TMZ Sports - Page 50

Great news for Hope Solo ... the soccer superstar announced she's pregnant with twins --more than a year after she almost died during a tragic miscarriage.

"Miniature soccer team on the way," Solo announced while cohosting "BeIN Sports USA" with George D. Metellus ... "One boy and one girl."

Solo is married to ex-NFL tight end Jerramy Stevens.

Earlier this year, Solo revealed her struggled with fertility to Elle Magazine -- explaining how she had become pregnant in early 2018 ... but things did not go as planned.

A week after learning she had miscarried twins, Solo felt sick and in pain -- and was told one was ectopic (which means the pregnancy happens outside the uterus).

Solo says she needed surgery to remove her fallopian tube and was told she was "hours from dying."

38-year-old Hope told Elle she began IVF treatment soon after -- and now she's preggo again!

No word on when the babies are due -- but Solo joked that when they're born, they could be the next big U.S. soccer stars.

Solo is the greatest female goalkeeper in Team USA soccer history -- and famously won the Golden Glove (given to the best goalkeeper) for the 2011 and 2015 World Cup.

DUBBBB CLUBBBB!!!!!

New Orleans Saints coach Sean Payton turned his team's locker room into a nightclub after beating the hell out of the Colts on Monday night ... and the guys LOVED IT!!!

Quarterback Teddy Bridgewater (per usual) and linebacker Craig Robertson were front and center on the dance the floor ... cutting a rug like they just won the Super Bowl.

Other squad mates eventually joined in on the party too ... with guys going crazy to flashing lights and loud music!!!

Seriously, it was pretty awesome.

Of course, the Saints had a lot of reasons to celebrate ... they destroyed Indianapolis, 34-7 -- while Drew Brees passed Peyton Manning on the all-time touchdown passes list.

The Saints still have some work to do to lock up a high postseason seed ... they need a few things to break their way in order to get a first-round bye.

Meet the newest Splash Bro ... Trey Lyles!!!

Check out the San Antonio Spurs player accidentally dumping a fan's pricey beer at the Toyota Center in Houston on Monday ... and her reaction is priceless!!

It all started when Rockets star Russell Westbrook fired a pass that went into the stands -- directly crushing a woman's beer.

That's when Lyles went over to retrieve the ball -- which was under a seat -- and as he flipped it up to himself, he knocked ANOTHER woman's beer right out of her hand ... sending beer suds everywhere!

You can see the woman's face ... she ain't happy (Hey, beer at NBA games ain't cheap!!!)

Hopefully, SOMEONE (hint, hint Spurs) hooked up a replacement brew for the fan -- and maybe some towels for everyone in the area who got soaked in the process!

As for the action ON the court -- the Rockets eventually won the game 109 to 107.

Floyd Mayweather is mocking Manny Pacquiao -- and he wants the world to see it -- more proof he's trying to bait the fighter into a rematch in 2020.

The undefeated 42-year-old was signing autographs at the Art of Music shop inside the MGM Grand in Vegas over the weekend ... when a fan asked Floyd to sign a ticket from the 2015 Mayweather vs. Pacquiao fight.

Get this ... fans were NOT allowed to carry cell phones while interacting with Floyd, but when Mayweather saw the item, he told the fan to go out and grab his phone so he could record "something special."

When the guy returned, Floyd put on a show -- saying, "So, what I'm about to do right now is sign 'Victim 48,'" Floyd said ... a reference to Manny being the 48th fighter Floyd defeated.

"So, what I'm gonna go for you ... I gotta cross him out!"

That's when Floyd grabbed a pen and scratched a big ol' "X" over Manny's face!

As we previously reported, Floyd is dead serious about a boxing comeback in 2020 -- he wants two more fights -- and one of his main targets is Manny.

Floyd is a master of promotion and knows better than anyone how to drum up interest in a major pop culture event ... just ask Conor McGregor!

Of course, Floyd handily defeated Pacquiao when they first clashed back in 2015 -- but Manny was nursing an injured shoulder at the time.

Since then, Manny's been VERY impressive in the ring ... defeating top fighters like Adrien Broner and Keith Thurman.

Floyd knows a rematch with Pacquiao could generate another 9-figure paycheck ... and this seems like a very calculated first step to get the ball rolling.

BTW, the fan with the 1-of-a-kind signed ticket is trying to cash in ... 'cause he's put it up for auction with eBay.

Stay tuned ...

Gerrit Cole has arrived in NYC -- and here's the first video of the superstar pitcher talking about his new team, his new $324 million deal ... and the Yanks famous NO-BEARD policy!

The 29-year-old was swarmed by fans on the way into the Mandarin Hotel in New York where he signed baseballs, posed for selfies and was super nice to the media.

The questions were rapid-fire ... but here's the gist of it.

-- Cole says signing with the Yanks was a hard decision, which is shocking considered he had 324 MILLION reasons to put pen to paper.

-- Cole explained why he's excited to be a part of one of the most storied franchises in all of pro sports ... "The history. The fans. Competitiveness."

-- And, the beard ... that famous, beautiful beard? He seems to be coming to terms with the fact it's a goner.

We asked Gerrit if he would try and keep his scruff or if he would embrace the Yanks decades-long, clean-cut tradition.

"That's nuts," Cole said ... before saying he would "unfortunately" part ways with his face-warmer. (At least that's what it sounded like he told us. It was super loud.)

The Yankees' courtship of Cole has been one of the biggest stories in baseball ... the guy had a ton of suitors in free agency these past few weeks -- from the Yanks to the Dodgers to the Angels. Everyone was willing to throw insane amounts of cash at him.

Of course, Cole ultimately landed with NY ... and despite him saying it wasn't the easiest choice ever -- he added he's sure as hell happy he made it.

That's a wrap for Josh Gordon ... again.

The insanely talented wide receiver has just been suspended again by the NFL after failing another drug test, league officials say.

"Josh Gordon of the Seattle Seahawks has been suspended indefinitely without pay for violating the NFL policies on performance-enhancing substances and substances of abuse."

Unclear exactly what Gordon tested positive for -- but his battle with substance abuse over the years is no secret.

The 28-year-old star missed the entire 2015 and 2016 NFL seasons for substance abuse issues back when he was with the Cleveland Browns.

The Browns eventually had enough of the drama and traded him to the New England Patriots back in 2018 ... but his problems didn't stop there.

At the end of the 2018 season, Gordon violated the league's drug policy again and missed the entire postseason ... including the Super Bowl, when the Pats beat the Rams.

The Patriots eventually cut Gordon during the 2019 season and he was picked up by the Seahawks.

Unclear if the Pats knew a suspension was coming when they cut him ... but now it seems like they knew something was wrong.

THIS IS INSANE!!!

The heavyweight boxing champ of South Africa was injured when the ring ropes SNAPPED during his warm-up and he fell out of the ring ... and the whole thing was caught on video.

Ruann Visser (18-2) -- 6'10", 287 lbs. -- was testing out the ropes before his main event title fight in Cape Town on Monday against undefeated Tian Fick (8-0) ... when something went horribly wrong.

The top rope appeared to snap and 29-year-old Visser went flying backward out of the ring, crashing headfirst on the hard ground.

Visser reportedly suffered injuries in the fall -- and while details on his condition are unclear, doctors on the scene determined he was too hurt to fight and called off the bout.

It's a big bummer for the South African boxing community ... the tilt between Visser and Fick was reportedly set to be the first heavyweight title fight in Cape Town since 2000.

"I believe this fight is not going to go the distance, the person who has the bigger will is going to win this fight," promoter Jack Brice told IOL leading up to the fight.

"It’s good for Cape Town, it’s good for South Africa, and it’s good for boxing."

Unclear if or when the two will reschedule the match ... we're still waiting on word for just how injured Visser was in the fall.

The absolute dumpster fire of a season keeps getting worse for the Cleveland Browns. Reportedly.

It was bad enough that Cleveland got wrecked by the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday ... but now SI's Mike Silver says Browns' superstar WR Jarvis Landry was asking his opponents to "come get me" during the bad loss.

Of course, this is on the heels of Jay Glazer's report claiming Odell Beckham told teams the same thing earlier this season ... even though OBJ has denied wanting out.

Things got tense on the sidelines between Landry and Freddie Kitchens on Sunday, with Jarvis visibly upset with his head coach during the 38-24 loss to the Cards.

Fast forward to Silver, who says "multiple" sources claim Landry -- and other Browns players -- practically begged Arizona's sidelines to save them from their misery.

... Which is saying A LOT, considering the Cardinals are 4-9-1 (if the report is accurate).

This season has been a disaster for the Browns ... they were considered to be legit Super Bowl contenders during the off-season but have wildly underachieved.

You'd think international soccer superstar Zlatan Ibrahimovic would be a LITTLE upset that vandals keep targeting his statue in Sweden ... but it seems the guy couldn't care less.

The massive statue of the Swedish-born star -- located outside of the soccer stadium in Malmo -- has been defaced multiple times since it was installed back in October.

It's been set on fire, sprayed with paint, someone hung a toilet seat from the arm, a noose around the neck ... and just a few days ago, someone used a saw to try and cut off his feet!!

So, when we saw Zlatan leaving Delilah in West Hollywood over the weekend, we asked how he felt about the damage to his beloved statue.

"I didn't see it," Zlatan told TMZ Sports ... a shocking reaction considering the constant attacks have been covered by every major media outlet in the world from CNN to ESPN, the BBC and more.

In fact, police in Malmo have told reporters they're actively investigating the attacks.

So, why is Zlatan's statue being targeted?

The short answer is Malmo supporters are pissed at Ibra for buying an ownership stake in another Swedish pro team, Hammarby -- which operates out of Stockholm.

Angry Malmo fans feel Zlatan betrayed their team -- since he started his career in Malmo. Some critics have even referred to the star as "Judas" and spray-painted the name on the door of a property he owns.

Tamara Ecclestone -- daughter Formula 1 racing boss Bernie Ecclestone -- was targeted by burglars who stole $67 MILLION in jewelry from her London home, officials say.

35-year-old Tamara reportedly had left the country for the Christmas holidays and while she was gone, multiple people broke into the Kensington Palace Gardens estate where she lives with husband Jay Rutland and made off with a killing.

The burglars allegedly entered the home through a garden area and bee-lined it straight for Tamara's bedroom where they took everything from earrings to rings to bracelets ... they basically hit the jackpot.

A spokesperson the Ecclestones says Tamara is "angry and shaken" -- especially since she was counting on her home's high-end security system and 24-hour security to keep her stuff safe.

"I can sadly confirm there has been a home invasion at the Ecclestone-Rutland family home."

Officials say 3 suspects were eventually spotted by security and ran off. No arrests have been made.

Some people suspect the hit was an inside job -- obviously, officials are on the hunt as we speak.

The Ecclestone family is reportedly worth more than $3 BILLION -- remember, her sister, Petra, famously bought Candy Spelling's Holmby Hills mansion for $85 million ... and later sold it for $120 MIL.

The Ecclestone home is located in a very exclusive area known as "Billionaires' Row" ... home of some of the most expensive properties in the world.

An Army cadet and a Navy midshipmen flashed a hand gesture symbolizing white power during a Live TV shot at the Army vs. Navy football game this weekend ... and now officials from both camps are investigating.

The symbol is a version of the A-okay hand gesture -- which, over the years, has been co-opted by white supremacists, according to the Anti-Defamation League and other groups.

Fast forward to Saturday ... when ESPN's Rece Davis was doing a live shot in front of uniformed Army cadets and Navy midshipmen, when TWO men appeared to intentionally throw up the hand sign -- one from each side.

Now, both Army and Navy say they're investigating.

On the Army side, West Point spokesperson Lt. Col. Chris Ophardt told the Wall Street Journal, "We’re looking into it."

On the Navy side, US Naval Academy spokesperson Cmdr. Alana Garas said, "We are aware and will be looking into it."

Babe Ruth's 500th home run bat has a new owner ... and it came with a price tag of ONE MILLION FREAKIN' DOLLARS!!

TMZ Sports has learned ... the piece of baseball history was scooped up by an unidentified buyer in SCP Auction's huge event on Saturday ... going for a record $1,000,800.

The bat -- used to break the 500-HR mark on August 11, 1929 -- was gifted to longtime friend Jim Rice and has maintained great condition through the years.

BTW -- the stick was authenticated by a bat expert, so you know it's the real deal.

SCP President David Kohler spoke about the big sell, saying “Babe Ruth memorabilia continues to be among the most prized artifacts for all worldwide collectors ... and this outstanding bat proved that once again.”

There was a bunch of other awesome stuff that found new homes as well -- Mickey Mantle's World Series ring ($100k), A-Rod's 600th career home run ball ($97.7k), Joe Lapchick's game-worn jersey ($151k).

The Babe bat made its way to the TMZ office before being handed off to its rightful owner ... and the fellas on the "TMZ Sports" TV show (weeknights on FS1) totally geeked out over it.

Congrats to the mystery buyer!!

The Black Hole turned on Derek Carr in a HURRY Sunday, 'cause after the Raiders lost to the Jags -- the QB was booed off the field ... all while fans hurled trash into the endzone!

The wild scene all went down in the final Raiders game ever at the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum ... where fans were clearly pissed that the team blew a 16-3 lead to Jacksonville.

As Carr was leaving the grass ... fans rained down boos on the 28-year-old -- and once he made his way into the locker room -- things turned chaotic.

Video from the scene captured fans throwing trash and food all over the place ... and one reporter claims she even saw a woman gushing blood from her forehead.

A man was also taken off the field by stadium security ... and the whole thing was an awful look for the Raiders in their last game in the Bay Area before their move to Las Vegas.

Of course, hours before the disappointing 20-16 L ... things were much happier -- 'cause Marshawn Lynch handed out shots of tequila to the crowd!!

Pics of the ex-Oakland star running back in the parking lot were pretty epic ... Lynch was giving out shot glasses like water!!

"He must want to die."

That's UFC welterweight champ Kamaru Usman reacting to Conor McGregor after the Irishman suggested the two could fight down the line.

After Kamaru broke Colby Covington's jaw and spirit at UFC 245 on Saturday, Conor tweeted out "145. 155. 170" ... and since he's won belts at 145 and 155, the insinuation is that he wants a crack at Kamaru's title.

So, we asked Kamaru about a possible scrap with McGregor -- and Usman didn't hold back.

"You saw what Khabib did to him," Usman tells TMZ Sports ... "Like, oh my god. It wouldn’t even be fair if I fought Conor."

"Much respect to Conor for what he’s done for this sport and transcended it, but nah, this is not what you want."

"Sit down, little man! Sit down! Learn to walk before you can run because I would hurt that guy."

So, who DOES Kamaru want to fight? Georges St-Pierre.

"If I had to choose, of course, I want Georges ... I want GSP."

Of course, St-Pierre officially retired from MMA earlier this year ... but there are rumblings he's down for one last scrap if the situation is right.

Kamaru says he has tremendous respect for GSP, but if the two get into the Octagon together, Usman tells us, "I think I'll finish him."

And, if you're still reveling in Usman's victory over Colby and wanna see Kamaru talk even more trash ... watch the clip below.

Kamaru says he's super proud for shutting Colby's mouth -- and get this, he explains why he still wants to take the UFC belt to the White House to meet Donald Trump.

Here's Tom Brady being a G.O.A.T. teammate ... claiming the newly released Spygate II video didn't help the New England Patriots at all!!

... Sure, Tom. Sure.

As we previously reported, the Pats are in hot water once again after one of their scouts was caught filming the Cincinnati Bengals' sideline just days before their game last week.

Fox Sports' Jay Glazer released a portion of the footage ... and it sure as hell looks like the Pats were spying.

But, in an interview on WEEI's "The Greg Hill Show" ... Brady backed his team by claiming the video didn't help the Patriots one bit!!

"I don't think any player gave it one second of thought," TB12 said. "It's not something that registered."

Brady added, "You just move on, man. There's a lot of distractions out there."

Of course, as much as Brady downplays it ... the vid really is a rough look for New England -- which had previously been heavily punished for spying on opponents back in 2007.

In the new footage, you can hear a Bengals staffer giving the Patriots scout the business over filming their sideline ... saying, "C'mon, guys! I don't see the advanced scout in this footage!"

First, they crushed the Broncos, then Chiefs superstars Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce hit the club HARD ... raging their faces off like they just won the Super Bowl!

Of course, they're FARRRR from the big game ... they beat a struggling Denver team 23-3 in a snowstorm while at home in Kansas City. But, who cares, IT'S WIN RIGHT?!

After the game, Mahomes and Kelce -- and their girlfriends -- hit up a local K.C. nightclub and TURNED ALL THE WAY UP!!

They were dancing, they were singing ... and Patrick's GF, Brittany Matthews, was chugging booze from the bottle while Kelce's GF, Kayla, poured!!!

The Chiefs are now 10-4 and cruising into the playoffs ... where (as of right this second) they're set to take on the Pittsburgh Steelers in the Wild Card round.

The good news for Patrick ... it seems his girlfriend is out of her sad funk after an alleged incident last week with Patriots fans at Gillette Stadium in New England.

As we previously reported, Brittany claims she and Patrick's brother, Jackson Mahomes, had to be moved by security to a safe area because Pats fans were heckling and harassing them.