TMZ Sports - Page 50

Drew Lock and his bombshell GF are keepin' the fabric to a minimum on their romantic getaway ... 'cause the Broncos QB's wearing a super-short pair of shorts posted up with his bikini-clad lady!!

The rookie is proving he's a seasoned vet in the vacation department ... hitting up Turks and Caicos with Natalie Newman ... and the pics are hotter than the 79 degree weather!!

Of course, Lock was a stud at Mizzou before going to the Broncos in the 2nd round of the NFL Draft. Newman is a Buffalo who attended Colorado.

The couple went IG official in 2019 ... and they've been posting adorable stuff ever since.

"Shore do love ya," Natalie captioned her beach pic with Drew. Cute, right?

Drew shared a tribute to his boo on Jan 1, saying "Happy New Year but most importantly Happy Birthday to this beautiful woman."

"I’m so thankful 2019 brought you into my life, you bring so many smiles to my face effortlessly! I can’t wait to see what 2020 brings us."

Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson says he's in pieces over his dad's death ... writing in an emotional goodbye letter to his father, "I wish I had one more shot to tell you, I love you."

Rocky "Soulman" Johnson died suddenly at 75 years old on Wednesday ... and in Dwayne's first public words since the tragic news, The Rock said he's broken up over it all.

"You were ripped away from me so fast without warning," he said. "Gone in an instant and no coming back. I'm in pain."

But, Dwayne said he's taking steps to try to move on ... and praised his dad for being a pioneer and trailblazer in the wrestling world.

"You lived a very full, very hard, barrier breaking life and left it all in the ring," Dwayne said. "I love you dad and I’ll always be your proud and grateful son."

Rocky started out in the National Wrestling Alliance in the 1960s but gained fame after he joined the WWE in the 80s. He and Tony Atlas became the org's first African-American tag team champions as The Soul Patrol.

Rocky retired from wrestling in 1991 ... and, afterward, had a huge hand in helping mold Dwayne into one of the most popular wrestlers EVER.

"I'll carry your mana and work ethic with me as it’s time to move on because I have my family to feed and work to accomplish," Dwayne said. "Finally, I want you to rest your trailblazing soul, Soulman."

"They got a good one now, even though they're trying to impeach the son of a bitch, can you believe that??"

President Trump was in a playful mood about the ongoing impeachment trial while hosting the LSU Tigers on Friday ... joking about the process and saying America's in good hands.

POTUS was cracking jokes left and right while praising the Tigers for their title ... with Ed Orgeron's voice, Ja'Marr Chase, Justin Jefferson and Joe Burrow on the receiving end of his quips.

Trump made sure he got some of his own bragging in before celebrating the Tigers' successful season ... praising the stock market.

"We just had another all-time high for our stock market just hit. So, that will be 149 times in the past 3 years. That's not bad. Coach, that's good, right?"

Of course, Trump eventually got back to football ... praising players like Burrow, Jefferson and Chase, who POTUS questioned whether he could beat in a race.

Trump also mentioned the infamous Clemson White House visit last season ... saying the team ate so much of his fast-food buffet, "we didn't know what the hell to do."

Charles Barkley's incessant attack on Draymond Green has entered 2020 ... with Chuck straight-up roasting the Warriors star for "averaging that triple-single."

A bit of a history lesson -- Barkley absolutely LOVES to insult Day Day with a burning passion ... it's so real that he once said he wanted to "punch him in the face so bad."

The 2 ended up squashing that beef (kinda) back in 2018 ... but the Hall of Famer decided to bring life back into their drama by calling out Green's stat line during Thursday night's "Inside the NBA."

“Draymond don’t talk as much since he averaging that triple-single," Barkley said.

FYI -- Green's stat line so far this season is 8 points, 6 rebounds and 5.6 assists.

Shaq and the guys rightfully lost it ... with everyone on the desk laughing.

Here's the coolest video you'll see all day!!

Amateur Canadian golfer Laurent Hurtubise -- who was born without most of his right arm -- was competing in the PGA American Express tournament on Thursday ... when he swung away and sank a hole-in-one!!!

It all went down at the 4th hole of the PGA West Stadium Course in La Quinta, CA ... which is a 151-yard par-3 hole.

Hurtubise has been playing golf since he was 11 ... and has worked his whole life to be an inspiration to people living with similar conditions.

The best part?? He did it with a bunch of pros watching ... and the whole group lost it when he hit the shot!!

"That was the coolest experience I've had on the golf course," Troy Merritt said.

Fellow tour member Greg Chalmers added ... "It landed around the front of the green and we were all watching it closely as it tracked toward the hole and then, bang, it disappeared."

"We all went up in celebration and Laurent went ballistic and maybe let out a few choice words, but who could blame him? It was an incredible shot."

Laila Ali believes SHE'S the greatest ... NOT Claressa Shields ... claiming she would WRECK the reigning women's boxing champ because Shields lacks the talent.

Shocking comments from the daughter of Muhammad Ali, who had a GREAT boxing career herself back in the day -- finishing 24-0 and racking up every belt she could along the way.

Now, with 24-year-old Shields obliterating opponents left and right ... there have been some comparisons made between her and Laila -- and Laila AIN'T HAVIN' IT!!!

"First of all, she could never beat me. Let me get that really straight right now," 42-year-old Ali said on 'Sway in the Morning.'

"Not simply because she's not strong enough, because I would definitely knock her out, because she's not talented enough."

"You're talented. You can box. You can throw those hard punches. But there's a sweet science to boxing."

"The reason you have not been able to knock out the opponents that you have faced, I can totally see it."

As for Shields, she respectfully disagrees with Laila. A fan tried talking trash to Shields on Twitter ... saying, "42 yr old Laila Ali would destroy and humble you."

Claressa responded, "No she wouldn’t but thanks telling me your thoughts."

The San Francisco Giants just made a groundbreaking addition to their coaching staff -- the organization just hired the first full-time female coach in MLB history!!!

Alyssa Nakken -- who worked with the Giants' health and wellness initiatives and events the past 2 years -- was a superstar for the Sacramento State softball team from 2009-12.

The 29-year-old was a 4-time All-Pacific Coast Softball Conference selection and was first-team all-league in 2012.

Giants manager Gabe Kapler introduced Nakken and fellow assistant coach Mark Hallberg on Thursday ... saying, "Alyssa and Mark are highly respected members of the organization and I'm delighted that they will now focus their talents on helping to build a winning culture in the clubhouse."

"In every organization, environment affects performance, and baseball clubhouses are no different. That's why in addition to assisting the rest of the coaching staff on the field, Mark and Alyssa will focus on fostering a clubhouse culture that promotes high performance through, among other attributes, a deep sense of collaboration and team."

Troubled NFL receiver Antonio Callaway has found a new home -- he's signed with the XFL's Tampa Bay Vipers.

The 23-year-old was a stud for the Cleveland Browns when he was on the field ... but that became less frequent when he faced several suspensions for off-field incidents.

But, the ex-Florida Gator has an opportunity to put all that behind him -- and in his home state -- by signing with the Vipers on Thursday.

It's worth noting -- if the XFL maintained its zero-tolerance policy on players having a criminal record, Callaway wouldn't be getting this opportunity. But, the new league has since backtracked on that stance.

Callaway -- currently suspended by the NFL -- was punished multiple times for getting into legal trouble ... including an August 2018 arrest for having weed and gun parts in his car.

AC also had difficulty getting to games and practice on time ... and the Browns eventually decided to cut him in November. His current NFL career stats stand at 51 receptions for 675 yards and 5 TDs.

Jose Altuve is VEHEMENTLY denying he ever wore any sort of device to steal signs ... saying he wasn't electronically tipped off before his ALCS-winning home run -- or EVER.

Video of Altuve begging his teammates not to rip his jersey off after sealing the pennant in 2019 has gone viral ... with fans speculating he had a buzzer strapped to him to cheat.

But, Altuve is working to clear his name ... flat-out saying all that talk is BS, via his agent Scott Boras.

“Jose Altuve called me and said he wants it known that he has never, ever worn an electronic device in a major league game -- ever," Boras told Sports Illustrated.

More off-the-field drama for LSU ... we've just learned a bus carrying 25 to 30 family members and close friends of the national champs was just involved in a minor crash.

We're told the bus was traveling on the I-110 North in Baton Rouge on the way to the airport Thursday around 12 PM PT to fly out to Washington D.C. for the upcoming White House ceremony with President Trump.

One source tells us it was raining -- the roads were slippery -- and during the ride, a small red car lost control and hit the bus before slamming into a barricade.

All vehicles involved immediately stopped -- the red car's airbags deployed.

We're told EMTs responded to the scene and came onto the bus to see if everyone was okay. No one required medical attention.

None of the athletes were on the bus -- the team bus was in the caravan but not involved in the accident.

The Carushow may be making a stop in Chicago ... 'cause the 3rd round of NBA All-Star Game fan votes have been released ... and Alex Caruso is near the top of the list!!!

FYI, fans account for 50% of the overall All-Star voting. NBA players account for 25% and a media panel gets 25%.

The L.A. Lakers guard has become a phenomenon in the NBA over the past few seasons ... there have been memes, highlight reels and a bunch of other tributes to the 25-year-old from his cult following.

It's gotten to the point where LeBron James even calls his teammate the "G.O.A.T." every time they run into each other.

Caruso Mania has taken another step on Thursday ... 'cause the beloved player has gotten more All-Star fan votes than superstars like Russell Westbrook, Steph Curry (who has only played 4 games this season due to injury), Devin Booker and Donovan Mitchell in the West.

As of this post, Alex has more than 894k fan votes!!! Seriously, the dude's even beating guys in the East like Kyle Lowry, Ben Simmons and Bradley Beal.

Yes ... it's that wild.

FYI -- 5 starters and 7 reserve players get picked for the game ... and Caruso is currently 4th in the conference for guards.

Realistically, Caruso probably won't make the final All-Star squad ... but it's fun to watch!!

Oh, and the "Bald Eagle" ain't the only fan favorite getting major love ... the 7'6" Boston Celtics giant Tacko Fall is still a possibility to make it in the East ... he's 6th in the frontcourt with more than 757k fan votes!!!

Antonio Brown has been fired by his powerful NFL agent Drew Rosenhaus -- who says he won't work with the embattled WR again until he gets professional help.

Rosenhaus -- who has worked with Brown for years -- sent a letter to the NFL Players Association saying he wants to work with AB again, but strongly believes Antonio needs counsel first, this according to ESPN's Adam Schefter.

Rosenhaus -- whose client list includes stars like Tyreek Hill and Rob Gronkowski -- had been sticking by AB's side through all the drama with the Steelers, Raiders and Patriots ... but now it's clear he's reached his breaking point.

In fact, Brown recently had a workout with the New Orleans Saints but reportedly blew it -- bringing an entourage and camera crew despite being told NOT to do that.

Heads continue to roll in the wake of the Astros' bombshell cheating scandal ... NY Mets manager Carlos Beltran is stepping down because of his role in the scheme.

Major League Baseball announced its findings Monday in the investigation into allegations Houston stole signs beginning in 2017 ... and in the report, it said Beltran was one of the initiators of the cheating.

According to commissioner Rob Manfred, Carlos told the team they could benefit from stealing signs.

From there, Manfred said the 'Stros ran with the idea ... and continued to cheat by filming catchers' signs, decoding them and relaying them to batters using a dugout trash can.

Most of the major players in the scheme have lost their jobs after the findings of the probe were announced ... Astros manager A.J. Hinch, Houston GM Jeff Luhnow AND Red Sox manager Alex Cora (who was the 'Stros' bench coach at the time) are all OUT of their jobs.

Now, Beltran and the Mets have followed suit.

It's a bummer for NY ... they JUST hired Carlos in November to replace Mickey Callaway -- and Alex Rodriguez told us he expected HUGE things from the guy in New York.

Originally Published -- 10:12 AM PT

Shaq's decision to pass on signing 'NSYNC after helping the boy band get off the ground is still tearing up Lance Bass' heart -- but he says there still would've been one major issue.

We got the singer at Villa Blanca in Bev Hills and our guy asked about Shaq coming thiiis close to signing 'NSYNC and the Backstreet Boys way back in the '90s.

Shaq's already said not signing the group is one of the biggest mistakes he's ever made, and Lance told us ... he couldn't agree more.

As you know ... 'NSYNC owes a lot of its early success to Shaq. Lance revealed their connection a couple years ago, telling us the NBA superstar lent them the recording studio in his Orlando mansion when they were starting out.

Lance says he 100 percent wishes the big fella pulled the trigger and signed them -- but adds he's not certain Shaq could've saved them from manager Lou Pearlman and his infamous ponzi scheme.

Ahhh, hindsight.

More trouble for Odell Beckham ... a warrant for his arrest has been issued by a judge after the NFL star slapped a security officer in the ass during the LSU locker room celebration.

"We can confirm a warrant has been issued on a charge of simple battery," a spokesperson for the New Orleans Police Dept. tells TMZ Sports.

And, get this ... authorities initially sought to charge Beckham with misdemeanor sexual battery, according to Nola.com ... but a judge wouldn't approve it. Instead, the judge agreed the simple battery charge was more appropriate.

Footage of the incident went viral ... Beckham was celebrating with the LSU football team after they won the National Championship at the Superdome on Monday night when the incident went down.

A guard -- who TMZ Sports has confirmed is part of the Mercedes-Benz Superdome security team -- appeared to be policing players over cigar smoking in the locker room when Odell reached back and slapped the guy HARD right on his ass.

If convicted, 27-year-old Beckham faces up to 6 months in jail and a $1,000 fine.

Manny Pacquiao is heartbroken over the devastation the Taal Volcano is causing in the Philippines ... and now he's begging for help, saying he'll double anyone's donations to relief efforts.

The small volcano -- located less than 100 miles south of Manila -- began erupting over the weekend ... and it's ravaged the region -- forcing tens of thousands out of their homes.

And, according to reports, there's still concern a massive, hazardous, explosive eruption could happen.

Pacquiao -- who was born in the Philippines and currently sits as the country's senator -- is trying his best to help in relief efforts ... donating food, items and money -- but he's asking for much more.

"Whatever we raise," Pacquiao said in a video message Thursday, "all the donations, whatever it costs, I will double that so we can help more people."

Pacquiao says the disaster hits very close to home for him ... not just because he grew up in the region -- but because he went through homelessness and poverty as a youngster as well.

"I've experienced not having anything to eat and not having a place to sleep," Pacquiao said. "These people need our help."