TMZ Sports - Page 9

Losing out on the starting quarterback job this season might be a blessing for Drake Maye ... 'cause Patriots wideout K.J. Osborn tells TMZ Sports he thinks being a backup will only benefit the rookie signal-caller.

Of course, there were many in Foxborough who thought differently ... with a bunch of fans believing Maye had shown enough in the preseason to start under center ahead of veteran Jacoby Brissett.

But when we spoke to Osborn following New England's upset win over Cincinnati, he made it clear he believes Maye's career in the long run will be positively impacted by sitting and learning.

Nikki Bella isn't just a former WWE Superstar ... she's a super-mom too -- spending some quality time with her four-year-old Matteo after filing for divorce.

The former wrestler stepped out in Napa Valley Friday ... taking her son to his dance class with a big smile on her face.

Check out the pics ... both Nikki and her son look ready to work out -- twinning in all-black, sporty outfits.

If Dr. Bennet Omalu -- the brain expert credited with the discovery of CTE -- was running either the NFL or the Miami Dolphins ... he tells TMZ Sports he'd force Tua Tagovailoa to retire following his latest head injury.

The inspiration for the famous Will Smith "Concussion" movie didn't mince words when talking about the matter on Friday ... saying straight up the consequences for allowing the 26-year-old back on the field after yet another concussion could be dire.

Specifically, Omalu says if Tagovailoa were to sustain another significant blow to the brain -- he could become "permanently incapacitated."

Edgar Berlanga plans on beating Canelo Alvarez on Saturday, and the boxing star already has his next move plotted out, telling TMZ Sports the winner should get Terence Crawford!

The 22-0 fighter will try to take Alvarez's super middleweight world titles (WBC, WBA, WBO) in one fell swoop when the pugilists meet in a 12-round bout at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas this weekend.

If Berlanga does win, it'll be a major upset. Sportsbooks have Edgar as the underdog, as you'd expect when facing someone with the pedigree of Alvarez, one of the top pound-for-pound boxers in the world. Alvarez has 61 victories, with 39 coming by way of knockout.

Justin Timberlake is pleading guilty, John Legend is pleading for sympathy in his hometown, and Dwight Howard is getting talked out of wrestling ... all this on today's TMZ TV Hot Takes.

First up on "TMZ Live," Harvey and Charles break down Justin's big day in court in Sag Harbor, New York.

Brian Ortega is one of the twenty fighters who will scrap on the UFC's one and ONLY Noche event at the Sphere ... something the veteran MMA star describes as an "honor."

"Bro, it's another level. We get to fight on a historic event by a promotion that's already known for making history. So it's an honor to be chosen to go in there, a featured fight and kind of kick off the night for both co-main and main event," T-City told TMZ Sports earlier this week, just days before his clash with 29-year-old Diego Lopes.

Remember, Ortega, 33, and Lopes were supposed to fight in June at UFC 303 ... but the fight was scrapped the same day the men were due in the Octagon after Brian, who was coming off a win over Yair Rodriguez, got sick and couldn't fight.

Rolando Romero seems to be planning on having one of the best performances of his career later Saturday against Manuel Jaimes ... 'cause TMZ Sports has learned the boxer's copped all kinds of cool custom gear for the battle.

We're told Romero (a.k.a. Rolly) was hooked up with some Bruce Lee and Kobe Bryant swag from his go-to guy Aztek Kustoms ... just ahead of his 10-round tilt with Jaimes (16-1) at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

Aztek hooked Rolly up with unreleased Nike Machomai 3s boxing shoes ... and made them look just like the Kobe 5 Protro Bruce Lees that Bryant originally released in 2010.

Artem Chigvintsev and Nikki Bella's divorce is already getting ugly ... because they are at odds over two major issues ... money and their son.

According to a report by Us Weekly, Artem responded Friday to Nikki's divorce filing ... and he's asking for joint legal and physical custody of their 4-year-old son, Matteo.

The "Dancing With The Stars" pro is also asking for spousal support from Nikki.

The cop who put his knee in Tyreek Hill's back and aggressively slapped handcuffs on the NFL superstar during a traffic stop last weekend has been accused of excessive force in the past, TMZ Sports has learned.

According to Miami-Dade Police Department records we obtained, officer Danny Torres has received numerous complaints since joining the MDPD back in October 1996.

The records show that on six separate occasions, he was accused of misconduct, including force violations as well as improper procedures. Torres was also investigated for his use of force at least 13 times as well.

Ex-NBA player Mitchell Wiggins -- the father of Golden State Warriors star Andrew Wiggins -- has died, his family announced. He was 64 years old.

Details surrounding his passing were not released.

Mitchell was selected by the Chicago Bulls with the 23rd overall pick in the 1983 NBA Draft. He played in the Windy City for one season before being traded to the Houston Rockets -- where he remained until 1987.

Jenn Tran isn't done putting the full-court press on Cleveland Cavs player Max Strus ... 'cause one day after professing her crush on the hooper, she was caught double-tapping on his recent thirst trap.

As we previously reported, the "Bachelorette" beauty gushed over the sharp-shooter on "The Viall Files" podcast released Thursday ... saying after finding out Celtics superstar Jayson Tatum was off the market, she wouldn't mind if Strus slid into her DMs.

The shout-out could very well work in her favor ... 'cause as it turns out, the two follow each other on social media. It's unclear if it's a recent development, or if Tran had been on Strus' radar all along.

Tiger Woods is dealing with yet another injury ... revealing Friday he's gone under the knife once more to try alleviate a back issue.

The golf legend made the announcement on his social media accounts ... saying he had to have microdecompression surgery this week to try to fix a nerve issue in his lower back.

Woods stated he had been dealing with the ailment during "most of the 2024 season" ... and he's now hopeful the procedure will allow him to return to normal life activities -- including golf.

Baltimore Ravens rookie Nate Wiggins injured his neck in a car crash this week ... an ailment that will keep him sidelined for the team's Week 2 matchup against the Las Vegas Raiders.

Ravens coach John Harbaugh shared the news in a press conference ... saying the cornerback -- who had one tackle in his pro debut -- won't be ready to go by Sunday's kickoff.

"Nate was in a car accident a couple of days ago," Harbaugh said. "Looks like he's not gonna be able to make it to the game."

The University of Michigan is mourning the loss of athletics administrator Greg Harden, Tom Brady's life coach in Ann Arbor ... who died after complications from surgery.

The school shared the tragic news minutes ago ... days after it announced Harden remained in the hospital after undergoing a procedure on Monday.

Harden was known as the program's "secret weapon" due to his role as a mental coach for standout Wolverine athletes for decades ... including Brady, Desmond Howard, Jalen Rose and Michael Phelps.

Jalen Hurts finally got a ring ... an engagement ring ... and he used it to pop the question to his longtime partner Bry Burrows!!!

The Philadelphia Eagles superstar got down on one knee just before the NFL season ... asking Burrows to be his future wife at a tropical location.

Photos from the proposal, obtained by Essence, show Burrows said yes in front of an ocean ... all while candles, rose petals and even a violinist surrounded them.

Damar Hamlin says there was nothing out of the ordinary about his hit on Tua Tagovailoa that resulted in a concussion ... telling the media after the game he was simply trying to make a "routine tackle" -- and his thoughts are now with the Miami Dolphins quarterback.

The Buffalo Bills safety broke down the collision to The Athletic's Tim Graham after the Bills' 31-10 win on "Thursday Night Football" ... a play that resulted in Tua being ruled out of the game in the third quarter.

As we previously reported, Tua -- the fifth overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft -- was rushing for a first down ... but instead of sliding, he went for more yards and lowered his helmet when Hamlin moved in for the stop.