TMZ Sports - Page 50

All hell broke loose at a dog show in Florida last weekend -- when people threw haymakers AND chairs at each other in an insane brawl -- and the wild scene was all caught on video!

The fight went down at an event called the Miami Bully Takeover at the Doubletree by Hilton Hotel near Miami airport last Saturday ... and it appeared to all start over a verbal argument between two women.

A spectator in the crowd caught the chaos on camera after things turned physical -- and you can see in the video, it's violent.

The footage shows two men striking each other, while another man picked up a chair and threw it. You can also see in the clip another person was being stomped out on the ground.

Eventually, the fight was broken up ... but a few seconds later, another fight started in a different area -- with more chairs and punches flying.

Security finally stepped in to shut everything down ... and thankfully, no humans or dogs were reported injured.

One of the organizers of the event -- which was a bully breed convention for dogs, owners, kennels, rescues and vendors -- apologized for the melee on social media following all the day's action.

"My heart really hurts and I know the money that goes into showing and We want to make it right and refund people that were unable to show," the organizer said. "I wanted to finish but the cops would not allow it."

"My shows are family shows and this really is hurtful and not the image I want people to see."

The organizer added, "It's truly sad that grown adults act like they did."

Soccer star Josh Cavallo -- who played for Australia's national U-20 team -- has announced he's gay ... saying in an emotional video he's tired of trying to live a "double life."

"It's exhausting," the 21-year-old said of trying to play soccer and keep his secret. "It's something that I don't want anyone to experience."

The Adelaide United player added in the video he's hopeful his announcement helps others come forward with their truths and live their lives without any hiding.

"I want to inspire and show people that it's OK to be yourself and play football," Cavallo said. "It's OK to be gay and play football."

Cavallo, according to CNN, is now the only openly gay "top-flight" player in the world.

Josh said the response to his announcement has been amazing ... and has caused him to ask himself "why have I been hiding this burden for so long?"

"I want to show all the other people that are struggling and that are scared -- whoever it may be -- that, don't act like someone you're not," Cavallo added. "Be yourself. You were meant to be yourself."

Top teams and orgs all over the globe have thrown their support behind Cavallo in the wake of his announcement ... with the Premier League saying in a tweet, "The footballing world is behind you and we wish you all the very best."

Atlanta Braves pitcher Charlie Morton etched his name into MLB lore Tuesday night ... 'cause he broke his leg during Game 1 of the World Series -- but still pitched on it!!

Morton took a comebacker off his shin in the 2nd inning of ATL's tilt with the Astros in Houston ... and right away, it was clear something was off with the Braves' ace.

Morton hobbled a bit back to the mound with a pained expression on his face -- but he still managed to get the next two outs to end the inning.

And, despite sitting in the dugout in pain while his team batted in the top of the 3rd inning, Morton still came out to pitch in the bottom of the inning!

The 37-year-old actually struck out Jose Altuve -- but was in so much pain, he was helped off the mound by trainers.

Atlanta officials later revealed Morton's X-rays showed he had broken his right fibula ... and they immediately ruled him out for the rest of the series with the 'Stros.

The Herculean effort, though, was not wasted ... because Morton's pitching helped Atlanta secure the Game 1 victory -- and now the Braves only need 3 more wins to take home the Commissioner's Trophy.

Marvin Vettori's badassery last week's already paying off ... 'cause Dana White tells TMZ Sports the UFC star could be tapped as the backup fighter for Israel Adesanya vs. Robert Whittaker's title fight.

Izzy, the champion, and Whittaker, the #1 contender, are fighting at UFC 271 in February ... and we asked White if 28-year-old Vettori would be selected as the fighter to step in should 1 of the men be unable to fight.

"It absolutely makes sense," Dana says.

FYI, Adesanya and Vettori fought in June at UFC 263. Israel won by unanimous decision.

Last week, Marvin, still fought -- and beat -- Paulo Costa ... despite the fact the fight took place at 205 lbs. after the Brazilian MMA star showed up fight week and declared he couldn't make weight.

It's likely that most fighters wouldn't have accepted the fight under those conditions ... but Marvin ain't most fighters.

"Listen, he's brilliant to take that fight. First of all, he's a stud. The guy isn't afraid of anybody or any circumstances. He showed up to fight no matter what the weight was gonna be. Didn't let any of that stuff get in his head," White says.

"Stayed cool, calm and composed the entire week. And, what it did for him, it probably made him the #2 ranked guy in the world."

And, Dana was exactly right ... the UFC Athlete Rankings came out Tuesday, and Marvin made a big jump, going up 3 spots all the way to #2.

Costa also fell 3 spots to #6, though, he's still listed as a Middleweight (185 lbs.) ... a division the UFC honcho says Paulo will NOT fight in again.

"[Costa] can't [fight at 185 lbs.]. He's already proven that he can't make the weight. Why would we go through this again? Why would we put him through that again? He's a 205-pound fighter now. We just gotta figure out what the next move is, and who he fights first in that division."

Dana also previewed the UFC's 2 upcoming cards -- UFC 267 and UFC 268 -- both of which are stacked.

267, going down on Fight Island this weekend, features Jan Blachowicz vs. Glover Teixeira, Petr Yan vs. Cory Sandhagen, Islam Makhachev vs. Dan Hooker and the return of Khamzat Chimaev vs. Li Jingliang.

The fan who gave up Tom Brady's 600th TD ball might not have the $500K pigskin, but his Coinbase account is surging in value, 'cause Rob Gronkowski and Mojo Muhtadi are hooking up the dude with over $30K in tokens!!

Gronk and Mojo (along with Steve Aoki) partnered with a new crypto company called Beyond Protocol earlier this year, Muhtadi tells TMZ Sports. BP says they specialize in tech that allows internet-connected devices to communicate safely.

Anyways, back to the Bucs fan, Byron Kennedy.

As we previously reported, TB12 joined Eli and Peyton Manning on MNF and announced he was giving the fan 1 Bitcoin -- currently worth about $60K -- for giving up the extremely valuable ball.

Cool, but still not worth half a milli (at least not yet).

Enter Mojo and Gronk ... Muhtadi tells us he spoke to the company, and they've decided to hook the fan up with 690 coins (if you know Mojo, you get this) worth about $44 each.

Do the math ... that's nearly $31K in value.

And, in addition to the BTC, Brady and the Bucs are hooking the fan up with a bunch of cool memorabilia ... including signed jerseys, a helmet, cleats, AND 2 season tickets for the rest of this season and next season.

Mark Few refused officers' orders repeatedly and appeared very annoyed and frustrated with cops during his DUI arrest in September, new police video obtained by TMZ Sports shows.

The Gonzaga men's basketball head coach was pulled over in Idaho at around 8 PM on Sept. 6 ... after authorities said he was swerving in his car and driving erratically.

And, in footage of the stop, you can see Few wasn't happy about any of it.

Few -- who told cops he was on his way home to Spokane from his vacation house -- initially refused to get out of his car when cops ordered him to ... and he then continuously stuffed his hands in his pockets despite officers telling him to keep them away from his shorts.

Later during the stop, Few refused to do any field sobriety tests -- claiming they were "totally subjective," and adding that previous injuries wouldn't allow him to do the tests properly.

Throughout questioning, Few grabbed his phone multiple times and attempted to call his attorney -- only to have cops tell him to put the device away.

Few told officers he had been swerving because he was trying to control the dogs in his car -- and he said emphatically that he believed he was okay to drive.

Video shows, though, the 58-year-old did admit to drinking beer earlier in the day.

After refusing to do the field sobriety tests, cops placed him in cuffs and put him in the back of a squad car.

Few later agreed to blow into a breathalyzer ... and cops say he blew a .119 and a .120 -- well above the legal limit of .08.

Few was eventually taken to a nearby medical facility to have his blood drawn ... and afterward, he was issued a citation and was allowed to be picked up by a friend.

Few was ultimately charged over the incident ... and pled guilty to misdemeanor DUI earlier this month. He was ordered to, among other things, perform community service and was placed on unsupervised probation for one year.

Former Patriots star Patrick Chung -- who won 3 Super Bowls with Tom Brady -- has been arrested for alleged domestic violence and vandalism, TMZ Sports has confirmed.

According to court documents, Chung was arrested by the Milton Police Department in Massachusetts on Monday.

Details surrounding the alleged incident are unclear ... but docs show prosecutors hit Chung with two charges on Tuesday -- vandalizing property and assault and battery on a family/household member.

The 34-year-old former New England defensive back is due in court later Tuesday for an arraignment hearing.

This is not Chung's first brush with the law -- as we previously reported, he was arrested back in 2019 after cops say they found him in possession of cocaine.

Chung was hit with a criminal charge over the allegations ... but he ultimately cut a plea deal with prosecutors to avoid jail time.

No word yet on if his arrest Monday violated any conditions of the agreement.

Chung just retired in March after an 11-year career in the NFL.

"Platinum" Mike Perry is taking his talents to the Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship -- the MMA fighter has inked a new deal after 5 years with the UFC ... and he's promising to wipe the floor with his competition.

30-year-old Perry -- who has wins over guys like Paul Felder, Mickey Gall and Alex Oliveira  -- did not have his contract with Dana White's org. renewed ... which made him free to follow Paige VanZant's lead to the BKFC.

Perry addressed the move on Tuesday, saying, "Let’s skip all the formalities! This sport is evolving and I am here to strike fear into the hearts of my competitors!"

"I plan to intimidate the world when I show what a truly skilled combat specialist is capable of with his bare hands."

The 14-8 fighter added ... "I will dismantle the opposition and reach the glory I have longed for my entire life. I will be crowned King of the streets and King of combat sports! They will make me a Platinum Crown and carry me on the bloody backs of my defeated rivals!"

"I am here to go straight to the top and make anyone think twice about entering my world! BKFC is my world!

Perry -- who last fought in April -- made headlines after a violent altercation in a Texas restaurant back in 2020 ... and sought treatment for alcohol abuse shortly after.

Before that, Perry was accused of getting physical with his ex-wife during a February incident ... but he adamantly denied ever touching her.

Things are getting tenser than a lethal game of Red Light, Green Light -- "Squid Game" creator Hwang Dong-hyuk heard LeBron James bashing the show's ending loud and clear ... and fired back by clowning his panned 'Space Jam' movie!!

James was heavily critical of the Netflix series' final scene ... discussing his dissatisfaction with Anthony Davis in front of reporters after a preseason game earlier this month (don't worry, we won't spoil it here ... but seriously, why haven't you watched yet?!?)

Hwang was asked about James' review in a recent interview with The Guardian ... and his response is clearly dissing the King's recent "Space Jam: A New Legacy" flick, which currently has a 26% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

"Have you seen Space Jam 2?" Hwang asked in response to James' comments.

"LeBron James is cool and can say what he wants. I respect that. I'm very thankful he watched the whole series."

So, will Hwang roll out an alternate ending to appease James' critique??? Don't hold your breath.

"But I wouldn't change my ending," he added. "That's my ending. If he has his own ending that would satisfy him, maybe he could make his own sequel. I'll check it out and maybe send him a message saying, 'I liked your whole show, except the ending.'"

Bobby Valentine's been known as the unofficial Mayor of Stamford, CT for years, but now the former NY Mets skipper is looking to make it official ... running for the top seat in his hometown.

“I have passion for this city. I have a skill set that meets the requirements of leadership, management, of team building,” Valentine said in a recent interview.

Stamford is one of the wealthiest cities in Connecticut ... and it's the place 71-year-old Bobby V was born and raised.

Bobby says people are tired of the partisan BS in politics ... so he's not running affiliated with Republicans or Democrats.

"My main takeaway of the last five-plus months of campaigning is that for the most part people are really tired of the partisan divide that the two-party system has created here in the city and in the nation," Valentine said.

He might not be affiliated with either party, but that doesn't mean Valentine doesn't have powerful friends who have endorsed him. In fact, former president (and MLB team owner) George W. Bush has thrown his support behind Bobby V.

We're told Valentine hasn't been sitting at home, hoping his celebrity will carry him to a win at the polls ... he's been rubbing shoulders with people around town, even recently going to a Little League baseball game to shake hands and campaign.

Valentine last managed in 2012 ... when he was fired by the Boston Red Sox.

While his time in Beantown was marred by failures on the field ... Bobby V was a heckuva, albeit controversial, manager.

He managed the Mets from 1996 to 2002 ... leading the Mets to the World Series in 2000. The NYM lost that series to the NY Yankees.

One of the most notorious Bobby V stories went down in 1999. After getting ejected, Valentine returned to the dug an inning later wearing a bad disguise -- glasses and a mustache made out of eye black.

Chargers star Joey Bosa is finally spending some of the cash he got after signing his mega, $135 million contract last year ... copping an insane waterfront mansion in Florida this month.

TMZ Sports has confirmed ... the L.A. superstar just bought the crib in Fort Lauderdale -- his childhood hometown -- and the pad is amazing.

Pictures of the place, which was listed by realtor Tim Elmes, show it's right on the water, with an open floor plan and a ton of windows to soak in the view.

The house also comes with a dock, a wet bar, a pool and a fire table ... and it even features an elevator inside!!

Unclear what the final cost of the place was -- but it was last listed at $6,995,000.

Of course, Bosa just inked a huge, new contract with the Chargers back in 2020 ... so making the payments ain't going to be too much of a problem.

Josh Allen's grandmother is being remembered in an incredible way ... a local Buffalo hospital has named an entire wing in her honor after Bills fans made more than $1 million in donations.

Remember, the John R. Oishei Children's Hospital was flooded with over 27,000 donations from fans after the Buffalo Bills QB's grandmother, Patricia Allen, passed away last November.

The contributions -- which totaled around $1.1 million -- were used to open up the Patricia Allen Pediatric Recovery Wing.

The 25-year-old Pro Bowler was in person for the awesome launch on Monday ... and took a tour of the 10th floor's brand new recovery center.

"It's such a surreal moment," Allen said, "I'm so grateful to have this honor, to have my grandmother immortalize like this."

The new wing also has a "Bills Fans Fun Zone" -- a playroom dedicated to the 27,000 fans who donated.

"I'm so indebted to this great community and the city of Buffalo," Allen added. "We can't thank you guys enough for allowing us to be a part of this."

Columbus Blue Jackets goalie Elvis Merzlikins says a Dallas Stars fan crossed the line before Monday night's game ... claiming he was taunted over the death of his teammate Matiss Kivlenieks -- and now the team is investigating.

Merzlikins -- who was friends with Kivlenieks before his tragic passing in July -- says he was walking out of the tunnel before taking the ice in Columbus when a fan in a Stars sweater started heckling him.

The 27-year-old addressed the incident with reporters after the 4-1 win, saying he truly believes the nasty remark resulted in karma on the ice.

"I was expecting a shutout because I believe in karma," Merzlikins said. "There are some stupid people in this world. It was really bad what happened in the tunnel when I was walking out. There was a fan from Dallas who (provoked) me about Matiss."

"After the first period, the three posts that I got, I really believed in karma. I saw that he was really there."

Merzlikins says he did not respond to the fan or get upset over the comment ... adding, "stupid people don't really come in my head."

Iman Shumpert not only wowed the judges on "Dancing With The Stars" on Monday, he also impressed his good friend LeBron James ... who went crazy after his ex-teammate got a perfect score!!

Shump and partner Daniella Karagach had an incredible routine based on the Jordan Peele flick "Us" for the 'DWTS' horror-themed show ... dancing to the eerie "I Got 5 On It" remix.

Iman used his athleticism throughout the dance ... and even had DK standing on his shoulders -- mind you, he's 6'5"!!

The dynamic duo got 10s across the board -- and Derek Hough even wanted to give them an 11 score, saying, "That was something people are going to watch over and over and over."

King James made sure to check out Iman's performance ... and needless to say, the dude was ecstatic over the perfect score.

"Man my G Iman Shumpert in his f'n bag!!!!!!" James said on social media.

"LFG. Don't even try to front, just respect the conglomerate!"

Dwyane Wade also caught the act, saying, "Stop playing with this man Iman Shumpert."

It seems to come natural for Iman --  remember, his wife Teyana Taylor told us last month he'd always be at her rehearsals ... so he's clearly learned a thing or two along the way.

The guy who gave back Tom Brady's 600th TD pass ball might have cost himself a small fortune ... 'cause one memorabilia expert says the pigskin was worth at least $500K!!

Here's the deal ... after catching the record-setting touchdown pass from Brady in the 1st quarter of the Bucs' win over the Bears, Mike Evans ran over to a Tampa Bay fan and gave away the ball.

Evans didn't think much of it at the time -- he does the nice gesture after most of his TDs -- but when he got back to the sideline, he realized his blunder.

Cameras at Raymond James Stadium caught Mike full of regret over handing away the valuable item (no player in NFL history has ever thrown for 600 in their careers) ... and eventually, Bucs staffers got to work on getting it back.

Somehow, during the middle of the game, the team convinced the guy to return the ball ... a move auction expert Ken Goldin says could have cost him HALF A MILLION DOLLARS -- and maybe even more than that.

"Given how historic this ball is as the first 600th TD in NFL history," Goldin said, "I'd estimate this ball to be worth a minimum of $500,000 (and possibly much more)."

The fan said during an interview mid-game that he gave back the ball simply because he was told Brady really wanted it.

"The trainer came over and asked for it," the fan said. "What am I going to do? Say no to Tom Brady?"

The fan added that he was promised some swag and maybe a handshake from Brady in return for it all.

As for Brady's side of it all, he was pleased with the guy's good gesture -- telling reporters after the game, "He’s going to get something nice in return."

"We'll get him a helmet or a couple of jerseys or some other stuff. It was really cool of him to do that."

Peyton Manning found himself apologizing yet again on Monday night -- this time, it's all 'cause Marshawn Lynch hilariously dropped an f-bomb live on his show!!

Just a month after Manning was forced to say sorry for his little bro, Eli, flipping off cameras during the brothers' "Monday Night Football" Manningcast ... Peyton found himself in a similar situation with Lynch.

Late in the first quarter of the Seahawks' tilt with the Saints ... Lynch was watching a play when Seattle snapped the ball unexpectedly.

"Oh," Marshawn said. "What the f***?!"

The 35-year-old former running back knew right away he had messed up, covering his mouth and adding, "I mean!"

Lynch dropped a few other expletives during the show too ... and it all caused Peyton to issue a mea culpa later in the night.

"I want to thank Marshawn Lynch,'' he said. "Not as wild about the language. I want to apologize for some of the language. It's not what we're trying to do on this show.''

He then joked about Eli's September double-barrel salute, saying, "I had to remind Eli that this show is live. So Eli's learned his lesson. Marshawn, I probably should have talked to him."