Kerri Walsh Jennings Teams Up W/ Joe Burrow ... Bringing Squad To NFL Star's Pro Vball League!!!

GET WITH THE PROGRAM
TMZSports.com

Joe Burrow's professional women's volleyball league just added some serious firepower ... Olympic legend Kerri Walsh Jennings has now come on board -- and she's bringing a team with her!!

Walsh Jennings -- a three-time Olympic gold medalist -- announced the move earlier this week ... and told TMZ Sports on Thursday she's absolutely fired up to partner with the Bengals quarterback and others in the new league.

If you're unfamiliar, Burrow helped launch the Pro Volleyball Federation earlier this year ... promising to bring super competitive, professional indoor volleyball games to cities throughout the country. Jason Derulo has already revealed he's in on the project, telling us back in February he's launching the league's Nebraska team.

GOING ALL IN

Walsh Jennings, in addition to being an equity holder in the league, is bringing on a squad of her own in San Diego ... and she said with her, Burrow, Derulo and others involved, the org. has sky-high potential.

"What's clear is that the opportunity is ginormous here," Walsh Jennings told us. "The sport is so hungry for this elite, top, most-echelon place, and the time is now for women's sports."

Walsh Jennings says the goal for the league -- which will kick off its inaugural season in February 2024 -- is to ultimately have seven or eight teams. Right now, it's at six. Every squad, Walsh Jennings said, will have 14 players -- and signings will happen soon.

And, when it all finally comes together and they get to go head-to-head during a real season ... she promised she was going to be super competitive with Burrow and Derulo.

"Just knowing what I know of the other owners," she said, "I know we're all going to take this, carry this crown of being owners with a lot of pride, a lot of honor. And we're going to want to win."

EYES ON 2024
TMZSports.com

Sadly, Walsh Jennings said she will not be playing for her SD squad -- or for anyone else in the league, for that matter -- though she did tell us her ankle is healing nicely after recent surgery, and she is going to make an effort to try to compete in the 2024 Olympics in Paris.

Twins Manager Rocco Baldelli Pregnant Wife Reveals ... We're Having Twins!

Minnesota Twins manager Rocco Baldelli and his pregnant wife will be adding a couple more players to their roster at home ... turns out they're about to have -- of all things -- twins!!!!

The MLB skipper's bae, Allie Baldelli, shared the exciting, and wildly ironic, news on Thursday ... using pics of their dog and their young daughter.

Waiting for your permission to load the Instagram Media.

In the images, you can see the couple's toddler holding ultrasound images of the unborn Baldellis around her head.

“BOY TWINS," Allie captioned the pics. "due in september 🤍🙃🤍🙃."

Baldelli currently has his baseball Twins in first place in the American League Central ... but in a matter months, he'll have a whole new set of twins to manage -- and we're sure he's fired up for the task.

Congrats ... now someone get those kids matching mitts and bats ASAP!!!

Glen 'Big Baby' Davis Joe Mazzulla Should Keep His Job ... If Celtics Beat Heat

LET'S MAKE HISTORY
TMZSports.com

Glen "Big Baby" Davis isn't ready to give up on first-year head coach Joe Mazzulla just yet ... telling TMZ Sports if the Celtics are able to come back and beat the Heat and advance to the NBA Finals, he deserves to keep his job.

We got Davis out at LAX just hours before Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Finals tips off at the TD Garden in Boston ... and the NBA champ said Mazzulla's future with the team is contingent upon whether or not he can rally Boston from down 3-1 to beat Miami in the ECF.

"If you pull this off, you get to stay," Davis said. "If you don't, you're outta there buddy."

FYI -- no team has EVER been able to come back from trailing three games in NBA playoff history ... but after winning Game 4 on Tuesday, the Celtics are hanging on by a thread.

Davis also weighed in on why the Celtics have been inconsistent this season ... and he's pointing the finger at former head coach Ime Udoka, who was suspended by the team following an infidelity scandal last year.

"It f***ed the whole team up," Glen said. "They just had to go get another coach. It kind of f***ed 'em up a little bit."

Udoka, who was engaged to Nia Long, was suspended by the Celtics for the entire 2022-23 season ... even after the first-year head coach led the Cs to the NBA Finals against the Golden State Warriors.

Although Udoka is no longer with the team, Davis still views the 2-seeded Cs as a good team ... but said Boston's dynamic duo of Jayston Tatum and Jaylen Brown needs to play better.

"Jayson Tatum. Jaylen Brown. They better get that s*** in order, got dammit -- at least a good fight," Davis said. "We can come back. I truly believe. Miami hasn't been good all year. They haven't been consistent. They're playing well right now. We just gotta get on the same level."

Davis actually thinks it's possible Boston can be the first team to come back from down 3-0 ... saying he "truly believes" the Celtics have what it takes.

Troy Aikman My Company Won't Get Into Politics ... Just Focused On Making Good Beer!

BEER OVER BRANDING
TMZSports.com

Bud Light and Miller Lite have found themselves at the center of a political debate, something Troy Aikman says will never be the case with his beer company, EIGHT ... the Hall of Famer tells us they'll never get political -- left, right, or center -- they just want to make good beer!

"I think there are a lot of companies out there that want to tell everybody who they are, or what they are about, and they're not focused on the product itself," Aikman told Babcock on the TMZ Sports TV show (airs weekdays on FS1).

Troy continued, "We wanted to get the message out there if you're tired of all these points of view by all these big companies and you just want a company that's focused on what it is that they do," then EIGHT is for you.

JUST GREAT BEER
EIGHT Brewing Co.

Of course, Bud Light and Miller Lite have faced boycotts from angry customers over recent ad campaigns.

In fact, Bud Light sales are reportedly down over 20%, and Anheuser-Busch, who makes BL, market cap (total value of companies stock) has taken an $18 BILLION hit, down from over 132B in April, to about 113B today.

Clearly, Americans are split on many issues ... and Aikman believes most consumers just want a company that isn't phony, and most importantly, makes a good product.

"With so many of these companies coming out with bold, oftentimes polarizing positions, and they lack authenticity, and it's really just trying to gain market share. I think people see through that."

The 3x Super Bowl champion continued ... "I think they just want companies that are focused on the brands themselves, they don't want brands that are trying to get political, we're certainly not. We don't want to be a part of any debate outside of someone drinking EIGHT beers while they're having a discussion is really our perspective."

Troy says EIGHT, which he launched last year (he says sales have steadily grown since), is still only available in Texas ... but that will likely change in the future.

Until then ... Aikman says you can count on them to keep churning out beer while avoiding polarizing issues.

"I just think the last thing people want is another point of view."

Bottoms up.

Ja Morant Nike Releases New Shoes Despite Gun Video Backlash ... Sell Out In Minutes

Nike might not be distancing itself from Ja Morant over his recent gun-flashing incident after all -- the shoe giant just released his latest signature sneaker on Thursday ... and it sold out in minutes.

The scheduled Ja 1 "Hunger" colorway drop was seemingly up in the air after Nike erased all his shoes off its site last week ... which led to speculation about whether the brand was potentially going to suspend the sale -- or even its relationship with the All-Star guard altogether -- due to his off-court issues.

Luckily for sneakerheads, the kicks still dropped on Nike's SNKRS app ... and quick-acting fans were able to purchase them for $110 before they sold out, as reports claim there was an incredibly small supply.

Despite all the controversy, the shoes were clearly a hot commodity ... with a ton of people going to Twitter to express their frustrations over missing out on the drop.

In fact, one fan tweeted a photo claiming their size was sold out within three seconds of launching on the app.

Of course, hopeful buyers can always go to reseller sites like GOAT and StockX ... but they'll end up paying a bit more than the retail price. Right now, the shoes are selling for around $200.

Nike has been radio silent following Ja's second video ... which is a stark contrast from the Swoosh's statement in support of its athlete following his initial incident in March.

5/14/23
CAUGHT RED-HANDED
Instagram / @_dtap2

Ja signed a multi-year deal with Nike in 2019 ... and was introduced as its first Gen Z signature athlete.

The drop doesn't necessarily mean the brand is going to completely ignore the most recent incident ... but a breakup à la Kyrie Irving seems much less likely.

Travis Kelce Rips New NFL Rule ... 'It's Absolutely Stupid!!!'

NO FUN LEAGUE
New Heights with Jason & Travis Kelce

How much does Travis Kelce hate the NFL's new kickoff rule? Well, in an epic, one-minute rant about it this week, he called it everything from "dumb" to "stupid" to "wack" to "boring!"

The Chiefs star held nothing back on his and his brother, Jason Kelce's "New Heights" podcast on Thursday -- calling the league's new regulation that will allow teams to fair-catch kickoffs in exchange for receiving the ball at the 25-yard line one of his least favorite rules ever.

"I think this is absolutely stupid," the Kansas City tight end said.

"I don't think this is making the game safer. I think it's making it more boring and taking a lot of excitement out of the game's opening play. This is wack."

Travis' biggest gripe with the rule is it'll essentially incentivize players to never return a kickoff again -- unless it's a horrible kick.

Jason agreed, saying he predicts it'll all feel just "ceremonial" now.

"We're just getting closer and closer to removing special teams," the Philadelphia Eagles star said.

"We're just going to have guys, 'Hey, I'm going to run 80 yards for no reason and then we're going to start the drive!'"

"It just deflates the excitement of like the first kickoff," Travis added.

The guys are not alone in their feelings -- Travis' head coach, Andy Reid, also ripped the rule this week ... worrying it might eventually lead to taking contact out of the game altogether.

Fortunately, the new rule has only been put in place for the 2023 season ... so, hopefully for Travis and Jason's sake, the old rule will be back in 2024.

Patrick Mahomes Addresses Jackson Arrest ... 'It's Kind Of A Personal Thing'

PRIVATE MATTER
Kansas City Chiefs

Patrick Mahomes is breaking his silence on his little brother's arrest ... saying Wednesday, "It's kind of a personal thing that I'm going to keep to myself."

The Kansas City Chiefs star met with media members for the first time since Jackson Mahomes was hit with three aggravated sexual battery charges stemming from an alleged February encounter with a woman ... and it wasn't hard to see the quarterback did not feel comfortable speaking about it all publicly.

He told a reporter twice that he wanted to keep his feelings on the matter private ... saying he's going to do his best going forward to separate his family matters from his football career.

"At the end of the day," the QB told the media member, "I come here to play football and try to take care of my family, at the same time."

"So," he continued, "just kind of keep it to myself and just go out there and play football when I'm in the building."

The 27-year-old was then asked a broader question about how he'd balance it all going forward.

"It's your family," he said, "but you have to come in here and do a job. And that's what I try to do every day."

As we reported, Jackson was arrested on May 3 ... after a restaurant owner alleged he grabbed her and forcibly kissed her multiple times at her Kansas establishment three months ago. The younger Mahomes was also accused of shoving a male member of her wait staff earlier in the evening.

February 2023
THE ALLEGED INCIDENT

Jackson appeared in court for a hearing on the matter on May 16 ... but he's yet to issue a plea on the charges.

The social media star's attorney, though, did say at the time of the initial allegations back in February that Jackson had done nothing wrong.

"Our investigation has revealed substantial evidence refuting the claims of Jackson's accuser including the statements of several witnesses," Brandan Davies said. "We have reached out to law enforcement to provide the fruit of our investigation so that they may have a complete picture of the matter."

Jackson is due back in court in August.

Jalen Green Laughs Off Ja Morant Comments ... I Don't Have A Gun!!!

JOKIN' ABOUT JA

Houston Rockets star Jalen Green wants his fans to know he's no Ja Morant ... assuring his followers he didn't have a gun as he vibed out to NBA YoungBoy on Instagram Live on Wednesday.

The 21-year-old guard was riding in his car and listening to the rapper's "Bitch Let's Do It" as thousands of fans tuned in ... and given the eerie similarities to Ja's most recent gun-flashing video, plenty of users begged Green to not pull out a weapon.

"Don't flash no gun," one follower said ... as another added, "Don't pull a Ja and pull the gun out."

Jalen noticed the comments and laughed ... before putting all concern to rest by letting everyone know he wasn't strapped.

5/14/23
CAUGHT RED-HANDED
Instagram / @_dtap2

"Everybody's commenting, 'Don't pull no pistol out,'" Green told a passenger in the car. "They wildin', my n****, man."

"I don't got no gun."

The clip comes as Ja faces serious backlash for his second gun-related video in three months ... which has resulted in a suspension from all Grizzlies activities and an NBA investigation.

Hours before Green's live stream, Morant posted a cryptic message on his Instagram ... which had fans concerned over his well-being and led to cops making a welfare check on the All-Star.

Ultimately, Morant told law enforcement he was fine and was only saying goodbye to social media.

Tennis' Mikael Ymer Throws Fit On Court ... Smashes Racket, Destroys Ump's Chair!!!

Swedish tennis player Mikael Ymer temporarily lost his mind during a tournament Wednesday -- breaking both his racket AND an umpire's chair in a wild temper tantrum ... and the outburst was so bad, he was ultimately disqualified over it.

The crazy scene all went down during Ymer's during his round of 16 match at the Lyon Open in France ... when he thought his opponent, Arthur Fils, hit a ball out of bounds.

Ymer swore up and down the ball did not catch the line ... but the umpire disagreed.

For several moments, Ymer argued with the official ... imploring the man to come down from his chair to check the mark, but the umpire wouldn't -- insisting it was in-bounds.

A few minutes later, after the quarreling had stopped, Ymer lost the game to Fils -- and then Ymer went ballistic.

Video from the court shows the 24-year-old hit his racket not once, but twice, against the umpire's chair ... severely damaging both in the process.

Ymer calmed down and walked to his bench ... but soon after, he was DQ'ed, giving Fils the automatic win.

The ATP Tour has yet to release a statement regarding the matter, but something tells us it won't be pleased with Ymer one bit.

Ex-NFL RB Kapri Bibbs Arrested For Public Intoxication ... In Los Angeles

Former NFL running back Kapri Bibbs -- a member of the Denver Broncos' Super Bowl-winning team in 2015 -- was arrested in Los Angeles earlier this week ... TMZ Sports has learned.

Law enforcement sources tell us ... officers put Bibbs into cuffs on Sunday night at the Fairmont Miramar in Santa Monica for public intoxication.

Further details surrounding the arrest were not made immediately available ... but jail records show Bibbs was booked at a nearby station at 1 a.m. on Monday.

We're told he was released several hours later ... with a misdemeanor citation.

Records show he's due in court for a hearing in the case in July.

Bibbs went unpicked in the 2014 NFL Draft ... but latched on with the Denver Broncos' practice squad that year. In 2015, he was called up to the team's main roster ... and helped the Broncos in a season that ultimately saw them beat Carolina in Super Bowl 50.

Bibbs later spent time with the Washington Football Team and the Green Bay Packers. In his 28 career games in the NFL, Bibbs logged 311 rushing yards and three rushing TDs.

Bibbs -- who has transitioned into the music industry in his life after football -- has yet to publicly comment on the arrest.

Stars Captain Jamie Benn Suspended 2 Games ... For Cross-Checking Opponent In Face

The Dallas Stars will be without their captain for their elimination game on Thursday -- and the contest after that if they somehow win -- 'cause the NHL just announced Jamie Benn's been suspended two games for his violent play on a Golden Knights player Tuesday night.

The incident -- which happened just 1:53 into the first period of the Stars' Western Conference Finals game against Las Vegas -- looked dirty as hell ... you can see in a replay, Benn appeared to take his stick and purposely ram it Mark Stone's jaw after the two had gotten tangled up on the ice.

Benn was ejected from the game over it ... but NHL officials reviewed the play further during a hearing Wednesday -- and determined the 33-year-old needed more punishment, announcing it was hitting him with a two-game ban.

The suspension is a huge deal for the Stars, who will now have to start the first half of their journey to win four games in a row over the Knights without one of their best players.

AN UNFORTUNATE PLAY

For his part, Benn claimed the incident was a "just heat of the moment" deal ... adding that he needs to be "more responsible with my body and my stick."

"Emotions are high and, you know, it was just an unfortunate play," Benn said on Wednesday.

Game 4 of the series will go down on Thursday in Dallas. If the Stars win, Game 5 will shift to Las Vegas on Saturday.

Angel Mercado-Ocasio College Baseball Player ... Dead At 19 After Dugout Collapse

A 19-year-old college baseball player tragically died in Pennsylvania this week ... after officials say he was seriously injured when a dugout collapsed on him.

The story is horrifying ... Central Penn College infielder Angel Mercado-Ocasio, a freshman, was helping a youth baseball league at a park in Harrisburg on Monday afternoon -- when tragedy struck.

According to City of Harrisburg spokesperson Matt Maisel, Mercado-Ocasio was working to take down a makeshift dugout that had been illegally built at the field ... but part of it fell suddenly, landing on the baseball player.

The teen sustained significant wounds and was rushed to the hospital ... but Maisel said he sadly passed away at 11:12 PM Tuesday.

"Our Central Penn College family is devastated by the loss of Angel," Central Penn College President Linda Fedrizzi-Williams wrote in a statement on Wednesday. "As friends who have become family, we are mourning the heart-wrenching loss of one of our own, a promising young athlete who senselessly lost his life while helping others enjoy the sport he loved so much."

Fedrizzi-Williams said the baseball team was able to say its goodbyes to Mercado-Ocasio on Tuesday ... adding, "No words can adequately express our anguish."

Mercado-Ocasio played in 17 games for Central Penn College this season, recording two hits, two RBIs and seven stolen bases.

He last suited up for the team just days ago ... on May 6.

RIP.

Tina Turner LeBron, Magic, Emmitt Pay Tribute ... After Singer's Death

Tina Turner's death sent shockwaves throughout the sports world ... with several legendary athletes paying tribute to the iconic singer.

Magic Johnson shared a few words shortly after the news broke ... praising her as a performer and sharing a throwback picture together.

"Rest in peace to one of my favorite artists of all time, the legendary queen of rock n' roll Tina Turner," Johnson tweeted. "I’ve seen her many many times and hands down, she gave one of the best live shows I’ve ever seen. She always gave you your moneys worth."

LeBron James and Lisa Leslie also mourned Turner's passing ... with Leslie calling her "a true icon." James added ... "Rest in Paradise Queen Tina!!!!"

Cowboys legend Emmitt Smith also paid homage to Turner ... sharing a snap of her with a pair of heart and prayer hands emojis.

WWE Superstar Charlotte Flair acknowledged Tina's legacy ... posting a picture of the legendary musician with the caption, "RIP."

Another WWE great, The Iron Sheik, shared his condolences, too ... writing, "Tina Turner I love you with all my heart. The song The Best is true for you. God bless you forever I love you."

Turner was 83 years old. RIP.

Kyrie Irving Teases Upcoming Shoe Deal ... After Nike Fallout

KICKS ON THE WAY
Instagram / @kyrieirving

Kyrie Irving sneakers could return to a store near you soon ... 'cause the NBA superstar just teased a new deal is on the horizon after his fallout with Nike.

The 8-time All-Star revealed it might not be long before fans can get their hands on some new Kyrie kicks ... discussing the matter during an Instagram Live session on Wednesday afternoon.

"I'm really excited," the 31-year-old said. "I will be signing my new shoe deal very, very soon. I'm 'bout to blow this stuff out the water. I'm so excited about it."

Is it SIA Collective? Musiq Soulchild did tell us he heard Kyrie was talking to the new shoe company last December ... but Irving mentioned no names during the stream.

Uncle Drew was with Nike dating back to 2011, but the Swoosh cut ties with the hoop star after his controversial tweet sharing an antisemitic film in 2022.

The point guard -- who last played for the Dallas Mavericks -- also said to be on the lookout for his free agency decision ... and urged fans not to listen to analysts, TV personalities, or sports influencers who claim they know his next move.

"I'm a free agent this summer, but I am in no rush to make a decision," Irving said.

"When they speak on my name and they're talking about potential teams that I'm going to, can y'all please, respectfully, I'm asking, please stop paying attention to that."

Of course, many speculate Irving could join his old teammate LeBron James in Los Angeles, especially after the guard was spotted sitting courtside at a recent Lakers playoff game.

Despite the rumors, Irving swore up and down no one knows what he's going to do -- just him.

"If it doesn't come from me and it's coming from people on T.V., these people don't know me!"

Seattle Seahawks Give Russell Wilson's #3 Away ... To Artie Burns

The Seattle Seahawks are moving on from the Russell Wilson era -- the team just gave away the Super Bowl-winning quarterback's number to newly-signed cornerback Artie Burns.

The 'Hawks updated their 90-man roster this week ... and it shows there will be a new player sporting No. 3 for the first time since the 9-time Pro Bowler was traded to the Denver Broncos in March 2022.

There's a chance it might just be a placeholder for Burns if he ends up making the final 53-man roster ... as there are literally only two other numbers (43 and 48) available that aren't already taken or retired by the franchise, and defensive backs can only wear numbers 0-49.

As the Seahawks make offseason adjustments, it's entirely possible Burns -- who returned to Seattle earlier this week -- snags a different set of digits if/when they become available.

Burns -- who wore No. 21 in three games for Seattle last season -- wasn't able to get his old jersey back after rejoining the team ... as it was already given to rookie Devon Witherspoon.

Wilson is obviously one of the greatest players in franchise history ... and it would be a no-brainer to retire his number when he hangs up his spikes, despite the messy breakup that led to his trade out of Seattle.

But for now, No. 3 belongs to Burns ... and a bunch of Seahawks fans can repurpose their old Wilson jerseys with a bit of duct tape if they wanna support a backup cornerback.

New York Yankees Fans Pummel Each Other After Game ... Wild Sidewalk Brawl

Turns out, not every Yankee fan was in a good mood following the Bronx Bombers' thrilling walk-off win on Tuesday ... 'cause several Pinstripes supporters were seen getting into a brawl on a New York sidewalk following the victory -- and it was wild!!

According to a witness who posted video of the skirmish on Twitter ... the altercation happened after the combatants initially began arguing inside Billy's Sports Bar -- a popular watering hole located just feet from Yankee Stadium.

The social media user said despite Anthony Volpe's clutch, 9th-inning sacrifice fly that gave the Yanks a 6-5 win over the Orioles ... the argument escalated into a full-on fight outside of the restaurant.

You can see in the footage, two men clad in Yankees jerseys jumped on top of each other on the sidewalk ... and began wrestling. Not long after, fists started to fly.

Another man jumped into the scene in an apparent attempt to break things up -- which only enraged a woman nearby.

The video shows the woman threw a few punches of her own ... before, thankfully, cooler heads prevailed.

It's unclear if any arrests were made -- we've reached out to authorities, but so far, no word back yet.

The Yankees, meanwhile, will play the Orioles again Wednesday night ... here's to hoping everyone behaves this go-around.

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