaborated with a company called MSCHF to produce the Satan Shoe, AKA the "blood shoes."

The kicks are essentially customized Nike Air Max 97 shoes -- with each pair featuring the pentagram symbol, a Bible verse that references Satan, and allegedly a drop of blood from one of MSCHF's employees.

There are also only 666 pairs being made -- and came with a $1,018 price tag ... a number which happens to be a not to the Bible verse Luke 10:18, which references Satan's banishment from heaven.

Enter Jon Jones -- a religious man who famously sports a "Philippians 4:13" tattoo on his chest (a bible passage that says "I can do all this through him who gives me strength").

When Jones heard about the shoes Monday evening -- he incorrectly believed Nike was involved with the sale (which it is not) and threatened to set all of his Swoosh apparel on fire as a result.

"Tomorrow morning I’m going to burn all my Nike shoes, you will never catch me in that sh*t again," Jones tweeted.

Don't worry, one of his followers quickly informed the UFC legend Nike isn't involved -- and that the company has already taken legal action to stop the sale of the shoes.

"OK, now I’m seeing there is a lawsuit," Jones added a short time later ... "Glad to know Nike isn’t behind this bulls**t."