TMZ Sports - Page 50

Tyrann Mathieu only signed with the Chiefs a few weeks ago -- but he ain't afraid to speak his mind about his new teammate, Tyreek Hill ... saying he's very disappointed after hearing the disturbing audiotapes.

The Honey Badger appeared on SB Nation Radio when the topic turned to Hill ... who was expected to be one of the focal points of the K.C. Chiefs offense in 2019.

But, the Chiefs have suspended the star WR in the wake of audiotapes which recorded Hill arguing with his fiancee, Crystal Espinal, about the child abuse case involving their 3-year-old son.

During the argument, Hill told Espinal, "You need to be terrified of me too, bitch."

So, how does Tyrann feel about the situation?

"I think it's sad, man. Obviously, very disappointing," Mathieu told SB Nation.

"I came to the Chiefs with the hopes that I can watch him play football and watch him run back punts and catch long bombs and outrun everybody."

When asked specifically about the audio -- in which Espinal accuses Hill of breaking their son's arm -- Mathieu says, "It's very disappointing. Not only from a teammate standpoint but I'm a father as well.

Hill has denied breaking his son's arm.

Mathieu says he's only been with the Chiefs for a few weeks and doesn't know Hill that well -- so he can't vouch for Tyreek's character.

Even Travis Scott's birthday shindigs know how to get into SICKO MODE ... where else ya gonna find a party with a Hennessy Slurpee machine and tattoo station?!

The rapper celebrated turning 28 on Tuesday night at Universal Studios where Kylie Jenner hosted a gas station-themed birthday party. Kendall, Kim, Kanye and a bunch of others turned up ... as Travis looked in awe walking into a room decorated to look exactly like a gas station all about him.

The coolest part ... definitely the Hennessy Slurpee machine. There was also a Nike booth and Travis' Jordan 1s were hanging all over the party. Travis and Kylie were all lovey-dovey before and after inking their bodies. You gotta check out the vid ... it was truly an epic party.

After the bash ... the crowd made their way over to Bootsy Bellows in WeHo where tons of other celebs came out. Quavo, 21 Savage, G-Eazy and NFL star Todd Gurley were among the attendees.

This is terrifying footage ...

A goalkeeper in a Bolivian soccer match was attacked by a fan who threw a firecracker from the stands during a match Sunday ... and the player was so frightened, he collapsed to the ground in fear.

The match took place at Estadio Hernando Siles in La Paz -- where a team called The Strongest took on the Jorge Wilstermann squad.

During the very end of the match, someone ran down close to the pitch and threw a firecracker at Strongest goalkeeper Daniel Vaca ... who covered his face and immediately fell to the ground.

Several players and even the ref rushed over to check on him. It doesn't appear Vaca was injured in the attack though he was taken to a nearby hospital for further examination.

Cops quickly responded and hunted for the suspect. However, there are conflicting reports about if the suspect was arrested.

Officials ended up calling the game early -- and the good news for Vaca, his team ended up winning the match in a 2-1 victory.

Legendary announcer Bruce Buffer was front and center when the UFC made 12 Make-A-Wish dreams come true ... and he says it's a moment he'll remember for the rest of his life!!

Dana White and his org teamed up with the Make-A-Wish Foundation to grant 12 Las Vegas kids their biggest dreams on Monday -- from trips to Disneyland and Disney World to Europe and more!!

TMZ Sports spoke with "The Veteran Voice of the Octagon" -- who used his famous chops for the big reveal to the kids ... and he says it was one of the most emotional experiences of his life.

Buffer revealed it was a local record for Make-A-Wish giveaways ... and admits it was tough not to get emotional during the touching event.

"It was a beautiful event. It was great to see those kids," Buffer says.

G Herbo is now facing a battery charge for an altercation that went down with the mother of his child ... and prosecutors say the rapper dragged the woman by her hair.

TMZ broke the story ... G Herbo was arrested in Atlanta last month after cops said he assaulted Ariana Fletcher during an argument. According to new legal docs, obtained by TMZ, Herbo's been charged with one count of misdemeanor battery.

Prosecutors are accusing him of intentionally hurting Ari by dragging her by her hair and scratching her arm badly enough to leave visible wounds.

Prosecutors tell us the 23-year-old Chicago rapper -- who has a son with Ari -- is now staring down a possible max sentence of 1 year behind bars, if he's convicted.

As we reported ... Ari is now dating boxer Gervonta Davis, and she's pregnant with his child.

Both Don Cheadle AND Jonah Hill showed up to watch Kevin Hart box a poker champ ... so says Antonio Esfandiari himself, who tells TMZ Sports his fight with the comedian was EPIC!!!

We spoke with 40-year-old Esfandiari just hours after Hart released footage of their scrap in Santa Monica earlier this month ... and he told us all about how he prepped for the fight.

After the battle, both fighters kept it professional -- giving props to each other for getting in the ring.

"It was by far the most challenging thing ever," Hart said ... "I gotta give [Antonio] credit because he didn’t let me fight the fight that I wanted to."

So, what's Antonio's breakdown of Hart's boxing game? Esfandiari tells us the little guy's got POP -- saying Kevin's right-hand carries KO power!!

As for the result ... Antonio won the fight via decision -- and ya gotta hear who he's thanking for the victory.

Marco Rubio is PUMPED Miami traded for Josh Rosen ... telling TMZ Sports the former Arizona Cardinal is now the best QB the Dolphins have had in TWO DECADES!!!

"He's the most talented passer we've had on the roster since Marino," the Florida Senator says.

Miami unloaded its second-round pick in last week's NFL draft to get JR from Arizona ... and Rubio is ALL FOR IT -- telling us it's basically a win-win for his favorite football team.

And why? Rubio says because Rosen came with such a team-friendly contract ... there's no risk at all for his squad.

"If it works out, great!" Rubio says ... "If it doesn't, we'll have to draft someone next year."

It's been a rough start for Josh's NFL career ... dude completed just 55 percent of his passes and threw just 11 touchdowns to 14 interceptions last season.

Another day, another athlete honored at the White House ... this time, President Donald Trump held a special ceremony for NASCAR champ Joey Logano.

"It's my pleasure to welcome to 2018 NASCAR Cup Series champion Joey Logano and Team Penske to the White House," Trump said on Tuesday.

"Over the course of the 2018 season, the #22 team earned 26 top 10 finishes, led 934 laps, won 3 races and competed against 3 former champions in the playoffs and came out ahead," Trump said.

Trump also shouted out Joey's wife and their son, Hudson -- noting Joey celebrated the championship by placing Hudson in the trophy.

"That was quite a scene," Trump explained.

Logano was stoked to be at the White House -- saying, "It's an honor to be speaking here."

He gifted Trump a track-worn racing helmet from the championship season -- which Trump says he'll put on display in the Oval Office.

Trump says he considers himself a NASCAR fan and says he's been good friends with team owner Roger Penske for years.

Trump referred to the 82-year-old as "one of the truly great people of our world."

At the end of the ceremony, Trump invited the entire NASCAR team to view the Lincoln Bedroom -- and promised to personally give the tour.

Gabrielle Union and Dwyane Wade are springing into action to help the mother of the Alabama teen who recently died from suicide after he was mercilessly bullied for being gay.

Sources tell TMZ ... the actress and NBA star are part of a group of celebs -- which also includes Ludacris and Janelle Monae -- donating money to help cover Nigel Shelby's funeral. Nigel is the 15-year-old who took his own life nearly 2 weeks ago.

We're told the effort was spearheaded by Pinky Cole -- owner of the popular ATL restaurant Slutty Vegan -- and "Master of None" star Lena Waithe, who enlisted their famous friends to help out.

Nigel's mother, Camika, had said Nigel suffered from depression and struggled with his identity. Our sources wouldn't say how much money was raised, but we know it was enough to cover the expense of Nigel's tombstone, funeral service ... and a separate amount to support Camika.

Nigel's memorial was held over the weekend at Rock Family Worship Center in Huntsville, Alabama. He was laid to rest in a colorful casket wrapped in rainbows and butterflies.

12:28 PM PT -- The World Surf League has confirmed Garcia was hospitalized after a suicide attempt.

In the past, Garcia has talked publicly about his struggles with depression and even asked fans for advice on treatment.

Surf legend Sunny Garcia -- a 6-time winner of the Triple Crown of Surfing -- is fighting for his life in a Portland hospital, the World Surf League has confirmed.

The 49-year-old was admitted to the hospital in Oregon on Monday. Details about his condition were not made public.

WSL says Garcia is currently in intensive care.

Garcia is one of the most beloved people in pro surfing. He grew up in Hawaii -- and became close friends with fellow surf stars like Kelly Slater and Jamie O'Brien.

He's an absolute STUD in the water -- winning the World Surf League's world championship in 2000. He was inducted into the Hawaii Sports Hall of Fame in 2015.

Garcia also became the 2nd pro surfer in history to win more than $1 million in prize money -- which is a HUGE accomplishment.

Outside of the water, Sunny had some issues over the years -- he served time in prison in 2007 in a tax evasion case.

Years later, Garcia said the takeaway from that experience was "never trust your CPA ... don't trust anybody for that matter."

Garcia has talked about how much he loved his family and how one of his biggest fears would be to lose them.

He's also a religious guy who attends church "every once in a while."

Garcia has also pushed hard for people to come and surf in Hawaii over the years -- but he's big on people having respect for the Hawaiian culture.

"Come, enjoy and be respectful, yeah -- if you can be that then we welcome you with open arms. But, if you're gonna come and piss in my backyard, you might get a slap in the head."

UFC star Al Iaquinta wants to prove he's worthy of another fight with Khabib Nurmagomedov -- saying he's convinced he can beat the Dagestani if he gets more than 1 day to prepare.

Remember, Al stepped as a last-minute replacement for Max Holloway at UFC 223 in April 2018 ... and survived all 5 rounds with Khabib, despite zero preparation for one of the scariest guys in MMA.

Since that fight, Al beat up Kevin Lee and has lined up a big fight with Donald "Cowboy" Cerrone at 'UFC Fight Night' on May 4.

Al tells TMZ Sports he wants to make a statement in the Cowboy fight to show everyone he's the real deal -- and deserves a second crack at Khabib.

"I fought Khabib not only on a day's notice but also after fighting 90 seconds in 3 years," Iaquinta says ... "So it was short notice and a huge layoff."

Al -- the #4 ranked lightweight in the UFC -- says he knows he needs to have a "great performance" against Cowboy ... and seems more motivated than ever.

We spoke with Al after the first fight with Khabib and even though he was bruised up, he never lacked confidence.

As for Khabib, Dana White has said his next fight will be against interim champ Dustin Poirier -- and they're gunning for a Sept. fight date.

But as Al knows ... if Dustin gets hurt and Dana needs a replacement, he could be the guy who gets the call.

An Amazon spokesperson declined to directly address the lawsuit, but told us ... "Amazon respects intellectual property rights and requires selling partners to do the same when listing items for sale on Amazon. Any selling partner that has violated our policies will be held accountable."

The guy who created the horse racing catchphrase "And down the stretch they come" is suing Amazon.com ... claiming the company jacked his signature call to make a crappy "tacky" shirt.

The man behind the suit is Dave Johnson -- who's been calling horse races for more then 40 years! Johnson famously created the call and uses it at the biggest races in the sport from the Kentucky Derby to the Preakness and the Belmont.

Johnson says he owns the trademark for the phrase intended to block other people from profiting from his work.

But, DJ is now declaring war on Amazon -- claiming they began selling a "Down the Stretch They Come" shirt in 2018 without his permission ... and he's pissed.

In fact, Johnson trashes the shirt as a "tacky, low quality, over-priced" item that's tarnishing his good name.

Johnson points out other broadcasters who have ferociously protected their catchphrases ... from Dick Vitale's "Awesome baby" to Michael Buffer's "Let's Get Ready to Rumble!"

Now, Johnson wants a judge to stop Amazon from selling the shirt -- noting he wants all remaining shirts to be recalled and destroyed ASAP.

He also wants ALL of the profits Amazon has made from the shirt ... plus additional damages.

Greg Hardy says he's ready to get back in the Octagon RIGHT NOW after destroying Dmitry Smolyakov this weekend ... telling TMZ Sports he knows he's getting better by the day.

The ex-NFL star annihilated Smolyakov in a violent 2-minute beatdown at "UFC Fight Night" in Florida on Saturday -- with Hardy BARELY taking any damage in the fight.

So, we asked Hardy when he's planning to take another fight ... and his answer was simple, "As soon as possible, dude."

Here's the deal ... Hardy says he's laser-focused on his new career and he's working his ass off to get better.

He's 4-1 as a pro -- and even in his disqualification loss to Allen Crowder back in January, Hardy looked powerful and dangerous.

Now, Hardy says his goal is to continue to beat the hell out of whoever Dana White puts in front of him so he can climb the rankings ladder ... and ultimately start fighting name guys like Stipe Miocic and Derrick Lewis.

Hardy says he knows he's gotta work on his wrestling -- and the better he gets, the more dangerous he'll become.

Utah Jazz star Rudy Gobert says he doesn't want Skynet creations taking over NBA officiating -- he just wants transparency, honesty and accountability from the flesh and blood zebras.

The NBA refs are on the hot seat right now, with some fans thinking they handed a gift game to the Golden State Warriors in the first run of the Western Conference semifinals against Houston.

Gobert was one of the critics on Twitter, saying his Jazz got different treatment from the stripes when they faced off against the Rockets in the 1st round.

There's been talk for years that the way to fix bad calls is to have robot or computer refs take the court over (seems terrifying), but when we got Gobert out he said all that ain't necessary.

"I think it would take something away from the game if you do that."

Gobert, one of the best defensive players in the league, says that carbon-based refs are fine, as long as the players are able to have honest talks with them.

"Dialogue is the most important thing."

NFL Hall of Famer Gino Marchetti -- a 2-time NFL champ -- has died at the age of 92, his family confirms.

Marchetti wasn't just a legend on the field -- he was a U.S. Army soldier who bravely fought in the Battle of the Bulge as a machine gunner in World War II.

After he returned home from the war, Marchetti was selected in the 2nd round of the 1952 NFL Draft by the New York Yanks, which later became the Baltimore Colts.

During his NFL career, Marchetti -- mainly a defensive end -- was selected to 11 Pro Bowls and was a 9-time 1st Team All-Pro!!!!!

Marchetti was such a stud, he was named to the NFL's 75th Anniversary All-Time Team, joining guys like Deacon Jones and Reggie White.

His number 89 jersey was retired by the Indianapolis Colts -- and he's a member of the Baltimore Ravens Ring of Honor.

Marchetti passed away at a Pennsylvania hospital with his wife, Joan, by his side.

Joan told the Baltimore Sun, "I kissed him and he knew me and smiled ... That was Gino’s way of saying goodbye."

Let the Hall of Fame debates officially begin ... Jamaal Charles is calling it an NFL career -- reportedly set to sign a 1-day deal with the Chiefs to retire this week.

The legendary RB told TMZ Sports earlier this month his football future was "up in the air" ... but 610 Sports Radio reported Tuesday he'll ink a ceremonial deal and officially hang up his cleats shortly.

It's not too surprising ... Charles hadn't started a single game since the 2015 season -- and told us earlier this month it was "a possibility" this day could come.

But, now that it's here ... the Hall of Fame process can officially begin.

Remember, Charles just told us he believes he IS worthy of having a bust in Canton ... saying, "I mean, some of my numbers look way better than some people already in Canton."

It caused a ton of debates ... 'cause Charles' numbers -- 7,563 rushing yards and 44 total TDs -- aren't quite the slam dunk totals necessary to get in.

But, is he deserving now that his playing days are over and people can really reflect on his 11-year career??