TMZ Sports - Page 50

Here it is ... the FIRST picture of Gerrit Cole as a New York Yankee sans his famous beard -- and we gotta say, IT LOOKS WEIRD!!!

The new Yanks' ace adhered to team policy ahead of his introductory press conference Wednesday ... ditching his face fur for the first time in a LONG time.

You can see the 29-year-old looks about 5 years younger ... and if you saw his reaction to being forced to chop off his scruff earlier this week -- ya can tell he was dreading this moment.

But, Cole does kinda look fresh ... and seeing as he had about 324 MILLION reasons to pick up the razor this week, it was probably a good call.

As for his long hair, doesn't seem Cole's got around to cuttin' that down just yet ... but it looks like Yankees' brass might let it slide if he goes with a little product in it.

By the way, the press conference is still ongoing ... but it's pretty clear the Yanks are STOKED to have the guy in pinstripes for the next 9 years ... GM Brian Cashman even handed Cole's wife a bouquet of roses!!

Oh, and Cole even showed up with the same sign he brought to Yankee Stadium when he was a fan of the team as a kid!!

Boxing champ Josh Taylor just pled guilty to racially abusing an Asian nightclub bouncer after saying some terrible stuff during a drunken bender in Scotland.

28-year-old Taylor -- the reigning IBF light-welterweight champ -- was at Shanghai nightclub in Edinburgh around 3 AM Sunday morning when he and some friends got tossed from the bar for being drunken idiots.

But, outside the club, officials say Taylor made some horribly offensive comments to the bouncer ... saying things like, "You are all sh*t doormen" and "you can’t fight for real."

That's when Taylor directed his venom toward the Asian bouncer, according to prosecutor Alistair Millarand who says things went from bad to worse ...

"He said [to one doorman] 'your nose ring is gay' and ‘you are a gay looking c**t.' 'He then stated [to the doorman] 'you big orange-looking c**t.'"

Taylor was arrested and charged with multiple crimes. He eventually pled guilty to behaving in a threatening and abusive manner, according to the BBC. He was fined about $450.

The boxer reportedly apologized for the incident and said he was ashamed of his actions.

L.A. Clippers star Patrick Beverley was so fired up about crushing the Suns on Tuesday night -- he dropped an f-bomb during the post-game interview ... telling the fans, "We ain't f**kin' around!"

He's right. They were not.

The Clips DOMINATED Phoenix in a 120 to 99 victory at Staples Center ... with Bev ballin' out in the 3rd quarter with 2 big blocks on Frank Kaminsky.

"I just try to go out there and do the dirty work," Bev said ... "I'm comfortable with that."

The Clippers have won 7 of their last 10 games -- and they're currently in 2nd place in the Western Conference, behind the Lakers.

After the game, Beverley let his emotions go during a live interview with Fox Sports that appeared to be amplified throughout the arena.

"We trying to win as many games as possible," Pat continued ... "We understand it's a real competitive league but anybody we play, we try to win! That's our mindset."

It was Patrick's first game back since he suffered a head injury during a Dec. 11 game against the Toronto Raptors ... and it's obvious Beverely wanted to make a statement in his return.

"They tried to take me out with a concussion, man!! These people crazy!! But nah, it's good though. I'm back, got some rest. Big team win. Gotta ready for the Rockets next."

Johnny Manziel -- '12 Heisman Trophy winner and former 1st-round NFL Draft pick -- is simply not good enough to play in the XFL ... so says XFL Commish Oliver Luck.

When the XFL's 2020 Draft went down earlier this year, a lot of people were surprised that Manziel's name wasn't called.

After all, the 27-year-old flashed some signs of that legendary talent during his brief run in the Canadian Football League in 2018 ... and some people thought the XFL would be a no-brainer for him.

But, Johnny didn't enter the XFL's 2020 Draft pool -- shocking some people -- and there didn't appear to be any real interest in getting the ex-Texas A&M star on a roster.

So, when the Tampa Bay Times asked Commissioner Luck about Manziel and fellow 1st-round NFL draft pick Trent Richardson not playing in the XFL this season, the Commish didn't pull his punches.

"I would argue that the players we have are better than those guys, to be honest with you," Luck said.

"Johnny has his own history, and we have coaches from the CFL who have seen him close up."

In other words ... Luck ain't convinced he can play anymore.

As for Richardson ... "I watched Trent when he was with the Colts, and I watched him when he was with the AAF. He was in the draft pool. Coaches and scouts looked at him and didn’t think he was going to help their team."

"I think the guys we have on our teams are the best 560 that aren’t playing in the National Football League."

So, what's next for Johnny Manziel? He seems to be out of pro football options. But, when we saw him in NYC for the Heisman Trophy ceremony this weekend, we asked if he was interested in a career in broadcasting.

Manziel was the 22nd overall pick in the 2014 NFL Draft -- but washed out of the NFL after just 2 seasons with the Cleveland Browns.

See, Tom Brady DOESN'T have everything after all ...

The NFL announced the greatest quarterback of all time was NOT selected to the Pro Bowl on Tuesday ... the first time the 42-year-old hasn't made the all-star roster since 2008!

For context ... the last time Tom missed the Pro Bowl cut, Flo Rida's "Low" was #1 on the Billboard charts and "The Dark Knight" was the biggest thing at the box office!!!

The AFC QBs going instead? Lamar Jackson, Deshaun Watson and Patrick Mahomes.

Of course, it ain't like Brady's play deserved recognition this season ... his numbers are down in nearly every category -- and he has just an 86.5 quarterback rating.

In fact, some believe the Pats might be one and done in the playoffs this year because of how bad their offense is ... with the team in danger of losing the AFC East crown for the first time since 2008 as well!

But, the Pro Bowl rosters weren't completely void of 11-3 Patriots ... cornerback Stephon Gilmore, linebacker Dont'a Hightower and special teamer Matthew Slater all made it.

It ain't like the Pats care much about the honors though ... the Pro Bowl is played a week before the Super Bowl, and, let's all be honest, TB12 and the guys will probably be game planning that week anyway.

As for the rest of the rosters ... the Baltimore Ravens led the AFC with 12 selections -- while Drew Brees and the Saints earned 7 spots on the NFC's team.

Terry Francona had BOTH his World Series rings jacked last month ... but cops say they recovered the prized jewelry and just arrested the alleged scumbag accused of the heist!

Back on Nov. 7, the Pima County Sheriff's Dept. says it responded to Francona's Tucson, Arizona-area home after the legendary MLB manager reported a theft.

When officers arrived, they say the two World Series rings Tito won when he was the Boston Red Sox manager in 2004 and 2007 were stolen.

Cops say they discovered a $245,830 check intended for Francona had also been taken and fraudulently deposited by someone else earlier this year as well.

But, good news ... officials say they recovered Tito's jewelry at a sports memorabilia store just a few miles away in Phoenix -- saying the suspect had sold them to the store after the burglary.

And, in even better news ... cops say they arrested the thief late Tuesday night.

The suspect is 33-year-old Jamey Estep ... and he's been hit with felony charges of 2nd-degree burglary, theft and trafficking for his alleged role in the heist.

All total, the guy is facing YEARS behind bars if he's convicted of the crimes.

As for 60-year-old Francona, he issued a statement Tuesday saying, "I am incredibly grateful to the effort that the Pima County Sherriff’s Department has put forth in this."

Seems Anthony Joshua is already regretting his public offer to spar Tyson Fury -- admitting, "When I look back at some of the s**t I say, I think, 'Why did I say that?'"

Joshua had appeared on Sky Sports and said he'd be down to help Fury prepare for his upcoming rematch with Deontay Wilder ... even offering to be his sparring partner in camp.

So, why?

AJ says he thinks if Fury wins the rematch, "He'd be more inclined to fight me next and quicker" than Wilder.

The funny thing ... Fury actually ACCEPTED Joshua's offer and wants to train with the guy.

When Joshua was asked about the awkward situation (sparring his next likely opponent), the heavyweight champ says he WILL follow through on his offer.

"Sparring Fury is only going to do me good, in my opinion. So, I'm never too big for my boots where I can't learn anymore," Joshua said to iFL TV.

"Fury is a world-class fighter and I'm a world-class fighter that is still trying to improve so I can become like an elite-level fighter when I'm fighting."

"So, that opportunity, for me to spar Fury, is for my own benefit as well."

How do you celebrate closing roughly $1 BILLION in MLB contracts in one short offseason?!?

That's the question we posed to MLB superagent Scott Boras -- and while he's trying to downplay the historic impact of his work, you can tell he's pretty fired up!

FYI, Boras is arguably the most powerful agent in pro sports ... at least judging by the deals he's negotiated in the past couple of weeks.

Gerrit Cole signed a $324 million contract with the Yankees. Anthony Rendon inked a $245 mil deal with the Angels. Stephen Strasburg's getting $245 mil from the Nationals. And Mike Moustakas got $64 mil with the Reds.

So far, Boras' clients are at $878 mil in contract money this off-season -- and with Hyun-Jin Ryu, Dallas Keuchel and Nicholas Castellanos expected to close deals soon, Boras should easily pass the $1 BILLION mark.

"It’s really a great thrill," Boras told us at Reagan National Airport in Virginia.

"The biggest celebration is that you get to call the players you represent and let them know that something they’ve worked so hard for is complete."

Boras has a reputation for being a pretty hard-nosed negotiator -- so we asked if there are teams that are afraid to deal with him out of fear they'll have to break their piggy banks to get SB's clients.

"Oh, I don’t think anybody is [afraid]. When you represent great players everybody wants to talk with you."

There's more ... we also spoke with Scott about Bernie Sanders, who recently tweeted about the deal Boras inked for Gerrit Cole -- "If pitchers can make $324 million, we can pay every teacher in this country at least $60,000."

Boxing star Adrien Broner has been ordered to pay more than $700k to a woman who claims AB sexually assaulted her at a nightclub back in 2018, court records show.

As we previously reported ... the woman using the alias Katherine Larson claimed she was sitting on a couch when Broner smothered her and shoved his tongue down her throat at a Cleveland nightclub on June 8, 2018.

The woman claims Broner continued the assault until his friend pulled him off her.

The woman went to police and filed a report -- and later filed a lawsuit against Broner. Earlier this year, Broner pled guilty to assault and unlawful restraint of Ms. Larson.

Pro hockey player Akim Aliu says he's spoken with the Colorado Eagles equipment manager who wore blackface to a team Halloween party ... and has accepted the staffer's apology.

As we previously reported, Aliu says Tony Deynzer dressed up as him for the minor league hockey team's 2011 Halloween party ... with a custom jersey and blackface.

Aliu says he took photos with Deynzer at the time because he didn't want to create a scene -- but told TMZ Sports he was FURIOUS.

Now, Aliu and the Colorado Eagles have issued a joint statement saying they not only talked things out -- but Aliu requested the team to NOT fire the guy.

"Mr. Aliu also spoke with Tony Deynzer who had requested to speak with him about the incident," the statement said.

"The content of that conversation will remain private, suffice to say that Mr. Deynzer offered a heartfelt and emotional apology directly to Mr. Aliu which Mr. Aliu accepted."

Aliu added his own statement saying, "I accepted the apology by the Eagles and by Mr. Deynzer. I believe that we must confront racism head on."

"I believe the time for big positive change in the sport has arrived and that this moment can be used to promote diversity, inclusiveness, and safety in the sport and our community"

Eagles owner Martin Lind says the team has issued a formal apology as well -- noting, "Listening to Akim was both emotional and inspirational and a very moving moment in my career."

"I let him know how sorry we were as an organization and how it in no way reflects our values. I was appreciative that Akim was willing to take my call and listen to what we had to say."

The woman who allegedly stabbed NFL wide receiver Terrelle Pryor is finally being released from jail ... almost 3 weeks after she was locked up.

24-year-old Shalaya Briston appeared in an Allegheny County courtroom via video conference Tuesday for a bond hearing in her attempted homicide case.

Briston -- who is still locked up -- is facing serious prison time for allegedly stabbing Pryor in their Pittsburgh area apartment on Nov. 30 ... before taking him to the hospital.

During the hearing, the judge agreed to release Briston on house arrest -- she'll stay with her mother and won't be allowed to leave the home for anything other than court. She'll be required to wear an ankle monitor.

The Shepard family is gonna have some more presents under their Christmas tree this year ... 'cause the NY Giants star and his model wife, Chanel Iman, have welcomed their new daughter!!!

The beautiful couple shared the news from their hospital bed on Tuesday ... saying "Our Christmas gift came early" ... officially announcing Cassie Clay Shepard to the world.

It's baby #2 for the Shepards ... they welcomed their first daughter, Cali, in August 2018.

29-year-old Chanel and 26-year-old Sterling met at Victor Cruz's 30th birthday party in 2016. They have been inseparable ever since ... and got married in March 2018.

Of course, the Shepards enjoy their free time away from the kids as well ... remember their epic Turks and Caicos couples vacation with Baker Mayfield, Saquon Barkley and their ladies earlier this year?

Denver Broncos safety Kareem Jackson was just slapped with a 2-game suspension -- ending his 2019 season -- after cops busted him for DUI back in September.

Jackson -- a 31-year-old stud defender -- was arrested on September 19 in Denver after officials say he was speeding and driving under the influence.

KJ -- a former 1st round pick who was a star at Alabama -- immediately reported the arrest to Broncos officials ... who passed the news on to the NFL.

The league investigated ... and on Tuesday they handed Jackson a 2-game suspension.

The Broncos are 5-9 and have no shot to make the playoffs ... so it's not that big of a blow for the squad.

Jackson owned up to his screw up ... and posted a heartfelt apology on Twitter.

"I would like to apologize to the Broncos organization, my teammates & fans. I understand the severity in my lapse of judgement and I will certainly not make this mistake again. I know I am fortunate to play in the NFL and am held to a high standard of professionalism and conduct."

The Broncos also released a statement addressing Jackson's arrest.

"Kareem Jackson was arrested for driving under the influence on Thursday, Sept. 19. He immediately informed our team of the incident, which we promptly reported to the NFL and thoroughly reviewed as an organization."

“There are high standards for the personal conduct of all members of our organization, and we have expressed our extreme disappointment to Kareem for his poor judgment. Under the NFL Policy and Program on Substances of Abuse, he has been suspended for the Broncos’ final two games of the 2019 season.”

As far as his legal issues ... Jackson appeared before a judge in Colorado earlier this week and plead guilty to a reduced charge -- driving while ability impaired.

Joe Burrow's emotional tribute to his hometown during his Heisman acceptance speech has kick-started a national campaign to help out ... with over $115k raised for the local food pantry.

The LSU superstar brought awareness to the financial challenges surrounding Athens County, OH while tearing up on Saturday ... saying, “Coming from southeast Ohio it’s a very impoverished area and the poverty rate is almost two times the national average."

"There’s so many people there that don’t have a lot and I’m up here for all those kids in Athens and Athens County that go home to not a lot of food on the table, hungry after school. You guys can be up here too."

One Athens man was so moved by Burrow's message, he started a fundraiser to help put food on the tables for people in Athens.

"Let's answer Joey's call to action by supporting a local nonprofit that serves food to more than 5,000 households in Athens County each year," Will Drabold said in the post.

Of course, Burrow is beloved in his hometown ... and was an absolute beast for the Athens Bulldogs before becoming the best college player in the country.

The campaign started on Sunday ... and it's already raised a whopping $116,000 for the Athens County Food Pantry.

Props to all involved.

Also -- if you haven't watched all of Burrow's acceptance speech, the whole thing is amazing. Check it out.

The Ontario Hockey League goalie who nearly bled out on the ice after being severely cut by a skate was just released from the hospital, his team announced Tuesday.

17-year-old Tucker Tynan was in bad shape last Thursday night ... when his leg was slashed after an opponent crashed into him in the Niagara IceDogs' game against the London Knights.

The collision crumpled Tucker to the ice ... and emergency personnel quickly rushed him into surgery after they noticed blood profusely pouring out of his leg.

The good news? Tucker pulled through just fine ... and his IceDogs squad just announced he's left the hospital and is headed home for some R&R.

"Tucker Tynan has been discharged from hospital in St. Catharines," team officials said. "He is en route home to Chicago for some rest and recovery."

For his part, Tynan sent a message from the hospital bed over the weekend saying he was grateful for all the support during the scary time.

"Just wanted to say thanks to everyone for the kind words, truly they mean more than anyone can ever know," Tucker said.

"An unfortunate situation, looking forward to recovering and coming back even stronger and healthier than before."

Kumail Nanjiani walked into his workout regimen for "Eternals" as one big softy and emerged totally yolked thanks to high-intensity training, and a major focus on 2 key body parts.

Check out these workout videos of Kumail pumping iron with Grant Roberts ... the celeb trainer tells TMZ Kumail's transformation from scrawny to sculpted was all about intensity, and they trained for a little over an hour a day, 5 times a week for 10 months.

Kumail hit every body part training with Grant, but we're told the actor needed the most work on his shoulder and biceps, which were physically lacking when he started hitting the gym back in January -- Grant's words, not ours.

As you know, Kumail's super proud of his new look for the upcoming Marvel movie. He just pulled the curtain back on his transformation, showing off his guns and ripped torso.

Kumail's trainer tells us they did all the muscle sculpting with dumbbells -- raising sets and overhead pressings in every angle imaginable -- and that's where most of his energy went.