TMZ Sports - Page 35

While athletes in the Olympic Village are (allegedly) sifting through their food for worms, Peruvian surfer Lucca Mesinas says everything was smooth sailing over in Tahiti ... telling TMZ Sports he only had one complaint with their setup!!

We caught up with the Peruvian surfer at LAX this week ... not long after he competed in the surfing portion of the 2024 Games. Naturally, we had to ask all about the surfers' HQ on a luxurious cruise ship in the South Pacific ... and it sounds MUCH better than what the folks in Paris have been saying.

"We had good food, we had ping-pong, things to do over there," Mesinas said. "We were allowed to leave the boat anytime to go to surf. It was pretty fun anyway."

Kamala Harris has a running mate, Janet Jackson is closing in on a big deal, and Jacoby Jones has an official cause of death ... all this on today's TMZ TV Hot Takes.

First up on "TMZ Live," Harvey and Babcock break down Harris' pick for the top of the ticket ... Minnesota Governor Tim Walz.

Algerian boxer Imane Khelif will fight for a gold medal on Friday.

The controversial pugilist emerged from her semi-final bout with Thai boxer Janjaem Suwannapheng by unanimous decision in Paris on Tuesday ... making her one of two fighters left standing.

Khelif was welcomed by a mostly supportive crowd ... with some even waving Algeria's green and white flag, and chanting "Imane!"

Former MLB player Billy Bean has died at the age of 60 ... Major League Baseball announced Tuesday.

Bean -- who served as the league's senior VP for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion and Special Assistant to the Commissioner -- passed away after a year-long battle with Acute Myeloid Leukemia.

Bean -- one of the first openly gay players in MLB -- was first diagnosed with the disease in September 2023 ... but only went public with the news during the MLB Winter Meetings in December. At the meetings, Arizona Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo got emotional when talking about his long-time friend ... saying it was time to help "take care of you."

The company responsible for providing thousands of meals to the athletes in Paris' Olympic Village is addressing claims they served wormy fish, telling TMZ Sports the claim's bull****!

If you missed it, Adam Peaty, a British swimmer, talking to a newspaper, unloaded on the food selection and quality of the grub, even saying he knew of fellow athletes who claimed they found "worms in the fish."

No photo evidence was provided ... and when we reached out to the French catering company Sodexo Live! about the serious allegations, they went on the offensive.

Jacoby Jones' cause of death has been revealed ... TMZ Sports has learned the Super Bowl champion died from Hypertensive Cardiovascular Disease.

The medical examiner released details behind the shocking death on Tuesday ... stating the 40-year-old died from a heart disease caused by long-term high blood pressure.

The manner of death was listed as natural.

Anthony Edwards celebrated his 23rd birthday in epic fashion last night in Paris ... his family, friends and teammates all shocked the superstar baller -- as did Gunna, who gave the party a full-blown performance!!!

Sources connected to the party tell TMZ Hip Hop AE's management team, led by Justin Holland, wanted to do it big for his "Jordan year."

They outsourced to Eva Paris, a private event planner, to curate the experience, and they ran a ruse under the pretense of checking out a spot for a teammate following a team dinner.

Former Team USA gymnast MyKayla Skinner says she's been targeted with a ton of hate after Simone Biles shaded her on social media ... claiming her family has even received death threats amid the drama -- and she's begging for it all to stop.

Skinner released a lengthy Instagram video to address the backlash she's faced after Biles' caption took aim at her previous comments about the current squad's lack of work ethic ... and while she thought it would all blow over, that simply hasn't been the case.

Skinner said Biles' fans have piled on the "bullying" in the days following the diss ... with some folks crossing the line and threatening physical harm on her, her husband and their daughter.

It's hot as hell out and football players are already sick of training camp ... so, no surprise Giants star rookie Malik Nabers and Lions safety Kerby Joseph came to blows at practice on Tuesday!

A fan watching the joint NYG and Lions practice at the Quest Diagnostics Training Center in New Jersey recorded the altercation ... and the fists were flying!

The footage shows 21-year-old Nabers -- the 6th overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft -- attempting to catch a pass that was broken up by DB Terrion Arnold.

Meet me at the hotel room Pitbull Stadium??? That's what Florida International football fans will be saying for years to come ... 'cause Mr. Worldwide is buying the naming rights to the school's home turf!!

FIU and the popular music artist confirmed the rumors at a press conference on Tuesday ... with reports saying the deal is worth $6 million over five years.

As part of the agreement, the Grammy-winning artist will create an anthem for the school, post on his social media platforms and appear at one athletic fundraising event yearly. On top of that, his alcohol company -- Voli 305 Vodka -- will be the preferred brand available to purchase during games ... and he will get use of the stadium ten days a year.

Colin Jost is off the hook from his Olympics coverage duties in Tahiti after a week of injury drama, starting with his toe wounds ... which he quipped invite ants to move in if he stands still too long.

Yep, things really went south for NBC’s 2024 surfing correspondent since landing in French Polynesia -- it was injury after injury ... kickstarting with a nasty run-in with a coral reef last week, which left three of his toes wrapped in gauze.

Colin had a good laugh about it, even joking his WikiFeet fame might take a hit. But right now, the only thing crashing the scene could be ants -- something he told NBC’s Maria Taylor he never saw coming.

Conor McGregor is doing a complete 180 on his feelings toward Donald Trump -- bashing the former president for calling Khabib Nurmagomedov his favorite UFC fighter and claiming the move is a serious deal-breaker for him.

No. 45 sang the Dagestani fighter's praise during a live stream with Adin Ross on Monday ... and as soon as Notorious got wind of it, he ripped into Trump on X.

"Campaign ending decision," Conor said ... adding the right move would have been to deem an American fighter his favorite instead.

Simon Biles and Jordan Chiles bowed to Rebeca Andrade in a show of Olympic sportsmanship ... and it really ticked off NFL player Marlon Humphrey.

Humphrey -- the star Baltimore Ravens cornerback – jumped on X to slam Biles and Chiles after the two American gymnasts lost to Brazil's Andrade in Monday's floor finals.

Biles and Chiles came in second and third, respectively, and were later pictured bowing to Andrade as she accepted the gold medal.

Freddie Freeman was back in the Dodgers lineup following his son's health scare ... and it was an incredibly emotional moment for the first baseman -- as he was brought to tears during a massive ovation from the fans.

The eight-time MLB All-Star rejoined his teammates on Monday ... the first time after a two-week absence due to his 3-year-old son Maximus's battle with Guillain-Barré syndrome, a rare neurological disorder.

The team and fans showed love for Freeman when he stepped up to the plate in the first inning against the Philadelphia Phillies ... with some even wearing blue #MaxStrong shirts.

***Warning: Finish your Cheerios before reading***

The food in Olympic Village is straight-up crap, according to a British swimmer ... who says the nasuea-inducing grub's so gross, athletes have literally found WORMS in the fish!

Adam Peaty -- who won a silver medal in the 100m breaststroke -- leveled the serious accusations in an interview with a British newspaper after wrapping up the swim competition at the Paris 2024 games ... and it's abundantly clear he's heated over the subpar food.

“I like my fish and people are finding worms in the fish," Peaty said. "It’s just not good enough. The standard, we’re looking at the best of the best in the world, and we’re feeding them not the best."

Serena Williams' fight with a fancy Paris hotel is in standoff mode, after the establishment pushed back on claims it denied her service.

The Peninsula Paris issued a statement Monday in response to the tennis legend accusing the rooftop restaurant of denying her and her kids access despite it being "empty." In her post on X, Serena included a sign emblazoned with the name of the hotel, angering her fans who blasted management in the comments section.

As a result, the Peninsula jumped on X to explain its actions, saying the rooftop bar was fully booked and the unoccupied tables of the gourmet restaurant were all reserved.