TMZ Sports - Page 9

If Gerrit Cole and Jack Flaherty need some last-minute advice ahead of the start of Friday's World Series ... John Smoltz has them covered!!

The Hall of Fame pitcher told TMZ Sports out at LAX on Thursday -- some 24 hours before he steps into the booth to broadcast Game 1 of Fall Classic in Los Angeles -- that if he were in Cole and Flaherty's shoes ... it'd be all gas and no brakes.

"The only advice I have," said Smoltz, who's won a World Series before, "is pitch every inning like it's the ninth inning."

The Denver Nuggets paid tribute to Dikembe Mutombo during their season opener on Thursday ... honoring the NBA legend with a video tribute and 55-second standing ovation following his death.

It all went down during the first quarter of the Nuggets' matchup against the Oklahoma City Thunder ... with the scoreboard sharing the big man's greatest accomplishments -- the day he was drafted, career highlights, Hall of Fame induction and all the humanitarian work he did off the floor.

After the video rolled ... the fans in attendance shared their respect for Mutombo -- giving the 55-second applause, a nod to his jersey number.

Rather than sitting around at home during the Bears bye week, Jonathan Owens decided to join his superstar wife, Simone Biles, on tour ... as she flips her way across the country, entertaining fans!

The safety -- who signed a two-year deal with Da Bears in March -- last played on Oct. 13 ... before hopping on a plane to spend some quality time with the seven-time Olympic gold medalist on the Gold Over America Tour.

The two lovebirds appeared to have a great time as Biles shared photos with her 12+ million Instagram followers, showing the couple hangin' out, exploring places like Missouri and Texas.

Logan Paul and KSI don't seem too worried about the alleged mold issue with their new Lunchly meal products ... brushing off the outrage and chalking it up to people using them for clout.

The foes-turned-business partners -- as well as YouTube juggernaut MrBeast -- came under fire this week ... after a number of consumers claimed they found spoiled mozzarella when trying out the pizza option of the trio's new venture.

Influencer Rosanna Pansino was at the forefront of the backlash ... after she set out to compare Lunchly and the already-popular Lunchables in a video review -- but shifted gears when she discovered fungus growing in the shredded cheese.

Move over, Jimmy Kimmel ... Jason Kelce might be about to take up residence in the late-night space -- he's reportedly in talks with ESPN about hosting his own show.

John Ourand of Puck reported Thursday that ESPN honcho Jimmy Pitaro is looking to widen the network's reach -- and part of the plan to accomplish that feat could include an after-hours program starring Kelce.

Unclear if it'd be in the traditional style -- one where a host (like Kimmel) brings in various celebs and athletes to talk about life and upcoming projects in a fun Q-and-A fashion -- although Ourand stated at the very least it "wouldn't be a highlight or recap show."

Jerry Hairston Jr. is one of many in the baseball world mourning the passing of Fernando Valenzuela this week ... telling TMZ Sports his admiration for the Dodgers legend was endless.

Hairston Jr. actually had the chance to work with the former pitcher over the last few years of his life ... as the two both had gigs broadcasting L.A. games -- and he had nothing but great experiences with the guy.

He told us he actually went golfing a few times with Valenzuela ... and the two shared many laughs while out on the course as well as at Dodger Stadium.

It ain't the Vikings, Packers or Bears ... no, according to Kerby Joseph, the real kings of the NFC North are the Lions!

The defensive back made it clear to TMZ Sports following Detroit's huge Week 7 win over Minnesota that he truly believes his squad is the top dog in the NFL's best division.

In fact, he told us he thinks the Lions should be considered the favorite from here.

University of South Florida men's basketball coach Amir Abdur-Rahim died on Thursday, according to the school ... after a medical procedure went horribly wrong.

Coach Abdur-Rahim was only 43 years old.

"All of us with South Florida Athletics are grieving with the loved ones of Coach Abdur-Rahim," USF official Michael Kelly said in a statement.

Broncos wide receiver Josh Reynolds was wounded during a shooting last week in Denver, the team announced on Thursday.

In a statement, the NFL franchise said Reynolds suffered "minor injuries" ... although it did not reveal any further details about the incident.

"Out of respect for the legal process," Broncos officials said, "we will defer further comment on this matter to the authorities."

MLB great Pete Rose will be laid to rest in November ... with his family hosting a 14-hour visitation for fans at the Cincinnati Reds' Great American Ball Park.

The team revealed the plans on Thursday ... stating it will be an all-day event -- from 7 AM to 9 PM, symbolizing Charlie Hustle's jersey number.

It will be free and open to the public ... with the Reds saying they would like fans to "come together, honor his incredible legacy, and say their goodbye."

Traffic is always a nightmare in Los Angeles -- and it's expected to be even worse with a full slate of events throughout the city this weekend ... but TMZ Sports has learned the local public transit system is taking action to mitigate as many headaches as possible.

It's a fully stuffed few days for the City of Angels -- especially Friday, with the Dodgers, Lakers and USC all in action ... as well as concerts being held at the Intuit Dome and Forum.

L.A. County Metro tells TMZ Sports the service is bracing for the big weekend by increasing service on the rails ... mainly the A, B, D, and E lines.

2:15 PM PT -- Bill Belichick's making it clear he's siding with his girlfriend in the feud ... rockin' a Bridgewater State University cheerleading tee while hanging with Jordon Hudson on Thursday.

Bill Belichick's cheerleader girlfriend, Jordon Hudson, is so flippin' mad over some recent jabs a radio host threw her alma mater's way ... she's now issuing a challenge to the woman in an attempt to completely embarrass her.

The beef all began on Monday ... when Winnie Akoury -- who appears on Kiss 108's "Billy & Lisa in the Morning" -- trashed Bridgewater State University's cheerleading program.

An undefeated yet unknown fighter used the UFC 308 press conference to ask Dana White for a contract ... and it seems it's paid off in a massive way!

The UFC honcho, live from Power Slap 9, joined Babcock on the TMZ Sports TV show (airs nightly on FS1) ... where the fellas talked about Dorobshokh Nabotov's bold strategy to land a contract with the world's most popular MMA promotion.

If you missed it ... Dana was holding a media event in Abu Dhabi to promote UFC 308 when Nabotov, sitting in the stands with fans and the media, stepped to the mic and made his pitch to the UFC CEO.

If some pooches are looking a little blue in Los Angeles this week, don't be alarmed -- Dodgers fans are just coloring their dogs in the hopes it brings their team some good luck in the upcoming World Series.

Reporters over at NBCLA hit up a bunch of groomers in Southern California this week ... and found out Angelinos are flocking to shops to dye their pups' coats in an effort to support the boys in blue as they gear up to take on the Yankees.

All over Los Angeles County, paws, ears, and tails are getting dipped in Dodger blue ... but, don't worry, the groomers insist it's all "non-toxic" and "perfectly safe" for their fur babies.

The Los Angeles Dodgers will honor the late Fernando Valenzuela when they take the field for the World Series -- the team just announced it will pay tribute to the legend with a jersey patch.

The Dodgers shared visuals of the uniform tribute on Thursday ... which is a circle featuring Valenzuela's name and number placed on the left sleeve.

On top of the Fall Classic, the Dodgers said players will also wear the patch throughout the 2025 season as well.

It's a bad day to be a champagne bottle ... 'cause Breanna Stewart is grabbing all the bubbly in sight as the New York Liberty parades through the streets to celebrate their WNBA Finals win!!

The 6-foot-4 forward was spotted having a blast as her float made its way down Broadway ... spraying what appeared to be some Ace of Spades before taking a swig right from the container.

Sabrina Ionescu -- who wore a dope Nike custom Liberty jacket for the occasion -- turned the bash into a mini meet-and-greet ... hopping off her float to show love to the fans in attendance.