You Might Want to Rethink

Medina Spirit has been stripped of his 2021 Kentucky Derby title ... officials announced Monday the horse has been officially disqualified following a hearing last week.

In a statement, Kentucky horse racing stewards said Medina Spirit did have the banned substance betamethasone in his blood on race day -- a huge no-no -- and announced second-place finisher Mandaloun will now be recognized as the race's winner going forward.

Officials also announced Bob Baffert, Medina Spirit's trainer, has now been suspended 90 days from all Kentucky racing facilities and fined $7,500 because of the findings.

Baffert will have the opportunity to appeal the ban -- which officials said will last from March 8 through June 5.

The ruling means Baffert will now have to win another Derby title to regain the crown of winningest trainer in the race's history (Medina Spirit's victory had given him seven total).

Disturbing moment during a junior hockey game ... a player sucker-punched an official in the face, and the player has now been hit with a lifetime ban.

It all went down in the United States Premier Hockey League -- a developmental league for amateurs -- when a member of the South Shore Kings got frustrated with one of the refs.

Check out the clip, the official appears ticked off by something the player did and motions to send him to the penalty box.

That's when things went south ... 'cause as the player began skating off the ice, he punched the referee in the face, dropping him to the ice.

The other refs restored order ... and the official who was punched was helped back onto his skates -- but the damage had already been done.

FYI, Junior Hockey is typically played after high school, but before college.

The commissioner for the USPHL released a statement saying, "The action taken today by a USPHL player is completely unacceptable in the USPHL. The USPHL has zero tolerance for any player striking any official, at any time."

He continued ... "The player in question’s actions have led to a lifetime ban."

Olympic skier Remi Lindholm says it was so cold during a race at the Games in Beijing over the weekend ... his penis literally froze while he was competing.

Lindholm says the horrifying injury happened during Saturday's men's 50km mass start event ... where temps dipped so low, officials actually delayed the start and even shortened the race's overall distance to 30km to try to keep competitors safe.

The precautions, though, clearly didn't help Lindholm too much ... because he said after spending over an hour racing on the course, his junk turned into a popsicle.

"You can guess which body part was a little bit frozen when I finished," Lindholm told reporters after the race. "It was one of the worst competitions I've been in."

Lindholm said he needed a heat pack to thaw everything out -- but added that once he got warm, "the pain was unbearable."

The worst part for Lindholm? His efforts only resulted in a 28th place finish.

Turns out, this was not the first time Lindholm has experienced the terrifying race wound -- he said it happened to him in a race in Finland in 2021.

Juwan Howard got physical with another coach after his team’s bitter loss in a basketball game ... kickstarting an ugly fight.

The University of Michigan’s men’s basketball head coach got into it Sunday while shaking hands with the opposing team ... the Wisconsin Badgers, who beat Juwan’s Wolverines 77-63 in a hard-fought game.

While UoW’s HC, Greg Gard, approached JH in the lineup ... he appeared to get snubbed by the latter -- which made him start to get in Juwan’s face, as the two of them began yapping back and forth.

Soon, it became clear this was going beyond words ... as other coaches and players had to rush between them to break up a head face-off. Juwan wasn’t done yet though ... in an apparent effort to reach Gard, he took what looked to be an open-hand swing at one of the Wisconsin assistant coaches, and made contact. It was all caught on camera, of course.

That sparked more fighting from the players, and an all-out brawl ensued.

Fortunately, it doesn’t seem things got too out of hand ... and the chaos was eventually tapered down after everyone separated from one another.

No word on what exactly made Juwan react that way -- or what sort of punishment, if any, awaits him.

An up-and-coming rapper from the ATL is drawing a line in the sand over who can and can't claim her turf -- and by default ... kinda ostracizes A LOT of big names that rep her home.

The young MC is Omeretta The Great, and she's got a new single out -- "Sorry Not Sorry" -- that has folks from the Greater Atlanta Metro Area in a full-blown tizzy about who's actually from there, and who's not.

You gotta see what Omeretta considers "Atlanta" -- she kinda turns it into a local geography lesson, getting very specific.

On the NOT ATLANTA list: Forest Park, Lindbergh, Roswell, Gwinnett and Clayton County, Lithonia, Decatur and much of the north and south parts of town (like College Park and East Point, for example).

While she doesn't exactly spell out where her city limits are exactly, it seems like OTG might be relying on zoned districts that officials/cops use to map out Atlanta proper.

If true, then there's a good handful of legendary artists that she's divided into two camps -- those with actual ATL roots, and those without.

Based on what she's saying here, one could surmise that she might think rappers and singers like Ludacris, OutKast, Monica, Young Joc, 2 Chainz and others are NOT from Atlanta. They mostly grew up in the outskirts, to the south of the main city or elsewhere.

By the same token, Omeretta also seems to be saying the Migos aren't from Atlanta, as they hail from Lawrenceville (part of Gwinnett Co.) -- which is less controversial, since that's low-key far from Atlanta itself.

Those who could be safe in Omeretta's eyes ... Future (Kirkwood), Lil Baby (Oakland City), T.I. (Bankhead) and Gucci Mane (East Atlanta). Their stomping grounds seem to be within actual Atlanta borders, as it were.

Now, as you might imagine ... the response from "Atlanta Twitter" is fierce ... with many actually agreeing with Omeretta, and others saying she's being way too territorial for no freakin' reason. Also of note, she went and shot this video at Truist Park -- about 10 miles north of downtown -- which isn't lost on people ... and appears to contradict her point.

None of the icons mentioned above appear to have responded to Omeretta’s in-or-out club headcount just yet ... but wouldn't it be something if they did, and actually made a song about it???

Elon Musk has blasted Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau ... comparing him to Hitler.

Musk was triggered by Trudeau exercising his emergency powers to stop protesting truckers -- powers that include stopping supporters from donating crypto to the truckers -- by posting a meme of Adolf Hitler with the caption, "Don't compare me to Justin Trudeau ... I had a budget."

The comparison drew the ire of lots of folks and orgs, including the American Jewish Committee, which responded, "Musk may believe posting a meme comparing Justin Trudeau to a genocidal dictator who exterminated millions is an appropriate way to criticize policies he disagrees with. It is not. It never is. Musk must apologize and find other ways to voice his displeasure."

Others are saying, "It disrespects the memory of all victims & hurts many people," and "Unfollowed. Not funny."

Don't hold your breath for an apology from Musk.

If you think e-bikes are dangerous, check out the nightmare this cyclist somehow survived -- a big ass bull running him over right in the middle of a race.

This went down in Bakersfield, CA over the weekend during a rural off-road bike race called the Rock Cobble. The course apparently runs right through at least one bull's turf, and he wasn't having it. After letting one rider pass, the next one gets absolutely flattened!!!

The bull first slammed into his bike, then came back for seconds ... ramming and then tossing the cyclist, a guy named Tony Inderbitzin.

There were reportedly a total of 4 riders attacked during the race, though it appears Tony got the worst of it. Miraculously, he survived ... but he's in a world of pain.

He told Cowboy State Daily, "I’m sore all over, mostly the neck from the second throw, I got whiplashed. The list of what doesn’t hurt is my left arm and head.”

Two disruptive fans stormed the field and got laid out by security during the third quarter of the Super Bowl -- and it was all captured on video.

The pics and vids from the incident show one man dressed in all black was able to sprint almost the entire length of the field ... but eventually, security was able to track him down.

The guy even came in close quarters with some of the Rams players ... but fortunately, none of them were affected by the ordeal.

He wasn't alone, though -- a second fan wearing a gray hoodie and red shorts also decided to "crash" the Super Bowl, too ... with a similar result.

Ultimately, both individuals were snagged and escorted off the field ... so they missed the conclusion of a thriller in the fourth quarter.

Streakers and field rushers have somehow managed to land on the field over the past few years ... with many doing it as a publicity stunt.

No word on the motive for these two new streakers ... but chances are they'll be banned from ever pulling it off again.

Super Bowl LVI is already off to a bumpy start -- because the folks running the broadcast apparently couldn't tell one of their marquee singers from another ... oof.

Shortly before kickoff Sunday, NBC was introducing R&B singer Jhene Aiko -- who was going to belt out 'America the Beautiful' ... shortly before country singer Mickey Guyton was set to take the mantle for the National Anthem.

All seemed to be going just fine ... that is, until they panned to the wrong person entirely while flashing a Jhene name graphic on the screen. Instead of her, they focused on Mickey -- who was looking on from an elevated platform.

Huge blunder, obviously ... but the camera eventually found the right person in Jhene, who gave us a solid, and somewhat subtle, rendition of the tune.

Mickey was up next, and her performance of 'The Star-Spangled Banner' was absolutely spectacular ... getting huge cheers and applause.

Still, everyone noticed the screw-up that started everything -- and some couldn't help but wonder how and why they could've gotten it that wrong. Here's hoping the rest of the program isn't as messy.

Diddy got a visit from a musician named Smalls who wants to make hits with him ... problem is, the guy decided to shoot his shot by hopping Diddy's fence to play him a demo.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... a 23-year-old man named Isaiah Smalls showed up at Diddy's L.A. estate and began pounding on the security gate and eventually hopped over it.

We're told Diddy's security had refused to let him in before he took matters into his own hands. The guards quickly detained him once he jumped the fence and called the cops.

Smalls was arrested for trespassing ... but he was released from custody less than an hour later.

We got video outside Diddy's house the same day Smalls was arrested, and it appears this is indeed Smalls trying to figure out how to get himself inside the property. You hear him cursing before he jumped the fence.

Our sources say Diddy was not home during the incident.

Floyd Mayweather's bodyguard is under investigation for battery after a man claimed he was assaulted by the TMT member, law enforcement sources tell TMZ Sports ... but there are inconsistencies with the accuser's story.

Mayweather was at Yard House near Crypto.com arena (formerly Staples Center) in L.A. around 6 PM Thursday. While there, we're told a man claims he was assaulted by a guy on Mayweather's security team ... after the boxer allegedly got upset the alleged victim was filming him.

But, almost the entire interaction is up for debate.

The alleged victim claims he was hit by bodyguard. However, witnesses told police the bodyguard didn't hit the guy ... but rather knocked a cell phone out of his hand.

Witnesses told cops the man "flopped" after the incident with the bodyguard, falling over in dramatic fashion.

The alleged victim told cops the bodyguard then allegedly picked up the phone, and attempted to get the man to unlock him phone and erase the video. But, the man allegedly declined to comply, so the bodyguard gave the phone back, and everyone went separate ways.

As for the superstar boxer, a rep tells us Mayweather stopped by the restaurant, but left because the place was too crowded. Floyd says there was no incident at Yard House.

The man who was allegedly assaulted waited about a half-hour to call police. Cops responded and took a battery report. The man's story was not entirely consistent with witness claims.

Police will now investigate the alleged incident. No one has been arrested.

The internet is going wild about Zendaya's new homage at Madame Tussauds -- ripping it for looking more like another famous face ... but the museum is standing its ground!

Madame Tussauds London unveiled the wax figure this week of the "Euphoria" star, and it has Twitter extremely divided (what else is new?) -- some say it's spot on, and others claim MT did her dirty, because it seems more like a Kylie Jenner tribute.

But, now Madame Tussauds is firing back with receipts ... claiming the statue is correct, by the numbers at least. A spokesperson says, "Our talented artists created our new Zendaya figure using measurements and references taken during her 2015 sitting."

The spokesperson added, "We understand that when fans are incredibly passionate they might feel differently, until they have had the chance to see it up close."

Translation: See it in person before ya judge.

For now, though, fans are teeing off on social media with comments like ... "The wax version of Zendaya looks like she wants to speak to the manager."

The Kylie comments are coming in hot too, and TBH ... we get it. Once you think it, it's hard NOT to see it.

A Frontier flight headed to Orlando had to make an emergency landing, after things got absolutely crazy in the air.

The flight had taken off Wednesday night from NYC ... at some point, a male passenger started flipping out. An eyewitness tells TMZ ... the man accused the lady behind him of sticking him with a needle and trying to steal his DNA. He then threatened to smack everybody on the plane ... as he kept spinning conspiracy theories.

As the man yelled threats, some of the other passengers jumped him and tried restraining him. That was clearly enough for the pilot, who headed for the nearest runway, landing at the airport in Raleigh, North Carolina.

NFL star Jonathan Allen -- one of the best defenders in the league -- apologized Wednesday afternoon for saying he wanted to have dinner with Hitler ... calling the comment "dumb."

The Washington Commanders' defensive lineman tweeted early Wednesday morning that if he could choose any three people to dine with -- dead or alive -- one of them would be Hitler.

In now-deleted tweets, Allen explained he'd pick Hitler as a guest because the football player said the German dictator was "a military genius."

"I love military tactics," said Allen, who added that his other two guests would be his grandfather and Michael Jackson, "but honestly I would want to pick his brain as to why he did what he did."

Allen was immediately hit with criticism following the comments ... and it didn't take long for the 27-year-old to issue a mea culpa.

"Early I tweeted something that probably hurt people and I apologize about what I said," Allen said on Twitter. "I didn't express properly what I was trying to say and I realize it was dumb!"

Allen also responded to a fan who said his comments were hurtful ... writing in a tweet to the person, "I'm sorry I offended you that definitely was not my attention, I was just answering a question."

Authorities in the UK have confirmed to TMZ Sports that Kurt Zouma's cats have been taken from the soccer star after he was seen on video kicking and slapping the animals.

The Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals tells us the two cats were taken this week ... as it continues to investigate the footballer for animal abuse.

"The two cats are now in RSPCA care," a spokesperson for the RSPCA said in a statement. "Our priority is and has always been the wellbeing of these cats."

"They've been taken for a check-up at a vet and then will remain in our care while the investigation continues."

As we reported, 27-year-old Zouma was seen on video, obtained by The Sun, kicking a cat across the floor over the weekend. He was also seen in the footage slapping a cat.

Zouma -- a member of the French national team -- apologized for his actions following the video's release ... saying there are "no excuses" for his behavior.

He added that the cats were "perfectly fine" and said that this would never happen again.

Despite the horrifying video, Zouma's West Ham team still allowed him to play in its game Tuesday -- and reporters on the scene said he was booed nearly every time he touched the ball.

Fresh off his apology for repeatedly using the n-word, Joe Rogan says he's a victim ... because that compilation video was only put together as a "political hit job," and yet, he's found a silver lining.

The latest episode of the "Joe Rogan Experience" dropped Tuesday, and opened with Joe expressing "relief" a few days after posting his lengthy mea culpa. Joe admits the video showing him saying the full, uncensored epithet on his podcast was "good, because it makes me address some s**t I wish wasn't out there."

While comedian Akaash Singh gave JR props for admitting his mistake, Rogan clearly questions the motives of the people who resurfaced the old clips.

What's interesting is ... Joe isn't shying away from racial controversies. He dove right in again, openly questioning fellow comedian Awkwafina for finally addressing criticism she's faced for using a so-called "blaccent."