TMZ Sports - Page 3

A Youngstown State football official has just been booted from the sidelines for the foreseeable future ... after he knocked an opposing player to the ground with his shoulder.

The scene was pretty wild ... during YSU's game against the University of Northern Iowa on Saturday -- Panthers star receiver Quan Hampton was speeding toward the YSU sideline when Director of Player Personnel Tim Johnson appeared to throw himself at the guy.

Hampton took Johnson's shoulder at full speed ... and tumbled to the ground awkwardly -- clearly fortunate to not suffer any serious injures.

FYI -- Johnson is a BIG man (6'0, 245 lbs) with a history of tossing around football players ... he was a former All-American linebacker at YSU who played in the NFL and was later inducted into the school's Hall of Fame in 2010.

You can see in the replay of the check, Hampton was clearly disturbed by Johnson's actions ... and pointed him out to refs immediately after hitting the ground.

Despite no penalty called, YSU launched an investigation into the incident ... and on Monday, the school announced it was banning Johnson from the sidelines for the rest of the spring football season.

The school also said Johnson -- who's in his first year on the YSU football staff -- had accepted the punishment.

"I apologize to UNI, Youngstown State, the Missouri Valley Football Conference and our community for what occurred on Saturday," Johnson said.

Here's awesome video of Alvin Kamara snowboarding that Sean Payton would probably rather not see ...

The Saints star running back posted footage of him absolutely bombing down a mountain in Montana on Monday -- and it's thrilling ... except for when he crashes!!!

Check out the clips ... Kamara is seriously talented on the board -- especially when you consider he says it's his first day ever on the slopes.

Kamara can already carve ... and he's freakin' fearless, hitting crazy speeds while flying down the Montana powder.

The issue? IT'S STRESSING THE HELL OUT OF SAINTS NATION!!

Kamara clearly doesn't know how to stop with grace just yet ... and it caused some fairly gnarly tumbles.

Don't worry -- Kamara's just fine ... he joked about the crashes and then vowed to be out shredding the slopes again on Tuesday.

"Day 2 tomorrow," Kamara said Monday night. "Alvin '@shaunwhite' Kamara."

Zlatan Ibrahimovic is not backing down from his criticism of LeBron James -- reinforcing his belief that athletes should stick to sports and stay out of politics!

"Athletes unite the world, politics divide it,” the soccer superstar said at a news conference Tuesday morning.

"Our role is to unite the world by doing what we do best. Athletes should be athletes and politicians should do politics."

Ibra -- one of the most famous athletes on the planet -- has been under fire for going after LeBron last week during an interview with Discovery+ in Sweden.

At the time, Zlatan said, "[LeBron] is phenomenal at what he's doing, but I don't like when people have some kind of status, they go and do politics at the same time."

"Do what you're good at. Do the category you do. I play football because I'm the best at playing football."

"I don't do politics. If I would be a political politician, I would do politics. That is the first mistake people do when they become famous and they become in a certain status. Stay out of it. Just do what you do best, because it doesn't look good."

LeBron clapped back in a big way -- saying he'll NEVER just shut up and dribble because he understands his voice can make a real impact for those who aren't being heard ... and feels it's his responsibility to use his platform to make positive change.

UFC rising star Khamzat Chimaev is NOT moving on from MMA, despite a cryptic IG post suggesting otherwise, this according to Dana White.

26-year-old Khamzat -- one of the hottest rising stars in the sport (9-0 record) -- has been battling COVID since January 2021 ... and he's still suffering from symptoms.

In fact, Khamzat's manager said the fighter was even hospitalized due to some pretty serious symptoms at one point.

Fast-forward to Monday night ... when Khamzat went to Instagram and posted an apparent farewell note to his fans.

"I think I’m done," Khamzat said ... "Yes, I know that I didn’t take the belt, but this is not the most important victory in this life. It may upset you, but my heart and body tell me everything.

He also posted a photo of a blood-spattered bathroom sink with the caption, "The main thing is I do not know what this disease is but it is not easily outlived."

But, Dana White says he spoke with Khamzat -- who's currently in Las Vegas -- and he's not buying the retirement talk.

"When he got here, the doctors took care of him, and they put him on prednisone, which is a nasty f**king steroid,” White told MMA Junkie.

"So he’s on prednisone, and he’s supposed to be taking this thing and chilling, relaxing, and letting himself recover. He went in and f**king trained today, felt like s**t, and got super emotional and posted that."

“He’s not supposed to be training, but you know, this guy’s a savage. He wants to fight like every f**king weekend, and now he can’t even train, so he just got emotional and posted that, but he ain’t quitting.”

A former Texas Longhorns safety says several rich alums gave players an ultimatum over the school's polarizing alma mater -- support the song, or never find work in the state.

UT's alma mater, "The Eyes Of Texas," has been at the center of controversy for years ... with many calling for the school to distance itself from the song's apparently racist origins.

In fact, almost every player on the Texas football team boycotted the song in 2020 ... by heading to the locker rooms while "The Eyes" played after UT's loss to Oklahoma in October.

Texas defensive back Caden Sterns says the debate got so serious, he and his teammates were told to support the song or risk future employment in the state by rich alums.

"My teammates and I got threatened by some alumni that we would have to find jobs outside of Texas if we didn’t participate," Sterns tweeted Monday.

Sterns' claim comes on the heels of a new report, which stated wealthy boosters were so pissed off by the players' boycott, they threatened to pull their 7-figure donations in scathing emails sent to the school, according to the Texas Tribune.

For example, one donor allegedly wrote the following email back in October ... "My wife and I have given an endowment in excess of $1 million to athletics. This could very easily be rescinded if things don’t drastically change around here."

"Has everyone become oblivious of who supports athletics??"

Wanna live like a King? You can buy the enormous Brentwood mansion LeBron James called home ... if you're willing to drop $20 mil!

The NBA superstar has listed the 9,500-square-foot estate he purchased back in 2015 -- a colonial-style mansion on Rockingham Ave.

And, if that street sounds familiar ... it's because of the O.J. Simpson connection.

Bron's home is actually just a few blocks from the infamous Rockingham estate where O.J. lived when Nicole Brown and Ron Goldman were murdered in 1994.

Unfortunately, that's not the only sad connection to Bron's home ... remember, someone spray painted the n-word on the front gate of Bron's home back in 2017.

As for the home itself, it's incredible -- 6 bedrooms, 8 bathrooms, a media room, home gym, massive pool and a basketball hoop near the garage!

Oh, and the views are absolutely insane!!! Listing price -- $20,500,000 ... which is LESS than he paid in 2015.

Records show he bought the house for $20.9 mil. But, let's get serious, it's not like Bron needs the money -- he's reportedly worth close to (if not more than) $1 BILLION.

A rooster with a 3 INCH BLADE strapped to its leg slashed its owner to death during an illegal cockfighting event in India, officials say.

It all went down last week in Southern India where officials say a group of people gathered to watch the bloody sport in the village of Lothunur, in the state of Telangana.

Officials say the bird's owner, identified as 45-year-old Thangulla Satish, was attempting to handle the rooster when something spooked the animal, causing it to stab Satish in the groin area.

FYI, it's typical for birds to be equipped with blades on their legs during a cockfight -- which leads to bloodier and quicker matches between the roosters.

The whole thing is pretty horrific.

In this case, it sounds like the bird struck Satish's femoral artery -- causing him to bleed out at an alarming rate.

Officials say he died on the way to the hospital.

Local law enforcement has opened an investigation into the incident -- and say the event organizers could face up to 2 years in jail if convicted.

Lamar Odom just went scorched earth on his ex ... blasting Sabrina Parr as "deceitful" and accusing her of using him in a shameless attempt to get famous.

The former NBA star -- who split with Parr last year after the two announced their engagement late in 2019 -- went on "The Real" on Monday and unloaded on her.

"[She was] very deceitful," Odom said of Parr. "You know, I really used to like take her word for everything. She was like really lying to me, the whole time."

"But I guess she got what she wanted, that was the 'blue check,' so I guess I was good for something."

Odom says he and Parr had planned a reality TV show and had shot some portions of it -- but the 41-year-old claims she and her manager released it without telling him it was going out.

"It was just about me and her," Odom said of the reality show. "I knew what I was doing, I knew what I signed up for."

"But I would think that when you were putting it out to the world, you would let me know. That’s a greaseball move. Something that I can't respect, from her and that manager dude."

Odom went on to say the whole failed relationship makes him "sad."

"I really don’t like nobody taking advantage of me," Odom said, "especially for monetary reasons."

Odom and Parr only dated for 3 months before he popped the question in Nov. 2019.

And in his previous marriage to Khloe Kardashian, they only dated for 1 month before Lamar proposed.

J.J. Watt is landing in Arizona -- the defensive end confirmed the move Monday in a deal reportedly worth $31 MILLION!!

The 31-year-old recently parted ways with the Houston Texans -- the team that selected him in the 1st round of the 2011 NFL Draft.

But, the Texans are a mess and Watt was clearly looking for an opportunity with a team built for immediate success.

There were rumblings J.J. was interested in signing with the Pittsburgh Steelers, where his two brothers T.J. and Derek Watt are currently playing.

But in the end, Watt has agreed to a 2-year, $31 million deal with the Cardinals with $23 million guaranteed, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport.

The Cardinals confirmed the move on social media -- "We have agreed to terms with J.J. Watt on a two-year contract."

The move brings J.J. to a team with a high-powered offense led by quarterback Kyler Murray and superstar WR DeAndre Hopkins.

Hopkins and Watt's were teammates in Houston for 7 years before DeAndre was shipped to AZ in one of the most puzzling trades of all time.

Now, Watt will bolster a defense that already includes stars like Chandler Jones and Budda Baker.

J.J. is already showing off his new team colors -- rockin' Cards swag in a gym session Monday morning.

Congrats!

The King of the Hail Mary is answering prayers in Northern California ... Aaron Rodgers just donated $1 MILLION to help struggling small businesses in the area where he grew up.

80 restaurants and retail businesses in Butte County, CA -- including Chico (Aaron's hometown) -- will receive funds from Aaron's massive 7-figure donation to help cover rent and other operating costs.

The goal is to float the businesses for the next 3 months -- and maybe even longer -- while the COVID-19 pandemic continues to rage on.

"Small, locally owned businesses are the heart and soul of a community," Rodgers said in a statement Monday.

"In the applications and the videos, it was heart-wrenching to hear about all the obstacles facing restaurants and retail establishments. So many of them are struggling just to stay in business but remain hopeful that there’s an end to this."

Rogers made the donation in association with the North Valley Community Foundation -- which says the NFL star initially pledged $500k ... but DOUBLED his contribution "after seeing the need" in the community.

"Aaron is such an incredible person," NVCF President and CEO Alexa Benson-Valavanis said.

"He looked at everything, decided he wanted to do more, and doubled down on his original $500,000 commitment. He is such a champion for his hometown."

Aaron personally called 9 of the businesses to inform them about the donation -- which must have been a thrill in so many ways!!

Rodgers -- who has reportedly banked more than $240 million in contract money in his 16 NFL seasons -- has come through for Butte County in the past.

He donated $1 mil to help recovery efforts after the Camp Fire of 2018 -- and has also been involved in coronavirus and North Complex Fire relief efforts, according to the NVCF.

Here's a video that'll hit ya right in the feels ...

In his first game back after a lengthy battle with colon cancer ... Baltimore Orioles star Trey Mancini got an epic ovation from fans, teammates and opponents -- and the footage from the scene is amazing!!

Mancini -- who fought and beat the horrific disease after being diagnosed in March 2020 -- took the batter's box in the 1st inning of a spring training game against the Pirates on Sunday ... and, quickly, applause rained down on the diamond.

Fans began clapping, then Mancini's teammates joined in ... and then even Pittsburgh players jumped in -- with the Pirates catcher even standing up to praise the Baltimore slugger.

In a classy move by the umpire, he went to dust off home plate to allow the ovation to last even longer ... and then Mancini got a base hit!!!

After the game, Trey admitted it all nearly brought him to tears ... saying the ovation "meant the world to me."

"It was a really, really cool moment," the 28-year-old said, "and one of my favorite moments of my baseball career."

Mancini was forced to undergo surgery back on March 12, 2020 ... and he had very long and tough road to get through before he could return to the Orioles.

But, Trey -- after vowing to come back better than ever from the disease -- faced it all with class, and finished cancer treatments back in September.

Mancini is now fully recovered and is expected to be one of the Orioles' best players again in 2021 -- and that's something he says he's super grateful for.

"[Sunday] was a huge day for me personally," Mancini said. "Getting back in a game -- just another kind of milestone that I can check off here."

UFC star Paulo Costa is blaming the a-a-a-a-a-alcohol for his loss to Israel a-a-a-a-a-Adesanya at UFC 253 ... saying his decision to crush a bottle of wine the night before cost him the fight.

"I was kind of drunk [when] I fought," Costa said in Portuguese (subtitled in English) on his YouTube channel ... "Maybe, on hangover."

29-year-old Costa was on a 13-fight win streak before his main event throwdown with Israel ... and was coming off an impressive victory over MMA legend Yoel Romero.

But, Izzy smashed Costa in just 2 rounds in an unexpectedly one-sided beatdown on September 27 ... leaving many fans asking the question, what the hell happened!?

Now, Costa is finally opening up about the loss -- claiming he simply boozed too hard the night before the fight.

"I had wine, too much wine, a bottle [of wine] to try to blackout," Costa said on his YouTube channel.

And, why would he want to get blackout drunk before the biggest fight of his life?

"I couldn’t sleep because of the [leg] cramps."

In other words, Costa claims he was using the wine for pain management so he could try to get some sleep that night.

"I had a glass and didn’t work. Two glasses, it didn’t work. Half bottle, didn’t work. I had it all."

Costa continued, "Keep in mind that the fight happens at 9 a.m., we have to wake up at 5 to get ready, stretch, wrap the hands. The UFC told us to wake up at 5 in the morning to go to the arena to fight. I hadn’t slept until 2:30."

We all know what happened next ... Israel pummeled Paulo so badly, the ref stopped the fight in the 2nd round.

Costa is set to return to the Octagon in April to fight Robert Whittaker.

Did you know Jodie Foster and Aaron Rodgers are quickly forming a very wacky and fun friendship!?!

It's true ... 'cause just a few weeks after the Packers star thanked the actress in his NFL MVP acceptance speech -- Jodie did the same for the QB after winning a Golden Globe!!

The shout-out was wild ... Foster earned Best Actress in a Supporting Role on Sunday -- and toward the end of her acceptance speech, she name-dropped A-Rodge!

"I love my wife, thank you, Alex," Jodie said. "And [my dog] Ziggy. And Aaron Rodgers!!!"

As for why this is all happening ... it's all super unclear -- but it's hilarious nonetheless.

Rodgers thanked the "Silence Of The Lambs" star out of the blue after winning MVP honors in early February, and when Jodie was asked about it on "Jimmy Kimmel Live" a few days later, she said she didn't even know the guy personally.

But, Jodie is a massive Green Bay fan ... AND she co-starred in "The Mauritanian" with Rodgers' fiancee, Shailene Woodley -- so there is a connection there.

And it's clear the two have talked it all out since ... 'cause after Jodie's call-out Sunday, she said Rodgers sent her a video message with a challenge!

"I just got a very cute video from Aaron Rodgers," Jodie said after winning her award, "where he says he’s going to get me back. So I’m looking forward to this. We’ll see who wins.”

Ex-NHL Todd Bertuzzi -- one of the most controversial hockey players of all time -- was arrested for drunk driving in Michigan over the weekend, TMZ Sports has confirmed.

The 46-year-old was pulled over just after midnight Saturday morning in Auburn Hills after motorists called 911 to report a car swerving all over the road.

Cops responded to the area and claim they saw Bertuzzi's car blow through a red light, so they stopped his vehicle immediately.

During the stop, officers believed he was under the influence of alcohol -- though Bertuzzi refused a breathalyzer test.

We're told he DID perform other field sobriety tests and showed obvious signs of impairment, according to our law enforcement sources.

The responding officers ultimately arrested the former Vancouver Canucks star and booked him at Oakland County Jail on suspicion of DUI.

We're told cops later got a warrant for a blood draw -- no word on the results yet.

Bertuzzi played close to 1,200 games in the NHL but he's perhaps best known for a violent incident on the ice where he sucker-punched an opposing player.

During a 2004 game between the Vancouver Canucks and the Colorado Avalanche, Bertuzzi skated up behind Steve Moore and punched him in the jaw and slammed his head into the ice.

Moore was knocked cold -- and was rushed to a hospital to be treated for 3 fractured vertebrae, cuts on his face and a concussion.

The incident ended Moore's pro hockey career. Bertuzzi was hit with criminal charges and ultimately plead guilty to assault in a plea deal.

Moore later sued Bertuzzi in civil court. The two sides reached a private settlement in 2014.

Bertuzzi was drafted by the NY Islanders in 1993 and played pro hockey until 2015.

"Tiger means everything to me."

That's 24-year-old golf star Collin Morikawa getting extremely emotional about his idol, Tiger Woods, in the moments after winning a huge PGA event on Sunday ... and it's powerful stuff.

Morikawa had just won the World Golf Championships-Workday tournament in Bradenton, FL -- putting together a monster final round to hold off a stellar field of the PGA Tour's biggest stars.

During the post-match interview, he was asked about Woods ... and things got so emotional, Morikawa could barely hold back the tears.

"Yes, you know, he had the crash and thankfully he's all right and hopefully has a quick and great recovery," Morikawa said.

"But I don't think we say 'Thank you' enough. So I want to say thank you to Tiger. Because sometimes you lose people too early and that's -- Kobe. I lost my grandpa about a month ago. And you don't get to say thank you enough. So thank you, guys."

Morikawa's post-round conversation was one of many ways Tiger was honored during the event over the weekend ... with huge stars like Tony Finau and Rory McIlroy paying homage to the 45-year-old by dressing like him.

The guys rocked red shirts with black pants -- Tiger's signature Sunday look -- and Woods appreciated the gesture so much, he released a statement over it all late Sunday evening.

"It is hard to explain how touching today was when I turned on the tv and saw all the red shirts," Tiger said. "To every golfer and every fan, you are truly helping me get through this tough time."

You're looking at the most expensive basketball card ever sold -- and it ain't Michael Jordan or LeBron James.

It's an ultra-rare Luka Doncic rookie card -- a 1-of-1 that features the NBA Logoman patch from a game-worn Dallas Mavericks jersey PLUS a perfect signature with blue ink.

And, it just sold for $4.6 MILLION!!!!

Here's the deal ... the card was originally pulled from a box of 2018-2019 Panini National Treasures Basketball in May 2019 during a live pack break at the Layton Sports Cards shop in Altamonte Springs, FL.

The card was later sold to collector Bolillo Lajan San (unclear what he paid, but more than $400k) who had a feeling the card could explode in value.

Well, he was right because on Sunday night, Bolillo confirmed the sale of the card to high-end collector Nick Fiorella for $4.6 million.

Here are the specifics ... it's a 2018-19 National Treasures Luka Doncic rookie autograph with the "Logoman" patch, #127.

The sale is the 2nd highest purchase of a sports trading card EVER -- just behind a 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle card that recently sold for $5.2 million!

Clocking in at #3 is a 2009 Mike Trout Superfractor that sold for $3.9 mil.