TMZ Sports - Page 33

It's Kuh-nay-guh.

High school sports star Noah Knigga has become quite the internet sensation for much more than his athletic accomplishments recently ... but he wants everyone to know his name is safe for everyone to say -- as long as it's pronounced correctly.

The athlete and his family did an interview with Robert Griffin III this week ... and they answered the burning question surrounding their surname.

Of course, social media has been having a field day with the whole phenomenon ... firing off jokes left and right as it comes SUPER close to a word that could get a lot of folks canceled real quick.

Even RGIII had fun with it during the Q&A ... asking the Kniggas if they've ever been to Paris -- a reference to the famous Jay-Z and Kanye West song.

FWIW -- the Kniggas have never visited the City of Lights.

But friendly jabs aside, Noah -- a junior at Lawrenceburg High in Indiana -- is being recruited by multiple Division I schools to play football ... and recently won MVP honors in a basketball tournament over the weekend, so his game is no joke.

The accolades for Kobe Bryant and Tiger Woods continue to pour in ... it was just revealed the two sports legends will now be inducted into the newly created Orange County Hall of Fame in California later this week!!

The late NBA superstar and the golfing icon will join eight others -- including Gwen Stefani and Walt Disney -- as part of the new HOF's first-ever class.

The ceremony will kick off on Friday at the County Administration North (CAN) Building in Santa Ana -- about an hour southeast of Los Angeles.

The HOF was launched early last year to recognize those who "shaped Orange County through their remarkable contributions" ... and officials deemed the Black Mamba and the Big Cat as two people who it just had to recognize first.

Bryant, of course, played in Southern California for 20 seasons with the Los Angeles Lakers ... spending most of those years living in Newport Beach with his family before his tragic death in 2020.

Woods, meanwhile, grew up in Orange County ... learning how to strike balls in Cypress before his golfing career really took off.

Both athletes have previously gotten honors in the county -- officials declared Aug. 24 as Kobe Bryant Day following his passing ... while Woods has his own Tiger Woods Learning Center in Anaheim that's helped over two million students through its programs.

In addition to Woods, Bryant, Stefani and Disney ... American diver Greg Louganis -- who won gold medals at the 1984 and 1988 Summer Games -- and seven-time Olympic swimming medalist Amanda Beard will also be inducted Friday.

Bill Medley, Frank Jao, General William Lyon of the United States Air Force, and Henry Segerstrom, who was the founding chairman of the Segerstrom Centers for the Arts in Orange County, round out the class.

The *used* Cheez-It's Hot Tub from the 2024 Citrus Bowl has a proud new owner ... and it didn't even cost 'em $4k!!

What👏 a👏 bargain👏!

The infamous Cheez-It jacuzzi sold Monday on eBay for $3,575 ... after receiving 36 bids between January 2nd, when the auction started, and yesterday afternoon, when it closed.

It's unclear who bought the item (it's likely someone in the Orlando area), described as ... "Used during the 2024 Cheez-It Citrus Bowl. Selling as is, in great working condition as of 1/1/24. Proceeds benefit the Florida Citrus Sports Foundation."

The FCSF is a non-profit that aims to help uplift kids in central Florida by putting on big events ... like the Citrus Bowl.

Of course, Tennessee absolutely smacked Iowa on the field, beating them 35-0 on New Year's Day. Despite the great performance by the Vols, none of their guys were the stars of the show ... that honor belonged to the Cheez-It Hot Tub.

The hot tub, a normal jacuzzi, was wrapped in Cheez-It decor ... and used by fans and players alike during the afternoon.

Congrats to the winner!

Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay has been placed on Injured Reserve with a gnarly illness ... forcing him to back out of an upcoming concert with his band.

The news just came out Tuesday morning ... with Adam Schefter releasing a statement from the Colts on 64-year-old Irsay's condition.

"Jim Irsay is currently being treated for a severe respiratory illness," the team said.

Irsay was slated to hit the stage alongside his "Jim Irsay Band" rock group as part of an exhibit and concert event in Los Angeles on Thursday ... which will feature items from his massive music and sports memorabilia collection.

The band -- which is slated to have special appearances from Kevin Cronin of REO Speedwagon, Billy Gibbons of ZZ Top and more -- will seemingly hit the stage without Irsay, who served as main vocalist for previous gigs.

"While this unfortunately means he won't be able to perform with his band this week in Los Angeles, he is receiving excellent care and looks forward to returning to the stage as soon as possible," the team added.

Ja Morant was a man of few words after learning his 2023-24 season was over ... going to social media to express his frustrations by simply saying, "Damn dawg."

The Memphis Grizzlies broke the news Monday night ... saying their superstar guard suffered a partial dislocation of his right shoulder during Saturday's training session.

The team said Morant continued to experience soreness and instability in the following days ... so he underwent an MRI, which revealed an underlying labral tear.

The ailment brings Morant's revenge tour to a screeching halt ... as he was out to make up for time lost after missing the first chunk of the season due to his gun-related suspension.

As we previously reported, Morant was quick to make sure his haters knew he heard all the talk in his first game back ... yelling he "kept receipts" after nailing the game-winning bucket against the New Orleans Pelicans last month.

Ja -- who missed Sunday's matchup against the Phoenix Suns -- was understandably bummed about his season being over ... also sending out a blue heart and posting "just waiting for the sun to come out..." later Monday night.

The Michigan Wolverines burnt Washington for the national championship Monday night ... and then their fans celebrated by roasting a couch right in the middle of a packed street!

The wild party all went down in Ann Arbor just minutes after UM beat the Huskies, 34-13.

Thousands of college-aged people rushed the roadways near Michigan's campus just as the final whistle on the much-anticipated game blew ... and it didn't take long for things to get rowdy in the area.

One fan was seen climbing a lamp pole ... before a couple Wolverines supporters were spotted lighting a big piece of living room furniture on fire.

Another UM-clad fan was also photographed squatting a torn-down stop sign!!

The celebration otherwise seemed well-behaved ... as most just jumped around, danced and sang the night away to commemorate Michigan's first natty since 1997.

Back in Houston, meanwhile, the players had a party of their own at NRG Stadium. They doused head coach Jim Harbaugh in Gatorade -- and then put their hands all over the championship trophy.

Harbaugh later addressed the sign-stealing allegations that marred his team earlier in the season ... telling media members, "We're innocent and we stood strong and tall because we knew we were innocent."

Jimmy Kimmel won't let go of his feud with Aaron Rodgers, blasting the NFL player during his late-night show for trying to tie him to notorious sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein .... explaining the impact it had on him and his family.

In his opening monologue Monday night, the host of "Jimmel Kimmel Live" came out swinging against Aaron, who claimed on the "Pat McAfee Show" that "I was nervous" that the "Epstein list" was coming out and "I was hoping it wouldn't."

Jimmy said Aaron was going to "pop a bottle of something" because the comedian's name would be on the list, but, as it turned out, it wasn't anywhere near it.

Last week, court documents related to Epstein's underage sex ring were unsealed, revealing some prominent names -- although not Jimmy's -- connected to the now deceased former business tycoon.

Jimmy made it abundantly clear he had never met Epstein – and Aaron had defamed him, daring the Super Bowl champ to share any evidence in court.

Jimmy noted that Aaron's many fans believed the lies, putting the funnyman and his family in the crosshairs of "delusional" people who became spiteful.

He also speculated on why Rodgers made the false claim, coming up with several scenarios, before hitting on the most likely one ... Aaron is still mad at Jimmy for roasting him over his appearance and "wacko" beliefs.

As you probably recall ... Jimmy poked fun at Aaron's hair knot on top of his head and his anti-vaccination "lies" re: coronavirus.

Jimmy's monologue went on and on before he asked for an apology, and he promised to accept ... although JK is not holding his breath.

9:16 AM PT -- We got some new information that might explain why Joe Gorga got as riled up as he did. An eyewitness at the wrestling match tells TMZ ... Gino's opponent that day excessively slammed him on the mat not once, but twice -- and not just that, but he shot a dirty look at Joe upon being declared the winner.

We're told the kid stuck his tongue out right at Joe at this moment, and it was essentially fired off as a F-U -- that's how Joe took it anyway. Joe's rep, BTW, confirms this account.

Joe Gorga is officially one of those parents after losing it on the referee of his son's wrestling match -- a nose-to-nose showdown that ended with Joe getting booted outta the gym.

In video, obtained by TMZ, Joe can be seen losing his cool Saturday at Parsippany Hills High School in NJ -- where his son Gino was in the middle of a match that ended with him getting pinned by his opponent.

That made Dad leap from the stands and charge at the ref, but not before staff members and other parents jumped in to make sure it didn't turn into a brawl.

As Joe's led away, the ref blows his whistle in disgust and repeatedly orders him to leave the gym altogether for the remainder of the wrestling action.

Days later, Joe's still heated -- a rep for the 'Real Housewives of New Jersey' star tells TMZ Joe felt the ref made some bad and unfair calls during the match, and Gino's opponent was mistreating him ... at least in Dad's eyes.

The rep says Joe never had any intentions of hurting anyone or getting physical. He just let his emotions get the best of him.

In the end, the rep says Joe believes his son's opponent was conducting himself in an unsportsmanlike manner throughout the match, and the ref let it slide.

We're told Joe's proud of how his son handled everything ... labeling him a class act despite his own emotions getting the best of him.

Eyewitnesses at the event tell TMZ Joe was immediately ejected from the gym, and he left without any further duress, while the competition continued.

Hard to say cooler heads prevailed, though, based on the video.

Vivek Ramaswamy is hoping Jake Paul can deliver a knockout punch for him on the campaign trail ... which is why they're teaming up for a critical stretch in his bid for the GOP nomination.

The presidential primary season starts next Monday in Iowa ... and we're told Jake and Vivek will be side-by-side on Sunday as they travel around the state urging Gen-Zers to come out and vote.

Vivek's spokesperson, Tricia McLaughlin, tells TMZ ... "We're very excited Jake's joining on the campaign trail and we're hoping it can really drive out younger people."

She goes on to say that while Vivek is seeing a lot of enthusiasm from young voters, Jake's star power and ability to command a crowd is going to be a major asset on the eve of the Iowa caucus.

We're told the duo will travel in Vivek's private plane to events at 4 of the biggest universities in Iowa ... all as part of the "Commit to Caucus Rally."

Tricia says Vivek talked to Jake about joining the campaign trail a few weeks ago ... when he attended Jake's fight against Andre August in Florida. As we reported, Jake hooked up Vivek with ringside seats.

Make no mistake, Ramaswamy needs a big spark. Recent polls show he's well under 10 percent of likely Iowa GOP caucus voters ... but Vivek's campaign is adamant they're tapping into a group of voters that isn't accounted for in those polls.

Francis Ngannou vs. Tyson Fury II could be on deck!

The Predator joined Babcock on the TMZ Sports TV show (airs weekdays on FS1) on Monday ... where we talked to the boxing and MMA superstar about his HUGE upcoming clash with 34-year-old Anthony Joshua on March 8, as well as his plans for the future.

Of course, 37-year-old Ngannou has his hands full with AJ, one of the most physically imposing athletes in the world (as is Ngannou) ... but that's not to say he doesn't know what he wants after he scraps with Joshua.

To the contrary, he does ... and it's not necessarily the victor of Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk, who are fighting for the heavyweight belts in February, weeks before Francis and Anthony.

"I'm not looking for the winner of Tyson Fury. I'm looking for Tyson!" the former UFC heavyweight champ told us.

"Tyson owes me a fight. I don't give a s*** about the winner of Usyk and Tyson. I'm coming after Tyson. Win or lose, I want Tyson!"

FYI, Fury is 34-0 with 24 KOs ... with one of those wins coming against Ngannou. However, many people around boxing believe Tyson actually lost their October fight, which he officially won by split decision.

But, first things first, Ngannou-Joshua.

Despite the success against Tyson, Francis is a fairly substantial underdog (risk $100 to win $500) ... a betting line he says he understands.

"I'm going in against a former champion and getting guys that have been in the game for so long, winning, and all this stuff," Ngannou said.

"I think he's 30-something and I'm zero and one. C'mon man. How do you make me a favorite?"

"He's seen me box already so he knows a little bit what he's coming after unlike Tyson Fury that was out of the blue, didn't know what to expect," Ngannou said.

Even with his inexperience in the boxing ring, Ngannou says he still expects Joshua to study his fight with Fury, and make adjustments. Francis is intent on showing the Tyson fight was no fluke.

"I think this time I need to put it up even more to get the job done."

The inferno at Tyreek Hill's mansion caused the NFL superstar's property to lose over $2 million in value ... this according to an incident report obtained by TMZ Sports.

In the docs, officials say the Southwest Ranches, Fla. residence -- which the wide receiver bought for $6.9 million in 2022 -- had an estimated value of $5.6 million before the flames ... but the blaze caused some $2.3 million in damages.

What's worse for Hill ... officials also said in the docs they believe around $1 million worth of stuff was destroyed during the incident as well.

Authorities provided a little more detail on how they believe the blaze all started ... writing in the documents that two kids at the home told them they had been playing with a lighter which they "thought was a toy and accidentally lit a toy on fire."

"They got scared," officials said, "threw the toy, and ran."

According to the report, the child who started the fire was a 4-year-old.

The report states no one was injured ... and an investigation into the blaze is now closed.

As we reported, a 911 caller initially told law enforcement of the fire at around 1:50 PM ET on Jan. 3. Hill was not present at the time it broke out ... though he did leave Dolphins practice early to tend to the matter.

This year's Golden Globes ceremony had way more eyes on it compared to years past ... this despite a negative reaction to parts of the ceremony, and changing TV networks.

Sunday's televised event, which aired on CBS for the first time, was hit with some mixed reviews -- but the program had 9.4 million total viewers, according to Nielsen ratings, which is up 50% from 2023's event.

Last year's show, hosted by Jerrod Carmichael on NBC, only reached 6.3 million viewers, and that was down from the year before that.

This year's show also streamed on Paramount+, and instantly became the platform's second-largest live-streamed special ever ... and was reportedly the largest live-streaming audience for CBS since last year's Grammy Awards.

Of course, the change from NBC to CBS wasn't the only shift -- the Hollywood Foreign Press lost ownership of the Golden Globes last year after landing in hot water over a lack of diversity.

There are a few potential explanations for the increase -- the enormous box office success of films like "Barbie," "Oppenheimer" and Taylor Swift's 'The Eras Tour' ... the Taylor factor itself, and the fact NFL games on CBS immediately preceded the Globes.

As you know, folks negatively chimed in online about Jo Koy's job as this year's host, which included a dig at the NFL for its constant coverage of Taylor at Travis Kelce's games.

Trevor Bauer is making drastic changes to his intimacy preferences after years of fighting serious assault allegations made by a former fling ... revealing he's swearing off "rough sex acts" for good.

The former L.A. Dodgers pitcher spoke on his new sex life with OutKick's Tomi Lahren ... just months after settling a lawsuit with a woman who had accused him of sexually assaulting her on two occasions in 2021.

Other women came forward alleging sexual assault against the pitcher in 2022 and 2023.

Bauer never admitted wrongdoing and claimed it was just kinky sex ... something he has now apparently outlawed.

"I've stopped having, like, casual sexual relationships," the 32-year-old told Lahren. "Stopped agreeing to engage in rough sex acts."

"I'm looking for more people that add value to my life instead of something that I'm doing for a couple of hours on a night and then kind of forget about," he added.

For now, however, the former Cy Young Award winner says dating isn't remotely near his center of attention.

"I have other things that I'm focused on," he said. "I'd like to go back to work. I have a job, I run a business."

"Maybe I go back to dating at some point in the future but not something I'm focused on right now."

The one-time All-Star has not played in the MLB since the allegations surfaced in '21. He did, though, just pitch one season for the Yokohama DeNA BayStars, where he logged a 2.76 ERA with 130 strikeouts in 19 games.

Ryan Garcia says his marriage to Drea Celina was beyond repair -- the boxing star filed for divorce due to "irreconcilable differences" ... this according to court docs obtained by TMZ Sports.

As we previously reported, the 25-year-old pugilist announced his split from his wife of nearly 3 years via his Instagram account Friday night ... just minutes after revealing they welcomed their second child together.

In the docs filed last week, Garcia says he and Celina -- who got married on Jan. 14, 2021 -- were officially separated on Christmas Day 2023.

The 24-1 fighter says he is willing to financially support their two children -- 3-year-old Bela and Henry, who was born last month -- based on the minor children's "reasonable needs."

As for Drea, the docs state Garcia is open to paying spousal support to her for the next 17 1/2 months -- half the time they were married.

In the divorce announcement, Garcia said co-parenting is the former couple's "top priority" ... and he will continue to focus on Bela and Henry's health and well-being.

"I believe our mutual devotion to our children is rock solid, and I trust that together, we will continue to provide them with the love, support and stability they deserve," he said in the statement.

Franz Beckenbauer -- a German soccer icon widely regarded as one of the greatest in the sport -- has died at 78 years old, his family announced.

Beckenbauer was a legend in the game ... leading his home country of West Germany to three World Cups -- once as a player in 1974, and again as a head coach in 1990. He is one of three people in history to have won as both a player and a coach.

"It is with deep sadness that we announce that my husband and our father, Franz Beckenbaur, passed away peacefully in his sleep yesterday, Sunday, surrounded by family," his family said in a statement.

Beckenbauer was born in Munich and went on to star for Bayern Munich from 1964 to 1977. During his time at the club level, he won three European cups and five league titles.

Bayern Munich president Herbert Hainer released a statement about his passing ... speaking on the impact Beckenbauer left on the club.

"There are no words to express how great our grief is, and the gap that Franz Beckenbauer leaves behind," Hainer said.

"As a player, he brought a sense of effortlessness, elegance and magic to the pitch. Franz Beckenbauer brought the glamour. Even after his playing career, he left an indelible mark on FC Bayern and football, and his legacy cannot be measured in titles. The FC Bayern family is eternally grateful to him, and I personally mourn the loss of a friend."

Beckenbauer's excellence on the pitch earned him the nickname "Der Kaiser," which translates to "the emperor." He played in 103 international matches for Germany ... serving as a captain for 50 of them.

Der Kaiser had a very decorated individual career ... having won the Ballon d’Or award in 1972 and 1976. In 1977, he decided to take his career international, joining the New York Cosmos.

He played for the Cosmos from 1977 to 1980, and one final time in 1983. During that period, he played alongside Brazilian soccer legend Pelé, winning three North American Soccer League trophies.

The soccer legend announced his retirement in 1983 at the age of 38, but continued to receive accolades past his career. Beckenbauer was named to the National Soccer Hall of Fame in 1998. In 2000, he was named Germany’s Footballer of the Century for his excellent efforts. He also received the FIFA Centennial Player and Football Personality Award in 2004.

One of his final great achievements was as an official ... helping his home country Germany win its bid to host the 2006 World Cup.

Larsa Pippen's putting her swanky Miami pad on the market, while also looking for a new place to nest with boyfriend Marcus Jordan ... TMZ has learned.

Real estate sources tell TMZ ... the 'Real Housewives' star listed the 3,312 square foot penthouse Saturday for a cool $4.199 million, and the new owners can buy it fully furnished.

You'll recall, she bought the spot in 2022 for $3.375M, so she's hoping to make a sweet profit.

We're told the downtown Miami building, which was heavily featured on "The Real Housewives of Miami," comes with 5 freaking pools, a game room, boxing studio, fitness center, and even a recording studio -- so it's well-equipped for a wide variety of hobbies.

Our sources say Larsa updated and upgraded the penthouse with bougie things like intricate wallpaper and top-of-the-line window blackouts.

As for why she's moving, sources close to Larsa tell us she's in the market for a new Miami spot with more room for her and Marcus to live in -- although, we're told they haven't found anything they both love, yet.

Marcus and Larsa have been spending time together in L.A. recently, but it doesn't sound like they're getting too comfortable on the West Coast ... 'cause Florida is still in their sights.