TMZ Sports - Page 50

Terrifying moment during "Thursday Night Football" ... Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa was rushed to the hospital after suffering what appeared to be a significant head injury.

The 24-year-old signal-caller was injured in the second quarter of Miami's game against the Bengals ... when he was wrapped up by a defender and thrown to the turf.

Tagovailoa's head slammed off the ground hard -- and he immediately seemed to lose consciousness.

Trainers and team personnel raced to tend to him ... before they eventually strapped him to a backboard and transported him to a nearby hospital in Cincinnati.

The Dolphins say he, thankfully, "is conscious and has movement in all his extremities."

Tagovailoa had exited last week's game against the Bills after sustaining an injury on a similar play -- though he and the team told media members afterward he only suffered a back injury.

Story developing ...

Tom Girardi and Erika Jayne's trove of fancy schmancy stuff up for sale at their court-ordered estate auction were a huge hit ... 'cause they just raked in some big bucks!!

The ex-couple's fire sale was launched September 21 and lasted about 5 hours ... designed to pay down Tom's whopping bankruptcy debt. Needless to say, it generated worldwide interest, especially with Erika's 'Real Housewives of Beverly Hills' fans.

John Moran Auctioneers, which helmed the online/in-house auction, has now released the results. In total, 253 pieces sold for a grand total of $493,641. Not too shabby, but it's hard to fathom it'll make much of a dent in Tom's overall debt, estimated at $101 million last year.

Tom came under scrutiny after allegations surfaced his old law firm mismanaged tons of client assets for their own use. Erika tried to distance herself from the whole mess.

Some of the hottest items hawked from the divorced couple's Pasadena mansion included a J. Seward Johnson Jr. bronze sculpture ($13,750), a black lacquered cabinet with mythological oil paintings ($11,875), a black lacquered Chinoiserie-style console table with gilt highlights ($10,000) and two Michael Taylor “Montecito” outdoor garden armchairs ($7,150).

Tom's cherished sports memorabilia also got some love from one of the more than 8,000 bidders. A historic 1993 Spaulding NBA Finals Ball signed by Michael Jordan sold for $4,688.

The man who was arrested for throwing a bottle at Jimmy Haslam during the Browns' loss to the Jets earlier this month had several questions for cops following the incident, including, "Am I going to jail for a while?!?" ... new police video, obtained by TMZ Sports, shows.

Jeffrey Miller was put into the back of a squad car at FirstEnergy Stadium on Sept. 18 after he had been accused of hurling a water bottle at the Cleveland owner during the fourth quarter of the game ... and while officers were handling him, he asked a few things.

First, Miller -- a 51-year-old who lives in Ohio -- said, "Can I call my wife and tell her I'm not coming home?"

He later asked, "I'm being arrested for throwing a water bottle?!?"

In the video, you can hear officers say he was actually being taken into custody for "assault, failure to comply ... and disorderly conduct."

As we reported, cops say they ID'ed Miller as the bottle thrower on surveillance video after Haslam had been seen being hit by the object while he was making his way into a stadium tunnel.

In police documents, officers say Miller failed to stop when authorities initially attempted to detain him. They say when they eventually got him to a police room in the stadium, Miller stated, "It never hit the field."

The Browns have said they are planning to ban the fan from home games going forward.

"Fan, player and staff safety is the top priority in our building and behavior that puts others in danger will not be tolerated," the Browns said in a statement two days following the incident.

Many people believe Khabib Nurmagomedov is the greatest MMA fighter ever, but ... future Hall of Famer Tyron Woodley isn't one of 'em!

T-Wood was a guest on "BS w/ Jake Paul" -- the Problem Child's new show on betr (Jake and Tyron are cool with each other despite earlier beef) -- when the topic turned to Tyron's best fighters.

First, the fighters that made the former UFC welterweight champs cut:

Jon Jones ... "Best fighter we've seen whether he's fought consistently or whatever the case."

Anderson Silva ... "I would say is the G.O.A.T. because he did it in a really respectful way," Woodley told Paul, adding ... "He beat people without being able to talk the shit that everybody else did."

Demetrious "Mighty Mouse" Johnson ... "is the most well-rounded fighter we've ever saw."

GSP ... "I f**k with Georges St-Pierre because he was very respectful all the time."

Tyron also praised MMA vet Carlos Condit ... who he called his "favorite fighter to watch" back in the day.

What about 34-year-old Khabib, who finished his career with a blemish-free, 29-0 record ... and racked up wins over Edson Barboza, Dustin Poirier, Justin Gaethje, and Conor McGregor??

Surely impressive in the Octagon, and someone Tyron respects a good deal ... but Nurmagomedov isn't one of the greats in his eyes.

"[khabib] on my top 10 list? Probably not. I f**k with Khabib. I like him, I respect him a lot. I think he's a good fighter. I think his type of fight for that weight class (lightweight), nobody could do that besides Sean Sherk back in the day, but like, he was just really aggressive, but I didn't see the wrestler with good hands fight him so I couldn't really jump on that train."

Nurmagomedov retired after defeating Gaethje in October 2020. Since setting his gloves down in the Octagon, fans have clamored for a match with former lightweight champ Charles Oliveira ... whom some believe has the tools to beat Khabib.

Joel Embiid is officially a U.S. citizen -- the Sixers big man just revealed he was sworn in at a recent ceremony in Philadelphia!!

Embiid -- a native of Cameroon -- told the Associated Press Thursday that his wife, Sports Illustrated model Anne De Paula, and their young son factored into his decision to go through the process.

"I've been here for a long time," Embiid told the outlet. "My son is American. I felt like I'm living here, and it's a blessing to be an American."

The 28-year-old -- who averaged 30.6 points per game last season for Philadelphia -- also has citizenship in France.

Embiid is following in the footsteps of other NBA athletes who have obtained U.S. citizenship recently ... like Enes Kanter Freedom, who opted to add "Freedom" to his name during the process.

The former KU star has been in the NBA since 2014 ... and has become one of the league's most dominant big men over the past six seasons.

No word on whether this changes Embiid's national team allegiances to the Red, White and Blue ... right now, he says he's only focused on winning a championship in Philly.

UFC star Chris Weidman just shared some awful news ... his nephew was diagnosed with a rare and aggressive form of cancer -- and he's now asking everyone for their help and support.

The former middleweight champ published a video message on his Instagram page on Thursday revealing that his nephew, Josh, was diagnosed with alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma in July. He said it's an extremely rare disease that "starts in the muscle tissue and usually affects athletic young kids."

Weidman said Josh will now have to undergo chemo for 42 weeks in order to try to fight it off.

The fighter explained the road is going to be a long one -- but he said there are ways people can pitch in and help.

Weidman urged his followers to share his video message, make a donation to Josh's GoFundMe page, and shave their heads to show solidarity with the boy.

In the 38-year-old's video message, Weidman, Josh's brothers, cousins and other family members were all seen cutting off their hair.

The mixed martial artist also shared some of Josh's basketball, football, wrestling and lacrosse highlight clips in his post.

"This is my family," Weidman said. "This is my nephew."

"I just want to be able to help out my family the best way I possibly can. I appreciate your help."

A Manny Machado fan pummeled a Dodgers supporter in a wild fistfight at the Padres game on Wednesday night -- connecting with haymakers over and over again.

The scrap went down at some point during L.A.'s 1-0 win at Petco Park -- when two rival fans started throwing hands at each other after getting into some sort of disagreement in the stands in right field.

Video from the scene shows the Dodgers fan got the worse end of the deal almost immediately -- getting rocked with a huge right hand at the start.

The Padres fan didn't let up ... and appeared to tag the guy in the face with a few more strikes.

Eventually, the Dodgers fan was able to turn the tilt into a wrestling match ... before a bunch of other L.A. fans raced in to break up the altercation.

The man appeared to have some injuries to his face -- after the fight, he rubbed his eye area repeatedly.

No word if the SD fan had any ailments.

The NBA is retiring Bill Russell's number, but Hall of Famer Ben Wallace wants to see the league do the opposite on opening night ... telling TMZ Sports it would be awesome to have every player wear #6 in honor of the late Celtics legend.

As we previously reported, the league decided to permanently make #6 off-limits throughout the league after Russell's passing in July ... with exception of those who are already donning the digit, like LeBron James and DeAndre Jordan.

Wallace -- who wore #6 at one point during his stellar career with the Pistons -- says he's cool with those who decided to keep their current number ... telling us, "I don't think it's a problem with them wearing number six. They couldn't foresee the passing of Mr. Russell."

The four-time Defensive Player of the Year goes on to make a suggestion of his own ... adding, "If it was up to me, I'd start the season where everybody would have to wear #6."

Russell -- who won 13 titles (11 as a player, two as a player-coach) -- passed away at the age of 88 ... after contributing decades of his life to the Association.

Hall of Fame point guard Magic Johnson said in the aftermath of Russell's death that the NBA should retire #6 across the league in honor of his legacy -- and that's exactly what happened.

NBA commissioner Adam Silver explained the decision at the time ... saying, "Bill Russell's unparalleled success on the court and pioneering civil rights activism deserves to be honored in a unique and historic way."

"Permanently retiring his No. 6 across every NBA team ensures that Bill's transcendent career will always be recognized."

Last year it was Snoop Dogg ... and Shaq's calling on some of his celebrity friends once again to help him raise cash for a great cause -- the NBA Hall of Famer's throwing his 2nd annual "The Event" in Las Vegas -- and the lineup's packing serious star power!

"We've got some great performers," Shaq told Babcock on the TMZ Sports TV show (airs weekdays on FS1), saying ... "H.E.R., Pitbull, Maroon 5, Maren Morris, John Mulaney, you know this is one of the biggest fundraisers of the year. You know the mission of the Shaquille O'Neal Foundation is to help underserved youth reach their full potential."

The event goes down at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Sin City on Saturday ... and Shaq has partnered with Boys & Girls Clubs and Communities in Schools. All of the money raised will go directly towards charity ... not administrative fees or anyone's pockets.

"All proceeds, all proceeds go to helping underserved youth. Not 85 cents on the dollar, not 95 cents, 100 percent. All proceeds go to helping underserved youth."

Shaq, of course, wants people who are financially able to help ... but if you can't, O'Neal still wants you to come out and enjoy the show.

"We just want people to come and have fun because if you look at the stars we have now, this is a big-time concert."

And, if last year's event is any indication, Saturday's party will be lit. Snoop and Shaq took the stage together in 2021, and performed "Nuthin' but a G Thang."

New police video, obtained by TMZ Sports, shows Myles Garrett admitted to an officer that he was going around 20 MPH over the speed limit before he crashed his Porsche on Monday.

In the Ohio State Highway Patrol body cam footage, Garrett can be seen in an ambulance moments after the accident in Sharon Township, Medina County ... when an officer began questioning him about the wreck.

The two talked for several minutes about what the Cleveland Browns superstar remembered from the crash ... before the cop eventually asked, "What was your speed approximately?"

Garrett replied, "I think I got up to, like, 65."

The speed limit in the area was 45.

The video also shows Garrett complained of pain all over his upper body -- before he told EMTs that his hand was "burning." He also told the medical personnel he thought his eye was swelling and bruising.

Garrett had a conversation with the medical technicians about whether he actually needed to go to the hospital -- but they encouraged him to do it.

The video also showed several people recognized the football player at the scene -- and at one point, an officer told the 26-year-old pass rusher, "Hopefully you're not out too long. We need ya!"

Garrett -- who was diagnosed with a shoulder sprain and a bicep strain -- was ultimately hit with a citation for failure to control his car.

The Splash Brothers probably won't be called the Sumo Brothers any time soon ... 'cause Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson both went head-to-head against wrestling legend Hakuhō Shō -- and they hilariously failed to make him budge!!

The Golden State Warriors met up with Hakuhō while visiting Japan for a slate of preseason games this week ... and naturally, they had to test their strength against the highly decorated retired pro.

Despite getting pointers from Hakuhō, both Steph and Klay have a heck of a time getting him to move an inch ... but you gotta give them credit for trying against one of the greatest sumo wrestlers of all time.

But, the craziest part?? Hakuhō appeared to be wearing socks on the hardwood floor ... but there was no slippage issue here!!

FYI -- Hakuhō holds the record for most wins in the top division with 1,093 ... more than 200 victories over second place.

Hakuhō wasn't the only big name hanging with the Warriors this week -- BTS' Suga was also in attendance ... and gifted the players autographed albums!!

More troubling allegations surrounding Brett Favre ... the NFL legend's charity -- whose mission is to help underserved and disabled children and breast cancer patients -- reportedly gifted donated funds to his alma maters' athletic department.

Favre's charity, Favre 4 Hope, donated more than $130,000 to the University of Southern Mississippi Athletic Foundation between 2018-2020, according to The Athletic ... money meant for children and cancer patients.

The outlet reports tax records show Favre's charity gave the USM foundation $60,000 in 2018 and $46,817 in 2019. In 2020, the foundation received $26,715 from Brett's charity.

Other organizations received money, according to The Athletic, but those amounts were typically under $10K.

The donations all came while Favre allegedly tried to obtain $5 million from Mississippi's welfare fund, meant for the state's most vulnerable, to build Univ. of Southern Miss. a new multi-million volleyball facility.

Favre's daughter was a volleyball player at the university at the time.

Favre's attorney, Bud Holmes, issued ESPN a statement Wednesday night, saying, "He has been very generous to Southern Miss since he played ball there."

"Those particular things [the donations in question] I don't know, but I know he has always given back, something most athletes don't do."

Favre -- who is being sued by the state of Mississippi over the alleged funds -- claims he didn't know where the money originated ... though texts appear to show the HOF'er was worried about being caught.

Cops have issued Myles Garrett a citation over his car crash on Monday -- saying the Cleveland Browns star appeared to be speeding before he wrecked his Porsche.

According to the Ohio State Highway Patrol, Garrett seemed to be using an "unsafe speed for the type of roadway being traveled" just before the accident in Sharon Township, Medina County.

Officers issued him a citation for failure to control his car.

According to a crash report, obtained by TMZ Sports, Ohio State Highway Patrol officers arrived on the scene of the accident at around 3:13 PM -- and said a witness told them Garrett "came over the hill flyin', went airborne, took the fire hydrant out and rolled three times."

Officers say they then made contact with Garrett -- who had a laceration on his right hand. They say Garrett complained of pain in his wrist/hand, right bicep, and left shoulder. They also say he told them the left side of his face was hurting.

Garrett told officers, according to the docs, that he wasn't sure how he ended up wrecking the vehicle.

"I don't know if something came," cops say Garrett told them, "I moved out the way of that."

Officers noted in the docs Garrett had been traveling 65 MPH in a 45 zone.

Cops reiterated on Thursday that they don't believe alcohol or drugs played a role in the crash. They also said distracted driving was not suspected.

Officers also revealed Thursday that Garrett's passenger was a 23-year-old woman who was not seriously injured.

Khloe Kardashian was torn up over the latest Tristan Thompson cheating scandal ... and now she has medical proof it messed with her brain.

Dr. Daniel Amen was at the ready for a scientific stunt for the Kardashian's Hulu show, to show there's medical proof she was experiencing brain trauma ... presumably from the scandal.

So Khloe laid down on the MRI machine and got a brain scan, and the good doc then sat her down with some interesting results.

Dr. Amen showed Khloe the telltale signs showing brain trauma. Who knew, but you can see the subtleties in changes in brain patterns that expose such trauma.

Fact is ... it didn't take a brain scan for Khloe to know she was traumatized. As we reported, Tristan egged Khloe on to have another baby back in July 2021, when he knew he was having a baby with another woman. The fertilized embryo was implanted in a surrogate in November, and weeks later Khloe learned Tristan was having a baby with another woman.

Another interesting tidbit from the episode ... Khloe reveals Tristan proposed to her back in December 2020. Something she kept a secret from her sisters for months, saying she wanted to be proud of the relationship before going public with the announcement.

Famous NBA commentator Mike Breen's home in Long Island was completely destroyed in a massive fire over the weekend ... and officials tell TMZ Sports the blaze is under investigation.

The incident happened on Sunday at 4:03 AM when the Manhasset-Lakeville F.D. received calls from Breen's neighbors ... as well as an alert by the residential automatic fire alarm.

When MLFD arrived on the scene, they "encountered a fully involved house fire."

You can see in a video -- captured by MLFD -- the home was engulfed in flames and the roof of the garage was collapsing in the inferno.

"Numerous hand lines, as well as 2 ladder pipes and a deck gun, were used to battle the fire," officials said.

You can also see a car in the driveway during the clip ... but an MLFD spokesman tells us no one was in the residence and there were no injuries.

We're told the fire is currently under investigation.

Breen is in his 30th season as an NBA broadcaster and is currently the play-by-play commentator for NBA on ABC and lead announcer for the Knicks on MSG Network.

He is famously known for yelling "BANG!" after major shots during games and has been the lead play-by-play announcer for the NBA Finals since 2006.

The 61-year-old has also announced Olympic games, NFL games, and college basketball.

Breen was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2021 and received the Curt Gowdy Media Award that's given to the best basketball writers and broadcasters.

Williams driver Alex Albon says he feels as "fit as I can be" after battling a serious health scare just weeks ago ... and his plan is to race this weekend at the Singapore Grand Prix.

The 26-year-old suffered respiratory failure and spent time in the Intensive Care Unit after being treated for appendicitis on September 10 ... just hours before he was slated to race in Monza.

Albon opened up on his recovery on Thursday ... and he feels confident he'll be behind the wheel once again for Williams this weekend.

"I feel ready. I feel as fit as I can be -- no pain," Albon told reporters.

"We had a good week of training or two weeks almost to get back to where we are today. We're realistic and we know that we're coming to the most difficult race of the year."

The Singapore GP is known to be one of the most challenging races on the calendar ... large in part due to the humid conditions taking a toll on drivers.

Albon says he's well aware of the task ahead ... but makes it clear he intends to be out on the street circuit.