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JuJu Smith-Schuster says the news of his season-ending injury was a heartbreaker -- with the Steelers WR breaking down in tears while discussing it at his charity event.

JuJu got hurt during Sunday's game against the Broncos -- severely injuring his right shoulder ... which required season-ending surgery.

It didn't stop the 24-year-old from hosting his luau charity event for the JuJu Foundation on Monday ... and with his right arm in a sling, he opened up about when the doctors delivered the horrible news.

"Last night was the hardest night for me because football has done so much for me in my life more than you guys will ever know," Smith-Schuster said, fighting back tears.

"When I got the call from the doctors and you know shoulder injury I thought, you know, you put it back in and you be fine in two weeks."

"They said it was season-ending injury and I sat there and I cried. I cried all night. I cried because I love this game so much more than anyone you will know."

Things are looking up for JuJu, though -- the Pro Bowler had successful surgery on Wednesday ... posting a photo on IG in his hospital bed with a thumbs up.

"I’ll do everything in my power to recover," Smith-Schuster says, "and I’ll put in another full offseason of work next year to perform to the best of my abilities next season."

"Thank you to the doctors and hospital staff for taking care of me, and to the Steelers organization for supporting me during this tough time!"

The guy taking over for Jon Gruden was in his feels while speaking with reporters on Wednesday ... 'cause interim head coach Rich Bisaccia nearly broke down in tears over his new job with the Las Vegas Raiders.

61-year-old Bisaccia -- LV's special teams coach -- has been coaching since 1983 ... and is finally getting his first opportunity to lead the charge with the Raiders this weekend.

When asked about getting to this point in his career, Bisaccia -- who was part of Gruden's staff with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers -- got pretty emotional as he reflected on his parents, siblings, children and grandchildren who helped him along the way.

"To have an opportunity to be the head coach of the Las Vegas Raiders ... wow, right?" he said. "I guess really that's the only thing I'm gonna get choked up about. Holy s***."

Bisaccia hilariously regretted the expletive slip -- saying, "Can't say that, can't say that."

Coach also addressed Gruden's exit ... saying, "No one person is bigger than the Raiders shield."

Ex-MLB catcher Ray Fosse -- famous for the wild play at home plate with Pete Rose in the 1970 All-Star Game -- died at 74 years old on Wednesday.

The Oakland A's announced the sad news ... saying they were "heartbroken" over the passing.

"Few people epitomize what it means to be an Athletic more than Ray," Oakland officials said in a statement. "He was the type of franchise icon who always made sure every player, coach, colleague, and fan knew that they were part of the Oakland A's family."

Fosse -- who worked as an analyst breaking down A's games following a 12-year MLB career -- said in August he had been fighting cancer for over a decade.

Sadly, after battling the disease for years, he passed away this week.

"We send our deepest condolences to Carol, Nikki and Lindsey, his family and friends during this difficult time," the A's added. "We'll miss you, Ray.”

Fosse was a two-time All-Star, a two-time World Series champ, and a two-time Gold Glover ... but he was perhaps best known for a collision with Rose in the 1970 Mid-Summer Classic.

In the game, Rose trucked through Fosse to score the winning run ... and it ultimately altered Fosse's career and life.

The catcher suffered major injuries during the play -- ones that affected the rest of his playing days -- though he still was able to play effectively for several more years.

Fosse ultimately finished his career with 61 home runs, a .256 batting average and 324 RBI.

"My deepest condolences to the Fosse family," said Hall of Famer Dennis Eckersley, who not only played with Fosse but worked with him as an A's analyst as well.

"Ray was a dear friend. I cherished our long history and will miss him dearly. Oakland Coliseum will never be the same without Ray."

Joe Rogan had a super-interesting convo with CNN's Sanjay Gupta ... it was confrontationally civilized.

The good Doc was clearly on a mission to counter Rogan's message about the COVID vaccine. "The Joe Rogan Experience" is a huge platform -- 200 million downloads per month -- so Gupta was clearly there to challenge Joe over not getting the shot.

Rogan made it clear --- he's not anti-vaccine. In fact, he says he made an appointment to get the shot but ended up a no-show. As for why ... Rogan said, "I'm a healthy person, I exercise constantly, I'm always taking vitamins, I take care of myself."

Gupta was gentle, but clear -- asking Rogan if it's better to have the virus than to become infected. Rogan, who got COVID, conceded it was no fun going through it, but added he's been sicker with a bad cold.

That doesn't address the fact more than 700,000 people in the U.S. have died from COVID, and Joe agreed certain people -- including the elderly and the overweight -- should get jabbed, but not everyone.

Then Joe dropped a theory that stunned Sanjay ... "I think it would be better to get the vaccine and recover and have amazing immunity ... you know what I think you should do? I think you should get vaccinated and then get sick ... the vaccine protects you from a bad infection and you get COVID so you get robust immunity ... get vaccinated, let it wane and hang around with a bunch of dirty people."

Gupta made it clear .... the win is for someone not to have the virus at all, and that's what the vaccine does.

"Southern Charm" star Madison LeCroy is ready to walk the aisle ... 'cause TMZ's learned she recently got engaged and, no -- it's not to Alex Rodriguez or Jay Cutler.

Sources tell TMZ ... Madison's boyfriend, Brett, popped the question and Madison didn't hesitate for a second with a "Yes," because, as one source put it, he treats her better than any man has before. She also loves that he's a good father-figure to her 8-year-old son, Hudson.

Our sources say Madison and Brett didn't meet that long ago and weren't even living in the same state when they first started dating.

We're told the relationship is so mysterious ... a lot of her friends haven't met Brett but she's ALWAYS talking about how much she cares about him. Back in April, Madison, who previously dated co-star Austen Kroll, teased on social media she was dating someone new. And, 2 months later, she and Brett went IG official.

The engagement comes not long after Madison was rumored to be at the center of A-Rod's split with Jennifer Lopez. Remember, there were claims A-Rod got cozy with Madison, but A-Rod's team said they never even met.

She had also previously been linked to ex-Bears QB Cutler... though that was a brief fling. Nevertheless, Madison now seems more than content to have a new man.

While we don't know much else right now about the relationship, our sources say Madison and Brett's relationship is documented in the upcoming 8th season of "Southern Charm" ... though it's unclear if production cameras captured the proposal.

Kyrie Irving is finally speaking out publicly about his anti-vaccine choice ... explaining he believes nobody should be told what to do with their bodies -- and he's tired of feeling "demonized" over his decision.

The Brooklyn Nets star -- who's been barred from playing and practicing with his team until he either gets the vaccine or gets some sort of exemption -- broke his feelings down on the matter in a lengthy video on his social media page Wednesday.

In his talk with his camera, which lasted over 20 minutes, Irving repeated over and over again he's against vaccine mandates.

In his explanation, Irving made it clear he wants people to be able to make their own decisions on the shots without a threat of potentially losing their jobs, livelihood and money.

The NBA star added he's tired of hearing critics blast him for his decision ... saying he hasn't done anything criminal.

"I haven't hurt anybody," Irving said. "I haven't committed a crime. I'm not out here acting dumb, stupid. I'm out here taking care of my family, my kids."

Irving said he would not retire over it all ... but did not reveal his plan for getting back on the court despite his strong, anti-vax stance.

The Nets, meanwhile, have stated they're moving on from Irving in wake of his decision ... with the team's general manager, Sean Marks, saying this week, "we will not permit any member of our team to participate with part-time availability."

A golf fan had to spend a day in the hospital with a bloody head injury over the weekend ... and it's all 'cause Masters champ Hideki Matsuyama couldn't keep a drive straight.

Here's the deal ... Matsuyama was competing in the 2021 Shriners Children's Open in Las Vegas -- when on the 16th hole of his second round on Friday, he cranked a drive that went way right.

You can see in footage of the shot, it was so far from the fairway, it accidentally crash-landed into a fan's noggin -- knocking the guy to the ground.

Robert, the fan who was hit, tells TMZ Sports he was a bloody mess after the ball drilled him ... and felt "weird" and "totally disorientated."

Robert says while he was trying to recover, Matsuyama was nice enough to sign an autograph for him and apologize -- but the injury was so bad, Robert was eventually taken to the hospital.

Robert tells us he needed 6 stitches to close the wound, and you can see in photos of the aftermath -- the whole thing was gruesome.

Robert -- who says PGA Tour officials have not reached out to him over the incident -- has since started a GoFundMe to help with his medical bills, believing it could cost him in the $15,000 range.

He is expected to make a full recovery.

Kim Jong-Un is just like Limp Bizkit -- he's all about breakin' stuff ... 'cause the supreme leader of North Korea was all smiles as he watched soldiers smash bricks and concrete blocks off each other this week.

The video is nuts -- Kim is seen clapping and cheering from the crowd as a group of shirtless dudes destroy blocks off their chests with mallets and whack each other with massive sticks.

In another wild stunt, one dude broke himself out of chains wrapped around his body ... and another displays his martial arts skills by ducking out of harm's way.

Not really clear when these skills will come in handy -- but hey, ya never know.

More fallout for Jon Gruden over his email scandal ... EA Sports just announced it's removing the former Las Vegas Raiders coach from its ultra-popular Madden 22 video game.

EA put out a statement Wednesday saying it's in the process of pulling the virtual coach after it was revealed the 58-year-old sent racist and anti-gay emails from 2011 to 2018.

"EA Sports is committed to taking action in maintaining a culture of inclusion and equity," reps from the video game company said.

"Due to the circumstances of Jon Gruden's resignation, we are taking steps to remove him from Madden NFL 22."

EA added Gruden will be replaced by a "generic" AI ... with the full removal expected to take place in a title update "in the coming weeks."

The news is the latest in a long line of blows for Gruden ... who lost his job with the Raiders on Monday -- and then lost an endorsement with Skechers on Tuesday.

DeAndre Ayton and Suns owner Robert Sarver have met this week amid an ugly contract feud -- grabbing a drink together at a fancy spot in Arizona ... TMZ Sports has learned.

We've obtained photos of the two at Sanctuary Camelback Mountain Resort on Monday ... and witnesses tell us the guys appeared to be in talks over a new deal for Ayton.

One witness says Ayton was comparing his game and his athleticism to another player during the conversation with Sarver ... adding that the talks seemed to be "all business."

If you're not familiar, Ayton -- the #1 overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft -- is seeking a new contract in Phoenix ... but has been upset over how the offers have been so far.

In fact, Ayton said Tuesday -- less than a day after the meeting with Sarver at the resort -- the entire situation has been "disappointing" ... particularly after seeing other players around the league, including Nuggets wing Michael Porter Jr., get flashy new deals.

"I love Phoenix, but I'm really disappointed we haven't really gotten a deal done yet," Ayton told reporters. "We were two wins away from winning a championship and I just really want to be respected, to be honest."

"To be respected like my peers are being respected by their teams."

A witness tells us Ayton showed up at the resort before Sarver ... and seemed perturbed, looking stoic and glancing at his phone often.

Carl Nassib -- the only openly gay player in the NFL -- was granted a day off by the Raiders on Wednesday ... after his former head coach, Jon Gruden, was ousted for spewing homophobic comments in emails.

Las Vegas Raiders general manager, Mike Mayock, just told reporters Nassib requested the "personal day" following the departure of Gruden ... explaining, "He just said he's got a lot to process."

"There's a lot that's been going on the last few days," Mayock said of Nassib's situation. "And, of course, we support that request."

Mayock added that he's already spoken with Nassib multiple times in wake of Gruden's exit ... and is planning to meet with him later Wednesday as well.

Mayock did not elaborate on if he expected Nassib to play Sunday when the Raiders take on the Broncos.

As we previously reported, Gruden stepped down as Raiders head coach after emails from the 58-year-old containing anti-gay rhetoric surfaced this week.

Some of the messages included the vile words "f*****" and "queer."

Nassib has yet to publicly comment on it all ... but he did say just a few weeks ago that he avoided going public with his sexual preferences sooner because, among other reasons, he "didn't know if guys would be supportive or not."

Ex-Portland Trail Blazers president and current Jordan Brand chairman Larry Miller is sharing his darkest secret with the world ... admitting he killed a man when he was 16 years old, and hid it from his closest friends -- including Michael Jordan -- until recently.

Miller detailed the September 1965 incident in an interview with Sports Illustrated this week ... saying he was a "gangbanger" seeking retaliation after a friend was stabbed and killed in West Philadelphia ... so he downed a bottle of wine, grabbed his gun and went on the hunt for a rival gang member.

Miller says he ended up shooting and killing the first person he saw -- 18-year-old Edward White -- despite not knowing if the man was even involved in his friend's killing.

"That’s what makes it even more difficult for me, because it was for no reason at all," Miller told the outlet. "I mean, there was no valid reason for this to happen. And that’s the thing that I really struggle with and that's -- you know, it’s the thing that I think about every day."

"It’s like, I did this, and to someone who -- it was no reason to do it. And that’s the part that really bothers me."

Miller was arrested shortly after ... and ended up spending many years behind bars until he was 30.

Once he got out, Miller then became a massive success in the business industry -- he was hired by Nike in 1997 and served as Jordan Brand's president from 1999-2006 before joining the Blazers. He later returned to his previous position with Nike/Jordan in 2012

Miller says he's spent the past few months slowly sharing his secret with his inner circle ... and from MJ to NBA commissioner Adam Silver, the responses he's received have been positive.

Now, Miller is hoping to use his story to leave a positive impact on today's youth ... and is fighting to get second chances to those who also fell on hard times.

Colin Kaepernick is still not giving up on his dream of returning to the NFL ... saying he's still up at 5 AM and training 5 or 6 days a week in case a team finally calls.

The quarterback -- who hasn't played a down in the league since the 2016 season -- made the revelation in a recent interview with Ebony ... explaining he still has a goal of winning the Lombardi Trophy.

"I am still up at 5 a.m. training five, six days a week," Kaepernick said, "making sure I’m prepared to take a team to a Super Bowl again."

The 33-year-old last played for the 49ers on Jan. 1, 2017 in a loss to the Seahawks ... and never signed on with a team again after that.

Kap claimed repeatedly that he believed the league was blackballing him over the way he started kneeling demonstrations during pregame national anthems.

In fact, the QB sued the league a few years ago ... and the parties settled out of court. The NFL didn't publicly admit to blackballing Colin.

But, in his recent interview, Kaepernick made it clear he still believes teams are avoiding him over it all ... adding that he hopes his training will "expose" the situation.

"You're gonna have to continue to deny me and do so in a public way," Kaepernick said. "And you’re gonna expose yourself by that, but it won't be because I'm not ready or not prepared."

In the meantime, Kaepernick said he's also focused on other aspects of his life -- like his production company, charity work ... and even acting.

Colin said he's been working with acting coaches and wants to have more on-screen roles in the future -- explaining it all feels similar to quarterbacking.

Hope you have a strong stomach ...

Deion Sanders is showing how his foot is healing after having surgery 3 weeks ago -- by posting a gnarly photo of the bloody surgical wound.

Remember, the Jackson State football coach went under the knife in September for a dislocated second toe that he's had since his NFL playing days ... with the doctor saying "it's gotten worse" over the years.

The procedure went off without a hitch ... and the Hall of Famer was told to keep off his left foot for the next six weeks.

Halfway through recovery, Coach Sanders wanted to give a super-gross update on how things are going ... and if you can get over the gruesome stitch job, it's good news for the legend!

The 54-year-old posted a photo via IG -- you can see the stitches going up and down the first and second toe on his left foot pulling the bloody skin together ... and it's pretty gnarly!

But, it hasn't stopped Prime Time from coaching the JSU Tigers -- he's been riding a golf cart and this dope custom 3-wheel scooter during team drills.

What happens in Vegas certainly shouldn't stay in Vegas -- at least when it comes to pregame hockey shows -- 'cause the Golden Knights unveiled a wild one on Tuesday, and it was INSANE!

Just minutes before the Knights opened their season against the Seattle Kraken ... the team showed off a virtual masterpiece on their ice to hype up the home crowd.

The show started with a giant octopus circling underneath the rink, while a knight mascot skated above it.

Eventually, the squid busted through and put the knight in danger ... and the optics of it all looked like a scene straight out of a Hollywood movie.

The knight, of course, ultimately came out on top of the giant creature ... which sent the crowd into a frenzy and absolutely lit up social media.

The pregame juice seemed to help the Knights too ... 'cause Vegas ended up winning the season-opener against the Kraken, 4-3.

Derrick Rose just secured the first win at Madison Square Garden this season ... 'cause the hooper proposed to his girlfriend on the court -- and she said, "YES!!"

The Knicks guard shared the awesome news Tuesday night ... posting a photo of him and 26-year-old Alaina Anderson wining and dining privately at half court.

"Just got engaged in MSG nothing major!" Anderson said on IG. "A WIFE!!!! I love you!!!! 😍😍😍 MRS ROSE TO YALL LOL"

And, you can't help but notice the absolutely huge diamond ring on Alaina's ring finger!!

Alaina says she wasn't expecting it, even with the private dinner at MSG -- 'cause Rose gave her a promise ring the day before saying, "hopefully one day I can get you the real thing."

Very sneaky, D Rose!!

Rose wrote a poem to his future wife ... saying, "Believe the words that I will have your back and love u forever. When I FIRST saw you I told Ryan that we were gon be together."

"I will always love you becuz you go above and beyond. We built a beautiful family and a unbreakable bond. Thank you Queen."

The lovely couple has reportedly been together since his Chicago Bulls days in 2016 ... and welcomed their daughter, Layla, in 2018 and son, London, in 2019.