TMZ Sports - Page 50

Olympics legend Usain Bolt and his girlfriend, Kasi Bennett, have revealed the name of their baby daughter ... and it may be the most perfect name EVER!!!

Olympia Lightning Bolt.

Come on, does it get any better than THAT?!?!

Baby Bolt was born back on May 17 -- but the couple decided to finally go public with the name on Tuesday while celebrating Kasi's 31st birthday.

In an emotional bday IG post to Kasi, Usain wrote ... "I want nothing but happiness for u and will continue to doing my best keeping a smile on ur face."

"Now we have started a new chapter together with our daughter Olympia Lightning Bolt I look forward to what the future will bring for us but be reassured that I will be the ROCK for this family."

33-year-old Bolt and Bennett have been together for about 7 years now ... and the sprinter had previously shared his excitement about becoming a #GirlDad.

Congrats!!! And, welcome to the world, Olympia!!

Also, CAN YOU IMAGINE IF SHE BECOMES A SPRINTER AND COMPETES IN THE OLYMPICS!

OLYMPIA LIGHTNING BOLT FOR THE WIN!!!

Who says Bubba Wallace needs support from Donald Trump?!?!

NASCAR announced Tuesday the star driver is CRUSHING the fan vote for the 2020 All-Star race ... saying the 26-year-old is currently leading for the fan spot in the classic.

Of course, it ain't exactly a surprise, despite Trump's criticism Monday ... Bubba helped get Confederate flags banned from racetracks a few weeks ago and handled the adversity from Talladega's disturbing noose incident extremely well.

Everyone from Saints star Alvin Kamara to LeBron James has come out publicly and supported the guy ... and clearly, other less famous people in the nation are doing the same.

The spot in the race is a coveted one ... an invite to the challenge -- which is set to go down on July 15 at Bristol Motor Speedway in Tenn. -- is hard to come by.

In order to get onto the track, there are several requirements ... most involving getting a win on NASCAR's top circuit in either 2019 or 2020.

While Bubba hasn't been able to do that just yet ... being the top vote-getter would put him in the field for the big race.

Another Washington Wizards player has backed out of the NBA's restart in Orlando ... this time, All-Star guard Bradley Beal has officially opted out of the bubble due to a shoulder injury.

As we previously reported, Wizards breakout star Davis Bertans recently elected to sit out the remainder of the season to focus on free agency ... with an expected big payday on the horizon.

The team will have to move forward without the league's 2nd-leading scorer ... with Washington making the call to pull Beal from the restart later this month.

"This was a difficult decision and one that I did not take lightly as the leader of this team," Beal said in a statement. "I wanted to help my teammates compete for a playoff spot in Orlando, but also understand that this will be best for all of us in the long term."

The Wizards say Beal had been dealing with a nagging right rotator cuff injury all season ... and it only got worse during the hiatus.

Many believe the news puts the final nail in the coffin for Washington's chances at a playoff run. The team is currently 9th in the Eastern Conference -- 5.5 games behind the Orlando Magic -- with 8 games left to jump into postseason contention.

With Beal and Bertans out of the restart, the Wizards' next-leading scorer is 22-year-old Rui Hachimura ... who averages 13.4 points a game.

LET'S DO THE IMPOSSIBLE, RUI!!! WE BELIEVE IN YOU!!!!

Beal was originally intending to join the team in Orlando ... but will now stay home to focus on rehab.

Want a personalized shout-out from Floyd Mayweather?? Hope you've got an extra GRAND laying around -- 'cause TBE is charging $999 for Cameo vids!!!

Floyd joined the popular site this week ... and in true Money Mayweather style, he claims he's now "the most expensive celeb" on the app.

So, what exactly does a thousand bucks get you from Floyd? Mayweather says he'll provide customizable messages -- both for personal and commercial use -- at "an affordable rate."

Some of the examples ... Floyd says he can give birthday shout-outs, motivational messages and even boxing tips!!

"I want to be the first celebrity to make a million dollars on Cameo," Floyd said.

Mayweather says the Cameo signup is all part of a partnership with Stardam, a company that helps facilitate celeb endorsements for businesses.

In other words, if you own a burger stand and want Floyd Mayweather to make a custom video talking about how he LOOOVES your food, he'll do it -- for a price.

And, Stardam claims Mayweather is available for green screen vids ... which should make for some interesting clips down the road.

By the way, if you're wondering how Floyd's Cameo price compares to other big-name sports celebs ... it appears to be the most by a pretty good amount.

Vanessa Bryant wished the happiest of birthdays to Pau Gasol on Monday ... penning an emotional note to Kobe's ex-teammate and good friend that'll bring a tear to your eye.

Vanessa shared adorable pics of the 7-foot NBA legend with her daughters ... writing, "Happy 40th birthday uncle Pau! We ❤️you. Love, The Bryant Girls."

The photos of Gasol with the Bryant sisters were heartwarming ... they showed off Pau sweetly hanging with Kobe's family.

Vanessa added in her birthday message to the former Lakers center, "I know Kobe would say, 'Happy 40th birthday Pablo! Love you, Hermano'. ❤️"

Of course, Kobe and Pau built a hell of a relationship after they joined forces in L.A. back in the 2007-08 season ... they won 2 championships together and became lifelong friends.

In fact, since Kobe and his daughter, Gigi, tragically passed away in a helicopter crash in January ... Pau's often been involved with Kobe's family in some way.

Pau sent Vanessa a "Gigi" cake on what would have been her 14th birthday back in May, and has dedicated several social media posts to the Mamba and the Mambacita.

In one of the messages, just hours after learning of Kobe's death ... Pau wrote, "I will be heartbroken for a long time, but I will forever be thankful for having had shared so much together."

Dwight Howard is officially IN for the NBA restart -- saying he will rejoin the Lakers in the bubble environment in Orlando ... and will donate the rest of his season's salary to charity.

"Yes, I will be joining my team in Orlando," Howard said Monday on "CNN Tonight."

"I have a contractual obligation to my teammates, to my fans, the Lakers, the organization and everyone -- but at the same time, I also have an obligation to my family and to my community."

Howard is reportedly set to make around $700,000 in contract money for the remainder of the 2019-20 season -- but says every penny will now be directed to Breathe Again, the social justice initiative he started back in 2015.

“I’m going to use my salary ... All the money, the paychecks I’ll be getting down in the bubble, to help push this ‘Breathe Again’ movement and just make sure people don’t forget about what’s going on in our society.”

Howard appeared on CNN from his home in the Atlanta-area -- where he's reportedly been taking care of his 6-year-old son ever since the child's mother passed away after suffering an epileptic seizure at her Calabasas home back in March.

There had been questions about whether Howard would play or sit out to focus on his family ... but now, those questions are answered.

Howard later explained "Breathe Again" -- saying his "plan of action" includes rolling out programs "to cultivate an environment so that the youth can breathe freely and be confident in every facet of their lives."

Sorry, Kamaru Usman ... your UFC 251 fight against Jorge Masvidal will NOT be for the BMF title -- so says Dana White.

Of course, Jorge won the BMF title in his UFC 244 (Nov. 2019) victory over Nate Diaz -- with UFC spending a TON of cash (around $50k) to get a special championship belt made.

Jorge hasn't fought since ... and now that he's finally getting back in the octagon, everyone wants to know if he's putting that belt on the line!

In fact, Usman -- the reigning UFC welterweight champ -- recently told us how BADLY he wants that belt.

But, bad news for Kamaru ... Dana says it ain't happening.

"It's not on the line," White tells TMZ Sports ... "Usman wants it to be on the line so bad, he will not stop texting me saying, 'I don't understand why this belt isn't on the line! This guy's running around saying he's the BMF champ!'"

"[Kamaru's] like, 'I wanna squash it all. [Masvidal's] not gonna win my title and I'm gonna take his BMF belt!'"

"Believe me," Dana says ... Usman has not stopped terrorizing me about this."

White says the BMF title fight was a "one and done" -- so, basically ... it's been retired.

There's a lot more ... Dana also tells us how he was able to put the Usman vs. Masvidal fight together so quickly after Gilbert Burns dropped out due to a positive COVID-19 test -- and if he ever considered using Colby Covington as a replacement fighter.

The whole thing goes down on July 11 at UFC 251 on Fight Island in Abu Dhabi ... and White tells us, he's so excited about the location, he's looking to buy a house there!

White says he's planning to return to "Fight Island" for more UFC events after the initial 4-event run in July ... and confirms it will be a regular location for the UFC for years to come.

NASCAR's Bubba Wallace just inked a huge endorsement deal with Beats By Dre ... and the company is already stepping up to defend the driver against President Trump.

The audio company -- which already has superstars like LeBron James, Serena Williams and Odell Beckham on its roster -- made the announcement official on Monday ... and wasted no time going to bat for its new athlete.

"We weren’t going to announce this until later this week, but hate cannot win the day," Beats said on Twitter.

Of course, POTUS publicly went after Wallace on Monday ... saying he wants the driver to apologize for the noose "hoax" that sparked an FBI investigation.

Beats added ... "No one should ever be asked to apologize for standing up for what’s right ...We are proud to welcome (Bubba Wallace) to the Beats by Dr. Dre family."

FC Dallas has just been kicked out of the MLS' restart tournament ... citing a major coronavirus outbreak within the organization.

The league is hosting its MLS Is Back tournament at ESPN's Wide World Of Sports Complex in Orlando starting this week ... as a way to pick back up where things left off in March.

But, the bad news for FCD -- the team had 11 cases (10 players and 1 coach) test positive while in Orlando ... forcing the MLS to step in and stop the team from participating.

FCD head coach Luchi Gonzalez addressed the move ... saying, "As we continue to focus on the well-being of our players, coaches and staff who are in isolation in Orlando, we understand it is not in their best interests to compete at this time."

"While we’re disappointed, the health and safety of our traveling delegation as well as our league partners is our highest priority."

So, FCD is out of the restart tourney ... but the team can still re-join the rest of the season once everyone is healthy again.

Chiefs fans, rejoice ... Patrick Mahomes ain't going anywhere for a LOONG time -- the superstar QB reportedly just agreed to a historic 10-year contract extension with K.C.!!!

ESPN's Adam Schefter reports the 24-year-old and the team reached a deal Monday ... although dollar figures have yet to be discussed.

But, the big question ... will this be the NFL's first $400 MILLION DEAL?!?!?!

The proposed contract would lock him into K.C. through the 2031 NFL season.

This is obviously a big deal ... the extension could be one of the most eye-popping in sports history -- with many believing Mahomes could command right around $40 MILLION per year on the deal.

Of course, Pat's deserving of every penny ... the dude has already established himself as one of the NFL's all-time greats, already winning an MVP award and a Super Bowl in just 2 seasons as a starter.

Mahomes' numbers in those years are insane ... in just 30 starts since taking over the QB reigns from Alex Smith, he's logged over 9,000 passing yards and 76 TDs to just 17 interceptions.

In fact, Mahomes has been so good ... Chiefs legend Willie Roaf told TMZ Sports previously he's Tom Brady-esque; while former K.C. head coach Dick Vermeil has told us Pat's got G.O.A.T. potential.

An awesome new twist in the Dana White vs. John Oliver feud -- Dana is now selling UF-SEA t-shirts as John suggested ... with all of the proceeds going to one of John's favorite charities.

Okay, some brief backstory ...

Over the past few months, the 'Last Week Tonight' host has been clowning White over the name, Fight Island -- saying White would have been better off calling it UF-Sea.

"He was making fun of Fight Island," White says ... "Basically saying 'This idiot is gonna build an island where people could fight during COVID-19.'"

Dana tells TMZ Sports ... he ultimately took Oliver's advice and trademarked UF-Sea -- and now, he's getting ready to sell UF-Sea merchandise on the official UFC website starting this week.

White -- who says he's actually a John Oliver fan -- tells us he wants to use the attention to do something positive for people in need.

"I did some research on John Oliver," White says ... "One of his big charities is the Bob Woodruff Foundation."

FYI, the Bob Woodruff Foundation was established "to raise money to assist injured service members, veterans and their families."

"So that's one of [John's] big charities, so all the money from the UF-Sea- shirts are gonna go to one of John Oliver's charities."

Donald Trump appears to have real issues with the Redskins and Indians for considering name changes ... saying Monday he believes the nicknames are signs of strength for the teams.

Both Washington's NFL franchise and Cleveland's MLB squad announced over the weekend they will have discussions about changing their monikers in the wake of America's social justice movement.

But, Trump seems to have problems with that ... writing on his Twitter account, "They name teams out of STRENGTH, not weakness."

"But now the Washington Redskins & Cleveland Indians, two fabled sports franchises, look like they are going to be changing their names in order to be politically correct."

Trump then renewed an old rivalry with Mass. Senator Elizabeth Warren, adding, "Indians, like Elizabeth Warren, must be very angry right now!"

As we previously reported, the Redskins have faced HEAVY pressure over the past few weeks to change their name ... with both Nike and FedEx expressing concerns over it all.

Also, Fawn Sharp -- president of the National Congress of American Indians (which represents more than 500 tribal nations) recently said the Redskins name is VERY offensive and called for players to boycott.

Owner Dan Snyder said Friday the team will look into it ... and just hours later, the Indians piggybacked on the Redskins' statement, saying they, too, would go forward with internal discussions as well.

Ex-Penn State basketball player Rasir Bolton says he left the program due to racially insensitive comments made by head coach Pat Chambers ... including a reference to a "noose" around his neck.

Chambers is how apologizing -- saying it was never his intention to offend.

20-year-old Bolton says the incident went down in January 2019 ... days after Chambers was suspended 1 game for pushing another player during a timeout.

"A 'noose' around my neck is why I left Penn State," Bolton -- who transferred to Iowa State after his freshman season -- said in a statement on Twitter.

"Due to other interactions with Coach, I knew this was no slip of the tongue."

According to ESPN, Bolton claims Chambers' whole comment went as follows:

"I want to be a stress reliever for you. You can talk to me about anything. I need to get some of this pressure off you. I want to loosen the noose that’s around your neck."

Bolton says he reported the incident to his academic advisor and the athletic department ... only to hear back from the school 6 months later, after he decided to leave the program.

Chambers has owned up to the comment ... and has since apologized.

"I didn’t realize that word would hurt him, and I am truly, truly sorry for that," Chambers told ESPN.

Bolton says he went public to bring awareness to what players have to deal with ... and he wants change.

"I wasn't the first and I know I wasn't the last. Everyone's position to speak out isn't the same, so I am only speaking for myself. There is a serious need for change in the way players are protected and helped across the country when faced with these situations."

"Surface level resources are not good enough. In most cases, it is the Coach who is protected, while the player is left to deal with it or leave."

"BE the change you want to see."

President Trump has now resorted to attacking Bubba Wallace, claiming the driver owes his bosses at NASCAR an apology for sounding the alarm over a noose that was found in his garage -- going so far as to call it a "hoax."

45 tweeted out the outrageous message Monday morning ... "Has @BubbaWallace apologized to all of those great NASCAR drivers & officials who came to his aid, stood by his side, & were willing to sacrifice everything for him, only to find out that the whole thing was just another HOAX?" He added, "That & Flag decision has caused lowest ratings EVER!"

What Trump didn't say ... the garage in question was the ONLY one that had a rope fashioned like a noose. Trump, of course, has no regard for how an African-American driver might react to a symbol of hate, death and racism.

As for why Trump is suddenly pissed off 2 weeks after the incident came to light ... well the Team Trump car with "Trump 2020" emblazoned on it crashed during the 16th lap.

So, Trump is focused on racist, confederate flags and other symbols. Coronavirus ... for him, it doesn't exist. Racism ... well, he seems to embrace it.

And BTW ... NASCAR's ratings are up.

Former NL MVP Andrew McCutchen says the Yankees need to consider dropping their haircut policy ASAP ... saying straight-up, "There should be some change there in the future."

The Yanks have a long-standing rule where players CANNOT grow facial hair or have their hair length go below their jersey's collar ... and when Cutch was asked about that this weekend, he said ain't in love with the policy.

The Philadelphia Phillies outfielder -- who played 25 games for the Yankees in 2018 -- said on "The Sports Bubble with Jensen Karp" it's just not right ... especially in today's climate.

"I think -- especially in this year, the year of 2020," McCutchen said, "I just feel like these things should be things that people take at heart and realize we have a way of expressing ourselves in different ways."

McCutchen -- who gained fame early in his career for his signature dreads -- had cut his hair prior to joining the Yankees in '18 ... but he was still forced to shave his beard when he arrived nonetheless.

Andrew says he had a hell of a time playing for NYY, even calling it "an honor" ... but the 33-year-old made it clear, he feels the team's hair policy should be nixed.

"I definitely do think it takes away from our individualism," McCutchen said.

Colin Kaepernick is now in business with Disney -- the Mouse House just signed the QB to an overall first-look deal ... and there's already a docuseries in the works.

Disney says the docuseries will feature "extensive new interviews and a vast never-before-seen archive that documents his last five years."

"Kaepernick will tell his story from his perspective."

And, get this ... Jemele Hill -- who used to work for ESPN -- will be involved in the project as well.

As for the overall deal, Disney says "the partnership will focus on telling scripted and unscripted stories that explore race, social injustice and the quest for equity, and will provide a new platform to showcase the work of Black and Brown directors and producers."

Kaepernick issued a statement -- saying, "I am excited to announce this historic partnership with Disney across all of its platforms to elevate Black and Brown directors, creators, storytellers, and producers, and to inspire the youth with compelling and authentic perspectives."

"I look forward to sharing the docuseries on my life story, in addition to many other culturally impactful projects we are developing."

Disney says the Kaepernick projects will be featured on several platforms including Walt Disney Television, ESPN, Hulu, Pixar, and The Undefeated.