TMZ Sports - Page 37

Diddy is back in public, hot "rodent men" are taking over Hollywood and Joey Chestnut is in some hot dog water.

First up on "TMZ Live" Harvey and Charles dive into all things Diddy ... now that he's resurfaced amid the Cassie beatdown video and his various legal issues.

A middle school coach in Michigan is out of a job and facing criminal charges after cops say he used a shirt to choke a student in the hallway ... which was apparently caught on video.

Surveillance footage from Ypsilanti Middle School purportedly shows a coach -- an adult man, mind you -- approaching a teenage student from behind as the kid walks down the hallway towards the door, before the guy wraps a rolled-up shirt around the student's neck.

It looks like the coach -- who has yet to be ID'd --  yanks back on the shirt and a struggle ensues ... all while the shirt tightens around the kid's neck. Ultimately, the teen breaks free and the man lets up as the kid walks away.

Joey Chestnut and his longtime nemesis Takeru Kobayashi are going head-to-head in a hot dog eating contest once again -- but it won't be part of the usual Fourth of July event ... it's a Labor Day extravaganza!!

The showdown is 15 years in the making -- the two last went at it in 2009 at the traditional Nathan's competition in Coney Island ... when Jaws beat Kobayashi to defend his mustard belt.

The timing of the announcement is pretty interesting -- on Tuesday, Major League Eating announced Chestnut was OUT of the Independence Day contest due to an endorsement deal he inked with a rival food company.

Logan Paul's got a yuuuuuuge guest on his next podcast episode ... it's none other than President Donald Trump -- and TMZ Sports is told this may not be the WWE Superstar's only toe dip into politics.

Sources with direct knowledge tell us the Maverick sat down with The Donald at Mar-a-Lago on Tuesday for an interview on "Impaulsive" ... which came to be after No. 45's team reached out and requested the meet-up.

We're told Logan agreed to to the gig (who wouldn't want to interview a president??) ... but instead of just getting one side of the upcoming election, he's now hoping to get the same opportunity with Joe Biden.

Hulk Hogan isn't ruling out Mike Tyson in his forthcoming match against Jake Paul ... noting the boxing legend still has a lot of fight left in him.

We got the WWE legend on "TMZ Live" Wednesday, where he shared his thoughts on Mike and Jake's highly anticipated fight ... which has been rescheduled for November following MT's health scare last month.

As Hulk put it ... the health incident on the plane was merely a minor setback, reminding viewers the legendary boxer is known as "Iron Mike Tyson" for a reason.

11:10 AM PT -- TMZ Sports just spoke with Scott Hanson ... and he told us the horrifying crash all happened on Sunday at around 9:30 PM.

He reiterated that despite the chaotic scene, somehow, no one was injured.

As for the TikToker who was seemingly trying to make a buck off it all ... Hanson said the guy was a complete jerk -- who only left the scene after he heard sirens heading toward the area.

Joey Chestnut's absence from the Nathan's Hot Dog Contest would have a major impact on whoever ends up winning the event this year ... so says 2023 runner-up Geoff Esper, who tells TMZ Sports the victory would be tainted if it's not over Jaws.

We caught up with the competitive eater -- and new favorite to win the Fourth of July event -- shortly after the news of Chestnut's status broke ... and while the 16-time mustard belt champion's omission helps his odds, he understands people wouldn't be nearly as impressed if Joey ain't there.

"100% there's gonna be a huge asterisk on that," he said. "Like two or three years ago, I said, 'Well, even if I do win it because Joey's not there, there's gonna be an asterisk.' I'll admit that to anybody."

University of Southern Mississippi cornerback Marcus "MJ" Daniels Jr. -- who also played for Ole Miss -- was tragically shot and killed in his car this week, police confirmed.

He was just 21 years old.

The Hattiesburg Police Department said the shooting happened Tuesday night near Highway 49 in Mississippi.

Travis Kelce will have plenty of career options once he hangs up his NFL cleats for good ... but he just revealed there's one job he's currently eyeing the most -- broadcasting!

The Chiefs star made the revelation on this week's episode of "New Heights" ... when he and his big brother, Jason, were talking about the prospects of owning an NFL franchise.

Jason said he'd love to be the honcho of an org. -- specifically the Eagles -- but Travis was adamant he wanted no part of it. When asked why, TK said it's simple ... he'd rather be a Tony Romo or a Greg Olsen.

Michael Phelps' historic run at the 2008 Beijing Olympics is one of the most memorable athletic performances ever -- and now a one-of-a-kind set of 8 oil paintings, done by a famed artist, and signed by the immortal swimmer, is up for sale ... but it's gonna cost ya!

TMZ Sports has learned the "Golden Eight" collection, created by renowned artist Brian Fox -- known for his ability to capture celebs and athletes -- is being shopped for $2 MILLION!!!

Each of the eight exquisite pieces, commissioned by owner Todd Patkin in '08, was inspired by a moment from the Games ... and all have been signed by Phelps.

9:16 AM PT -- The NBA will hold a moment of silence in Jerry West's honor prior to Game 3 of the Dallas Mavericks vs. Boston Celtics Finals matchup on Wednesday, TMZ Sports is told.

The NBA world is mourning the passing of one of its legends, Jerry West ... with Michael Jordan, LeBron James and Kobe Bryant's wife, Vanessa, among those expressing their grief shortly after the announcement.

"I am so deeply saddened at the news of Jerry's passing," Jordan said following the news on Wednesday.

If going up against little kids on the basketball court was an Olympic sport, Caitlin Clark would certainly make the team ... 'cause the Indiana Fever superstar blocked the hell outta a youngin' at a charity event!!

The hilarious highlight went down at Gainbridge's Habitat for Humanity event this week ... when CC playfully went 1-on-1 with a lucky fan in attendance.

In a clip from the gathering, the boy is shown dribbling up the court as Clark played D ... and even though he was barely 3-feet tall, he pulled up with a shot attempt over the 6-foot guard.

NBA legend Jerry West -- the inspiration behind the league's iconic logo -- has sadly died.

The Los Angeles Clippers said in a statement the Hall of Famer passed away on Wednesday morning with his wife, Karen, by his side.

No further details surrounding his death were released.

Logan Paul is finally settling the debate on who would win in a Paul vs. Paul super fight with Jake ... admitting he's no match for his younger brother.

The WWE Superstar confessed his hypothetical demise during a lie detector test with his boxing superstar sib on Wednesday ... when Jake asked straight-up if Logan thinks he would come out on top if they faced off in the boxing ring.

Logan was surprisingly quick to respond ... uttering a simple "no" in response.

Jake Paul's already a major force in combat sports and online gambling, and now he's coming for the men's personal care industry, launching a new brand, and inking a deal with the world's largest retailer!

"This is my biggest creation to date," Paul told Babcock on "TMZ Sports" (airs nightly on FS1). "This is like all my brain power put into one thing. It took a lot of brain power for me, but it's called W and it's basically taking the term W, winning, whether that's the valedictorian, firefighter, high school jock, those are all winners in my mind, and giving them a product in an old and outdated space."

And no, we're not talkin' some teeny, tiny, fancy, schmancy jar of lotion that costs hundreds of bucks ... Paul's W brand body wash, body spray, and deodorant all cost under $10.

O.J. Simpson went back to the scene of the crime -- where he killed his ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman -- and our own Harvey Levin happened to be there and a wild chase ensued.

The chase is part of a new Tubi documentary "TMZ Presents O.J.: How He Really Did It" -- marking the 30th anniversary of the murders -- in which Harvey tells a bunch of stories he's never told before during his days at KCBS TV covering the O.J. Simpson murder case.

Among the stories -- a week after O.J. was acquitted in the murder trial, Harvey drove a friend to Nicole's condo where the murders occurred, and a limo was parked in the alley. As Harvey pulled up, the driver looked in the side view mirror and the 2 made eye contact, then immediately turned on the ignition and started to drive away.