TMZ Sports - Page 38

Art LaFleur, famous for playing Babe Ruth in the classic baseball movie "The Sandlot," is dead.

The actor died Wednesday following a 10-year battle with Parkinson's disease ... according to his wife, Shelley. We're told he died at his home surrounded by his children and Shelley -- and although he was in hospice care, Art was cracking jokes to try to make his family laugh in the time leading up to his death.

His wife is remembering Art as a "generous and selfless man" ... qualities she says carried over into his acting career, "but more importantly it was who he was for his family and friends."

Art is most known, and beloved, for his role in 1993's "The Sandlot" -- but he was also in another big baseball flick, playing first baseman Chick Gandil in 1989's "Field of Dreams" alongside Kevin Costner.

He didn't get into acting until he moved from Chicago to Los Angeles way back in 1975 when he was already 31 years old. He went on to become one of those character actors audiences always recognized, acting in movies like "The Blob," "Cobra" and a couple of the 'Santa Clause' films.

He also landed episodic TV roles on "Malcolm in the Middle," "The Bernie Mac Show," "JAG" and many other shows.

Art was 78.

The Boston Celtics and the NBA continue to honor the late Terrence Clarke -- this time, with a brand new basketball gym at a community center featuring his name.

The newly renovated gym will be at the Boston Centers for Youth & Families Vine Street ... which is where Clarke grew up playing basketball.

It's an amazing tribute ... featuring the former Kentucky guard's initials and #5 jersey in a blue heart at center court and an honorary banner.

It also has a quote from Clarke on the sideline -- saying,  "I want to be that guy for everyone in the city."

There's also a Terrence Clarke memorial inside the entrance with a wall mural and a locker.

The Clarke family -- plus Celtics players, personnel, New Balance and BCYF -- will unveil the TC gym on Nov. 21.

As we previously reported, the 19-year-old baller was killed in a car crash in Los Angeles on April 22 -- just months before the 2021 NBA Draft.

Clarke -- who averaged 9.6 points, 2 assists and 2 rebounds at UK -- was projected to be drafted.

The NBA paid tribute to Clarke by making him an honorary pick at the Barclays Center during the draft ... with commissioner Adam Silver saying, "His extraordinary talent, commitment and dedication to the game deserved to be recognized on this stage."

L.A. Clippers' Brandon Boston Jr. -- who was there when the fatal crash happened -- paid tribute to his Kentucky teammate by tatting a portrait of Clarke on his leg.

The Kansas City Chiefs say they're going to make sure the 5-year-old who was seriously injured in the Britt Reid car crash earlier this year is taken of "for the rest of her life."

The NFL team made the announcement Friday ... explaining after working with Ariel Young's family and medical experts -- they've developed a plan to ensure Young will be supported forever.

According to the Chiefs and Ariel's attorney, Tom Porto, the plan will provide Ariel with "world-class medical care and long-term financial stability."

As we previously reported, Young suffered catastrophic injuries after Reid -- a former K.C. Chiefs assistant coach and Andy Reid's son -- allegedly slammed his pickup truck into the back of a vehicle she was in on Feb. 4 in Kansas City.

Young has slowly and steadily recovered since ... and, as part of Friday's announcement, the Chiefs and Porto say she's continuing to get better daily.

They added that even though her recovery process is still "a long road" -- she did attend her first day of school earlier this fall.

Colin Kaepernick says the Kyle Rittenhouse verdict shows the criminal justice system is broken ... calling the 18-year-old who fatally shot two people a "white supremacist" who benefited from an institution based on white supremacy.

Rittenhouse was found not guilty on all charges in the Kenosha shooting case on Friday ... a verdict that has sparked outrage amongst many people across the country.

Kap gave his two cents on the news shortly after it broke ... saying, "We just witnessed a system built on white supremacy validate the terroristic acts of a white supremacist."

"This only further validates the need to abolish our current system," he added. "White supremacy cannot be reformed."

Kap has spoken his mind on countless social justice issues since kickstarting his national anthem demonstration in 2016 -- recently he called for the police institution to be abolished after no charges were presented in Breonna Taylor's death.

"The white supremacist institution of policing that stole Breonna Taylor’s life from us must be abolished for the safety and well being of our people," Kap tweeted in September 2020.

Other athletes have voiced their disgust with the Rittenhouse verdict ... including NASCAR racer Bubba Wallace, who said, "Ha, let the boy be black and it would’ve been life ... hell he would’ve had his life taken before the bulls*** trial ... sad."

Robert Griffin III added ... "Kyle Rittenhouse can kill without a sliver of doubt & walk free but Julius Jones is in jail for life without the chance for parole after being on death row for 20 years with all types of doubt in his case. What is Justice? God help us."

English cricketer Alex Hales is owning up to wearing blackface for a Tupac costume in 2009 ... saying it was "incredibly reckless and foolish."

32-year-old Hales is speaking out after a picture of him donning dark makeup on his face and body was published this week ... claiming it was supposed to honor his favorite rapper at a music-themed costume party.

"The theme was musicians and Tupac is, was and always will be my favorite musician, so I went as him," Hales said in the video.

"Obviously, I realize this is incredibly disrespectful and I want to apologize for the offense this has no doubt caused."

He continued ... "It was incredibly reckless and foolish on my behalf and I apologize for that, and apologize to the club for the embarrassment it would have caused them."

"I deplore all forms of racism and discrimination."

The apology comes amid allegations of widespread racism in the sport ... as former Yorkshire cricketer Azeem Rafiq says his experiences were so bad, he needed medication to deal with the mental health issues.

Rafiq accused Hales of other racism as well ... claiming Hales' dog, "Kevin" was named after a blanket racist term his teammates used to describe black people, which he adamantly denies.

Kristin Evans -- the woman who was brutally attacked by Zac Stacy -- is back in the hospital dealing with injuries she suffered in the violent incident, TMZ Sports has learned.

Sources tell us Evans, who initially received medical care in the hours following the attack, returned to the hospital Friday morning after she was still experiencing the lingering effects of Stacy's rage.

We're told Evans has been throwing up the past few days ... and is also suffering from back, rib and torso pain.

As we previously reported, Evans was checked out Saturday after Stacy punched her, threw her into a television, and then body-slammed her.

Initially, she believed she had somehow avoided serious injury ... though there's now obviously concern that's changed.

Stacy, meanwhile, was arrested Thursday night over the incident ... and is still behind bars while facing felony charges of aggravated battery and criminal mischief.

Zac Stacy appeared in a Florida courtroom Friday morning just hours after his arrest ... and a judge told the former NFL player he would not be allowed out of jail until he surrenders his passport.

Stacy -- who went before the judge wearing a COVID mask and a blue shirt -- said that might be an issue ... revealing his passport is currently locked in his car in Tennessee.

When the judge pressed, though, Stacy and his attorney said he could have a friend access it and mail it to him -- although they said that might not happen until Saturday or Sunday ... meaning Stacy could remain locked behind bars through this weekend.

Once the passport is turned over, Stacy -- who's facing two felony charges after he was seen on video brutally attacking his ex, Kristin Evans -- will have to post a $10,150 bond, the judge said.

The judge also ordered Stacy to have no contact with Evans and turn over any firearms or weapons in his possession. He added that Stacy must remain in his residence in Tennessee.

At the hearing, it appeared Evans wanted to address the court via the phone, but technical issues prevented that from happening.

As we previously reported, Stacy was charged with aggravated battery and criminal mischief this week after he punched Evans and then threw her into a TV in a violent altercation at Evans' home.

Floyd Mayweather says Logan Paul is lucky their exhibition wasn't a real fight ... 'cause if it was -- and he actually trained for it -- it would've been a 1st round knockout!!

Remember, the YouTube sensation went the distance with Mayweather in June -- even landing a few punches on the undefeated champ.

There wasn't a knockout during the bout ... which pissed off every boxing fan and gave the Paul bros. the bragging rights to say Logan went 8 full rounds with one of the GOATs in boxing.

But, Floyd says no one should've been surprised there was no KO ... 'cause it wasn't a real fight.

"People have gotta know, there's a difference between a real fight and an exhibition," Mayweather said this week at the WBC convention.

"I did an exhibition with the YouTuber Logan Paul. We had fun."

Now, for a REAL fight, Mayweather pulls out all the stops when training for his opponents ... even chopping wood like he did before his Manny Pacquiao fight in 2015.

But, for Logan, Floyd says he wasn't even training that hard.

"All I did was work out from time to time," Mayweather said, "If it was a real fight, it would've been a blowout in the first round."

Funny thing is, Logan told us back in July if he got a rematch with Floyd, "I promise I'll knock him out. Promise."

Well, money talks -- Mayweather reportedly made at least $30 million for the Logan fight ... and like he says, "When it comes to legalized bank robbing, I’m the best.”

The Chinese Foreign Ministry continues to claim they have no idea what happened to tennis star Peng Shuai ... who suddenly vanished over 2 weeks ago after accusing a powerful Chinese official of sexual assault.

Zhao Lijian, ministry spokesperson, was asked about Shuai's disappearance, telling media ... the situation is "not a diplomatic question and I'm not aware of the situation."

FYI, the Chinese Foreign Ministry deals in all things foreign policy for the country. The Foreign Minister is typically one of the most powerful posts in China.

Peng accused former Vice Premier Zhang Gaoli, who is in his 70s, of sexually assaulting her 3 years ago at his home in China.

Just minutes after going public with the allegation, the social media post was deleted. Peng has not been heard from since.

There's been widespread concern for Peng's safety ... and some of the biggest tennis stars in the world have spoken out.

Serena Williams recently wrote ... "I am devastated and shocked to hear about the news of my peer, Peng Shuai. I hope she is safe and found as soon as possible. This must be investigated and we must not stay silent. Sending love to her and her family during this incredibly difficult time. #whereispengshuai"

Current stars Naomi Osaka and Novak Djokovic also expressed fear over her well-being ... as did legendary player Billie Jean King.

To make the story even more bizarre, Chinese state media released a statement, SUPPOSEDLY written by Peng, where the Wimbledon doubles champ retracts her previous statements on the sexual assault, adding, "I am not missing, nor am I unsafe."

In the statement, Peng also claims ... "I've just been resting at home and everything is fine."

Bottom line, almost no one believes Peng wrote the statement.

To their credit, the WTA (Women's Tennis Association) has doubled down since the suspicious statement was released, calling on independent proof that the tennis player, one of the countries biggest athletic stars, is okay.

“The statement released today by Chinese state media concerning Peng Shuai only raises my concerns as to her safety and whereabouts,” Steve Simon, WTA Chairman and CEO said.

He continued ... “I have a hard time believing that Peng Shuai actually wrote the email we received or believes what is being attributed to her.”

Even the United Nations Human Rights Office called for a transparent investigation into Peng's disappearance.

Ex-NFL player Zac Stacy was arrested in Florida and is currently in jail ... just days after he savagely beat his ex-girlfriend in front of their 5-month-old son, TMZ Sports has learned.

We broke the story ... 30-year-old Stacy repeatedly punched Kristin Evans, the mother of his baby boy in the head multiple times before picking her up and throwing her into a television -- all while she begged him to stop and the baby cried.

When Stacy -- a 5th round draft pick out of Vanderbilt in 2013 -- finally stopped attacking, he fled the scene. Evans called 911 and cops say they arrived in under 2 minutes, but the running back was long gone.

On Thursday, officials announced they were charging Stacy with 2 felonies ... aggravated assault and criminal mischief.

Authorities believed Stacy left Florida ... where the incident occurred Saturday afternoon. Still, they were concerned enough about Evans' safety to move her to an "undisclosed location."

Stacy is currently in Orange County (FL) Jail. Orlando PD is listed as the arresting agency, according to jail records.

If convicted, Stacy could face over 15 years in prison.

Guess you could say this is a bad ... sign.

The Guardians era is off to a piping hot start ... with Cleveland's new team store sign falling off the stadium wall and breaking into a bunch of pieces.

The Land's MLB team officially said goodbye to its old controversial nickname for good on Friday ... and the Guardians welcomed the change by releasing its new merch for fans to purchase at 9 AM.

As diehard Clevelanders lined up to get their swag, the new sign that was being placed on the Progressive Field wall tumbled to the ground. Luckily, no Guards fans were injured during the incident, according to Tom Withers of the AP.

It's yet another hiccup for Cleveland since the name change was announced -- as we previously reported, the organization was sued by the Cleveland Guardians roller derby team last month ... being accused of bullying the OG Guardians into changing their name.

Here's hoping it's smooth sailing from here -- 'cause someone could get hurt.

THIS IS AWESOME, BABY!!!

Dick Vitale just announced he's returning to the broadcast booth next week after doctors gave him the green light to call college basketball games again between his chemotherapy treatments.

Vitale is slated to provide color commentary for the huge UCLA vs. Gonzaga game on Nov. 23 in Las Vegas ... and in an emotional video that he posted on Friday, he said he's PUMPED for the night.

"I'm on cloud nine right now," the 82-year-old said ... "I can't wait. Tuesday night, I will do my first game, and what a game to do! No. 1 Gonzaga versus No. 2 UCLA."

"There's nothing that will be better medicine than sitting at courtside, meeting all my buddies down there, having a blast."

As we previously reported, the legendary broadcaster was diagnosed with lymphoma in October -- just months after surviving a battle with melanoma.

Dickie V said part of his treatments to beat the disease would be six months of chemo -- and he had hoped he could call games during the treatments.

Now that Vitale -- who just had a chemo treatment earlier this week -- is able to do that, he said it's provided him a big boost.

"It's going to be special, special for me," Vitale said. "The best medicine that I could receive."

Vitale -- who's been calling games since the 1970s -- also thanked his family, friends, coworkers and fans for sending prayers and giving him strength.

Zac Stacy's ex-girlfriend claims the savage beating she endured at the hands of the father of her child was NOT an isolated incident ... 'cause the woman says the ex-NFL RB beat her on numerous occasions.

The woman, Kristin Evans, provided TMZ Sports photos of injuries she says were inflicted by the former NY Jets back on August 15, 2021 ... when she claims he flew into a violent rage over rent money.

"He physically assaulted me several times because he wanted the money back he gave me for our rent," the woman wrote in a restraining order application, filed Monday in Florida.

She continued ... "He punched my legs, slapped me, picked me up by my arms, and threw me into my window, which broke. I had glass in my feet that I removed myself."

Evans says she called the cops ... but downplayed the event, telling them they were involved in a verbal argument.

In reality, she says the beating she received in August was actually worse than Saturday -- which was caught on video.

The photographs from the alleged incident are incredibly disturbing ... and show large bruises and cuts on the woman's body.

And, sadly, there's more. Evans says she was also victimized on September 27 ... when Stacy slapped her in the face. The woman tells us she wanted to press battery charges over the alleged incident.

The reason for going public? Evans says she fears for her safety ... and doesn't want anyone else to endure what she's had to go through.

In the docs, she says "[Zac] has escalated violence since May while I was pregnant. He also assaulted me just weeks before our son was born. He will not stop. He will kill me and he feels justified in his actions."

FYI, cops tell us they've moved Evans to an undisclosed location for her safety.

Following Saturday's attack, officials have charged Stacy with two felonies ... aggravated assault and criminal mischief. He's facing more than 15 years in prison if convicted.

Stacy was arrested Thursday night in Florida by Orlando PD ... and is currently in county jail.

Bryce Harper was so overwhelmed by winning the second MVP award of his career on Thursday ... he broke down in tears.

MLB Network cameras captured the emotional moment ... just seconds after the league announced the Philadelphia Phillies star was the recipient of the honor.

Harper -- who was wiping tears off his cheeks throughout his interview with the network -- said this one meant a significant amount to him, considering he had started the year in April by being drilled in the face with a 97 MPH fastball.

"This year was tough," Harper said. "Starting off getting hit in the face, it was definitely a tough couple days for me. Tough couple weeks for me trying to get back."

Harper thanked his family, his wife, his teammates -- and even his chef for helping him get through the year, joking, "I never went to bed hungry!"

Harper -- who previously won the NL MVP back in 2015 with the Washington Nationals -- beat out Juan Soto and Fernando Tatis for the honor this year ... and it was well deserved.

President Joe Biden says the United States is "considering" a diplomatic boycott of the 2022 Beijing Olympics ... as a result of China's human rights abuse issues.

It's tradition for the U.S. and other nations to send high-profile delegates to represent their respective countries at the Games -- Biden's wife, Jill Biden, participated in this past summer's Olympics in Tokyo.

But, as concerns continue to grow over China's human rights issues ... many across both sides of the political aisle have petitioned the Biden administration to boycott the upcoming Olympic Games in Beijing.

Sen. Tom Cotton of Arkansas addressed the situation on Wednesday ... saying, "I call on the Biden Administration to mount a complete and total boycott of the Beijing Winter Olympics -- no athletes, no administration officials, no corporate sponsors."

Even the Celtics' Enes Kanter -- an outspoken critic of #46 -- challenged Biden to maintain his campaign promise and "prioritize human rights" before he met with Chinese leader Xi Jinping.

While hosting Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau at the Oval Office on Thursday, POTUS wouldn't go as far as to say a total boycott was something the U.S. was considering ... but a diplomatic boycott is on the table.

If Biden and the White House were to engage in a diplomatic boycott, it would mean the U.S. would not send an official government delegation to the Games ... but athletes would still be able to participate.

Antonio Brown is calling BS on his former chef ... saying he did NOT submit a fake COVID vaccine card to the NFL.

The chef, Steven Ruiz, told the Tampa Bay Times Brown sought and then obtained the fraudulent paper back in July ... but a rep for Brown says it's just flat-out not true.

In a statement to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, Brown's attorney, Sean Burstyn, said the Tampa Bay Buccaneers receiver is, in fact, vaccinated -- and does, in fact, have valid paperwork.

"Be like Antonio brown and get the vaccine," Rapoport says Burstyn told him.

Ruiz had told the Times that he had a text message exchange from Brown's girlfriend, Cydney Moreau, that helped prove the case against Brown.

In the messages, which Ruiz says were sent on July 2 -- less than a month before the Bucs opened training camp this summer -- Ruiz says Moreau told him Brown was searching for bogus cards.

"Can you get the covid cards," Ruiz claims Moreau said.

"I can try," Ruiz responded.

"JNJ shot," Ruiz said Moreau added. "Ab said he will give you $500."

Ruiz claims Brown was looking for a Johnson & Johnson version because it's just one shot -- and therefore would be less paperwork and much easier to sneak past NFL officials.

Ruiz says he was unable to get AB the card ... but he claims Brown was able to land fake ones for himself and Moreau a few weeks later nonetheless.

Ruiz says Brown actually showed him the fake papers ... and said Brown's trainer, Alex Guerrero, was the one who ultimately submitted AB's paperwork to the team (though Ruiz says he believes Guerrero did not know it was a fake).

It should be noted Ruiz has issues with Brown, with the chef claiming the two had a falling out over $10,000 that Ruiz says Brown never paid him.

Reps for the Bucs have yet to comment on the situation.

Brown, meanwhile, did miss Tampa's Week 3 game earlier this season due to COVID ... but recovered and played in the following three games before an ankle injury on Oct. 14 put him on the shelf.