TMZ Sports - Page 50

Two former Washington Nationals employees who coached pitching in the org's minor league ranks say the MLB team's COVID vaccine mandate wrongfully led to their firings earlier this year ... and now, they're suing over it all.

The two pitching coaches -- Lawrence Pardo and Brad Holman -- spelled it all out in a lawsuit filed Monday ... saying they did not want to take the vaccines for religious reasons.

But, in the docs, they say their requests for exemptions were rebuked by the Nationals ... and they were eventually terminated over it.

In the docs, Pardo and Holman say back on Aug. 12, the team issued a vaccine mandate, explaining if employees, excluding players, did not have at least one shot by Sept. 10, they'd be fired.

Both Pardo and Holman, though, say they could not take the shots because they claim the vaccines "were developed from or tested on aborted fetal cells."

As self-proclaimed strong opponents of abortion, Pardo and Holman both believed that gave them a religious exemption.

But, the two say the team denied their requests for exemptions ... and then canned them.

Pardo and Holman are now suing for damages, saying they were discriminated against on the basis of religion.

The Oklahoma City Thunder will no longer require proof of vaccination or testing to attend home games ... which means fans are one step closer to a normal basketball experience.

Effective December 1, folks hitting up OKC home games will no longer be subjected to the same protocols they were for the first 10 home games.

Before this announcement, fans would have to consent to testing or provide proof that they had been vaccinated against COVID ... and children ages 2-11 had to wear masks at the games.

FYI -- the Oklahoma Department of Health is reporting that the percentage of Oklahoma County residents age 12 and older who are fully or partially vaccinated has risen to 85%.

The Thunder's change comes as the number of COVID cases has dropped considerably, and hospitalizations have declined at similar rates ... paving way for the team to make changes.

Of course, the team consulted with health officials before making such a drastic decision ... discussing the data and vaccination rates across the state. After being encouraged by the numbers, the team decided to lift their current vaccine/testing mandates.

But, it's not completely over just yet -- fans with courtside seats will have to show proof of vax or test ... as those rules are determined by the league.

Tennis star Peng Shuai told International Olympic Committee officials she's not in danger during a video call over the weekend, insisting there's nothing to worry about, but the Women's Tennis Association (WTA) is still concerned about the star player.

The 35-year-old former #1 ranked doubles player in the world seemingly vanished around 3 weeks ago after accusing a powerful former Chinese politician of sexual assault on social media.

The post was taken down ... and Shuai wasn't heard from for weeks. Then, top tennis players like Serena Williams, Naomi Osaka, and Novak Djokovic took notice -- along with the WTA -- and demanded action.

Cue the 30-minute Zoom call ... with IOC prez Thomas Bach, and 2 other officials.

"Peng Shuai thanked the IOC for its concern about her well-being. She explained that she is safe and well, living at her home in Beijing, but would like to have her privacy respected at this time. That is why she prefers to spend her time with friends and family right now," the IOC said in a statement issued following the call.

After they spoke, another IOC official said they were convinced the 2013 Wimbledon doubles winner was safe and healthy after the call.

"I was relieved to see that Peng Shuai was doing fine, which was our main concern. She appeared to be relaxed. I offered her our support and to stay in touch at any time of her convenience, which she obviously appreciated."

But, not everyone's content with the call. The WTA, which has done an incredible job demanding answers from Chinese officials, still have concerns over Peng's safety.

"It was good to see Peng Shuai in recent videos, but they don't alleviate or address the WTA's concern about her well-being and ability to communicate without censorship or coercion," a WTA spokesperson told ESPN.

When asked specifically about the IOC's Zoom call, the WTA spokesperson said, "This video does not change our call for a full, fair and transparent investigation, without censorship, into her allegation of sexual assault, which is the issue that gave rise to our initial concern."

After not being seen or heard from for weeks, Peng's been more visible lately. In addition to the video call on Sunday, Shuai was also seen at a tennis tournament in Beijing on Saturday.

Bronny James was forced to give up his sick kicks over the weekend ... and it's all 'cause he lost a free-throw competition to a TikTokker.

For real.

Here's the deal ... LeBron James' oldest son entered into a bet with rising TikTok star "NeverMissAllie" -- agreeing to hand over the sneakers off his feet if he made fewer shots than the social media expert.

And, after Allie made nine of her 10 attempts ... Bronny stepped to the line -- and folded.

Check out the footage the TikTokker posted over the weekend ... the Sierra Canyon standout missed two of his first six shots, and when Allie gave him another chance, he still missed another one just three shots later.

Allie -- who has over half a million TikTok followers -- then promptly took Bronny's shoes ... which had to be a tough pill for the teenager to swallow, considering they appear to be Jordan 1 Union Los Angeles Blue Toes, which run for about $2,000 on resale sites.

To his credit, Bronny was a good sport about it all ... and gave Allie props for the sharpshooting.

Henry Ruggs is back in the public eye ... the ex-Raiders star just showed up to a Las Vegas courthouse after a judge ordered him to appear over a missed breath test.

Ruggs entered the court in a black shirt, black pants and black bowtie -- and walked with seemingly no issues whatsoever.

Of course, the last time we saw Ruggs in public was in a courtroom on Nov. 3 -- the day after he was accused of slamming his Corvette into a Toyota and killing a woman and her dog.

At that hearing, where Ruggs posted bond and was released from custody, the football player was seen in a neck brace and a wheelchair.

The 22-year-old, though, appeared to be just fine Monday morning ... showing no signs of long-term injuries suffered in the crash.

As we previously reported, Ruggs was ordered to appear before a judge Monday after he allegedly missed a required alcohol breath test.

As part of the conditions of his release, Ruggs has been ordered to submit to alcohol testing several times a day -- and at a hearing last week, a judge said he missed one of those check-ins.

There's a chance Ruggs could be put back behind bars over it all -- the hearing to discuss the matter is currently underway right now. We'll keep you posted on how it unfolds.

Pittsburgh Steelers defensive end Cam Heyward is apologizing after socking Justin Herbert in the stomach during Sunday Night Football ... saying "there was nothing malicious behind it."

The controversial play went down with just over 9 minutes left in the 4th quarter of the wild matchup ... when 32-year-old Heyward chased Herbert down and tackled him after a 36-yard scramble.

After the play, Heyward remained on top of Herbert for several seconds ... before Chargers WR Joshua Palmer rushed up to push him off. Both guys then got into a shoving match before Heyward unloaded the gut-punch on Herbert.

Heyward was hit with an unnecessary roughness penalty as a result of the play ... and explained his side of things to reporters after the 41-37 loss.

"To be honest, I was running after the ball, and I caught my hand under, so when I was trying to get back up, I couldn't get up, and I fell back on him."

"I know it looks terrible, (but) there was nothing malicious behind it. I don't think I was trying to punch him, but I know it looks worse than it is in slow motion. I'm sorry if I did anything to offend anybody."

"I wish I had said more to Justin after, but there was nothing behind it."

Herbert didn't seem to mind the play -- he even complimented Heyward's toughness and said whatever happened on the field will stay there.

The Green Bay Packers say they're heartbroken over the Christmas parade crash in Wisconsin that left 5 people dead ... calling the tragedy a "terrible, senseless act."

The NFL org. released a statement in support of the victims hours after the mayhem erupted on Sunday ... saying, "Our thoughts are with the community of Waukesha this evening."

As we previously reported, a red Ford Escape sped into a Xmas parade this weekend in Waukesha, WI -- two hours south of Green eBay -- running over several spectators.

Multiple witnesses captured footage of the chaos ... showing the SUV flying down the street before plowing into people who were marching in the parade.

At this time, Waukesha police have confirmed 5 people were killed and over 40 were injured.

"We are grateful for the first responders and others who assisted the injured and comforted those in need," the Packers said in their statement.

"We share our condolences with those who lost loved ones. As a statewide community, we must all come together to support each other in these difficult times."

Arizona Cardinals star J.J. Watt -- who is from the Waukesha area -- said he was also devastated to learn of the tragedy Sunday ... calling it all "horrific."

"Truly hoping everyone is going to be ok and those not involved are now safe," the five-time All-Pro said. "Thankful to everyone who rushed to action and helped the wounded."

Odell Beckham Jr.'s trade to Los Angeles is now officially the second biggest life event of the wide receiver's year so far ... 'cause the NFL star just revealed he's going to be a dad!

The new Rams player and his model GF, Lauren Wood, made the announcement Sunday ... with Wood going public with her pregnant belly for the first time in a social media post.

The model -- who's been dating OBJ for two years -- seemed to reveal the couple is having a daughter ... 'cause she captioned the pic with a girl emoji as well as three "I love you" comments.

Odell and Wood went IG official way back in November 2019 ... and they've been nearly inseparable since, with Wood showing up to his games often and also helping him through his various rehabs over the years.

As for soon-to-be grandpa Odell Beckham Sr. ... he was fired up to share the news Sunday too -- writing on his Instagram, "WHHHAAAA… #LOVEIT."

No word yet on when Baby Beckham is due ... but it appears there could be a chance it's at some point this football season.

LeBron James elbowed a guy in the face during his game in Detroit -- and while the receiving player bled out of his face ... he started to come after the King in a fury. The fight led to both players being ejected.

Pistons' big man Isaiah Stewart got tangled up with LBJ Sunday during the Lakers game there in town, and while LeBron was trying to box out IS -- he turned around and nicked him in the eye ... in what many took as a cheap shot.

The elbow to the dome sent Stewart tumbling, but he was back up to his feet in a hurry ... and came face-to-face with LeBron, and started to tussle with him right there on the court.

Teammates scrambled in to separate the two -- this as Stewart's face started to gush blood -- but it became clear very quickly that he wasn't over the ordeal, and was ready to get into a full-blown melee. Watch how much it took to restrain him ... a couple different times.

By the end, Stewart was being dragged into the locker room tunnel by his teammates and coaching staff -- but even then, he broke away from them and started bolting it ... presumably looking to come around the other side to get his hands on LeBron.

Luckily, nothing crazy ended up happening beyond this -- but for a moment there, it made for a scary scene ... and had strong Malice at the Palace vibes, something no one wants to recreate.

The view from the crowd was just as insane ... as you could see Stewart tearing past people on the court in an effort to get to LBJ. There were even announcers in the building instructing people to stay in their seat -- which tells you how serious it was getting.

Pat Riley says he expects to see Meyers Leonard back in an NBA jersey at some point ... telling TMZ Sports he believes the hooper's basketball career ain't over despite his previous use of an anti-Semitic slur.

The former Heat center has been out of the league since he was filmed on a live stream dropping the k-word ... but he's worked tirelessly to educate himself on the Jewish community since.

The 29-year-old famously met a bunch of kids at a synagogue in Boca Raton in June ... and also teamed up with an anti-hate organization to speak at a virtual seminar back in August.

Riley has clearly taken note of Leonard's actions ... and he guaranteed the 6-foot-10 basketball player would get a second opportunity in the NBA in the future.

"He's going to play basketball again," the Miami Heat president told us out at LAX. "He will."

Riley, though, said he wasn't sure if that opportunity would come from the Heat.

Serena and Venus Williams are taking their new Hollywood shine in stride -- and that stride led them straight to the Caribbean.

The Williams family was in the Bahamas this weekend, with several folks from their brood in tow -- including their mom, Oracene, Serena's husband, Alexis Ohanian, and their daughter, Olympia.

We're told they came in by yacht and docked at the Staniel Cay Yacht Club -- where they took part in some neat sightseeing... including shark petting nearby.

As you can see ... Venus and Serena were getting down in there to pet and feed the nurse sharks, but funny enough ... we're told Serena was actually kinda freaked out -- although she worked up the courage to make contact.

Looks like they did a lot more than just this -- there's photos and video of the family snorkeling and enjoying the gorgeous surrounding water. Well deserved, too, after their big movie drop this week.

Tiger Woods has resumed swinging a golf club again ... the legendary ball-striker just posted a video of the incredible feat, and he looks GOOD.

The 45-year-old -- who badly injured his right leg in a car crash back in February -- showed the footage on Sunday morning ... revealing he's been cleared to swing his irons again.

In the clip, Tiger can be seen hitting a ball at far less than 100 percent of his normal, pre-crash swing ... but the strike is still clean and the ball still traveled far nonetheless.

It should be noted, Tiger's divot pattern on the ground suggests he took a BUNCH of swings during the session ... and it seems he was planning to take even more given the number of range balls left in his basket.

It's all an amazing sight for Tiger and golf fans -- particularly considering how Woods looked while walking into a hotel in Los Angeles just days ago.

Tiger was spotted sporting a noticeable limp ... and many wondered how it'd possible for him to swing a club again given how gingerly he was moving.

Chinese tennis star Peng Shuai has resurfaced -- so it appears -- after being MIA for weeks.

Peng was front and center at a Beijing tennis tournament Sunday ... an event sponsored by the China Open.

The 35-year-old former doubles champ is wearing a dark blue blazer as she poses with guests at the Fila Kids Junior Tennis Challenger Finals.

The photo was posted on the org's WeChat page.

Peng had not been seen since November 2, when she accused former vice-premier Zhang Gaoli of sexually assaulting her. The 2 had an on-again-off-again relationship over the years.

The allegation had swift consequences ... Peng's social media post -- where she made the accusation -- was deleted and China's censored media ignored the story.

What's unclear ... whether the photo is part of a staged event and is Peng being held hostage. She has not freely emerged and spoken since she made her allegation.

The Women's Tennis Ass'n has made it clear ... they will not play in China until Peng's fate is clear. Members of the group are skeptical that the picture shows Peng posing of her own free will.

There have been other photos that have surfaced as well ... which show Peng having dinner Saturday night at a Beijing restaurant.

Naomi Osaka and Novak Djokovic have spoken out on the disappearance of Peng.

Naomi said, "Hey everyone, not sure if you've been following the news but I was recently informed of a fellow tennis player that has gone missing shortly after revealing that she has been sexually abused."

"Censorship is never ok at any cost, I hope Peng Shuai and her family are safe and ok. I'm in shock of the current situation and I'm sending love and light her way. #whereispengshuai"

DaBaby was allegedly assaulted by his baby mama DaniLeigh, and now her brother wants to beat the crap out of him ... legally, of course.

We got Brandon Bills at The Grove in Los Angeles and talked to him about challenging his sister's ex to a celebrity boxing match.

Brandon, who's also a rapper himself, says he would win handily ... guaranteeing the fight would end with DaBaby out cold on the canvas.

As we reported ... DaBaby and DaniLeigh got into a blowout argument this week in North Carolina, and cops later charged her with 2 counts of simple assault after police made 2 visits to DaBaby's home.

DaBaby also posted a video where he seemed to accuse her of using their baby for clout, vowing to take care of the child himself despite all the drama playing out in the public eye.

TMZ Sports has obtained video of Nigel Bradham's weed bust arrest ... and in the footage, you can clearly see cops seizing a firearm from the NFL player's Corvette.

The stop all went down in Leon County, Fla. on Nov. 13 ... after police say they discovered the tag on his sportscar did not belong to the ride.

During the stop ... officers say they found 3.5 pounds of marijuana as well two guns in the expensive whip.

In the police dashcam footage from the scene, you can see one officer pulled a gun from the glove box right after pulling over the former Philadelphia Eagles linebacker.

Later, after putting 32-year-old Bradham in the back of a squad car, officers can be seen pulling bags of what looks like weed from the vehicle.

At one point during the video, you can hear an officer claiming he found a second gun in the car -- saying into his mic, "He told me there wasn't another one, and there's another one. Frickin' A bud."

Bradham was eventually arrested and hit with two felony weed charges -- as well as one felony gun charge. Cops say one of the firearms removed from the car came back as stolen when they checked the system.

The 2022 FIFA World Cup is exactly one year away ... and unlike 2018 when the United States failed to even qualify for the tourney, soccer legend Alexi Lalas tells TMZ Sports Team USA can make a deep run this time around.

We talked to Lalas -- a FOX Sports broadcaster who will be covering the World Cup for the network -- and asked him how far the USA needs to advance (should they qualify for the WC, as expected) in order to make the tournament a success.

"What's success? Obviously getting out of the group. I don't care if it's the group of death or it looks like the easiest group on paper. Ultimately, it's a World Cup, there's a reason why these teams are there," Alexi says.

"But, at this point, in 2022, in November 2022 in Qatar, you're the U.S. Men's National Team, you should expect them to be successful, to absolutely get out of the group and to go on and hopefully do good things."

FYI, Lalas -- considered one of the greatest American soccer players ever -- played for the U.S. National team from 1991 to 1998. He was one of the best players in the 1994 World Cup.

Botton line ... the soccer legend says we've never seen a team like this.

"This U.S. Men's National Team, I'm hard-pressed to find a point where we have been more optimistic about this group."

Remember, the U.S. lost to Trinidad and Tobago during the last qualifying match leading up to the 2018 World Cup ... and was considered a low point for American soccer.

But, the current U.S. squad is different. In fact, they're the top-ranked team in Concacaf (standing for Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football), and the #12 ranked team in the world.

What's even more exciting for soccer fans in the States is the team's prospects in 2026, Alexi says, when North America will host the World Cup.