TMZ Sports - Page 17

Soccer star George Baldock -- who played seven seasons with Sheffield United -- has died after his body was found in a pool on Wednesday. He was only 31.

Sheffield United confirmed the defender's death hours after Baldock was discovered at his Glyfada, Athens home.

Emergency responders reportedly used life-saving measures at the scene ... but they couldn't revive him. His cause of death is unknown at this time.

Jack Doherty's brother is showing some tough love after he wrecked his car on a Miami highway last week ... saying his Kick ban is actually a good thing, and he needs to learn his lesson.

Michael Doherty, who was trailing behind Jack in another car, weighed in on the mess during TMZ's "Verified Podcast" Wednesday ... saying his brother, who was seen on livestream texting just seconds before the crash, needed to get hit with some hard truths about not being invincible.

Michael told us he’s not exactly sure how long Jack’s Kick ban will last ... but at the end of the day, he thinks getting booted from the app that made him famous is actually a positive development.

A cast of Donald Trump's head was recently used as an unconventional soccer ball ... all in the name of art.

Check it out ... what appears to be a rubber or latex object shaped like 45's dome was kicked around at an exhibit at Superchief Gallery in Los Angeles last weekend. As you can see, participants dribbled and booted the facsimile of the former president's noggin in an indoor game.

The controversial art installation comes from the activist art collective INDECLINE ... best known for creating the jaw-dropping naked Trump statue that "Ghost Adventures" star Zak Bagans bought for a whopping $28K.

Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce's "Love Story" may be going strong, but the A-list couple is not ready to tie the knot ... TMZ has learned.

A source close to the couple tells TMZ…. "It’s not true and the recent erratic and unfounded speculation on this couple is just proving that media and overzealous fans do not know what’s going on with them and shouldn’t make wild assumptions based on zero facts. Two days ago everyone had decided they were broken up, now they’re allegedly secretly engaged? It’s whiplash-inducing."

This update comes after ESPN commentator Troy Aikman doubled down on his decision to refer to the pop star as "The Missus" during "Monday Night Football" this week.

Robert Saleh was fired because the New York Jets were underperforming on the football field -- period -- with sources telling TMZ Sports any notion suggesting the Lebanese flag patch he wore on Sunday factored into the move is utter nonsense.

Saleh was given a pink slip on Tuesday after Gang Green fell to 2-3 on the season ... and shortly after his termination, some talking heads tried to connect it to the fact Saleh sported his family's heritage on his arm during the team's loss to the Minnesota Vikings just two days prior.

Those who pushed the claim on social media suggested Saleh wore the patch as a political statement on the unrest in the Middle East ... and speculated Jets owner Woody Johnson was so pissed over the stunt, he promptly cut ties with the coach.

Tom DeLonge ain't the only celeb looking to bring some good luck to an MLB team this month ... Sabrina Carpenter pledged her allegiance to the Phillies on Tuesday night -- with a sexy outfit!!

As Philadelphia was gearing up for its pivotal Game 4 NLDS matchup with the Mets, Carpenter threw on a Phils jersey while performing at Wells Fargo Arena to give the squad her support.

Check out video from the pop star's concert ... Carpenter -- who's from Pennsylvania -- tossed on the steamy 'fit, which featured a No. 69 jersey, for a rendition of "Espresso" ... and everyone in attendance ate it up.

LeBron and Savannah James shared a touching moment with the woman who sprang into action during Bronny's cardiac arrest incident last year ... thanking the first responder for helping save their son's life.

The Lakers superstar and his wife of 11 years detailed Bronny's medical emergency in the new Netflix docuseries, "Starting 5" ... which premiered Wednesday on Netflix.

In one of the scenes, LBJ visited the USC Trojans' locker room with his mother, Gloria, and hugged a training staff member named Erin -- the woman who performed CPR on Bronny that terrifying day last July.

"Life saver," James said introducing Erin to his mom. "Literally."

Troy Aikman can't help but call Taylor Swift "The Missus" during "Monday Night Football" ... but he claims he might actually be onto something -- 'cause he says a little birdie told him she could very well already be engaged to Travis Kelce!!

The ESPN color commentator revealed the gossip on Barstool Sports' "Pardon My Take" podcast on Wednesday ... where he was asked about his viral remark from the broadcast.

The Hall of Famer explained he had no idea the quip would take a life of its own ... saying, "This morning, I woke up and saw a headline like, 'Aikman knew he was in trouble' or something," he said. "And I was thinking, 'Gosh, if this is newsworthy,' like really?"

Here's further proof there's no rift between Taylor Swift and Brittany Mahomes ... Patrick's significant other let the pop star rub her pregnant belly!

The moment happened at some point during the Chiefs' "Monday Night Football" tilt with the Saints ... when Taylor, Britt and Blake Bell's significant other, Lyndsay Bell, posed for a pic together in an Arrowhead Stadium luxury box.

Taylor and Lyndsay -- with some beverages in tow (get a load of Tay Tay's Travis Kelce-themed cup!) -- placed their hands on Mrs. Mahomes' stomach for the snap ... and then they all smiled as the camera's shutter went off.

Aaron Rodgers says he's not going to waste his time addressing the "ridiculous" narratives surrounding Robert Saleh's firing ... insisting he had nothing to do with the New York Jets giving his now-former coach the boot -- and that's all he's gonna say about it.

The four-time MVP joined "The Pat McAfee Show" minutes ago to discuss Saleh's recent unemployment ... and he had nothing but praise for the guy -- even claiming he was a big reason why he joined the Jets prior to the 2023-24 season.

Rodgers said they had a solid relationship for several years ... and he said he has a ton of respect for Saleh, so the news is a reminder of how tough the business side of football can be.

Jabrill Peppers will not be suiting up for the Patriots for the foreseeable future ... the NFL is placing the New England safety on the Commissioner's Exempt list in the wake of his recent arrest.

The league made the move official on Wednesday morning ... some four days after Peppers was jailed over allegations he roughed up his girlfriend during a dispute at a Braintree, Mass. residence.

According to court documents, a woman claimed Peppers got violent with her after they had gotten into an argument following intercourse ... putting "his hands on her neck and" pushing "her head against the wall."

The Tropicana, a famed Las Vegas Strip hotel and casino, ended its nearly 70-year run with a showstopping display ... courtesy of fireworks, drones and 2,000 pounds of explosives.

Check it out ... before the huge amount of explosives were detonated, the famed resort thanked Sin City for its many years, setting off colorful fireworks and putting on a drone presentation -- made up of 555 drones creating a casino chip design that featured the Tropicana logo.

As the light show came to a close, the Tropicana stood tall for a few moments -- before crumbling to the ground in less than 30 seconds ... bringing with it the hotel's iconic history of Louis Armstrong and Frank Sinatra performances, Folies Bergère shows, and more.

Travis Kelce says he was quite the picky eater before Taylor Swift came around ... admitting his girlfriend has slowly gotten him to try out new food -- much to Jason's approval.

The Kelce bros. had a brief discussion about different edible options on the latest episode of their "New Heights" podcast ... when at one point, the Kansas City Chiefs tight end explained he stays away from any grub that looks "pooey."

Jason asked for Travis' thoughts on curry ... and he revealed Swift was getting him hip to Indian cuisine, to which the future Hall of Fame center praised the singer -- saying her influence on his meal choices was "one of the greatest things I've been happy about" with their romance.

Robert Saleh is opening up on the New York Jets' decision to go with a new head coach ... and he took the high road, expressing nothing but appreciation to the organization for giving him a shot.

Saleh released a statement Wednesday morning ... thanking the Jets for the opportunity "to work with so many incredible people."

"I will always be appreciative of the love and support from everyone at 1 Jets Drive," he said.

Beyoncé is letting her mom, Tina Knowles, have her moment in the spotlight ... stepping out with her mama for the Glamour Women of the Year Awards.

The singer arrived at the event in NYC Tuesday evening alongside Tina ... though, she notably skipped the award show's red carpet. We still got a glimpse at Bey's glowing look, however ... the Grammy winner was dressed to the nines in a vibrant yellow top and striking gold skirt, which perfectly matched her platinum blonde 'do.

She rounded out her classic Hollywood look by wearing a light-brown fur coat ... which we're sure will send PETA into a tizzy.

IShowSpeed fell short in his attempt to beat the backflip world record, quitting after an astounding 660 flips Tuesday night ... after the (super athletic) streamer said he could no longer move!

But, Speed's vowed to try again soon!

The 19-year-old began his attempt Tuesday morning, attempting to break the world record for backward somersaults, set by Nico Scheicher in 2019. NS completed 1,001 in 24 hours.