TMZ Sports - Page 50

Bet ya didn't see this coming ... MLB legend Pete Rose -- banned from baseball for life for wagering on the game -- has launched a sports gambling podcast!!

The 17-time All-Star broke the news on Thursday, announcing he's exclusively teaming up with Quake Media to offer betting tips and picks on his show, "Pete Rose Daily Picks."

"It's a show featuring my picks and breakdowns of games, not just baseball," Rose says, "I'll be talking football, basketball, horse racing, golf and a lot of more."

The show debuts tonight ... and will air 6 days a week with sports betting broadcaster Ben Wilson.

“I’ll share how I think about games with Ben and the fans, then we can watch and learn together," the 80-year-old says.

"There are some insights, I believe, that only an old guy like me may think of. I'm excited to share my winning predictions with my fans."

Of course, it's ironic since Charlie Hustle received a lifetime ban from baseball in 1989 for gambling as a player and manager for the Cincinnati Reds.

Rose, who adamantly denied wagering on baseball (a cardinal sin in the game) for many years, ultimately copped to the allegation -- though he remains steadfast that he NEVER bet against his club.

But, Pete says don't call it a gambling podcast, telling USA Today he ain't gambling, saying ... "It's handicapping. I'm a handicapper."

"All I'm doing is lending my expertise to people who want to bet."

Want a little taste of Pete's expertise?? Here are his picks for tonight's action.

-White Sox vs. Astros, OVER 7.5 runs
-Tampa Bay Rays money line against Boston Red Sox in game 1 (-150)
-Los Angeles Rams (-2.5) vs. Seattle Seahawks

Kings and Suns fans ain't going to love this ...

Jerry West says he cannot believe both Phoenix and Sacramento passed on Luka Doncic in the 2018 NBA Draft, saying he was straight-up convinced the kid was going to be a superstar.

"Oh my God," Jerry said this week. "I can't believe that someone let him go. I can't."

The L.A. Clippers exec revealed his love for the Dallas Mavericks point guard on the "Getcha Popcorn Ready with T.O. and Hatch" show on Fubo Sports Network ... saying when he first saw Luka, he noticed some Kobe Bryant-esque traits to his game.

Like Kobe, West said, Luka dominated older competition at a young age ... and was clearly the best player in his draft class.

"He was a unique kid," West explained to Terrell Owens and Matthew Hatchette. "At 15 years of age, he was competing against men in Europe."

Still, the Suns drafted Deandre Ayton and the Kings went with Marvin Bagley Jr.

Even the Atlanta Hawks, who drafted Doncic at #3 overall, later sent him to the Mavs in exchange for Trae Young -- which all clearly had West shaking his head.

"He was 15 years old," West said of Luka, "but not competing, excelling!"

There's more, West also told the guys what made him so intrigued about Bryant before the 1996 draft ... and he also revealed what two football players really stand out to him.

Urban Meyer's wife is finally speaking out about her husband's infamous bar night ... saying in a social media post, "We all make mistakes - we are all sinners."

"If you think you aren't?" Shelley Meyer added. "Then cast the first stone."

Shelley issued the strong statement Thursday afternoon ... explaining she's quitting Twitter due to all the "hate, vitriol, slander" and "trash" she's received in the wake of Urban dancing with a blonde woman over the weekend.

"To my wonderful followers/friends: THANK YOU," Shelley wrote. "For your love, support, friendship, laughs - I will miss this most. I love you ALL and wish God's blessings on you. Thank you."

What's interesting ... Shelley made no note of standing by Urban or defending his actions -- though Urban did say earlier this week he was confident his 37-year marriage would survive.

In fact, Urban called the whole saga nothing more than a "speed bump" in their relationship.

The Jaguars head coach has apologized repeatedly for the incident and has vowed to grow from it.

Tyson Fury's sick and tired of the back and forth between his bro, Tommy, and Jake Paul ... telling both fighters to "grow some balls" and fight already!!

There's been a lot of bickering between the two fighters on social media recently ... with Jake publicly offering a $1 million payday (an amount TF claimed was not even worth getting out of bed for).

With negotiations reportedly picking back up again, TMZ Sports asked the Gypsy King himself for his thoughts on Jake vs. Tommy ... and he wants this fight to go down just as bad as the rest of us!!

"The fight is supposed to be happening," Tyson told us this week. "Both guys keep talking about it, so they better step up and show some balls and actually do the fight."

"I'm sick of all the talk about a fight that doesn't happen, so let's get it on! Let these 2 go to war. Put on a show for the fans. Everybody wants to see it!"

Tyson -- who has his own highly-anticipated trilogy fight against Deontay Wilder on Saturday -- gives props to the Problem Child's success so far in the boxing world ... applauding his undefeated record.

So ... if both guys sign on the dotted line, is Tyson gonna show up??

The NFL's fighting problem clearly ain't going away ... 'cause TMZ Sports has obtained more video of fans scrapping in the stands -- and, once again, it's violent.

The latest melee went down Monday night during the Chargers vs. Raiders game at SoFi Stadium ... when a Bolts supporter grew upset with a Silver-And-Black-clad fan in his row.

In the footage, you can see the two men aggressively got in each other's faces ... before the L.A. fan threw a wild haymaker that just missed tagging the guy in the Raiders jersey.

Immediately after the punch whiffed ... all hell broke loose, 'cause multiple other Raiders fans jumped in to take shots at the man in the Chargers jersey.

Video shows the Chargers fan ate multiple punches ... before the recording stopped.

One witness tells us people in the area were adamantly calling for security during the fight -- but the guards were already busy dealing with another incident several rows away.

Eventually, we're told stadium personnel and law enforcement arrived on the scene to break it all up.

The incident is just the latest in a long line of fan violence at NFL games this season ... with Rams and Bears fans going at it a couple weeks ago and Cowboys and Chargers fans getting into last month as well.

No word yet if the NFL or its teams are making any extra attempts to tamp down the craziness ... but it's clear, something needs to be done.

Olympic gold medalist diver Tom Daley says he was pressured to lose weight in order to perform better in 2012 ... claiming it was "hammered" into him that he was overweight.

The 27-year-old British diver opened up about his eating disorder this week ... saying he would make himself throw up and constantly weigh himself in order to maintain a smaller figure.

Daley -- who won bronze at the 2012 and 2016 Games before earning gold in Tokyo this summer -- says it's always been hard for him as a man to open up about his eating disorder, he revealed to The Guardian.

Daley says it's challenging as an athlete to talk about his struggle with body image ... because let's face it, most people would love to have his body.

"You have these body issues as an athlete. Lots of people would look at athletes and be like, 'What are you talking about? You’re an athlete, you’re in shape, you have nothing to worry about.'"

Daley says the pressure to lose weight didn't come from the media or Internet trolls -- it was his peers in the diving community.

"My body image [issues] came from within my sport – it was hammered into me that I was overweight and needed to lose weight in order to perform."

Eighteen ex-NBA players -- including Glen "Big Baby" Davis and Sebastian Telfair -- have been charged with fraud ... after officials say they swindled a small fortune out of the Association's healthcare plan.

Federal prosecutors announced the charges against the former hoopers, which also included Shannon Brown and Darius Miles, on Thursday ... accusing the men of ripping off the NBA Players' Health and Welfare Benefit Plan.

The scheme was not terribly complicated, according to the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District Of NY, which is prosecuting the case.

The ex-basketball players allegedly submitted "false and fraudulent claims for reimbursement" to the plan --- which has been set up by the NBA to help current and former players pay medical bills -- and then were wrongly reimbursed.

Officials say it all started in 2017, when the players would ask the plan for money to pay for medical care they didn't actually receive.

The feds say the men submitted fraudulent claims that totaled approximately $3.9 million ... and they received approximately $2.5 million "in fraudulent proceeds" from the scheme.

The prosecutors claim Terrence Williams, the 11th overall pick in the 2009 NBA Draft, was the mastermind behind it all.

In addition to Davis, Telfair, Brown, Miles and Williams ... officials say Tony Allen, Jamario Moon, Tony Wroten, Melvin Ely and Ruben Patterson were also involved in the scheme.

Officials have scheduled have a meeting with reporters to further detail the alleged crimes later Thursday afternoon.

Bodybuilder George Peterson -- AKA "Da Bull" -- unexpectedly passed away this week at only 37, just days before he was scheduled to compete in a top bodybuilding competition.

"It is with great sadness that we report the unexpected passing of George Peterson, a champion on stage and off," officials from the Mr. Olympia competition announced on social media.

Peterson was in Orlando when he died -- preparing for the Olympia competition -- which kicks off Wednesday.

The cause of George's death is not yet clear, but his coach and close friend, Justin Miller -- who found Peterson deceased -- provided additional details on his death.

Miller says Peterson was in incredible spirits the night before he died ... and was pumped for the upcoming competition.

However, the next day, Miller says GP wasn't responding to texts or phone calls ... so he became worried, and went to George's hotel room.

Inside, tragically, Peterson was face down on the floor, cold. Still, Miller, desperate to help his friend, called 911 and was instructed to do CPR.

Unfortunately, Peterson -- who likely passed several hours earlier -- could not be saved.

George was a constant figure on the bodybuilding circuit ... competing at shows across the country, including the Olympia 4 times.

Peterson won the Classic Physique competition at the 2019 Arnold Classic.

Many people from the bodybuilding and fitness world -- from athletes to fans -- have expressed sadness at Peterson's unexpected passing.

If Ben Simmons wants out of town, it certainly seems mutual with the fans ... 'cause spectators ripped into the NBA star during a taping of AEW Rampage in Philly on Wednesday -- chanting, "F*** Ben Simmons!!"

Of course, Sixers fans ain't happy with the former #1 overall pick amid reports he'd rather lose out on his $33 MILLION salary this season than suit up for Philly ever again.

Considering fans may not get a chance to express their anger towards Simmons at a Sixers game -- assuming he won't show up -- they found an opportunity at the AEW event ... and man, they went at the guy HARD.

Several fans in the audience captured it on video -- you can hear the huge crowd joining together to shout out the NSFW chant as the event goes on.

While the Sixers star's trade demand is still on the table, the team is still trying to make things work ... so it could get really awk with fans if he ends up staying in Philly.

The 76ers' first preseason game at home is Thursday -- let's see if the chants continue.

Powerful moment throughout the National Women's Soccer League ... when players paused mid-game in an act of solidarity amid serious allegations of sexual misconduct surrounding ex-coach Paul Riley.

The NWSL resumed play on Wednesday after canceling games over the weekend ... and the players used the pitch as an opportunity to demand change to the culture of sexual harassment in the league.

All three games -- Gotham FC/Washington Spirit, North Carolina Courage/Racing Louisville, and Houston Dash/Portland Thorns -- stopped play in the 6th minute ... representing the 6 years it took for the allegations against Riley to come out.

Players linked arms while standing in a circle at midfield ... sending a strong message to the NWSL and its members that they would no longer remain silent on these issues.

In a statement released on social media, the players said that the demonstration was for players "who fought for too long to be heard," prompting the hashtag #NoMoreSilence.

They also asked fans to stand in silence in support of the players.

"During that time, we ask that you stand in that pain and discomfort with us, as we consider what too many of us have been asked to sit with for too long," the NWSLPA statement read.

The group also released a list of demands, calling for an independent and thorough investigation into each club "to determine whether any abuse, whether presently known or unknown, has occurred at any point in time."

NWSL commissioner Lisa Baird has since resigned amid the backlash the league has been engulfed in. The players demand the NWSL give them the opportunity to interview her replacement.

The players ended their list of demands with a strong message -- "The reckoning has already begun. We will not be silent. We will be relentless in our pursuit of a league that deserves the players in it."

One of the most wanted fugitives in the world might have been sitting right behind home plate at a Dodgers game in 2016 ... and, yet, authorities say they're still having trouble nabbing him.

U.S. Marshals claim John Ruffo -- who was convicted of swindling $350 MILLION in an elaborate bank fraud scheme in the 1990s -- was possibly the guy in a blue shirt and glasses in a prime seat at a Red Sox vs. Dodgers game in Aug. 2016.

The Marshals say the balding, older man in footage from the broadcast looks a hell of a lot like Ruffo -- a guy they say has evaded them for nearly 24 years.

According to the Marshals, after his conviction, Ruffo was "ordered to report to a federal prison in New Jersey on Nov. 9, 1998" to begin serving a 17-and-a-half year sentence, but he never showed.

Instead, the Marshals claim he rented a car, withdrew cash from an ATM (which they say they captured on video), and headed to JFK Airport -- where he then disappeared.

Authorities say, though, he could have been the man in Section 1 Dugout Club, Row EE, Seat 10 at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles over 5 years ago.

The Marshals announced their suspicion in a statement Wednesday ... saying anyone who can help them find the 66-year-old -- who they believe is roughly 5 feet 5, 170 pounds -- could be given a reward of up to $25,000.

His capture would be a big deal ... Marshals have named him one of their "15 Most Wanted" and have described him as "a master manipulator."

Of course, this wouldn't be the first time cameras at Dodger Stadium have helped authorities crack a case ... remember, Larry David's "Curb Your Enthusiasm" crew aided in a murder suspect's release from jail back in the early 2000s.

In that case, Juan Catalan had been accused of murdering a 16-year-old ... but the 'Curb' cameras showed he was actually at the Dodgers' ballpark the night of the killing.

Chris Taylor's Dodgers teammates had the perfect reward for the star after he hit a clutch walk-off home run Wednesday night -- CHAMPAGNE SHOWERS!!

L.A. doused the utility man from head to toe in bubbly after he hit a two-run blast in the bottom of the 9th inning of the National League Wild Card game against the St. Louis Cardinals ... and the video of the celebration is amazing.

The Dodgers posted the footage shortly after the 3-1 win that sent them onward in the playoffs ... and you can see in the clip, Taylor and the guys were loving it!!

Chris was giving a speech in the locker room about how his hit was "just the start" -- when all of the guys uncorked their bottles and sprayed him down.

Of course, after hitting Taylor, everyone else got in on the showers too -- with stars like Cody Bellinger, Walker Buehler and Trea Turner going topless for the party.

The celly was well deserved -- the Cards put up a hell of a fight at Dodger Stadium -- but the team won't have long to shake off any sort of hangover.

Up next for the Dodgers is an NLDS matchup with the S.F. Giants -- a team with the best record in baseball.

Deontay Wilder tells TMZ Sports he's gonna knock Tyson Fury's ass out in 3 rounds or less when the 2 gigantic heavyweights square off Saturday night in Las Vegas.

Fury's response??

"Ya little b***h. Turn up and fight. Get me knocked out in 3 rounds ya little p***y. How about that for a message?"

👀👀👀👀👀👀👀👀

Yeaaaa, if you needed another reason to watch the 2 best heavyweights in the world beat the hell out of each other ... ya got one, because the Wilder and Fury trash talk has turned personal.

We asked Wilder for a prediction ... and if the 35-year former heavyweight champ is right, Saturday looks like it'll be a short workday for the Bronzer Bomber.

"Leave it up to my trainers, they believe 5 and under," Wilder said, "I'm gonna go with 3, lesser than 3."

"Ya know when people come to see heavyweights, that's what they wanna see. They don't wanna see no 12-round fight."

33-year-old Fury, as you might expect, disagrees with Deontay's prediction ... and did a little prognostication of his own.

"Prediction? yeah, pain! Pain! A lot of pain!"

Of course, this'll be the third time DW and TF have scrapped. The first fight in 2018 was ruled a draw. Fury won the second fight in 2020 by TKO in the 7th round.

More troubling allegations for Evander Kane -- the NHL star is now being accused of using a fake COVID-19 vaccination card ... which is not only against league rules, it's also illegal.

The NHL is currently investigating whether Kane -- the 2009 4th overall pick -- submitted a bogus vaxx card to league officials, according to the AP and Front Office Sports.

FYI -- the league implemented strict guidelines for unvaccinated players during the 2021-22 season ... forcing those who haven't got the jab to stay at the team hotel, practice facilities or arena on road trips.

On top of that, unvaxxed pros will not be allowed to have guests in their hotel rooms ... and teams will be allowed to suspend players who aren't able to participate in team activities for COVID-19-related reasons.

Worth mentioning ... the NHL recently stated the majority of players are already vaccinated.

The new Kane investigation adds to a growing list of allegations made against the San Jose Sharks left winger -- as we previously reported, his estranged wife recently accused him of sexually and physically assaulting her ... which he's denied.

Kane's ex also accused him of betting on his own NHL games, which he's also denied. The league also investigated those claims, but he was cleared of any wrongdoing.

Think Max Scherzer is nervous about the Dodgers' Wild Card game?

Think again ... 'cause the L.A. starter cruised to the stadium Wednesday in flip-flops and shorts -- showin' he's absolutely CHILLIN' before the win-or-go-home matchup with the Cardinals!!

The Dodgers posted a glimpse of Scherzer's pregame 'fit just hours before he's set to take the mound in L.A.'s biggest game of the season ... revealing the pitcher ditched a suit and tie and instead rocked his comfiest attire to the ballpark.

Of course, pregame looks don't always offer accurate glimpses into the future ... but it's clear as day, Scherzer is feelin' gooooood before his big start.

That, obviously, ain't the best news for St. Louis fans ... because Scherzer has already been lights out since being traded to the Dodgers from the Nationals over the summer.

In 11 starts for L.A., Mad Max has posted a 7-0 record with a 1.98 ERA and 89 strikeouts in 68.1 innings pitched.

Matiss Kivleneiks will be honored when the Columbus Blue Jackets take the ice on opening night ... with the late goalie's family set to attend the tribute.

The 24-year-old tragically died after suffering serious damage to his lungs and heart during a fireworks mishap at a Jackets coaches 4th of July party.

Matiss -- who signed with the Blue Jackets in 2019 -- was deemed a hero by his teammate, Elvis Merzlikins, for his actions during the fatal incident ... saying MK saved his family from the firework.

Kivleneiks' family will make the trip from Latvia to perform the ceremonial puck drop when CBJ takes on the Arizona Coyotes to kick off the season ... including his mother, stepfather, sister and aunt.

The team says a banner featuring MK's #80 will also be unveiled and will hang in the rafters at Nationwide Arena for the remainder of the 2021-22 season.

Blue Jackets players will also wear an "80" sticker on their helmets throughout the season.

After his tragic death, the Columbus Blue Jackets Foundation established the Matiss Kivleneiks Memorial Fund to support youth hockey initiatives in Columbus and his native Latvia.