TMZ Sports - Page 7

The Chicago Bears want to make it clear ... they do NOT endorse Brian Urlacher's IG post, criticizing NBA players for being outraged over the shooting of Jacob Blake.

Urlacher -- a Hall of Famer who spent his entire 13-year NFL career with the Bears -- set social media on fire Thursday ... by taking a shot at the NBA boycott.

"Brett Favre played the MNF game the day his dad died, threw 4 TDs in the first half, and was a legend for playing in the face of adversity,” Urlacher's post said.

"NBA players boycott the playoffs because a dude reaching for a knife, wanted on a felony sexual assault warrant, was shot by police."

Urlacher also appeared to "like" a social media post that said, "Free Kyle Rittenhouse,” the 17-year-old who allegedly shot and killed two people who were protesting the shooting of Jacob Blake.

The backlash was fast and furious ... with several high-profile outlets trashing Urlacher.

Isaiah Thomas wrote, "That’s sad smh. He’s a real life sucka for that."

Quentin Richardson added, "And To think I used to cheer for this dude as he played for my Bears!! F*ck outta here Urlacher!! U trippin!"

Ex-Bears running back Matt Forte -- who played with Urlacher -- said, "The comment [Urlacher] posted is void of empathy, compassion, wisdom and coherence. But full of pride and ignorance!"

"I pray for those who have been blinded by their wealth, privilege and earthly fame that breeds arrogance in their hearts."

"And those who refuse to Acknowledge racism and injustice but instead choose to place their energy into justifying it by quickly judging the victims life as if they themselves are more valuable because their sins are different or weren’t caught by man ... but God sees all."

Enter the Bears organization ... which quickly issued a statement on the matter.

"The social media posts in no way reflect the values or opinions of the Chicago Bears organization."

This girl is incredible!!!

12-year-old skateboarding sensation Sky Brown is already taking her talents to new heights -- literally -- just 2 months after suffering a devastating injury.

Remember, Brown was training at Tony Hawk's skate park when she had a bad wipeout ... suffering skull fractures, a broken wrist, broken hand and a black eye.

But, Sky wasted no time getting back on the board again ... and now she's even taking on greater challenges by attempting to tackle pro Elliot Sloan's mega ramp!!!

Why's it called a mega ramp, you ask?? Uhh, 'cause it's freaking MASSIVE!!!

But, that didn't bother one bit to Sky, who took a few moments to compose herself ... and then nailed the ramp within her first few tries.

"Sky was the first girl to jump the mega at my place and she made it look easy," Sloan said of the accomplishment.

"Not only did she clear the gap but she did the full line. She blew us all away and I can't wait to see what's next for her."

Oh ... and for those freaking out, Hawk makes sure to point out there was an airbag ready to catch Brown, just in case.

NBA commissioner Adam Silver is finally speaking out about the boycotts that rocked the league -- saying, "I understand the pain, anger and frustration that so many of us are feeling in this moment."

Silver issued a league-wide statement to players and staff explaining his thoughts on the outrage over the shooting of Jacob Blake ... and says he's working with players on ways the league can help players take meaningful action.

"First, let me say that I wholeheartedly support NBA and WNBA players and their commitment to shining a light on important issues of social justice," Silver said.

"While I don't walk in the same shoes as Black men and women, I can see the trauma and fear that racialized violence causes and how it continues the painful legacy of racial inequity that persists in our country."

Silver says he spoke with NBA players, coaches and team governors on Thursday -- with the hope of figuring out the next steps to "further our collective efforts and actions in support of social justice and racial equality."

"The discussion centered around how we can best collaborate to address a broad range of issues, including increasing access to voting, promoting civic engagement, and advocating for police and criminal justice reform."

Silver says the league will have a finalized plan, which will be made public, later today.

"I understand that some of you feel the league should be doing more. I hear you -- and please know that I am focused on ensuring that we as a league are effecting real change both within our organization and in communities across the country."

Silver says he wants to encourage players to continue to speak out and work with the league on making real change.

"We are always here to support you."

He's got a lot going on right now -- but LeBron James found time to write a love note to his wife on her birthday.

"My beautiful strong ambitious driven committed loving amazing woman I call my queen, my best friend, my love, my wife," Bron wrote Thursday evening in an IG post to Savannah James.

"I scream from the damn bubble happy birthday! Please enjoy your day, your weekend, your moment in time! I love you!"

35-year-old LeBron and 34-year-old Savannah were high school sweethearts back in Akron, Ohio. They got engaged back in 2011 and married in 2013. They have 3 kids together -- Bronny, Bryce and Zhuri.

LeBron has had his hands full lately -- not only leading the Lakers during the NBA playoffs in the bubble in Orlando, but taking on President Trump and others who have been critical of his social justice action over the past few weeks and months.

Rayshard Brooks' widow can't be more thankful for LeBron James and the rest of the NBA taking a stand with their boycott ... and she's hopeful true change is on its way.

Tomika Miller tells TMZ ... she beamed with pride after the Lakers and the rest of the NBA teams decided to boycott Wednesday's playoff games to bring attention to police brutality following the shooting of Jacob Blake and the 17-year-old who allegedly shot and killed 2 protesters in Kenosha, WI.

Tomika says there's a huge difference between her taking a stand at her workplace versus the NBA -- and several MLB, WNBA and MLS teams for that matter -- boycotting games. The size of the platform matters, and she says it brings a bigger spotlight on the plight of Black Americans.

Tomika said the players' actions let people like her know the "little people" are not forgotten by the privileged. As you know by now, Tomika's husband, Rayshard, was shot in the back and killed in June after cops found him asleep at the wheel at an Atlanta drive-thru.

When officers tried to handcuff him, a struggle ensued -- Brooks grabbed an officer's taser and ran before he was shot in the back 3 times. Making matters worse ... the family lawyer says cops waited more than 2 minutes to even check on Brooks once he was down.

Blake also was shot in the back ... 7 times at point-blank range by Kenosha, WI police officer Rusten Sheskey.

One of Floyd Mayweather's top business associates is so outraged over the recent police shootings, he wrote up a new police reform proposal in the hopes of fixing the system.

Brent Johnson is the CEO of One Entertainment -- and handles international business deals for Floyd Mayweather. He also has a law degree.

Johnson has drawn up a 6 point document titled, "Amendment Proposal for American Police Policy Reform" which lays out his plan.

AMENDMENT 1 – Zero Tolerance for Racial Bias and Violence Against Minorities (5-5-5 Plan)

Any officer who has 5 confirmed incidents involving racial bias within a 5-year period will be hit with a nationwide ban on employment in law enforcement, in any capacity, across the country.

AMENDMENT 2 – Racial Representation In The Police Population (The 70% Rule)

Lute Olson -- one of the greatest college basketball coaches of all time -- has died, his family confirms. He was 85.

The University of Arizona legend passed away Thursday while in hospice care in Tucson.

Olson led the men's hoops program for U of A for 25 years -- from 1983 to 2008 ... bringing home a national championship in 1997.

That team featured future NBA stars like Mike Bibby and Jason Terry.

He was a 7-time PAC-10 Coach of the Year and brought 5 different teams to the Final Four.

And, get this ... starting in his 2nd year at Arizona, Olson's teams made the NCAA tourney in 23 straight seasons!!!

Olson was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2002 -- while he was still coaching! He retired 6 years later.

His record at U of A is insane -- 589 wins and only 187 losses.

In the years after his retirement, Olson became a fixture at all Arizona home basketball games and often traveled to road games in California.

On April 12, 2018, The University of Arizona honored Olson with a statue outside the McKale Center on campus.

Some of the stars who played under Olson include ... Steve Kerr, Damon Stoudamire, Gilbert Arenas, Richard Jefferson, Luke Walton and Channing Frye.

He also coached Kenny Lofton -- who went on to become a big MLB star.

Olson is survived by his wife, children and several grandchildren.

Shocking hot mic video of NY Mets general manager Brodie Van Wagenen trashing MLB commish Rob Manfred over a proposed social justice stunt ... saying Manfred "just doesn't get it."

Van Wagenen was speaking with people at the Mets media podium Thursday -- and clearly doesn't realize the mics are on.

He proceeds to detail a conversation with Manfred in which the Commish proposed a compromise where Mets players make a symbolic gesture to acknowledge the Jacob Blake shooting during Thursday's game ... but then ultimately play the game instead of boycott.

Van Wagenen says Manfred's proposal went like this -- "You know what would be really great? If you just have 'em all take the field [at 7:10], then they leave the field and then they come back and play at 8:10."

Van Wagenen claims he pushed back against Manfred's plan -- telling Mets COO Jeff Wilpon, "Jeff, that's not happening."

Van Wagenen says he made it clear the player would not be playing -- but explained, "That's Rob's instinct. And, Rob -- exactly what you and I were talking about -- at leadership level he doesn't get it. He just doesn't get it."

"Anyway, we're waiting -- Jeff wants to hear, as soon as we hear from the Marlins, whatever we do we need to coordinate with the Marlins. So as soon as Conforto hears from Rojas -- Miguel Rojas -- let me know because Jeff is standing by for that call ..."

We're out to MLB for comment. So far, no word back.

8 Nebraska football players have filed a lawsuit against the Big Ten Conference ... in hopes to reverse the decision to postpone the 2020 season.

Long story short ... the players claim there was no transparency about what happened behind the scenes leading up to the decision to postpone the season ... and they're demanding answers.

The suit points to Big Ten commissioner Kevin Warren who announced there had been a vote of Big Ten presidents and chancellors who had overwhelmingly voted in favor of pushing the season due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

But, the players say they don't believe there was an actual vote -- claiming reps from multiple Big Ten schools have made public statements that there was no formal vote.

If there was no vote, the players believe the decision to push the season is invalid -- and they're demanding a judge get to the bottom of the issue asap.

The players include linebackers Garrett Snodgrass, Jackson Hannah and Garrett Nelson ... along with defensive tackle Ethan Piper, safety Noa Pola-Gates, wide out Alante Brown and linemen Brant and Brig Banks.

Attorney Mike Flood, who reps the players, issued a statement saying, "This lawsuit isn't about money or damages, it's about real life relief."

"These students athletes have followed all the precautions, underwent regular testing, and lived according to the prescribed guidelines of the world-class experts at UNMC all for the chance to play football in Sept."

The NHL is following the MLB, NBA, WNBA and MLS' lead ... with the league officially postponing games following the Jacob Blake shooting.

"After much discussion, NHL Players believe that the best course of action would be to take a step back and not play tonight’s and tomorrow’s games as scheduled," the league announced Thursday.

The decision comes after several players -- including Matt Dumba and Evander Kane -- criticized the league's response to the boycotts sweeping the sports world.

The NHL says they support the players' wishes ... and will make up the games starting Saturday.

NHL continued ... "Black and Brown communities continue to face real, painful experiences. The NHL and NHLPA recognize that much work remains to be done before we can play an appropriate role in a discussion centered on diversity, inclusion and social justice.

As we previously reported ... the NBA kickstarted a massive movement on Wednesday after the Milwaukee Bucks elected to stay in the locker rooms in protest ... and have since agreed to continue the season.

"We understand that the tragedies involving Jacob Blake, George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and others require us to recognize this moment," the NHL added.

Tennis superstar Naomi Osaka has reversed course -- and WILL resume playing a major tournament on Friday after initially opting out in the wake of the Jacob Blake shooting.

Earlier this week, the 22-year-old champ announced she would no longer participate in the Western & Southern Open semi-finals match, scheduled for Thursday.

At the time, Osaka explained ... "Before I am an athlete, I am a black woman. And, as a black woman, I feel as though there are much more important matters at hand that need immediate attention, rather than watching me play tennis."

"I don't expect anything drastic to happen with me not playing, but if I can get a conversation started in a majority white sport I consider that a step in the right direction."

After her statement, Osaka says she spoke with reps for the WTA and USTA -- and has decided to resume playing,

"As you know, I pulled out of the tournament yesterday in support of racial injustice and continued police violence," Osaka said in a statement Thursday.

"I was (and am) ready and prepared to concede the match to my opponent. However, after my announcement and lengthy consultation with the WTA and USTA, I have agreed at their request to play on Friday."

"They offered to postpone all matches until Friday and in my mind that brings more attention to the movement."

David Arquette's professional wrestling career has been both mocked and admired, but above all else, it's been bloody hard work ... and he says it's coming to an end soon.

The actor's journey as a pro wrestler began way back in 2000, but as he points out on "TMZ Live" ... he didn't have a clue then about what it actually took to be successful.

Fast forward a couple decades, and a battle-worn David is flying higher above the wrestling ring than ever before -- even at 48 -- thanks to a commitment to various types of training and a devotion to the sport he's loved for a long time.

David says he's still an actor, though, and despite his remarkable comeback -- which is the subject of his new documentary -- he claims he's calling it quits soon.

That's probably a good thing, because as you may recall ... David was badly injured in a bloody match in 2018, and damn near died in 2019 after continuing to dish out and take beatings in the ring.

Arquette's daughter Coco wasn't too pleased with all of this, but he tells us she's come to accept and understand it more after seeing the documentary ... which he calls a "love letter to wrestling."

There's still hope the NBA players and league execs can work out a plan to save the season ... with players compiling a list of "actionable items" they want the NBA to endorse in order to proceed.

A high-ranking NBA source tells us ... the feeling among several players is they will lose their biggest platform if they stop the season.

Of course, a stoppage won't affect the impact of superstars like LeBron James ... but we're told the majority of players see real value in being able to use the NBA platform to speak to the masses about social justice issues.

In fact, Draymond Green just posted about it -- saying, "The notion that athletes should just stop working but no one else in the world should stop is baffling to me."

"Why stop doing the very thing that offers you the biggest platform to speak for those that look like me/a lot of us?"

"To do that is to actually give up the platform to speak for them, because without us using our platforms which is afforded by the influence of the sport, it actually stops us from echoing what those in the back are saying."

So, the hope is both sides can reach a compromise -- with players coming together after a tense Wednesday night meeting in order to put together a list of demands for the league.

Obviously, the NBA wants to proceed -- there’s so much money at stake. And, from what we understand, the league execs and owners are meeting Thursday morning to figure out a way to work out a deal with the players.

As we previously reported, the Milwaukee Bucks were the first team to boycott on Wednesday when they refused to take the floor for Game 5 of their playoff series with the Orlando Magic.

Other teams followed suit ... until the league officially announced that all games would be rescheduled to a later date.

We're told the league had already planned for possible COVID-related postponements ... so they're not super worried about getting back on schedule.

But, word is ... play almost certainly will not resume Thursday -- everybody still needs some time.

The Arizona Cardinals, Tennessee Titans and Green Bay Packers have also canceled their Thursday practices.

Several NFL teams -- including the NY Jets and the Indianapolis Colts -- are canceling practice Thursday so players can focus on social justice issues.

Just one day after multiple NBA teams refused to take the court for their Game 5 playoff games as a "boycott" to show outrage over the Jacob Blake shooting, NFL players are also taking action.

The Washington Football Team is among those canceling team activities Thursday.

Head coach Ron Rivera says the decision came after a conversation with new team president Jason Wright.

"Jason Wright and I worked this afternoon to develop a response that has the right balance between the business of football and being truly thoughtful about the social injustice we witnessed with this latest incident in Wisconsin."

"We went to Mr. Snyder with our plan for tomorrow and we were given his complete support and approval."

Rivera says the plan is to return to football on Friday -- but Thursday will "be about reflection instead."

"In place of our practice at FedExField, the players, coaches and football staff will meet as a football family and we will continue our open dialogue on the issues of racism and social injustice in our country."

Not all NFL teams scrapped practice Thursday -- the Ravens, Giants, Patriots and Buccaneers proceeded as scheduled.

The Ravens explained, "Our team decided to practice this morning. After practice, the team will come together for a meeting to discuss and work on a plan for continued social justice reform efforts."

Utah Jazz superstar Donovan Mitchell is going OFF on MLS team owner Dell Loy Hansen for comments he made about player protests ... demanding he sell the team if he doesn't approve.

Of course, several MLS games were postponed following the Jacob Blake shooting ... including Hansen-owned Real Salt Lake's match-up with LAFC.

Hansen appeared on a radio show Thursday morning to express his frustrations with the game being postponed ... comparing the feeling to being stabbed.

"It’s a moment of sadness," Hansen told X96’s Radio From Hell. "It’s like somebody stabbed you and you’re trying to figure out a way to pull the knife out and move forward. That’s what it feels like."

"The disrespect is profound to me personally."

Hansen also claimed the players do not care about local issues, the city or the organization ... and hinted at losing interest in improving the team.

"It’s taken a lot of wind out of my sails, what effort I want to put into recruiting players and building a great team," Hansen said. "It just seems that’s not a very good path to take."

Enter Mitchell -- who got wind of Hansen's comments and came up with a simple solution for his frustrations.

"WOW... if it’s taken 'the wind' out then sell the team... I stand with (Real Salt Lake) players,'" Mitchell tweeted.

Soccer star Jozy Altidore agrees with Spida ... and says he's even in the process of forming a group to buy the team.

"He needs to sell the team then," Jozy tweeted. "I’m involved in a group that’s ready to purchase it. Time for change."

Jennifer Lopez says owning the NY Mets would not only be "amazing" for her ... but extremely beneficial for MLB to have a strong woman in a position of power.

Both J.Lo and Alex Rodriguez have been laser-focused on trying to buy the team from the Wilpon family -- raising millions of dollars from high profile investors in the hopes of closing a deal.

Jen's main competition is from Wall Street titan Steve Cohen -- who reportedly made a $2.6 billion bid ... though word on the street is the Wilpons would rather sell to J-Rod's group if they can get close to that number.

Jennifer appeared on Barstool Sports' "The Corp" podcast -- where she was asked about the latest developments with the ownership pursuit.

"Listen, in this day and age, that would be something that would be so amazing," Lopez said.

"We don’t, I don’t have anything to report on that end right now. But, I think in every field, especially in institutions like Major League Baseball that are so American in this moment in time, it is important for diversity and it is important for women to have positions of power that they’ve earned and deserve and can contribute in a way that is just as good as any man on the planet."

She adds, "So of course I am for it."

There are currently zero women listed as a principal owner of a Major League Baseball franchise.

Also, Lopez wouldn't just be a silent partner -- she has a reputation as a savvy self-made businesswoman who's made a fortune over the years ... and she's not afraid to speak her mind.

So far, a bunch of NBA and NFL stars have joined the J-Rod investment group including Travis Kelce, DeMarco Murray and Brian Urlacher.