TMZ Sports - Page 50

The Cleveland Indians just shipped out star pitcher Mike Clevinger -- just weeks after teammates blasted him for violating COVID protocol during a secret night out in Chicago.

Remember, Clevinger and his teammate/buddy Zach Plesac snuck away from the team hotel on August 8 to party with friends during a road trip in Chicago, violating COVID protocol.

Plesac was caught by MLB security -- which informed the Indians. Plesac was not allowed to travel back to Cleveland on the team plane the following day.

Clevinger managed to go undetected in the early hours of the scandal -- and DID get on the team plane, pissing off teammates and other Cleveland personnel when they found out about his involvement later on.

Both Clevinger and Plesac claimed they were safe during the night out and have not tested positive for coronavirus since -- but teammates like Adam Plutko blasted them to the media claiming the two men violated their trust and put the team at risk.

Both Clevinger and Plesac were demoted and sent away from the team ... and now the Indians decided to just get rid of Clevinger altogether.

In exchange for Clev, the Indians reportedly get reliever Cal Quantrill, shortstop prospect Gabriel Arias, outfielder Josh Naylor and catcher Austin Hedges.

Of course, it's a HUGE deal for San Diego ... Clevinger is one of the top arms in the league -- and nabbing him makes the Padres an immediate contender to knock off the Dodgers in the West.

San Diego also added a few other players in trades over the weekend -- including Seattle Mariners star Austin Nola -- and given the roster it currently has, SD is now a REAL World Series threat.

As for Plesac, he posted an IG video a few days after the incident claiming he was being unfairly portrayed in the media as a reckless monster.

He is still playing with the Indians' "alternate site" team -- which is essentially serving as their minor league option this season, since the regular minor leagues have been shut down due to COVID.

Big ups to Manti Te'o ... the NFL player found VERY REAL love after the world's worst catfish incident -- and he's officially a married man!

The 29-year-old ex-Notre Dame superstar swapped "I Do's" with longtime girlfriend Jovi Nicole Engbino on the beach in La Jolla, CA.

The couple kept the ceremony super small due to the COVID pandemic -- but plan to have a bigger celebration with family and friends once it's safe.

"I couldn't give you the world but I think I did better," Te'o said on social media ... "I gave you my last name and it looks good on you Mrs. Te'o."

Of course, Te'o began dating Jovi -- a fitness pro -- back in 2015 ... just a few years after he was famously tricked into falling in love with the fictitious "Lennay Kekua" during his time as a Golden Domer.

The nearly 10-year-old story is still wild to look back on ... Te'o family acquaintance Ronaiah Tuiasosopo duped the linebacker into getting into a virtual relationship with a fake woman.

Tuiasosopo admitted to altering his voice when speaking with Te'o on the phone as part of the rouse.

Te'o was told "Lennay" died after a cancer battle in 2012 -- and he told the emotional story on national television interviews.

Once Te'o learned he had been duped -- he said the situation was "painful and humiliating."

To his credit, Te'o never got too down over it all ... and in 2015, he began dating Jovi in what now appears to be a hugely successful relationship.

"Yesterday I got to marry my best friend and the love of my life in an intimate beach ceremony," Jovi said Sunday of the wedding. "Although this was not how we envisioned our ceremony, it was perfect."

An up-and-down road in Jacksonville has finally come to an end for Leonard Fournette ... the Jaguars star running back was just released Monday, the team announced.

The former LSU superstar -- the 4th overall pick in the 2017 NFL Draft -- was able to post solid numbers when he was in the Jags' lineup ... but injuries and off-field drama constantly plagued him.

The 25-year-old was only able to start 36 of a possible 48 games in 3 seasons ... and he consistently found himself butting heads with the team and former exec Tom Coughlin.

Remember, Fournette was ejected for fighting with Bills players during a game in 2018 ... and was later suspended by the league over it -- hurting the hell out of the Jags' chances to make back-to-back playoff runs.

Later that season, Fournette was made inactive for the team's final game of the season ... and was ripped by Coughlin for his "disrespectful" and "selfish" body language on the sidelines.

Fournette was also reportedly repeatedly fined and admonished for being late to or skipping team events ... and even famously threatened to beat a heckler's ass during a Jags-Titans game in 2018 as well.

Fournette was also arrested in 2019 over an unpaid speeding ticket ... and wasn't shy about voicing his concerns over Jaguars personnel decisions over the past year too.

Jags head coach Doug Marrone spoke about the move Monday morning -- say the team tried like hell to trade Fournette, but "there wasn't anything there."

He added cutting Fournette was "what's best for our team."

After his cut Monday, Leonard can now be claimed off waivers by any team ... but if he clears there, he's free to choose to sign with any of the 31 other teams in the league as a free agent.

In his career, Fournette has rushed for 2,631 yards and 17 TDs on 666 carries.

Jamal Murray says his shoes -- honoring George Floyd and Breonna Taylor -- inspired his INSANE 50 point performance against Utah on Sunday ... and the post-game video is emotional stuff.

"These shoes mean a lot," Murray told Jared Greenberg after a must-win Game 6 playoff performance against the Jazz.

The 23-year-old Denver Nuggets star was overcome with emotion after the victory -- but he pulled himself together to explain why the shoes mean so much to him.

"These shoes give me life," Murray said ... "Even though these people are gone, they give me life. They help me find strength."

"In life you find things that hold value, things to fight for, and we found something worth fighting for as an NBA, as a collective unit. I use these shoes as a symbol to me to keep fighting all around the world."

"Like I said, they give me a lot of power to keep fighting."

Murray led the Nuggets in scoring Sunday night in their 119-107 victory -- in his second 50 point performance of the series.

He's the first player to drop 40 points in 3 straight NBA playoff games since Allen Iverson did it in 2001.

Terrell Owens says Odell Beckham doubters are in for a rude awakening ... telling TMZ Sports the superstar receiver is destined for a huge year ... as long as his quarterback doesn't stink up the place.

Of course, the narrative is that OBJ had a pretty disappointing season in 2019 -- he battled a sports hernia injury as the Cleveland Browns posted an underwhelming 6-10 record.

FYI -- Odell still managed to rack up more than 1,000 yards and caught 4 touchdowns a year ago.

T.O. says the media wrongfully pushed a storyline that Odell was declining ... and believes it was "unfair."

"Obviously, Odell is a great talent," T.O. tells us. "It's very misleading for somebody to say that he had a down year."

"He had some great catches, there were some flashes of that. But again, playing with an injured hip ... I can't imagine what that feels like, trying to play through that but it's not all of his fault."

Owens puts part of the blame on Baker Mayfield ... saying OBJ would have made more plays if #6 was hitting his targets.

"You break down the game tape, like yeah, the guy was open and the ball was thrown high, thrown behind him, thrown low," Owens says. "This guy's catch rating is equivalent to Julio Jones."

"Heir season is gonna ride on [Odell] and [Jarvis] Landry. So, hopefully, they're working through those things and they're healthy, Baker is better than he was last year."

"That offense and that team is not gonna go anywhere if Baker is not being the leader there."

Sylvester Stallone is re-releasing "Rocky IV" with a fresh set of eyes -- in his own pure vision, no less -- but one thing that won't be in the new version ... Paulie's iconic maid robot.

Sly made the announcement Sunday on Instagram, saying he's gonna be putting a director's cut of the '80s cult classic film ... which sees his character fighting Ivan Drago in Russia to avenge the death of Apollo Creed. Oh, and that's a big spoiler alert too BTW ... sorry!!!

Stallone writes, "For the 35th anniversary Rocky 4 Is getting a new DIRECTORS cut by me. So far it looks great. Soulful.. Thank you MGM For this opportunity to entertain."

Fans flooded his comments to show their excitement, but also their curiosity. Folks wondered whether he'd be adding new scenes, deleting old ones ... and possibly giving more of a backstory to the relationship between Rocky's right-hand man Paulie and his AI love interest in the flick, SICO ... which has been widely panned, but also revered over time.

Well, don't plan on seeing that robot in the Sly's cut ... 'cause the guy says he's scrapping it from the plot completely. In fact, it sounds like he straight up doesn't like SICO at all.

Sly responded to some fans' queries about the bot, and he says, "The robot is going to the junkyard forever. No more robot," while adding to another fan, "I don't like the robot anymore." So, yeah ... it would appear Stallone's getting rid of that subplot, which was campy anyway.

The interesting thing about that robot is that it actually played a role in Sly's real life ... with his own kid, no less. The robot's actual designer, Robert Doornick, said as recently as 2016 Sly caught wind of the robot (before production on "Rocky IV" had started) and hit him and his team up, wondering if it could help with his son Seargeoh, who is autistic.

According to Doornick, they loaned the Stallone family the robot ... and supposedly, it was a huge hit with the kid. So, as a favor to his boy, Sly wrote the robot into the movie for a cameo role. He also cast his other son, Sage, as Rocky's son in the flick.

LeBron James honored Chadwick Boseman Saturday night at the Lakers/Trail Blazers game ... and echoed a feeling millions of people share about the tragedies of 2020.

LeBron took a knee before the game and flashed the Wakanda sign from "Black Panther," a sign of mad respect for Boseman, who died Friday at 43 after a 4-year battle with colon cancer.

After the game -- which the Lakers won, knocking Portland out of the playoffs -- LeBron talked about the pain of losing such a great person ... "It actually felt like we had our black superhero and nobody could touch us. To lose that, it's sad in our community. To lose Black Panther and Mamba in the same year -- 2020 is the sh**tiest year."

What does a dude nicknamed "Big Ticket" get for a chain??

How about A BIG ASS TICKET!!

TMZ Sports has learned ... New York Jets rookie Mekhi Becton is the proud new owner of a piece that is as big as his 6'7", 360-lb. frame ... copping a huge pendant in honor of his awesome moniker.

We're told Becton hit up famous jeweler Jason of Beverly Hills for the fancy jewelry ... which is made with more than a kilo of gold and 120 carats of flawless white diamonds.

So what's a piece like this worth?? We're told it's valued at a whopping $400k. Now that's an expensive ticket!!

Of course, the rookies are packin' on the ice before the season -- as we previously reported, Cincinnati Bengals first overall pick Joe Burrow just got his diamond #9 chain.

Think Bills Mafia will let COVID-19 stop 'em from smashing through fiery tables before kickoff?!!

NOPE!!!

The tailgates will happen -- the Zubaz will be worn, chaos will reign, TMZ Sports has learned.

Here's the deal ... with fans blocked from attending NFL games in person at stadiums around the country, people are still looking to gather in groups to tailgate safely.

Bills fans -- known for being insane maniacs -- are among those (since the team has said no fans will be allowed at the first 2 home games) ... but the good news for them, they'll get their chance to tailgate, with COVID protocols in effect.

We're told one option is a tailgating "bubble" sponsored by MyBookie, which claims it will create a completely sanitized, clean zone for Bills fans in the Buffalo area where they can rage before games, while adhering to COVID safety measures.

Fans must register to get inside the tailgating area (they're trying to limit the number of people) -- but once inside, fans will enjoy food, booze and all the sanitizer they can squirt.

There are also plans to bring in a van for Mafia members to climb as a launching pad for table jumps.

The exact location is still being worked out. Masks and social distancing will hopefully be enforced.

It's not a true "bubble" like the NBA environment in Orlando -- where people are tested and quarantined before being allowed to enter. But, hey ... it's better than nothing!

The Bills' first home game is scheduled for Sept. 13 against the NY Jets.

Chadwick Boseman, the iconic "Black Panther" star, has died at age 43 after a 4-year battle with colon cancer.

His family released a statement, saying "It is with immeasurable grief that we confirm the tragic passing of Chadwick Boseman. Chadwick was diagnosed with stage III colon cancer in 2016, and battled with it these last 4 years as it progressed to stage IV."

They continue that "it was the honor of his career to bring King T'Challa to life in Black Panther."

"He died in his home, with his wife and family by his side"

Chadwick, who most famously brought the first black Marvel superhero to life in "Black Panther" along with a string of 'Avengers' movies was no stranger to giving life to iconic roles. He portrayed Jackie Robinson, James Brown, and Thurgood Marshall in "Marshall."

Recently, Chadwick had sparked concern amongst his fans, as he appeared very thin in videos on social media. This worry nearly overshadowed the impactful words he wanted to share with the world about Jackie Robinson and the pandemic.

Born in South Carolina, he always had an affinity for theater, and wrote his first play in high school. He attended the famous HBCU, Howard University, and graduated with a Bachelor's degree in Fine arts.

He started his career in writing and directing, but clearly, he was meant to be on the other side of the camera. He took the world by storm in 2013 in the role of Jackie Robinson in "42." On playing that role, Chadwick said, "The story is relevant because we still stand on his shoulders. He started something - I would even say maybe he didn't even start it, it started before him. But he carried the torch. And he carried it alone for a period of time before other people could help him." Clearly, he forwarded the narrative of that, as he moved on to play one of the most influential roles of a generation in the portrayal of T'Challa, aka Black Panther.

The impact he had on Hollywood, while too short, was phenomenal. He hosted 'SNL' in a very memorable episode, and was slated to star in 'Black Panther 2' which was meant to be released in 2022

As outstanding of an actor as he was, Chadwick was also an incredibly effective activist and role model ... he had a unique and powerful voice that resonated with kids and adults, showing them anything was possible.

And, there's this. Today is Jackie Robinson Day in Major League Baseball, honoring the first black player in the league. All players wear the number 42.

Cliff Robinson, the longtime NBA player who also appeared on "Survivor" has died.

The cause of death was not revealed, but in 2017 Cliff suffered a brain hemorrhage. We don't know if that was a factor in his death.

Cliff played in the NBA for 18 seasons. He first joined the Portland Trailblazers back in 1989 where he stayed for 8 seasons. From there he went to Phoenix where he played for the Suns. He also played for the Detroit Pistons and the New Jersey Nets.

After retiring, Cliff was a competitor on season 28 of "Survivor" back in 2014. He finished in 14th place.

Cliff was a star during his college days at the University of Connecticut. The school broke the news, saying, 'The UConn Basketball family mourns the loss of a legendary player and person, Clifford Robinson. Our thoughts and prayers are with Cliff’s family at this difficult time. Rest in Peace, Cliff'

Cliff is survived by his wife, Heather Lufkins, and his son, Isaiah.

Ex-NBA player Royce White says his friend Draymond Green is just wrong to say NBA players should continue the playoffs ... explaining why the right move is for everyone to exit the bubble ASAP!!

White spelled out his case during an episode of TMZ Sports Roundtable featuring NFL player Brandon Marshall, and WNBA star Angel McCoughtry.

The video is awesome ... the group gets into a spirited conversation about how professional athletes should move forward after demonstrations from players in the NBA, WNBA, MLB, NFL and more.

In other words ... what's the next step?

Royce White -- a former 1st round NBA draft pick -- says he thinks the NBA needs to ditch the bubble and head back to their communities and get out there with the people.

It's exactly the opposite of what Draymond Green said earlier this week when he encouraged players to stay and use the NBA platform to effectively send their social justice messages to the masses.

"He's mistaken, he's off the path with that," White said about Draymond ... "This is not about awareness campaigns anymore. Report to the front lines. If you can't report to the front lines, then send aid."

White also had advice for LeBron James -- "Go to Akron Ohio. March with the people. Stay there until something really changes, and If they choose to be all the way violent, let your body be laying in the street when it's over."

As for McCoughtry ... she weighed in on everything from the WNBA's plan of action, to the rift between Atlanta Dream co-owner Kelly Loeffler and the players.

As we previously reported, Loeffler is strongly against the league support of the Black Lives Matter movement.

Some players have called for Loeffler to sell the team ... claiming she has different values than the players she is profiting off of.

Angel -- who played 10 years for the Dream -- tells us why she does NOT believe Loeffler is a racist ... but could better educate herself on social justice issues.

Brandon Marshall -- one of the first NFL players to kneel with Colin Kaepernick back in 2016 -- told us why he still doesn't fully accept Roger Goodell's Mea Cupla about how the league treated the QB back in the day.

Marshall says he doesn't feel progress can truly be made until Kaepernick has a job in the NFL again.

Rev. Al Sharpton is fired up about the athletes speaking out against police brutality -- saying they're making a "tremendous" impact around the country.

Sharpton is clearly impressed with stars from the NBA, MLB, NFL, tennis and beyond risking their careers to speak out against the shooting of Jacob Blake and other incidents involving black victims.

"They [the athletes] understand that their careers may last 3, 4, 5 years, but they're gonna be black forever … and that's why they need to be a part of this movement."

Sharpton says the reason the athletes are on the front lines is because "they live in these communities."

"They know that they could be treated the same way. And, I think it's a tremendous thing [that they're taking action]."

Sharpton says he admires and respects the athletes like LeBron James and others .... adding, "They've helped the movement tremendously."

Congressman Al Green was also out at the 'Get Your Knee Off Our Necks' rally in D.C. ... and also heaped praise on the athletes who have taken a stand.

Terrell Owens says the Hall of Fame, the TD's and the millions of dollars he's earned means nothing ... 'cause he's a Black man in America -- and he's afraid for his life.

TMZ Sports talked to the 46-year-old NFL legend ... and as you might expect, T.O. was visibly shaken by the latest police shooting of Jacob Blake in Kenosha, WI.

"As Black men bro, we're getting killed at an alarming rate now," Owens bluntly told us.

"This is why we as Black men, Black people, we're scared. Honestly, I really didn't think about it until like just driving around today, like honestly, it's scary to be a Black man in America, especially if you come in any type of encounter with law enforcement."

Of course, T.O.'s one of the greatest -- and most recognizable -- athletes in the United States ... but he says these days, that provides him no comfort or protection at all.

"There been times where, obviously, I knew my status or what have you can get me out of a situation," Terrell says.

"But, I'm sure if I get pulled over, I'm sure my heart will probably be beating 90 miles an hour. Especially considering everything that has transpired since the George Floyd murder."

Owens ended the conversation by explaining that, straight up, cops have to be better going forward.

Saquon Barkley loves his personal Nike logo so much, he decided to get the thing decked out in a brand new baller chain ... and man, does this thing shine!!!

TMZ Sports has learned ... the New York Giants superstar running back wanted to treat himself before the start of the new season ... so he hit up his go-to guy, celeb jeweler Leo Frost, to whip up a diamond copy of his signature bolt emblem.

We're told the piece is made up of 18-karat white gold and VVS diamonds ... which means it's super high quality.

Of course, you've seen Frost's work in the past -- dude's done awesome chains for Joe Burrow, Henry Ruggs, Justin Jefferson, Errol Spence, Jr. and more.

Welp, it's finally over for Jennifer Lopez and Alex Rodriguez -- they will not be buying the NY Mets.

The couple was in a serious battle with hedge fund billionaire Steve Cohen to buy the team from the Wilpon family, but they officially dropped out of the running Friday night.

"Alex and I are so disappointed," Lopez said in a statement.

"We worked so hard the past 6 months with the dream of becoming the first minority couple and the first woman owner to buy her father’s favorite Major League Baseball team with her own hard-earned money. We still haven’t given up!!"

J Lo and A-Rod had put together an ownership group which included sports drink billionaire Mike Repole and NFL stars Travis Kelce and DeMarco Murray.

The group issued a statement saying, "The consortium led by Alex Rodriguez and Jennifer Lopez has informed the Mets that they are no longer pursuing the acquisition of the team."

"The consortium said that they are disappointed to not be part of the revitalization of New York City and provide an exhilarating experience for the fans and wish the Wilpon family and the entire Mets organization well."

J-Rod had just toured Citi Field earlier this month -- and just this week, Jennifer went on Barstool Sports' "The Corp" podcast and talked about how special it would be to have a woman as an MLB owner.

Steve Cohen has now reportedly entered "exclusive negotiations" to buy the team and should have it all wrapped up in the next few days.

The final price is expected to be somewhere north of $2.6 billion.