TMZ Sports - Page 50

John Beilein's brief stint as Cleveland Cavs head coach was nothing short of a dumpster fire ... and it got so bad, the players trolled the dude by referencing his infamous "thugs" comment with the locker-room music.

The 67-year-old's NBA career came to a screeching halt after just 54 games on Tuesday ... with Beilein leaving about $12 million in contract money on the table just to end his misery.

Now, details on his failure of a tenure with the Cavs are coming to the surface ... and it's uglier than imagined. Like, we knew it was bad. But, THIS BAD!?!?!

Remember, back in January ... Beilein called his players a "bunch of thugs" in a film session and later insisted he meant to say "slugs" instead. He claimed it was an innocent slip.

Beilein apologized but it seems the players didn't accept it -- with The Athletic reporting guys in charge of the team's locker-room music would play songs with the word "thug" in the lyrics whenever the coach was around.

According to the report, the "thug" playlist included tracks like "Thuggish Ruggish Bone" by Bone Thugs-n-Harmony, "Thugz Mansion" by Tupac and Trick Daddy's "I'm a Thug."

Among other issues reported -- the players thought Beilein acted like a dictator, over-worked newcomers during Summer League and never really grasped the concept of what an NBA coach was expected to do.

FYI, Beilein was the head coach at the University of Michigan for years before jumping to the NBA. Unclear if he will go back to coaching at the college level again.

Australian F1 superstar Daniel Ricciardo is paying tribute to the late Kobe Bryant with his helmet as the new season kicks off ... showing off a design that would be Mamba-approved.

Ricciardo showed up for the opening of the Formula One preseason with an all-purple helmet ... and later on in the morning, had the design added to complete the NBA legend-inspired look.

The helmet has "KB8" and "KB24" below the visor ... as well as a snake and the words "Mamba Mentality" on top.

Ricciardo is a big NBA supporter and lives in L.A. ... so we take it he was a big fan of Kobe.

The helmet will be used throughout the preseason ... and Ricciardo will reveal a new design in time for the Australian Grand Prix next month.

The Kobe tributes have been pouring in since the tragic accident in January ... from the All-Star Game MVP trophy name change to many Bryant tattoos to players changing their jersey numbers.

"My friend found me in a puddle of blood."

Hayden Hurst -- a 2018 1st-round pick -- says his battle with depression and anxiety got so bad ... he blacked out and cut his wrist in an apparent attempt to kill himself in college.

"I woke up in the hospital," the Baltimore Ravens tight end told First Coast News in Florida this week. "I didn't know what happened. I had to have a friend fill me in."

"Apparently, I had been drinking and went into my apartment and cut my wrist. My friend found me in a puddle of blood. He called 911."

26-year-old Hurst -- who had just joined the University of South Carolina football team at the time -- said the episode was a wake up call for him to seek help for his anxiety issues.

"What happened?" Hurst said he asked himself from the hospital bed at the time. "What are you doing?"

Hayden -- who says he's battled mental health issues for years -- got the help he needed ... and now he says he wants to use his platform as an NFL player to help people in similar situations get assistance.

"For some reason, people equate mental illness with having to be ashamed," Hurst says ... "I don't think it's anything to be ashamed of. Everybody goes through something."

The 6'4", 245-pound tight end admits he still has his struggles, saying he's "not this superhero that's portrayed on TV" ... but he says he's determined to help people regardless.

"If my story is going to change the narrative on this and people are going to talk about it more, then so be it."

It's 42 degrees in New York. 18 degrees in Chicago. And, PERFECT BIKINI WEATHER wherever the hell Lindsey Vonn is!

The world-class ski legend is on a secret trip for a secret project with her adorable pup Lucy Vonn ... and it doesn't take a whole lotta investigative reporting to know it's a bikini thing.

Vonn recently hooked up with L Space -- a bikini company -- and by the looks of things, they made a good choice in a spokesperson!

The 35-year-old Olympic superstar has had a pretty massive year -- she got engaged to her NHL star boyfriend P.K. Subban (remember they proposed to each other?!) and officially retired from competitive downhill skiing.

The good news ... she's got options!

Chad Johnson -- the bad boy from JoJo's season of "The Bachelorette" -- is out for blood ... specifically from Colton Underwood or Nick Viall, but the violence is for a good cause!!!

We got Chad out Tuesday at Elite Boxing Club in the San Fernando Valley, and asked about his boxing match coming up April 22. The event's being dubbed "Battle of the Bachelors" ... and there's only one problem.

Chad doesn't have an opponent, at least not yet. Of course, he has a wish list, and he didn't hesitate to explain why he's dreaming about doing some damage to Nick's "stupid face."

His first choice though is Colton, who of course appeared in Becca's season of "The Bachelorette" ... and later was the Bachelor himself.

Chad's no stranger to beefing with CU, or anyone else in 'Bachelor' nation -- but at least this time it will benefit someone besides Chad. All donations from the event will go to the Grand Bahama Disaster Relief Foundation.

The event -- hosted by alums Corinne Olympios and Josh Murray -- is still 2 months away but Chad's getting a head start on trash talking and training.

Jake Paul says his team is actively in talks with KSI's people to make a boxing super-fight happen ... but tells TMZ Sports he thinks Logan's foe is too chicken to get in the ring!!!

Of course, the younger Paul bro has vowed revenge following Logan's controversial loss to KSI back in November ... and now that he bulldozed his way past AnEsonGib, there's only one fight to make.

We spoke with JP about his fighting future ... and he sees another easy W coming at the hands of KSI VERY soon.

"Our teams are talking," Jake tells us. "I'm telling you, I'm gonna knock this kid out in the 1st round," he said. "I have to avenge the family name."

Jake even adds a direct message for KSI, saying, "I know you're going to be watching this. Stop being an embarrassment. You said you'd fight me and I embarrassed your friend, who you said was gonna beat me. I think you have to take this fight."

Jake believes his words are gonna fall on deaf ears though .. saying KSI watched his fight and realized Paul might be too skilled in the ring now.

"I think deep down, (he) saw my performance and is like, 'wow, do I really need to like risk this? I can just YouTube and make shitty music.' That's what he's thinking."

As for a fight date?? Jake makes it clear he doesn't wanna waste any time -- he says he's down to scrap right now!!

Mark Richt said to hell with a steak dinner at a 5-star restaurant for his birthday ... the ex-Georgia and Miami coach is going with "hot dog delight" for his big day.

And, it looks horrific.

Of course, the 60-year-old broke down the unique dish during Miami media day back in 2018 ... saying it's a combo of 2 pieces of bread, a sliced hot dog and American cheese HAMMERED with baked beans and ketchup.

Richt says it's "delightful." We're calling BS.

But, the birthday boy proved he's really about that HDD life on Tuesday ... and you gotta appreciate his dedication to the meal.

"Hot dog delight! My favorite birthday dinner!" the coach tweeted.

Naturally, the Twittersphere opened fire in the replies ... asking if the coach is okay, calling the dish a "dumpster fire" and predicting a long night in the bathroom is in his future.

Others were actually open to the idea ... asking how to copy the travesty.

Jennifer Lopez and Alex Rodriguez will NOT be denied -- not when they're looking like this on their way into a schmancy Bev Hills boardroom.

The power couple dressed to the nines Tuesday, reportedly for a business meeting. Go ahead ... tell us who's gonna reject whatever they're pitching? We'll wait.

J Lo's never one for modesty -- we all still remember the Super Bowl halftime show, right? She showed off those famous dancer's legs in a mini-skirt and knee-high boots ... while stepping out of their drop-top Bentley.

If this is the new business casual ... go get that MBA, kids!

A-Rod's no slouch ... in his blue blazer, red tie and brown dress shoes, but even he knows his place when it comes to the couple's fashion hierarchy. Bonus points though, Alex, for the stylish bag ... bigger than J Lo's!!!

Okay, so ... who was saying no to them, again? Still waiting.

What was supposed to be a display of sportsmanship turned into an all-out BRAWL at a college basketball game in Texas ... when things got violent in the post-game handshake line!

Prairie View A&M had just defeated the Jackson State Tigers in a home game in Waller County -- but things had been chippy between the teams during regulation.

Things finally exploded in the handshake line when Jackson State's Dontelius Ross took exception with PV's Darius Williams ... who appeared to have bumped Ross during the handshakes.

Ross was PISSED and immediately tried running after Williams, but his teammates and a police officer used all of their might to hold him back.

But it didn't end there ... another fight broke out on the opposite side of the court involving other players and, again, officials raced on to the court to break it up.

It doesn't appear anyone was injured in the fracas -- but you can bet there will repercussions ... most likely suspensions to come soon.

Crazy night.

LeBron James is going scorched-earth on the Houston Astros -- saying if someone ever cheated their way to a title he'd be "f**king irate!"

The NBA superstar is joining the chorus of top athletes blasting both the Astros AND the man in charge of punishing them, MLB commish Rob Manfred.

"Listen here baseball commissioner," Bron said ... "Listen to your players speaking today about how disgusted, mad, hurt, broken, etc etc about this."

"Literally the ball(⚾️) is in your court (or should I say field) and you need to fix this for the sake of Sports!"

Bron added, "I know I don’t play baseball but I am in Sports and I know if someone cheated me out of winning the title and I found out about it I would be F*^king irate! I mean like uncontrollable about what I would/could do!"

Obviously, Bron is referring to the fact the 2017 Houston Astros used technology, bats and trash cans to steal signs and tip-off their hitters about upcoming pitches.

Everyone from Mike Trout to Cody Bellinger, Justin Turner and Aaron Judge have ripped Manfred for not punishing Astros players who participated in the cheating.

A bunch of players also want the MLB to strip the Astros of their 2017 World Series title.

In fact, Atlanta Braves star Nick Markakis says he believes everybody on that team deserves a "beating" for tainting the sport he loves by cheating.

H.S. hockey players in Illinois turned themselves into human missiles over the weekend, launching their bodies at each other in a wild brawl ... and footage of the fight is insane.

Evanston's varsity squad was facing off with Lake Forest on Saturday at a local college rink in the Chicago area ... when a fight broke out and escalated IN A HURRY.

You can see in the video ... there's pushing and shoving. At one point, a Lake Forest player LAUNCHED himself into an Evanston player ... who crashed head first into the boards.

Later in the fight, ANOTHER Lake Forest player did the same thing ... violently throwing his body at the pile and sending two Evanston players crashing to the ice.

In another angle of the scrap ... you can see the massive magnitude of the brawl -- with haymakers, wrestling and pulling going down all over the rink.

Eventually, order was restored ... but it's unclear if any injuries were suffered. It's also unclear what started the melee. We reached out to reps from both programs, but so far, no word back yet.

In a bulletin post on Evanston's website Tuesday ... an official wrote, "Dear All - please do not share photos or videos from last weekend's game."

Atlanta Braves outfielder Nick Markakis just went SCORCHED EARTH on the Houston Astros -- saying he feels the cheating players "needs a beating" for tarnishing the sport he loves.

"It's damaging to baseball," Markakis told WSB's Zach Klein ... "I feel like every single guy over there needs a beating."

Markakis also went off on MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred ... saying he should be "embarrassed of himself" for the way he handled the scandal.

This clip is straight fire -- and it seems like a BUNCH of MLB stars agree with him.

Mark Cuban is ripping Manfred as well -- essentially saying Rob's the laughingstock of pro sports for the way he's handled the Astros cheating scandal.

"Baseball is a mess right now," Cuban said Monday ... "and they have zero vision to see them out of it. I’m thankful they didn’t let me buy a team."

Cuban is clearly pointing out that players and fans are PISSED Manfred is refusing to punish individual players for their role in the cheating scandal that many believe helped Houston win the World Series in 2017.

In fact, people want Manfred to strip the Astros of their '17 title -- but Manfred ain't moving on that.

Everyone from Mike Trout to Justin Turner and Cody Bellinger has spoken out about the way Manfred is handling the issue.

For his part, Manfred says he promised immunity to players who participated in the MLB investigation.

Enter Cuban -- who famously tried (and was unsuccessful) in buying the Texas Rangers back in 2010 ... and now Mark thinks the failed attempt was a blessing in disguise.

Instead, Cuban can continue to focus on his other endeavors ... running the Dallas Mavericks and starring on "Shark Tank."

In case you need a refresher ... the MLB investigation found Astros players and staffers were involved in a complex scheme using cameras, spies and trash cans to alert batters to which pitches they were about to face.

Mike Trout -- the best player in baseball -- says the tip-off is a HUGE advantage to the hitters and creates a ridiculously unfair advantage.

The S.F. Giants will NOT allow Aubrey Huff to be a part of their 2010 World Series reunion later this year ... and they say it's all 'cause of their ex-star's actions on Twitter.

"Earlier this month, we reached out to Aubrey Huff to let him know that he will not be included in the upcoming 2010 World Series Championship reunion," the Giants said in a statement Monday.

"Aubrey has made multiple comments on social media that are unacceptable and run counter to the values of our organization."

Huff has used his Twitter page to send off controversial tweets almost weekly throughout the past couple years ... but it was a series of comments he made about the Giants' hiring of a female bench coach last month that really landed him in hot water.

Just hours after SF made Alyssa Nakken the first full-time female coach in MLB history ... Huff ripped the move, writing, "Couldn’t imagine taking baseball instruction from an ex-female softball player."

He later added, "I got in trouble for wearing a thong in my own clubhouse when female reporters were present ... Can’t imagine how it will play out with a full-time female coach running around. This has #metoo & #BelieveAllWomen written all over it."

Huff -- who also made headlines last year for his pro-Donald Trump tweets about teaching his kids to use guns just in case Bernie Sanders becomes the next president -- was NOT happy about the Giants' decision to bar him from the celebration.

"Quite frankly, shocked," Huff told The Athletic on Monday. "Disappointed. If it wasn’t for me, they wouldn’t be having a reunion ... But if they want to stick with their politically correct, progressive bullsh*t, that’s fine."

Huff went on to blast team CEO Larry Baer -- who was caught on video last year in a fight with his wife -- for the move, writing, "I find this whole thing very hypocritical coming from a man who has had his share of real controversy for pushing his wife."

He added, "And while I'm disappointed the Giants are so opposed to President Trump, and our constitutional rights that they'd uninvite me to my team's reunion, it shows me that now more than ever we have to stand up for our first 1st amendment rights."

Huff was a superstar for the Giants in 2010, hitting .290 with 26 home runs and 86 RBIs. He finished seventh in the MVP vote that season.

The Giants, though, say there's no chance they let him be a part of their planned reunion on Aug. 16, saying, "While we appreciate the many contributions that Aubrey made to the 2010 championship season, we stand by our decision."

An MLS soccer coach is learning the hard way ... DON'T SING ALONG WITH SONGS THAT FEATURE THE N-WORD!!

FC Cincinnati head coach Ron Jans just resigned after a player complained he used the n-word out loud in the team's locker-room.

The player filed the complaint with the Major League Soccer Players Association -- which notified FC Cincinnati team officials ... and an investigation was conducted.

Jans has admitted he used the n-word in the locker-room but insists he wasn't trying to attack anyone ... he was simply singing along with a song that was playing.

And no, we don't know which song he was singing along with (we're curious too).

Jans spoke with the Cincinnati Enquirer about the incident and when asked if he has any regrets about the way things went down, he gave this response ...

"I wouldn’t have sung the word, that’s for sure. I learned that lesson. But I am who I am and if it doesn’t fit in this locker room, I think for a lot of players it was a good match and sometimes an excellent match but not with all of them."

There are also allegations Jans made insensitive comments about slavery during a team trip to Washington D.C.

Jans was initially suspended pending the results of the investigation, but club president Jeff Berding announced Tuesday the coach has officially resigned.

“As Major League Soccer’s investigation unfolded and some themes emerged, Ron offered his resignation and we agreed that it was the best course of action for everyone involved with FC Cincinnati,” Berding said.

“We place the utmost importance on a strong culture within our club, beginning in our locker room, and that every person connected with FC Cincinnati feels valued, respected and trusted."

The statement continued ... "Racial and cultural diversity is a major part of what makes the game of soccer so special, and we place the highest priority on respecting every person involved in our game."

"This includes absolutely everyone associated with our club, from our locker room and front office, all the way through to our fans."

NHL star Jay Bouwmeester is speaking publicly for the first time since he collapsed from a cardiac episode during a game last week ... saying he's now "on the road to recovery."

"My wife and daughters are forever grateful for everyone's support," Bouwmeester said Tuesday, "and we will continue to have a positive outlook for our future."

It's an amazing update from the 36-year-old ... considering his dire situation during the Blues-Ducks game on Feb. 11.

Jay passed out on the team's bench during the first period of the game -- and GM Dave Armstrong revealed doctors needed to use a defibrillator on the scene to revive him.

Bouwmeester was rushed to a Southern California hospital ... where he later had surgery to place an Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillator (ICD) in his chest to prevent future issues.

In his first public statement since it all went down, Jay said he's recovering nicely ... and thanked everyone for their well wishes.

"I would sincerely like to thank all of the trainers from both the St. Louis Blues and Anaheim Ducks, as well as, all of the first responders, the Anaheim medical staff and the team at the UCI Medical Center for their quick actions on Feb. 11."

Jay continued, "Our family has felt the support of the entire National Hockey League family and the city of St. Louis during this time. We have all been greatly comforted by your genuine concern."

A super passionate (and rich!) Kobe Bryant fan tricked out his Lamborghini to honor the Black Mamba ... and now the guy says the amazing whip can be all yours -- if you've got around $170k!!

Joe Carbonara tells TMZ Sports he was so devastated after Kobe and his daughter, Gianna, died in a helicopter crash ... he wanted to honor them with his 2015 Lamborghini Huracan.

Carbonara says he took the ride -- which used to be a generic silver color -- to X-Treme Graphics near Chicago to get the tribute art put on.

We're told the shop's owner, Steve Zielinski, loved the idea of the project so much ... he spent TWO FULL DAYS wrapping it in Lakers purple and gold vinyl.

"I had to make sure it was good and not overdone," Zielinski tells us. "And, we didn't charge for it."

The results of the work were impressive ... Kobe's numbers, pictures of Bryant and Gigi, the Mamba's logo and even the names of all nine crash victims are featured on the ride.

In fact, the job was so well done ... the Lambo -- now dubbed the Kobe24Lambo -- gained national attention when it was seen driving around NBA All-Star Weekend in Chicago.

But now, Carbonara -- who was trying to unload the Lambo prior to wrapping it -- says he's willing to let a new owner enjoy the car ... saying the ride is officially up for sale with a price tag of $170k.

In the meantime, Carbonara says you might be seeing the car in music videos and at special events ... saying he's been getting requests to show off the ride EVERYWHERE!!