TMZ Sports - Page 13

The NFL just threw the book at Texans star Azeez Al-Shaair for his Sunday hit on Trevor Lawrence ... suspending him without pay for THREE GAMES.

The league made its ruling official on Tuesday morning ... saying his past offenses for "personal fouls and sportsmanship-related rules violations" factored into the decision.

NFL Vice President of Football Operations Jon Runyan scolded the Houston linebacker in a strongly-worded letter when announcing the ban for lowering his shoulder and hitting Lawrence in the head as the Jaguars QB was sliding during their weekend tilt in Jacksonville.

Martin Gramatica is making it clear if he were running the Ravens' special teams ... he would NOT get rid of Justin Tucker -- despite the star's recent woes.

The legendary kicker tells TMZ Sports ... he believes Tucker's just simply hit a rough patch -- and he's confident the 35-year-old will fight his way through it in time for Baltimore's impending playoff run.

"He's going to snap out of it," the former Buccaneers kicker said. "There's no question that he knows how to kick. He's done it forever."

Serena Williams is adamantly denying she's making major changes to her appearance after a recent video of the retired tennis superstar went viral ... saying speculation she lightened her skin is BS!

"And no, for you haters out there, I do not bleach my skin," Serena said on Instagram Live while going through her makeup routine on Monday.

The clapback comes after numerous social media accounts focused on how Williams looked when she shared footage from her daughter's school play, with some commenting on the shade of her skin.

The father of retired Dallas Cowboys star Leighton Vander Esch was arrested in Idaho over the weekend on several charges -- including felony attempted strangulation.

The Idaho County Sheriff's Office says it received a call regarding a domestic battery outside the city of Riggins around 12:16 AM on Dec. 1.

After cops arrived at the scene, 61-year-old Darwin Vander Esch was arrested for felony attempted strangulation and cited for misdemeanor domestic battery and misdemeanor intentional destruction of a telecommunication device.

3:17 PM PT -- Eli Manning has entered the chat ... letting Tom Brady know he wasn't too impressed with his catch.

Speaking of catches ... TB12 clapped back with a zinger of his own -- referencing David Tyree's Super Bowl-saving helmet reception that helped the Giants beat Brady's Patriots back in 2008.

Ultimately, Brady's seven rings beats Manning's two ... but considering both of those came against the Pats, Eli's got the right to throw a friendly jab here and there.

Tom Brady's clearly thankful for retirement ... sharing his relief over not having to play in crappy Buffalo weather anymore -- all while sending out a friendly reminder he's hot A.F.

The G.O.A.T. shared some snaps from his post-Thanksgiving fishing and golf outings ... and judging by the visuals, he didn't overdo it on the turducken.

TB12 ditched his shirt for the boat trip ... and after snagging some queen snapper, he posed with one of his catches.

Kyrie Irving is being dragged to court by a health and wellness company that claims the NBA superstar stiffed it out of nearly $400,000.

The allegations are all spelled out in a new lawsuit, obtained by TMZ Sports, that was filed on Monday in New York.

The plaintiffs, Elite Mind Solutions, allege Irving hired them and their high-profile therapist, Natasha McCartney, in the spring of 2024 to work a family retreat the basketball player was putting on for friends and family from June 28 to July 2.

Tragic news for Trent Williams' family -- the San Francisco 49ers star's wife just revealed their son was stillborn last month ... after losing his twin sibling earlier in the pregnancy.

Sondra -- who shares three daughters with Williams -- announced the heartbreaking loss on Instagram with a heartfelt video showing her pregnancy journey leading up to welcoming Trenton O'Brien Williams Jr. on November 24.

"My firstborn and only son, I've always wanted you, but God wanted and needed you more," Sondra said ... adding Trenton -- who weighed 4 pounds, 8 ounces -- was diagnosed with Trisomy 13, also known as Patau Syndrome.

Bad Bunny's giving golf tips to Happy Gilmore ... because the rapper is filming scenes with Adam Sandler for the upcoming sequel -- and it looks like he's a caddy.

Check out these behind-the-scenes photos from the set of Adam's "Happy Gilmore 2" ... Bad Bunny's in full costume and makeup, dressed up like a caddy on the golf course with Happy.

Adam's rocking the trademark 'HG' fit ... a Boston Bruins hockey jersey, baggy pants and some Timberland boots.

Josh Allen played in his first game fresh off his engagement to Haliee Steinfeld Sunday night ... and it sounds like he can get used to playing as a fiancé -- saying he "felt free" out on the field!

The Bills star quarterback was all smiles when a local reporter asked for his thoughts on playing with his new moniker as Steinfeld's soon-to-be hubby ... and he had no complaints.

"It felt good," he said. "It felt free."

Jazz Chisholm's plan to get over the Yankees' World Series loss apparently includes some drinking and smoking.

Check out some photos of the New York star while he was vacationing in Miami Beach over the weekend ... you can see he wasn't shy about puffin' on what appeared to be a joint while downing a Casamigos-fueled cocktail.

Wearing nothing but some board shorts, he sprawled out on a luxury resort's lounge chair ... and flashed a big grin as he sipped his drink and blew out swathes of smoke. Remember, the MLB removed marijuana from its banned substance list years ago, so no problems with Rob Manfred here if that's what it is.

Nikki Bella is finally opening up about her messy split from Artem Chigvintsev ... calling it "really tough" just 2 weeks after they settled their divorce.

The "Total Bellas" star got real about her heartbreak as she made her return to "The Nikki & Brie Show" podcast after Artem's August arrest -- reflecting on how she dreamed of the perfect family ... but instead, it all went from "having a great love story to having a terrible one."

Nikki also got candid about her time away from the spotlight, revealing as a mom, her 4-year-old son Matteo's privacy comes before everything else, so she needed to protect him by stepping away from the public eye.

Addison Rae was at the car wash this weekend, turning up the heat as she flashed some serious skin while giving her car a rinse.

The internet personality was decked out in a red and white candy striper dress that barely kept things covered, flashing some serious sideboob. But, no worries -- she came prepared with nipple tape to keep it all in check during her Hollywood pitstop!

Addison clearly was not your typical car wash customer -- she stood out in sky-high heels, giving her the perfect height to hose down the top of her car like a total pro.

Tyreek Hill's apparently got the moves on the football field and in the hospital room ... check out a video his wife just shared -- he was doing a shirtless jig as she was giving birth to their baby!

The hilarious scene all played out on Nov. 25 -- as Keeta Vaccaro was sprawled out on a medical facility's bed trying to push out their first daughter.

In a video Vaccaro posted to her Instagram page on Monday morning, you can see Hill -- rockin' nothing but a pair of Chiefs sweats -- clapping and dancing as he encouraged her. Keeta, for her part, seemed to enjoy it!

Houston Texans linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair is issuing a mea culpa to Trevor Lawrence over his controversial hit on Sunday ... saying he never intended to hurt the Jaguars quarterback -- and calling out "racist" and "Islamophobic" fans in the process.

The 27-year-old released the statement on X ... claiming while he always plays with intensity, he doesn't purposely try to take anyone out of competition.

"My goal is to hit you as hard as I can then I pray you're still able to get up and play the next play," he said. "And when the game is over go home to your family unharmed because it's not personal it's just competition!"

Najee Harris seemingly had too much on his plate this Thanksgiving ... claiming the upset stomach he experienced during Sunday's game was the result of a delicious dish his teammate's girlfriend put together for dinner.

The Pittsburgh Steelers running back explained why he was sidelined early in the team's matchup against the Cincinnati Bengals ... and needless to say, he might have to reconsider his Turkey Day strategy moving forward.

A soccer match in Southern Guinea turned deadly this weekend ... with 56 people losing their lives and droves of others injured following a stampede -- with all the carnage stemming from a controversial call.

The incident occurred on Sunday at a tournament hosting the country's military leader -- Mamady Doumbouya -- in the city of Nzerekore.

A fan in attendance told Reuters things went south following a red card in the 82nd minute of the contest, which led some to throw stones, which police responded to with tear gas, in an attempt to get the situation under control.