TMZ Sports - Page 50

MLB just suspended 8 people for that insane bench-clearing brawl in Cincinnati ... including Reds pitcher Amir Garrett, who basically tried to fight the entire Pittsburgh Pirates team.

Garrett was hit with an 8-GAME suspension for running over to the Pirates dugout Tuesday night and singlehandedly trying to fight ... well, everyone.

Yasiel Puig -- who was on the Reds at the time of the incident -- got 3 GAMES for bull-charging over to the brawl and trying to fight everyone.

During the game, Puig was traded to the Cleveland Indians ... so he'll serve his suspension with them.

Here's how the rest of the suspensions shook out ...

-- Pirates pitcher Keone Kela got 10 GAMES for intentionally throwing a 97 MPH fastball at Derek Dietrich's head in the 7th inning.

-- Reds pitcher Jared Hughes got 3 GAMES for throwing at a Pirates player in reponse to Kela throwing at Dietrich.

-- Pirates infielder Jose Osuna got 5 GAMES for "aggressive and inappropriate actions" during the fight ... which is a fancy way of saying, "5 for fighting."

-- Pirates pitcher Kyle Crick got 3 GAMES for fighting

-- Reds manager David Bell got 6 GAMES for a combination of things including allowing his pitcher to intentionally throw at an opposing batter, escalating the brawl and returning to the field after he was ejected

-- Pirates manager Clint Hurdle got 2 GAMES for allowing his pitcher to throw at opposing batters multiple times.

Everyone on the MLB's naughty list also received undisclosed fines -- along with several other players involved in the brawl including Pirates pitcher Trevor Williams and Reds 1B Joey Votto.

MLB exec Joe Torre issued a scathing statement ripping everyone involved in the fight ... and it sounds like a really disappointed parent:

"The incidents between these two Clubs remain a source of concern, and it’s reflected by the level of discipline we are handing down today," Torre said.

"Everyone on the field should be aware of the example they are setting for fans, particularly young people. I firmly expect these two managers and all others to hold their players accountable for appropriate conduct and to guide them in the right direction."

The powerful FaZe Clan gaming team is suing its most famous member, Tfue ... claiming the 21-year-old has "betrayed" the team and damaged the brand by trying to weasel his way out of their contract.

21-year-old Tfue (real name Turner Tenney) is one of the top gamers in the world -- and has earned MILLIONS of dollars thanks to his dominance in Fortnite.

Earlier this year, Tfue called out FaZe Clan publicly -- painting himself as a victim who was taken advantage of by a big gaming team who pressured a then-20-year-old to sign an unfair contract.

The biggest issue at the time was that Tfue claimed FaZe Clan's contract called for 80% of his brand deals and 50% of his merchandise profits ... and Tfue felt it was unfair.

But now, FaZe Clan is firing back in a lawsuit filed in federal court in New York ... essentially saying boo-hoo, you signed the contract and need to live up to it.

"Though a rookie athlete, Tenney was an adult when he signed his contract," FaZe says ... adding, "An initial rookie contract is a risk that the organization takes; most young players young careers never take off."

In fact, FaZe Clan says they believe Tfue has made more than $20 MILLION in earnings since joining FaZe Clan in April 2018 and he's only forked over $60,000.

FaZe says TFue was just your average "skilled gamer" when they found him -- and they transformed him into a bankable gaming pro.

FaZe says the deal they have in place with Tfue locks him up until 2021 -- and the fact he's trying to bail is complete BS.

FaZe says they recognized Tfue was a star and offered significant bonuses along the way -- including an offer to increase his revenue shares in the company substantially. They also claim they offered Tfue a 7-figure salary ... but Tfue refused to play ball.

Instead, FaZe claims Tfue trashed the company publicly ... violating a non-disparagement clause in his contract.

Now, FaZe is suing for their share of Tfue's earnings -- and to shut him up from divulging confidential information about the Clan.

We spoke with TFue's attorney Bryan Freedman who tells us, "Faze Clan’s lawsuit in New York is a ridiculous and obvious attempt to avoid the consequences of its clear violations of California law"

"Filing the lawsuit in New York is actually an admission that Faze Clan has no defense to these violations of California law. Ask yourself, why is Faze Clan is afraid to litigate its wrongful conduct in California? The answer is obvious. Faze Clan will lose."

Bombshell news in the gaming world ... Ninja is leaving Twitch -- and he's going to a direct competitor.

The move will land Ninja -- the most famous gamer on Earth -- with Microsoft's Mixer platform, Twitch's biggest competition with gamers in the livestreaming space.

Unclear how much cash Mixer shelled out to get Ninja to jump platforms, but we guarantee the numbers are HUGE.

Ninja is widely considered the most important gamer in the space and Mixer is clearly banking on Ninja bringing his massive fan base with him.

FYI, Ninja has more than 22 MILLION subscribers on YouTube ... and a HUGE chunk of those people watched him stream on Twitch every day.

The 28-year-old made the announcement on social media Thursday ... saying, "I'm super excited!"

"I'm honestly at a loss for words. I'm freaking out in the best of ways and I'm really just excited ... I feel like I'm gonna get back to the streaming roots."

Ninja says everything about his streams will be the exact same -- just on a new platform.

As we previously reported, Ninja said he makes around $500,000 per month just from streaming.

He also has big endorsement deals with brands like Red Bull.

Kyle "Bugha" Giersdorf's $3 MILLION victory at the Fortnite World Cup is adding even more fire to one of the nastiest feuds in Esports ... involving a billionaire and one of the hottest execs in gaming.

TMZ Sports has obtained a lawsuit filed by Rob Moore -- the CEO of Sentinels, one of the top Esports franchises in the world. Bugha is a key member of the team.

Moore is suing Stan Kroenke's Esports company, KSE -- claiming he was tapped to build and run Stan's Esports empire in 2017 ... only to be stiffed out of millions of dollars for his troubles.

As part of the deal, Moore claims KSE wanted him to oversee their already-existing Overwatch league team, the L.A. Gladiators.

Long story short ... Moore says under the partnership with KSE, he put together a bunch of successful teams to compete in games from Fortnite and Apex Legends to League of Legends and Hearthstone.

Moore claims he not only scouted talent and signed some of the hottest gamers around -- including Bugha and xQc -- but he turned Stan's Esports division into a financial winner.

Here's where things get dicey ... Moore claims in early 2019, KSE was interested in acquiring Rick Fox's Team Echo Fox -- one of the most famous Esports franchises in the world.

The problem, Moore claims he never had a concrete contract with KSE in place ... and he wanted a formal deal that would give him a significant equity stake in Echo Fox if KSE bought the team.

Moore says he reached an oral agreement with Stan's son, Josh Kroenke, that was called a "Joint Venture" deal ... but now, Moore claims KSE is trying to renege.

In his lawsuit, Moore claims KSE is essentially trying to say he doesn't deserve equity because he isn't as important to the company as he THINKS he is.

Moore claims his resume speaks for itself ... and in the lawsuit, he actually points to Bugha's $3 million Fortnite victory as proof that he's great at his job.

Now, Moore is demanding compensation PLUS he wants 51% ownership of all KSE Esports teams including the L.A. Gladiators.

So, if the deal with Echo Fox goes through (it's reportedly a $30 mil deal) ... there's a lot of money at stake for Moore.

Moore's attorney Bryan Freedman tells TMZ Sports, "KSE's attempt to deny that Rob Moore and his team have been the sole operator of the successful Gladiators team is a transparent attempt to avoid their obligations under the joint venture agreement and has caused this lawsuit."

Lil Uzi Vert broke the bank celebrating 25 years of life ... throwing a lavish birthday party in NYC and dropping over a million bucks for a luxury car that used to belong to Floyd Mayweather!!!

The Philly rapper pulled out all the stops Wednesday night for his bday bash ... partying the night away with celeb friends and tons of smokin' hot babes at Magic Hour Rooftop Bar & Lounge.

Jordyn Woods, Wale, Gunna, Casanova, Bernice Burgos, Pop Smoke, Shiggy, DJ Clue and a bunch of others turned up ... and Uzi was literally looking like a kid in a candy store, because guests chowed down on candy sushi, cotton candy, popcorn and pretzels.

Uzi rolled up to his party in style ... hopping out of Floyd's former Bugatti. We're told Uzi dropped $1.7 million on Mayweather's whip, and he threw down another $20,000 to get the car rush-delivered from Los Angeles.

Lil Uzi bought the 2012 Bugatti Grand Sport from celebrity car broker RD Whittington ... and we're told it's the same car Floyd got before his 2017 superfight against Conor McGregor.

The Bugatti looks a little different now ... thanks to some sweet custom work by CarEffex, which tricked it out with a $10k custom wrap.

BTW ... when Floyd first copped the Bugatti, he threw down $3.3 MILLION. So, Uzi got a steal.

Back to the party ... Lil Uzi Vert guzzled champagne and there were Uzi-themed cocktails, courtesy of D'usse. He cut into a birthday cake decorated in diamonds and dollar bills -- the party theme was "Dripping Green & Diamonds."

Speaking of diamonds ... as you can see in the pics, Uzi was rocking tons of new ice from celeb jeweler Eliantte. Gotta have that bday bling!

Pro golfer Thorbjorn Olesen was arrested at Heathrow Airport in London on Monday after allegedly sexually assaulting a woman mid-flight ... and then PEEING in the aisle.

Officials say 29-year-old Olesen -- who placed 6th at the 2013 Masters -- was a drunken menace on his flight from Nashville to London ... screaming at passengers and acting like a moron.

The most serious allegation is the alleged molestation of a female passenger. The details surrounding that particular incident is unclear.

During the hellish flight, a witness told The Sun ... Olesen began urinating right in the aisle of the 1st class cabin.

Olesen was traveling with fellow PGA star Ian Poulter -- the two had competed in the WGC-FedEx St. Jude Invitational in Memphis over the weekend.

Poulter reportedly tried to diffuse the situation during the flight ... and when he felt Olesen was under control, he decided to take a nap.

But, when he woke up, Poulter's rep says the golfer learned about the wild allegations against his fellow golf pro. In other words, Poulter feels he doesn't deserve a single ounce of blame.

The Met. Police Dept. (the agency which took Olesen into custody in London) tells TMZ Sports Olesen was booked on several charges including "suspicion of sexual assault, being drunk on board an aircraft and failing to comply with the orders of cabin crew."

We also reached out to British Airways, which said, "Our customers and crews deserve to enjoy their flights, and not to suffer any form of abuse."

"This sort of behaviour (they used the "u") will not be tolerated, and the appropriate action will always be taken."

Olesen was eventually released from custody and the incident is currently under investigation.

For what it's worth ... Olesen finished 27th in the tournament over the weekend and tweeted, "Not much to say, other than I’m pretty disappointed with today’s performance!"

"Now for some time off and practice to get things right."

Jeremy Lin is getting public support from one of his Toronto Raptors teammates -- with Fred VanVleet telling TMZ Sports he believes Lin will get another opportunity to show he can ball.

Lin just made headlines because of an emotional speech in China -- where he cried when talking about the terrible season he had in Toronto.

Long story short, Lin says he hit "rock bottom" in Toronto during the championship 2018-19 season -- where he had the worst shooting performance of his career. In fact, Lin says at one point, he missed 17 3's in a row and because of that, he BARELY saw any action in the NBA Playoffs.

Lin also questioned his NBA future ... and said he felt the league has "kind of given up on me."

So, when we saw VanVleet -- a key member of that Raptors championship team -- we asked if he thought Lin was being too hard on himself.

"He was great, man," Fred told us on his way out of Catch restaurant in L.A. "He's gonna be alright. He's gonna land on his feet. He's gonna be alright."'

As for his future, VanVleet says it's ultimately up to Lin to decide if he wants to continue playing pro ball ... "He's got enough talent."

For the record, Lin has made more than $65 MILLION during his 9-year NBA career after being an undrafted free agent ... which in itself is pretty amazing.

But, Lin has said he's embarrassed of the way he played last season and doesn't feel he deserves to be called a champion because he was essentially a non-factor for the Raps.

Fred Taylor is LIVID over Tony Boselli being named greatest Jacksonville Jaguar of all time over him ... going scorched earth on social media and calling the list "a joke."

Fred famously played 11 seasons for the Jags from 1998 to 2008 ... and clearly felt he'd be named the franchise's best player ever when the team's website released its list this summer.

But, the Jags gave the No. 1 overall honors to legendary left tackle Tony Boselli ... leaving Taylor at the No. 2 spot.

When Taylor got word of the snub ... he wasn't happy.

"What were you guys doing for the 11 YEARS I carried the team," Taylor said ... "One day someone (other than me) will recognize how valuable I was."

"I did something only 21 players in history of the game done at my position. #WhatAJoke"

Fred rushed for 11,271 yards and 62 touchdowns in his time with the Jags ... and ranks 17th on the NFL's all-time rushing yards leader list.

But, Fred was never an All-Pro and only earned Pro Bowl honors once ... while Boselli was a 3-time All-Pro and 5-time Pro Bowler.

Anthony Davis says Nike told him to kick rocks when it came to getting the #23 jersey from LeBron James ... saying the footwear giant said, "We don't care who you guys are, it's too much money!"

Davis says in a dinner date only a few days after he was traded from the Pelicans to the Lakers ... LeBron offered him his famous #23 jersey as a "Welcome to L.A." gift.

The problem? AD said on "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" this week, Nike told him it would cost the company WAY TOO MUCH CASH ... and said the jersey swap ain't happening.

Davis was clearly bothered by the whole ordeal, saying, "I was a little hurt."

But, AD says his solution to the problem was simple ... fire up NBA 2K and try on other jersey numbers!!

Davis says he eventually landed on #3 because it looked nice ... and it was also the digit he rocked when he first started hoopin' in elementary school.

Jon Gruden said this week he expects "more drama" involving Antonio Brown ... and guess what -- he got it.

The Oakland Raiders superstar has been sued by his famous personal trainer who claims the WR stiffed him out of thousands of dollars stemming from a week-long off-season workout program.

The man behind the suit is Sean Pena -- who's trained pro athletes like NFL star Darius Leonard.

Pena somehow connected with Antonio Brown in 2019 -- and the two started working out together.

Pena claims AB had him fly up to NorCal for one week of hardcore training in April -- and he even posted footage of the two grinding it out in the gym at the University of California Berkeley.

They did everything from foot speed drills to weight training, balance work and water-resistance work in a pool. The sessions actually looked pretty intense.

But, when it came time to pay up, according to the lawsuit ... Brown never ponied up the dough.

According to court docs, obtained by TMZ Sports, Pena is demanding $7,194.81 for "unpaid therapy and training services; agreed-upon reimbursement for hotels, airfare, rental car, and [miscellaneous fees], in addition to late penalties disclosed on accepted invoice."

The case has already been assigned a trial date for October -- which will go down unless the two sides can reach a settlement before that.

When reached for comment, Brown's attorney, Darren Heitner, tells TMZ Sports ... "Mr. Brown has already paid the Plaintiff everything that he was due. The Plaintiff has no foundation for coming after Mr. Brown, and we will ensure that this case disposed of quickly."

FYI, Brown signed a 3-year, $50 MILLION contract with the Raiders during the off-season.

Kevin Durant seems to be making great progress -- because the NBA superstar was out in Los Angeles on Wednesday ... cruisin' around the restaurant scene WITHOUT crutches!

Remember, Durant tore his right Achilles on June 10 during Game 5 of the 2019 NBA Finals ... but the recovery is expected to be so tough, he could miss the entire 2019-20 season.

Which is why we were so impressed when we saw KD walking out of Catch restaurant in L.A. -- sure, there was a little hitch in his giddy up ... but overall, he was moving pretty well.

Durant didn't have much to say when we asked him about his comeback, but his legs did all the talking for him.

Of course, the last time we saw Durant ... he was leaving an office building in NYC with his leg bandaged and a medical scooter in tow.

Despite the injury, 30-year-old Durant signed a MASSIVE new contract with the Brooklyn Nets ... 4 years, $164 million.

If he does make it back for next season, Durant will join Kyrie Irving and DeAndre Jordan on a Brooklyn team that could be VERY dangerous.

Lamar Odom's professional days on the hardwood might finally be over ... so says BIG3 coach Reggie Theus, who tells TMZ Sports he just doesn't think LO wants it badly enough.

"I just don't know if he's hungry enough if that's what he really wants to do," Theus says.

Odom just got the boot from the BIG3 earlier this month ... and our sources tell us it's because the 39-year-old just wasn't in shape to play.

When we got Reggie -- who coaches the league's Bivouac team -- out at LAX this week, he echoed those sentiments ... telling us he didn't really get the vibe Odom was taking the whole pro basketball thing seriously.

"You gotta be hungry," Theus says ... "You can't play this game not being hungry."

For his part, Odom acknowledges his whole BIG3 career was a "setback" ... but he told the guys on "TMZ Live" last week he still has his sights set on playing overseas.

Theus ain't so sure that's going to work out for the ex-NBA star ... telling us straight-up, "He's got other stuff going on -- sometimes you just got to be able to make a pivot."

"You can't play forever."

Tristan Thompson is finally clearing the air about the circumstances under which he met Khloe Kardashian ... and he's also defending his other baby mama.

Tristan on Wednesday debunked a report he had reunited with his first baby mama, Jordan Craig. There were reports Tristan, Jordan and their 2-year-old son, Prince, recently went on family vacay in Jamaica ... making it seem as if they were rekindling an old flame.

Tristan says there's ZERO truth to that ... and adds he's spent the last few months preparing for the NBA season, and that's it -- zero summer vacations. As for how the story took off ... seems Tristan posting a picture of Prince on a yacht in Jamaica made some people think he was there, but he's adamant he was not.

Then there's this ... in a second tweet, Tristan played a little belated defense, adamantly saying he met Khloe when he was single. As we reported ... there have been longtime allegations she cheated with Tristan at the expense of Jordan.

At the time, Khloe's story was Tristan pleading with her that his relationship with Jordan was over long before they met. He's backing that up now, insisting he was absolutely a free agent.

Someone's really screwed the pooch this time -- at least that's how the owner of a reigning dog surfing champ feels after getting blocked from defending the crown.

Sources connected to the World Dog Surfing Championships, going down in San Fran this weekend, tell TMZ ... the reason Gidget The Pug was not invited back to compete this year -- after winning 2 categories last year, including the Goughnuts Top Dogs Award -- is Gidget's owner's fault.

We're told Gidget's owner was pissed that despite her pooch's victories, she was not featured in press materials or social media campaigns. Instead, WDSC hyped another doggo named Derby ... who's bigger and rocked shades while hanging 20.

Our Dog Surfing sources say the owner was constantly blowing up event staff and organizers demanding Gidget get more promotional face time. Not only that, but we're told the owner was riling up folks in the pug community to crap on the event.

We're told WDSC's top dogs made a call to cut loose Gidget and her owner.

Now, as for what the owner has to say about this ... she feels strongly Gidget was snubbed, but doesn't understand why. The owner claims that after making a simple request to get Gidget's photo in a WDSC press release, the event staff got argumentative and demanded the medals and accolades back.

The owner says she didn't budge on that. She says Gidget also won a bunch of categories in 2017 and claims the pup was slighted then too. Her biggest complaint is the lack of recognition is sabotaging Gidget's shot at a book deal. No joke.

Master P says he's thrilled his pal, Michael Thomas, signed a $100 MIL contract with the Saints -- but he's warning the WR to be SMART with his cash so he doesn't end up like Adrian Peterson.

Of course, Master P is like the King of New Orleans -- he knows everyone down there including Michael and his dad, "Big Mike."

The No Limit boss says Michael's dad played a huge role in helping the 26-year-old land that fat 5-year, $100 million deal ... telling TMZ Sports, "Fathers and sons are winning!"

Master P famously made a FORTUNE during his days as a hip-hop mogul -- so he's offering up some tips for Thomas so he can STAY RICH after his NFL career is over.

"Invest in stuff that you believe in. Don't let these financial advisers steal your money like it's been happening [to guys like] Kevin Garnett, Adrian Peterson."

"Watch your money, write your own checks," P said ... adding, "Invest time into economics, into banking."

In other words, don't bury your head in the sand when it comes to your money -- the best person you can trust when it comes to your finances is YOURSELF!!!

As for Peterson, he's made more than $100 mil during his storied NFL career -- but he's reportedly fallen into debt and can't pay his way out of it.

Ex-Pittsburgh Steelers running back and former NFL analyst Merril Hoge says Roundup weed killer caused him to get cancer back in 2003 ... and now, he's suing.

The 54-year-old says he first mixed and sprayed the popular weed killer all over while he was working on a farm in Idaho back in 1977.

Twenty-six years later -- in Feburary 2003 -- he was diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma ... and now, he's claiming it's the weed killer's fault.

In a new lawsuit obtained by TMZ Sports, Hoge says the makers of Roundup -- Monsanto Company -- knew an ingredient called glyphosate could potentially cause cancer ... but says they failed to properly warn him of the risks.

Hoge says if he had known the chemical's side effects ... he would have used a different, less dangerous product.

Now, Hoge is suing the company for an undisclosed amount ... claiming it caused him "life-threatening" cancer as well as a "diminished enjoyment of life."

For its part, Monsanto has categorically denied its product causes cancer.

Hoge played 8 seasons in the NFL -- 7 with the Steelers -- from 1987 to 1994 ... before head injuries forced him to retire after the '94 season.