TMZ Sports - Page 46

The Univ. of Arizona didn't make the Big Dance, but here's a solid dose of positivity from star center Christian Koloko ... who tells TMZ Sports the Wildcats will be back and better than ever next season!!!

Oh yeah, AND he says fellow Sierra Canyon HS product LeBron James Jr. should come play college ball in Tuscon, too!!

We spoke with the 7'1" sophomore about the 'Cats missing the NCAA tournament in 2021 ... and while it may sting now, Koloko says his guys are gonna work like crazy to get back in March Madness next season.

"We're thinking about the team," Koloko tells us. "We gotta come back next year and be stronger and have a chance to make it in the tournament next year."

FYI -- the Wildcats went 17-9 this season ... missing the cut alongside powerhouse programs like Duke and Kansas.

On top of the disappointing season, head coach Sean Miller is battling the NCAA over alleged recruitment violations ... but Koloko says the team isn't considering it a distraction.

"We just put it behind the back and we just try to play basketball and do what we love."

As for Bronny, Koloko -- who also played high school hoops at Sierra Canyon in CA -- says the kid is for sure an NBA talent and should strongly consider following his path to Arizona when the time comes in 2023.

From Cy Young winner to Sock Puppets manager?!

Ex-MLB star Jack McDowell has done just that ... 'cause the Burlington Sock Puppets -- a developmental summer league team for collegiate baseball players -- just named him their new manager!

The squad -- which is part of the Appalachian League -- made the announcement Monday morning ... and McDowell said he's PUMPED for the opportunity.

"As a lifelong participant in the game of baseball, as both a coach and a player, I am thrilled to be managing the Burlington Sock Puppets this summer,” McDowell said in a statement.

"This opportunity is meaningful for me, and I cannot wait to impact the lives of countless collegiate baseball players in the Appalachian League this year. It is going to be a positive and fun season!"

If you're unfamiliar, the Appalachian League comprises of 10 teams in Tennessee, Virginia, North Carolina and West Virginia ... and it's designed to help rising freshman and sophomores in college refine their skills with wooden bats over a 54-game, summer season.

The Sock Puppets clearly believe McDowell has the goods to help their players best ... with the team's general manager, Anderson Rathbun, saying Monday, "We couldn't be more thrilled to have someone leading our team with a resume quite lack Jack's."

55-year-old McDowell won the Cy Young back in 1993 while pitching for the White Sox ... and he made the All-Star team 3 times in his 12-year, big-league career.

Two months after muttering an anti-gay slur on the golf course ... Justin Thomas was back holding up a trophy -- winning the Players Championship on Sunday at TPC Sawgrass.

The 27-year-old lost several major sponsors -- including Ralph Lauren -- back in January after television mics caught him using the f-word during a round at the Sentry Tournament of Champions in Hawaii.

Thomas had missed a 5-foot putt ... and, as he kicked the ensuing shot into the hole, he said "f*****" under his breath.

Thomas later called the incident "inexcusable" and apologized ... saying, "It's terrible. I'm extremely embarrassed. It's not who I am; it's not the kind of person that I am or anything that I do."

A few weeks later in February, Justin lost his grandpa, who died at 89 years old ... and then also nearly lost his good pal, Tiger Woods, in a terrifying car crash just weeks after that.

Thomas -- who had intended to enter a "training program" to learn from the anti-gay slur incident -- said all of it had tested him "mentally, physically, emotionally."

But, Thomas finally put everything behind him this weekend ... and used a monster 4th-round Sunday to hold off stars like Lee Westwood and Bryson DeChambeau to earn the PGA Tour win.

"It’s been a crappy couple of months," Thomas said Sunday. "I’ve had stuff happen in my life I never thought I’d have happen."

Thomas added, "I kept telling everyone on my team or my family I’m ready for something good to happen this year."

Belal Muhammad says he's getting vision back after a nasty poke to his right eye on Saturday night -- and he's going scorched-earth on the man who caused the injury.

Muhammad was in the 2nd round of his main event fight against Leon Edwards at "UFC Fight Night" in Vegas when the ref stopped the fight due to the accidental injury.

The fight was declared a no-contest -- and Belal was rushed to a doctor for treatment.

Muhammad tells TMZ Sports ... there was no major damage to the eyeball, "just a really bad scratched cornea and the lid."

Belal says he got stitches -- but they're expected to come out within 5 to 7 days.

But, Muhammad isn't mad about the injury -- he's pissed he didn't get the chance to showcase his skills for 5 rounds against the #3 ranked welterweight ... a fight that could have been HUGE for his career.

Now, Edwards -- who won the 1st round on all 3 of the judges' scorecards -- is publicly saying he's not interested in a rematch and would rather have a title shot ASAP.

Muhammad says that's total BS -- telling us he took the fight on 3 weeks' notice and deserves another shot at a main event fight with Edwards.

"If you're a man -- if you're a real contender -- if you think you're a real champion, you've gotta beat everybody. So, you gotta beat me and then earn your title shot."

Muhammad continues, "You think you earned a title shot off a no contest? That's like the stupidest thing I've ever heard."

"You don't deserve a title shot, you deserve another rematch."

Muhammad says he was "just getting warmed up" when the eye poke happened -- and he's convinced he would've earned the "W" had it not happened.

Yankees manager Aaron Boone says he's feeling "awesome" less than 2 weeks after heart surgery ... telling media members Sunday he's already back in the saddle -- on Peloton!!

The 48-year-old had a pacemaker installed into his body in Tampa on March 3 ... a scary procedure that required Boone to step away from the Yanks for a few days.

But, in a positive update over the weekend, Boone said he's now feeling as good as ever ... noticing a huge uptick in his daily energy.

"Done some [Peloton] rides I haven’t done in a few months that I didn’t even realize, 'Oh, this is what it’s supposed to be like,'" Boone said, according to the Associated Press.

The NY head man -- who had previously had open-heart surgery in 2009 to fix a swelling issue -- needed the latest procedure after docs discovered his heartbeats per minute were well below average.

Boone said he still can't lift weights like he'd like to ... but explained he's only a few more days from clearing that hurdle.

"Still have some arm restrictions,” Boone said. “So I can’t like lift weights like I normally do but that will be hopefully a few more weeks."

"But as far as just getting around, energy in the mornings and all day, so much better."

Drew Brees will definitely be BUSY in retirement -- the QB just announced he signed a massive deal with NBC Sports to cover everything from football to the Olympics.

"I'm gonna be working for NBC," Brees announced Monday on "Today" ... "I'm part of the team now!"

The 42-year-old -- who retired from the NFL over the weekend -- will serve most prominently as a studio analyst for "Football Night In America" on NBC's Sunday Night Football coverage.

Brees' duties will also include game analyst for NBC's coverage of Notre Dame football.

No, Brees didn't attend ND -- he's a Purdue guy --  but NBC has a massive contract with Notre Dame, so that's the school he'll cover for now.

NBC notes Brees will also work Super Bowl LVI and be included during its Olympics coverage. No word on which sports Brees will focus on -- but he's got a talent for breaking down film, so put him anywhere!

"I'm excited about that journey. I'm excited to stay very closely connected with the game of football, it's been such an important part of my life," Brees said on "Today."

"I continue to be able to talk about it, show a passion for it, and be able to bring my kids along for the ride there as well, and let them be part of those special moments."

Brees also says a huge part of his "retirement' life will include philanthropy -- especially in the city of New Orleans where he spent 15 seasons of his NFL career.

"I'll be honest, I'm excited because [philanthropy is] where we can make the biggest impact and there's still so much need in this country and this city."

Drew and his wife, Brittany, donated $10 million to help various areas in need in Louisiana in 2020 -- money that earmarked to build healthcare facilities and to help feed the hung

WWE Champion Bobby Lashley wants a piece of Brock Lesnar ... telling TMZ Sports he doesn't care if he doles out an ass-whooping in an MMA cage or wrestling ring!!

We asked the 6'3", 273 lb. WWE Superstar about the match every wrestling AND mixed martial arts fans want to see ... a scrap with fellow giant, 6'3", 286 lb. Lesnar.

"I'm willing to wrestle, I'm willing to do 100-meter dash, I don't care. I love those big matchups! Brock is one of the biggest thing across the sports industry, sports world across the board," Bobby says.

"So if I can have an opportunity to fight Brock or wrestle Brock or do anything against Brock, I'm 100% in and I will be ready. That's all I gotta say about that!"

Let's talk resumes ... fighting first.

Bobby has a better record ... and more experience in the cage. He's 15-2 ... and has racked up wins in Bellator and Strikeforce, as well as other promotions. Lashley hasn't fought since October 2016.

As for Brock, he's 5-3 with 1 no contest. However, Lesnar has fought the stiffer competition ... and has wins over Randy Couture, Frank Mir and Shane Carwin. Brock also hasn't fought since 2016.

In the wrestling ring, both men are Superstars in every way. Lesnar is a 5x WWE World Champion, and Lashley is the current WWE Champion ... having recently defeated The Miz.

Bobby -- who you can catch on "Monday Night Raw," -- left us with a message for Lesnar's mouthpiece, Paul Heyman.

Drew Brees is hanging up his cleats and helmet -- the legendary quarterback just announced he's retiring after a storied career ... and recruited his kids to help with the message.

The New Orleans Saints QB made the announcement Sunday with a video of his 4 young children telling the camera that, yes, their pops is ready to move on from the NFL. The kids go down the line and recite this ... "After 15 years with the Saints and 20 years in the NFL, our dad is finally gonna retire SO HE CAN SPEND MORE TIME WITH US!"

All 4 kids jump up in jubilation and let out some "YAYS!" ... which is awesome, you can tell just how excited they are. Drew had some parting words of his own in a touching caption for the Who Dat faithful.

He writes, "After 20 years as a player in the NFL and 15 years as a Saint, it is time I retire from the game of football. Each day, I poured my heart & soul into being your Quarterback." He adds, "Til the very end, I exhausted myself to give everything I had to the Saints organization, my team, and the great city of New Orleans."

Drew goes on to say that he's had built incredible memories in New Orleans with the folks living there, and that the city will always be a part of him and his fam. He adds, "You have molded me, strengthened me, inspired me, and given me a lifetime of memories. My goal for the last 15 years was striving to give to you everything you had given to me and more."

DB ends with this ... "I am only retiring from playing football, I am not retiring from New Orleans. This is not goodbye, rather a new beginning. Now my real life‘s work begins!"

Drew helped take the team to the Super Bowl in 2010, which they went on to win. He's one of the most decorated quarterbacks to ever play the game ... having won awards like Offensive Player of the Year, the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year, Comeback Player of the Year, Super Bowl MVP and so many more ... including being the NFL's All-time passing leader ahead of Tom Brady and Peyton Manning.

Brees is in the pantheon of greats with the likes of Tom Brady and Peyton Manning -- 2 of his contemporaries who are hands down HOFers. He got his start in the NFL back in 2001 with the San Diego Chargers, but headed off to the saints in '06 ... and the rest is history.

A-Rod confirms on video what TMZ broke this morning ... that he and J Lo are still hangin' on.

This video was shot outside A-Rod's gym in Miami ... where a photog asked him if he was single. A-Rod answered definitively in the negative. The conversation was interrupted by a phone call, which A-Rod took -- but he told the caller he'd call back, "baby."

We don't know if the person on the other end was J Lo, but it seems like a good guess.

Remember, A-Rod and J Lo told TMZ Saturday morning ... "We are working through some things."

Our A-Rod and J Lo sources told TMZ, Friday was "a bad day." From what we can gather, it appears they had some sort of blowout fight. It's unclear if one or the other said the relationship is over in the heat of the moment ... but if that was said, they're taking it back now.

A-Rod and J Lo did not say what exactly they're working through -- however, they told us on Saturday that it did not involve a third person.

One thing that's still unclear ... is the engagement still on?

LeBron James undeniably has moves, but guess what ... so does his daughter!!!

6-year-old Zhuri is amazing, dancing to Cardi B's, "Up." It's flawlessly executed, with the help of her dance instructor ... but it doesn't really seem Zhuri needs much instruction. Talk about projecting greatness ... this kid's gonna be a true performer.

LeBron said the dance lesson had just ended when Zhuri got to pick any song to freestyle to, and she picked Cardi's latest single. The dance is big on TikTok, but God help anyone who tries to best Zhuri, 'cause she's awesome!

LeBron wrote, "yeah it’s officially over for me guys!! I feel bad for whomever my Baby Z decides to bring home first!"

Aaron Carter boxing video?? COME GET IT!!!

TMZ Sports has obtained footage of the pop star training for his huge fight against Lamar Odom ... and look, the guy's no Floyd Mayweather -- but you can tell he's busting his ass to be ready for the ring!!

We're told AC has been training with MMA fighter Jesse Strader for the June 12 bout ... working on his combinations, building some muscle and getting in some cardio.

It's clear in the video, Carter is taking this fight seriously ... and he's stoked about the chance to show off his skills.

"We are prepping for training for what they're calling the biggest celebrity fight of all time," Carter says in the video.

"We've been working on some stuff. We're just getting started. We're very excited about this."

As we previously reported ... both 33-year-old AC and 41-year-old LO have said they're gunning for a knockout. No one wants to be the next Internet meme.

Carter recently told us, "I know I can [beat Lamar]. Come June 12th, like I said, like Apollo Creed said, 'I’m gonna drop him like a bad habit,' and I mean that."

Of course, Carter's opponent is a former pro athlete with 14 years of experience in the NBA ... which seems super relevant in a fistfight!

The family of the legendary 1927 NY Yankees team is selling an authentic signed team photo passed down through the generations ... and yeah, this thing is worth a fortune.

The '27 squad features icons like Babe Ruth and Lou Gherig -- and the slugging power was so insane, they were dubbed "Murderers' Row."

One of the pitchers from the 1927 team -- Don Miller -- was savvy enough to get everyone on the roster to autograph a team photo ... and it stayed with Miller's family for decades.

Miller never appeared in a game for the Yankees that season -- but clearly, he knew securing the signatures would just as important as getting on the field!

Now, the Miller family has decided to sell it -- and they've taken it to SCP Auctions to find the highest bidder.

The photo has been authenticated by multiple leading memorabilia companies -- including PSA and Beckett -- which is huge for the hardcore collectors willing to pay top dollar.

As far as the expected sales price, we're told it could fetch around $500,000 ... but with the sports collectibles market being on FIRE at the moment, who knows where it could end up!?

As we previously reported, a rare Babe Ruth baseball card from 1933 just sold for $761k ... more than DOUBLE the price a similar card sold for just 6 months earlier.

Point being ... people are paying CRAZY money for Babe Ruth items.

If you're not familiar with the '27 Yanks ... they're one of the most legendary baseball teams ever. They finished the regular season 110-44 and swept the Pittsburgh Pirates in the World Series.

Ruth was in the midst of setting the single-season home run record (60 HR's) that ultimately stood for decades. He also had 164 RBI's and batted .356.

Not to be outdone ... Gehrig won the AL MVP that year -- also putting up ABSURD numbers. The Iron Horse slugged 47 HR's, drove in 173 runs, and had a batting average of .373.

But, it wasn't just Babe and Lou ... the rest of "Murderers' Row" was made up of solid players like Earle Combs, Mark Koenig, Bob Meusel, Tony Lazzeri, Joe Dugan and Pat Collins.

Don't give up hopes yet, Bolts fans ... Hunter Henry tells TMZ Sports he could still re-sign a long-term deal with L.A. despite hitting the open free agency market later this month.

"I will say I'm not ruling out the Chargers," said the star tight end, who's caught 196 receptions for L.A. since his draft in 2016. "I'm not ruling out the Chargers and I won't rule out the Chargers."

As for why ... it's pretty simple -- Henry just loves the team's young superstar quarterback, Justin Herbert!

"My favorite quarterback?" Henry told us. "Shoot, I love Herbie. That's my guy!"

Of course, Henry admits a lot of his decision will also come down to finances ... and if the Chargers can't make a compelling offer, it's clear the 26-year-old could end up elsewhere.

As for where that might be ... Henry said he's got no clear favorites at the moment, and is willing to listen to all offers when they come at the beginning of free agency.

Henry, though, does know what he's going to buy when he lands his new contract -- telling us a house is the first priority.

Marvelous Marvin Hagler -- former middleweight champion and one of the greatest boxers who ever lived -- has died ... this according to his wife.

A post with the sad news went up Saturday on Hagler's official fan club page on Facebook, reading ... "I am sorry to make a very sad announcement. Today unfortunately my beloved husband Marvelous Marvin passed away unexpectedly at his home here in New Hampshire. Our family requests that you respect our privacy during this difficult time."

The note was signed by his wife, Kay. The exact circumstances of his death weren't released.

Hagler has gone down in history as a boxing great, and perhaps one of the best -- if not THE best -- middleweight fighters to step in the ring. He held the title as the undisputed middleweight champion of the world from 1980 to 1987 ... an incredible run.

He got his first title shot in '79 against Vito Antuofermo -- which got called a draw, despite many feeling Hagler had taken it. He got a 2nd shot at the title the following year ... this time against Alan Minter -- whom Hagler pounded into a 3rd round stoppage.

Year after year, Hagler successfully defended his title ... but one of the most brutal bouts to date ended up going down against Tommy Hearns in 1985, which got billed as "The War." It only went three rounds, but all of them were brutal ... especially that opening one, which is regarded as one of the most violent and action-packed to date.

Hagler's reign came to an end in 1987 against none other than boxing icon Sugar Ray Leonard, who came out of retirement for another shot at the title. They went all twelve rounds, and despite many saying Hagler got the better of SRL ... the latter was announced as the winner in a split decision. Granted, Leonard landed a higher percentage of punches.

Post-boxing, Hagler moved on to a career in movies ... in Italy no less. He notably starred in 'Indio' and 'Indio 2' as well as a few other action flicks. He was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 1993.

Hagler is survived by his current wife and five children from a previous marriage. He was 66.

RIP

Jennifer Lopez and Alex Rodriguez say reports of their demise as a couple have been greatly exaggerated -- well, maybe just exaggerated -- because they say they are still fighting to stay together ... TMZ has learned.

Both J Lo and A-Rod tell TMZ, "All the reports are inaccurate. We are working through some things." We're also told what they're working through has nothing to do with a third party.

Sources connected to the couple made it clear to TMZ and other outlets Friday ... the couple had called off their engagement and broken up. We asked our sources with direct knowledge why we were all told they broke up, and we were told things were "bad" on Friday.

As of now, A-Rod's still in Miami and J Lo's in the Dominican Republic shooting a movie, and it's unclear when they'll be back together. FYI, it's a hop, skip and a jump from Miami to the D.R.

There's a lot at stake in their relationship. Aside from them, they both have kids that have effectively blended as a big family, so that's got to come into play as they navigate their relationship.

Dez Bryant tells TMZ Sports if he never plays another down in the NFL ... he's still a Hall of Famer FOR SURE!!!

The former Dallas Cowboys superstar didn't mince words when we asked him about his HOF candidacy in L.A. this week ... saying straight-up "of course" his resume is already good enough for the Hall right now.

"Nobody put up TDs the way I put up," the 32-year-old said. "Not as fast."

Dez -- who's a free agent now after returning from a 2-year hiatus to play for the Ravens last season -- is going to have an interesting case for Canton if his career is in fact over.

His numbers -- 7,506 career receiving yards and 77 total touchdowns -- aren't historically enough to lock him in ... but he is one of the freakiest players to ever play.

Dez tells us what he did in such a short time should be enough to get him in ... but he did admit he's probably not a first-ballot kind of guy at this point.