TMZ Sports - Page 50

The Big Ten has fined Michigan State University $100,000 and suspended a Spartans cornerback for eight games in 2023 ... after concluding its investigation into the wild tunnel brawl at Michigan in October.

The conference handed down the punishment on Monday ... saying officials found that seven MSU players did indeed kick, hit or use a helmet to strike Wolverines players during the Oct. 29 incident.

In addition to the fine, the conference revealed MSU corner Khary Crump will have to sit out the first eight contests of next season due to his role in the brawl.

The other six players involved in the fracas were all hit with four-game bans, though they've all since served that punishment, the conference announced.

Big Ten officials also issued a public reprimand to the University of Michigan for not providing "adequate protection for personnel of both home and visiting teams when entering and leaving playing arenas."

As we reported, Crump, linebacker Tank Brown, defensive end Zion Young, safety Angelo Grose, defensive back Justin White, defensive end Brandon Wright, and pass rusher Jacoby Windmon were all hit with criminal charges from the Washtenaw County Prosecutor's Office for their roles in the brawl.

Lamar Jackson deleted a vulgar Tweet Sunday night ... a few hours after going in on a fan who criticized his play on Sunday.

"When someone asking for over $250 mil guaranteed like [Lamar] ... games like this should not come down to [kicker Justin Tucker]. Let Lamar walk and spend that money on a well-rounded team," a fan wrote on Twitter shortly after the Ravens lost a shocker to the Jaguars.

25-year-old Jackson, clearly emotional, responded ..."Boy STFU y'all be cappin too much on this app mf never smelt a football field," before ending the Tweet with a vulgar term.

The Tweet remained up for about 3 hours before being taken down.

It was a rough day for the Ravens ... who lost a shocker to the 4-win Jaguars. Baltimore's All-Pro kicker, Tucker, attempted a 67-yard field goal for the win as time expired, but came up a few yards short.

Jackson went 16-for-32, throwing for 254 yards and 1 TD. The QB was clearly frustrated after the game, telling reporters ... "Nobody likes losing."

With the L, the Ravens are now tied with the Cincinnati Bengals atop the AFC North at 7-4. Lamar and company will play the Broncos this Sunday.

Neither the NFL nor the Ravens have commented on Jackson's Tweet.

Tiger Woods has been sidelined once again.

The golfing legend revealed he has developed a new foot injury -- plantar fasciitis -- and he'll have to withdraw from this weekend's Hero World Challenge over it.

Woods said he made the decision after talking with his doctors and trainers ... adding that the condition is "making it difficult to walk."

The 46-year-old, however, still plans to perform his hosting duties at the event -- and he said he's still gunning to get in golf at two events next month.

"My plan is still to compete in The Match and PNC Championship," he said.

The Match -- a high-profile celebrity golf event where he will team up with Rory McIlroy to take on Jordan Spieth and Justin Thomas -- goes down Dec. 10. The PNC Championship, where he'll team up with his son, Charlie Woods, goes down Dec. 15.

Tiger has battled ailments throughout his career, but has barely played since he badly broke his leg in a February 2021 car accident.

He logged rounds at The Masters, the PGA Championship and the Open this past year -- his first since the wreck -- but he withdrew from U.S. Open after his surgically repaired leg wasn't in good enough condition to compete.

"My body needs more time to get stronger for major championship golf," Woods tweeted at the time.

A stunning soccer fan decided to rock a sexy 'fit as she cheered on her team at the World Cup over the weekend ... despite Qatar's strict dress code.

Model Ivana Knoll -- who's known as the "World Cup's Hottest Fan" -- posed for pics in a revealing red and white dress while in attendance for the Croatia vs. Canada matchup on Sunday ... with her shoulders and knees fully exposed.

Of course, Qatar takes a modest approach to clothing ... and anyone who visits is strongly encouraged to follow the guidelines.

In fact, the country's tourism page specifically states both men and women are "expected to show respect for local culture by avoiding excessively revealing clothing in public."

Safe to say Knoll's wardrobe choice was a big no-no in the eyes of the locals ... but it doesn't appear she was kicked out of the game or got in any sort of trouble.

As for the contest ... Knoll's beloved Croatian squad ended up easily defeating Canada, 4-1.

USMNT head coach Gregg Berhalter apologized on Monday for his team's edit of the Iranian flag in World Cup social media posts ... though he insisted he and his players had no say in the matter.

The U.S. Soccer Federation's posts were up for several hours on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook on Saturday ... showing Iran's flag without the emblem of the Islamic Republic in it.

U.S. soccer officials said the scrubbing was on purpose, telling CNN it was a planned 24-hour change to show "support for the women in Iran fighting for basic human rights." The normal flag had been restored by Sunday afternoon.

The move, however, was panned by Iran ... and the country's state media asked FIFA on Sunday to kick the U.S. out of World Cup action over it all.

"According to section 13 of #FIFA rules," Tasnim News Agency tweeted, "any person who offends the dignity or integrity of a country, a person or group of people ... shall be sanctioned with a suspension lasting at least ten matches or a specific period, or any other appropriate disciplinary measure."

FIFA has yet to comment on the issue -- though Berhalter was peppered with questions about it during a meeting with reporters just 24 hours before the U.S. is slated to play Iran in a must-win match on Tuesday. The loser is likely eliminated from the tourney.

Berhalter said "players and the staff knew nothing about what was being posted" ... calling it "out of our control." He did, though, say he was sorry.

"All we can do on our behalf is apologize on behalf of the players and the staff," he said, "but it's not something that we are part of."

The 49-year-old manager then said he and his team's focus is strictly on Tuesday's match.

"I don't want to sound aloof or not caring by saying that, but the guys have worked really hard for the last four years, we have 72 hours between England and Iran, and we really are just focused on how to get past Iran and how we can go to this knockout stage of the tournament."

"Of course, our thoughts are with the Iranian people -- the whole country, the whole team, everyone. But our focus is on this match."

50 Cent is still king "In Da Club" … and he brought plenty of his famous rapper pals along to a celeb-packed birthday bash for nightclub impresario George Karavias, who celebrated his 34th birthday.

The Sunday night event morphed into a Summer Jam-level concert as 50 not only performed, but invited fellow A Boogie Wit da Hoodie, Busta Rhymes, Remy Ma, Dave East, DreamDoll, Tony Yayo, Uncle Murda and Don Q to grab the mic and perform their biggest hits ... on the spot!!!

Trey Songz was also in attendance celebrating his 38th birthday and 50 went on a booze-buying frenzy -- purchasing 100 bottles of Branson Cognac & Le Chemin du Roi champagne for Dream Hospitality and Harbor Nightclub owner George K's table, Trey's tables and anyone else within arm's reach.

We’re told NYC DJs Shortkutz, Camilo, Stacks, Spade and Nicky Rizz all spun a set as the night went on … and some familiar athletes also popped up in the audience.

Sources tell us some NY Jets players -- fresh off blowing out the Chicago Bears -- pulled up, as did Ja Morant, and players from the Memphis Grizzlies and NY Knicks following their Sunday showdown.

Eric Fleishman, AKA "Eric The Trainer," famed celebrity trainer, unexpectedly died at the age of 53 on Thanksgiving, TMZ Sports has confirmed.

Fleishman passed Thursday morning at his home in Glendale, CA.

Eric served as a personal trainer to many big stars in TV, movies and the music industry, working with everyone from Def Leppard, Journey, Fall Out Boy, and Nickelback to Kirstie Alley, Patrick Schwarzenegger, Ethan Suplee and Jason Priestley, amongst many others.

Many of his celeb clients also counted Eric as a friend.

But, Fleishman didn't only work with the famous and wealthy ... he also trained the people who keep Los Angeles safe. Law enforcement.

Eric, over his 3+ decade career in fitness, also worked with LAPD, L.A. Sheriff's Academy, California Highway Patrol and numerous SWAT teams across the county.

Fleishman originally got into the business after being inspired by fitness and health pioneer, Jack Lalanne.

During COVID lockdowns, Eric gathered his famous friends and held a benefit concert that raised thousands of dollars for the Feeding America charity.

Fleishman is survived by his wife Alysia and son Henry.

Canelo Alvarez wants to open a can of whoop-ass on Lionel Messi -- the boxing superstar blasted the Argentinian striker for seemingly disrespecting his home country after defeating Mexico in the World Cup.

Canelo's rage stems from a viral video of Messi celebrating with his teammates after Saturday's 2-0 win ... which shows a Mexico jersey lying on the ground near his feet.

Some -- including Alvarez -- believed Messi was intentionally displaying his contempt for El Tri ... as he appears to kick the jersey in the video.

The super-middleweight champion went to social media to call Messi out over the whole thing ... saying, "Did you see Messi cleaning the floor with our jersey and flag???"

"He better pray to God that I don't find him!! Just like I respect Argentina, he has to respect Mexico!"

He added ... "I'm not talking about the country as a whole, just about the bulls*** that Messi pulled."

Many were quick to defend Messi ... saying it's a complete misunderstanding, and he only kicked the jersey by accident.

But Alvarez believes the disrespect started as soon as the jersey touched the ground ... saying, "From the moment the Mexico jersey is on the floor it's already an insult."

Messi's teammate, Sergio Aguero, defended the futbol superstar ... saying, "Mr. Canelo, don't look for excuses or problems, surely you don't know about soccer and what happens in a locker room."

"The jerseys are always on the floor after games due to sweat and then if you see well, he makes the movement to remove the boot and accidentally hits it."

Brittney Griner will face horrific conditions during her time in a Russian prison ... with environments that will include homophobia, racism and 16-hour work days.

According to The Nation's Dave Zirin, prisoners in Mordovia -- where Griner was taken to earlier this month -- are barely treated like humans.

Bigotry is commonplace, medical care is nearly nonexistent ... and, Zirin says, inmates are expected to sew the uniforms for police and guards.

In fact, it's unclear if Griner will even get a bed that will fit her 6-foot-8 frame.

Musician Nadya Tolokonnikova, a founder of the feminist group Pussy Riot, spent two years in Mordovia following a 2012 arrest, and per Zirin, described the place as hell, where "beatings and torture" are common.

Griner's camp, however, has insisted the WNBA star is trying to remain brave in the face of it all ... saying in a statement following her move to Mordovia earlier this month that "Brittney is doing as well as could be expected."

"Despite the fact she is alone and now nearing her ninth month in detention separated from her loved ones," her reps said, "she is trying to stay strong."

Griner has been detained in Russia since February after she was accused of bringing hashish oil in her luggage to a Moscow airport. In August, she was sentenced to nine years in prison. An appeal of that sentence was denied in October.

Jason David Frank was beloved for playing the hero on-screen -- but according to a friend, his true heroism happened in real life as he battled mental health issues for years.

Mike Bronzoulis, a prized MMA fighter and one of Jason's closest friends, tells TMZ ... since they became friends in 2010, Jason was always open with him about bouts of depression and mental health struggles -- though he kept it private from most people.

Mike says Jason had multiple family members die from suicide, and his mother also died a few years ago after battling cancer. These deaths took a heavy toll on him ... despite having tons of friends and getting love from thousands of fans, he often felt very lonely.

Jason kept a very busy schedule, but through all of it tried to find peace by motivating his fans ... whether it be meeting in person or posting videos on social media.

Mike says he last spoke to Jason roughly a week before his death. He even got a voicemail from Jason ... saying he needed to talk, and he was going through a lot. Mike didn't realize Jason left that voicemail until after he died.

As we reported, Jason died by suicide after getting into a heated argument with his wife in a Texas hotel.

Mike tells us he and Jason's other friends will always remember him as an incredibly giving person ... but one who also wrestled with inner demons.

Pete Davidson and Emily Ratajkowski have gone as public as you possibly can in Hollywood -- attending an NBA game together ... sitting courtside, no less.

The new couple -- who've been maintaining a relatively low profile lately -- blew the doors wide open Sunday by crashing the New York Knicks' showdown with the Grizzlies, snagging the best seats in the house ... and not trying to hide the fact they were a pair whatsoever.

While there didn't seem to be any obvious PDA between them ... Em and Pete were all smiles, and not shying away from cameras either. In fact, the Knicks' own Twitter account posted a photo of them cheesin' it up, and tagging EmRat too.

It's pretty funny ... their presence was actually acknowledged during the broadcast, although the TV guys didn't seem to know who Emily was, 'cause they skipped over in the namedrop.

They also didn't seem to know PD all that well either ... completely butchering his name.

They were sitting next to Ben Stiller and Jordin Sparks -- so there was a lot of star power in the house. But for Pete and Emily to pop is a big deal, seeing how they've seemingly been trying to lay low as they've hit the town in and around NYC.

They were spotted hanging 2 weeks ago in Brooklyn -- the first time they'd been seen on camera amid rumors they were linking up. Pete did something similar with Kim Kardashian ... trying to keep it on the DL for a while, then finally embracing the spotlight.

Seems like he's fast-tracking things this time around, though ... nothing says we're dating like a night out at MSG during primetime TV.

Say hello to the hottest new item in the Big Apple!

If the Niners win the Super Bowl this year, they might need to give Mike Posner a ring -- 'cause the singer-turned-breathing-instructor tells TMZ Sports he gave the team lung lessons before the season ... and it was so effective, it brought some of the SF players to tears.

The "I Took A Pill In Ibiza" artist has been all about the impact of oxygen on the body over the past couple years ... working with famed motivational speaker Wim Hof to become a certified breathing trainer.

Posner got so good at the techniques, the 49ers invited him out to give them a lesson just before they kicked off their year ... and the 34-year-old said it was VERY impactful.

"That was the best session I've done, honestly," Posner told us out at LAX this week. "The guys are in tears at the end. Everyone is opening up. And it just opens up your heart."

Posner said things went so well with the NFC West squad, he felt like the team got on a "natural high."

"It almost feels like you took a drug," Posner said, "but it's just your own breath."

Clearly, the 49ers have been using Posner's techniques this year ... they've been one of the strongest teams in their conference, and look like a legit Super Bowl contender.

As for if Posner will try to repeat things with other sports teams -- he told us yes, explaining he just got done with a session for the Duke men's basketball team.

Terrell Owens knocked out a man outside a CVS in Los Angeles after the guy allegedly harassed people in the store ... and TMZ Sports has obtained video of the fight captured by a witness.

The incident went down Saturday night around 11:30 PM at the pharmacy in Inglewood, CA.

Owens tells us he intended to quickly stop by the store and grab a few necessities. While inside, T.O. says a 49ers fan approached him and they had a friendly conversation. That's when things took a turn.

Terrell says a second man -- the guy who was ultimately clocked -- started talking crap to the fan Owens was conversing with. The aggressor threatened to beat up the men outside, according to witnesses.

The group eventually made their way outside to the sidewalk in front of the store. Terrell was playing peacemaker, according to a witness.

Unfortunately, the heckler who allegedly started the confrontation just minutes earlier inside the store took an unprovoked swing at Owens.

A mistake ... and the fight was on.

After sizing up the man, the 48-year-old Hall of Famer landed a looping right punch square to the guy's chin, sending him to the pavement.

A few seconds later, the man returned to his feet ... seemingly a lot less willing to fight.

As a player, Terrell was one of the greatest receivers in NFL history. But, even as he approaches 50, he's still in absolutely awesome physical condition.

With the situation under control, Owens walked to his Tesla and drove away. It's unclear if the alleged heckler went inside for an ice pack and Advil.

Odell Beckham Jr.'s free agency is off to a rocky start -- the guy was yanked from an airplane this weekend in Florida ... this after cops say he was passing out before takeoff.

The famed wide receiver was escorted off a flight Sunday that was leaving the Miami airport for L.A. ... but it never got off the runway, because law enforcement's saying they had to step in when OBJ was allegedly freaking out the flight crew with his loopy state of mind.

Miami-Dade PD says they were called to respond to an American Airlines flight, where attendants were apparently trying to get Odell to buckle up before they hit the skies. However, according to cops, the crew claims he was in and out of consciousness.

American called first responders, as they were worried for his health ... but when the cavalry arrived, Odell is alleged to have refused to get off the plane -- which forced everyone else to deplane, before OBJ finally walked off on his own with uniformed officers in tow.

Odell was quiet as he made his way through the airport ... with onlookers recognizing him immediately. Cops say he did all this without further incident and was able to make other arrangements in the end. Nothing else came of it ... including arrests/citations and the like.

The dude's supposed to start making visits all over the country in the coming days to see which teams might wanna try swooping him for their roster.

Sean Taylor was honored by his old NFL team with a life-size memorial in his honor at their stadium -- but the big reveal left fans less than impressed ... and actually pretty pissed.

The Washington Commanders unveiled their Sean Taylor tribute Sunday at FedEx Field ... showing off a wire mannequin that was wearing ST's former number and vintage Washington uniform, from when he played with them back in the 2000s before he was tragically killed.

While it might look somewhat cool at first glance ... the more folks took it in, the more angry they became -- because many felt this was a shoddy commemoration of the late free safety, especially when you consider the attention to detail ... or lack thereof.

For starters, the gear's all mismatched -- a Nike jersey, Reebok pants and Adidas cleats (soccer cleats?). The fact the org couldn't even get all the same branding together here speaks volumes in the minds of football fans who were very much looking forward to this.

If you watch the video of the moment the drape was pulled off ... you can actually see Sean's family looking on toward the right side, and in our eyes -- they seem underwhelmed.

There's also the material that the mannequin itself is made of ... hollow wire, which a lot of folks also see as big time disrespect. Plus, there's not even face mask tape on the helmet, which was Sean's signature look. Frankly, many are saying this looks thrown together.

The weather outside isn't exactly frightful in Hollywood ... nevertheless, a bunch of celebs and their families have bundled up and then snuggled up in matching PJs!!!

Not all are from H-Wood, but you get the point. Steph Curry's fam, LeBron James' squad, Dax Shepard and Kristen Bell, Chrissy Teigen and John Legend and a bunch of other broods are coordinating outfits for the season.

Didn't know it was such a thing, but apparently, it is. Gotta say it's pretty cool!