TMZ Sports - Page 50

YOU JUST CAN'T STOP FAUCI!!!!

... the horse!!!

Yes, a 2-year-old colt named "Fauci" -- after Dr. Anthony Fauci -- got the WIN at Keeneland race track Thursday in Lexington, KY ... and you better believe it kept its distance from the competition!!

"Fauci" was named back in March to honor the COVID-19 expert's knowledge and contributions during the pandemic ... and he's been performing pretty damn well so far.

In fact, Fauci galloped to a 2nd place finish at Belmont Park in its debut race back in June!

And, just weeks later, the horse was a 5/2 favorite going into the race at Keeneland ... and again, performed like a champ!!

Hopefully, this becomes some sort of sign that things will get better with the coronavirus in the U.S. ... but then again, maybe it just means that's one fast thoroughbred.

"I hope he gets help."

That's UFC fighter Dan Ige telling TMZ Sports why he's rooting for Mike Perry to get his life together after that horrible violent incident this week at a Texas restaurant.

As we previously reported, Perry -- a popular UFC fighter -- allegedly struck several people (including a woman and an older man) while leaving Table 82 in Lubbock.

Fact is, Perry is lucky he didn't kill anyone during the incident.

Perry isn't commenting on the incident -- but several people in the UFC world are concerned the fighter is heading down a dangerous path.

Count Ige as one of those people -- telling TMZ Sports, he REALLY hopes Perry can turn his life around before it's too late.

"Mike Perry is definitely battling some demons in my opinion," Ige says ... "I just feel like he needs some guidance. "

"I'm not trying to tell him how to live his life. But, it's sad. You don't want to see guys spiral downhill. And, I hope he gets help. I hope he gets himself on the right path."

There's more ... Ige is facing Calvin Kattar in the main event at "UFC Fight Night" on July 15 -- in a fight that could lead to a title shot down the line.

"Huge opportunity," Ige says ... "I'm going out there to prove I'm champion worthy."

Ige is on a 6-fight win streak -- and says he's FIRED UP about getting to throw down on Fight Island.

OKC Thunder forward Andre Roberson and Rachel DeMita are showing the depressing side of the NBA's return -- with the couple sharing one last goodbye before Andre enters the bubble in Orlando.

Remember, pros will be separated from their significant others and family members for AT LEAST 50 days if their team makes it to the 2nd round of the playoffs.

Roberson and DeMita -- who have been together for nearly 2 years -- posted one final selfie before the hooper headed to Florida on Tuesday ... and yeah, it's pretty sad.

"Good luck in Orlando! see ya in a couple months 🥺," the former NBA 2K host said on Instagram ... meaning she's expecting her man's team -- currently 5th in the West -- to make a solid run.

Of course, there's a bunch of newer couples who are also gonna be sad about the season picking back up ... like Kyle Kuzma and Winnie Harlow ... and Tyler Herro and Katya Elise Henry.

Stay strong, love birds!!

A teenage soccer player had to fight for his life after being struck by a lightning bolt on a pitch in Moscow this month ... and the terrifying incident was all caught on video.

The footballer, ID'd as 16-year-old Ivan Zaborovsky, was warming up for a workout around the penalty box ... when suddenly, a crack of lightning shot down from the sky and exploded on him.

The clip is insane ... you can see the bolt hit him and release a fireball around him.

Zaborovsky immediately collapsed on the field ... and after trainers, teammates and coaches rushed to his aid -- he was transported to the hospital.

Multiple reports say Zaborovsky went into a coma after the strike and suffered serious burns ... but reports add signs for a recovery have been encouraging.

In fact, the club Zaborovsky plays for says it's been in contact with the boy's father and Zaborovsky's "eyes are reacting, he is answering commands, his return to the team is positive, he will play."

Scary incident ... get well soon!!

As we previously reported, a pro video gamer in the U.S. was struck by lightning while INSIDE her house earlier this month.

Despite some intense pain at first, she's basically recovered -- though her controller was melted in the process.

If you think Joey Chestnut is ready to wind down his competitive eating career after setting a new hot dog record -- YOU'RE WRONG!!!

The greatest eater in the history on mankind tells TMZ Sports he'll be back ... as long as his doctors give him the green light.

Of course, Chestnut woofed down 75 dogs in 10 mins to set a new world record at the Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest on the 4th of July. He also held the previous record of 74.

But, despite having ZERO rivals who truly pose a threat -- the Michael Jordan of wieners says he's still passionate about his sport.

"Oh my God, I still love it," Chestnut says ... "I love the whole thing, pushing myself, the prep, even the recovery."

"I love knowing I feel like garbage and then the next day I feel better. And now, naturally, I'm ready to go, I'm ready to eat something big."

He adds, "I'm addicted to it and as long as I'm healthy, as long as my doctor keeps saying that I can keep doing it and I'm not hurting myself, you can count me in!"

"I'll be back next year and we'll see where it takes me."

FINALLY -- a quarterback who can feed Odell Beckham the ball!!! (Kidding, Bake!)

The Cleveland Browns superstar linked up with Blueface while working out at UCLA on Wednesday ... and the duo decided to see what kinda arm the "Obama" rapper was dealing with.

And sheeeeesh ... the dude has a cannon!!!

OBJ offered to run about a 40-50-yard route downfield ... and Blueface hit him perfectly in stride for the completion. It was beautiful ... and something Browns fans rarely got to see last year.

"Who got the best arm in the rap game?!," Blueface asked OBJ.

"Yeah, you got it!!" Odell responded ... while gifting his new QB his gloves as a souvenir.

TMZ Sports spoke with Blueface himself about his skills ... and he says football was his first dream.

As a matter of fact, he says he could've made it to the NFL if he stuck with it!!

New England Patriots QB Cam Newton was also in on the fun at UCLA ... throwing darts to OBJ and even Blueface ... who creatively edited his one-handed catch to provide ZERO proof he was able to come down with the ball.

Regardless, Blueface is a freak athlete ... maybe the Browns should take a look??

Tiger's back!!!!!

Golf's biggest superstar announced Thursday he's making his long-awaited return to the PGA Tour at next week's Memorial Tournament at Muirfield Village Golf Club in Ohio.

"I’ve missed going out and competing with the guys," Woods said, "and can’t wait to get back out there."

It's huge news in the golf world ... Tiger hasn't swung a club on Tour since mid-February, when he finished in last place among those who made the cut at the Genesis Invitational.

After that tournament, Woods complained of back tightness ... and sat out the ensuing events until the COVID-19 pandemic put a pause on the season.

Golf returned to action in mid-June ... but Tiger passed on all the return tourneys -- only choosing to play Tom Brady and Phil Mickelson at The Match II during the layoff.

Of course, the Memorial was set to allow fans to watch Tiger in person ... but tournament officials announced this week they nixed those plans as COVID cases began spiking around the country.

Not like too many people will complain ... watching Tiger on TV instead of in-person ain't a bad consolation prize.

Wanna see the toughest guy EVER?!?!

Meet Sia Soliola ... a star rugby player in Australia's NRL who broke his face mid-game -- but then had it repaired just a few days later with a handful of hardware, no problem!!

The story is insane ... the 33-year-old Canberra Raiders player took an upper-body shot to the face in the middle of a match last Friday and immediately knew something was wrong.

The clip is tough to watch ... Soliola gets hit right in the cheek -- and is forced to leave the game immediately.

X-rays revealed the dude BROKE HIS FACE IN HALF ... but Sia got it repaired with a bunch of screws, and didn't even seem to flinch!!

In fact, Sia even joked about the injury, writing on the recovery pics, "NAILED IT."

Tough-ass dude ... considering reports say he'll have to eat his meals through a straw and won't be healthy for at least another few months!!

Jewish NFL star Julian Edelman says he wants to have an "uncomfortable conversation" with DeSean Jackson about the WR's anti-Semitic IG post ... but he's hopeful the two can learn from each other.

Edelman broke his silence on Jackson Thursday morning ... saying he "wanted to take some time because it's a complicated issue and I wanted to be thoughtful."

As we previously reported, DeSean posted a quote on IG attributed to Hitler (though it's not a real Hitler quote) suggesting a secret Jewish conspiracy for global domination.

Edelman acknowledges Jackson posted some "ugly things" about Jews ... but notes, "I do see an opportunity to have a conversation."

The 34-year-old Super Bowl MVP explained his own experience with anti-Semitism -- and how he was called a hateful slur on the football field back in 2011.

He called on the Black and Jewish communities to listen and learn from each other ... and then made an offer to DeSean.

"DeSean, lets do a deal. How about we go to D.C. and I take you to the Holocaust Museum and then you take me to the Museum of African American History and Culture."

"Afterwards, we grab some burgers and we have those uncomfortable conversations. This world needs a little more love, compassion and empathy."

For his part, Jackson has said he's been meeting with Jewish leaders to try and educate himself about anti-Semitism.

"He was trying to educate himself, educate people and he's speaking the truth."

Former NBA star Stephen Jackson attempted to defend DeSean Jackson's anti-Semitic social media post in a video Tuesday ... adding in the clip, "You know he don't hate nobody."

"But, he's speaking the truth of the facts that he know and trying to educate others."

DeSean re-shared a quote attributed to Hitler (though it's not an actual Hitler quote) on his social media page earlier this week ... appearing to endorse a passage that claimed Jews will "extort" and "blackmail" America as part of a greater "plan for world domination."

DeSean apologized for the post multiple times ... and his team, the Philadelphia Eagles, ripped him in a scathing statement shortly after.

"Regardless of his intentions," the team said, "the messages he shared were offensive harmful, and absolutely appalling."

Stephen took issue with it all in a now-removed video ... bringing up the Eagles' handling of the infamous Riley Cooper n-word incident back in 2013.

"If it's talking about the Black race, y'all ain't saying nothing about it," Stephen said. "They killing us. Police killing us. And, treating us like sh*t. Racism at an all-time high. But, ain't none of you NFL owners spoke up on that. And, none of you teams spoke up on that."

"But, the same [Eagles] team had a receiver that said the word [n-word] publicly, and they gave him an extension."

Jackson continued, "I play for The Big 3, we have a Jewish owner. He understands where we stand in some of the things we say, but it's not directed to him. It's the way we been treated."

"Philadelphia, y'all need to repost this."

For the NFL's part, it released a statement on DeSean's post as well, saying, "DeSean’s comments were highly inappropriate, offensive and divisive and stand in stark contrast to the NFL’s values of respect, equality and inclusion. We have been in contact with the team which is addressing the matter with DeSean.”

The Eagles have not yet announced if a punishment will be handed down to the star receiver.

"He's gonna be a target. He's got a target on his back. Wait and see."

That's "Shark Tank" star Barbara Corcoran warning Patrick Mahomes that with giant fortune comes giant scammers trying to take your money!

But, if you know anything about Barbara, you know she's a gangster when it comes to finance ... and she's dishing out some sage advice for the QB so he can STAY RICH for the rest of his life.

So, what should the KC Chiefs QB do with the $500 mil he's expected to make over the next 12 years?

"First of all, it's not $500 million," Barbara says ... "Remember, he has an Uncle named Sam. He's gonna have to pay him $250 million so he really only has $250 million. Bear that in mind."

Corcoran explains, "The first thing he should do is put it in the bank. Not do a thing! I know because when I sold my business, every creep came out of the woodwork with a $10,000 problem. Everybody is after your money and you can't trust anybody."

Barbara says it took her at least a year to realize how to turn people down effectively -- and the key is to hire a "bad guy" to tell people "no."

"The most important thing is before he buys that big house and a big jet ... he's gotta figure out how much money he needs to live on."

"He's a kid but he's gonna live a lot of years! So for every $25 million he puts away, he's going to get a $1 million income for the rest of his life"

"He should figure out, I need $1 million? I need 2 million? I need 5 million? And put that money aside. That's what he's gotta do."

Corcoran says Patrick should spend some time with her "Shark Tank" pal Alex Rodriguez -- who has become a major real estate investor.

That's saying something considering A-Rod reportedly made more than $441 million in MLB contract money!

There's more ... Corcoran also has a business strategy for Patrick -- and it's pretty damn smart! Watch the video and if you have the money, you might wanna take her advice!!

She also offered this final warning to the 24-year-old NFL superstar ...

"Let me tell you something, the more money you make, the more creeps you attract. The more people dressed in fancy suits, and not some fancy suit, friends or family -- all come out and are after your money."

'Platinum' Mike Perry -- a star in the UFC -- punched an elderly man in the face at a Texas restaurant Tuesday night in a violent, angry rage ... and the entire incident was caught on video.

Witnesses tell TMZ Sports ... the whole thing started when Perry got into a physical altercation with someone at his table at the Table 82 restaurant in Lubbock, TX around 10:30 PM on Tuesday night.

We're told a restaurant staffer approached Perry -- who had been ordering Berry Mojitos -- and asked him to leave the restaurant.

But instead of leaving, the witness says Perry PUNCHED the employee in the eye. We're told the employee suffered injuries.

That's when our video begins ... you can see people -- including Perry's girlfriend -- are trying to get Mike to leave the restaurant, but he won't go peacefully and drops several N-bombs on the way out.

It doesn't appear the N-word was directed at any Black people in the restaurant -- Perry is known to casually throw the word around in daily conversation.

As Perry and his GF left the dining area and walked outside, several men followed him out ... and things again escalated.

One of the older men got too close to Perry and Mike swung -- connecting with a haymaker from his right hand.

The older man went down -- and we're told he was later transported to a hospital with injuries.

As for Perry, he sat down on a ledge and challenged witnesses to call police -- which they did.

When cops arrived, we're told a report was taken but Perry was NOT arrested. We're still trying to get more info from law enforcement.

Aside from the alleged battery, we're told Perry also left without paying his bill and sources tell us the restaurant is considering pursuing a theft charge.

We reached out to Table 82 for comment and a rep for the restaurant told us, "Pending the criminal investigation, we prefer not to comment further because one of the victims was an employee of our company who had asked Mr. Perry to leave."

We reached out to Perry for comment but didn't hear back. However he did offer an official "no comment" on his Twitter page.

Perry is 14-6 as a professional MMA fighter -- defeating Mickey Gall on June 27 ... with his GF acting as his cornerman.

The whole incident reminds us of Conor McGregor -- who also punched an elderly man at a pub in Ireland back in 2019.

"I wonder why Senator Loeffler wants to even be involved with a brand that just doesn't align with her views."

That's 2-time WNBA champ Renee Montgomery talking about her boss -- Atlanta Dream co-owner Kelly Loeffler -- after Loeffler slammed the league for its plans to incorporate Black Lives Matter in the 2020 season restart.

As we previously reported, Loeffler -- a U.S. senator from Georgia -- is strongly against the WNBA's social justice plans ... and even penned a letter to the WNBA Commissioner explaining her position.

"I adamantly oppose the Black Lives Matter political movement, which has advocated for the defunding of police, called for the removal of Jesus from churches and the disruption of the nuclear family structure, harbored anti-Semitic views, and promoted violence and destruction across the country," Sen. Loeffler said in her letter.

"I believe it is totally misaligned with the values and goals of the WNBA and the Atlanta Dream, where we support tolerance and inclusion."

"The truth is, we need less -- not more politics in sports. In a time when polarizing politics is as divisive as ever, sports has the power to be a unifying antidote."

Montgomery -- who recently announced she's opting out of the 2020 restart to focus on social justice issues -- says she's read Loeffler's comments, and she has a question for the Senator.

"I'm just curious, I wonder why Senator Loeffler wants to be involved with a brand that just doesn't align with her views. I don't understand the connection," Renee said on the "TMZ Sports" TV show (airs nightly on FS1).

"If the Republican views are very different than what the WNBA stands for, what the Atlanta Dream stands for, why do you want to be a part of it?"

Montgomery says she's trying to understand where Loeffler is coming from ... and hopes the two can sit down face-to-face and have a constructive conversation.

"Have your people call my people. For real. Let's talk about it," Renee says ... "I think that when people have such opposing views that maybe we won't agree, but we can come together and have an understanding. So, let's talk."

We asked Renee if she thinks players will boycott as a result of Loeffler's comments -- she doesn't think that will happen.

"I don't because l think that they know the coach doesn't feel that way, that the GM doesn't feel that way, that multiple coaches don't feel that way. So, I think that when the person you're talking to every day or working with every day is assuring you that they don't feel that way, I think the players will still continue to play."

How'd Patrick Mahomes celebrate his new $503 MILLION contract?

PRIVATE JET WITH TRAVIS KELCE TO GOLF, BABY!!!!

TMZ Sports has obtained video of the Kansas Chiefs superstar QB touching down in Lake Tahoe on Wednesday ... and the half-a-billion-dollar man is clearly wasting no time enjoying his new riches.

Mahomes and Kelce shared a PJ ride together ... before the duo will hit a celeb tournament at the Edgewood Tahoe Golf Course this weekend for the famous American Century Championship.

Mahomes looked to be in good spirits after getting off the plane ... he posed for some pics and then hopped onto a (fittingly) Coors Light-themed shuttle bus.

Of course, Pat's got every reason to celebrate this week ... the 24-year-old just signed the biggest contract in the history of sports -- putting him in line to earn well over $40 million per year until 2031.

Yeah, something tells us if the private jet wasn't already paid for ... Patrick's picking up the tab now.

Raheem Mostert officially wants OUT of SF after helping lead the 49ers to a Super Bowl ... the RB's agent says contract talks with the team have failed -- and now, he's demanding a trade.

The 28-year-old -- who rushed for a staggering 220 yards and 4 TDs in the NFC Championship Game win over the Packers -- has been angling for a raise since the season's end.

But, Mostert's agent said Wednesday the Niners won't budge ... so Raheem wants to play elsewhere now.

"After months of unproductive talks with the 49ers about fairly adjusting Raheem Mostert's contract (which paid him for special teams) we have requested a trade," agent Brett Tessler said.

"Disappointing that it would come to this for a guy who led all NFL RBs in YPC & helped lead them to the Super Bowl."

Mostert came out of nowhere to become a star for the Niners this past year ... rushing for 772 yards and 8 TDs on only 137 carries in the regular season.

Raheem signed a 3-year, $8.7 million deal with the 49ers before the 2019 season ... but clearly he feels he's worth well over that now.

Stanford University just announced it's eliminating a whopping 11 varsity sports after the 2020-21 school year ... and it's all thanks to COVID-19.

The school went public with its decision in an open letter Wednesday ... officially canceling the following programs: men's and women's fencing, field hockey, lightweight rowing, men's rowing, co-ed and women's sailing, squash, synchronized swimming, men's volleyball and wrestling.

FYI -- Stanford currently has the second-most varsity sports in the nation with 36 ... 4 sports shy of Harvard.

"This is heartbreaking news to share," Stanford officials said in the letter. "These 11 programs consist of more than 240 incredible student-athletes and 22 dedicated coaches."

"They were built by more than 4,000 alumni whose contributions led to 20 national championships, 27 Olympic medals, and an untold number of academic and professional achievements."

The school says it was already anticipating a $12 million deficit in 2021 ... and the pandemic increased its expectation to a $25 million loss ... forcing the cuts.

Stanford says it will honor all scholarships and contracts for the remaining students and coaches if they decide to stay at the school ... and will help those who decide to leave.

So, why these 11 sports?? The school says it took a number of factors into account ... with fan interest and Title IX requirements being part of the decision.