TMZ Sports - Page 50

Mike Tyson and his tiny shorts are back in the gym for another terrifying training video ... AND THIS ONE IS SCARY AS HELL!!

Once again, the 53-year-old -- who turns 54 next week -- is just going H.A.M. on his trainer, terrorizing the guy with some ultra-violent combos.

He's changing levels, he's striking with power ... it's more of the Mike Tyson you love.

Even Odell Beckham chimed in -- saying, "Mannnnnn hellllll na!!!! I don’t want no smokkkke y’all stop playin wit him."

UFC star Tyron Woodley added, "He baaaaaaaaack!"

As we previously reported, Tyson says he's serious about taking a charity fight ... and is considering Evander Holyfield as an opponent.

"That would be awesome for charity," Tyson told us back in May ... "Can you imagine me and him going in the ring together?"

57-year-old Holyfield has also been training -- so, it's possible the two will it back at some point.

But, right now, Tyson says he's focused on "having fun, looking good, showing off my new bod and stuff."

Jamie Foxx is also showing off his new bod -- the Hollywood star is getting into boxing shape to play Iron Mike in an upcoming flick ... and he looks JACKED!!

The SF 49ers -- Colin Kaepernick's former team -- are now flying a Black Lives Matter flag at Levi's Stadium ... putting the message front and center next to the Star-Spangled Banner.

"Indivisible with liberty and justice for all," the Niners said of the new flag in a statement on social media on Monday. "#BlackLivesMatter"

The new piece at the stadium is powerful ... and even star running back Tevin Coleman took the time out to acknowledge his squad's tribute, commenting raised fists on the pic.

Of course, S.F's owner, Jed York, has backed the BLM movement ever since George Floyd tragically died in late May ... pledging to donate $1 million to help fight systemic racism.

As part of the donation, York said at the time, "Before we are able to realize impactful change, we must first have the courage and compassion as human beings to come together and acknowledge the problem: black men, women and children and other oppressed minorities continue to be systemically discriminated against."

York has since given his team Juneteenth off and has insinuated he'll likely make election day in November a holiday for his employees as well.

Other 49ers players have also been vocal in their support of the BLM movement over the last few weeks ... with stud receiver Kendrick Bourne even shouting out Kaepernick while kneeling at a protest earlier this month.

Another disturbing racism allegation in the racing world ... Sonoma Raceway officials claim they, too, found a noose at their track over the weekend, and cops are now investigating.

According to officials at the legendary California track -- which plays host to NASCAR races annually -- a piece of twine tied in the shape of a noose was found hanging from a tree near the property on Saturday.

"To have something like that show up on our property is disgusting,” the raceway's general manager, Steve Page, told NBC Bay Area.

Page added he went to the Sonoma County Sheriff's Office over the incident ... and now they say they've launched a probe into the matter.

"We take it seriously," a spokesperson said. "That's why we're out there with the violent crimes unit. Put every effort into making an ID on this."

The troubling discovery came just one day before a noose was found in Bubba Wallace's garage down at NASCAR's event at Talladega Superspeedway in Alabama on Sunday.

In that incident, the FBI says it has taken over the investigation to find the culprits.

For Bubba's part, he shook off the hateful message to finish 14th in Monday's race ... and said afterward, "You're not going to take away my smile."

At least SOME part of Mark McGwire belongs in the Hall of Fame ... so says Big Mac himself, who believes his 70th home run ball should be in Cooperstown STAT!!

"Bottom line," McGwire said out at LAX this week, "it should have been put in the Hall of Fame."

Of course, the ball can't exactly go there at the moment ... Todd McFarlane -- a legendary comic book artist -- famously bought it for over $3 MILLION just a few months after McGwire made history in 1998.

And, despite the ball's plummeting value (experts tell TMZ Sports it's worth only around $300K-$400K), McFarlane doesn't seem at all ready to part with it, even for the Hall.

He told us last week he still loves his purchase and it would take a "stupid number" for him to give it up.

In other words, don't bet on it ending up in the Hall, even if it'd take it.

As for Mark, he said he's at peace with the ball not being worth millions anymore, adding, "It dropped when Barry [Bonds] broke the record." But, the Cardinals legend did say he wouldn't mind autographing it!!

There's more ... McGwire went IN on the MLB's plan to allow a DH in the National League in 2020 -- saying he believes the role should be punted from baseball altogether.

An airplane toting a "White Lives Matter" banner flew over Manchester City's soccer game against Burnley on Monday ... and now, cops say they're investigating.

The scene was disturbing ... just minutes after players took a knee to show support of the Black Lives Matter movement -- the plane circled around Etihad Stadium in Manchester, England.

Reports say the banner was visible for several minutes ... and players -- who have all decided to replace their last names on their jerseys with the words "Black Lives Matter" -- said afterward they were sickened by the message.

Now, cops have vowed to launch a probe into the matter ... writing in a statement Tuesday morning, "We are making enquiries to establish the full circumstances surrounding this incident."

"We will then be in a position to make an assessment as to whether any criminal offences have taken place."

Burnley's officials also condemned the banner -- which was allegedly paid for by a Burnley fan -- writing in a statement of their own, "This, in no way, represents what Burnley Football Club stands for."

"We will work fully with the authorities to identify those responsible and issue lifetime bans."

Emotional moment at Talladega ... where Bubba Wallace tried to fight back tears as ALL of his fellow drivers rallied behind him at the starting line.

The drivers worked together to push Bubba's #43 car to the starting line Monday to show their support for Wallace -- just one day after officials found a noose in his team's garage.

The drivers then gathered around Bubba's car before the Geico 500 in Talladega on Monday to show the world they stand with him ... and man, it was powerful stuff.

Wallace was flanked by 82-year-old team owner Richard Petty who also showed support for the young driver.

The event also featured a prayer for unity in the wake of the racist incident.

After the national anthem, which was also super emotional, drivers lined up to hug Wallace ... who was obviously moved by the show of support.

The race is about to begin ... and even though there are a few fans at the Speedway, the energy is off the charts.

LET'S GO BUBBA!!!!!!!

Cleveland Cavs superstar Kevin Love is continuing his quest to raise awareness for mental health ... by donating a half a MILLION dollars to his former school's psychology department.

31-year-old Love -- who was a star for the UCLA Bruins in 2007-2008 -- has been outspoken about his battles with depression since 2018 ... and has been fighting to end the stigma against mental health disorders.

Love announced the $500,000 to UCLA on Monday ... one day after receiving the Arthur Ashe Courage Award at the ESPYs.

"I hope one day we are able to erase the stigma around anxiety and depression, and we can only do that by improving diagnosis and treatment, fostering public conversations about mental health and encouraging people to seek help when they need it," Love said via Tom Withers.

Love's contribution is receiving praise from the university ... with Michelle Craske, professor in psychology, psychiatry and biobehavioral sciences adding, "When heroes like Kevin come forward and share their vulnerability, it shines a light on anxiety and depression, and that helps chip away at stigma."

"I want to thank Kevin for his leadership and his courage to share his personal story with the world. He has inspired and provided hope to many."

CALLING ALL CARS ... HELLO?! ANYONE? ANY CARS?

NO?

Oh, that's because there are NO MORE COP CARS in Fortnite -- and it seems to be the video game's way of acknowledging the real-life protests against police brutality.

All traces of police vehicles -- including SWAT vans -- have been removed from the game ... leaving many players wondering, why?

The Wall Street Journal cites a source at Epic Games -- the company behind the game -- who says it wasn't intended to be a political statement.

"I think it’s just us being sensitive about the issues many people in our audience are dealing with,” the source told WSJ.

The move has little to no impact on the actual gameplay -- you can't drive the cars around or anything like that ... they're basically decorative.

Epic Games hasn't spoken publicly about the issue -- but earlier this month, they posted a blog addressing the Black Lives Matter movement and the outrage over the killing of George Floyd ... and how it delayed the release of the Fortnite Season 3 launch.

"Recent events are a heavy reminder of ongoing injustices in society, from the denial of basic human rights to the impact of racism both overt and subtle against people of color," Epic Games said.

Mississippi State star Kylin Hill -- one of the best football players in the country -- is demanding the state makes changes to its flag ... or "I won’t be representing this State anymore."

21-year-old Hill -- who was born and raised in the Magnolia State -- made his comments via Twitter on Monday ... in response to a tweet from Governor Tate Reeves discussing the topic of removing the Confederate symbol from the flag.

"Either change the flag or I won’t be representing this State anymore," Hill said. "& I meant that .. I’m tired."

He added ... "Unlike rest I was born in this state Hundred points symbol and I [know] what the flag mean."

TMZ Sports reached out to Hill via Instagram DM asking whether his tweet meant he would NOT play for the Bulldogs if the change wasn't made ... and he "liked" the message.

Ex-MSU star K.J. Wright expressed his support for Hill's stance ... saying, "You have my full support brotha! That flag represents hate, racism, oppression!"

"It’s BEEN TIME for a change. There’s strength in numbers! We all have to be on board"

Hill's demand comes on the heels of Oklahoma State star Chuba Hubbard threatening to boycott the school after coach Mike Gundy was spotted supporting pro-Trump media outlet, One America News.

Gundy later apologized and vowed to help change the culture at OSU.

All Elite Wrestling has suspended one of its biggest stars without pay for saying he wanted to "rape" a female WWE superstar during a 2016 interview.

Sammy Guevara -- known as Chris Jericho's protege -- appeared on the "Raw's 4th Hour" podcast back in '16 and said, "Sasha Banks ... when I was at the WWE the other week I wanted to go f**king rape that woman."

The comments resurfaced this week -- and now his bosses at AEW have decided to take action.

"Effective immediately, Sammy is suspended without pay until further notice," AEW said in a statement.

"Sammy has agreed to undergo extensive sensitivity training and, upon completion, his future status within the company will be reevaluated. During his suspension, his salary will be donated to the Women’s Center of Jacksonville."

Sasha Banks has also spoken out ... saying she recently had an "open discussion" with Sammy about his comments and apologized.

"Words like the comments he made, jokingly or not, have absolutely no place in our society! I don’t condone or tolerate this kind of behavior. "

Banks added, "What one thinks is just a side comment can have a massive impact on someone else’s life, and can send the wrong message."

"We have to hold ourselves accountable for our actions and the words we say, and I hope the situation shows him that."

Sammy is also speaking out publicly -- saying, "I've made stupid, inappropriate and extremely offensive comments in my past."

"I am truly sorry for my hurtful words and actions, and I will never forgive myself."

Jesse Iwuji -- an African American driver who races in NASCAR's Truck Series -- says he's been the target of racist fans for years ... but the noose incident really struck a chord.

"That's literally one step away from carrying out the real action of lynching someone," Iwuji tells TMZ Sports.

"And, everyone knows what that noose means. It's racist, it's hate, and it just shows that you do not care, any bit, about our race."

Iwuji knows Bubba Wallace and feels "really sad" for the Cup Series driver ... but praises Bubba for how he's handled the situation with poise and class.

In fact, Iwuji -- who's also an officer in the U.S. Navy Reserve -- says racism in the sport is nothing new. He knows from personal experience.

"I'm currently racing in the NASCAR truck series, and we see racism. It happens here and there. We probably get messages a few times a year from fans who are just racist, they just don't like us because of our color."

Now, 32-year-old Iwuji says he wants NASCAR to focus on exposing the racists in the sport and eradicating them, so NASCAR can continue to grow with people from all walks of life.

The family of Ara Zobayan is begging a judge to move Vanessa Bryant's wrongful death case out of L.A. because Kobe Bryant is so popular there, it would be impossible to get a fair trial.

Ara's family spelled it out in new court docs, obtained by TMZ Sports ... saying the trial would begin with "two strikes" already against him "due to the extreme level of popularity of plaintiff with the jury pool."

As we previously reported, Vanessa sued Zobayan along with Island Express Helicopters saying they should be held financially responsible for the crash that killed Kobe, Gianna and 6 other passengers.

Now, a family member of the pilot is asking for a change of venue to Orange County, where they think they have a better chance of getting impartial jurors.

Of course, Kobe Bryant played his entire 20-year NBA career with the Los Angeles Lakers -- and became an icon in the city.

"The notoriety and popularity of the late Kobe Bryant in Los Angeles County is detailed herein and reached a level that left no person in the county unaware of his role in branding Los Angeles as his city," Zobayan's family says in new court docs.

"No other single individual in recent memory, sports figure or otherwise, has been considered by the people to be such a personification of their city of Los Angeles. "

"But with that unprecedented level of acclaim comes a lack of impartiality and objectivity by potential jurors about the merits under the law of the claims asserted in this lawsuit by the Bryant family."

The Zobayan family also notes Kobe and all of the passengers lived in Orange County -- another reason the case should be moved.

Kobe, Gianna and 6 other passengers -- along with Ara Zobayan -- died when their helicopter crashed in Calabasas on January 26.

Dolphins top draft pick Tua Tagovailoa is quickly learning the perks of being an NFL superstar -- 'cause the QB just got noticed by his celebrity crush, Shania Twain!!!

The rookie was doing a rapid-fire Q&A with the team when he was asked a bunch of questions ... and Tua made sure to mention he LOVES Shania's music, calling it his "guilty pleasure."

But, the 22-year-old's obsession goes far beyond Twain's hits -- he revealed the country singer is his celebrity crush ... and even asked for a personal shoutout.

"Shania, if you watch this ... from this moment on, please message me back!!" Tua said.

Thanks to the powers of social media, 54-year-old Twain caught wind of Tua's big crush ... and hit him back with a flirty tweet!!

"Guilty pleasure?! You should be proud of your good taste @Tua" ... while adding a kiss emoji.

A KISS EMOJI!!!

Tua -- who has proven what he can do under pressure -- hit Shania back with the perfect response by referencing one of her songs ... saying, "'You’re still the one' @ShaniaTwain."

Bubba Wallace -- the only Black driver in NASCAR's top series -- confirms a noose was found in his team's garage stall at Talladega Superspeedway on Sunday ... and now the racing org is investigating.

The noose was found by a member of Wallace's team -- just hours after someone flew a Confederate flag over the legendary Alabama track to protest NASCAR banning the symbol at all events.

The crew member who found the noose immediately alerted NASCAR, which is now working with law enforcement to find the culprit.

"We are angry and outraged, and cannot state strongly enough how seriously we take this heinous act," NASCAR said.

"We have launched an immediate investigation, and will do everything we can to identify the person(s) responsible and eliminate them from the sport."

Wallace called the situation a "despicable act of racism and hatred" -- and says he's "incredibly saddened."

He added, "We will not be deterred by the reprehensible actions of those who seek to spread hate. As my mother told me today, 'They are just trying to scare you.'"

"This will not break me, I will not give in nor will I back down. I will continue to proudly stand for what I believe in."

LeBron James offered his support to Wallace -- calling the entire situation "sickening."

"[Bubba Wallace] my brother! Know you don’t stand alone," Bron said ... "I’m right here with you as well as every other athlete."

"I just want to continue to say how proud I am of you for continuing to take a stand for change here in America and sports! NASCAR I salute you as well!"

As for the confederate flag flyover which took place before the Geici 500 race was set to begin -- still unclear who was responsible for that. NASCAR says they're looking into that as well.

That wasn't the only display of the Confederacy either -- not by a long shot. While no Confederate flags were allowed inside the venue, a bunch of truck drivers rolled past the Speedway in what seemed to be a coordinated protest parade, with many flying the flag.

Some folks who wanted to show it off some more even set up camp across the street, and were proudly displaying the Confederate flag, alongside some Trump flags too.

Obviously, some people aren't all too pleased with NASCAR's new policy. But, it doesn't sound like the org gives a damn about them, 'cause one of their top dogs took a swipe at the people acting in defiance ... flatly rejecting their thinking, and calling them names too.

Steve O'Donnell, NASCAR's executive VP, addressed the fly-over on Twitter, writing ... "You won’t see a photo of a jackass flying a flag over the track here...but you will see this... Hope EVERYONE enjoys the race today."

If the Washington Wizards are gonna make a long-shot run for the NBA playoffs, it'll be without one of their best players ... 'cause Davis Bertans has decided to skip the restart in Orlando.

The 27-year-old Latvian star is set to have a HUGE offseason in free agency ... and considering D.C. has a slim chance at making noise when the season picks back up, Adrian Wojnarowski reports Bertans will sit out the restart.

As of right now, the Wizards are sitting at 9th in the Eastern Conference ... 5.5 games behind the Orlando Magic with 8 games left to jump into playoff contention.

Bertans -- who is averaging 15 points with a 43% 3-point percentage -- will be one of the most sought-after free agents during the offseason ... and given his history of ACL injuries, the move makes sense.

The decision will be costly to Bertans' bank account though ... he'll miss out on $604,752 (about $75k a game) according to Bobby Marks.

Bertans is one of the first players to publicly decide to sit out the season restart ... and more will be expected before the June 24 deadline.

Philadelphia Eagles tight end Dallas Goedert was reportedly sucker punched during a bar fight in South Dakota -- and purported video of the melee is making the rounds online.

According to ESPN, Dallas was at a restaurant in Aberdeen Friday night called Zoo Bar -- where, for some reason, a bunch of dudes started tussling with each other ... which broke out into a full-blown brawl. Dallas got dragged in -- and by that, we mean clocked and KO'd.

In surveillance footage of the fight, you can see someone who's said to be Dallas getting punched out by someone who blindsides him and comes rushing in with fists out during the mayhem. He makes contact, and Dallas hits the ground hard -- he seems to be out cold.

ESPN reports that he was taken to a hospital and is doing fine now, adding that a suspect has been arrested in connection to the attack. NJ.com broke the story first.

Unclear what led up to the altercation -- but at least Dallas appears to be okay.