TMZ Sports - Page 50

Joe Rogan had a super-interesting convo with CNN's Sanjay Gupta ... it was confrontationally civilized.

The good Doc was clearly on a mission to counter Rogan's message about the COVID vaccine. "The Joe Rogan Experience" is a huge platform -- 200 million downloads per month -- so Gupta was clearly there to challenge Joe over not getting the shot.

Rogan made it clear --- he's not anti-vaccine. In fact, he says he made an appointment to get the shot but ended up a no-show. As for why ... Rogan said, "I'm a healthy person, I exercise constantly, I'm always taking vitamins, I take care of myself."

Gupta was gentle, but clear -- asking Rogan if it's better to have the virus than to become infected. Rogan, who got COVID, conceded it was no fun going through it, but added he's been sicker with a bad cold.

That doesn't address the fact more than 700,000 people in the U.S. have died from COVID, and Joe agreed certain people -- including the elderly and the overweight -- should get jabbed, but not everyone.

Then Joe dropped a theory that stunned Sanjay ... "I think it would be better to get the vaccine and recover and have amazing immunity ... you know what I think you should do? I think you should get vaccinated and then get sick ... the vaccine protects you from a bad infection and you get COVID so you get robust immunity ... get vaccinated, let it wane and hang around with a bunch of dirty people."

Gupta made it clear .... the win is for someone not to have the virus at all, and that's what the vaccine does.

"Southern Charm" star Madison LeCroy is ready to walk the aisle ... 'cause TMZ's learned she recently got engaged and, no -- it's not to Alex Rodriguez or Jay Cutler.

Sources tell TMZ ... Madison's boyfriend, Brett, popped the question and Madison didn't hesitate for a second with a "Yes," because, as one source put it, he treats her better than any man has before. She also loves that he's a good father-figure to her 8-year-old son, Hudson.

Our sources say Madison and Brett didn't meet that long ago and weren't even living in the same state when they first started dating.

We're told the relationship is so mysterious ... a lot of her friends haven't met Brett but she's ALWAYS talking about how much she cares about him. Back in April, Madison, who previously dated co-star Austen Kroll, teased on social media she was dating someone new. And, 2 months later, she and Brett went IG official.

The engagement comes not long after Madison was rumored to be at the center of A-Rod's split with Jennifer Lopez. Remember, there were claims A-Rod got cozy with Madison, but A-Rod's team said they never even met.

She had also previously been linked to ex-Bears QB Cutler... though that was a brief fling. Nevertheless, Madison now seems more than content to have a new man.

While we don't know much else right now about the relationship, our sources say Madison and Brett's relationship is documented in the upcoming 8th season of "Southern Charm" ... though it's unclear if production cameras captured the proposal.

Kyrie Irving is finally speaking out publicly about his anti-vaccine choice ... explaining he believes nobody should be told what to do with their bodies -- and he's tired of feeling "demonized" over his decision.

The Brooklyn Nets star -- who's been barred from playing and practicing with his team until he either gets the vaccine or gets some sort of exemption -- broke his feelings down on the matter in a lengthy video on his social media page Wednesday.

In his talk with his camera, which lasted over 20 minutes, Irving repeated over and over again he's against vaccine mandates.

In his explanation, Irving made it clear he wants people to be able to make their own decisions on the shots without a threat of potentially losing their jobs, livelihood and money.

The NBA star added he's tired of hearing critics blast him for his decision ... saying he hasn't done anything criminal.

"I haven't hurt anybody," Irving said. "I haven't committed a crime. I'm not out here acting dumb, stupid. I'm out here taking care of my family, my kids."

Irving said he would not retire over it all ... but did not reveal his plan for getting back on the court despite his strong, anti-vax stance.

The Nets, meanwhile, have stated they're moving on from Irving in wake of his decision ... with the team's general manager, Sean Marks, saying this week, "we will not permit any member of our team to participate with part-time availability."

A golf fan had to spend a day in the hospital with a bloody head injury over the weekend ... and it's all 'cause Masters champ Hideki Matsuyama couldn't keep a drive straight.

Here's the deal ... Matsuyama was competing in the 2021 Shriners Children's Open in Las Vegas -- when on the 16th hole of his second round on Friday, he cranked a drive that went way right.

You can see in footage of the shot, it was so far from the fairway, it accidentally crash-landed into a fan's noggin -- knocking the guy to the ground.

Robert, the fan who was hit, tells TMZ Sports he was a bloody mess after the ball drilled him ... and felt "weird" and "totally disorientated."

Robert says while he was trying to recover, Matsuyama was nice enough to sign an autograph for him and apologize -- but the injury was so bad, Robert was eventually taken to the hospital.

Robert tells us he needed 6 stitches to close the wound, and you can see in photos of the aftermath -- the whole thing was gruesome.

Robert -- who says PGA Tour officials have not reached out to him over the incident -- has since started a GoFundMe to help with his medical bills, believing it could cost him in the $15,000 range.

He is expected to make a full recovery.

Kim Jong-Un is just like Limp Bizkit -- he's all about breakin' stuff ... 'cause the supreme leader of North Korea was all smiles as he watched soldiers smash bricks and concrete blocks off each other this week.

The video is nuts -- Kim is seen clapping and cheering from the crowd as a group of shirtless dudes destroy blocks off their chests with mallets and whack each other with massive sticks.

In another wild stunt, one dude broke himself out of chains wrapped around his body ... and another displays his martial arts skills by ducking out of harm's way.

Not really clear when these skills will come in handy -- but hey, ya never know.

More fallout for Jon Gruden over his email scandal ... EA Sports just announced it's removing the former Las Vegas Raiders coach from its ultra-popular Madden 22 video game.

EA put out a statement Wednesday saying it's in the process of pulling the virtual coach after it was revealed the 58-year-old sent racist and anti-gay emails from 2011 to 2018.

"EA Sports is committed to taking action in maintaining a culture of inclusion and equity," reps from the video game company said.

"Due to the circumstances of Jon Gruden's resignation, we are taking steps to remove him from Madden NFL 22."

EA added Gruden will be replaced by a "generic" AI ... with the full removal expected to take place in a title update "in the coming weeks."

The news is the latest in a long line of blows for Gruden ... who lost his job with the Raiders on Monday -- and then lost an endorsement with Skechers on Tuesday.

DeAndre Ayton and Suns owner Robert Sarver have met this week amid an ugly contract feud -- grabbing a drink together at a fancy spot in Arizona ... TMZ Sports has learned.

We've obtained photos of the two at Sanctuary Camelback Mountain Resort on Monday ... and witnesses tell us the guys appeared to be in talks over a new deal for Ayton.

One witness says Ayton was comparing his game and his athleticism to another player during the conversation with Sarver ... adding that the talks seemed to be "all business."

If you're not familiar, Ayton -- the #1 overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft -- is seeking a new contract in Phoenix ... but has been upset over how the offers have been so far.

In fact, Ayton said Tuesday -- less than a day after the meeting with Sarver at the resort -- the entire situation has been "disappointing" ... particularly after seeing other players around the league, including Nuggets wing Michael Porter Jr., get flashy new deals.

"I love Phoenix, but I'm really disappointed we haven't really gotten a deal done yet," Ayton told reporters. "We were two wins away from winning a championship and I just really want to be respected, to be honest."

"To be respected like my peers are being respected by their teams."

A witness tells us Ayton showed up at the resort before Sarver ... and seemed perturbed, looking stoic and glancing at his phone often.

Carl Nassib -- the only openly gay player in the NFL -- was granted a day off by the Raiders on Wednesday ... after his former head coach, Jon Gruden, was ousted for spewing homophobic comments in emails.

Las Vegas Raiders general manager, Mike Mayock, just told reporters Nassib requested the "personal day" following the departure of Gruden ... explaining, "He just said he's got a lot to process."

"There's a lot that's been going on the last few days," Mayock said of Nassib's situation. "And, of course, we support that request."

Mayock added that he's already spoken with Nassib multiple times in wake of Gruden's exit ... and is planning to meet with him later Wednesday as well.

Mayock did not elaborate on if he expected Nassib to play Sunday when the Raiders take on the Broncos.

As we previously reported, Gruden stepped down as Raiders head coach after emails from the 58-year-old containing anti-gay rhetoric surfaced this week.

Some of the messages included the vile words "f*****" and "queer."

Nassib has yet to publicly comment on it all ... but he did say just a few weeks ago that he avoided going public with his sexual preferences sooner because, among other reasons, he "didn't know if guys would be supportive or not."

Ex-Portland Trail Blazers president and current Jordan Brand chairman Larry Miller is sharing his darkest secret with the world ... admitting he killed a man when he was 16 years old, and hid it from his closest friends -- including Michael Jordan -- until recently.

Miller detailed the September 1965 incident in an interview with Sports Illustrated this week ... saying he was a "gangbanger" seeking retaliation after a friend was stabbed and killed in West Philadelphia ... so he downed a bottle of wine, grabbed his gun and went on the hunt for a rival gang member.

Miller says he ended up shooting and killing the first person he saw -- 18-year-old Edward White -- despite not knowing if the man was even involved in his friend's killing.

"That’s what makes it even more difficult for me, because it was for no reason at all," Miller told the outlet. "I mean, there was no valid reason for this to happen. And that’s the thing that I really struggle with and that's -- you know, it’s the thing that I think about every day."

"It’s like, I did this, and to someone who -- it was no reason to do it. And that’s the part that really bothers me."

Miller was arrested shortly after ... and ended up spending many years behind bars until he was 30.

Once he got out, Miller then became a massive success in the business industry -- he was hired by Nike in 1997 and served as Jordan Brand's president from 1999-2006 before joining the Blazers. He later returned to his previous position with Nike/Jordan in 2012

Miller says he's spent the past few months slowly sharing his secret with his inner circle ... and from MJ to NBA commissioner Adam Silver, the responses he's received have been positive.

Now, Miller is hoping to use his story to leave a positive impact on today's youth ... and is fighting to get second chances to those who also fell on hard times.

Colin Kaepernick is still not giving up on his dream of returning to the NFL ... saying he's still up at 5 AM and training 5 or 6 days a week in case a team finally calls.

The quarterback -- who hasn't played a down in the league since the 2016 season -- made the revelation in a recent interview with Ebony ... explaining he still has a goal of winning the Lombardi Trophy.

"I am still up at 5 a.m. training five, six days a week," Kaepernick said, "making sure I’m prepared to take a team to a Super Bowl again."

The 33-year-old last played for the 49ers on Jan. 1, 2017 in a loss to the Seahawks ... and never signed on with a team again after that.

Kap claimed repeatedly that he believed the league was blackballing him over the way he started kneeling demonstrations during pregame national anthems.

In fact, the QB sued the league a few years ago ... and the parties settled out of court. The NFL didn't publicly admit to blackballing Colin.

But, in his recent interview, Kaepernick made it clear he still believes teams are avoiding him over it all ... adding that he hopes his training will "expose" the situation.

"You're gonna have to continue to deny me and do so in a public way," Kaepernick said. "And you’re gonna expose yourself by that, but it won't be because I'm not ready or not prepared."

In the meantime, Kaepernick said he's also focused on other aspects of his life -- like his production company, charity work ... and even acting.

Colin said he's been working with acting coaches and wants to have more on-screen roles in the future -- explaining it all feels similar to quarterbacking.

Hope you have a strong stomach ...

Deion Sanders is showing how his foot is healing after having surgery 3 weeks ago -- by posting a gnarly photo of the bloody surgical wound.

Remember, the Jackson State football coach went under the knife in September for a dislocated second toe that he's had since his NFL playing days ... with the doctor saying "it's gotten worse" over the years.

The procedure went off without a hitch ... and the Hall of Famer was told to keep off his left foot for the next six weeks.

Halfway through recovery, Coach Sanders wanted to give a super-gross update on how things are going ... and if you can get over the gruesome stitch job, it's good news for the legend!

The 54-year-old posted a photo via IG -- you can see the stitches going up and down the first and second toe on his left foot pulling the bloody skin together ... and it's pretty gnarly!

But, it hasn't stopped Prime Time from coaching the JSU Tigers -- he's been riding a golf cart and this dope custom 3-wheel scooter during team drills.

What happens in Vegas certainly shouldn't stay in Vegas -- at least when it comes to pregame hockey shows -- 'cause the Golden Knights unveiled a wild one on Tuesday, and it was INSANE!

Just minutes before the Knights opened their season against the Seattle Kraken ... the team showed off a virtual masterpiece on their ice to hype up the home crowd.

The show started with a giant octopus circling underneath the rink, while a knight mascot skated above it.

Eventually, the squid busted through and put the knight in danger ... and the optics of it all looked like a scene straight out of a Hollywood movie.

The knight, of course, ultimately came out on top of the giant creature ... which sent the crowd into a frenzy and absolutely lit up social media.

The pregame juice seemed to help the Knights too ... 'cause Vegas ended up winning the season-opener against the Kraken, 4-3.

Derrick Rose just secured the first win at Madison Square Garden this season ... 'cause the hooper proposed to his girlfriend on the court -- and she said, "YES!!"

The Knicks guard shared the awesome news Tuesday night ... posting a photo of him and 26-year-old Alaina Anderson wining and dining privately at half court.

"Just got engaged in MSG nothing major!" Anderson said on IG. "A WIFE!!!! I love you!!!! 😍😍😍 MRS ROSE TO YALL LOL"

And, you can't help but notice the absolutely huge diamond ring on Alaina's ring finger!!

Alaina says she wasn't expecting it, even with the private dinner at MSG -- 'cause Rose gave her a promise ring the day before saying, "hopefully one day I can get you the real thing."

Very sneaky, D Rose!!

Rose wrote a poem to his future wife ... saying, "Believe the words that I will have your back and love u forever. When I FIRST saw you I told Ryan that we were gon be together."

"I will always love you becuz you go above and beyond. We built a beautiful family and a unbreakable bond. Thank you Queen."

The lovely couple has reportedly been together since his Chicago Bulls days in 2016 ... and welcomed their daughter, Layla, in 2018 and son, London, in 2019.

The NHL is damn near 100% vaccination status -- with commissioner Gary Bettman announcing just 4 players league-wide have not received the COVID-19 vaccine.

The Commish shared the big news prior to the start of the 2021-22 season on Tuesday ... applauding the "great collaboration and cooperation" between the players and players' association.

"Our vaccination rate is incredible," Bettman said. "4 players, not 4% of players. All of our officials are vaccinated. All of the personnel that come into contact with the players are vaccinated."

FYI, there are 32 NHL teams with roughly 23 players on each squad. That's 736 players ... and again, only 4 aren't vaxxed.

Bettman gushes over the whole league's efforts throughout the pandemic ... saying everyone was on board over the past 2 years -- including the bubbles in Toronto and Edmonton, where there was not a single positive COVID-19 test.

"Everybody banded together to do the right thing," Bettman added. "Maybe that's why hockey is the ultimate team sport."

The league is still dealing with some issues surrounding the virus, however -- San Jose Sharks star Evander Kane is reportedly under investigation for allegedly submitting a bogus COVID-19 vaccine card.

On top of that, several Seattle Kraken players were placed in COVID-19 protocol before getting cleared to play in the franchise's first-ever game.

While the Dodgers were fighting for their playoff lives against the Giants Tuesday -- their fans in the stands were fighting each other, landing punches in a wild skirmish that was all caught on video.

At some point during L.A.'s playoff game with San Francisco at Dodger Stadium ... several fans got into an altercation in a walkway at the venue that turned violent.

In the footage, you can see two men -- both dressed in Dodgers gear -- argued with each other ... before one of the men unloaded a right on the other's face.

All hell then broke loose, 'cause the two guys began wrestling with each other and throwing more punches.

Eventually, another Dodgers fan came in and threw a huge haymaker that appeared to land flush.

Finally, after several seconds of fighting, security guards raced into the fracas to break it all up.

It's unclear if anyone was injured ... or if any arrests were made.

As for the action on the field -- the Dodgers won their fight with the Giants, 7-2, and will now face their rival in a winner-take-all Game 5 on Thursday.

Jeff Fisher is calling BS on Jon Gruden ... saying the coach was dead wrong when he claimed in an email that the NFL forced him and the Rams to draft Michael Sam.

Fisher released a lengthy statement late Tuesday night refuting Gruden's claim that Roger Goodell was the one who pressured the head coach to pick Sam in the 7th round of the 2014 NFL Draft due to the pass rusher's sexual orientation.

"As a head coach for over 20 years," Fisher said, "we drafted or didn't draft players based on a variety of qualities. Their sexual orientation would never -- and should never -- play a part in the decision-making process."

Fisher added, "The NFL never encouraged or discouraged me regarding the selection of a potential prospect."

In one of Gruden's many crass emails sent between 2011 and 2018 that were made public this week ... Jon wrote to a Washington Football Team exec that he believed Goodell urged Fisher to take Sam because he was gay.

In the email, Gruden used an anti-gay slur to describe Sam.

Fisher said in his statement he's still a big supporter of Sam's ... and praised the courage it took for him to go public with his sexual preference.

"I continue to support Michael, and his decision to come out as the first draft eligible openly gay player in the league," Fisher said. "It took courage to serve as a role model for those competitive football players who may also happen to be gay."

Sam played in all four of the Rams' preseason games in his rookie year ... but was cut just before the regular season began. He later signed a contract to join the Dallas Cowboys' practice squad, but was cut after just a few weeks there as well.