TMZ Sports - Page 50

Daddy's BACK!!!

NBA guard Mike Conley has cleared quarantine and will play for the Utah Jazz on Friday ... just days after leaving the NBA bubble to witness the birth of his new baby son, Elijah.

As we previously reported ... it was a QUICK turnaround for the vet -- the 32-year-old left the Orlando bubble on Sunday and rushed to Ohio be with his wife, Mary, who was due on August 27.

The new baby knew dad had work to do, so Elijah cut to the chase and entered the world later Sunday night ... with papa present for the big moment!!

Conley rushed back to the bubble on Monday and entered a 4-day quarantine in hopes of being ready for Game 3 of the Jazz's first-round playoff series against the Denver Nuggets ... and it's just been made official he will suit up on Friday, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.

It couldn't have been better timing for Conley -- his squad is currently tied 1-1 with the Nuggets ... and Utah's got momentum after a huge Game 2 win.

Tony Stewart says it's time for NASCAR to welcome back Kyle Larson after it fired him over his use of the n-word ... saying this week, "he served his penalty long enough."

"NASCAR has gotta get off their ass and do the right thing and give this kid an opportunity to get back in a car," the racing legend said in an interview with CBS Sports.

"I think he's paid his penalty and he's served the penalty long enough where you know we've had similar instances in the sport that have happened and the penalties didn't last as near as long as this has lasted with Kyle."

As we previously reported, 27-year-old Larson dropped an n-bomb during a virtual race back in April ... clearly not realizing his audio was streaming out to people watching along on Twitch.

After crashing during a lap, Larson apparently had a difficult time communicating on his headset and radioed out, "You can't hear me? Hey, n*****."

Larson vehemently apologized afterward -- but NASCAR and several of Larson's biggest sponsors (including McDonald's and Credit One Bank) dropped him HARD.

Stewart says the cancellation of the guy has gone on long enough ... and he's urging the sport to bring Larson back ASAP.

"It's changed Kyle's world, it turned everything upside down and not only did it affect him, it affected his family and a lot of other people that didn't deserve to be affected," Stewart said.

"So I think it's been long enough. I think it's time for NASCAR to get off their ass and to do the right thing and allow him to come back to the series now."

For his part, Larson said in an interview with the Associated Press this week he's grown tremendously since the incident ... adding, "I was just ignorant. And immature."

WARNING: THIS VIDEO WILL MAKE YOU SQUIRM!!!

A Philadelphia Phillies pitcher was hit square in the groin by a 105 mph line drive Thursday ... and the ball caught so flush with the guy's man junk -- he needed a cart to leave the field.

Relief pitcher Jose Alvarez was facing Blue Jays outfielder Lourdes Gurriel in the bottom of the 5th -- when LG launched a comebacker that found its way straight into Alvarez's crotch.

Alvarez was able to shake off the pain for long enough to get the out at first ... but immediately after, the dude crumpled to the grass, wincing and grabbing his ding dong area.

Jose was down on the field for several minutes ... before, eventually, trainers loaded him onto a cart to take him into the locker room.

Unclear the extent of Jose's injuries ... but dude did give a wave on his way off the diamond -- a decent sign everything might be all right after all.

But, man. Yikes.

LSU head coach Ed Orgeron says he NEVER knew of alleged Derrius Guice sexual assault ... insisting a report to the contrary is "completely false."

As we previously reported ... 2 former LSU students told USA Today Sports that the former Tigers superstar RB raped them at their own apartments after nights of heavy drinking.

One of the women says she passed out on her bed and has flashback memories of Guice assaulting her.

She also says it was all particularly troubling because her boyfriend at the time was Guice's teammate on the LSU football team.

In the report, the boyfriend alleged Orgeron had at least some knowledge of the incident ... and says the coach brushed it all off to him when they had a conversation about it.

In fact, the boyfriend said to USA Today Sports that Orgeron had told him, "everybody’s girlfriend sleeps with other people."

Orgeron, however, fired back at the report in a lengthy statement Thursday night ... saying he had absolutely ZERO knowledge of an alleged Guice assault.

"The anonymous quote attributed to me by a former player in USA Today is not accurate," the coach said. "Out of respect for the young man's privacy, I will not reveal the full details of the conversation. What I will say is that a player came into my office to discuss transferring from our program."

"We also discussed the player's relationship challenges with his girlfriend. I told him what I would tell my own sons: 'We all experience heartbreak growing up. Do not throw away a promising academic and football career at LSU because of a personal obstacle.'"

"Any insinuation that I had knowledge of his girlfriend and Derrius Guice is completely false."

Orgeron added that he is complying with investigators ... saying, "The sexual assault allegations made against Derrius Guice should be taken very seriously and the alleged victims must be heard and supported."

Ron Rivera has announced he's been diagnosed with a form of skin cancer -- but says it won't stop him from coaching then Washington Football Team in 2020.

58-year-old Rivera informed his players Thursday night he's undergoing treatment for squamous cell carcinoma located in a lymph node.

The coach says it's "very treatable and curable."

Rivera told ESPN's Adam Schefter, "I'm planning to go on coaching. Doctors encouraged me to do it, too. They said, 'If you feel strongly, do it. Don't slow down, do your physical activities.' But everyone keeps telling me by week three or four, you'll start feeling it."

Rivera says he first discovered an unusual lump on his neck back in July -- and followed up with a doctor. He was formally diagnosed with cancer just two weeks ago.

"I was stunned," Rivera said ... "But I was angry because I feel like I'm in the best health I've been in."

"I'm going through the proper treatment. This will be fine."

The Michael Strahan Super Bowl 42 jersey auction has been temporarily suspended ... after the NFL legend claimed the auction house has a FAKE.

As we previously reported, Goldin Auctions is adamant their jersey is 100% real -- and insist it was authenticated by multiple professional (and reputable) photo-matching services.

But, Strahan claims to have the real jersey framed in his home -- and both sides were digging in their heels about which is the actual jersey from the 2008 game when the Giants defeated Tom Brady's New England Patriots.

Now, Goldin has announced the jersey has been pulled from the auction block "until the consigner of the jersey and Strahan can settle their dispute."

"At this time, it is unfair to the potential buyers and the seller of the jersey to continue with the sale due to the recent claims made."

Goldin Auctions still believes their jersey is the real one -- but says they are "not interested in a dispute with the former athlete."

Goldin insists a 3rd party authentication company studied the jersey in Strahan's home -- and believes it is NOT the real deal.

Strahan claims he gave the jersey to a friend directly after the game and instructed him to bring it to his hotel room -- and he's had it ever since.

The auction house claims the jersey ended up with a NY Giants equipment manager -- who eventually got it to another person, who brought it to Goldin.

"Some black people are going to be upset with me ..."

UFC star Tyron Woodley does NOT believe Donald Trump is a racist -- insisting the only color he REALLY cares about is green.

Tyron -- who's been EXTREMELY critical of Trump in the past -- explained his position on 'The Hollywood Beatdown' ... saying he's convinced cash matters more than color to POTUS.

"If you have green on your face to him, he's gonna f**k with you. I think it's about green to him."

Trump came up during a conversation about Tyron's highly anticipated clash with Colby Covington on Sept. 19 ... a fight that's taken years to come together.

Colby is a hardcore Trump guy who was invited to meet the President at the White House in August 2018 following a victory over Rafael dos Anjos at UFC 225 earlier that year.

Trump's sons have also supported Colby -- they were both in attendance when Covington defeated Robbie Lawler in 2019. POTUS called Colby to personally congratulate him after the fight.

So, we asked Tyron how he felt knowing the Trump family will likely be watching when he takes on MAGA Covington ... and that's when Tyron told us how he really feels about the Commander in Chief.

Woodley also says he's focused and training his ass off for the Covington fight -- and predicts a violent finish.

He also weighs in on Jon Jones -- explaining why he thinks Bones should get an immediate shot at the UFC heavyweight title ... and why he's more than capable of beating monsters like Francis Ngannou and Stipe Miocic.

Cincinnati Reds announcer Thom Brennaman says he's "ashamed" that he used a homophobic slur on air ... and says he's now dedicating himself to working with the LGBTQ community to grow from this experience.

"As many of you know, I said something hateful on the air Wednesday night," Brennaman said in a long op-ed posted on Cincinnati.com ... "something no one should ever say."

Brennaman says he didn't realize the homophobic f-word was "so rooted in hate and violence" -- and says he vows to never use it again.

"I cannot erase what I have done," Thom said. "The only thing I can do is humbly apologize, accept the consequences of my actions and resolve to be better and behave differently from now on."

Brennaman directly addresses the LGBTQ+ community ... saying, "I am truly and deeply sorry. You should never be denigrated with crude and hateful language. I failed you, and I cannot say enough how sorry I am."

Brennaman also says he has already spoken with MLB exec Billy Bean -- who's openly gay -- and Bean has agreed to work with him on how to "become a more informed person."

"I immediately plan to participate in diversity, equity and inclusion training and have reached out to PFLAG for resources and guidance," Thom said.

Brennaman -- who's been suspended by the Reds and pulled from the "NFL on FOX" schedule -- says he doesn't know if he'll ever work in broadcasting again ... but says this incident has forced him to "reflect on who I am and how I am want to be seen and thought of."

The K.C. Chiefs will no longer allow their fans at Arrowhead Stadium to wear headdresses or paint their faces in Native American style ... announcing a permanent ban on both things Thursday.

The team says it's all a part of an effort to be more sensitive toward Native American cultures ... with Chiefs officials adding there might be even more changes coming.

K.C. says it's also reviewing the "Arrowhead Chop" -- a stadium-wide chant where fans pretend they have tomahawks while screaming at the top of their lungs.

The Chiefs also say they might be doing away with their famous drum-pounding pregame ceremony too.

K.C. says Thursday's changes all come as a result of 6 years worth of discussions with Native American leaders.

"We are grateful for the meaningful conversations we have had with all of these American Indian leaders," the Chiefs said.

"It is important that we continue the dialogue on these significant topics, and we look forward to continuing to work together in the future."

Of course, others in major sports are taking similar steps ... NFL's Washington team just changed its name -- while the Cleveland Indians say they're considering doing the same.

Toronto Raptors president Masai Ujiri says RACE was the main reason he was disrespected and assaulted by a cop at the 2019 NBA Finals -- stating, "It's because I am Black."

50-year-old Ujiri has finally broken his silence about that bombshell body cam video which shows him clearly being shoved TWICE by an aggressive white deputy in the final moments of Game 6, as the Raptors were winning the title.

The video clearly proves the deputy was LYING when he claimed Ujiri instigated the altercation that night. Ujiri was calmly trying to present his security badge to the deputy when the guy flipped out, cussed him out and shoved Masai twice in the chest.

"The video sadly demonstrates how horribly I was treated by a law enforcement officer last year in the midst of my team, the Toronto Raptors, winning its first world championship," Ujiri said in a statement.

Ujiri says the moment should gave been one of the greatest of his life -- a reward after years of grinding -- but it was spoiled by that horrible deputy.

"I was reminded in that moment that despite all of my hard work and success, there are some people, including those who are supposed to protect us, who will always and only see me as something that is unworthy of respectful engagement. And, there’s only one indisputable reason why that is the case - because I am Black."

Ujiiri says he understands that he was ultimately vindicated because he had the resources to take on law enforcement -- and he fears for those who don't.

"The only reason why I am getting the justice I deserve in this moment is because of my success. Because I’m the President of a NBA team, I had access to resources that ensured I could demand and fight for my justice. So many of my brothers and sisters haven’t had, don’t have, and won’t have the same access to resources that assured my justice. And that’s why Black Lives Matter."

Cincinnati Reds announcer Thom Brennaman uttered an offensive, homophobic slur while calling the Reds game Wednesday ... apparently not realizing his microphone was on.

Brennaman -- who was announcing a doubleheader against the Kansas City Royals -- was heard referring to a city as "one of the f** capitals of the world."

Seconds later he snapped back into announcer mode and read a promo for the Reds Live Pregame Show ... as if nothing had happened.

But, viewers were SHOCKED ... and the clip went viral on social media in a matter of minutes.

56-year-old Brennaman has been calling MLB games since the '90s and has been the featured play-by-play broadcaster for major events like the BCS National Championship Game, the 2007 Fiesta Bowl, the 2008 Sugar Bowl ... even the 2011 Pro Bowl.

He's been working with the Reds since 2006.

BE HONEST -- would you try to get your ball back if a giant alligator tried to steal it off a golf course?!!?

HELL NO, RIGHT!?

That's the question some golfers in Louisiana had to ask themselves after a 'gator tried to join their foursome this week ... and the whole thing was caught on video.

Lane Rodrigue tells us he was playing with friends at the Idlewild Golf Course in Patterson, Louisiana on Monday when  the monster walked right on to the course and snatched up his ball.

The guys were shocked -- and jokingly debated "playing it where it lies" ... but ultimately decided to let the gator keep it as a souvenir. No one got hurt. The gator is fine.

The whole thing harkens back to "Happy Gilmore's" mentor Chubbs Peterson who famously griped that a "damned alligator BIT my hand off" ... "cut me down in my prime!"

RIP Chubbs.

Cal Ripken Jr.'s Iron Man streak is now his second-most awesome feat ... 'cause the MLB legend says he was able to beat prostate cancer in a matter of weeks!!

The 59-year-old told reporters Thursday he was diagnosed with the disease way back in February ... but, thankfully, he says he's been cancer-free since March surgery.

"The cancer was all contained in the prostate, they did a pathology report afterward and confirmed that that was the case," Ripken Jr. said.

"I’ve since had a three-month test to see if my PSA was undetectable and it was, so we can make a case that all the cancer was contained and it’s all out now."

Ripken Jr. says he was initially going to keep everything private ... but after realizing going public with his experiences could help others have similar success with the illness, he let it "slip out."

"I wouldn’t say the Iron Man contributes to it, but I was the kind of person who was thinking, ‘OK, I’ll just keep this a secret,'" Ripken Jr. said.

"But the longer you deal with it and you understand the outcome has been favorable and positive, the reason I’m letting it slip out now is I want to use the opportunity to help other people who struggle with that decision and encourage other people to go get their regular exams, get their tests."

Jake Paul is making lemonade outta the FBI's lemons ... namely that raid at his mansion, which is his inspiration for a music video shoot ... one that has some folks up in arms.

The YouTube star is casting for a new music vid "reenacting his recent run-in with the law," which is a very downplayed description of a fully armed, military-style FBI raid.

Jake's looking for a couple men to play the roles of FBI agent and paparazzi, and naturally, he's also putting out a call for tons of hot chicks. It's still a music video, and he's gotta have eye candy.

In addition to pretty women ... Jake also recruited hypercar suppliers Obi Okeke -- aka Doctor Bugatti -- and Donny Gath from iLusso OC to snag him a $300K Maybach S650 Cabriolet for the shoot.

The music video shoot appears to be happening Saturday in Calabasas, presumably at the same house that was raided, and folks are already mad at Jake and questioning him on coronavirus safety precautions.

The questions are warranted ... as we reported, Jake's Calabasas crib hosted a super sloppy boxing match last week that looked like a COVID-19 nightmare. There were tons of people crowding together, few face coverings and sweaty boxers fighting for air.

For Jake's part, he wore a mask around the neighborhood with his ex, Tana Mongeau, but some people are worried the video shoot will be a repeat of his boxing bash -- short on safety measures.

Georgia State freshman QB Mikele Colasurdo says he's been diagnosed with a heart condition after battling COVID-19 ... and he won't be able to play this season.

"Today I was diagnosed with a heart condition as a result of my COVID-19 infection," Colasurdo said.

"Unfortunately, this means that I will not be able to play this football season."

Colasurdo -- 6'1", 210 lbs -- thanked the Georgia State football program for "providing a safe environment for us to train and practice."

"Ultimately it was the procedures and tests set forth by GSU that allowed the doctors to find this condition in my heart and help keep me safe," the QB said.

"I am very thankful."

Colasurdo was the South Carolina Gatorade High School Player of the Year in 2019 -- and a finalist for South Carolina Mr. Football.

He was also expected to compete for the starting QB job in 2020 as a true freshman.

Despite the situation, Colasurdo says he'll return for the 2021 season.

Scary news out of Cleveland Browns' camp ... veteran cornerback Kevin Johnson lacerated his liver in practice Wednesday and is now in the hospital receiving treatment.

The Browns made the announcement Thursday ... saying Johnson initially complained of abdominal pain after a teammate landed on him during drills.

Turns out, Johnson was seriously injured ... with the team saying test results revealed the liver damage after he was sent to the hospital.

"Kevin is resting comfortably and is expected to remain in the hospital for at least another 24 hours for observation," the team said.

Johnson -- a Houston Texans first-round pick back in 2015 -- joined the Browns this offseason and was expected to be in the team's two-deep on opening day next month.