TMZ Sports - Page 27

Michael Jordan's Air Jordan 1's gave birth to sneaker culture in 1985 ... and now 1 of the first pairs MJ rocked during his rookie year with the Bulls are for sale!!

... And, if ya got around 600 grand, they could be yours.

The game-worn, autographed pair of red, white and black AJ 1's -- donned by Michael during the '84-'85 NBA season -- already has a $122k bid on Goldin Auctions website ... with over 18 days left in the auction.

The already incredibly high value of Jordan memorabilia has skyrocketed since ESPN's "The Last Dance" docuseries aired. In fact, a similar pair of AJ1's recently sold for $560k.

But, there's something special about GA's pair ... 'cause Jordan actually signed the sneakers on-camera during a television interview with a local L.A. sports reporter 7 years after he donned them in an NBA game.

The reporter -- Rick Lozano -- was previously gifted the Jordan's (left shoe size 13.5, right 13) by Michael's former teammate, Bulls player Gene Banks.

36 years ago, Jordan had a spectacular rookie year -- averaging 28 ppg, 6.5 rebounds, 6 assists while easily winning Rookie of the Year -- and now you can own the kicks that started a sneaker revolution.

The auction runs through August 22 ... and we're told the final number could be over $600k!!

MLB star Yadier Molina says he's one of several St. Louis Cardinals dealing with coronavirus ... announcing Tuesday he tested positive even after following all the proper protocols.

The 38-year-old -- who some expect to be a lock for baseball's Hall of Fame -- said in a statement in Spanish on social media he's disappointed to have contracted the virus.

But, the catcher added he's doing everything possible to return to the team ASAP.

"As I recover," Yadi said, "I request that my privacy and that of my family be respected during my absence from the team."

The Cards said in a statement in addition to Yadi ... infielders Paul DeJong, Edmundo Sosa, and Rangel Ravelo, and pitchers Junior Fernández and Kodi Whitley have also agreed to publicly come forward with their positive diagnosis.

As we previously reported, the Cardinals are currently dealing with at least 13 cases of coronavirus on their team ... with GM John Mozeliak saying some have experienced symptoms like "headaches, coughs, sniffles, and low-grade fevers."

The Cards have had several games postponed due to the outbreak ... with their series against the Detroit Tigers this week already being moved.

Derek Brunson says Edmen Shahbazyan's corner absolutely made the correct decision NOT stopping their fight ... even though their fighter was bloodied and beaten.

36-year-old Brunson handed 22-year-old Shahbazyan the first L of his career at UFC Fight Night in Vegas last Saturday via a 3rd-round TKO.

But, many people believe Edmen -- who ate a flurry of heavy punches to end the 2nd-round -- shouldn't have been allowed by his corner, the ref, or the cage side doctor to come out for the 3rd round.

After the fight, even Dana White criticized the doctor for taking too long to make a decision between rounds ... and said the fight "could have been stopped."

There is at least 1 guy who thinks everyone involved made the right decision ... and that's Derek Brunson, who tells TMZ Sports Shahbazyan was still very much in the fight.

"I mean, of course, they have to [let Edmen continue]. They could of thought it was 1 to 1 [on the scorecards]."

Brunson continued ... "I thought I won both rounds but still, it was relatively close so you can't stop a fight there yet. It's one of those things in sports, you gotta suck it up at that point, ya know?"

Ref Herb Dean eventually stopped the fight only 26 seconds into the 3rd round ... giving DB his 3rd straight victory.

So, who does Brunson -- who was the 8th ranked UFC middleweight BEFORE his big win of ES -- want next?

"The best fight for me next is probably Jack Hermansson. Very tough guy, he's riding a hot streak. I seen him trying to pick fights with Darren Till, but that's not the fight. Me vs. Hermansson, that's the fight to make. I need to crack that top 5."

32-year-old Hermansson is coming off a super impressive 1st-round win over Kelvin Gastelum.

And after Hermansson? Brunson has his eyes on Israel Adesanya ... and he says this time will be very different than when they scrapped in 2018.

The San Francisco 49ers will have a super soldier on their roster this season -- 'cause tight end George Kittle just got a HUGE tat of legendary video game character Master Chief!!

The 26-year-old is an avid gamer when he's not catching TDs ... and one of his all-time favorites is the mega-successful "Halo" video game series.

So, Kittle decided to put his love for the game on permanent display -- getting Halo's lead character yatted on his right forearm ... and the finished product is AWESOME!!

Kittle -- sporting a COVID mask for safety! -- hit up Neon Dragon tattoo studio in Iowa ... and got the work done just in time for the season.

"If you ever doubted my love of 🎮 and @Halo you won't do so now," Kittle said.

"I've got Master Chief with me always."

Legendary college football coach Gary Patterson is apologizing for using the n-word ... saying Tuesday his use of the slur was "unacceptable."

TCU's head coach didn't elaborate on when and why he muttered the word ... only adding, "I have always encouraged our players to do better and be better and I must live by the same standards."

Gary was accused on Monday of saying the word during a dispute with a Horned Frogs linebacker at a team workout this past Sunday.

In the accusation, redshirt freshman Dylan Jordan claims he was quarreling with Patterson during practice, when the coach told him, "You're a f**king brat I'll send you back to pitt," referring to DJ's hometown of Pittsburgh, Kansas.

"I said, 'for what I ain't did nothin'," Jordan said. "He followed with 'you've been saying n***as in the meeting room.'"

Jordan said he and other TCU players refused to show up to practice on Monday over the coach's use of the word ... adding, "[Patterson] came to the locker room & said 'I wasn't calling him a n*****."

Jordan continued, "This behavior is not okay now or ever and there needs to be repercussions to these actions."

Another TCU player, senior tight end Artayvious Lynn, said Patterson did, in fact, say the slur ... but added Patterson never directed it at Jordan or anyone else.

"'You n***** or n***a' was never stated to anyone or never said," Lynn said. "Coach P was trying to get Dylan to stop saying the word period."

Patterson said in his statement Tuesday, "I met with our Seniors and Leadership Council last night about how we move forward as team, together."

Another standout college football player has decided to forgo the 2020 season ... this time, it's Minnesota wide receiver Rashod Bateman.

As we previously reported, Virginia Tech star Caleb Farley -- one of the best cornerbacks in college ball -- became the highest NFL prospect to "opt out" of the season to focus on training for the next level.

Bateman -- the 2019 Big Ten Receiver of the Year -- announced his decision to move on from his college career on Tuesday ... calling it the "hardest decision" of his life.

"Unfortunately, in light of the uncertainty around health and safety in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, I have to set my wishes aside for the wellness of my family, community, and beyond," Bateman said on Twitter.

"Because of this, I have decided to opt-out of the 2020 college football season. I will be taking the next steps in my journey by declaring for the 2021 NFL Draft."

BTW -- Bateman played a huge role in the Golden Gophers' offense for 2 seasons ... racking up 1,923 yards and 17 touchdowns and making him a potential first-round pick next year.

Head coach P.J. Fleck released a statement on Bateman's decision ... praising the player for his time with the team.

"Our program will always support a teammate who makes a decision that he feels is best for him and his family. I love Rashod and will always be there for him."

Bateman added ... "Minnesota will forever be a place I am lucky enough to call home. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. I love you all. Bateman out."

Is this really happening?!?

J. Cole is getting his first shot at making his NBA dream come true ... with the Detroit Pistons offering the rapper a tryout!!!

As we previously reported, rap legend Master P says the 35-year-old North Carolina native is training like crazy to get a shot at the league ... and even asked P for advice on how to turn from MC to baller while working on a Puma commercial together.

Considering P landed 2 NBA contracts in the '90s with the Raptors and Hornets, it wouldn't be the first time a rapper has hit the hardwood as a pro ... and Cole is known for being a legit threat with his game.

The Pistons got wind of our interview with P ... and used their official Twitter account to let Jermaine know they'd love to be the team to give him a legit shot at making it to the NBA -- and even used his own lyrics in the offer.

"We see you out here. You said they only got 12 slots on the Pistons," the team said, referencing his song, "FRIENDS."

"Hit us up for that tryout. This is for all the dreamers."

Look ... this could very well all be for publicity. But, then again, stranger things have happened.

After all, the Pistons went 20-46 last season ... so they can use all the help they can get.

You know what to do now, J. -- pick up the phone!!!

Tyler Seguin -- one of the NHL's biggest stars -- knelt for the national anthem before Dallas' game against Las Vegas on Monday ... joining three others on the ice for the protest.

It all went down at Rogers Place in Edmonton ... where Seguin, his Star teammate Jason Dickinson, and Golden Knights players Ryan Reaves and Robin Lehner all dropped to one knee in the pregame ceremony.

The two Dallas players were flanked by the two Golden Knights at one of the ice's blue lines -- and the quartet stayed kneeling for the Canadian national anthem as well.

After the game, all four players said they did it for one reason -- to raise awareness for social injustice.

"Everyone should have the same chance in society. Everyone should be treated the same," Lehner said. "At the end of the day, I love America. But, there are a bunch of things that need to be corrected, and it's just about willingness to do something about it."

Added Seguin, "It's a big issue that needs to be addressed."

Players and coaches from both sides said after the demonstration they supported the four players' decisions.

The kneeling protest came just 2 days after Minnesota Wild defenseman Matthew Dumba became the first NHL player to kneel for the anthem.

The kneeling Stars and Golden Knights said Dumba's actions opened the door for their protest on Monday.

"We still were going to come together and talk about it, but Dums leading the way, you don't want to leave him out to dry," Reaves said. "That's the whole point of this."

UFC boss Dana White LOVES that his pal, The Rock, just bought the XFL -- but says he needs to get it up and running FAST while there's still a huge appetite for live sports!

"If I was The Rock, I would try to get that rolling as fast as I could. I'd try to get that on television ASAP. I guarantee you there’s a ton of networks that would do it."

White is essentially saying with COVID threatening the NFL, college football and other major sports ... there's a HUGE opportunity for the XFL to thrive in 2020 if The Rock and his partners can move quickly.

"You have all these multi-millionaire athletes that don’t wanna play right now. All these guys that don’t wanna play, They wanna sit out … don’t wanna stay in the bubble, don’t wanna do what it takes. Don’t be surprised if The Rock slides right into that slot with some great programming. 'Cause let me tell you what, people are dying to watch live sports right now."

In fact, Dana -- who's been successfully hosting UFC fights during the pandemic -- says he's offering to serve as Rock's COVID adviser.

"I'm actually gonna call him today and walk him through what I think he needs to do on the COVID side of this thing. And, I have some ideas for him. "

Meanwhile, Dana is getting ready to launch a new season of the Dana White's Contender Series on Tuesday night -- where top contenders face off for a chance at a UFC contract.

Dana says the whole thing is going down in Las Vegas where the UFC has created a "bubble environment" just like Fight Island ... where fighters are quarantined and tested on a daily basis.

"These guys are in a bubble here. We literally have a hotel, our own hotel ... and you get here and you are literally stuck in your room just getting tested all the time."

The Denver Broncos have installed a special "misting booth" at the team facility -- which sprays a disinfectant on players to and from practice in hopes of killing the COVID virus.

The Broncos posted footage of the machine on Monday -- saying, "Time for work. But first, we sanitize."

We're told the booth is spraying a product called "MicroSURE" -- which is touted as a powerful nontoxic disinfectant that kills viruses like E.Coli, Staphylococcus aureus and Coronavirus upon contact.

A rep for the Broncos tells us, "We want to go above and beyond to protect the players."

"The misting booth is an additional safety measure that sprays a safe, medical-grade disinfectant on players and their equipment when entering and exiting the practice field."

The Broncos have already had a serious COVID scare this off-season when star linebacker Von Miller tested positive for coronavirus back in April.

Miller was symptomatic -- but has since recovered. He's called on others to take the virus seriously.

OKC Thunder guard Dennis Schroder -- a frontrunner for the 6th Man of the Year Award -- has left the NBA's bubble in Orlando to be with his wife for the birth of their second child.

Schroder has been playing a huge role off the bench for OKC this season ... averaging nearly 19 points, 4 rebounds and 4 assists per game.

But, Thunder coach Billy Donovan confirmed DS left the team early Monday morning to be with his family ... as his wife, Ellen, prepares for the new arrival.

Of course, players are able to leave the bubble for family emergencies and other significant reasons ... and will be required to quarantine once they return to the Disney World campus.

OKC is currently in 6th in the Western Conference as the playoffs near ... but Schroder made it crystal clear he was not about to miss out on the moment.

"I love my teammates, I love basketball, but family comes first all the time," he said last month.

Mick Foley is praising the hell out of The Rock for buying the XFL with his ex-wife ... telling TMZ Sports his business relationship with Dany Garcia is just another example of why the former WWE star is an awesome person.

"The greatest part of this announcement is that one of his partners in this venture is his former wife, Dany Garcia," Foley says.

"The Rock not only sets an example on how to conduct yourself as a human being, an actor, a philanthropist but as a former husband."

FYI -- The Rock married Garcia way back in 1997, but they divorced in 2007 while promising at the time to continue to stay in each other's lives as "best friends."

Mick says the way Dwayne has kept up that commitment with Garcia despite the separation is powerful ... and Foley claims it tells a lot about the 48-year-old movie star's character.

"Of all the stories I tell about The Rock, I think my favorite one is he was actually at his ex-wife's wedding," says Foley, who wrestled with Dwayne for years in the WWE.

"I think that's a great lesson for everyone to learn for the fact that they can stay amazing friends, be amazing parents to Simone, and then take on these business ventures."

As we previously reported, Rock teamed up with Garcia and partners at RedBird Capital (led by Gerry Cardinale) to scoop up the XFL for $15 million on Monday.

The Rock's promising to build a good product on the field for fans ... and Foley says there's no doubt in his mind his former coworker is going to crush it.

"It's got a really good shot to succeed because of the intensity and the effort that he and Dany and their partners put into it," Foley says.

By the way, Mick is already lobbying his old pal for a role in the league ... but he tells us he doesn't want a suit-and-tie front office job -- he wants to strap on a helmet!!

"That's what I'd like to do," Foley says.

The mess continues for the St. Louis Cardinals -- 13 members of the organization have tested positive for the coronavirus ... and the team's upcoming 4-game series with the Detroit Tigers has been postponed.

MLB confirmed ... 7 players and 6 staffers returned positive COVID-19 tests within the past week.

The team will remain in Milwaukee -- where they have been quarantined since Thursday -- until medical officials clear them to travel.

The Cards were supposed to play the Tigers at Comerica Park in Detroit beginning August 4th -- but now, that has been pushed.

The plan, according to MLB, is for the Cardinals to "resume its regular schedule on Friday against the Chicago Cubs in St. Louis."

And, in unrelated bad news, the highly-anticipated Field of Dreams game between the Cards and White Sox in Iowa -- scheduled for August 13 -- has also been canceled due to a "logistical problem," according to the Athletic's Ken Rosenthal.

Got Milk Amazing Feat Of Athleticism?!?!

Katie Ledecky just swam the entire length of a pool while balancing a glass of milk on her head ... and she didn't spill a single drop the whole time!!!

The 5-time Olympic gold medalist posted the insane swim on her social media page as part of an ad for milk ... and the footage is straight-up mind-blowing.

Ledecky, sporting snorkel gear, hopped into the pool and put the glass of chocolate goodness right on the back of her head.

What happened next was amazing ... she cruised through the pool no problem, with not one ounce of milk wasted!!!

In fact, to prove it all was real, after she got up for air -- she took the glass off her head and chugged down a sip!!!

"Possibly one of the best swims of my career! (~open for debate~)," Ledecky said.

Odell Beckham is publicly calling for the NFL to cancel the 2020 season ... saying it's just too dangerous to play with COVID still wreaking havoc.

"I just feel like the season shouldn’t happen," the Cleveland Browns star told WSJ. Magazine ... "and I’m prepared for it to not happen and I wouldn’t mind not having it."

It's important to note the WSJ interview took place just before the NFLPA reached an agreement with the league about COVID protocol on July 24 -- and Odell reported to training camp on July 28.

Beckham is reportedly not considering opting out often 2020 season -- and feels more comfortable and confident about things after seeing the COVID protocols at the Browns facility, according to Cleveland.com.

Still, Odell's concerns to the WSJ seem pretty valid ... he explains why the NFL has much bigger challenges than other pro leagues like the NBA.

"Obviously with everything that’s going on, it doesn’t make sense why we’re trying to do this. I can understand basketball was already in the playoffs."

"Five-on-five basketball in an arena is going to be more intense than regular-season games. Hooping is different than playing an eleven-on-eleven contact sport where there's 80 people in a locker room."

"We’re not ready for football season. So why are we trying to push forward?"

Beckham suggested the owners are leading the charge to play ... because they don't want to lose money.

"It’s obviously for their money. And that bothers me because there’s always been this -- and I hate saying it like that -- but the owners’ [attitude is], Oh we own you guys, and just kind of that unfairness going on that they don’t see us as human."

Forget Johnny Football ... just call him Johnny Daredevil now!!!

Here's footage of former Heisman Trophy winner Johnny Manziel leaping off a rooftop and doing a front flip into a pool ... and it's INSANE!!!

Unclear where the debauchery went down ... but Manziel posted the video Sunday -- showing a slow-mo shot of him soaring roughly 20 feet through the air before splashing down.

It's pretty scary ... the pool ain't exactly huge, and he appears to be just feet away from the shallow end!!!

Of course, jumping off high things into water is becoming old hat for the recently retired football player ... it was just a few weeks ago when he posted vid of him throwing himself off a cliff.

Don't worry, John's still alive and well ... and hey, the video is pretty cool.