TMZ Sports - Page 50

Kyrie Irving is speaking out against the mandatory COVID-19 vaccine enforcement ... calling it "one of the biggest violations of human rights in history."

The Nets superstar -- one of the most well-known celebs who personally opposed getting the jab -- took to Twitter to air out his grievances, and he didn't mince his words.

Irving made the point ... if he's allowed to play for the Nets while unvaccinated (that wasn't always the case -- but is now), then he says everyone should receive the same treatment.

"If I can work and be unvaccinated, then all of my brothers and sisters who are also unvaccinated should be able to do the same, without being discriminated against, vilified, or fired," the 30-year-old NBA superstar wrote.

Of course, Kyrie only played in 29 games last season ... primarily because NYC implemented a rule which prevented Irving from working in the city without the jab.

Irving stuck to his principles and refused the shot ... and the City eventually did away with the controversial measure.

Eli Manning's portrayal of "Chad Powers" -- a dude trying out for the Penn State football team -- was so damn funny, the production company behind the 2x Super Bowl winners skit has been fielding offers from entertainment execs wanting to work with the signal-caller.

TMZ Sports posted the clip from "Eli's Places" on Monday ... showing Powers doing everything from running the 40-yard dash (5.49 seconds) to throwing deep balls, all while providing hilarious commentary ("Chad Powers. Ya ain't seen nothin' like him. Not just good looking. I can throw it, baby!").

The clip has already been viewed millions of times across the internet ... and our sources tell us Omaha Productions, owned by Peyton Manning, has been flooded by people in the entertainment industry who wish to work with Manning/Powers.

One of the ideas ... a "Ted Lasso"-type show. Of course, Jason Sudeikis plays Lasso ... an American football coach hired to manage an English soccer club.

'TL' is one of the biggest shows to premiere over the last few years ... and it's won a bunch of awards.

Manning -- who retired after the '19 NFL season -- hosts the "Manningcast" during "Monday Night Football" with Peyton.

Eli also has an online show, "The Eli Manning Show," co-hosted by his former center, Shaun O'Hara, on the NY Giants YouTube page ... in addition to a bunch of endorsements.

Tom Brady has beef with the NFL yet again -- this time, the Buccaneers QB said he's pissed over the league's decision to suspend his star receiver, Mike Evans, for fighting on Sunday.

"I don't think it deserved any type of suspension," Brady said on his "Let's Go" podcast on Monday evening. "I think that's ridiculous."

Evans was banned one game for his role in a brawl with Marshon Lattimore during the Tampa Bay vs. New Orleans game on Sunday.

Evans, defending Brady, ran onto the field and leveled Lattimore -- causing an all-out melee. The 29-year-old wideout was ejected from the game, and on Monday, the league announced it was banning him for an additional game, claiming his behavior violated unnecessary roughness and unsportsmanlike conduct rules.

Brady opened up about the incident on his pod -- slamming the league's ruling -- while saying he was a fan of Evans' actions.

"In the end, I appreciate Mike having my back," Brady said. "I know he'll learn from it. And he knows that we all have his back."

Brady also took some blame for the fight -- saying if he hadn't run down the field to argue with the call, none of it would have happened.

P.K. Subban is hanging up his skates -- the NHL star announced Tuesday he's retiring after 13 seasons -- and looks forward to the "many exciting opportunities to come."

The 33-year-old broke the news in a letter via Instagram ... saying it was always his dream to play in the NHL and win the Stanley Cup, but, the championship part never happened.

"To this day, I still dream about it," Subban said, "However, the end of this chapter is closing and after 13 years in the NHL, I have made the decision to retire."

The defenseman went on to thank his family for all of their sacrifices throughout the years ... as well as the fans who have shown him love since day one.

"You picked me up when I was down, supported me through tough times, and had my back through it all!"

The free agent also praised the league for giving him a chance to compete ... and his fellow hockey players who "brought out the best in me" on the ice.

Subban started his pro hockey career in 2009 and played for the Montreal Canadiens, Nashville Predators, and New Jersey Devils. In 2013, he won the Norris Trophy, which is awarded to the season's top defensive player.

He reportedly earned over $73 million during his 13 seasons.

Outside of hockey, Subban is known for his relationship with star skier Lindsey Vonn. The two got engaged in August 2019 before calling it off in December 2020.

Subban is also a philanthropist who raised millions for Montreal Children's Hospital, donated $50k to George Floyd's daughter, and launched 'P.K.'s Blue Line Buddies" that's focused on building a bond between the police and the youth.

Eagles star Darius Slay made sure James Harden left "Monday Night Football" a happy man -- because after intercepting Kirk Cousins, he gifted the 76ers point guard the INT football ... and then he signed it for him after the game!

Darius lived up to his "Big Play Slay" nickname on Monday night against the Minnesota Vikings -- picking off two passes --- and Harden had a front-row seat to witness the defensive masterpiece.

And, on Slay's first pick, the Vikings -- who had been trailing Philly 24-7 in the 3rd quarter -- were driving down the field ... but the DB stepped in front Justin Jefferson to nab Cousins' throw, and then he bolted over to James.

Slay handed him the ball and slapped his hand -- all while Harden had a big smile on his face.

After the game, Slay found Harden in the bowels of Lincoln Financial Field and autographed the pigskin for him.

"First Eagles game was lit!" Harden said of it all on Twitter afterward. "keep ballin bro @bigplay24slay."

Lil Baby says his body "shut down" from tour exhaustion -- and forced him to skip out on a Vancouver gig -- but new video shows he felt good enough for the Vegas nightclub scene.

TMZ Hip Hop got these images from inside Zouk Nightclub, where Canelo Alvarez was celebrating his victory over Gennady Golovkin. It's a fully lit scene, and Lil Baby was right in the middle of the action ... along with Travis Scott, DJ Drama and other celebs.

This particular scene was around 3 AM Sunday, and as you can see, Baby was still singing and feeling good. NBD, except for the fact he was scheduled to headline Vancouver's Breakout Festival less than 24 hours later ... a show that did NOT go on, as they say.

Baby explained his no-show on IG, saying "I have been going so hard these past few months without any breaks that it finally caught up with me." Now, it is true he recently wrapped up a big tour with Chris Brown ... but this vid makes it seem like there might have been other contributing factors.

Interestingly, you can see Baby was rapping along to 42 Dugg's verse from their "We Paid" collab. The Vancouver fans who paid for tickets Sunday night were beyond pissed he never made it to the stage.

As we reported, the crowd got ugly when they got the news and some went into full riot mode ... destroying tents, TV monitors and all sorts of property.

Seven people were reportedly arrested amid the thousands of dollars of damage and destruction.

We're told Baby's security attempted to prevent people from recording him as he left Zouk with a towel over his head. He might need some cover for his next trip to Vancouver.

UCLA hoops star Amari Bailey signed a lucrative 'NIL' deal with Ethika and will receive a percentage of revenue from his products ... TMZ Sports has learned.

The exact details of the deal remain unknown, but the California-based apparel company tells us the plan is for Amari to create/design underwear with the company.

"The NIL deal with Amari couldn’t have come at a better time. I’ve followed Amari’s career since he was a youngster," Ethika exec Darius Burton tells us.

"I’ve always been impressed how he handles himself on and off the court. When I heard he was making the move to Southern California, I wanted to figure out a way to work with him."

Most of Ethika's deals are with professional athletes, but Burton says his belief in Bailey as a person, and not just a basketball player, is one of the reasons he chose to work with Amari.

"I have no doubt that we will do amazing things as a team, and I couldn’t be happier to have him be a part of our families," Burton said.

Bailey -- one of the top-ranked high school players from the 2022 class -- will be joining Rick Ross and Lil Wayne ... who also have deals with the brand.

Long before he was associated with Rozay and Weezy, or signed a big money endorsement deal, Bailey was still accustomed to the finer things ... he bought his mom Johanna Leia, Drake's ex-girlfriend, a '22 Porsche Cayenne worth about $70K!

Bailey, a 5-star recruit ranked in the top 15 in his high school class, signed with the Bruins in November and is expected to be an integral part of their team next season.

And, he's gonna look good while doin' it!

The COO of Beyond Meat has been arrested for chowing down on some fresh flesh.

Doug Ramsey was arrested Saturday night for allegedly biting a man's nose after an Arkansas football game.

Ramsey had just watched Arkansas defeat Missouri State at Razorback Stadium, when he went to the parking lot, got in his Bronco and attempted to exit. According to cops, a driver of a Subaru "inched his way" toward the Bronco, connecting with the front passenger tire.

That's all it allegedly took for Ramsey to go ballistic, jumping out of his whip and allegedly punching through the back windshield of the Subaru.

The owner of the Subaru apparently didn't take kindly to that, and got out himself and started punching Ramsey. Ramsey's response ... according to the police report, he "bit the owner's nose, ripping the flesh off the tip of the nose."

The Subaru driver says Ramsey also threatened to kill him.

Ramsey was arrested on charges of making terroristic threats and 3rd-degree battery.

Eli Manning was back in a pair of cleats and tossin' around a pigskin on the gridiron this month -- but he didn't do it as Eli ... rather, he did it as "Chad Powers," and it was HILARIOUS.

Manning went undercover as part of the latest episode of "Eli's Places" (produced by Peyton & Eli's Omaha Productions on ESPN+), where the former New York Giants star wanted to get the full walk-on experience at Penn State.

He spoke with head coach James Franklin and decided to get in on a "try out" -- but making sure he caked on the makeup and donned a wig so he wouldn't be recognized.

Manning called his alter ego "Chad Powers" -- and when he took the field, he stayed in character the entire time.

The 41-year-old ran a 5.49 40-yard dash ... and then threw the football all over -- seemingly impressing Nittany Lions coaches.

"Not just good looking," he said during the bit, "I can throw it, baby!"

Of course, Manning, who played his college ball at Ole Miss, has exhausted all of his eligibility -- so Chad Powers won't be getting in PSU games anytime soon.

Despite a broken ankle and season-ending surgery ... Trey Lance is in good spirits, sharing a photo from his hospital bed on Monday with a big smile on his face.

The 22-year-old 49ers star quarterback suffered the gruesome injury during the win over the Seahawks on Sunday -- breaking his right ankle in the first quarter.

SF head coach Kyle Shanahan announced after the game that Lance would need season-ending surgery ... and, on Monday, Lance said it all went well.

"Truly appreciate all of the messages and prayers," Lance wrote on his Twitter page. "Surgery was a success and I am ready to attack this rehab process."

"We will never understand why, but I trust that it’s all a part of His plan," the QB added. "I will be back better than ever. This chapter is going to make the story even greater!"

Jimmy Garoppolo took over for Lance and ended up with 154 passing yards, one passing touchdown, and the win. He said after the game he felt badly for his teammate.

Police in Las Vegas have launched an investigation ... after a fan allegedly smacked Kyler Murray in the face following the Cardinals' win over the Raiders on Sunday.

The incident happened just seconds after Arizona beat Vegas in an overtime thriller -- when Murray ran over to some fans to celebrate the victory.

At first, the Cards' star quarterback was jubilant -- he high-fived somebody -- but then his demeanor quickly changed after a man appeared to hit him in his face with an open hand.

Video shows Murray became upset -- and tried to identify the fan who appeared to tag him. Arizona players eventually raced in to intervene before things escalated.

A Las Vegas police spokesperson said on Monday cops are now investigating the matter -- saying a battery complaint was made at Allegiant Stadium at 6:26 PM.

"We do not provide victim names however the event you are requesting is a battery call alleging a spectator at the stadium struck a professional football player," the spokesperson told TMZ Sports. "A crime report was taken, and the suspect has not been identified. This is an ongoing investigation."

Kyrie Irving seems to be at peace with the Brooklyn Nets' early exit from the playoffs at the hands of the Boston Celtics ... saying, "It was meant to happen like that."

Irving made the comments while gaming on Twitch -- as he was recalling the Celtics' 4-0 sweep of the Nets in the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs last season.

"We got 4-0'd, my G," Irving said. "We got 4-0'd, bro. We needed that humbling experience, especially going against the Celtics. It was already built to be that matchup."

Irving -- who faced scrutiny all season for his COVID-19 vaccine stance -- averaged 21.3 points per game alongside Kevin Durant, who led the team in scoring.

The Nets, led by their two stars, were slight favorites heading into the series ... but the budding duo of Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown proved too much.

"Those youngins over there in Boston, I got to see them grow up," said Irving, who spent two seasons in Boston with the Celtics. "To see them doing what they did last year on the final stage, making it that far, I'm glad they had to go through us."

Kyrie said he is using the sweep as motivation moving forward and is eager to play Boston in the playoffs again.

Detroit Tigers star Javier Baez is worried for everyone in Puerto Rico after Hurricane Fiona struck the island this weekend -- and he's now offering free food to those who are suffering from the devastating storm.

The hurricane made landfall in PR on Sunday -- and according to governor Pedro Pierluisi, it's caused "unprecedented" flooding in some areas. In fact, one flood actually forced a metal bridge to collapse in the Guaonica River.

Hurricane Fiona has also left millions without power ... which means cooking food has been difficult -- but Baez says he has people in his home country covered there -- at no cost.

"All those families who are in need of a hot meal can stop by @taquizapr in Toa Baja," the two-time All-Star said on Monday, "and we will serve it to you for FREE!!"

"If your community is affected and you're in need of hot meal, you can call 787-665-2323 (Joshua) or stop by @taquizapr and we will make all the arrangements. Blessings to all of you!"

Baez added, "I know we're going through something very difficult. I'm with you."

Puerto Rican boxing star Amanda Serrano also prayed for her home country -- saying on her social media page, "It’s storm season & we are experiencing one now."

"May we all come out safe 🙏♥"

Pierluisi said they're doing everything they can to bring back power to the island as "inspection and restoration work is being done."

Emoni Bates -- the No. 5-ranked high school basketball player in the country in 2021 -- has been charged with two felonies after he was arrested on Sunday, TMZ Sports has confirmed.

According to court records, the 18-year-old -- who now plays for Eastern Michigan University -- was charged with carrying a concealed weapon and altering ID marks on a firearm.

The charges stem from an arrest Sunday in Superior Township, Michigan. The Washtenaw County Sheriff's Office told WXYZ Detroit officers initially pulled over Bates for allegedly failing to stop at a stop sign -- and cops say they found a gun on him during the ensuing investigation.

Jail records show he was booked at 11:19 PM and is currently still in custody as of Monday morning.

Bates' attorney, Steve Haney, told ESPN on Monday, "Reserve judgment on this ... There's way more to the story. He borrowed someone's car, was pulled over and a gun was located in the car."

Bates was a star basketball player at Ypsi Prep Academy in Michigan -- and finished his 2020-2021 season just below Chet Holmgren and Paolo Banchero on national H.S. rankings lists.

He ultimately signed with Memphis -- but transferred to Eastern Michigan after starting just 13 games in his freshman season.

He's expected to be a key player on this year's Eagles team.

Mike Evans was just hit with a one-game suspension by the NFL after fighting Saints' defensive back Marshon Lattimore on the field during the Bucs-Saints game, the league announced Monday.

The Tampa Bay Bucs star wide receiver will be suspended without pay ... after the league deemed his behavior violated unnecessary roughness and unsportsmanlike conduct rules in Sunday's game.

NFL exec (and former star lineman) Jon Runyan said Evans -- who saw Tom Brady engaged in a war of words with Lattimore -- and ran towards the men and violently threw his body at Marshon.

"You knocked your opponent to the ground, and a melee ensued involving players from both teams," Runyan wrote in a letter to Evans. "Your aggressive conduct could have caused serious injury to your opponent."

"And clearly does not reflect the high standards of sportsmanship expected of a professional," he continued.

The beef between Evans and Lattimore is well-documented -- the two had a dustup in 2017 after Lattimore and then-Bucs QB Jameis Winston exchanged words on the field.

Evans can appeal the suspension, but he'll likely miss the Bucs' highly anticipated matchup against Green Bay next week.

Sylvester Stallone is raising some eyebrows with his latest post ... dropping old photos with his estranged wife Jennifer Flavin as they go through an ugly divorce.

Sly posted the pics Monday on IG -- the first one appears to be an old pic of Jennifer and him holding hands. In the second pic Sylvester, Jennifer and their 3 daughters are smiling and looking happy together as a family ... it's obvious it was taken many years ago.

He seemed to be taking a trip down memory lane ... adding a simple but vague caption, "Wonderful…"

It's interesting timing for sure ... you'll recall, Jennifer filed for divorce from Sly last month after 25 years of marriage, noting their union was "irretrievably broken."

She also accused the actor of moving assets from marital funds ...  and he's fired back, denying that.

As we've reported, Sly told us he and Jennifer had just grown apart -- though he acknowledged they also argued about his Rottweiler, Dwight -- making it clear the marriage was dunzo and saying they wanted to work deal with everything privately.