TMZ Sports - Page 50

You're about to enter another dimension of sound and sight ... and mind. That, or you're just walking into a tire ad courtesy of a flying billboard -- you tell us.

So, supposedly, there was a UFO sighting out in Rutherford, New Jersey Monday night over the MetLife Stadium, near a freeway where a bunch of cars appeared to stop dead in their tracks to catch a glimpse of what's either the start of an alien takeover ... or just a blimp.

Check it out ... the guy filming here doesn't seem quite sure what to believe, and if we're being honest -- neither are we!!! From his angle, it could certainly pass for a UFO ... one straight out of a movie, which actually makes it a bit harder to believe on its face.

Alright, now time for a little reality check (or one people want you to buy into) ... a bunch of folks are saying that was no UFO sighting at all, but nothing more than the good ol' Goodyear flying over the Giants-Steelers MNF game.

Yeah, sorry ... we're gonna score this one for the non-believers -- 'cause the full context of an NFL game going on makes it clear it's for sure one of Goodyear's famed blimps with its LED board on the belly.

However, we have encountered what we believe might be a legit UFO sighting earlier this year in CA ... where SOMETHING zipped by up in the sky at lightning-quick speeds. That, or it was just a super-fast fighter jet doing some aerial maneuvers up there.

That one might give ya pause, but as for the Jersey sighting. Just a blimp, folks. No offense to Goodyear ... or the Giants, who lost their home opener.

Steve Nash says his haters will NOT be his motivators with the Brooklyn Nets -- telling TMZ Sports he's too busy working to worry about outside noise.

And, there has been A LOT of noise ... with current and former NBA players, coaches, analysts and fans criticizing the Nets for hiring Nash over a qualified Black candidate.

So, when we saw Nash leaving Lilia in Brooklyn over the weekend, we asked if he's using the backlash as fuel to succeed.

"No," Nash told us straight-up ... "I'm busy trying to build something and collaborate with my staff."

Nash understands the criticism -- he has no real coaching experience and admitted to "skipping the line" to land the Nets job. But, he also argued that he's extremely qualified saying last week, "I think leading an NBA team [as a player] for almost 2 decades is pretty unique."

There's more in our convo with Nash ... here are the quick hits:

TMZ Sports: Have you spoken with Kyrie Irving or Kevin Durant about the social justice movement?

Nash: "I haven't actually spoken with them about that," Nash says ... "but they know I'm an ally."

TMZ Sports: "Have you reached out to other coaches for advice?"

Nash: "I have."

TMZ Sports: Anyone, in particular, you can share?

Nash: "I can not."

TMZ Sports: "What's one goal you have in Brooklyn?

Nash: "Build a great environment for my players and make the community proud."

TMZ Sports: Were there any other teams you considered?

The Steelers came up with a unique way to show solidarity and send a message during the national anthem ... with players holding a sign saying, "Steelers Against Racism" before Monday Night Football.

There have been many different approaches throughout the league during the opening weekend ... with some teams electing to stay in the locker rooms while other teams had players kneel, lock arms or show other ways to demonstrate before games.

The Steelers revealed their decision before facing off with the NY Giants on Monday ... holding the long banner, which listed each player's hometowns.

The Giants were also present for the anthem, with roughly one-third of the team electing to kneel.

'Bachelor' star and former NFL player Colton Underwood better avoid his ex-girlfriend, Cassie Randolph, at least until he can plead his case in front of a judge ... TMZ has learned.

According to new court docs, a judge signed off on Cassie's request for a temporary restraining order against Colton, requiring him to keep at least 100 yards from her, her home, her work and avoid any contact or threatening behavior.

In October, he'll have a chance to appear at a hearing where he can argue his side of things ... but in the meantime, he has to steer clear of Cassie.

One last thing ... Cassie attached photos of the alleged tracking device she claims Colton stuck to her car in order to keep up with her whereabouts. It's a small, black contraption ... and she says it was taped to the bottom of the back bumper of her car.

As we first told you ... Cassie claims that -- in addition to allegedly trying to track her -- Colton was also bombarding her and others with harassing texts.

Jerry Harris -- one of the cheerleading stars of Netflix's uber-popular show "Cheer" -- is being investigated by the FBI for allegedly soliciting minors for sex.

FBI agents executed a search warrant at a home in Illinois Monday, following up on the allegations against Harris ... according to USA Today. At this point, Harris -- a fan favorite while cheering for Navarro College on "Cheer" -- has not been charged.

Authorities were reportedly made aware of the allegations when Varsity, a private company in the cheerleading industry, alerted cops in Florida and Texas. The company learned about the claims of "inappropriate sexual conduct" last month.

According to the report, Varsity shared 2 screenshots with police, including an alleged Snapchat message of Jerry's face with the message, "Would you ever want to ****."

As you know ... Jerry rose to fame during the Netflix docu-series following his cheer team, and he became known as the "King of Mat Talk."

FILE UNDER -- things you love to see!

Pittsburgh Steelers star wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster was spotted doing a random act of kindness for a man in need on Sunday ... buying the guy a meal without any fanfare.

The act was caught on video by a fan who recognized the NFL star, who described the situation this way.

"No cameras, no fanfare - just being kind to someone in need."

The person who shot the video added, "So proud to have @TeamJuJu wear the Black and Gold."

23-year-old Smith-Schuster has a reputation for doing nice things like this ... remember back in 2019, he went on a toy shopping spree for kids in need.

After that, he bought a house for his family!

He also went to a high school prom in 2019 with a fan who needed a date after his original date blew him off.

As for his on-the-field life, Juju and the Pittsburgh Steelers are gearing up to take on the NY Giants on Monday Night Football.

Juju is hoping to bounce back in a big way after a disappointing 2019 campaign.

Don't forget, Juju killed it in 2017 and 2018 -- but playing without Ben Roethlisberger in 2019 proved difficult for the WR.

But he's only 23 and super talented ... and he's clearly still a fan favorite!

Two men suspected of murdering Floyd Mayweather boxing prodigy Danny Gonzalez have been arrested, TMZ Sports has confirmed ... and cops say they're still on the hunt for a 3rd suspect.

Both 27-year-old Andre Richee and 32-year-old Lee Mooring were arrested Thursday for 1st-degree murder stemming from the Sept. 7 incident.

The Riverside County Sheriff's Office also says it's issued an arrest warrant for 28-year-old Joseph Goldsmith over his alleged involvement in the shooting as well.

As we previously reported ... 22-year-old Gonzalez -- who signed with Mayweather's The Money Team in 2016 -- was shot on Labor Day in Moreno Valley, Calif., just before 9 PM.

Cops say when they responded to the scene ... Gonzalez succumbed to his bullet wound injuries. They say two other men were also injured by gunfire in the incident.

What's still unclear ... why Gonzalez was killed? Officials have not revealed a possible motive.

Investigators say they not only spoke with multiple witnesses but also have evidence and surveillance footage pointing to Richee and Mooring as the killers.

If convicted of 1st-degree murder, both could face the death penalty.

The RCSO is now asking for help in finding Goldsmith.

Floyd was convinced Gonzalez was going to be a star after he signed with TMT Promotions when he was only 18 years old ... with Mayweather saying, "There are certain times when you know you've just struck gold and this is one of them."

Danny took 3 pro fights after signing with Floyd ... but eventually left the sport in 2017.

NOONAN!!!!!

"Caddyshack" star Michael O'Keefe is back on the bag ... the actor who famously played Danny Noonan in the iconic 1980 golf flick is a real-life caddie at the U.S. Open this week!!!

For real!!!!!

Here's the deal ... O'Keefe used to work at Winged Foot Golf Course in N.Y. back in the 1970s before his acting career took off -- and with the PGA Tour's U.S. Open scheduled to play there this year, Michael had an idea.

O'Keefe told the New York Post he wanted to reprise his role as Noonan and hop on a pro's bag ... all in an effort to help raise money for caddies who have been affected by the pandemic.

Of course, no pro was going to let him be their caddie during ACTUAL tournament play ... but O'Keefe at least found a taker for some practice rounds!!

Danny Balin -- a head pro at a local Long Island country club -- offered to let O'Keefe caddy for him Monday and Tuesday ... and the early pics from their outing are priceless.

Check out how Noonan looks today ... not a thing's changed!!!

Balin says he re-watched "Caddyshack" in anticipation of his rounds with O'Keefe ... and promised he'd have all the 1-liners down by the time the two hit the fairways.

Well, we're waiting!!!!

The Patriots are one week into the Cam Newton era and Dave Portnoy is ready to schedule the Super Bowl parade ... with the Barstool Sports founder telling TMZ Sports their new QB is a straight-up MONSTER!!!

Oh, and Tom Brady?? Portnoy says that dude's looking like an "antique!!!"

We caught up with El Pres out in NYC shortly after New England's 21-11 win over the Miami Dolphins on Sunday ... and he said Cam's performance was great from start to finish -- beginning with his can't-miss pregame outfit.

"He looked like the sexiest banana I've ever seen walking into the stadium," Portnoy says. "And, the second I saw that, it was over."

Pres says Newton was unstoppable on the field ... and while some may discredit the dub because it was against a team that went 5-11 last year, he points out TB12 even lost to the 'Fins last year.

"The Dolphins always give us trouble. Cam made 'em look like a high school team."

Speaking of Brady, Portnoy says he'll always support the man that won his team 6 Super Bowls ... but admits he's not the same guy from the past 20 years.

"I'll root for him. Brady's given me so much. But, I mean, he looks like the 'Antique Bowl' out there."

BTW -- Brady and the Bucs lost their season opener to the Saints, 34-23 ... and TB12 threw 2 INTs in the process.

Pres says he hopes TB12 and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers can get things in order by the time playoffs come around ... 'cause he wants the Pats to see him in the Super Bowl.

Stern warning from NFL officials to its teams Monday ... the league is demanding coaches wear their masks properly -- or they could face punishment!!

Due to the coronavirus pandemic ... the NFL has ordered all essential personnel on the sidelines to wear masks AT ALL TIMES.

The problem? Cameras caught several prominent coaches Sunday -- including Rams head man Sean McVay and Raiders leader Jon Gruden -- wearing the face coverings improperly around their necks.

In a league memo from Troy Vincent, obtained by multiple media outlets, the league exec said that's straight-up just unacceptable.

"The face covering must be worn as designed so that it securely fits across the wearer's nose and mouth to prevent the transmission of the virus," Vincent said.

"Failure to adhere to this requirement will result in accountability measures being imposed against offending individuals and/or clubs."

In addition to McVay and Gruden, cameras also caught Lions head coach Matt Patricia and Saints head coach Sean Payton improperly wearing their masks.

Dallas Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy, meanwhile, did not wear one for the pregame national anthem Sunday night ... but added it during his team's game against the Rams.

New photos out of Corsica show Conor McGregor speaking with police officers before he was detained and questioned over an alleged attempted sexual assault.

The photo agency says the pics were shot on Friday -- one day before the local prosecutor's office said McGregor "was the subject of a hearing" over the allegation.

McGregor was with his fiancee, their children and Conor's parents at the time cops spoke with him on Friday.

The UFC star was in the area to participate in the Calvi Water Bike Challenge, an event hosted by his friend, Princess Charlene of Monaco.

McGregor reportedly withdrew from the event in the wake of the police incident.

Here's what we know ... a person filed a complaint against McGregor on Thursday, Sept. 10 -- accusing him of "attempted sexual assault and sexual exhibition," according to prosecutors.

A spokesperson for the prosecutor's office later issued a statement saying McGregor was "arrested and placed in custody by the judicial authorities."

"He was released on Saturday."

Reps for McGregor insist NO CHARGES have been filed against Conor at this point -- and he adamantly denies the allegations against him.

Officials have not released details about the allegations -- but France 3 Corse (local TV network) is reporting McGregor "exhibited his private parts to [a young woman] without her consent as she made her way into the bar restroom" on Sept. 6.

British racing star Lewis Hamilton made his feelings known Sunday at Italy's Tuscan Grand Prix ... he wants the cops who killed Breonna Taylor brought to justice.

Hamilton wore a black t-shirt with the words, "Arrest the cops who killed Breonna Taylor" emblazoned in pink on the front, and the words, "Say her name" on the back, along with a photo of Breonna.

Hamilton has talked recently about his encounters with racism in the UK ... and also talked about being a black man in a sport dominated by white men. He said, "I'm in a sport which is white-dominated and there is very little diversity, for example. And with everything that happened in the states, it really brought up a lot of emotions for me."

He went on to say, "A lot of people think it is only happening in the states.  Yes, there is the police brutality in the states but systemic racism is across the world."

A lot of people think it is only happening in the states. Yes, there is the police brutality in the states but systemic racism is across the world.

As you know ... NASCAR star Bubba Wallace has also taken a strong stand in the Black Lives Matter movement and received support from many of his fellow drivers.

Washington Wizards superstar John Wall was captured on video this month throwing up a series of gang sign hand gestures ... and on Sunday, the 30-year-old apologized over it all.

"I made a mistake, something I regret," the point guard said. "I will continue to work hard to be better on the court and more importantly off the court."

The video appeared to be shot at a recent party ... and the footage showed a shirtless Wall with some pals giving the middle finger and flashing a series of gang signs.

At one point, Wall and another man on camera brought out what appeared to be a stack of money as well as a red bandana. Men on the video could be heard saying "f**k n***a" too.

Wall added in his statement, "I want to apologize to my family, my teammates and all of those that have always supported me."

This ain't the first time Wall has made headlines for public gang signs ... he's famously thrown them up after highlight plays in a couple NBA games before.

Donald Trump was STOKED to have some of the UFC's best fighters at his Nevada rally Sunday ... and raved about their talent, muscles and brains.

Colby Covington, Henry Cejudo, Justin Gaethje and Dana White were all sitting right near POTUS as he spoke in front of thousands of supporters at an Xtreme Manufacturing facility in Henderson, NV.

First, Trump heaped praise on White -- his longtime friend and supporter.

Trump said White turned UFC into a success while critics claimed the sport of MMA was just too violent for the American people.

"They just don’t know how violent the American people are," Trump said proudly ... "They never quite figured it out."

Trump also had words for the fighters -- who were all decked out in fancy suits.

"Underneath those beautiful suits are a lot of muscles," Trump said ... "A lot of power, a lot of genius for fighting and for other things … but a lot of genius under those suits."

Trump and Colby Covington go back years -- POTUS famously called Colby after he defeated Robbie Lawler in August 2019 ... and spoke about that fight at the rally.

"[Covington] took [Lawler] apart so easily, it was like an easy day at the office," Trump said.

The two also shared a 1-on-1 moment at the event -- where Colby tried to kiss Trump's hand or something? It was weird.

Covington fights Tyron Woodley on Sept. 19 in Vegas -- POTUS says he will be watching.

Ali AbdelAziz -- who manages Henry Cejudo and Justin Gaethje was also on hand for the event ... and called it a "great honor" to attend.

Charles Peterson -- a longtime amateur scout for the St. Louis Cardinals -- died Sunday after a weeks-long battle with COVID-19 ... the team announced.

He was only 46-years-old.

The baseball scout had been hospitalized with coronavirus on Aug. 17 ... and had been placed on a ventilator shortly after he was admitted, his family and friends said over the weekend.

They added in a statement on a GoFundMe page Sunday they were devastated over his passing.

"It is with a heavy and broken heart I share that our beloved Charles ‘Pete’ has lost his battle with COVID-19," the statement read.

Peterson was very respected in MLB circles ... and the Cardinals say he was actually responsible for scouting their 1st-round pick this season, third baseman Jordan Walker.

"Charles had an incredible impact on our scouting department,” Cardinals director of scouting Randy Flores said. "He brought a tremendous work ethic, keen eye, and booming laugh with him every day."

"My prayers are with his wife Karen and family as anyone who ever talked to CP knew how proud he was of them."

Peterson was picked by the Pittsburgh Pirates out of high school in the 1st round of the 1993 MLB draft -- just 21 selections after the Seattle Mariners drafted Alex Rodriguez.

Peterson -- who went on to play several years in the minor leagues as well as internationally -- joined the Cardinals' scouting department in 2012.

"Charles always would light up the Draft room," president of baseball operations John Mozeliak said. "His smile, his voice, his energy -- you knew it was Charles. He was a special man that made others better. He will be missed."

As MLB and other pro sports wrestle with how to handle the pandemic -- Peterson's death is a reminder about how serious the situation still is.

THE DISRESPECT IS REAL!!

Cam Newton says Miami Dolphins players tried to snatch the chain off his neck after his Patriots won on Sunday ... and it's all on video.

The New England QB was wrapping up a 21-10 victory at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough when cameras showed several Dolphins players jawing at Cam.

At one point, a hand reaches into the camera frame and tugs violently at Cam's neck -- it looks like the chain was snapped, but Cam managed to save it.

Eventually, Cam's teammates stepped in and separated the players.

The QB changed into his snazzy yellow outfit and talked about the incident after the game.

"I still got my chain," Cam said with a smile ... "I got two of 'em. So you could see. It was disrespect, they was reaching for my chain, though."

He continued, "I think that kind of got under my skin. But yeah, through it all, man ... listen -- I do not want nothing to be taken away from a great team game that we did have. And I don't want to be selfish to kind of focus or dwell on that."

"I think for us as a team, or me personally -- a lot of tempers can flare. And I was just teasing with Coach, just letting him know that the College Park almost came out in me."

Later on, Cam posted on social media about the incident -- saying, "Tried to snatch my chain and the game ... too bad I got both!"

Two Dolphins players responded.

Miami defensive end Shaq Lawson wrote, "We don’t won’t that weak ass chain."

And defensive tackle Raekwon Davis added, "Man ain’t nobody want your fake ass chains shit was weak anyway."

WHAT IS GOING ON HERE??!