TMZ Sports - Page 50

Cynthia Bailey and Mike Hill are denying allegations he sent nude photos and videos to another woman ... and he says the anonymous accuser needs to seek help for spreading lies.

We got the former 'RHOA' star and her sportscaster husband Tuesday at LAX and our photog asked how annoying it's been for the couple to deal with claims of infidelity.

Cynthia and Mike are clearly bugged by the rumors ... they both say there's no truth behind the allegations and they're not sure how this even came to be.

In case you missed it ... there was a social media user claiming Mike sent a woman nudes on Snapchat ... but the account that made the cheating claims has since been deleted.

Cynthia tells us things between her and Mike are great and the rumors are just rumors ... and they don't know who is behind it all.

The Atlanta Braves punished the Astros, and then they pummeled the Houston locker room with booze -- and video of their celebration is EPIC!!!

Just minutes after the Braves beat the 'Stros 7-0 in Game 6 to win the World Series ... they hit the showers and had a wild celly.

It all kicked off with a speech from manager Brian Snitker -- and as soon as he finished praising his team, the guys went crazy!!

Check out the footage, they sprayed the 66-year-old down from head-to-toe with champagne ... getting it all up in his eyes (we're sure it hurt so good!).

The dudes then broke out cigars and more booze -- soaking in every bit of the team's first championship since 1995.

As for on the field, Jorge Soler won the World Series MVP award ... piling up 3 home runs in the 6 games against Houston.

No word yet on what the slugger and the rest of the guys did to celebrate after they left the locker room and headed home ... but we're sure it included more alcohol and more stogies.

Stores selling Las Vegas Raiders merchandise are yanking Henry Ruggs items from their shelves ... with several outlets already removing the receiver's jerseys, shirts and memorabilia after his fatal DUI incident.

TMZ Sports spoke with an employee at the Locker Room by Lids in Vegas, who told us they were given direct orders to cease all sales of Ruggs-related merch just hours after the tragic incident.

The Raider Image -- the team's official online store -- has completely scrubbed Ruggs from its site ... and a search for "Ruggs" or "Henry Ruggs III" comes back with zero results.

To compare, a search for Ruggs' backup, Bryan Edwards, shows his jersey is available for purchase.

We also spoke with another local shop that sells Raiders merch ... and while they say they haven't been told to pull Ruggs items just yet, we're told it's just a matter of time.

We broke the story ... Ruggs was arrested on charges of DUI with serious bodily harm and reckless driving with death/serious bodily harm after crashing his Corvette into a Toyota RAV4 early Tuesday morning.

A 23-year-old woman died as a result of the accident.

Raiders star wide receiver Henry Ruggs III -- the 12th overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft -- was involved in a serious car accident in Las Vegas Tuesday morning.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ Sports ... 22-year-old Ruggs was in a wreck in the central Las Vegas Valley area around 3:40 AM.

No word on if cops believe alcohol or drugs played a factor in the accident. It's still unclear what Ruggs' condition is. There is a local report that says there was at least one fatality in the crash.

Prior to the crash, it appears Ruggs was at a local Top Golf location in Vegas, he posted video from the facility just before midnight.

Ruggs was a superstar for the Alabama Crimson Tide from 2017-19 ... winning a national championship in 2017. The Montgomery, AL native is having a breakout year for the Raiders ... with 24 receptions, 469 yards and 2 touchdowns.

Ruggs has previously spoken out about his inspiration to play football ... saying it was a childhood friend who encouraged him to try out. The friend tragically passed away at 17 years old, and the receiver has honored him with a salute after every touchdown.

We've reached out to Ruggs' camp and the Raiders for comment. So far, no word back.

Two of the families whose loved ones perished in the Kobe Bryant helicopter crash just agreed to settlements with L.A. County over the alleged sharing of crash site photos of remains -- but Vanessa Bryant is still at war.

The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors approved $2.5 million to be split between the families of Christine Mauser and Keri, John and Alyssa Altobelli ... according to docs. Mauser's husband, Matthew, gets $1.25 mil, and the Altobelli's 2 surviving children get the same.

According to the L.A. Times, which first reported the settlement, counsel for the county suggested settling with the families would be the best route as they continue to deal with Vanessa's lawsuit, and one from Chris Chester ... whose wife and child died in the crash.

The outlet says the lawsuits have already cost L.A. County an estimated $1.29 million in legal fees.

Meanwhile, Vanessa and Chris' suits are still playing out in court ... and could be headed for trial in the near future. Speaking of them, a judge denied L.A. County's motion seeking psychiatric evaluations of Vanessa and Chris, ruling it came too late in the case.

The county argued that the psychiatric evaluations would help determine if their emotional distress was actually related to crash photos that she and the public have never seen.

Tennis legend Mardy Fish says he might not be alive if it weren't for his wife ... crediting her with getting him out of a really bad place with his mental health struggles.

Mardy joined us on "TMZ Live" Tuesday and got real with us about some of his bouts with anxiety, which became so overwhelming at one point he pulled out at the last minute from a big U.S. Open match with Roger Federer .... years before professional athletes opened up about their mental health struggles.

The way Mardy tells it ... his better half, Stacey Gardner, was able to pull him out from a dark place and change his perspective with some sage advice at a moment when he was having panic attacks every single day. The epiphany gave him the strength to withdraw from the 2012 U.S. Open match he was supposed to play. Instead, he faced the media and was candid about his issues.

Mardy went on to champion mental health and how it affects athletes in particular, who traditionally were trained to bottle up their emotions because it was viewed as weakness.

Mardy, who was diagnosed with severe anxiety disorder, is now mentoring young tennis players dealing with some of the same issues he went through ... and there's a new Netflix documentary on his journey, "Untold: Breaking Point."  He's also the captain of the U.S. Davis Cup team.

A quadriplegic gamer just lost everything after his house caught on fire while he was gaming on Twitch -- and it was all caught on a live stream.

The scary incident happened last weekend when Lance Carr -- gamer name GimpyG -- was playing "Diablo 2: Resurrected" on Twitch for his hundreds of followers.

You can see in the footage, GimpyG is playing when outta nowhere he says "wait, we're calling 911?!?"

GimpyG then yells, "our garage is on fire!!! What happened?? Do I gotta go??"

Carr's nephew, Trenton, moves him quickly out of the room leaving the stream on -- and moments later, you can see the room fill up with smoke.

Thankfully, everyone is okay ... but the house was completely destroyed -- GimpyG said the fire was so fierce, it even damaged his wheelchair during his escape.

"The fire was so intense my wheelchair van also burned even though it was in front of the garage."

"Family and strangers risked their lives and rescued me running in and out of my home through billowing smoke."

GimpyG says his family lost everything including the equipment he needs to get around. He's set up a GoFundMe for help.

"For most this would be unfortunate but my needs are many and every tool family used to care for me is gone."

Time heals all wounds, right?? Not for Scottie Pippen ... 'cause he's STILL going off on Michael Jordan over the 'Last Dance' doc, claiming the Bulls legend used the series as propaganda to prove he's better than LeBron James.

Pippen -- who's been outspoken against the mega-popular Netflix show -- is crapping all over it once again in his upcoming memoir, "Unguarded" ... saying MJ was so worried about younger fans calling LeBron the G.O.A.T., he decided to release the multi-part series to show off his greatness.

“Michael was determined to prove to the current generation of fans that he was larger-than-life during his day -- and still larger than LeBron James, the player many consider his equal, if not superior," Scottie said in an excerpt published by GQ.

Pippen criticized MJ for making the doc all about him ... essentially discrediting the role that Scottie and the other Bulls’ players had in winning so many championships.

"They glorified Michael Jordan while not giving nearly enough praise to me and my proud teammates," Pippen says in the book.

"Even in the second episode, which focused for a while on my difficult upbringing and unlikely path to the NBA, the narrative returned to MJ and his determination to win. I was nothing more than a prop. His 'best teammate of all time,' he called me. He couldn’t have been more condescending if he tried."

Pippen also says there's a reason why 'Last Dance' put so much emphasis on MJ ... saying, "Michael deserved a large portion of the blame. The producers had granted him editorial control of the final product. The doc couldn’t have been released otherwise. He was the leading man and the director."

The Cleveland Guardians are continuing to take steps toward moving on from their past ... beginning the process of removing a huge "Indians" sign from Progressive Field on Tuesday.

The giant, 80-foot aluminum logo has been at the venue since 1994 ... but as the team transitions away from its old name, crews have now begun the teardown of the script imagery.

Workers started with the top of the I, carefully removing it with the help of cranes and cables. The rest of the sign is expected to come down later this week.

The team is trying to replace it with a new "Guardians" sign for the 2022 season.

As we previously reported, Cleveland's MLB team moved on from its former nickname after it had been seen as divisive and offensive to Indigenous people for years.

In July, the team announced it would be switching to the "Guardians" -- a nod to the "guardians of traffic" on the city's Hope Memorial Bridge.

NASCAR is requiring Kyle Busch to undergo sensitivity training ... after he used the R-word in a post-race interview over the weekend.

Officials announced the punishment Monday night ... saying Busch will have to complete the training "before the start of the 2022 season."

Busch used the offensive term after the NASCAR Cup playoff race at Martinsville on Sunday ... while he was ranting about fellow driver Brad Keselowski's antics on the track.

"It's frickin' [r-word], man. So stupid," Busch said of Keselowski. "I don't understand these guys. I should beat the s*** out of him right now, is what I should do."

"But, that doesn't do me any good, either."

Busch apologized for the remark hours after the race ... saying in a statement on his social media page, "I used a word I should never use and I want to apologize for it."

Things are getting ugly in Cleveland -- Odell Beckham Sr. is all but fed up with how his son is being used in the Browns offense ... posting an 11-minute-long video exposing Baker Mayfield for all the times he's missed a wide-open OBJ.

Of course, Beckham Jr. had a career-low in Sunday's loss against the Steelers -- only logging in one catch for 6 yards.

The performance appears to be the straw that broke the camel's back for OBS ... 'cause he went to Instagram to call out Mayfield by sharing a video titled, "Odell Beckham is Always Open for the Cleveland Browns in 2021."

In the clip, you can see the 28-year-old receiver wide open numerous times ... and Mayfield either not looking his way, throwing a bad pass or missing him completely.

Beckham Sr. shared his thoughts on the whole situation with a number of hashtags ... some saying, "#imhurtinfr #playinghurt #ihurt4him #thisreallyhurts #veryhurtful #disrespectful #whenihurthehurtikno #iloveclevelandlikeilovehome #ilovemysonMO #7-eleven #open #24/7 #ALLLOVE❤️#BEckhamLEGENDARY"

Fans voiced their opinions about this disconnect between OBJ and Mayfield on Beckham Sr.'s post -- including NBA superstar Damian Lillard, who said "this crazy."

Beckham Sr. even responded to a couple of comments ... including one fan who said, "So Eli (Manning) and Baker are the problem, not Odell? He is a talented individual but not bigger than the team."

Beckham Sr.'s reply, "Lol LIL BOY' 'the game ain't 2 be told it's 2 be SODL' DON'T PLAY WITH ME, GO PLAY WIT CHA XXXXy."

Sheesh.

But, let's be real -- OBJ and Mayfield haven't been able to put up any big numbers since his arrival in 2019. He only has 1,586 receiving yards and 7 touchdowns.

That's a major decline from OBJ's Giants days -- for example, he had 1,450 yards and 13 touchdowns with Eli Manning in his 2015 season alone.

As if Texas' football season couldn't get any worse -- a monkey belonging to Longhorns special teams coach Jeff Banks' GF is being accused of attacking a young trick or treater on Halloween ... but the woman says it's all the kid's fault.

A report late Monday night claimed the white-faced capuchin "seriously hurt" a boy during Halloween festivities ... with the monkey's jaws having to be "pried" open to free the child.

Banks' GF, Danielle Thomas -- AKA "Pole Assassin," a professional pole dancer once featured on "Jerry Springer" -- admitted something happened, but quickly defended her monkey ... claiming she was hosting a haunted event at her place, and the kid went where he wasn't supposed to.

"I had a haunted house on one side gated off/ he had no permission to go pass the gate i had no idea he went in my back yard," Thomas posted on Twitter before scrapping her account.

Thomas also claims she had no idea her monkey bit anyone until a local doctor told her about a "small bite."

Thomas says the kids were told to turn around when they came to a set of balloons ... and an "11/12" year old should be old enough to follow the rules and not venture off in someone's yard without permission. She even posted a video detailing the kid's assumed walk to the monkey cage ... with a sign that reads "Do Not Enter, emotional support animal, no touching."

"How could she viciously bite someone if they don't stick their hand in there where they don't belong?" Thomas said in the video.

We've reached out to law enforcement ... so far, no word back.

James Harden gave a group of NYC kids a day they'll never forget Monday ... showing up to a Harlem playground to help them paint -- and providing words of encouragement.

Harden teamed up with Publicolor -- a not-for-profit youth development org. for at-risk and low-income NYC students -- for the gesture ... and pics from the event show it was all awesome.

The Beard helped paint walls -- using all of his 6-foot-5 frame to splash on swaths of yellow and blue -- and he also posed for a ton of pics with the kids as well.

The NBA star told media members on the scene that he was able to deliver inspiring messages too ... saying he told the group, "Keep pushing. Every day isn't going to be perfect. We all have bad days. We all have days where it's not great. We're human."

Harden added, "And as long as they can get that at a young age and keep pushing and keep fighting and stay focused on school and taking care of their families, good things will happen."

Publicolor’s founder Ruth Lande Shuman praised Harden for coming out ... while the org. also tweeted a giant thank you to the Nets guard for showing up.

"We had such a great time with you today!" Publicolor officials said. "Thank you so much for helping us transform PS 149 in Harlem!

Jason Momoa is killing time as he quarantines after contracting COVID-19 -- but he at least has some good (and skilled) company that'll flip his wig ... not to mention flipping a board.

The "Aquaman" star is isolating at his crib -- this after coming down with the virus following the premiere of his newest flick, "Dune," in London a couple weeks ago. He's got an update for fans ... he's doing alright, and his quarantine buddy is totally shredding.

It looks like Jason is hunkering down with pro skateboarder Erik Ellington ... whom he refers to as his roommate. He threw up a video of the guy doing a kickflip inside the residence ... going from the top of one step down to the kitchen floor, which impressed JM.

Unclear why exactly they're sheltering in place together -- presumably Erik also caught the 'rona while in Jason's company -- but in any case ... they're keeping each other entertained.

BTW, Jason also knows how to shred the gnar ... guy's a seasoned skater himself, and was hitting half pipes during the pandemic last year.

Anyway, check out this video ... besides the sweet tricks going down at his pad, Jason also seems to be ready to roll out a new sneaker he's been working on that's environmentally friendly.

Quavo is hoping time away from the Falcons is what Calvin Ridley needs ... telling TMZ Sports he wants to see the Atlanta star receiver get better ASAP.

We got the rapper -- who's one of the biggest Falcons fans on the planet -- out in NYC on Monday ... and he made it clear he has no issues whatsoever with Ridley stepping away from his favorite team in order to focus on his mental health.

Quavo wished Ridley a speedy recovery ... telling our camera guy before heading into a secret show for NBA Top Shot, "I hope he get well."

Ridley missed the Falcons' game against the Jets earlier this season for a personal matter ... and after missing the team's loss to the Panthers for the same reason -- the 26-year-old explained he's been battling mental health issues the last few weeks and needs time away from the gridiron.

"I need to step away from football at this time and focus on my mental wellbeing," he said Sunday. "This will help me be the best version of myself now and in the future."

No timetable has been given for a potential return to the lineup ... but every one from his teammates to his former head coach, Dan Quinn, has supported his decision.

Nate Diaz vs. Khamzat Chimaev could be coming to an Octagon near you very soon ... 'cause Dana White tells TMZ Sports he's down to make the fight, and plans to talk to the Stockton fighter.

After 27-year-old Chimaev put on another DOMINATING performance, toying with, and then submitting Jingliang Li in the first round at UFC 267, "Borz" called out Nate, saying, “Let’s see who is the real gangster,”

We talked to White Monday afternoon and asked him if the UFC was interested in hashing out a deal for the mega-fight.

"100%," White says ... "We're gonna talk to Nate about it."

36-year-old Diaz -- one of the UFC's biggest stars -- last fought in June ... losing in a unanimous decision to Leon Edwards.

Despite taking the L, Nate nearly stopped the top 5 contender in the 5th round, before running out of time.

As far as the undefeated Chimaev (10-0), he's been nothing short of incredible in his 4 fights in the UFC.

"This guy is like nothing anybody has ever seen. When you think about it he's got more UFC wins than he's been hit inside the Octagon. Insane!"

We also talked to Dana about some of the other standouts from 267 ... including Islam Makhachev (who's next?) and Petr Yan (can any bantamweight beat him?).