TMZ Sports - Page 50

Fab Five legend Juwan Howard is OUT at Michigan ... the school just announced his tenure as head coach has come to an end after 5 seasons at the helm.

“After a comprehensive review of the program, I have decided that Juwan will not return as our men’s basketball coach,” Warde Manuel, Michigan AD, and the man who hired Howard said in a statement.

“Juwan is among the greatest Wolverines to ever be associated with our basketball program. I know how much it meant, to not only Juwan, but to all of us for him to return here to lead this program. Despite his love of his alma mater and the positive experience that our student-athletes had under his leadership, it was clear to me that the program was not living up to our expectations and not trending in the right direction.”

Manuel is likely referring to not just a decline in wins, but also controversy inside the program ... with many calling for change amid a crisis in culture.

On the court, Howard -- who was hired in May 2019 -- had a ton of success early after taking over for John Beilein ... earning a #1 seed in the NCAA Tournament in year 2, before losing to UCLA in the Elite 8. Howard was named Coach of the Year.

The 2021-2022 season wasn't as good ... the team barely earned a bid into the tourney, but still ended up winning two games, reaching the Sweet 16.

However, that was the last time the former Michigan star would lead his squad to an NCAA berth. Howard's '22-'23 team went 18-16.

Fast forward to this season ... an unmitigated disaster. Michigan finished with an 8-24 record, including going 3-17 in the Big Ten, UM's worst season in decades.

Juwan's 5 seasons were plagued by controversy, too. In 2022, Howard was involved in a postgame scuffle with Wisconcin's coaches ... where he ended up making contact with a Badgers assistant. Howard was suspended 5 games.

JH also had a run-in with Maryland head coach Mark Turgeon, who he allegedly threatened to kill ... in front of a referee.

There was also an alleged run-in with UMs longtime strength coach, Jon Sanderson, who left the school after more than a decade following the incident.

Rory McIlroy's chase for birdies and eagles on Friday was interrupted by ... a frog?!?

Yup, it just hoppened minutes ago as the golf superstar was looking to get things going during his second round out at The Players Championship at TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla.

McIlroy was on hole No. 3 ... when he accidentally hit his tee shot right of the green -- into a thick patch of grass.

As he went to knock his ensuing chip onto the dance floor ... something jumped up -- scaring the hell out of him.

It turns out it was a frog ... and McIlroy and his caddie then had to spend the next few moments calming down -- while making sure the little guy steered clear of his golf club.

Eventually, they got the creature to move ... but McIlroy didn't finish out the hole well. His chip went long -- and he had to scramble to make bogey.

"Are you telling me that you recognize the fact that maybe you did do steroids?"

That's the question a FOX 32 reporter in Chicago asked Sammy Sosa on Friday -- and suffice it to say the slugger wasn't very happy -- laughing uncomfortably for several seconds before responding, "This is not a question that I expected from you."

55-year-old Sosa is back in Chi-town, where he played 13 seasons, for the first time in years, and there's hope this could finally be the moment the former NL MVP and the organization repair their fractured relationship.

The rift goes back years ... and although it can't be attributed to solely one thing, the beef reportedly centers around Sosa's failure to admit and apologize for alleged steroid use during his playing career.

Enter the local FOX reporter -- who began his line of questioning by asking Sammy if a reconciliation could be on the horizon.

"Well like I said, I'm a mature man. I think that's a possibility that we can do that. I'm open. I don't have a problem with that. I had a lot of misunderstandings in the past but now I'm a real man. I feel great. I recognize my mistake. So, why not?" Sosa responded.

Cue the 'roids question, and Sammy's uncomfortable response.

Awkward moment aside, it's encouraging for Cubs fans to hear their former superstar say he's open to making peace ... especially considering he's one of the org's greatest players ever.

Sosa and Mark McGwire almost single-handedly brought back baseball in 1998 ... following the 1994 labor strike (that ended in April '95). Fans were fed up with both players and owners, but Sammy and Mark's incredible displays of power brought fans back to the park and television set.

That season, Sosa hit an astounding 66 long balls, while McGwire launched a whopping 70!

Sadly, many fans' memories of the race, and the entire career of Sosa, a 7x All-Star who hit 609 homers, have been tainted by steroid accusations.

Shocking news in the NFL world ... Aaron Donald -- arguably the best defensive player of his generation -- is retiring.

The Los Angeles superstar just announced his decision on social media ... revealing that after 10 seasons with the Rams, he's hanging up his cleats.

In his announcement post, the 32-year-old thanked L.A.'s org. and its fans ... before explaining he's now hoping that without football in his life, he'll be able to spend plenty more time with his wife and kids.

"Throughout my career," Donald said, "I have given my everything to football both mentally and physically -- 365 days a year was dedicated to becoming the best possible player I could be."

"I respected this game like no other and I'm blessed to be able to conclude my NFL career with the same franchise that drafted me."

Donald was picked by the Rams in the first round of the 2014 NFL Draft and he immediately became one of the team's best players. In his first year, he started 12 games and won Defensive Rookie of the Year honors.

He went on to make the Pro Bowl in every season he played in ... and was named an All-Pro eight total times. He also won Defensive Player of the Year honors three times.

Most didn't expect him to retire this offseason -- as he was still playing at an extremely high level. However, rumors of him possibly turning in his helmet have swirled since 2022, when it was revealed that he had previously only envisioned playing eight seasons.

The only question that remains surrounding his career is not if he'll get a gold jacket in five years -- but whether or not he'll be remembered as the greatest defensive tackle ever.

Saquon Barkley is trying to make peace with upset Giants fans ... saying in an emotional note to Big Blue late Thursday night that his move to the rival Eagles was simply a "business" decision.

The 27-year-old running back posted the message to his Instagram page ... two days after he spurned New York in favor of a three-year, $37.75 million deal with Philadelphia.

In his letter, Barkley thanked the Giants' org and their supporters for all the love they showed him the past six seasons ... before he seemed to explain that his move out of NY was all about dollars and cents.

"The last three days have been a whirlwind of emotions," he said, "but I wanted to take a minute to acknowledge all the Giants fans that have supported me and my family over the last six years."

"When I was drafted here," he continued, "I wanted my impact off the field to rival the accomplishments we had on it, and I can only hope that I came close to doing that."

"Ultimately the NFL is a business, and I hope that everyone can respect my decision."

The two-time Pro Bowler, of course, has received plenty of hate for leaving the Giants in free agency ... most notably from legendary tailback Tiki Barber, who said the former No. 2 overall pick was now "dead" to him.

Barkley famously clapped back on X, blasting Barber ... while adding he shouldn't be getting backlash because he "got the deal" he "wanted" from the Eagles -- not the Giants.

"You been a hater since I got to New York …," he wrote to Tiki, "and all the 'Dead to me' talk don’t smile in my face when you see me."

Somebody get Olivia Dunne an NIL deal with an electronics company ASAP ... 'cause she watched her boyfriend's baseball game on quite possibly the world's smallest laptop -- and even the MLB's official account trolled her over it!!

The superstar LSU gymnast and influencer was locked in on Pittsburgh Pirates top prospect Paul Skenes' Spring Breakout matchup against the Baltimore Orioles on Thursday ... catching his impressive performance from the comfort of her couch.

But Livvy -- the highest-paid female college athlete thanks to numerous endorsements -- didn't have a baller set up for the occasion ... hunching over a cute little computer screen as she observed every pitch.

In fact, when Livvy shared the scene with her 7.9 million followers on TikTok ... a ton of people flooded the comments to roast her viewing apparatus -- including MLB's own account.

"Your computer is too big how’d you get that thing through the door," the league said.

Livvy took the joke in stride ... replying, "a forklift."

It was a great day for the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 MLB Draft -- Skenes put his 100-plus MPH heater on display, striking out against Jackson Holliday, the top selection in 2022 (and ex-MLB star Matt Holliday's son).

Skenes finished the one-inning outing with two total strikeouts ... and the Bucs won the game, 3-1.

Justin Timberlake hosted a star-studded listening party to celebrate the launch of his sixth studio album -- and it's safe to say the singer pulled out all the stops for the event.

Justin closed down West Hollywood hot spot Dan Tana's for the album release party, which kicked off around 8 PM with a dinner for friends, family, and, yes ... members of *NSYNC.

Justin arrived at the Italian eatery alongside his wife Jessica Biel -- with Lance Bass, JC Chasez, Chris Kirkpatrick, Dwyane Wade and Gabrielle Union, and Babyface spotted as well.

But the fun didn't stop there ... as JT also invited a slew of other celeb friends to swing by after to give a listen to his new album, titled "Everything I Thought It Was." In the video, you can see Dan Tana's packed to the brim with all the notable faces there to celebrate Justin's success.

The celebration came a day after Justin's free, one-night show in L.A. ... where he reunited with his *NSYNC bandmates to debut a new collaboration featured on the new album.

As we reported ... the mini set came together quickly, as sources told us Justin asked his former bandmates on Sunday to participate in the concert. The group only had one day of rehearsal ... as they got together Tuesday to run things through before Wednesday's show.

And we're glad they did -- fans have been clamoring for a reunion ever since they appeared together at the MTV VMAs ... where they didn't perform, and simply presented an award to Taylor Swift.

Jason Kelce's beloved dog, Winnie, has sadly passed away ... and the Kelce family is heartbroken over the loss, with his wife writing in an emotional social media post that she's "lost part of my soul."

It's unclear how the pooch passed ... but Kylie Kelce said on her Instagram page Thursday night the pup "is at peace" now.

"When I was in high school I had a folder on my desktop labeled 'Gods gift to earth,'" Kylie said in an IG post. "It was images of Irish Wolfhounds that I had collected from Google. I had fallen in love with the breed when I was a young and never let my fascination with them fade. It all lead me to Winnie and holy s*** did she live up to the hype."

"I love you, Winn," she continued. "You will always be my first born child."

Travis Kelce sent out his condolences in the comment section, writing, "You [gave] Winn an amazing life Ky!!" The Chiefs star's ex, Kayla Nicole, sent her support with a comment too.

Winnie played a huge role in the Kelce family ... she was the "flower girl" at Jason and Kylie's 2018 wedding. She was also mentioned on Jason and Travis' "New Heights" podcast often ... in fact, the brothers just brought her up on a recent episode when comparing her to animals Travis had seen on his Australian zoo date with Taylor Swift.

Winnie and the Kelces' other dog even had their own Instagram page.

"She was everything I had hoped for in a wolfie," Kylie said in mourning the dog's passing, "and more."

3/15 6:35 AM -- Dak Prescott's attorney, Levi McCathern, released a statement on the new investigation ... claiming the accuser and her legal team only filed a police report (in a different jurisdiction) after learning their "extortion plot" failed.

"Doesn’t take a rocket scientist to see what is going on," McCathern said. "Clearly they think that this will somehow mitigate their criminal responsibility for attempting this illegal shakedown."

"It won’t, and it is a true disservice to the real survivors of sexual abuse."

There are now dueling criminal investigations surrounding Dak Prescott and a Texas woman ... with Dallas police launching a probe into sexual assault allegations made against the Cowboys quarterback.

As we previously reported, Dak filed a lawsuit on Monday ... claiming Victoria Shores tried to extort $100 million out of him to not go to police over an alleged encounter that occurred on Feb. 2, 2017.

Prescott and his team have maintained Prescott has never engaged in any nonconsensual acts with anyone in his life ... adding they went to authorities to report Shores' "criminal actions."

TMZ Sports has confirmed the Dallas Police Department received a report on Tuesday of an alleged sexual assault outside the XTC Cabaret strip club on Feb. 2, 2017 ... and the investigation remains ongoing.

Meanwhile, Prosper, Texas officials are investigating Precott's claims ... and the whole back-and-forth will now play out both criminally and civilly.

Cowboys executive vice president Stephen Jones briefly addressed Prescott's status with the team on Thursday ... saying the ongoing situation would not impact his current contract negotiations, but had no further comment considering it is a legal matter.

Prescott is suing Shores and her attorneys for defamation, slander, civil extortion/duress and more.

Callum Walsh may look and sound like Conor McGregor (after all, they're both Irish!), but the undefeated boxer tells TMZ Sports he's NOT trying to be a carbon copy of the UFC star!

Walsh is an up-and-coming super welterweight boxing star with a main event at Madison Square Garden on March 15 against Dauren Yeleussinov, his second fight at the iconic arena in the last four months.

Making the event even more special, it's St. Patrick's Day weekend, and Callum is pumped!

"It's unbelievable," the Irish boxer told us, adding, "I'm very grateful to be able to do this at such a young age."

Because of his Irish nationality and fighting talent, many, including Dana White (who works with CW), see him being the next McGregor ... but it's a comparison he doesn't love.

"I'm trying to make my own path and do my own thing," the 23-year-old said.

"I'm never trying to copy anybody or be like anyone. Everyone always says 'Oh you wanna be like the Conor McGregor of boxing'. I'm just trying to be Callum Walsh."

That's no disrespect to McGregor ... Walsh and Conor have met before, and Callum says McGregor was somewhat of a role model for him when he was younger.

But, he wants to be himself, not another star fighter.

"I'm just trying to do my own thing, try make my own path. Leave my own legacy," Callum said.

With a 9-0 record, Walsh is on the way ... and hopes to keep his winning streak alive by knocking out Yeleussinov (11-3, 10 KO) at MSG Friday night.

"I'm always looking for the knockout in every fight," Walsh said.

It's Friday, and there's no better way to head off into the weekend than by looking back at what we covered on TMZ ... and there was a lot, especially when it came to our shows.

Starting off on 'TMZ Live,' Charles and Harvey discussed the looming divorce between Kyle Richards and Mauricio Umansky -- which we know is all but certain at this point, based on conversations we've had with lots of people in that world. At this point, it's essentially over.

Kyle touched on this during Wednesday night 'RHOBH' ... and got emotional in doing so.

Next up, we got 'TMZ on TV,' where the gang talked about Justin Timberlake reuniting with Joey Fatone, Lance Bass, JC Chasez and Chris Kirkpatrick, making it an *NSYNC affair.

They performed together ahead of JT's new album dropping ... and boy, did they sound good.

Finally on 'TMZ Sports,' Babcock and Mojo talked the incredible recovery of Mark Coleman.

Check your local listings for when TMZ is on in your area or catch up on past episodes!

The basketball community is rallying around Toronto Raptors player RJ Barrett ... after it was revealed his brother, Nathan, recently passed away.

Nathan's former youth basketball coach, Chris Stewart, confirmed the tragic news on Thursday ... saying the athlete was special to the program.

"Nathan was only with us for a short time in grade 7 before he moved to Florida but whenever he was back in Mississauga the boys connected," Stewart said.

"No parent should ever have to bury a child, hug your kids today a little longer. You will be missed Nathan, RIP ❤️🏀🙏🕊️"

Details surrounding his death have not been revealed at this time.

Nathan -- a 6-foot-1 guard -- played at Montverde Academy, just like RJ. He had dreams of becoming a pilot.

"In my family, we’re very competitive," RJ told SLAM in 2018. "Everyone is always trying to beat each other. Everyone is an athlete, so that’s where I get all my competitive drive."

RJ spent one season at Duke University before going 3rd overall in the 2019 NBA Draft. He played for the Knicks until he was traded to the Raptors in December.

Barrett -- who did not play in Wednesday's game against the Detroit Pistons -- has been ruled out of Friday night's contest against the Orlando Magic ... and understandably, it is unclear when he will return to the court.

The Barrett family released a statement on Nathan's death ... saying he passed away surrounded by his loved ones.

"While our family is devastated by this great loss, we will continue to cherish the memories and time spent together. Nathan was a God-fearing young man of strong character. He was thoughtful, kind, loving, compassionate, creative, admirable and driven."

"Though his time with us was brief, he will live forever in our hearts."

Carlos Alcaraz's tennis play is sweet like honey ... and clearly, some bees thought so too -- 'cause a huge swarm forced him off the court!

The second-best men's player in the world took the court Thursday to take on Alexander Zverev during the BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells, but ended up contending more with a cloud of the dastardly drones when the match was tied 1-1.

Check out the video ... Alcaraz tries to simply swat a few of the irksome creatures away from his face before realizing his bug problem's a whole lot bigger than he thought.

CA keeps his cool for a bit while the sideline official explains the situation to the audience ... but the bees buzzing around his head proves to be too much for the Spanish star.

Carlos starts swinging his racquet around wildly before running toward the tunnel away from the court. He also pulled up his shirt over his face to protect himself -- and let's just say, it was quite a sight ... like something out of "Sleepy Hollow."

In the end, it sounds like Carlos took some damage from all this -- his agent says he got stung on the forehead during the melee, although it's unclear to what extent he was hurt.

Ultimately, it seems like everyone ended up relatively OK ... 'cause play continued just after 5 PM PT with Carlos soldiering through his injury -- after a totally unprotected individual went around and vacuumed up the insect swarm on the camera, all by themselves. Bold!

Robert Kraft poured his heart out while reflecting on the end of Tom Brady's career in New England ... admitting he knew the quarterback's departure would pull the plug on "the greatest cycle in the history of the NFL."

The Patriots owner opened up on TB12's 20-year run with his franchise in the latest episode of the Apple TV+ doc, "The Dynasty: New England Patriots" ... reminiscing on his first memory with the future 7-time Super Bowl champion.

Kraft said upon his arrival in Foxborough, Brady approached him and said it was "the best decision the organization has ever made in drafting him #199 in the sixth round" ... and it's safe to say the guy backed his words.

Over the next two decades, Brady led the franchise to six Super Bowl victories ... and Kraft acknowledged how special it was to watch him develop into the leader he became.

But, of course, all good things come to an end ... and when it came time for Brady to leave his first NFL home for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2020, Kraft knew the impact it would have on the organization.

"'I thought, 'Wow, the greatest cycle in the history of the NFL is ending,'" Kraft said.

Brady previously opened up on his decision to switch teams for the final three years of his career ... saying he was ready to split off from Bill Belichick over how things transpired in recent years.

The Bucs won it all the next season ... and the Patriots have struggled to find the same success in the post-Brady era.

Shohei Ohtani just finally revealed his lovely wife -- it's Japanese basketball player Mamiko Tanaka!!

The Dodgers superstar -- who got the largest contract in sports history this past offseason -- recently announced he married "someone from my Native country of Japan who is very special to me" ... but did not disclose her identity.

Ohtani and his team put an end to all the speculation on Thursday ... sharing a photo of the newlyweds on their way to Seoul, South Korea for the Dodgers' season opener on March 20th.

The woman was quickly ID'd as Tanaka, a 27-year-old basketball player who played for Waseeda University and the Women's Japan Basketball League's Fujitsu Red Wave.

The 5-foot-11 forward/center averaged 7.8 points and 6 rebounds per game ... so they're really quite the athletic couple!!

Ohtani said he and Tanaka have known each other for three to four years ... but their actual wedding date is unknown.

He also said she had no impact on his decision during free agency ... but pointed out Tanaka has a great understanding of his profession.

Patrick Mahomes is connecting with Travis Kelce for another off-field highlight -- the pair of Chiefs superstars are getting in the restaurant industry once again with a new steakhouse in Kansas City.

The hot spot is named 1587 Prime (a nod the duo's jersey numbers) ... but their business partners over at the Noble 33 hospitality group say their involvement goes far beyond that.

Entrepreneur Tosh Berman -- who runs several popular restaurants with Noble 33 -- says Mahomes and Kelce have been "instrumental" with input about the place's concept ... and have shared cool, original ideas to bring to the business.

The two-story, 10,000-square foot eatery -- which will be located inside the Loews Hotel in downtown -- is slated to open in early 2025 ... and it sounds super fancy, with a meat display as the focal point of the whole thing, as well as "hyper-subtle" nods to the Super Bowl champions' on-field accomplishments.

There will also be a massive wine collection, which will be one of the largest in the state.

Mahomes -- who also teamed up with his favorite target by investing in Chicken N Pickle -- spoke about the decision to join forces with Kelce again ... saying, "Travis and I have become frequent visitors of Noble 33 restaurants in other cities so it only made sense to bring something special to our own community in Kansas City."

Kelce added ... "We're excited to be a part of this journey with Noble 33 to create a one-of-a-kind dining experience, and what better place to start than our very own, Kansas City."

The guys are essentially attached at the hip both on and off the field ... and now they got the perfect place to double date with Brittany Mahomes and Taylor Swift!!