TMZ Sports - Page 16

Imagine hitting a towering 400-foot grand slam in an MLB game ... and APOLOGIZING FOR IT?!?!

Fernando Tatis Jr. did exactly that Monday night ... with the bizarre scene making baseball purists go CRAZY over the 21-year-old!!

Here's the deal ... the San Diego Padres were up 10-3 on the Texas Rangers in the 8th inning when Tatis Jr. was ahead 3-0 in a count.

Padres manager Jayce Tingler says he instructed Tatis Jr. to take the next pitch and to NOT run up the score ... but the shortstop says he missed the sign from coach, and blasted the baseball to the moon!!

The homer was SICK -- it traveled over 400 feet and was Tatis Jr.'s 2nd of the night ... giving him 7 RBIs in total -- but EVERYONE was seemingly pissed at the Padre for it.

Check out the footage from the field ... Rangers manager Chris Woodward was furious -- and when Tatis Jr. got back to his own bench, you can tell his teammates weren't pleased either.

Afterward, Tatis Jr. says he was sorry for smacking the home run ... saying next time he'll likely take the pitch instead of crushing it and piling on runs.

"Those experiences, you got to learn from it," Tatis Jr. said. "Probably next time, I take a pitch now that I learned from it.”

Added Tatis Jr.'s manager, "He’s young, a free spirit and focused and all these things, and that’s the last thing we’ll ever take away. But that’s a learning opportunity, that’s it and he’ll grow from it."

In fact, the Rangers were so pissed over Tatis Jr.'s swing ... they nearly hit San Diego's next batter, Manny Machado, with a fastball in retaliation.

Of course, other baseballers rushed to Tatis Jr.'s defense ... saying the unwritten MLB rule needs to be abolished -- and the dude should keep swinging no matter what.

"Hey [Fernando] listen up," Reds star pitcher Trevor Bauer said of the controversy. "1) Keep swinging 3-0 if you want to, no matter what the game situation is 2) Keep hitting homers, no matter what the situation is"

Khabib Nurmagomedov says he wants to fight Georges St-Pierre in April ... and claims the UFC is trying to make it happen.

"Regarding Georges St-Pierre, that fight really inspires me," Khabib said during a media event in Russia.

"It was my father’s dream fight. But time passes, Georges St-Pierre will be 40 next year. I think he has to decide whether we’ll fight or not."

As we previously reported, Khabib's father, Abdulmanap, died from COVID-19 complications back in July.

But, Khabib says he wants to make his dad's dream come true -- saying "I want that fight."

"If I beat [Justin Gaethje] in October, then fight St-Pierre in April before Ramadan, that would be ideal."

The issue -- 39-year-old GSP has repeatedly said he's retired. Though he admitted back in July he would consider another fight if Dana White had the right offer.

Dana must've been listening ... because Khabib says White is down to make it happen.

"Dana told me after this fight they’ll talk to St-Pierre. If he agrees, we’ll fight. Both I and the UFC want that to happen."

GSP was called out by reigning UFC welterweight champ Kamaru Usman recently -- but told TMZ Sports, "I think for me it's better if I stay retired ... It's not worth it for me."

George told us he feels extremely grateful to leave the fight game with all of his faculties and wouldn't want to compromise that.

Kate Upton, Olivia Culpo ... and now Reagan Howard?!

Alex Bregman's fiancee is hoping to follow in the footsteps of legendary Sports Illustrated Swimsuit models ... announcing Monday she's officially gunning to be in the 2021 SI Swim mag!

Howard just entered the publication's annual search for undiscovered models ... saying she's been "dreaming" of being in the mag ever since she saw Bar Refaeli on a cover years ago.

"I started modeling when I was about 17 years old and faced a ton of rejection for the size of my body," said Howard, who got engaged to the Houston Astros' star 3rd baseman back in January.

"I would love to be on SI because I believe in the brand and I believe in what it represents," Howard added. "And, you guys empower women from all over the place to be as they are and to be multi-dimensional. Which I absolutely love."

Howard went on to say that she's personally inspired by Camille Kostek ... who gained SI Swim fame after being discovered in the mag's 2018 open casting call.

"Here’s to breaking molds and being you," Howard said, "no matter how many different things that may be."

Of course, another famous WAG -- Matt Kalil's wife, Haley Kalil -- also got her SI Swim breakthrough in the brand's 2019 open audition as well.

Could Howard be next? Winners won't be announced for months ... but the resume sure looks bulletproof to us!

UFC superstar Jon Jones just announced he's officially vacating his light heavyweight title -- and suggested he's done fighting. Forever.

"Just got off the phone with UFC," Jones said ... "Today I confirm that I’m vacating the light heavyweight championship. It’s officially up for grabs."

"It’s been an amazing journey, sincere thank you to all my competition, Ufc and most importantly you fans."

Jones says the UFC made it clear there was "no negotiating" moving forward -- so he's just going to hang it up instead.

"If that ever changes, I’d love to come back and compete again as a heavyweight. Until then, I’ll be enjoying Ufc has a fan and doing my best to take care of my family and community."

We recently spoke with UFC honcho Dana White about the contract issues with Jon Jones -- and he told us there was a chance JJ meant it when he suggested retiring in the past.

Still, Dana told us he hoped Jon would fight in the Octagon again because he's one of the all-time greats and the sport is better with him in it.

33-year-old Jones is without a doubt one of the greatest UFC fighters ever -- with victories over guys like Daniel Cormier, Alexander Gustafsson, Anthony Smith, Rampage Jackso and many many more.

He had flirted with a move to heavyweight for months ... because that's where the bigger fights are for him at this point in his career.

Jones had recently commented about fighting Francis Ngannou and most recently turned his attention to Stipe Miocic. Unfortunately, it seems he's closing the door so we won't ever get to see those fights.

Jon is 26-1 as a pro MMA fighter -- but most consider him undefeated because the 1 loss was due to an illegal strike in a fight he was dominating against Matt Hamill back in 2009.

Grammy-nominated singer Jessie Reyez just took a knee atop the CN Tower for the singing of "O Canada" before an NBA playoff game Monday ... and the video of the performance is powerful.

The Toronto Raptors posted the footage just before their tilt with the Brooklyn Nets ... showing Reyez on one knee singing the Canadian national anthem while locked into a harness at the top of the famous building.

Reyez' rendition of lasted for nearly 2 minutes ... and the shots of her on the ledge of the 1,800-foot-tall building were breathtaking.

You can also see in the video, she's wearing a mask around her neck that reads, "Breonna Taylor."

Of course, the 29-year-old's kneeling -- which went on for the duration of the song -- is clearly a showing of support for Colin Kaepernick in the fight to shine a spotlight on police brutality and social injustice.

In the NBA bubble, meanwhile, players and coaches continued with their demonstrations during the anthems ... with Raptors and Nets locking arms and kneeling on the court while Reyes' song played.

As we previously reported, the NBA has made countless efforts this summer to raise awareness for racial equality ... including suspending the rule that forced players to stand for pregame anthems.

Broadcasting 101 -- ya may not wanna call your ex-wife a "dingbat" on live TV ... 'cause everyone knows that's pretty bad, right??

But, former Chicago Cubs star Mark Grace must've missed that lesson ... and now he's apologizing for his bizarre rant during Saturday's game.

The 56-year-old joined Len Kasper and Jim Deshaies in the booth (virtually) for the Cubs vs. Brewers game on Marquee Sports Network over the weekend ... when he was asked to give a fun story about his playing days.

That's when Grace couldn't help himself but call his ex a "dingbat" several times while sharing an incident where she accidentally parked in a spot reserved for then-Brewers owner Bud Selig ... forcing Grace to rush out in full uniform to stop the car from being towed.

"My ex-wife, I’m going to go Archie Bunker on you guys a little bit," Grace said on air, "I called her the dingbat."

For those who don't get the reference ... Bunker is a character from "All In The Family" and "Archie Bunker's Place" ... and the guy was known for calling his wife -- you guessed it -- a "dingbat."

BTW -- While Kasper and Seshaies awkwardly played off the comments, neither spoke up and said Grace's jabs were a bit off.

To make matters worse, it wasn't even a good story -- she parked in Bud Selig's spot decades ago ... who cares?

Grace later apologized for the bad TV moment ... saying, "During today’s game I referred to my ex-wife in a way that I absolutely should not have."

"I want everyone to know how very sorry I am about that. My remarks were offensive and inappropriate, and I deeply apologize.”

Daniel Cormier just penned a goodbye to the UFC ... thanking all his fans and coworkers in a heartfelt note -- and it's pretty freakin' emotional.

The 41-year-old had said in the buildup to UFC 252 that it would be his final match ... and in a statement Monday -- 2 days after he dropped his second straight bout to Stipe Miocic -- he appeared to officially hang up his gloves.

"Thank you all for the love and support," DC wrote. "Not what I wanted or expected but it is what it is. Congrats to @stipemiocic on a fantastic fight, was an honor and pleasure to share the octagon with you for 50 minutes. Boy did we give 'em a show everytime.

"To my team: I love you all to death, you've made so many sacrifices. I hope I made you guys proud. Salina and the kids: thank you for being my motivation. To all the fans: I love you so much. You guys push me to try and be great."

Cormier continued, "To @danawhite and the @ufc: I have loved every minute. Thank you for giving me the opportunity. Been a helluva ride, huh?"

If Cormier is, in fact, done ... it's been an unreal career -- the guy went 22-3 in his UFC career and was the first fighter to ever successfully defend championships in 2 separate weight classes.

Huge blow for the Dallas Cowboys ... star defensive tackle Gerald McCoy just suffered a gnarly quad injury in practice -- and the team now says he's DONE for the 2021 season.

Reporters on scene in Dallas say the defensive lineman -- who just signed a 3-year, $18 MILLION contract with the team this offseason -- went down awkwardly during Monday's workout.

According to multiple witnesses, McCoy was stepped on by a teammate in a routine drill -- and could NOT put weight on the leg as trainers helped the 6-time Pro Bowler to the locker room.

Cowboys exec Stephen Jones confirmed a short time later that McCoy ruptured his right quad tendon -- and will now be headed for season-ending surgery.

32-year-old McCoy was expected to be a key player in the middle of the Cowboys' defense this season ... head coach Mike McCarthy had just praised him earlier this month, saying, "we look for him to be a force inside."

New threads, same number for Patriots quarterback Cam Newton ... 'cause the ex-MVP made his practice debut on Monday ... and the man is still Numero Uno!!

Now the question is -- will he be #1 on the depth chart?!

As of right now, Newton is currently sharing first-string duties with young QB Jarrett Stidham, according to the team's official site ... but obviously, only one guy can be under center come September.

It's the first ~official~ time we've seen Cam decked head-to-toe in Pats gear ... but the former #1-overall draft pick has stayed busy this offseason by working out with his new teammates like Julian Edelman ... and even Logan Paul.

The image of Cam in red, white and blue is definitely still taking some time getting used to -- especially after 20 years of seeing Tom Brady taking the snaps in Foxborough.

Speaking of, a bunch of new faces are showing up to camp recently -- from LSU hero Joe Burrow joining the Cincinnati Bengals, Tua Tagovailoa taking his talents to the Miami Dolphins and longtime vet Philip Rivers trading his Chargers jersey for Indianapolis Colts blue.

Here's hoping the NFL can successfully find a way to SAFELY proceed with the season -- because football is awesome and we're already getting fired up about it.

The CFL is shutting it down, ay.

Canadian football League commissioner Randy Ambrosie just announced there will be NO games 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Instead, the CFL is "shifting its focus to 2021 and beyond."

“Our league governors decided today it is in the best long-term interests of the CFL to concentrate on the future,” the Commish said.

"We are absolutely committed to 2021, to the future of our league and the pursuit of our vision of a bigger, stronger, more global CFL."

Longo story short, the CFL says unlike the NFL, it relies HEAVILY on the revenue from live attendance -- AKA "fans in the stands."

And, with pandemic protocols limiting the amount of people allowed to gather at one location, the league realized it didn't make sense to push forward this season.

"Unlike US-based leagues that can count on television or streaming to provide the lion’s share of their revenue, the CFL depends heavily on its live gate," the league said in a statement.

CFL honchos had been working plans for a shortened season in a bubble style environment in Winnipeg -- but again, the money just wasn't there to justify the costs.

The league was hoping the Canadian govt. would help out with the costs to keep the sport going -- but it never panned out.

"Despite months of discussions, the government ultimately declined the CFL’s appeal for financial support," the league says.

Detroit Tigers manager Ron Gardenhire was thrown out of a game Sunday in an epic F-bomb laced rant ... and the whole glorious incident was caught on a field's hot mic!!!

Ron G was furious with 1st base umpire Tim Timmons during the Tigers' game against the Cleveland Indians ... after Timmons overturned a call in the 3rd inning that negated a Detroit run.

Gardenhire was fuming over the ruling ... and when the 62-year-old manager came out to complain to Timmons -- field mics picked up part of the ump's clapback.

"Hey!" Timmons could be heard screaming at Gardenhire. "I didn't f*ck it up!"

Then, Timmons' ejection of Ron was picked up on mics as well ... with the ump clearly screaming, "Get the f*ck out!!!"

Cleveland's broadcast team couldn't help but comment on the profane tossing ... with one of the guys saying, "Oh! Easy, Tim!"

The best part of the whole scene? Other camera angles showed the umps made Gardenhire pull up his mask during the heated argument!!!

Of course, with no fans in the stands ... F-bombs have been heard all over MLB diamonds this summer -- check out Joc Pederson droppin' one during the Dodgers game against the Angels on Sunday.

The owners of the Cleveland Browns say they support Baker Mayfield's plan to kneel for the national anthem in 2020 ... hoping it will lead to more "thoughtful dialogue" about tough issues in the future.

The star QB has said multiple times he plans to kneel during the anthem in 2020 -- claiming it will shine a spotlight on police brutality and social injustice ... which he recently described as "human rights issues."

Jimmy Haslam and his wife, Dee, were asked about Baker's comments on Sunday -- and they insist the organization will support "freedom of speech" and expression for any Browns player who wants to take a knee.

"One of the great things about this country, one of the many great things, is the ability to have freedom of speech and to be able to express yourself, so we're gonna support our players," Jimmy said.

He hopes the demonstration will lead to more constructive conversations between people on both sides of the issues -- claiming, "One of the unfortunate things in the country today is that there's not enough thoughtful dialogue."

Dee says she hopes the Browns can show the rest of the country it's possible to have "respectful" conversations about the tough issues.

Congrats to Utah Jazz star Mike Conley -- who raced out of the NBA Bubble to witness the birth of his child ... AND HE MADE IT JUST IN TIME!

32-year-old Conley left the bubble environment in Orlando on Sunday and hightailed it over to Columbus, Ohio to be with his wife, Mary, who was due on August 27.

But, the baby didn't feel like waiting around -- and when things started happening on Sunday, Conley made a grown-man decision!

The good news ... Conley arrived with time to spare, and posted a photo with Mary and their bouncing baby boy, Elijah, on Sunday night.

"[Mary] and baby are doing great," Conley reported on IG.

Conley says his oldest son wanted to name the kid "Lightning Thunder Michael Alex Conley" ...  but they settled on "Elijah Michael Conley" instead.

"What an awesome reminder of what’s important in life and what motivates us to be better," Conley added.

Conley -- who is averaging 14.4 points per game -- could return for some of Utah's 1st-round playoff series with Denver, but nothing is set in stone yet.

When/if he does return, Conley must quarantine for 4 days and then test negative on several COVID-19 tests before being allowed back in the bubble.

The L.A. Kings have suspended the man who plays team mascot "Bailey" ... this after the guy was accused of repeatedly sexually harassing a female Ice Crew member.

TMZ Sports broke the story ... a woman using the alias Jane Doe filed a lawsuit last week claiming Tim Smith -- who suits up in the Kings' Lion costume for events -- was repeatedly inappropriate toward her.

In the suit, Doe claimed Smith hurled lewd jokes her way, made sexually-charged comments and leered at "her breasts and buttocks."

The woman also claims after she complained about Smith -- who manages the team's Ice Crew in addition to playing the mascot role -- he retaliated by firing her from the squad.

Doe says she was eventually able to join back up with the Kings ... but says Smith's action remained inappropriate toward her.

The Kings said in a statement shortly after we published the allegations that they're taking the case seriously ... and have now banned Smith from all team activities until they complete an internal investigation.

"We are aware of the recently-filed lawsuit alleging misconduct by one of our employees," Kings officials said. "The LA Kings take these allegations very seriously and, as an organization, we believe that everyone has the right to work in an environment free from any form of harassment or discrimination."

"We will conduct a thorough investigation into this matter. The employee in question has been suspended, effective immediately, pending the conclusion of that investigation. We are withholding any further comment at this time."

High school football is officially underway in Utah -- where two teams faced off for the first time this year despite the looming pandemic.

The Herriman Mustangs took on the Davis Darts on Thursday in a stadium that was only filled to 25% of capacity in order to allow fans to keep a safe distance. All fans were required to mask up.

On the field, coaches, refs and other essential personnel wore neck gaiters to cover their mouths and noses while interacting with the players and each other.

The cheerleaders were allowed on-site too -- again, everyone wearing a mask.

Although some of the players wore masks during warm-ups, they were NOT required during the game and it doesn't appear anyone wore one after the opening kick off.

School officials said extra staff and security were brought on to make sure everyone was in compliance with the COVID-19 protocols.

In the end, Davis emerged victorious in a 24-20 nailbiter -- with running back Spencer Ferguson rushing for 197 yards and a TD.

It was an interesting site considering several states have postponed high school football due to the pandemic -- including Arizona, California, New York, New Jersey and more.

Of course, college football is divided -- with the PAC-12 and Big Ten also pushing to the spring.