TMZ Sports - Page 50

Ya wanna see one of the tallest dudes in the world whack a golf ball??

Check out 7'6" Boston Celtics center Tacko Fall hit the links with his fellow NBA buddy and 7-footer, Mo Bamba, while in the bubble in Orlando ... and the dude's not too bad!!

As we've previously made very clear over here at TMZ Sports -- we are absolutely fascinated by Mr. Tacko Fall, and the challenges the friendly giant faces on a daily basis (see here).

But, Fall took things to another level when he hit the course in Orlando on Monday ... showing what a massively tall man looks like swinging a golf club.

For reference, the tallest golfer to ever win a major championship is 6'5" George Archer, who won the Masters in 1969.

We've seen NBA legends like Shaquille O'Neal and Charles Barkley give golf a try in the past ... and it's always funny as hell.

But, Fall looks like he'd smoke either of these dudes ... impressively making solid contact with the ball while Bamba documents the shot.

No vid of Bamba's skills -- we'll assume it's for good reason.

Ever had a cotton swab shoved up your nose!? IT SUCKS!

Just ask L.A. Chargers cornerback Casey Hayward -- who had some major pre-swab jitters before his COVID test at the Chargers facility ... and the footage is great!

NFL players are getting tested everyday during the first 2 weeks of training camp -- which opened on July 28.

And, judging by this footage of Hayward captured by HBO's "Hard Knocks" ... there's just no getting used to it!

Both the L..A Chargers and the L.A. Rams are featured on the docuseries this season -- a big change for the show which has traditionally only chronicled one team's journey into the regular season.

The COVID pandemic will play a major role in the show based on clips released by HBO.

One scene shows how Chargers coaches are no longer having players gather together to "break it down" after a practice session.

Instead, players are instructed to chant, "1, 2, 3 ... Chargers!" while socially distancing from each other during drills.

Weird ... considering football is a collision sport that requires players to smother each other and they'll presumably work on tackling and/or close-quarter drills at some point during practices.

But hey, appreciate the effort.

Ex-Patriots lineman Matt Light says you won't catch him out in public covering his face ... claiming science proves there's no need to wear a COVID-19 mask.

"I respect anybody's decision to wear a mask or not wear a mask," Light said on WEEI's The Greg Hill Show. "The science is real clear on masks, right? There's no need to interpret it whether it helps saves lives or not, it doesn't."

FYI -- Robert Redfield, the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said just last month he believed the pandemic could be controlled in 8 weeks tops if everyone wore a mask ... but doesn't seem the Super Bowl champ is convinced.

"It has no real effect. It makes you feel comfy and warm inside maybe but it doesn't do anything in the grand scheme of things."

Light says he's frustrated with how politicians have required people to wear masks in public or face potential fines ... adding the threat isn't as serious as it's being made out to be.

"I think we're better than that. I think this country was founded on principles that don't just say, 'hey, when somebody tells you to do something, even if you look around and know there's not a fire, don't believe them when they say there's smoke'. Like c'mon, we're better than this."

Light says despite disagreeing with the protocols, he DOES take the virus seriously ... but requiring everyone to wear a mask is not the answer.

"I understand that there is a bug out there. There's a virus and it is causing harm on certain people, no doubt but it does not warrant what we're looking at right now. The data clearly points to that."

There have been more than 5 million COVID-19 cases in the U.S. ... with more than 161k deaths.

Tampa Bay Rays center fielder Kevin Kiermaier ROBBED Red Sox rookie Jonathan Arauz of his first career hit with a miraculous catch on Monday ... and you know who was super-pissed about it??

Sox first baseman Michael Chavis -- who straight-up gave Kiermaier a one-finger salute after making the highlight play!!

The hilarious interaction was caught on camera ... when Kiermaier leaped to catch Arauz's deep shot to center field in the 2nd inning.

Chavis made his frustrations known by getting KK's attention from the dugout ... just to give him a solid middle finger!!

So, why is Chavis so mad?? If Kiermaier hadn't come up with the ball, 22-year-old Arauz would have notched his first MLB hit ... but of course, that didn't happen.

It all ended up okay in the end for Arauz -- he finished the game with 3 hits as the Red Sox fell to the Rays, 8-7.

Matt Barnes is paying tribute to his friend and teammate Kobe Bryant with a brand new tattoo ... and it's incredible.

The ex-NBA star hit up legendary ink artist Steve Butcher -- who did the amazing Tupac work on Matt's hand -- in order to add a new image of Kobe and Gianna to his arm.

The image Matt's new tattoo is based from was a moment between Kobe and Gigi at the 2016 NBA All-Star Game in Orlando ... a moment captured on Valentine's Day.

Matt only played 2 seasons on the Lakers with Kobe (from 2010 to 2012) -- but they were friends and Barnes has talked openly about how much respect he had for Kobe on and off the court.

Barnes prepped for the tat sesh with a variety of goodies -- from joints to candy ... the works!

We're still waiting for the final reveal -- but it's already looking incredibly detailed.

Of course, Kobe had such an impact on generations of NBA players -- stars from LeBron James to Anthony Davis and Devin Booker have all had Kobe ink tatted on their bodies.

Kobe and Gianna passed away on January 26th in a helicopter crash in Calabasas.

Russia beat the U.S. into orbit in the '60s, and might have thought they beat us in COVID-safe fun -- but looking at these images of paddleboarders packed together, we gotta say ... nyet.

This stand-up paddleboarding festival went down over the weekend in St. Petersburg, which drew thousands of paddleboarders to the canals of the Fontanka River. Unfortunately, they were all smashed together at the start and finish of the event, and definitely NOT socially distant.

Some folks are standing, others are sitting ... and to be fair, once they got out and about paddling on the water most everyone was exercising at a safe distance. Looks like good, clean virus-free fun.

The one thing we're not seeing a whole lot of ... masks. Win some, lose some, and truth is that would be fine since they're all spaced out.

But, that bottleneck when they're all crowded into a canal is Dr. Fauci's worst nightmare come true.

BTW, Vladimir Putin's claiming to have the first coronavirus vaccine up and running -- despite skepticism from U.S. scientists. If he's right though, these paddle boarders should be first in line!

Donald Trump says he's rooting for the NFL season to happen as planned -- but ONLY if the players stand for the national anthem.

Trump appeared on "Outkick the Coverage" and was asked about the challenges the NFL is facing with the COVID pandemic.

"They want to open and they want to open badly and they’ve been working with government," Trump said.

"I would say this, If they don’t stand for the national anthem, I hope they don’t open."

"But, other than that I’d love to see them open and we're doing everything possible for getting them open."

Trump then went off about why he believes the kneeling protest is disrespectful to "our flag and our country."

FYI, Colin Kaepernick and other kneelers have repeatedly said the demonstration is to put a spotlight on police brutality and social injustice ... but Trump is still not buying that explanation.

"They can protest in other ways, they shouldn’t protest our flag or our country," Trump said.

"If the NFL didn’t open, I'd be very happy if they don’t stand for the flag and stand strongly ... .I'd be very happy if they didn’t open."

"That being said, I'd love to see them open."

Trump also went after the NBA for what he sees as hypocrisy -- players, coaches, refs and more kneeling during the national anthem while not speaking out against human rights violations in China.

"Well I haven't noticed them sending things back at me," Trump said in reference to the NBA players ... "But I will say I wouldn't be that surprised."

"Some are very nasty, very very nasty and frankly very dumb but I haven't noticed that."

Trump added, "But I will say this, the way they cater to China, the way they bow to China it's a disgrace frankly and they make a lot more here than they do from China."

Remember, several players recently said they wouldn't care if Trump stopped watched NBA games as a result of the kneeling demonstrations. Trump didn't address those comments directly.

Major League Baseball is considering ripping a page from the NHL's playbook -- and instituting a 3-city hub system for the playoffs, this according to ESPN.

As we previously reported, the NHL claims its 2-city hub system is VERY successful so far -- with zero new COVID cases reported in the past week.

FYI, the NHL has split up the league into 2 hub cities -- one in Edmonton and the other in Toronto.

Each team has an entire floor at a designated hotel -- and all personnel are restricted to only visiting certain approved locations ... like workout facilities, restaurants, etc.

Everyone in the "bubbles" are tested for COVID on a daily basis.

Now, MLB is so impressed, they've had "preliminary discussions" about implementing the same system for the playoffs following a series of outbreaks with at least 2 MLB teams.

The league would need 3 cities to accommodate the 16-team playoff format, according to Jeff Passan.

Passan says Southern California, Chicago and NYC would make the most sense for hub cities because of issues like weather, stadium availability and lodging.

Jake Paul is NOT backing out of his upcoming boxing match with NBA star Nate Robinson despite the mysterious FBI investigation involving him, TMZ Sports has learned.

In fact, our sources say Jake is focusing on the fight to help keep his mind off the ordeal while it all plays out.

Paul vs. Robinson was initially set for Sept. 12 on the undercard of the big Mike Tyson vs. Roy Jones Jr. fight on Triller ... though reports say the date is being pushed back until Nov. 28.

We did some digging to find out if Jake's legal situation had anything to do with the new date -- and as one source put it, "As of right now, Jake Paul is still confirmed. Don't expect that to change."

As we previously reported, the FBI raided his Calabasas home on Wednesday -- seizing multiple firearms from the residence.

Officials say the investigation stems from alleged criminal activity that went down at a George Floyd protest at the Scottsdale Fashion Square mall back in May.

Paul was initially charged with a misdemeanor for his alleged role in the incident, but that charge was dropped.

The FBI has now taken over the probe in Paul -- though they have not said specifically what he's accused of doing wrong.

Meanwhile, we're told Jake has been channeling his energy into boxing training ... working out constantly over the past few days.

Our sources also say Jake is trying to limit communication with friends outside of his boxing team.

He's also has been reevaluating his friendships and his team in order to cut out negative influences.

We're told Jake has also cut ties with former friend Armani Izadi -- whose Vegas home was also raided last week.

As for the fight, Jake and Nate have been talking trash to each other for months -- and it seems they're down to brawl whether it's in a ring or in the street.

Mike Tyson vs. Roy Jones Jr. has officially been moved to Nov. 28 -- with another former world champ fighting on the undercard, TMZ Sports has learned.

The fight was originally set to go down on Sept. 12 -- but now, we're told the new date is locked in.

So, why the change to Thanksgiving weekend?

"Changing the date to November 28th will give more people the opportunity to see the biggest comeback in boxing history," Tyson said in a statement.

"This temporary inconvenience will last longer than Roy Jones Jr. He better be ready, I'm coming full force."

The company behind the event, Triller, says the move was made to accommodate a larger audience than originally anticipated.

"Given the enormous interest, the holiday weekend will make this historic battle an even bigger viewing event," the company says ... "marking the first live Pay-Per-View event brought to the world by Triller as the first of the 'Triller Battles' series."

Triller is also officially announcing the addition of new undercard fights ... including Badou Jack vs. Blake McKernan.

Badou Jack is one of Floyd Mayweather's fighters -- he's 22-3-3 and a former world champ in 2 weight classes.

Jack says he's donating a portion of his fight check to the Badou Jack Foundation to "continue to give kids across the globe a fighting chance in life."

Also added ... Viddal Riley vs. Rashad Coulter.

Vidal is pretty talented British fighter who's also famous for training up KSI for his fight with Logan Paul.

Coulter is a former MMA fighter who competed in the UFC until 2018.

And, of course, Jake Paul is still set to fight ex-NBA star Nate Robinson as the lead-in to the main event.

We're told the Tyson vs. Jones fight -- the first event in a series under Mike's "Legends Only League" -- will be sanctioned and scored by a recognized sanctioning body. 

 Oh, and the winner will get a specially-commissioned belt!!!

Hilary Tisch, one of New York Giants co-owner Steve Tisch's daughters, is dead after taking her own life ... TMZ has learned.

Hilary attempted suicide over the weekend, and died Monday in a hospital, according to sources with direct knowledge. The Giants honcho mourned his daughter's death in a statement to TMZ ... remembering her as "a kind, caring and beautiful person."

Steve adds ... Hilary's "mother, sisters, brothers and I are devastated by her passing. It leaves a hole in our hearts and our lives. She, like so many others, bravely fought the disease of depression for as long as she could."

Our sources say Hilary, a successful jewelry designer, had struggled through depression for many years. Despite that, she poured her heart and soul into volunteering with Operation Smile, a nonprofit medical service organization that's provided over 220,000 free surgeries around the world for kids and young adults born with cleft lips, cleft palates and other facial deformities.

Hilary's father says the Tisch "family is utterly heartbroken and is mourning its tragic loss. We love and will miss her dearly."

Hilary was 36.

LeBron James is taking advantage of the NBA's relaxed dress code while in the Orlando bubble ... rockin' an open shirt and showing some serious skin before the Laker game on Monday!!

Of course, the league decided to take it easy on its fashion requirements during the NBA's restart ... allowing players to ditch their sport coats and suits for a more casual look.

LBJ is taking things to a whole 'nother level before tipping off against the Denver Nuggets ... wearing an unbuttoned short sleeve shirt and some shorts.

If you didn't know about the context, you'd assume the King was about to hit the beach!!

"Miami Drip in Orlando," L.A.'s Twitter account captured the pic of James heading to the team bus.

To top off the whole look, LBJ is sporting the Klutch Sports agency with a custom mask ... which has to make his buddy Rich Paul happy about the free advertising.

Fun Fact -- did you know Paige VanZant can execute a perfect toe touch??

The MMA superstar is out to prove any doubters wrong ... by throwing on a tiny hot pink bikini and posting a slow-mo vid as evidence on Monday!!

"Suns out buns out ☀️✌🏼🌴" Paige captioned her video ... which, might we add, is a very factual statement.

PVZ and her Bellator hubby, Austin Vanderford, have been spotted training at the famous American Top Team MMA gym in Florida this past week ... but made sure to get in some solid fun at the pool during their time off.

Of course, ATT houses some of the biggest names in MMA -- from Amanda Nunes to Joanna Jedrzejczyk ... and VanZant basically confirmed the move in an Instagram post.

"Always go with the choice that scares you the most, because that’s the one that’s going to help you grow. #NextChapter #Florida," PVZ captioned the pic.

Back to the toe touch -- PVZ was a cheerleader in HS and went on to prove she still had moves while appearing on "Dancing With The Stars" back in 2016.

Federal agents say a massive shipment of footwear on its way to Mexico contained millions of dollars worth of fake shoes -- including some coveted, rare Jordans and Yeezys.

U.S Customs and Border Protection announced the bust their agents down at the Dallas/Fort Worth port this week -- where they seized a haul which included over 1,800 pairs of phony Limited Edition Dior X Air Jordan 1 kicks that were heading to retailers south of the border.

These specific shoes retail for about $2,000 a pop on the market, and all in all ... the feds say the shipment was worth upwards of $4.3 million.

The agents add that the boxes -- about 60 of which were targeted, all coming from China -- had all the markings of a scam ... bad packaging, poor quality and the officers' previous experience with this sort of thing told them the shoes weren't legit, so they halted them.

The Jordans weren't the only sneakers in the mix -- as you can see in the photo above, it looks like there are some Yeezy 350 Boosts scattered throughout as well ... knock-offs, we should note. USCBP says several different shoes with Nike and Adidas logos were spotted.

They also say they gave the shipment's cosigner the chance to submit proof of Trademark Licensing before taking it outta their hands. Obviously, their paperwork wasn't up to snuff.

BTW ... this sorta scheme can generate tens of millions of dollars if it goes undetected -- according to the customs team, more than $37 mil of an MRSP was recorded in counterfeit shoe sales in 2019 alone. So, be on the lookout for Jordans and Yeezees on the street.

Donald Trump is campaigning hard for college football -- urging programs NOT to cancel the 2020 season.

And, he's on board the #WeWantToPlay movement, which is being led by his old fast-food buddy, Trevor Lawrence.

"The student-athletes have been working too hard for their season to be cancelled," POTUS tweeted Monday ... adding the hashtag, "#WeWantToPlay"

Trump made the comments while quote tweeting the Clemson QB's demands for a college football season.

As we previously reported, Lawrence -- along with other top college football stars -- spelled out a list of demands in order for the players to be on board with a 2020 football season.

Among the demands ... "Universal mandated health and safety procedures to protect college athletes against covid-19 among all conferences throughout the NCAA."

"Give players the opportunity to opt out and respect their decision."

Trump and Lawrence go way back -- remember, Trevor's Clemson football team was invited to the White House back in January 2019 to celebrate their national championship season.

Trump was widely mocked for the fast-food catering, but Lawrence had nothing but praise for POTUS on the way out ... saying the food was "awesome."