TMZ Sports - Page 32

Israel Adesanya was just punished for his DUI in New Zealand ... but he left the courtroom apparently in a good mood -- 'cause things could've been a whole lot worse for the UFC star.

The 34-year-old fighter appeared in Auckland District Court on Wednesday morning regarding allegations that he had driven drunk in the city back on Aug. 19.

Police said that after stopping Adesanya, he told them he had two cocktails before getting behind the wheel. Cops added he had a blood alcohol reading of 87 milligrams per 100 millilitres -- well over the legal limit of 50 milligrams per 100 millilitres.

He was facing a punishment of up to three months behind bars for it. But, he and his attorney asked for a lighter sentence.

Adesanya's lawyer claimed a conviction in the case would affect his sponsorship deals -- potentially costing him six figures. He also argued that a conviction could prevent Adesanya from traveling to Canada for UFC 297 later this month.

Fortunately for Adesanya, the judge did appear to go easy on him -- as according to Stuff.co.nz, he opted not to convict the former champ. But, he did hit The Stylebender with a six-month driving ban and a $1,500 fine.

Adesanya had previously apologized for his role in the case ... saying in a statement, "I am disappointed with my decision to drive. It was wrong. I know that people might follow me and I want them to know I do not think this behaviour is acceptable."

The NFL is continuing to milk the Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift love story big-time ... formally dubbing the Chiefs star "Travis Swift" in an official video it put out this week.

The league dropped its nickname for the Kansas City tight end in a YouTube clip that previewed the Chiefs' upcoming wild-card round game against the Dolphins.

In the footage -- which was posted Tuesday night -- a narrator can be heard explaining that Miami will have to "take on Travis Swift Kelce" when it heads to Arrowhead Stadium on Saturday.

The league then flashed to a shot of Swift laughing and hanging out in a suite at one of Kelce's games earlier this season.

The video received a mixed reaction from fans who caught the quip ... with some calling it disrespectful -- while others loving it for Swift.

Of course, the Chiefs and the NFL have been pulling moves like these ever since Swift first showed up at a Kelce game in September ... changing their X page backgrounds and even making a Hallmark movie-themed game preview that had Swift Easter Eggs inside of it.

The Haas Formula One team will have a new leader in charge in 2024 -- longtime team principal Guenther Steiner has shockingly left his position after 10 years, the organization announced Wednesday.

Steiner -- a star on Netflix's 'Drive To Survive' -- held the role since Haas joined the grid in 2016, reaching as high as fifth in the Constuctor Standings in 2018.

It was a rough 2023 campaign, though ... as Haas finished last with just 12 points.

According to F1, Steiner met with team owner Gene Haas following the 2023 season ... and it was decided they would go their separate ways.

Haas' director of engineering, Ayao Komatsu, will take over as team principal.

"I’d like to start by extending my thanks to Guenther Steiner for all his hard work over the past decade and I wish him well for the future," Haas said in a statement.

"Moving forward as an organization, it was clear we need to improve our on-track performances. In appointing Ayao Komatsu as Team Principal we fundamentally have engineering at the heart of our management."

"We have had some successes, but we need to be consistent in delivering results that help us reach our wider goals as an organization," he added. "We need to be efficient with the resources we have but improving our design and engineering capability is key to our success as a team."

Erik Spoelstra's ex-wife, Nikki, is clapping back at the haters for saying she "fumbled the bag" after the Miami Heat head coach signed a record-breaking eight-year, $120 million extension ... calling the commentary as shallow as a kiddie pool.

As we previously reported, Erik and the former Heat dancer announced their divorce in November 2023 after 7 years of marriage.

Now that Erik is putting pen to a much different set of papers, some trolls decided to put their focus on Nikki for missing out on her ex's big payday.

Nikki was clearly fed up with the narrative on Wednesday ... going to Instagram to fire off a response.

"Lol. I'm going to address this comment NOT as it pertains to my personal life choices but as it relates to a general thought process that I believe a lot of people have and that a lot of people have harassed me with over the years," the 36-year-old said.

"According to crass, ignorant, uninformed society at large, women can't win."

Nikki went on to point out how she believes women's love is seen as superficial -- that they can’t genuinely be in love with a successful person unless they want their money ... if a lady chooses a relationship with an average person, she’s an "idiot."

She also explained she won’t ignore the chatter because it’s been messing with her mental health for years ... and called on people to be nicer with their words.

To finish her point, the mother of three let her followers know she is not the one to be tried with their "bulls***."

Shanna Moakler ain't sparing any of her exes ... blasting Oscar De La Hoya over how their relationship ended.

The former Miss USA claims she was blindsided after watching Oscar on TV attending the Latin Grammy Awards in L.A. with his now ex-wife Millie ... telling Bunnie XO's on her 'Dumb Blonde' Podcast he told her he was going to NYC for a work trip at the time.

She says a lawyer came to her Bel-Air mansion the next day ... ordering her to move out with their baby daughter, Atiana immediately.

Shanna adds Oscar told her he wasn't happy she sued him for child support when they met up IRL a month later ... warning if she sued him for palimony, he wouldn't see her or the baby until she was 16 cause he had more money than God.

Oscar was true to his word ... Shanna says he didn't see his daughter until she was around 16.

They dated for 3 years from 1997 -- even getting engaged in the process.

Meanwhile, Shanna dropped a further slew of relationship bombshells during the podcast.

She claimed that her ex, Travis Barker, was trolling her online when they were together and also slammed his new wife, Kourtney Kardashian's family ... again.

Tiger Woods is proving yet again why he's the greatest golfer ever ... recently winning a long-drive competition -- from his knees!!

The Big Cat performed the wild feat while messing around on a course with the guys from Barstool Sports' Fore Play Podcast.

Woods was helping the trio with some of the worst aspects of their games -- when he suddenly challenged Riggs to a contest to see who could hit a golf ball farther.

Riggs -- who had just received some pointers from Woods -- went first ... and he striped one right down the middle of the fairway that appeared to easily pass 200-plus yards.

Woods then teed up his ball ... but instead of taking his normal stance, he dropped to his knees -- and then swung his driver.

Of course, the golf legend piped one well past Riggs' despite no real use of his legs ... which left everyone on the course in disbelief.

"You're a sicko," Riggs said. "That was awesome!"

Woods insinuated he had been practicing the shot plenty recently -- obviously due to all the ailments he's suffered in his lower body since his 2021 car crash.

Toronto Raptors head coach Darko Rajakovic reached his boiling point after his team lost to the Lakers on Tuesday ... teeing off on referees for giving L.A. 23 free throws in the fourth quarter.

Rajakovic -- who's in his first season with the Dinos -- didn't hold back in his rant to media members after the 132-131 loss ... calling it "outrageous" the Purple and Gold continued to get calls in their favor ... and suggesting officials were helping LeBron James and Co. win the contest.

"What happened tonight, this is completely B.S.," Rajakovic told reporters. "This is shame. Shame for the referees, shame for the league to allow this. Twenty-three free throws for them, and we get two free throws in the fourth quarter. Like, how to play the game? I understand -- respect for All-Stars and all that, but we have star players on our team as well."

Rajakovic points out his star player Scottie Barnes was worthy of getting calls as he drove to the rim throughout the game ... but finished with just two attempts from the charity stripe.

"How is that possible? How are you going to explain that to me?"

Lakers star Anthony Davis had 41 points in the matchup ... with 11 coming from free throws in the final period. Toronto only had 13 free-throw attempts throughout the game.

"They had to win tonight?" Rajakovic added. "If that's the case, just let us know, so we don't show up for the game. Just give them a win. But, that was not fair tonight. And this is not happening first time for us. Scottie Barnes is going to be All-Star. He's going to be the face of this league, and what's happening over here during whole season, I've been holding it back, it's complete crap."

LeBron got wind of Rajakovic's comments ... and his response was simple -- "I feel like they fouled and we didn't."

Ex-NBAer Evan Turner also weighed in on the Serbian coach's gripe ... with many calling him out for what is being considered a xenophobic take on the matter.

"You gotta let your assistant coaches do the rant when 'you have accent,'" Turner said on Instagram.

German hooper Dennis Schroder was quick to check him ... replying, "Bro chill."

The Los Angeles Lakers weren't the only ones who won in Crypto.com Arena on Tuesday night ... a fan did too -- after he took home $100K by sinking a half-court shot!!

It all happened during a break in the action of L.A.'s game against the Toronto Raptors ... when Fidel Olmos stepped onto the hardwood to compete in a shooting contest.

The game was simple ... if Olmos hit the bucket from 47 feet out, he'd take home some serious coin. If he didn't, well, at least he got to grace the same floor as LeBron James for a moment.

But, Olmos was able to drain the basket ... and when he hit it -- the crowd went wild. Even Lakers star D'Angelo Russell -- who was right near the basket when the ball went through -- had to give it up for the guy.

The 34-year-old California native told ESPN's Dave McMenamin after he made the shot that it was super improbable ... considering he's only made two in his whole life previously.

Olmos said he's going to use the money to pay off his debt, help a couple of folks out, and treat himself.

"I would've been OK with 20 bucks," he said, "but this feels good!"

Cindy Morgan's roommate noticed a bad odor and stench coming from the actress' room before growing so concerned, she called 911 ... leading to the discovery of Cindy's body.

TMZ obtained dispatch audio related to Cindy's death last month in Florida, and you hear her roommate listing all the reasons something seemed off with the "Caddyshack" actress.

The roommate told dispatchers she hadn't seen or heard from Cindy in days, there were foul smells coming from the room and the only responses to repeated knocks on the locked door were from Cindy's pets.

TMZ broke the story ... Cindy was found dead inside her room in a Lake Worth Beach house on Dec. 30 after her concerned roommate called police.

An investigation is underway, and while foul play is NOT suspected ... the cause of death remains unclear.

Cindy's best remembered for playing Lacey Underall in the famous 1980 comedy "Caddyshack" alongside Chevy Chase, Bill Murray and Rodney Dangerfield ... portraying the country club owner's hot niece who captures the attention of pretty much every male character.

The Chiefs just dropped the full vid ... and it not only features a couple Taylor Swift Easter Eggs ... but it's also got cameos from Donna Kelce and K.C. stars Tommy Townsend, Trey Smith and Creed Humphrey!

The Chiefs are hoping to lure fans into their upcoming playoff run with a little bit of love ... teasing their first postseason matchup with none other than a Hallmark movie spoof!!

The NFL org. is expected to drop the full parody later Wednesday -- but on Tuesday night, they shared just a snippet of it ... and so far, it's looks pretty darn good!

In the clip, you can see Tyler Hynes -- a staple of plenty of real Hallmark movies -- working in what appears to be a Chiefs-themed store ... when an emotional Jannel Parrish strolls by and chastises him for his love for K.C.

"You're not just a fan!" she says. "It's your livelihood ... It's the Chiefs or me!"

She then adds before she storms off, "I hate football!" ... which prompts Hines to respond, "Amber, come on! Nobody hates football."

The clip then cuts out ... although the Chiefs promised in a social media post there will be more "coming soon."

As for who else will be in the flick, Travis Kelce's mom, Donna, teased that she's making an appearance ... sharing a photo of her in a white shirt with the comment, "my acting debut."

Of course, some fans are hoping the movie will somehow feature Kelce's budding love for Taylor Swift -- or at least have some themes of it.

So far, it's not quite clear what it's all exactly about ... but you can bet it'll almost certainly end in some sort of preview of K.C.'s tilt with the Dolphins on Saturday at Arrowhead Stadium.

Brett Favre is Love-ing what he's seeing from Jordan Love ... telling TMZ Sports he's been wildly impressed with what the young signal-caller has done in Green Bay this year.

"All I can say is wow," Favre told us.

Love has come on strong over the last couple months to lift Green Bay to a playoff appearance -- something Aaron Rodgers couldn't do in GB last year -- and Favre says it's quite frankly blown him away.

"Right now," the Packers legend said, "he's playing as good as any quarterback in the league."

Favre openly admits he didn't believe the Packers had a chance to make the postseason prior to the start of the year ... but Love's play has obviously changed things.

Now, it's all got Favre wondering if the team could actually upset the Dallas Cowboys in the Wild Card-round this weekend.

"Dallas is going to be a tough opponent," Favre said, "but I'd hate to be the team that has to play the Packers in the playoffs."

Kickoff for the big game is slated for 1:30 PM -- and while the Pack are 7.5-point underdogs, it's clear Favre wouldn't be shocked to see Green Bay advance.

As for the advice he'd give to the 25-year-old QB heading into his firs-ever postseason tilt -- Brett says it'd be simple ... "Enjoy the moment."

Julio Urias will NOT face a felony charge for the alleged physical altercation involving his wife at a soccer game in September, TMZ Sports has learned ... with the L.A. District Attorney rejecting the case, concluding the incident didn't warrant such a serious charge.

Although it's good news for the 27-year-old pitcher, it doesn't mean he's fully in the clear ... the D.A. will now send the case to the City Attorney, who could opt to file a misdemeanor charge.

Our sources tell us after law enforcement's investigation, they believe Julio was in a verbal altercation with his wife that turned physical ... but because of Urias' lack of criminal record and other factors, the D.A.'s office doesn't believe it rises to the level of a felony. Thus the rejection.

Remember, Urias allegedly roughed up his wife Daisy after an LAFC vs. Inter Miami soccer game on September 3, when the couple went to BMO Stadium to watch Lionel Messi.

Julio was arrested at the scene for felony domestic violence. He was taken to jail before posting $50k bond.

The L.A. Dodgers, Urias' team since breaking into the Majors in 2016, almost immediately distanced themselves from the soon-to-be free agent, cleaning out his locker and wiping his images from Dodger Stadium.

Major League Baseball also placed him on administrative leave a few days after the alleged incident.

Urias is currently a free agent ... and his status with MLB is still in flux, though the D.A.'s decision could represent a step towards signing with a new team.

Of course, it's not the first time Julio has faced allegations of domestic violence.

The World Series champ agreed to participate in a diversion program in 2019 after he was accused of pushing a woman at a popular L.A. mall. Urias was not convicted, nor tried, in that case.

Dennis Schroder is finally explaining one of the most puzzling contract moves in NBA history ... revealing exactly why he REJECTED an $80+ million offer from the Lakers, only to sign a deal worth less than $6 mil!

His (old) agent told him to pass on the incredibly lucrative offer!!!

Remember, the star PG said no to a 4-year deal worth $84M from the Purple and Gold back in 2021 ... thinking he could get more elsewhere.

Unfortunately, that didn't happen ... and instead, Dennis ended up signing a $5.9 million deal with the Celtics.

The NBA vet is finally explaining what happened, telling Yahoo Sports, "I would've signed it."

"I would never just leave money on the table. My mom didn’t raise me that way."

Of course, fans incessantly trolled the German athlete for what's considered to be one of the biggest fumblings of the bag in NBA history.

Schroder admitted going from $84 to $6 mil was a tough pill to swallow, but he understands he still got paid a crapload of money, and life with his wife Ellen and their family is awesome.

"I had two healthy kids, my mom, my siblings. I can buy anything I want," Schroder said.

"I had a $70 million contract before. A guy from Germany? From Braunschweig? I’m more than blessed. I’m with the people who love me and was there through the darkest days."

Schroder -- who's averaging nearly 15 points and 7 assists per game this season for the Raptors (he's playing on a 2-year, $25.4M deal) -- also said he plans to play into his 40s, believing he's got a lot left in the tank.

Matthew Stafford's wife, Kelly, is clapping back at a Lions fan who's trying to stop people from wearing her hubby's jersey at their upcoming playoff game ... calling the proposed plan "sad."

Detroit is hosting its first playoff game in 30 years against the Rams on Sunday ... which means Stafford will make his return to the Motor City with the intention of knocking his ex-team out of the postseason.

Normally, Stafford's Detroit jersey is one of the most popular ones at Ford Field -- even after he was traded to L.A. for Jared Goff before the 2021 season began.

But, one fan is trying to prevent that from happening this weekend ... appearing to say in a social media post this week that the blue and silver No. 9 threads could bring some bad juju to the home team.

"ANNOUNCEMENT," the fan wrote in the Instagram post. "Please don't wear a Lions-Stafford jersey to the game. This is not a time to be cute or funny."

"This is about business and putting the final nail in the SOL coffin. It ain't personal. Just business!"

It didn't take long for word of the planned ban to get around to Kelly Stafford, who slammed the idea in the comment section of the post.

“Well this is sad because it's the completely opposite of how we feel about this city," she wrote, "but Matthew has always been the bigger person and will continue to be that. Praying for an incredible game with zero injuries. ♥️"

The fan ended up responding ... writing back that the hate is only temporary.

"We love Matthew," the Detroit supporter said, "just not this week.😂"

Draymond Green is hellbent on being a new man the next time he steps foot on the hardwood ... telling reporters he's confident he can remove the "antics" from his game following his indefinite suspension.

The 33-year-old spoke with reporters for the first time since rejoining the Golden State Warriors on Tuesday ... and he broke down what all went down during his several weeks away from the team.

Draymond explained he sought counseling to figure out what needed to change in his life ... and he didn't go through with it just to check a box -- he really wanted to work on himself.

Green went on to reveal he spent about the first 10 days of his punishment focusing on his life outside of sports ... and he didn't even pick up a basketball during that period.

Green said it was refreshing for him to wake up every morning and take care of his kids ... admitting he needed a break from his day job.

As for when he will suit up again, Draymond said there is a sense of urgency as he "cost this organization enough," but is still a few days away to avoid getting injured.

The four-time champion said he's not going to come back and worry about "crossing the line," as he can't guarantee what will happen in the future ... but one thing he will focus on is eliminating the "antics" involved in his game.

If he's able to do that, Draymond believes the rest will follow suit ... as his basketball skills have never been in question.

"That's my focus," Green said. "It's not on changing who I am completely. You don't change the spots on a leopard. It's just not gonna happen and I'm not going to try to set some unrealistic expectation of like who is this person going to be. It's not real and that's not sustainable."

Green said he accepts the fact that his antics have been "over the top" recently ... and he's confident he can scrub them from his game.

Teyana Taylor says Iman Shumpert ignores the safety of their children when they're in his care ... accusing him of smoking weed and being under the influence when he's with them.

The singer takes some shots at the former NBA player's parenting skills in new legal docs from their nasty divorce ... and Teyana's not pulling any punches.

According to the docs, obtained by TMZ, Teyana claims Iman consistently fails to properly care for their two kiddos ... accusing him of failing to feed them despite being in the family home.

What's more, Teyana says Iman smokes marijuana around the kids and is sometimes under the influence when caring for them.

In one instance, Teyana claims Iman put the kids in a rideshare in Chicago and had them dropped off at the United Center alone while he had a private driver take him to the arena.

Add it all up and Teyana claims Iman "consistently demonstrates a clear disregard for the safety of the minor children."