TMZ Sports - Page 50

Chalk up a win for Shannon Sharpe ... Brett Favre's defamation lawsuit against the Hall of Fame tight end was dismissed by a judge on Monday, ruling the 3x Super Bowl champ's comments are protected under the U.S. Constitution.

Brett sued Shannon for comments he made about Favre on FS1's "Undisputed" in 2022, characterized by the HOF signal caller as "egregiously false." Sharpe's comments concerned the ongoing fraud welfare scandal in Mississippi, where Favre, along with dozens of others, are accused of misusing tens of millions of dollars over a several-year period.

United States District Court Judge Keith Starrett issued his ruling in a filing, writing, "Sharpe's comments are constitutionally protected rhetorical hyperbole using loose, figurative language."

Starrett went on to dismiss the suit for those reasons.

Among Sharpe's comments, he accused Favre of “taking from the underserved” and stealing "money from people that really needed that money.”

Despite the ruling, Favre doesn't seem done with Shannon ... a rep for the Packers legend told ESPN he was evaluating their next steps.

"We respectfully disagree with the court's decision. Mr. Sharpe's statements were unquestionably false and defamatory. We are considering our options," Brett's representative told the network.

As for Shannon, he was thrilled with the news.

"The United States District Court 4 the Southern District of Mississippi 2day dismissed Brett Favre’s defamation lawsuit against me. The court found the statements were protected by the 1st  Amendment 2 the Constitution. Thanks 2 my legal team and their handling of this case. 🙏🏾🙏🏾"

Shannon wasn't the only retired NFL star turned media mogul in Favre's sights. BF also sued Pat McAfee for defamation. Brett withdrew the lawsuit after Pat apologized on the air for accusing Favre of stealing from people in need.

Luka Doncic can apparently sink baskets with his hands AND his head ... 'cause check out this trick shot he made Monday night -- he used his noggin and got nothing but net!!

The Dallas superstar and his teammate, Dwight Powell, were messin' around before the Mavs took on the Grizzlies at the FedEx Forum in Memphis ... when they decided to put on a little show for the fans in attendance.

First, Powell threw a basketball off Doncic's shoulder ... and then he headed it back to Doncic so the point guard could finish off the Globetrotters-esque play with a header of his own.

And, after the ball crashed through the hoop ... the crowd roared, and Doncic celebrated for several moments as if he had just hit a game-winner!

Doncic then tagged Real Madrid -- the football club affiliated with his former basketball team -- clearly wanting them to take a look at his soccer skills.

Of course, this isn't anything too new for Powell and Doncic ... the guys have hit similar shots in the past, including one time last year when Powell threw down a dunk courtesy of a pass off Doncic's dome.

James Harden is going going, back back, to Cali Cali -- the NBA superstar was shipped to the L.A. Clippers in a blockbuster deal late Monday night ... officially ending all his drama with the Philadelphia 76ers.

The trade went down while many on the East Coast were catchin' Zs -- Harden, P.J. Tucker and Filip Petrusev will join the Clips in exchange for Nicolas Batum, Marcus Morris, Robert Covington, Kenyon Martin Jr. and some draft picks -- including two first rounders.

The transaction was pretty much inevitable -- 34-year-old Harden made it clear he didn't want to play in Philly anymore ... claiming he felt Sixers GM Daryl Morey was a "liar."

The Beard sat out all preseason ... and when he finally showed up ahead of the season opener, the team told him to turn around and head home.

He did not play a single minute for the Sixers this season.

The Clippers will now have Kawhi Leonard, Paul George, Harden and Russell Westbrook for the remainder of the 2023-24 season.

It's a bit of a homecoming for Harden -- he grew up in SoCal ... playing high school ball at Artesia in Lakewood.

Ex-NBA star Gilbert Arenas seemed thrilled with the move -- saying, "CHEF HARDEN BACK HOME," on X.

Davante Adams' no good 2023 season got a whole lot worse on Monday night ... and the star receiver couldn't hide his frustration with it anymore -- slamming his helmet in disgust on the sidelines.

The 30-year-old -- who's complained several times this year about his role in Las Vegas' offense -- caught just one pass during the Raiders' 26-14 loss to the Lions ... and he was clearly livid with the situation, melting down on his team's bench as the final seconds of the game ticked off.

First, he hurled his helmet with two hands into the ground. Then he appeared to let an F-bomb fly. Finally, he slumped over and put his face in his hands.

After the game, he told reporters he wanted to be careful with his words to avoid something that would get "blown up in the media" ... though he made it apparent he's not happy.

"Frustration," he said when asked how he was feeling. "But, that kind of goes without saying."

Normally one of the best wideouts in the NFL, Adams has just 47 catches for 539 yards and three touchdowns through eight games this year ... while the Raiders have amassed a mere 3-5 record.

Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce's relationship remains the apple of the media's collective eye -- and after more than a month of the spotlight, it's starting to take a toll on his loved ones.

Sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ ... the frenzy in the press over TayTay and Travis has become incredibly overwhelming for his immediate family members -- including his mom, Donna, his dad, Ed, and even his fellow NFLer and older brother, Jason.

We're told all the attention the couple's getting isn't the fam's favorite thing in the world -- seeing how it ends up spilling over on them -- but, by the same token, they're happy Travis is happy ... so they're dealing.

Our sources tell us the whole family's been under a microscope since the initial dating rumblings way back in September ... and they've all been getting blown up nonstop on their personal phones and on social media since Trav and Tay went public as a couple.

One other interesting tidbit relayed to us ... Travis's flesh and blood are a bit startled by Swifties and their intense, to put it mildly, love for her. We're told their fierce passion actually makes them a little worried for her BF's safety -- even with him being a 6'5", 250 lb. NFL superstar.

All that being said, the Kelces keep smiling for cameras -- they're fully aware how many are on them, especially when they interact with Taylor face-to-face.

Fortunately for them, there might be a break in the near future, as Taylor's about to go back on tour again, and this time she'll be overseas. Of course, he'll be here playing football ... probably into February, as his Chiefs remain a favorite to reach the Super Bowl.

Francis Ngannou's performance against Tyson Fury, despite losing on the scorecards, totally changed how many fans view MMA fighters vs. boxers ... a little too much according to undefeated pugilist Shakur Stevenson, who has a message for any UFC stars having thoughts of stepping in the ring.

Of course, Fury edged Ngannou by split decision in Saudi Arabia on Saturday ... a fight many expected to be a cakewalk for the world's best heavyweight boxer. In reality, it was anything but ... and now some mixed martial artists are emboldened by what went down in the squared circle.

"I say if they feel that way, give it a try. I think that you got some MMA guys that want to come get in the ring with somebody like me, I would love the opportunity to beat up an MMA guy and show them that there's real levels to it," 26-year-old Stevenson told Babcock on the TMZ Sports TV show (airs weekdays on FS1).

20-0 Shakur continued ... "I just think Tyson Fury was off that night and them [MMA] dudes need to relax and stay in their lane."

We followed up with Shakur ... asking if he had an opponent in mind.

"What's that dude's name, Sean ...?" Shakur asked.

He was talking about "Suga" Sean O'Malley, the UFC's bantamweight (135 lb.) champion.

Babcock asked Shakur if he had a message for Suga.

"Tell him we can get it in. I'm ready to lock in with him," Stevenson told us, adding ... "It's levels to this s**t. If he wants to come try his hand, I'll beat the s**t out of him."

Of course, O'Malley previously called out Gervonta "Tank" Davis ... so it's clear Sean's hunting for a big-time boxing superstar.

Shakur fits that bill to a T.

O'Malley is under contract with the UFC, but Dana White has shown he's willing to make big, crossover fights. Look no further than Conor McGregor vs. Floyd Mayweather in 2017.

As for the Fury and Ngannou fight, Shakur says regardless of what Fury says, he doesn't believe Tyson trained 3 months for Francis.

"I don't believe the fact that he says he trained for 12 weeks. He didn't look like he trained. Didn't look like he threw too many punches. He usually throws punches. He seemed real hesitant, and I don't know how good of shape he was in," Stevenson said.

"Usually I'm a big fan of Tyson Fury. That night he didn't look too good."

Could Flavor Flav do the national anthem at an NBA game again?? Yeahhhh boyyyyyeeeeeee -- 'cause the rap legend tells TMZ Sports he's gotten offers from two more teams after singing at the Milwaukee Bucks game on Sunday!!

The iconic Public Enemy hype man got on the mic and belted out the "Star-Spangled Banner" ahead of the Bucks' home loss to the Atlanta Hawks ... and footage of the rendition quickly went viral.

As it turns out, it was a bucket list moment for Flav ... who explained he always wanted to give it a shot in honor of his family members who fought in the U.S. military -- some who passed in the line of duty.

"When I sang that national anthem, I was singing it for them because they're not here to sing it for themselves," Flav told us. "I did that in honor of my family and also for a lot of other people's families, too, that fought for this country."

Flav -- who got the opportunity thanks to Bucks prez Peter Feigin -- received mixed reviews on the internet ... but he said the positive feedback far outweighs the negatives, and the only thing that really matters is that he had fun doing it.

"I ain't gonna lie, I was kind of proud of myself after I did it."

The Rock and Roll Hall of Famer revealed he also got a lot of love from two of his famous fans -- Anthony Anderson and Flo Rida ... who both told him he crushed it!!

Flav said he never gets nervous before taking the stage ... but admitted he had a few jitters before venturing into this new territory.

"This Is Us" Star Milo Ventimiglia was spotted wearin' a ring on that finger ... and we've confirmed the actor has tied the knot with model Jarah Mariano in a secret ceremony.

Milo and Jarah were watching Saturday's Rugby World Series match at a restaurant called Yahir in Los Angeles -- but the big game between New Zealand and South Africa wasn't even the most interesting thing going on at the establishment.

Check out the bling on Milo's left hand -- Jarah could even be seen touching his ring while they enjoyed their time together. And yes, Milo's rep confirms with TMZ that the 2, indeed, got hitched.

The secret wedding went down earlier this year in a private ceremony with family and some close friends ... safe to say, they certainly flew under the radar with this one.

Milo and Jarah have been linked together since last year, but never came out and confirmed their romance -- but it doesn't get a whole lot more confirmed than this.

Ex-NBA player Joe Smith is not a fan of his wife's latest business venture ... absolutely losing it after finding out she has an OnlyFans account.

Smith's partner of five years, Kisha Chavis -- a former adult actress who went by the name Yasmine Pendavis -- shared footage of his reaction to discovering her XXX subscription-based profile ... and he was PISSED.

"Just finding out you got an OnlyFans page all these years," Smith said in the clip ... adding she should have had a conversation with him before hopping on the platform.

"That's bulls***," Smith -- the No. 1 overall pick in the 1995 NBA Draft -- said. "That's f***ed up, Kish. I'm telling you, that's f***ed up."

Kisha then defends herself ... claiming she isn't doing any work with other people, so it's "my body, my f***ing choice."

She also said she tried numerous times to come up with a solution to her financial status together ... but ultimately decided to revisit her former career path.

"You knew who the f*** I was when you met me ... I thought I would never have to go back to anything like this again. But, unfortunately, that's not the case right now."

It's worth noting -- Smith reportedly made $61 million in his career ... but only pocketed around $18 mil after taxes and agent fees, among other expenses. He has since opened up about his money problems.

Smith said he doesn't care how much money she's making on OF -- it doesn't change the fact that she was doing it behind his back ... and he sees it as a smack in the face.

Ivan "Pudge" Rodriguez just got in front of a camera with his manhood nearly on full display ... and he's hoping the hilarious sight will now help save some lives.

The MLB legend stripped down to his undies as part of a partnership with underwear company Saxx -- filming a 75-second commercial with the goal of raising awareness for testicular cancer in mind.

In the vid, Rodriguez rocked a pair of boxer briefs that he insisted held his family jewels "like a catcher's mitt" ... before he introduced a "Ballgorithm" that will ultimately raise cash for the good cause.

Rodriguez and his co-host explained ... the algorithm -- a math equation centered around the number of bad balls that a pitcher hurls during a contest -- will be applied to every Rangers vs. Diamondbacks World Series game this fall ... and then that figure will be multiplied by 1,000.

That total number will then be turned into dollars and donated to the Testicular Cancer Foundation -- a cause Pudge tells TMZ Sports he cares deeply about.

"The purpose is just to make people laugh and make people aware to go check themselves," he said, "and we did a nice commercial."

The MLB Hall of Famer -- who's now working as a special assistant to the general manager of the Rangers -- said he's been catching a lot of ribbin' both inside and outside of the Texas clubhouse over the vid ... but he couldn't be happier that it might prevent tragedies for people going forward.

"For me, that's the most important thing," he said. "Pay attention. This is a disease you can get in the early ages. So, our message is just to go check, because you never know."

Luis Rubiales, former Spanish soccer president, was banned by FIFA from all national and international soccer activities for three years after kissing Jenni Hermoso following Spain's World Cup win in August.

46-year-old Rubiales was initially benched for 90 days while the international soccer body investigated the situation ... until Monday when their findings were finally made public.

"The FIFA Disciplinary Committee has banned Luis Rubiales, the former president of the Spanish Football Association (RFEF), from all football-related activities at national and international levels for three years, having found that he acted in breach of article 13 of the FIFA Disciplinary Code."

The rule essentially says anyone associated with a team, in Rubiales' case, the president, must behave in a way consistent with "decent conduct," including "behaving in a way that brings the sport of football and/or FIFA into disrepute."

Of course, Rubiales kissed Hermoso, without her consent. He was also seen grabbing his crotch, as well as throwing another player over his shoulder.

Luis, per FIFA guidelines, now has ten days to appeal the decision, and that's exactly what it sounds like he will do.

Rubiales fired off a message on X in Spanish (which has been translated), writing ... "I will go to the last resort so that justice is done and the truth shines 💪 Due to the many efforts of some politicians, media and institutions, the disproportion and injustice committed is becoming increasingly clear"

Despite insisting he had no ill intent and initially refusing to step down from his post, Rubiales finally resigned in mid-September.

It's no secret Matthew Perry loved pickleball ... but now we're learning the game also helped him tremendously in his recovery from drug abuse.

The "Friends" actor played pickleball religiously at Riviera Country Club near his L.A. area home -- and he even had a personal coach, Matt Manasse.

Manasse told People magazine ... Perry used the game as a tool to keep him away from drugs and on the straight and narrow.

"He thought it was something that could help in his recovery and he was doing an awesome job," Manasse said.

Manasse noted Perry was so passionate about the game he would play five times a week and talk incessantly about it.

"[Perry] got so much better, always made everyone laugh," Manasse said, adding, "He was competitive, not in a bad way at all. He loved it. When he hit an unbelievable shot, he would tell you about it for days."

Manasse also described Perry as a caring person who was always trying to help others, especially recovering addicts by introducing them to pickleball at Riviera.

TMZ broke the story ... Perry, 54, apparently drowned in his jacuzzi Saturday after playing 2 hours of pickleball at the country club. We're told he was in good spirits during the game.

Later that afternoon, his assistant returned to his house after running errands and discovered Perry was unresponsive. The assistant called 911, Perry's mother and one of his siblings, as well as another person.

Law enforcement tells us ... authorities discovered anti-depressants, anti-anxiety drugs and a COPD drug inside Perry's house. COPD refers to Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, which is often used to treat emphysema or chronic bronchitis. Perry smoked cigarettes during his life.

Mary Lou Retton is opening up about her battle with pneumonia for the first time since she contracted the illness earlier this month ... and she says while she is recovering, she's not totally out of the woods yet.

In a statement posted to her Instagram page on Monday afternoon, the Olympic legend thanked her followers for all of their support ... but added that her recovery from the ailment is moving at a snail's pace.

"I'm beyond blessed to have the opportunity to make this statement," the 55-year-old said. "I am overwhelmed with all the love and support from the world as I fight. I am forever grateful to you all!"

"I'm with family continuing to slowly recover and staying very positive as I know this recovery is a long and slow process," she added. "I appreciate everyone's respect of my privacy at this time."

Retton was diagnosed with a rare form of pneumonia at the beginning of October ... and ended up in the ICU over it all.

During her multiple-day stay at the hospital, her family revealed she suffered a "scary setback" ... and at times, things seemed dire. Thankfully, however, Retton was able to fight through it all ... and returned home to recover last week.

In her statement Monday, she promised to reveal more about her fight at a later time.

"I love you all," she wrote.

The University of Colorado football team apparently left California with more than a loss on the field -- several Buffaloes players claim they had jewelry stolen from their lockers during their matchup against UCLA on Saturday.

Deion Sanders' son, Deion Jr., shared the allegations in a postgame video posted on Sunday night ... showing multiple athletes in shock outside the Rose Bowl after discovering their valuables were taken.

Star safety Cam'ron Silmon-Craig was one of the players who claimed they were affected ... saying, "You're gonna play football and know your s*** safe. That joint messed up."

Another player stated he had just gotten his chain the day prior ... and whoever snagged his stuff took it right out of the box.

An investigation into the matter is underway, according to OutKick.

"The UCLA athletic department confirmed that a report was filed to the Pasadena Police Department following the UCLA-Colorado football game regarding items that were reportedly missing from the Colorado locker room," the school said in a statement.

"UCLA is in communication with law enforcement, Rose Bowl Stadium officials and the University of Colorado on the matter."

The Buffaloes fell to the Bruins, 28-16 ... falling to 4-4 on the season.

Looks like Taylor Swift & Travis Kelce are dominating the Halloween game this season, much to the surprise of no one ... appearing as skeletons on front lawns everywhere.

The spooky version of the couple has been popping up across the country, as made apparent from the viral vids online ... one shows Travis and a whole lotta versions of Taylor in her Halloween Era -- paying homage to the singer's multiple looks in her "Eras" tour concerts.

One fan also had a bunch of different Taylors out front, with a skeleton Travis cheering them on in a folding chair on the sidelines.

They're all pretty creative, TBH ... one display was done up to look just like a private concert -- with the decorator even taking over the local airwaves, so anyone that drives by can listen along with the undead crowd!

As you know, Taylor and Travis are the talk of the town right now, with their romance in full swing ... so the pop-ups don't seem that far outta left field. Folks have even been dressing up as the iconic duo over Halloweekend, as expected.

Former NHL player Adam Johnson tragically died this weekend after his neck was slashed by a skate blade during a game on Saturday.

He was just 29 years old.

Johnson was playing in an Elite Ice Hockey League game for the Nottingham Panthers in England when the horrifying moment happened.

As the ex-Pittsburgh Penguins center was taking the puck across the blue line, an opposing player on the Sheffield Steelers kicked his skate into the air and struck Johnson in the throat area. Johnson was rushed off the ice and received immediate treatment ... but he later succumbed to his injuries.

South Yorkshire Police said officers were on the scene and are currently investigating "the circumstances surrounding the incident."

"We would encourage the public to avoid speculation regarding the incident while we continue our enquiries," the SYP said.

The Panthers, meanwhile, called the moment "a freak accident" ... adding that they're "truly devastated" over it all.

"The Panthers would like to send our thoughts and condolences to Adam's family, his partner and all his friends at this extremely difficult time," the team said. "Everyone at the club including players, staff, management and ownership are heartbroken at the news of Adam's passing."

Johnson played for the Penguins in the 2018 and 2019 seasons -- logging a goal and three assists in 13 games. He went on to play professionally overseas ... and had just signed on to skate for the Panthers this season.

"The Pittsburgh Penguins join the entire hockey world in mourning the loss of Adam Johnson, whose life tragically ended far too soon," the Penguins said in a statement Sunday. "We offer our deepest condolences to Adam's family and friends, as well as all of Adam's past and present teammates and coaches. Adam will always be a part of the Penguins family. It was our honor to watch him fulfill his dream of playing in the National Hockey League."

The Panthers announced Sunday their game against the Glasgow Clan on Tuesday has been postponed in the wake of Johnson's death. Further changes to the schedule were being considered, the team added.