TMZ Sports - Page 50

Tennessee Titans defensive lineman Teair Tart has been officially banned for one game ... after he was caught on video stomping on the back of a Cleveland Browns star's leg.

Tart had appealed the 1-game suspension this week ... but the NFL upheld the ban on Friday -- 'cause, well, the whole incident was clear as day on camera.

In Sunday's Browns vs. Titans game ... Tart blew through the backfield but couldn't make the play. On his way back up the field, Tart JUMPED on Cleveland star O-lineman Wyatt Teller with one leg.

Check out the clip ... the play was SUPER dirty -- Tart put his spike right into Teller's hamstring.

Fortunately for the Browns, Teller avoided injury ... but the play will cost Tart and the Titans -- the NFL has now barred the dude from suiting up for Tennessee's game against Jacksonville on Sunday.

"The Rockets finally get a young Black coach -- a young Black coach gets an opportunity -- and you don't wanna show up to camp?!"

That's Stephen Jackson sounding off on James Harden -- ripping the Houston Rockets star for blowing off the start of training camp to party with his rapper pal, Lil Baby, instead.

Jackson says Harden's antics -- which also included a whirlwind trip to Vegas -- are screwing over Stephen Silas, who was just hired to take over the team.

Silas, who is Black, has been an assistant coach for various NBA teams for years, most recently with the Dallas Mavericks. This is his first head coaching job.

And, S-Jack thinks Harden is doing everything he can to hurt Silas' chances of being successful.

"You don't wanna play for him?! How that look?! And you wonder why every time a Black coach get a job, they put him in the bulls**t situation."

"Look watchu doing," Jackson said ... "What a REAL one would do is go play for that Black coach and make him look good and build with John Wall and DeMarcus Cousins -- some real ones!"

"But obviously you wanna chase rappers around!"

Harden did eventually report to the Rockets -- but now he must pass 6 straight COVID-19 tests before he's cleared to workout with the team.

Things got loud and aggressive at the Anthony Joshua vs. Kubrat Pulev pre-fight weigh-in ... with the boxers threatening each other before Saturday's big fight.

Joshua stayed cool, calm and collected while Pulev -- who's 28-1 -- ran his mouth and tried to bait AJ into a physical altercation.

Both men started the weigh-in wearing COVID masks -- but those came off after the yelling began.

Security rushed in and got between the fighters -- it's typical pre-fight shenanigans. Apparently, they knocked over a light. Good times.

But, after the clash, Joshua predicted a violent end to his rivalry with Pulev when they finally get in the ring at the SSE Arena in London.

"I told [Pulev] that many years I've been watching boxing, and I've seen so many fighters talk a load of rubbish, then they get smacked up."

"I would have just clapped him on his jaw there and then. But, I've gotta do that tomorrow."

Joshua added, "He thinks he's a warrior, but I said 'don't let the guys you fought gas you up, you’re up against a real one now."

You may remember Pulev as the dirtbag who was suspended by the California State Athletic Commission back in 2019 for kissing a female reporter during a post-fight interview without her consent.

The woman, Jenny Sushe, hired Gloria Allred to go after his ass.

You're looking at the most expensive hockey card that's EVER lived ... 'cause this Wayne Gretzky rookie from 1979 just fetched $1.29 MILLION at auction!!!

FYI -- the price is WILD for a hockey piece ... no hockey card had ever even surpassed the $1 million mark!!!

As for why The Great One's RC did so well on the block ... for starters, he's the best player to ever lace up skates -- but, the story behind the card is the main reason.

Heritage Auctions says the card's perfect, Gem Mint 10 grade is so incredibly rare, there are only 2 with the rating in existence!!

The guys at HA say because of the way O-Pee-Chee (AKA the Canadian wing of Topps) cut the cards ... most of the Gretzky rookies produced over 40 years ago graded poorly.

O-Pee-Chee reportedly used wire, not blade, to separate the cards ... and that created massive issues on corners that led to imperfect grades nearly across the board.

Somehow, though, this Gretzky card survived that process ... AND the ensuing 4 decades -- which made it the Holy Grail of hockey cardboard.

Unclear who the buyer is ... but it's the latest example of the ridiculous boom in the card industry -- in the last few months, cards from all sports have gone for INSANE prices.

Joe Burrow turned 24 years old Thursday -- and celebrated with a little steak and lobster, courtesy of his girlfriend.

No giant rager, no wild night out. Just a quiet little evening at home with "Thursday Night Football" on his iPad.

Of course, Burrow is recovering from knee surgery -- plus, we're still in the middle of a pandemic -- so, seems he did the responsible thing!

The dinner looked solid -- surf & turf with asparagus in the side. And, some cupcakes for dessert!

Looks like the meal was for 2 -- Joe and his longtime girlfriend, Olivia Holzmacher.

Though it appears the couple had some private chefs in the house to prepare the whole thing (also looks like they were wearing masks).

Remember, Joe told us one of the first things he would invest in after getting drafted was a private chef and said his favorite meal is steak and lobster with a side of asparagus!

It's only been a week since Burrow underwent surgery to repair his ACL, MCL, PCL and meniscus damage in his left knee after suffering a nasty injury against Washington last month.

So, sit back, relax and try to enjoy being a quiet evening at home, right?

Also, bonus points for the C-3PO sweater.

UFC star Mackenzie Dern says she's a better fight NOW than ever before -- and it's all because she's a mom.

The 27-year-old jiu-jitsu specialist -- who gave birth to her daughter back in June 2019 -- won 2 of her last 3 fights after returning to the Octagon.

Now, she's gearing up to fight Virna Jandiroba at UFC 256 on Dec. 12 and feels more dangerous than ever.

She's also right on schedule to EASILY make weight on Friday -- something she struggled mightily with in the past.

In fact, Dern famously came in 7 pounds overweight for her May 2018 fight against Amanda Cooper and was docked 30% of her fight purse.

So, what's changed? Dern says having a child and getting married forced her to grow up.

Dern tells TMZ Sports she's more focused, more mature and more professional since starting a family. She's married to pro surfer Wesley Santos.

"Before my daughter was born, I thought I was focused at the time, [but] now I see how [I was] kind of a little more rebellious [when I was younger]."

Dern admits she lived a more carefree lifestyle before her daughter was born -- partying, traveling, etc. -- "I was single, I didn't have this support family to keep you grounded."

But now, Dern says she's laser-focused and is gunning for a title shot -- which is more realistic now than ever before.

"I really see the potential to be the champion," Dern says ... "I see the title. I can see it. Now it's in my vision."

Giannis Antetokounmpo and Chris Paul are goin' full Mickey Mouse -- with the NBA superstars getting Disney movies based on their lives!!

The entertainment company made the big reveal during its Investor Day live stream minutes ago ... saying "Greek Freak" will begin production in 2021.

The flick will follow the inspiring story of the Antetokounmpo family's rise from poverty as undocumented immigrants in Greece to helping Giannis reach the NBA, according to Sean Bailey, the Mouse's president of motion picture production.

Disney also announced the CP3 project is officially in development for Disney+ ... which will focus on the All-Star's "deeply moving story on family, legacy, and destiny that helped make him who he is today."

Beastmode could be back on an NFL field soon ... Marshawn Lynch just revealed he's considering a comeback -- and says teams have already reached out!!

The former Seattle Seahawks star told Conan O'Brien this week he still has at least SOME itch to play ... and could sign with a team soon if the opportunity is right.

"If the situation is right, then, yeah, I mean, it could happen," the 34-year-old said. "I've been asked some questions by a couple teams here recently, like, 'Are you ready?'"

"I'm ready if y'all Super Bowl ready," Lynch continued. "That's what it will take for me to come out."

Of course, a surprise unretirement would be nothing new for Lynch ... he did just that late in the 2019 season, joining up with the Seahawks after sitting out the entire year.

As for if a team would be willing to add him so late this year ... don't rule it out -- the Seahawks are having some tailback injury trouble and they could be an option for Lynch yet again in 2020.

Another one of Lynch's former teams, the Buffalo Bills, certainly could also use some RB help heading into the playoffs too.

And, both squads do potentially fit Marshawn's wishlist ...

One of the best football players EVER says COVID-19 whooped his butt ... with Larry Fitzgerald telling reporters Thursday he lost NINE POUNDS while battling the virus.

... oh, and the future Hall of Famer says he's STILL having trouble smelling and tasting things.

The Arizona Cardinals superstar tested positive for coronavirus in the last week of November ... and in his first meeting with media members since the diagnosis, Fitz explained it wasn't fun at all.

"There were a couple days I didn’t feel great," the 37-year-old said ... adding all of the reports of coronavirus deaths had him terrified.

Fitz explained he lost weight and actually re-worked his will while he was sick ... saying, "You reevaluate things."

Fortunately, Larry has been testing negative the past few days ... and he was activated from the Cardinals' COVID/Reserve list earlier this week.

LeBron James was so outraged after watching a youth football coach smack a child during a game this month ... he said he might've straight-up fought the guy over it all if he were there in person.

"If I there and it's not even my kid we gone have more than words for sure," the Lakers superstar said Wednesday night.

If you haven't seen it ... the video is pretty disturbing -- a grown-man ATTACKS one his players after a play on the field, hitting the kid in the head multiple times before throwing him to the sideline.

The incident all reportedly went down at the American Youth Football National Championships in Kissimmee, Florida ... and the child is reportedly only 9 years old

The man was hit with a TON of backlash on social media for his actions ... with many people calling for his job -- and even jail time.

The coach issued a video apology ... saying, "At the end of the day, I am a man. I'm not going to make no excuses for what I did" -- but, clearly, the mea culpa wasn't enough for LeBron.

James Instagrammed the video and SLAMMED the coach ... adding, "Ain't no way!! Couldn't be my kid."

Other athletes have expressed similar outrage ... with Pro Football Hall of Famer Shannon Sharpe writing, "Even IF* that’s his kid, I’ll whip him."

"I won’t let anyone prey on the weak or vulnerable in front of me," Sharpe continued. "Not going to happen."

It's unclear if the coach will face any criminal charges -- or even discipline from the youth league -- over the incident.

Listen up, Peloton -- you're excluding deaf people from being able to enjoy your app ... at least that's what's alleged in a new class-action lawsuit.

A man in New York is suing the stationary exercise bike company on behalf of his fellow deaf and hearing-impaired people ... claiming the app is violating their civil rights.

That's because, according to legal docs obtained by TMZ, the Peloton app does not include closed captioning for its workout videos.

The plaintiff claims this makes it "impossible" to comprehend the audio portions of the workout tutorials for deaf Peloton members, so they are not able to enjoy the features of the app as much as people without hearing impairments.

Specifically, the man suing says he was unable to understand vids on the app titled "10 Minutes Stretching," "10 Minutes Arm Toning" and "3-Minute Warm-up" due to the lack of closed captioning.

The lawsuit's seeking damages from Peloton and an order requiring the company to close-caption its videos.

This isn't the first big controversy for the exercise company as it's skyrocketed in popularity the past couple years. About a year ago, it caught flak for a Christmas ad many deemed "sexist" ... though it stood behind it.

If you ever wanted to walk a mile in Bill Belichick's shoes, now's your chance ... that is, if you got a bunch of cash saved up!!

The Patriots coach is auctioning off his game-worn My Cause, My Cleats sneaks from New England's lopsided 45-0 victory over the L.A. Chargers on Dec. 6 ... with proceeds going toward his foundation’s scholarship and grant programs.

Of course, the custom kicks were part of the NFL's Week 13 campaign which allows players and coaches to rock custom sneakers to raise awareness for a special cause.

BB decided to rep his Bill Belichick Foundation, which provides coaching, mentorship and financial support to football and lacrosse organizations throughout the country.

The legendary coach is also expected to wear the sneaks for the Pats' "Thursday Night Football" showdown with the L.A. Rams.

The auction is part of a huge donation by the BBF during the holiday season -- the org. is also distributing $440k in grants and scholarships to athletes and programs throughout the country.

On top of that, the BBF is hosting a "virtual" toy drive to benefit the Boston Marine Toys for Tots.

Montana Yao has officially filed divorce docs seeking to end her 9-month marriage to NBA player Malik Beasley, TMZ Sports has learned.

Yao filed the papers this week in Minnesota, where the family has been living since Malik was traded to the Timberwolves back in February.

We're told the couple was married on March 5, 2020. They have one young child together.

As we previously reported, Yao felt "blindsided" by recent photos of Beasley holding hands in public with Larsa Pippen during a Nov. 23 outing in Miami.

The photos show 24-year-old Beasley and 46-year-old Pippen strolling around arm-in-arm at a public shopping area.

Yao has been posting on social media about her marriage ever since -- and on Wednesday she issued a statement saying, "Things have been pretty rough I'm not going to lie."

Montana added, "We were told to leave our family home 10 days ago and just like you all I'm pretty confused."

She continued, "There have been no public or private addressing of the situation nor any type of apology."

We reached out to Beasley's reps for comment -- so far, no word back.

Beasley was a 1st round pick in the 2016 NBA Draft. He averaged 20.7 points per game with Minnesota in the 14 games he played with the T-Wolves in 2020.

Myles Garrett has done a complete 180 in 2020 -- the Cleveland Browns superstar has been nominated for the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year ... just one year after his helmet-swinging attack.

The league released its list of 32 finalists for each team on Thursday ... with the 24-year-old getting the nod for the Orange and Brown.

Of course, Garrett has been actively involved in the community since entering the NFL in 2017 -- from working alongside the Chris Long Foundation to bring clean water to East African communities to helping a man who lost his eye at a Cleveland protest in May.

Garrett has vowed to put his infamous 2019 incident with Pittsburgh Steelers QB Mason Rudolph behind him ... calling his 6-game ban a "small bump in the road" back in July.

Now, the defensive end can join names like J.J. Watt, Calais Campbell, Eli Manning and Drew Brees ... who have received the honor for excellence off the field.

Other nominees for 2020 include names like Russell Wilson, Travis Kelce, Devin McCourty and Andrew Whitworth.

Love social justice ... and dessert??

Ben & Jerry's announced a new flavor to honor Colin Kaepernick called "Change the Whirled" ... with a portion of the proceed's going to the QB's Know Your Rights Camp.

First, the flavor ... a non-dairy caramel base with graham cracker and chocolate cookie swirls.

B&J says the treat is made with sunflower butter "and is 100% certified vegan, just like Kaepernick himself."

The dessert will hit store shelves in 2021.

So, why the honor? The ice cream legends explained it this way ...

"We are so inspired by Colin Kaepernick’s bold activism for racial justice that we did what we do best: We whipped up a euphoric flavor to honor his work."

They added, "We’re proud to be working with a dedicated activist like Colin Kaepernick, whose work helped spark the international conversation around racial justice."

Ben & Jerry's has a long history of producing flavors with political messaging.

They famously released "Pecan Resist" -- which they say "had a powerful message about resisting the Trump administration’s regressive and discriminatory policies."

This is pretty great -- the Georgia Tech basketball team celebrated a win over Nebraska on Wednesday by smashing a COVID piñata!

The Yellow Jackets were on the road -- and defeated the Huskers in a 75-to-64 thrashing -- and coach Josh Pastner had special plans to celebrate in the locker room.

Usually, the GT celebrates a road victory by hitting a gas station after the game for a quick candy run.

But, since the pandemic has ruined the tradition, Pastner got a COVID piñata stuffed with goodies ... and let star player Khalid Moore do the honors of smashing it up!

"We're gonna take the ball and he's gonna smash it," Coach Pastner says.

The team LOVED IT -- and devoured the candy!

Georgia Tech is now 2-2 on the season.

Next up for GT ... the #20 ranked Florida State Seminoles -- and that's a road game the Yellow Jackets would LOVE to win.