TMZ Sports - Page 50

Cincinnati Reds announcer Thom Brennaman uttered an offensive, homophobic slur while calling the Reds game Wednesday ... apparently not realizing his microphone was on.

Brennaman -- who was announcing a doubleheader against the Kansas City Royals -- was heard referring to a city as "one of the f** capitals of the world."

Seconds later he snapped back into announcer mode and read a promo for the Reds Live Pregame Show ... as if nothing had happened.

But, viewers were SHOCKED ... and the clip went viral on social media in a matter of minutes.

56-year-old Brennaman has been calling MLB games since the '90s and has been the featured play-by-play broadcaster for major events like the BCS National Championship Game, the 2007 Fiesta Bowl, the 2008 Sugar Bowl ... even the 2011 Pro Bowl.

He's been working with the Reds since 2006.

BE HONEST -- would you try to get your ball back if a giant alligator tried to steal it off a golf course?!!?

HELL NO, RIGHT!?

That's the question some golfers in Louisiana had to ask themselves after a 'gator tried to join their foursome this week ... and the whole thing was caught on video.

Lane Rodrigue tells us he was playing with friends at the Idlewild Golf Course in Patterson, Louisiana on Monday when  the monster walked right on to the course and snatched up his ball.

The guys were shocked -- and jokingly debated "playing it where it lies" ... but ultimately decided to let the gator keep it as a souvenir. No one got hurt. The gator is fine.

The whole thing harkens back to "Happy Gilmore's" mentor Chubbs Peterson who famously griped that a "damned alligator BIT my hand off" ... "cut me down in my prime!"

RIP Chubbs.

Cal Ripken Jr.'s Iron Man streak is now his second-most awesome feat ... 'cause the MLB legend says he was able to beat prostate cancer in a matter of weeks!!

The 59-year-old told reporters Thursday he was diagnosed with the disease way back in February ... but, thankfully, he says he's been cancer-free since March surgery.

"The cancer was all contained in the prostate, they did a pathology report afterward and confirmed that that was the case," Ripken Jr. said.

"I’ve since had a three-month test to see if my PSA was undetectable and it was, so we can make a case that all the cancer was contained and it’s all out now."

Ripken Jr. says he was initially going to keep everything private ... but after realizing going public with his experiences could help others have similar success with the illness, he let it "slip out."

"I wouldn’t say the Iron Man contributes to it, but I was the kind of person who was thinking, ‘OK, I’ll just keep this a secret,'" Ripken Jr. said.

"But the longer you deal with it and you understand the outcome has been favorable and positive, the reason I’m letting it slip out now is I want to use the opportunity to help other people who struggle with that decision and encourage other people to go get their regular exams, get their tests."

Jake Paul is making lemonade outta the FBI's lemons ... namely that raid at his mansion, which is his inspiration for a music video shoot ... one that has some folks up in arms.

The YouTube star is casting for a new music vid "reenacting his recent run-in with the law," which is a very downplayed description of a fully armed, military-style FBI raid.

Jake's looking for a couple men to play the roles of FBI agent and paparazzi, and naturally, he's also putting out a call for tons of hot chicks. It's still a music video, and he's gotta have eye candy.

In addition to pretty women ... Jake also recruited hypercar suppliers Obi Okeke -- aka Doctor Bugatti -- and Donny Gath from iLusso OC to snag him a $300K Maybach S650 Cabriolet for the shoot.

The music video shoot appears to be happening Saturday in Calabasas, presumably at the same house that was raided, and folks are already mad at Jake and questioning him on coronavirus safety precautions.

The questions are warranted ... as we reported, Jake's Calabasas crib hosted a super sloppy boxing match last week that looked like a COVID-19 nightmare. There were tons of people crowding together, few face coverings and sweaty boxers fighting for air.

For Jake's part, he wore a mask around the neighborhood with his ex, Tana Mongeau, but some people are worried the video shoot will be a repeat of his boxing bash -- short on safety measures.

Georgia State freshman QB Mikele Colasurdo says he's been diagnosed with a heart condition after battling COVID-19 ... and he won't be able to play this season.

"Today I was diagnosed with a heart condition as a result of my COVID-19 infection," Colasurdo said.

"Unfortunately, this means that I will not be able to play this football season."

Colasurdo -- 6'1", 210 lbs -- thanked the Georgia State football program for "providing a safe environment for us to train and practice."

"Ultimately it was the procedures and tests set forth by GSU that allowed the doctors to find this condition in my heart and help keep me safe," the QB said.

"I am very thankful."

Colasurdo was the South Carolina Gatorade High School Player of the Year in 2019 -- and a finalist for South Carolina Mr. Football.

He was also expected to compete for the starting QB job in 2020 as a true freshman.

Despite the situation, Colasurdo says he'll return for the 2021 season.

Scary news out of Cleveland Browns' camp ... veteran cornerback Kevin Johnson lacerated his liver in practice Wednesday and is now in the hospital receiving treatment.

The Browns made the announcement Thursday ... saying Johnson initially complained of abdominal pain after a teammate landed on him during drills.

Turns out, Johnson was seriously injured ... with the team saying test results revealed the liver damage after he was sent to the hospital.

"Kevin is resting comfortably and is expected to remain in the hospital for at least another 24 hours for observation," the team said.

Johnson -- a Houston Texans first-round pick back in 2015 -- joined the Browns this offseason and was expected to be in the team's two-deep on opening day next month.

The Toronto Blue Jays say they're sorry players wore shirts that depicted their mascot as a homeless person ... and now, the team has officially banned the apparel from the clubhouse.

Several Blue Jays players were spotted wearing the T-shirts this month ... with pitcher Anthony Bass proudly displaying the attire on social media last weekend.

The all blue shirt featured the words "Homeless Jays" ... and showed a Blue Jay cartoon wearing tattered clothes while holding a baseball bat with a sack of belongings in it.

Of course, the shirt was meant to be a play on the Blue Jays being barred from playing games in their hometown over the COVID-19 pandemic ... but many called it straight-up offensive.

And, in a statement released by the team this week ... it agreed, apologizing for a "lapse in sensitivity" toward homeless people -- and adding they won't allow players to wear it again.

"The Blue Jays take accountability for ensuring negative stereotypes are not perpetuated and for supporting marginalized groups in our community," the team said. "The club has addressed the issue of the T-shirts with our players and they will not be worn again."

The team added, "The Blue Jays have a strong commitment to lifting up our most vulnerable through Jays Care Foundation, including a longstanding partnership with Toronto Community Housing."

Distance learning sucks if you don't have a dope computer to stay connected in school ... and Deshaun Watson knows it.

That's why the Houston Texans star QB teamed up with Reliant Energy to hand out $175,000 in tech Wednesday to students who need it!

Most Houston area schools have opted to begin the school year virtually due to the COVID-19 pandemic ... creating tough situations for some families in dire financial straits.

Watson and Reliant decided to help out by working with the Comp-U-Dopt organization -- which specializes in "providing technology access and education to underserved youth."

Comp-U-Dopt says the $175k donation from Watson and Reliant will allow 500 STUDENTS to receive computers, which they can keep. How great is that!?

"Reliant will also fund afterschool student programming with Comp-U-Dopt for the next three years," the org says.

Watson didn't just cut a check -- he personally went down to the giveaway point in Houston and helped deliver the equipment to the families who needed it.

The 24-year-old baller is big in the community in Houston.

"I would say that if you walked away from practice you'd say, 'Hey, who the hell was #58!?'"

Dallas Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy says Aldon Smith is KILLING it in his first official workouts with the team ... this despite the dude being away from the game for the past 5 YEARS.

McCarthy praised the hell out of the embattled pass rusher Thursday ... calling Smith's skill set "extraordinary" and his return from a long layoff "impressive."

"I'm very, very happy with where Aldon is right now," McCarthy said ... before adding, "Aldon is off to a very good start. He's impressive. Still very impressive."

It's a pretty shocking report from the Cowboys head man ... Aldon hasn't played a down in the NFL since the 2015 season -- and has battled legal troubles and substance abuse issues during his time away.

But, Smith's sober now, and he told us this offseason he busted his ass in Jay Glazer's gym in L.A. to get his body back into NFL shape ... and clearly, it's all paying off.

"You can see his power and his length is extraordinary," McCarthy said.

Smith was officially reinstated by Roger Goodell back in May.

The Cowboys open up the season in less than a month ... and seems Smith might actually be one of their starting defensive ends for the game.

Maybe Carlos Santana didn't get the memo ...

The Cleveland Indians star 1st baseman rocked a "Chief Wahoo" shirt under his jersey during Tuesday's game -- despite the team BANNING that logo back in 2019.

Remember, the team -- along with Major League Baseball -- put out a grand statement back in 2018 saying the club would officially do away with Chief Wahoo, explaining the logo was "no longer appropriate."

Critics have long said the logo felt like an insensitive, racist caricature of a Native American.

MLB and the Indians put out a joint statement saying they had "thoughtful and productive discussions" and ultimately agreed to move on from the logo by the start of the 2019 season.

The last time Wahoo was on an official Indians uniform was Oct. 2018.

So, you can imagine the shock when Santana wore the shirt during Tuesday's game against the Pittsburgh Pirates ... in a monster game for Santana in which he had 2 hits and 5 RBIs. Lots of camera time.

Plus, he wore the undershirt -- without his jersey -- at the post-game presser where Wahoo was more prominently displayed.

Our MLB sources tell us ... the league is aware of the shirt -- and there are plans to talk with the Indians organization about the issue so it won't happen again.

Who would ever think of stealing from UFC knockout artist Justin Gaethje?!?!?! That's what Justin wants to know.

Gaethje says he's got photo and video evidence showing a man breaking into his garage in Denver on Wednesday and jacking his $4,500 electric hunting bike ... and now he's on a mission to get it back.

"This guy just stole a bike from my garage in Denver/Lakewood, CO," Gaethje said.

"If anybody knows a private investigator around the Denver area I’d be happy to hire him."

Justin posted a pic of the missing bike -- a Rambo R1000XP, which comes with a $4,500 price tag.

The bike is often used by hunters to move around terrain while out in the field. It's got a 28 mph maximum speed -- it's a dope bike.

When asked why he didn't confront the guy in the act, Gaethje explained, "I was in the middle of doing yard work, came in for 15 minutes. I walked out 8 minutes after he left."

We've reached out to cops in the area to find out if Gaethje filed a police report and if an investigation has been launched.

So far, no word back -- but some advice... if you stole Justin Gathje's bike, GIVE IT BACK BEFORE IT'S TOO LATE!

Gaethje is one of the most violent men in MMA -- recently destroying Tony Ferguson, which paved the way for an upcoming showdown with Khabib Nurmagomedov.

Reds star Trevor Bauer is taking his support for Joe Kelly to his feet ... rockin' "Free Joe Kelly" cleats for Cincy's game Wednesday -- and the tribute is pretty amazing!!

As we previously reported, Kelly is set to undergo a 5-game suspension as soon as he comes off the Dodgers' injured list ... and it's all because MLB says he threw at cheating Houston Astros players last month.

But, dozens of guys in The Show -- including Kelly himself -- think it's all BS ... saying Joe didn't actually hit anybody, and he really wasn't involved in the near brawl on the field either.

Enter, Bauer ... who hates the Astros so much and is so firmly in Kelly's corner on the situation -- he had custom Joe Kelly cleats made for his start against the K.C. Royals!!!

TB showed off the footwear just hours before he took the bump ... and on the left shoe, Bauer had Kelly's infamous mocking face painted over the Nike swoosh.

On the right shoe, Bauer had the words "Free Joe Kelly" scribbled over the emblem.

"FREE JOE KELLY!" Bauer said along with the cleat announcement.

Trevor's support for Joe went one step even further ... the Cincy ace also made shirts for Kelly -- and says the proceeds from the tees will go to a charity of Joe's choice.

How's that for a pitching brotherhood?!?!

Roy Jones Jr. is NOT pulling the plug on his scheduled fight with Mike Tyson ... but there is some truth to rumors of tension behind the scenes.

Here's what we know ... Roy wasn't happy when Tyson's camp agreed to push back the date of the fight from Sept. 12 to Nov. 28.

Roy already had begun training and was on a strict timeline to prepare himself. So, when the date changed ... we're told he was frustrated and vented his issues to Tyson's camp and the people organizing the fight.

We're told there were other minor issues ... but it all boils down to this -- Roy wants to be treated like an equal partner in the fight and after he laid out his concerns, we're told he was happy with the way they were addressed and agreed to proceed with the fight on Nov. 28.

In fact, Roy even posted an IG video this week saying straight up, he'll be ready and looking for a real deal victory over Tyson when they clash.

One thing that's bothered both fighters is the insinuation from the California State Athletic Commission that the fight will be more of a playful show than a violent fight.

Sources from both Tyson's camp and Roy's camp tell us both men are approaching the event like they would any other fight in their respective careers.

Tyson and Roy have said to TMZ Sports on camera the goal is a knockout ... and they will be COMPETING once the bell rings.

Ric Flair just gave some amazing advice to NFL tight end George Kittle after the 49ers star signed his new $75 million contract -- DON'T GET DIVORCED!

It's a hilarious moment that all went down during a live radio interview on the Bay Area's 95.7 The Game ... when the hosts brought in Flair to surprise Kittle, who happens to be a massive WWE fan.

"Yeah, it’s the Nature Boy Ric Flair! Congratulations George Kittle. You’re limousine riding and jet flying!!"

Kittle was rendered speechless -- which is saying a lot for him ... ultimately saying he couldn't believe he was on the phone with one of the all-time great pro wrestlers!

Flair was so impressed with Kittle's new 5-year, $75 million contract extension with the SF 49ers ... he offered up some financial advice to the 26-year-old.

"Listen, stay married. That $15 million could go real fast if you get divorced!"

Flair was referring to Kittle's $18 mil signing bonus -- but fudged the numbers. It's fine. You get the point.

Bottom line ... Flair is stoked. Kittle is stoked.

And, Boyfriend of the Year honors go to ... Las Vegas Raiders rookie Henry Ruggs!!!

Here's video of the NFL first-round pick surprising his girlfriend with a brand new, custom Mustang 5.0 -- and yeah, dude's clearly great both on the field and in relationships!!!

TMZ Sports has learned the former Alabama star receiver hit up Gaudin Ford dealership in Nevada for the whip ... and as you can see in the footage, Ruggs clearly chose the right car.

Check out the clip ... Henry brought his GF, Kiara Washington, and their 3-month-old daughter down to the driveway -- and when Kiara realized what was happening, she busted out into tears!!

"Henry!!!" she screamed repeatedly ... before adding, "Thank you!!"

We're told 2020 Mustang GTs don't come in yellow ... but Ruggs made it happen because that's his girl's favorite color.

AWWWW!!!

By the way, the car should remind Washington of Henry every time she gets in it ... 'cause it's fast as hell -- we're told this model has 332 horsepower and can go 0 to 60 MPH in under 5 SECONDS!!

As for price ... unclear what the ride set back Ruggs -- but don't worry, dude just inked a 4-year, $16 MILLION contract with the Raiders.

Oscar De La Hoya says he's coming back!!!

The 47-year-old former champ insists he's gearing up for a return to boxing -- and will begin training very soon.

"The rumors are true, and I'm going to start sparring in the next few weeks," De La Hoya told ESPN's Steve Kim.

Oscar hasn't had a pro fight since December 2008, when he lost to Manny Pacquiao.

"Look, it's been a long time, yes," De La Hoya said ... "But actually my jab feels faster than ever."

"I have to make sure that my conditioning is perfect, my health is good. And, that's going to take place in the next few weeks. So we'll see."

De La Hoya has not revealed any potential opponents yet -- but insists the fight will not be an exhibition for entertainment, he's looking to add a "W" to his long and storied pro boxing record.

Oscar finished with a 39-6 record when he hung up the gloves 12 years ago ... but famously defeated guys like Arturo Gatti, Hector Camacho, Julio Cesar Chavez and Pernell Whitaker.

After his fighting career, Oscar became a successful promoter -- repping stars like Canelo Alvarez and Ryan Garcia under his Golden Boy Promotions banner.