TMZ Sports - Page 50

#45 will be in the building for Game 4 of the World Series this weekend ... with Donald Trump reportedly slated to catch the Fall Classic between the Houston Astros and Atlanta Braves.

Of course, the former president is a huge baseball fan -- he's thrown numerous ceremonial first pitches over the years ... and more recently, played catch with Yankees legend Mariano Rivera on the White House lawn when he was still in office.

On top of that, Trump was set to throw the first pitch at a Nationals/Astros World Series game back in 2019 ... but he later declined to allow easier fan entry into the stadium.

Trump -- who got paid millions to call the Evander Holyfield/Vitor Belfort fight earlier this year -- appears to be attending as a fan this time around ... so the headset gets a rest on Saturday night.

It'll be interesting to hear how the crowd reacts -- the Donald is known to get a mixture of cheers and boos wherever he goes.

Commish Rob Manfred will also be in attendance on Saturday night ... after pulling the 2021 All-Star Game out of ATL due to discriminatory voter laws.

Worth noting -- Donald Trump had a huge issue with Manfred's decision ... so, safe to safe DT and the commish aren't exactly on the best of terms right now.

If the Braves end up winning Games 2 and 3, there's a chance Trump will watch the home team bring home the Commissioner's Trophy in Game 4 ... so it'll be a good game to catch.

A young fan got the surprise of a lifetime at her first-ever NBA game Tuesday ... with Russell Westbrook kicking off his shoes and gifting her the sneaks off his feet after the Lakers' win!!

The adorable moment happened after L.A.'s game against the Spurs in San Antonio ... when Westbrook noticed a young girl rockin' a LeBron James jersey and holding a purple and yellow sign.

The posterboard read: "Brodie, can I have your 👟👟" ... and Westbrook was quick to say yes!!

Cameras caught the L.A. superstar throwing her the shoes -- and you can see in her reaction, she was absolutely shocked by the adorable gesture!!

"In her first NBA game and Lakers game with an OT win nothing could have been better for her," the little girl's father wrote in a social media post following the game.

"She literally kept repeating 'I can't believe this is real.' I'm so proud of you for staying consistent and thankful for Brodie for being so generous and making this the best experience ever."

The post was so cool, it even caught the eye of Westbrook ... who wrote in the comment section, "Appreciate your support. Hope you guys enjoyed the game."

Alex Rodriguez might be out of Boston, but his trolls still appear to have followed him all the way to Houston -- 'cause the ex-MLB superstar was heckled with more Jennifer Lopez chants on Tuesday.

Just a week after A-Rod was bombarded by J Lo and Ben Affleck taunts at Fenway Park ... Rodriguez heard more of it at Game 1 of the World Series in Texas.

While the baseball player-turned-analyst was trying to break down the Braves' win over the Astros for Fox -- a crowd surrounding the stage heckled him incessantly over his ex.

"We love J Lo!" the crowd chanted over and over and over again.

To his credit, as he did in Boston, Rodriguez rolled with the punches ... and never appeared to crack once despite the ribbing.

Of course, Rodriguez and Lopez called off their engagement back in April ... and Lopez has since moved on into a new relationship with Affleck.

Mark Davis has a serious bone to pick with the NFL ... calling out the league for its timing of the Jon Gruden email scandal and claiming the Raiders were treated unfairly.

Davis spoke with reporters at the league's owners meeting in NYC on Tuesday ... saying he's pissed about the way the Gruden incident played out in the middle of the season.

The Las Vegas Raiders owner questioned why the NFL knew about Gruden's emails for months, but didn't notify the team sooner ... adding the team only found out from the Wall Street Journal the Thursday before the coach resigned, according to Albert Breer.

When asked if his team was treated unfairly throughout the incident, Davis responded, "We’re Raiders. We’re used to this."

As for the investigation into the culture within the Washington Football Team organization, Davis says he wants a written report on the findings ... but commish Roger Goodell has already stated the NFL will NOT make it public.

Byron Kennedy's now had three days to stew over returning a $500,000 ball to Tom Brady ... but he tells TMZ Sports he STILL has no regrets about handing over the pigskin.

We got the Tampa Bay Bucs superfan on Wednesday ... and he made it clear, he's not feeling down in the dumps one bit about giving away TB12's 600th TD ball on Sunday -- even after half a week to think about his decision.

"I think I did the right thing," Kennedy said. "I'm happy Tom has it."

As we previously reported, Mike Evans accidentally gave away the Brady ball to Kennedy following his touchdown catch against the Chicago Bears ... and after the Bucs asked for it back, Byron obliged.

The problem ... memorabilia experts say it was worth half a mil!!

Kennedy, though, has since been rewarded for his troubles ... the team hooked him up with tickets and swag, and Brady and Rob Gronkowski have since sent him cryptocurrency as well.

And, Byron tells us the return haul has been more than enough for him, saying, "It's all working out pretty well."

Fresh off beating a 200+ lb. Paulo Costa, Marvin Vettori already has his eye on Israel Adesanya, promising TMZ Sports he'll "f*** him up" the next time he sees Izzy.

Presumably, Marvin means in the Octagon ... and not on sight.

We talked to the UFC star outside a Beverly Hills restaurant Tuesday night -- just 3 days after the Costa fight -- and asked the 28-year-old fighter about Adesanya calling Marvin's fight with Paulo a "s*** show."

"He's full of s***. He never gives me credit, but he knows. He knows what's up. I'm the only guy who's gonna beat him, and eventually, I will. It's just a matter of time," Vettori says.

He continued ... "I saw clips of that video man, he's full of s***. I'm gonna f*** him up next time I see him, that's for sure."

The Vettori and Adesanya beef is nothing new. The men fought twice previously -- in 2018 and 2021 -- with Izzy winning both by decision, though, Marvin believes he was the true winner of their first fight in 2018.

Vettori -- who has wins over Kevin Holland and Jack Hermansson -- jumped up 3 spots in the middleweight rankings ... and now sits at #2, behind only Robert Whittaker and champ Adesanya.

Izzy and Rob are fighting early next year. So, what's next for Marvin in the meantime? We asked.

Cleveland ain't big enough for two Guardians -- at least, that's what a local roller derby team is claiming -- 'cause the "original" Cleveland Guardians are suing the MLB franchise in hopes of blocking its name change.

The Cleveland Guardians roller derby team filed the suit this week ... saying the MLB organization is trying to bully its way into using their name, despite the derby team claiming a "common law" trademark for using the branding in northeast Ohio dating back to 2013.

The derby team is accusing the baseball squad of being shady in the months leading up to the rebranding announcement in July ... claiming they "surreptitiously" filed a trademark for the Cleveland Guardians name "in the small, East African island nation of Mauritius, effectively hiding the application unless one knew where to look."

The derby team says the MLB club hit them up months later ... asking for pictures of jerseys and logos to determine if they were interested in acquiring the CG intellectual property.

Shortly after, the derby team claims the MLB team filed a trademark for a logo that looks "remarkably" like their logo.

The Guardians derby team claims the MLB name change has caused serious issues ... in fact, it claims it cannot fulfill merchandise orders due to suppliers believing the baseball team has the rights to the name ... and its website has crashed due to increased traffic.

Gary Sweatt -- the derby team owner -- eventually reached back out to the MLB team's lawyers in hopes of striking a deal over the naming rights, but says the baseball squad "only offered to pay a nominal amount, likely no more than fifteen minutes of annual team revenue."

All hell broke loose at a dog show in Florida last weekend -- when people threw haymakers AND chairs at each other in an insane brawl -- and the wild scene was all caught on video!

The fight went down at an event called the Miami Bully Takeover at the Doubletree by Hilton Hotel near Miami airport last Saturday ... and it appeared to all start over a verbal argument between two women.

A spectator in the crowd caught the chaos on camera after things turned physical -- and you can see in the video, it's violent.

The footage shows two men striking each other, while another man picked up a chair and threw it. You can also see in the clip another person was being stomped out on the ground.

Eventually, the fight was broken up ... but a few seconds later, another fight started in a different area -- with more chairs and punches flying.

Security finally stepped in to shut everything down ... and thankfully, no humans or dogs were reported injured.

One of the organizers of the event -- which was a bully breed convention for dogs, owners, kennels, rescues and vendors -- apologized for the melee on social media following all the day's action.

"My heart really hurts and I know the money that goes into showing and We want to make it right and refund people that were unable to show," the organizer said. "I wanted to finish but the cops would not allow it."

"My shows are family shows and this really is hurtful and not the image I want people to see."

The organizer added, "It's truly sad that grown adults act like they did."

Soccer star Josh Cavallo -- who played for Australia's national U-20 team -- has announced he's gay ... saying in an emotional video he's tired of trying to live a "double life."

"It's exhausting," the 21-year-old said of trying to play soccer and keep his secret. "It's something that I don't want anyone to experience."

The Adelaide United player added in the video he's hopeful his announcement helps others come forward with their truths and live their lives without any hiding.

"I want to inspire and show people that it's OK to be yourself and play football," Cavallo said. "It's OK to be gay and play football."

Cavallo, according to CNN, is now the only openly gay "top-flight" player in the world.

Josh said the response to his announcement has been amazing ... and has caused him to ask himself "why have I been hiding this burden for so long?"

"I want to show all the other people that are struggling and that are scared -- whoever it may be -- that, don't act like someone you're not," Cavallo added. "Be yourself. You were meant to be yourself."

Top teams and orgs all over the globe have thrown their support behind Cavallo in the wake of his announcement ... with the Premier League saying in a tweet, "The footballing world is behind you and we wish you all the very best."

Atlanta Braves pitcher Charlie Morton etched his name into MLB lore Tuesday night ... 'cause he broke his leg during Game 1 of the World Series -- but still pitched on it!!

Morton took a comebacker off his shin in the 2nd inning of ATL's tilt with the Astros in Houston ... and right away, it was clear something was off with the Braves' ace.

Morton hobbled a bit back to the mound with a pained expression on his face -- but he still managed to get the next two outs to end the inning.

And, despite sitting in the dugout in pain while his team batted in the top of the 3rd inning, Morton still came out to pitch in the bottom of the inning!

The 37-year-old actually struck out Jose Altuve -- but was in so much pain, he was helped off the mound by trainers.

Atlanta officials later revealed Morton's X-rays showed he had broken his right fibula ... and they immediately ruled him out for the rest of the series with the 'Stros.

The Herculean effort, though, was not wasted ... because Morton's pitching helped Atlanta secure the Game 1 victory -- and now the Braves only need 3 more wins to take home the Commissioner's Trophy.

Marvin Vettori's badassery last week's already paying off ... 'cause Dana White tells TMZ Sports the UFC star could be tapped as the backup fighter for Israel Adesanya vs. Robert Whittaker's title fight.

Izzy, the champion, and Whittaker, the #1 contender, are fighting at UFC 271 in February ... and we asked White if 28-year-old Vettori would be selected as the fighter to step in should 1 of the men be unable to fight.

"It absolutely makes sense," Dana says.

FYI, Adesanya and Vettori fought in June at UFC 263. Israel won by unanimous decision.

Last week, Marvin, still fought -- and beat -- Paulo Costa ... despite the fact the fight took place at 205 lbs. after the Brazilian MMA star showed up fight week and declared he couldn't make weight.

It's likely that most fighters wouldn't have accepted the fight under those conditions ... but Marvin ain't most fighters.

"Listen, he's brilliant to take that fight. First of all, he's a stud. The guy isn't afraid of anybody or any circumstances. He showed up to fight no matter what the weight was gonna be. Didn't let any of that stuff get in his head," White says.

"Stayed cool, calm and composed the entire week. And, what it did for him, it probably made him the #2 ranked guy in the world."

And, Dana was exactly right ... the UFC Athlete Rankings came out Tuesday, and Marvin made a big jump, going up 3 spots all the way to #2.

Costa also fell 3 spots to #6, though, he's still listed as a Middleweight (185 lbs.) ... a division the UFC honcho says Paulo will NOT fight in again.

"[Costa] can't [fight at 185 lbs.]. He's already proven that he can't make the weight. Why would we go through this again? Why would we put him through that again? He's a 205-pound fighter now. We just gotta figure out what the next move is, and who he fights first in that division."

Dana also previewed the UFC's 2 upcoming cards -- UFC 267 and UFC 268 -- both of which are stacked.

267, going down on Fight Island this weekend, features Jan Blachowicz vs. Glover Teixeira, Petr Yan vs. Cory Sandhagen, Islam Makhachev vs. Dan Hooker and the return of Khamzat Chimaev vs. Li Jingliang.

The fan who gave up Tom Brady's 600th TD ball might not have the $500K pigskin, but his Coinbase account is surging in value, 'cause Rob Gronkowski and Mojo Muhtadi are hooking up the dude with over $30K in tokens!!

Gronk and Mojo (along with Steve Aoki) partnered with a new crypto company called Beyond Protocol earlier this year, Muhtadi tells TMZ Sports. BP says they specialize in tech that allows internet-connected devices to communicate safely.

Anyways, back to the Bucs fan, Byron Kennedy.

As we previously reported, TB12 joined Eli and Peyton Manning on MNF and announced he was giving the fan 1 Bitcoin -- currently worth about $60K -- for giving up the extremely valuable ball.

Cool, but still not worth half a milli (at least not yet).

Enter Mojo and Gronk ... Muhtadi tells us he spoke to the company, and they've decided to hook the fan up with 690 coins (if you know Mojo, you get this) worth about $44 each.

Do the math ... that's nearly $31K in value.

And, in addition to the BTC, Brady and the Bucs are hooking the fan up with a bunch of cool memorabilia ... including signed jerseys, a helmet, cleats, AND 2 season tickets for the rest of this season and next season.

Mark Few refused officers' orders repeatedly and appeared very annoyed and frustrated with cops during his DUI arrest in September, new police video obtained by TMZ Sports shows.

The Gonzaga men's basketball head coach was pulled over in Idaho at around 8 PM on Sept. 6 ... after authorities said he was swerving in his car and driving erratically.

And, in footage of the stop, you can see Few wasn't happy about any of it.

Few -- who told cops he was on his way home to Spokane from his vacation house -- initially refused to get out of his car when cops ordered him to ... and he then continuously stuffed his hands in his pockets despite officers telling him to keep them away from his shorts.

Later during the stop, Few refused to do any field sobriety tests -- claiming they were "totally subjective," and adding that previous injuries wouldn't allow him to do the tests properly.

Throughout questioning, Few grabbed his phone multiple times and attempted to call his attorney -- only to have cops tell him to put the device away.

Few told officers he had been swerving because he was trying to control the dogs in his car -- and he said emphatically that he believed he was okay to drive.

Video shows, though, the 58-year-old did admit to drinking beer earlier in the day.

After refusing to do the field sobriety tests, cops placed him in cuffs and put him in the back of a squad car.

Few later agreed to blow into a breathalyzer ... and cops say he blew a .119 and a .120 -- well above the legal limit of .08.

Few was eventually taken to a nearby medical facility to have his blood drawn ... and afterward, he was issued a citation and was allowed to be picked up by a friend.

Few was ultimately charged over the incident ... and pled guilty to misdemeanor DUI earlier this month. He was ordered to, among other things, perform community service and was placed on unsupervised probation for one year.

Former Patriots star Patrick Chung -- who won 3 Super Bowls with Tom Brady -- has been arrested for alleged domestic violence and vandalism, TMZ Sports has confirmed.

According to court documents, Chung was arrested by the Milton Police Department in Massachusetts on Monday.

Details surrounding the alleged incident are unclear ... but docs show prosecutors hit Chung with two charges on Tuesday -- vandalizing property and assault and battery on a family/household member.

The 34-year-old former New England defensive back is due in court later Tuesday for an arraignment hearing.

This is not Chung's first brush with the law -- as we previously reported, he was arrested back in 2019 after cops say they found him in possession of cocaine.

Chung was hit with a criminal charge over the allegations ... but he ultimately cut a plea deal with prosecutors to avoid jail time.

No word yet on if his arrest Monday violated any conditions of the agreement.

Chung just retired in March after an 11-year career in the NFL.

"Platinum" Mike Perry is taking his talents to the Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship -- the MMA fighter has inked a new deal after 5 years with the UFC ... and he's promising to wipe the floor with his competition.

30-year-old Perry -- who has wins over guys like Paul Felder, Mickey Gall and Alex Oliveira  -- did not have his contract with Dana White's org. renewed ... which made him free to follow Paige VanZant's lead to the BKFC.

Perry addressed the move on Tuesday, saying, "Let’s skip all the formalities! This sport is evolving and I am here to strike fear into the hearts of my competitors!"

"I plan to intimidate the world when I show what a truly skilled combat specialist is capable of with his bare hands."

The 14-8 fighter added ... "I will dismantle the opposition and reach the glory I have longed for my entire life. I will be crowned King of the streets and King of combat sports! They will make me a Platinum Crown and carry me on the bloody backs of my defeated rivals!"

"I am here to go straight to the top and make anyone think twice about entering my world! BKFC is my world!

Perry -- who last fought in April -- made headlines after a violent altercation in a Texas restaurant back in 2020 ... and sought treatment for alcohol abuse shortly after.

Before that, Perry was accused of getting physical with his ex-wife during a February incident ... but he adamantly denied ever touching her.

Things are getting tenser than a lethal game of Red Light, Green Light -- "Squid Game" creator Hwang Dong-hyuk heard LeBron James bashing the show's ending loud and clear ... and fired back by clowning his panned 'Space Jam' movie!!

James was heavily critical of the Netflix series' final scene ... discussing his dissatisfaction with Anthony Davis in front of reporters after a preseason game earlier this month (don't worry, we won't spoil it here ... but seriously, why haven't you watched yet?!?)

Hwang was asked about James' review in a recent interview with The Guardian ... and his response is clearly dissing the King's recent "Space Jam: A New Legacy" flick, which currently has a 26% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

"Have you seen Space Jam 2?" Hwang asked in response to James' comments.

"LeBron James is cool and can say what he wants. I respect that. I'm very thankful he watched the whole series."

So, will Hwang roll out an alternate ending to appease James' critique??? Don't hold your breath.

"But I wouldn't change my ending," he added. "That's my ending. If he has his own ending that would satisfy him, maybe he could make his own sequel. I'll check it out and maybe send him a message saying, 'I liked your whole show, except the ending.'"