TMZ Sports - Page 50

Former boxing champ James DeGale claims he has video of a person stealing his Olympic gold medal from his parents' house ... and now, he's begging for any information that could help him ID the suspect.

The 35-year-old pugilist says security video at his folks' home caught a person wearing all black walking up to a doorway at around 9 PM on Sunday.

The footage is chilling ... it appears to show the person blocking the camera with some sort of bag, before breaking into the home.

DeGale claims the person walked away with his gold medal and his MBE -- a very coveted British award -- and he's now asking for any sort of help to get his stuff back.

"He took two of my prize possessions MY OLYMPIC GOLD MEDAL AND MY MBE," DeGale said. "They are worthless to anyone other than me and they are two achievements that I prize from my boxing career."

"I am gutted and need my medals back. Can anyone help by reporting any information you have. Please share far and wide."

It's unclear if police are investigating ... we're working on it.

DeGale won the gold medal in the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing ... and he later went on to earn the IBF super-middleweight title in 2015 -- becoming the 1st British boxer to win both honors.

Lord Stanley looked more like Lord Jet Ski on Monday ... 'cause Tampa Bay Lightning stars Alex Killorn and Nikita Kucherov just took the Stanley Cup for an epic ride on the water!!!

It all went down at the NHL team's championship parade in Tampa, Fla. ... and video from the scene is absolutely AWESOME!!!

The two put the trophy up front near the steering column ... and then took the title bling out for a joy ride.

At one point, the guys maneuvered it all the way over to a packed crowd ... and stood up on the ride to lift it up so everyone could cheer it on!!!

Of course, the parade has featured a ton of other memorable moments ... with guys chuggin' booze, tossin' bottles from boat to boat, and even Andrei Vasilevskiy putting the Conn Smythe Trophy on his head!!

And, if you were wondering ... the Cup has NOT been thrown from one ride to another just yet -- seems the Lightning aren't willing to be as brave as Tom Brady was in February.

Byron Scott says Kevin Durant and Team USA's weekend loss to Nigeria was the biggest upset in the history of USA hoops ... and breezing through the Olympic tourney is no longer a foregone conclusion.

TMZ Sports talked to the former star player and coach ... only minutes after Nigeria downed the U.S., 90-87 in a tune-up (exhibition) game for the Olympics.

"I wouldn’t say one of the biggest, that’s probably the biggest upset," Scott says.

But, why is it such a shocker??

Consider this ... when USA and Nigeria faced off less than a decade ago at the London Olympics, America dominated Nigeria on the court -- winning by 83 points.

83 POINTS (that squad had Kobe Bryant & LeBron James, FWIW).

Despite still having a pretty stacked roster complete with KD, Jayson Tatum, Bradley Beal and Dame Lillard ... Nigeria's squad -- with 7 active NBA players -- clearly weren't intimated.

Team USA recently came together and only had a few practices ... meanwhile Nigeria has been practicing for weeks.

And, that's why Scott says things have changed ... and gold is no longer a guarantee.

"It’s not a given. It’s not a given by the USA anymore. Basketball in this world has caught up to the U.S. of A. And it’s going to be that much tougher for them to win the gold this year, no doubt about that."

But, Byron still has faith ... we asked if he still sees gold in Team USA's future.

Vanessa Hudgens and Pittsburgh Pirates player Cole Tucker are CLEARLY getting serious ... the actress posted a pic with her man Sunday, saying he's "All I need."

The two -- who began dating late in 2020 -- appeared to spend the whole weekend together in New York, while Tucker and the Pirates were in town for a series with the Mets.

And, it seems the couple is going SERIOUSLY strong ... 'cause Vanessa showed up to his games to cheer him on -- and then posted a pic of the two with the mushy caption to cap it all off.

Of course, Vanessa hasn't been shy about her affinity for Tucker over the past few months ... acknowledging their relationship on Valentine's Day, heading out to his games, and posting photos with him constantly.

Yeah, feels like love to us!

As for how Cole did in front of Hudgens during the series in New York this weekend ... he went 0-for-5 and the Pirates were only able to split the games 2-2.

Dwayne Haskins may not have Super Bowl bling yet ... but his now-fiancee sure has something close to it -- 'cause the NFL QB proposed to her this weekend with a HUGE diamond ring!!!

The Steelers quarterback shared footage of the proposal on Sunday ... and it all seemed like a very sweet time.

Haskins, his GF, Kalabrya, and family and friends were out partying at TAO restaurant in Las Vegas ... when the former NFL first-round draft pick got down on one knee.

DH pulled out the gigantic ring --- made by celeb jeweler Zo Frost --- and Kalabrya's reaction was priceless!!!

She smiled huge, said "yes" ... and everyone went crazy!!!

"All my life I've prayed for you," Kalabrya said of the moment on Instagram. "My favorite dream come true."

Unsure on how much the ice cost Haskins -- but, remember, the 24-year-old former Ohio State superstar has made a little over $14 million since his NFL career began in 2019.

Could a Conor McGregor vs. Dustin Poirier rematch actually happen?? Diamond tells TMZ Sports ... "anything is possible."

We talked to the 32-year-old UFC star as he was leaving T-Mobile Arena following his trilogy fight victory over McGregor ... and we asked if Dustin was interested in a 4th fight.

"Anything is possible. I just have to get with my family, and see what's next."

Of course, Conor -- who underwent a successful 3.5-hour surgery yesterday to repair his broken leg -- is facing a long and arduous rehab process... and that must happen before a 4th fight is made.

Speaking of Conor's injury... we also asked Poirier if he felt bad for McGregor.

"You never wanna see someone injured like that. The recovery is gonna be hard and losing."

But Conor is adamant his fighting career is nowhere near done ... he says he will be back -- and sooner rather than later.

Does Dana White have interest in a 4th fight? 'Cause without the UFC honcho on board, it ain't happening.

White was asked about the possibility of a rematch Saturday night ... and Dana certainly didn't say no.

"Dustin Poirier will fight for the title and when Conor is healed and ready to go, we'll do the rematch."

D.C.'s NFL squad will NOT be the Washington "Warriors" in the future ... the Washington Football Team announced Monday it has ruled out the potential name change due to feedback from Native American community members.

WFT President Jason Wright explained it all in a lengthy letter posted to the team's website ... saying the "Warriors" nickname -- which many fans have advocated for going forward -- simply did not distance the team enough from its former identity.

"Feedback from across communities we engaged clearly revealed deep-seated discomfort around Warriors, with the clear acknowledgment that it too closely aligns with Native American themes," Wright said.

"Such an embrace of potentially Native-adjacent iconography and imagery would not represent a clear departure that many communities have so forcefully advocated for us to embrace, and that frankly, we set out to do when we started this process a year ago."

Wright didn't say what other monikers have been axed from contention ... adding only, "We will choose an identity that unequivocally departs from any use of or approximate linkage to Native American imagery."

"As I have said many times before, our new identity should unite us," Wright said. "It should bring us together the way this team comes together on the football field and the way we have seen our Fans come together and proudly support our Team and our DMV community."

Prince William says he's flat-out "sickened" that Black England soccer players were the targets of racial abuse on Sunday ... calling the disgusting comments "totally unacceptable."

Racists spewed vile words toward Jadon Sancho, Marcus Rashford and Bukayo Saka -- who are Black -- after they all missed kicks during England's penalty shootout loss to Italy in the Euro 2020 championship match ... and it didn't take long for William to rush to their defense.

The 39-year-old issued a stern statement on social media, writing, "It is totally unacceptable that players have to endure this abhorrent behaviour. It must stop now and all those involved should be held accountable."

William's words are certainly commendable -- given the racial abuse that the players received ranged from n-word-filled rants to flat-out threats -- but, they didn't come without some criticism from observers.

Some on social media wondered why William didn't issue a similar statement after Meghan Markle told Oprah earlier this year that she had been subjected to racial abuse from members of the Royal Family.

As for England soccer officials, they, too, condemned the racism that their players were subjected to ... saying they were "disgusted" and "appalled" by it all.

"We're disgusted that some of our squad -- who have given everything for the shirt this summer -- have been subjected to discriminatory abuse online after tonight's game," the team said.

"We stand with our players."

Added England's Football Association, "The FA strongly condemns all forms of discrimination and is appalled by the online racism that has been aimed at some of our England players on social media."

"We could not be clearer that anyone behind such disgusting behaviour is not welcome in following the team. We will do all we can to support the players affected while urging the toughest punishments possible for anyone responsible."

The Metropolitan Police say they're aware of the comments ... and are now vowing to investigate it all, saying in a statement Sunday, "This abuse is totally unacceptable."

"It will not be tolerated and it will be investigated."

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson also condemned the racist remarks, adding in a statement of his own, "This England team deserve to be lauded as heroes, not racially abused on social media."

Tom Cruise made the rounds in London for the city's mega sports weekend, but he was still mindful of COVID-19 protocols ... at least while mingling with fans.

A day after Ethan Hunt dropped in for the Wimbledon women's singles final, he made his way over to Wembley Stadium to watch the Euro 2020 final between England and Italy.

Tom was all smiles as he obliged some fan requests for a quick pic before he headed in to watch the match Sunday evening, but take a look ... he was also very cautious about it.

The "Mission Impossible" star kept his mask on until it was time to say cheese, and even then he mostly kept his distance ... telling folks to keep a flying-V formation.

As you may know ... the Delta variant has been responsible for the most coronavirus infections in England recently, so it seems Cruise is taking that risk seriously.

Then again, once he was inside Wembley Tom ditched the mask and showed off his famous face ... while sitting near other famous faces, like Kate Moss and David Beckham.

Cruise really took advantage of being in England this weekend while shooting "M:I 7" ... as we reported, he and his co-stars also attended a Wimbledon finals match on Saturday.

NFL cornerback Mike Hughes blew chunks all over his former teammate Jayron Kearse's Mercedes while Kearse was being arrested for DWI back in 2019 ... and the gross scene was all captured on police video.

The footage was just released to TMZ Sports this week ... and it's pretty nasty -- showing Hughes vomiting multiple times while cops arrested Kearse, Hughes' then-Minnesota Vikings defensive backfield-mate, on October 27, 2019, in Minneapolis.

You can see in the video, after cops pulled over Kearse for allegedly bypassing a barricade and illegally driving on a highway that was closed off for construction at around 3:15 AM, Hughes began throwing up from the backseat of Kearse's car.

In the footage, it's clear as day, as cops detained Kearse ... Hughes continuously opened the rear passenger door and unloaded the contents of his stomach.

The video shows cops saying they believe Hughes was yacking due to having consumed too much alcohol earlier in the evening.

Kearse, meanwhile, can be seen in the footage appearing to bomb field sobriety tests ... and at one point, one officer says in the video the football player failed a breathalyzer test too.

In the clip, cops say Kearse had a BAC of .124, well above the legal limit of .08, so they arrested him -- and when they went back to check on Hughes in the car, they say they found a loaded gun in the vehicle beneath Hughes' feet.

Fortunately for Hughes, cops say Kearse ultimately fessed up to owning the firearm without a permit ... so Hughes didn't end up in any trouble.

Kearse, though, was taken to the station and ultimately hit with five misdemeanor charges, including DWI and possession of a pistol while under the influence of alcohol.

27-year-old Kearse -- who left the Vikings following the 2019 season to play for the Detroit Lions -- went on to strike a plea deal with prosecutors in the case back in February 2020.

He's since signed on to play for the Dallas Cowboys in 2021.

24-year-old Hughes, meanwhile, stayed with the Vikings through the 2019 and 2020 seasons after the incident ... but he was traded in May to the Kansas City Chiefs.

Conor McGregor just underwent a successful 3.5-hour surgery in Los Angeles ... where doctors inserted a rod in his tibia and his fibula was fixed with plates and screws, sources tell TMZ Sports.

McGregor -- who suffered the gruesome lower leg injury during his fight with Dustin Poirier at UFC 264 -- was transported to Cedars-Sinai hospital in L.A. where he underwent the procedure this afternoon.

Sources tell us Conor had an intramedullary rod inserted in the tibia ... along with a small plate and screws attached to the fibula.

The surgery went "very well," according to our sources ... and the early prognosis for McGregor looks promising.

Dr. Ellatrache -- head of Sports Trauma at Cedars -- and trauma orthopedic surgeon Milton Little performed the procedure.

We're told Conor is expected to remain in the hospital until Tuesday or Wednesday.

Prince George is just like any other English person around the world right now -- cheering on his national team at the UEFA 2020 Final ... and freaking out when they scored early.

The 7-year-old son of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge was shoulder-to-shoulder Sunday at Wembley Stadium in London ... where England was facing off against Italy for the last match of the tournament, in which all the European national teams competed for the gold.

His pops, Prince William, was seen showing his boy the ins and outs of the game ... at one point crouching down to Georgie's level and pointing out what was down on the pitch below.

George seemed quite attentive throughout -- but when England scored first in the opening few minutes of the match ... and he and his old man celebrated together in what made for an awesome (and viral) moment that most of the UK noticed with glee.

So, yeah ... the kid's a big fan of the game. And, although he probably has his folks (and entire national heritage) to thank for that ... some are also giving big ups to his great-grandfather, the late Prince Philip -- who was a HUGE sports fan, especially for English football.

The Duke of Edinburgh -- who died earlier this year at the age of 99 -- famously visited Wembley himself waaay back in the day ... and actually greeted the national England team in person, shaking the players' hands on the field, and no doubt enjoying himself too.

Some are joking that Prince George might just be Prince Philip reincarnated -- and by the looks of how excited he is right now watching this ... they may just be right.

Sweet moment for the Royal Family. BTW, it's 1-1 now -- Italy tied it up, and there's only a few minutes left in regulation. Don't let George down, Team England!!!

The MLB All-Star Game might have become the site of a mass shooting this week ... had it not been for a hotel housekeeper, who tipped off cops to a huge collection of guns she found in one of the rooms.

Local reports say 4 individuals were arrested this weekend in Denver -- 3 men and a woman -- on illegal weapons charges after cops say they discovered an incredible cache of artillery in their rooms at the Maven Hotel ... just 2 blocks from Coors Field, where the All-Star events will take place this week.

ABC7 Denver reports a total of 16 long guns (AKA, rifles) were confiscated, as well as more than 1,000 rounds of ammo -- plus, body armor.

Their hotel rooms were reportedly on the 8th floor of the hotel ... and their balcony area had a bird's eye view of downtown Denver. Unclear what their intentions might've been, but some are already connecting the dots ... saying this could've possibly been a repeat of the Las Vegas massacre had it not been stopped by the heads-up housekeeper blowing the whistle.

ABC7 says 3 of the 4 suspects have criminal records, and one allegedly posted a scary Facebook message saying they would "go out in a big way."

Dwayne Johnson is stuck between a rock and a hard place -- not being able to *easily* access a path to his car so he could get his sweat on ... all because of a hungry hawk.

The Rock couldn't really leave his house Sunday morning -- which he definitely wanted to, so he could hit the gym -- and it's all due to a gorgeous hawk that perched itself on a pillar right outside his kitchen ... with none other than some breakfast in its talons -- a tasty snake!!!

Check out the video ... DJ has a front-row seat to a feast courtesy of Mother Nature -- the hawk's got a relatively small snake in its clutches ... and it pecking away, first at its head and then at its tail. That's good eating -- at least, that's what Dwayne thinks. 😋

Anyway, The Rock laid out the sitch clearly in his caption ... writing, "I tried to open the door with some firm DJ energy and instead of flying away, he got pissed and hasn’t stopped ka kaw’ng me since 🤣." DTRJ adds, "Clearly, we both have a few things in common 😈💀 but he’s gotta eat and I gotta train…. Wish me luck, this could get ugly."

Dwayne leaves us on a bit of a cliffhanger ... although, it seems he was going to make a run for it and see if he could get past the hawk without getting scratched or attacked.

You can definitely call it a comeback -- Matt James, the first Black 'Bachelor,' and Rachel Kirkconnell making their public debut as a couple ... after the racism controversy that broke them up, and blew up the TV franchise.

The duo was all smiles as they showed up for the ESPYs Saturday night in NYC ... and happily posed for photogs. Although we've known they were back together, they've been laying low.

They looked pretty stylish for their coming out -- Matt, a former college football player, rocked a double-breasted plaid suit, while Rachel went with a very low-cut sheer black gown.

Quick refresher: Matt gave Rachel his final rose, but after pics surfaced of her at an antebellum south, plantation-themed college party ... he broke up with her during the "After the Final Rose" special.

Matt said, “If you don’t understand that something like that is problematic in 2018, there’s a lot of me that you won’t understand.”

Matt framed the split as giving Rachel space to work on herself, and then a few weeks later ... bam! We spotted them out together in Santa Monica -- but they were obviously trying to keep it on the DL, as Matt covered up in shades and a hoodie.

Since then, we've also seen Matt and Rachel hanging out around NYC. So, with last night's debut ... it looks like they've fully worked things out!

If Sha'Carri Richardson and Naomi Osaka had any doubts about how much public support they're getting -- it's gone after the ESPY Awards, where host Anthony Mackie put a spotlight on them.

During his opening monologue, Mackie took a direct shot at U.S.A. Track & Field over its suspension of Richardson for a positive marijuana test. He joked, "The greatest celebration of sports is back! We up here on a rooftop in New York City. Man, we're so high they wouldn't let us compete in the Olympics."

The award show was held outdoors in NYC's Seaport district, and Mackie added, "How do you justify banning Sha'Carri Richardson for smoking weed? Weed is a de-hancing drug -- it doesn't make you do anything but want to watch another episode of 'Bob's Burgers.' You never saw Snoop Dogg run anywhere!"

The event was Sha'Carri's first public appearance since she got benched from the Olympics. Ditto for tennis superstar Osaka, who took home an award for Best Female Athlete.

But, even before she got the trophy, Mackie called out the World Tennis Association for not supporting her after she pulled out of the French Open and Wimbledon due to mental health.

"I'm no tennis exec, I don't know, but if my sport had one of the most popular and marketable athletes on the planet, you know what I would do? I would probably make sure she felt comfortable and respected. But hey, what do I know, right? I'm just Captain America."

Interestingly, while Sha'Carri's shut out of the Olympics, Naomi will be there. She's playing tennis for Japan ... her mother's home country.