TMZ Sports - Page 40

Matt Stafford's wife, Kelly Stafford, is apologizing for chucking a pretzel at a fan during the Rams vs. 49ers game Monday ... calling it all a "weak moment" and adding she was "embarrassed" by her actions.

TMZ Sports has learned ... the L.A. quarterback's significant other was in the stands during the Rams' "Monday Night Football" game in Santa Clara, when a fan behind her started trash talking.

According to one witness, Kelly snapped ... kicking off an altercation by hurling a soft pretzel at the man.

The witness tells us Levi's Stadium security eventually stepped in ... and escorted Kelly and her crew away from the area to other seats in the venue.

After the game -- one in which the Rams lost, 31-10 -- when a fan called out Stafford's wife for not diffusing the situation and letting things go ... Kelly issued a mea culpa.

"I'm an idiot," Kelly wrote on her social media page. "He was saying a bunch of things that were aggressive towards our crew but zero excuse."

"I tried to apologize, but in the end knew I was wrong. Will always stand up for my guy and everyone I love, but obviously needed to do it completely different!"

Kelly continued, "I'm embarrassed too! Sorry you had to witness me in my weak moment!"

We reached out to the Santa Clara Police Dept. to see if they were called over it all ... but a spokesperson tells us they were not aware of any such incident.

We contacted Levi's Stadium security ... so far, no word back.

We also talked to Matt's agent ... who declined to comment on the incident.

Karl-Anthony Towns got a lot of dope gifts for his 26th birthday on Monday -- but none were more meaningful than this ...

TMZ Sports has learned that one of KAT's good buddies got him an amazing diamond pendant -- that's worth over $16,000 -- to honor his late mother, Jackie, for the special day.

We're told Chuck Anthony -- who's been one of Towns' best pals for years -- hit up Tim Da Jeweler to get a bday gift for the Timberwolves center earlier this year.

Chuck wanted to pay tribute to Towns' mom, who passed away in April 2020 due to complications from COVID-19.

Tim tells us he and Anthony worked closely together on the project -- saying they "wanted to make something that would have some sentimental value to Karl given that he had a really hard time dealing with his mother's passing."

The honorary bling came out PERFECT ... it features a 48.6 gram yellow/white gold "J' pendant that's infused with 7.78 carats of round/emerald VVS Color E/F diamonds.

There's also a custom, hand-painted red rose with green and blue designs to give it "some pop," according to Tim.

It also comes with a 14k solid two-tone yellow gold/white gold rosary style chain -- and we're told it all cost $16,700.

Call Le'Veon Bell all the bad things you can think of, but the dude already beat you to it -- the NFL's newest free agent just roasted himself in his own Twitter bio ... saying he's washed, slow and even a bad rapper!!!

Bell's playing days in Baltimore are over -- the Ravens announced yesterday that they waived the former Pro Bowl running back after struggling in five games with the team.

Bell -- who signed with Baltimore back in September -- saw limited action in his brief tenure ... rushing for just 83 yards on 31 attempts and registering 2 touchdowns.

With the roster move, Bell ended up getting ahead of all the expected chatter on social media ... updating his Twitter bio to reflect what he feels everyone's been thinking and saying about him.

"#Washed #FellOff #Slow #BadRapper #WastedTalent #Clown #Greedy #LetDown #Old #OverRated Anything else I'm forgetting?," Bell wrote.

Of course, when the Ravens acquired Bell, they took a chance by kicking the tires on a running back whose most productive days are probably behind him ... but they were in desperate need of help after season-ending injuries to Gus Edwards and J.K. Dobbins.

So, people can't be too surprised this was the end result of the Bell experiment in Baltimore ... but it's Twitter, so haters gonna hate.

Philadelphia Flyers center Kevin Hayes scored his first goal of the season Tuesday night ... and celebrated by pointing to the sky honoring his late brother, Jimmy, in an emotional moment.

It was Hayes' first home game of the 2021 season since Jimmy's tragic death in August ... and the 29-year-old made the most of it with a goal during the second period of the Flyers' OT win against the Calgary Flames.

Hayes immediately looked up and pointed to the sky and placed his hand on his chest after securing the goal ... with broadcasters acknowledging, "he scored for his brother."

"It was a big goal," Hayes said about the tribute during the post-game press conference.

"Trainers got the puck for me. I'm going to give it to Jimmy's son Beau and it'll be one I remember forever."

Kevin was devastated by his older brother's death on Aug. 23, saying the day after, "I lost my best friend, my brother."

"My whole life it has always been Jimmy and Kevin or the Hayes brothers."

"Our world lost someone special and I don’t know if I will ever be the same but till we meet again, I LOVE YOU JIM!"

Jimmy -- who played 7 seasons in the NHL for several teams including the Chicago Blackhawks -- was found dead at his Milton, Mass. home. The toxicology report confirmed fentanyl and cocaine were in his system.

Free Jarvis??

Fresh off Odell Beckham Jr. being "freed," Jarvis Landry is opening up on his own offensive struggles this season ... saying he has no idea why he hasn't been getting targets.

"I haven't been getting the ball so much either," Landry told reporters at his annual Thanksgiving food drive. "But at the end of the day, I've been able to do with the opportunities I'm given."

When asked why he hasn't been getting the ball, Jarvis responded, "I don't know" ... adding he doesn't know why the passing game has been struggling.

The ex-LSU star's comments come right after OBJ -- who had just 17 receptions for 232 yards for the Orange and Brown this season -- was released, which allowed him to join the Los Angeles Rams last week.

The Browns have fallen to 23rd in the league in passing yards as Baker Mayfield battles injuries ... but despite how his comments sound, Jarvis isn't trying to throw his QB under the bus.

"He’s a tough man, and he’s doing all the things necessary to make sure that he can be out there with us," Landry added.

"As playmakers, when the ball’s in the air, we’re doing our best and understanding and knowing that it’s the situation where he’s got to get healthy. But we’re still out here making plays with each other, for each other, and he always gives his best. That’s all you can ask for."

FYI -- Landry has 23 receptions for 219 yards on 34 targets this season.

Mike Krzyzewski is clearly upset over his grandson's weekend arrest ... 'cause the Duke coach told reporters Tuesday he considers it a "violation of our standards."

The 74-year-old -- who's in his final season as the Blue Devils' head man -- spoke for the first time publicly about Michael Savarino's Sunday arrest ... and he promised he and his team will "handle that."

Unclear what any sort of punishment will be -- but it should be noted, Savarino, who's been playing for Coach K since 2019, was not spotted at Duke's game Tuesday against Gardner-Webb.

"We're already handling it," the coach said after beating Gardner-Webb, 92-52. "But, it's a violation of our standards. That's it."

As we previously reported, Savarino was arrested after cops say he showed signs of impairment during a routine traffic stop Sunday at around 1:10 a.m.

Authorities say the 20-year-old blew a .08 while in custody ... and was ultimately hit with three charges, including DWI.

His passenger, Duke star Paolo Banchero, was also hit with an aiding and abetting charge over the incident ... but unlike Savarino, Coach K allowed Banchero to start Tuesday.

The freshman forward played 26 minutes in the win, scoring 10 points.

"It's two different situations," Coach K said of why he started Banchero but sidelined Savarino. "Two entirely different situations. Headlines might make it look like it's the same -- it's not."

Krzyzewski added, "The decisions we made are in conjunction with our authorities -- our superiors. We're taking action. We took action and we will continue to take action."

Nelson Thomas was not up to the challenge of a pissed-off husband -- cops say the MTV star got knocked out cold after chatting up a married woman in Las Vegas!!!

According to the police report, obtained by TMZ, Nelson -- who's starred on "The Challenge" for years -- says he met a woman at ARIA Resort & Casino and started talking to her at the valet area, and then ... WHAM!!! Next thing he knew, Nelson was being awakend by someone telling him he'd just been punched in the face and had his chain stolen.

Cops say they saw video backing up that account ... showing Nelson talking to the woman before the knockout punch put him on the ground -- and the assailant socked him one more time.

Nelson says he was "sucker-punched" and left with a broken nose so swollen he couldn't get treated by a doctor until the swelling went down.

On social media, Nelson claimed he was attacked because someone was trying to steal his $10,000 chain, but the woman's husband, Kevin Dixon, tells a different story.

According to the police report, Dixon copped to the punch ... and said Nelson was talking to his wife in an elevator -- but when he walked off, his wife stayed on and kept talking with Nelson.

He says he lost sight of her and was trying to text and call her, then found her at valet talking to Nelson. Cops say he admitted being jealous, mad and drunk -- a bad combo any night in Vegas.

Dixon was arrested for battery and grand larceny.

Nelson's on the mend, and it looks like his nose is fixed after finally getting treatment.

Staples Center is no more ... the iconic building that the Lakers and Clippers have called home since 1999 is getting a new name -- Crypto.com Arena.

Officials announced the stunning name change Tuesday night ... explaining the rebrand will take effect on Christmas Day next month.

The new name will stick for the next 20 years as part of the new agreement, officials say ... and the new deal will all reportedly cost the cryptocurrency app around $700 MILLION.

Of course, the announcement was hardly met with joy from L.A. fans -- as the building has only been known as Staples Center for YEARS to Kings, Sparks, Lakers and Clippers fans.

Still, officials were pumped over the move nonetheless ... sending out a mock of how the new signage will look on the top of the building in 2022.

In the announcement of the new deal, officials also promised "large-scale, premium branding and signage throughout the interior and exterior" of the new Crypto.com Arena.

Frank Gore says he is a surefire Hall of Famer ... telling TMZ Sports if you think otherwise, you straight up don't know football.

"You go ahead and ask any coach, any old player, any -- tell them to call Bill Parcells," Gore says. "Anybody. Call anybody, and they'll tell you what type of ballplayer I was."

Gore's numbers say he's a first-ballot Hall of Famer -- he is, after all, third on the all-time rushing yards list with 16,000 -- but, still, some pundits say he doesn't belong in Canton.

The argument ... Gore was never named to an All-Pro team and was only selected to the Pro Bowl in five of his 16 years in the league.

Gore, though, made it clear he believes the people pointing to that have no idea what they're talking about.

"They don't know football," the 38-year-old said. "That's what I say. They don't know football."

"My numbers speak for themselves," Gore added. "Whatever they say, it's all good."

In addition to his 16,000 yards, Gore also recorded 81 rushing TDs and logged 3,985 receiving yards. And, Gore says there's still a chance he could add to those totals despite his upcoming fight with Deron Williams.

The ex-49ers star says if a Super Bowl-contending team called, he'd listen.

Exciting news for Mitchell Trubisky ... the wife of the Bills' backup QB just announced the couple is having a baby!!!

The signal-callers partner, Hillary Trubisky, revealed the two are about to be parents in a sweet post on her Instagram on Tuesday.

"Words cannot describe how excited we are to welcome Baby Tru into the world in May 2022," Hillary said.

In the photos Hillary shared, you can see how pumped the couple is ... showing off a sonogram while embracing each other happily.

Mitch got married to Hillary -- his longtime girlfriend -- in July at the Ritz-Carlton in Cleveland ... before they jetted off to Mexico for their honeymoon.

Now, in less than a year, Bills Mafia is going to get another member!

Mike Krzyzewski's grandson -- a member of the Duke U basketball team -- was busted for DWI early Sunday morning ... along with his future NBA star teammate, Paolo Banchero, who was also cited for aiding and abetting.

TMZ Sports has confirmed that 20-year-old Michael Savarino was pulled over by the North Carolina State Highway Patrol around 1:10 AM in Orange County, NC ... after cops say he blew a stop sign.

During the traffic stop, police say Savarino -- whose mom is Coach K's oldest daughter -- showed signs of impairment ... so he was arrested.

While in custody, Savarino blew a .08 BAC, cops say.

Savarino was ultimately charged with Driving While Intoxicated and released. He also received a ticket for failing to stop at the stop sign.

Meanwhile, 19-year-old Banchero -- a projected top 5 pick in next year's NBA Draft -- was a passenger in the car.

He was cited for Aiding and Abetting DWI.

It's unclear what exactly cops allege Paolo did to aid and abet.

Coach K -- coaching his last season at Duke before retiring -- addressed the incident involving his grandson and star player.

"We are reviewing a legal matter involving two members of the men's basketball team, Any further actions as a result of this situation will ultimately be determined by the Vice President/Director of Athletics and University officials."

Both men were scheduled to play in #7 ranked Duke's game Tuesday night against Gardner-Webb at Cameron Indoor ... but their status is now unclear.

Naomi Osaka and Novak Djokovic -- 2 of the greatest tennis players alive -- are speaking out on the disappearance of tennis player Peng Shuai ... who suddenly vanished after accusing a powerful Chinese politician of sexual assault.

"Hey everyone, not sure if you've been following the news but I was recently informed of a fellow tennis player that has gone missing shortly after revealing that she has been sexually abused," the 4x Grand Slam winner wrote on social media.

"Censorship is never ok at any cost, I hope Peng Shuai and her family are safe and ok. I'm in shock of the current situation and I'm sending love and light her way. #whereispengshuai"

The case is disturbing. Shuai -- formerly the #1 ranked doubles player in the world -- hasn't been seen in nearly 2 weeks after she claimed Zhang Gaoli, a powerful, retired politician sexually assaulted her around 3 years ago.

Gaoli was at one time the vice premier of the People's Republic of China ... making him essentially 2nd in command of all of China.

In Peng's post, the former Wimbledon and French Open winner accused Gaoli -- with who she admits to previously having a sexual relationship -- of inviting her to Beijing to play tennis with him and his wife. However, after the game, Shuai claims the situation took a frightening turn, alleging the 70-something-year-old politician pressured her into sex.

The disturbing post was removed shortly after it was posted by Peng. She has not been heard from since.

Stars from across the tennis world, including Billie Jean King and Chris Evert, have raised concerns over Peng's whereabouts.

Even Novak Djokovic, the world's #1 ranked tennis player spoke out, saying, "When I heard the story of Peng Shuai I was shocked. I hope she is well and that we can find her as soon as possible."

A lock of hair from Secretariat -- arguably the greatest racehorse of all time -- has just hit the auction block ... and it can be all yours, if you've got a bunch of extra cash laying around!!

TMZ Sports has learned ... a 12-inch strand from the thoroughbred's mane that was obtained in the 1980s has just gone up for sale at Lelands -- and, experts there say it could sell for as much as $10,000.

We're told the piece of Secretariat's fur was gathered at Churchill Downs in the late '80s, when a groomer handed it over as a gift for a horse racing fan.

Of course, it's worth a bunch of money now considering Secretariat's incredible resume.

The horse was the 1973 Triple Crown winner ... and STILL holds the fastest time in all three races (Kentucky, Preakness, Belmont).

Secretariat -- who died in 1989 -- was inducted into the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame in 1974 and has statues at several stakes, including Belmont. The horse was also honored with a postage stamp in 1999.

There's also 263 roads in the U.S. named after him -- more than any athlete.

Opening price on the lock is $2,500, with bidding set to end Dec. 11.

The iced-out playmaker chain Deebo Samuel rocked during "Monday Night Football" is as incredible as it looked ... 'cause TMZ Sports has learned the details behind the piece, and it came with a 6-figure price tag!!

The 49ers wide receiver donned the massive chain during the 4th quarter of San Francisco's 31-10 win over the L.A. Rams ... after scoring his second touchdown of the game.

The piece -- made by Rafaello and Co. in NYC -- had social media talking ... and now we have all the info behind the now-iconic chain.

We're told the "Game Changer" drip -- which was purchased by S.F. cornerback Jason Verrett -- is made of real, pure silver dipped in electro-plated yellow gold ... and is decked out in all-natural sapphires.

And, get this -- the whole thing weighs more than 6 1/2 pounds ... and took 9 weeks to complete.

We're told Rafaello and Co. is also behind another similar concept jewelry piece -- Manny Machado's "Swag Chain" he got for the San Diego Padres this past season.

A topless Iman Shumpert lifted his partner over his head AND shouted out LeBron James in his "Dancing With The Stars" routine Monday -- and it was epic!!

The former Knicks star -- who became the first ex-NBA player to advance to the finals of "DWTS" this week -- pulled it all off during his jazz dance with Daniella Karagach.

The two grooved to Kanye West's "Dark Fantasy" ... opening up the performance with Shumpert hoisting Karagach over his head before walking her down the stairs and onto the stage.

The duo put on quite the show ... and then Shumpert broke out LBJ's signature "Silencer" celebration.

Check out the clip, you can see Shump -- who won a championship with LeBron and the Cleveland Cavaliers back in 2016 -- pushed his hands down violently, like James does, before beating his chest in classic LBJ-fashion.

The two scored a 38 out of 40 for the work ... and are now set to compete for the Mirrorball trophy with three other couples next week.

Frank Gore could be making a career for himself in the boxing ring -- 'cause the ex-NFL Pro Bowler tells TMZ Sports he's open to taking a boxing match against Jake Paul!!

The 38-year-old is fighting Deron Williams on the undercard of the YouTuber's highly-anticipated match against Tommy Fury ... and Jake previously told us he's down to take the winner of the battle of the NBA and NFL stars.

We spoke with Gore right before his press conference leading up to the Dec. 18 event ... and while he says he's focused on taking care of DW, he admits he's interested in taking a future fight against the Problem Child.

"I'm with it," Gore said. "I wanna win this Dec. 18 and if it's time to go that me and Jake Paul can get in there, I'm with it."

As for his current fight against Williams, Gore says he's been boxing since 2005, so he's got plenty of experience leading up to stepping in the ring.

"I do love the sport and I respect the guys who box, man, because it's totally different."