TMZ Sports - Page 50

John Travolta has been reborn to hand jive ... he's bringing back his famous dance from "Grease" in a fun new Super Bowl ad with his daughter ... and ya gotta see their moves!!!

The "Grease" star and his 20-year-old daughter, Ella, re-imagined an iconic scene from the '70s classic in an ad for ScottsMiracle-Gro ... and while John struggles with a selfie stick, the 66-year-old can still dance his face off.

John brings back the famous "Sha Na Na - Born to Hand Jive" choreography from "Grease" ... only this time he's swapping out OG dance partner Olivia Newton-John for Ella, and they totally nail the routine!

Yeah, lots has changed since John played a T-Bird, but his dance skills are a constant.

The bit is chock full of celebs ... Martha Stewart gives John props for his hand jive, while Carl Weathers, "The Office" star Leslie David Baker and NASCAR stud Kyle Busch also make some hilarious appearances.

It's a pretty expensive homage to "Grease" too ... 30-second ads running during Superbowl LV on CBS are going for at least $5.5 million.

Minnesota Timberwolves rookie Anthony Edwards personally reached out to a young boy who tragically lost his family in a house fire ... inspiring the kid with a special message about hope.

12-year-old Taeden Johnson was wounded in the Jan. 27 blaze at the family's mobile home unit in Athens, Georgia. He raced to a neighbor's house at 3 AM to call 911, but emergency responders were unable to save his mom, 9-year-old sister and grandmother. The fire also destroyed all of Taeden's personal possessions.

Edwards -- the #1 overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft -- got wind of the story and immediately decided to help out.

Besides playing his college ball in Athens (at the University of Georgia), Edwards also lost both his mom and grandmother to cancer when he was just an 8th grader  -- and he clearly felt a connection to Taeden.

So, he got the kid's phone number and hit him up on FaceTime on Monday so they could talk ... and according to Taeden's mentor Zac Hendrix, the conversation was incredible.

"He just said, ‘Hey, Taeden, look man, I lost my mother, I also lost my grandmother at a young age and look where I’m at now. Never give up," Hendrix told OnlineAthens.com.

Edwards also told Taeden ... "Always give 110% to where you eventually want to go. Just follow your dreams and nothing will stop you from doing that."

The NBA star then instructed the 12-year-old to save his phone number and welcomed him to "reach out any time."

On another positive note ... Taeden has a GoFundMe page that has already racked up more than $209,000 in donations. The proceeds will go toward his college education, clothes and other needs.

Bad news Down Under ... a worker associated with the Australian Open has tested positive for COVID and now ALL of the players (including Serena Williams and Naomi Osaka) have been ordered to isolate.

AO officials made the announcement Wednesday ... explaining an employee at one of the Australian Open quarantine hotels came down with the virus this week.

And, because of the case, they've now canceled Thursday's Australian Open tune-up games ... and have said players and AO workers who were at the hotel must now go back into quarantine.

"Those associated with the AO who quarantined at the hotel now need to be tested and isolate until they receive a negative test result," officials said.

"We will work with everyone involved to facilitate testing as quickly as possible. There will be no matches at Melbourne Park on Thursday."

Of course, Australia's COVID rules required everyone who flew in from out of the country to isolate for 14 days AND test negative before they could go out in public.

The rule had seemed to work beautifully ... Australian officials had just announced they hadn't had a positive case in the entire country in nearly 2 full weeks.

In fact, things were going so swimmingly, maskless fans packed an arena last week to watch some Serena Williams, Naomi Osaka and Novak Djokovic warm-up games.

Now, however, the AO's Feb. 8 start time could be in jeopardy due to the new case ... although officials said there's no change on that front as of this moment.

Good news ... Miami Heat center Meyers Leonard says his shoulder surgery was a success -- and now he's focused on getting his big ass back on the court!

The 28-year-old suffered an injury to his left shoulder during a January 9 road game against the Washington Wizards. The team described the injury as a "shoulder strain" but obviously it was more serious than that.

Leonard went under the knife on Tuesday -- and posted photos that appear to show him leaving the famous Kerlan-Jobe Orthopaedic Clinic in L.A. with a smile on his face.

FYI, Leonard had previously undergone surgery on that same shoulder at Kerlan-Jobe in 2016.

This time, the 7-footer was in good spirits on his way out -- pulling down his COVID mask to smile for a quick pic.

The surgery likely means Meyers' season is over -- and it's unlikely he'll return to the Heat.

Still, Meyers is staying positive ...

"I truly do believe that God gives his toughest battles to his strongest soldiers," Meyers said after the procedure.

"I'm blessed in so many ways and I will come back stronger from this. Thankful for a successful surgery and for everyone’s continued support."

Meyers immediately got support from his famous friends, teammates and even Miami Heat owner Mickey Arison who commented, "Good luck Meyers. Get well soon."

Meyers was a 1st-round pick in the 2012 NBA Draft -- and spent his first 7 seasons with the Portland Trail Blazers before being traded to the Heat in 2019.

Andrelton Simmons -- one of the best shortstops in baseball -- says he opted out of the end of the 2020 season to deal with a crippling depression caused by the COVID pandemic ... revealing it got so bad, he was having suicidal thoughts.

"It was tough for me mentally to where the thought of suicide crossed my mind," Simmons said in a text message interview Tuesday with the Orange County Register.

"I was really saddened by how much I was hearing about the death toll and seeing how smaller businesses were going out of business, and I was a little depressed at how the effects of all the new rules and fears were gonna affect people's livelihoods and how disconnected people were becoming," Simmons said.

The 31-year-old Gold Glove winner was still playing for the L.A. Angels when he opted out in Sept. 2020 -- missing the final 5 games of the season. He has since signed a new contract with the Minnesota Twins.

But, in his interview with the OC Register, Simmons says, "The idea of finishing the [2020] season in a bubble was too much for me to handle."

Simmons also reveals he's dealt with suicidal thoughts in the past and made it a priority to seek professional help as soon as possible.

Fortunately, Simmons began seeing a therapist who helped him "let go of those thoughts."

Now, he's encouraging anyone else who's battling mental health issues to follow his lead.

"I know there’s the fear of seeking help/assistance because of the perception of people thinking there’s something wrong with you," Simmons said, "but I think in reality there are way more people than you might think that are going through stressful stuff."

Simmons continued, "You’re not alone. You don’t have to keep everything bottled up. Find someone that can help you express your emotions freely and that can assist you with it.”

"Honestly football made me such an angry person, everything bothered me."

That's ex-NFL star Martellus Bennett -- who played 10 years in the league -- explaining how football affected his mental health ... saying the game and the culture take a real, dangerous toll on players and it's concerning.

"Football is interesting. Psychologically it’s some really dangerous s**t. To really play the game of football you have to have some f**ked up wiring in your head."

Bennett explained, "It’s chaotic. It takes years and years of brainwashing to go along with a lot of the s**t. Lol. It starts at pee wee. That’s why you gotta watch who is coaching your kids and what they’re teaching them beyond the game."

The 33-year-old Super Bowl champ says from a young age, football players are groomed to "care a little less about humans."

"If you’re the backup and the man in front of you go down. You kinda get excited but feel bad at the same time. Hahahah. S**t's crazy."

Bennett also takes aim at football coaches -- saying most are not good men. Unclear if he's referring to any specific college or NFL coaches in particular.

"Most of them are egotistical small d**k heroes. They love the spotlight just as much as the players. Lol. And, they be dumb too."

Bennett also had some news for NFL fans about their favorite players -- saying most of them are bad people off the field.

"Most of your favorite players aren’t good people. Hahaha. Like for real for real."

"There are some good dudes tho. [ex-NFL quarterback] Jon Kitna is probably one of the best people I’ve ever met. He’s up there with Tom Hanks."

In a long series of posts on social media, Bennett also explains why so many NFL players have such a hard time "integrating back into everyday society" when their playing days are over.

"The constant reminder of who you used to be by fans and trophies and highlights and family as you’re trying to transition into the new you really slows down the process."

Despite his blunt honesty, Marty says he's not "s**tting on football" -- "I just provide a different perspective on the experience."

UFC star Chris Weidman says he lost 12 pounds during his brush with COVID-19 --  mostly because he felt like complete dog crap and could barely eat.

But now, the 36-year-old insists he's out of the danger zone ... and will be ready to fight again in April.

The former middleweight champ initially tested positive last week -- forcing the UFC to pull him from the UFC 258 card on Feb. 13, when he was scheduled to take on #8 ranked Uriah Hall.

That fight has been pushed to April -- and Weidman says it's for the best, because COVID wrecked his body.

"The first couple of days definitely sucked pretty bad," Weidman told Submission Radio.

"For about 3 days I had a fever, body aches, bad headache, and it just kind of sucked. And, then after that, I just kind of felt tired."

Weidman says he suffered from bad headaches and was ultimately forced to take about 2 solid weeks off from the gym

"I also lost 12 pounds," Weidman says ... "I was eating soups and stuff. My appetite wasn’t that great and I ended up losing 12 pounds throughout the process. Which, I was like, wow, my weight cut is not gonna be as bad, I really got my weight low."

The good news, Weidman says he feels fully recovered now and ready to resume his fighting career.

"I feel good and I don’t feel like I have lingering effects because I really rested and made sure to do the right things."

Tampa SERIOUSLY loves its new QB ... check out the street leading up to Tom Brady's mansion -- it's been flooded with signs supporting the Bucs star ahead of Super Bowl LV!!

TMZ Sports has obtained footage from the blocks surrounding Brady's rented crib in Florida ... and you can see there are signs EVERYWHERE backing the 43-year-old.

We're told nearly every house around Brady's has a sign in its front yard -- and some are super creative!!

"My Neighbor is The G.O.A.T.," one read with a picture of a goat in a hat on it. "LFG Bucs," another one read.

Some other cool ones? "Honk for Gronk" and "Brady Gronkowski 2020."

Of course, Tom only moved into Derek Jeter's spot on the waterfront less than a year ago -- but it's clear as day, a bunch of wins and a Super Bowl appearance has his neighbors fired up to have him around!

We are told, though, there is at least ONE Kansas City Chiefs flag on the block in someone's yard.

Mat Fraser -- aka the LeBron James of CrossFit -- is stepping down from pushing weights competitively ... the legendary lifter announced Tuesday he's retiring from the sport.

Fraser is the most decorated CrossFitter who's ever lived ... he won the CrossFit Games the last FIVE years -- and in most of the events, he absolutely dusted the competition.

But, the 31-year-old said in his goodbye to the sport Tuesday that he's now ready to move on to "the next chapter" of his life.

"From now on, decisions I make won't be solely based off how they affect my performance, but how they affect my family, friends, health and happiness," Fraser said.

"I look forward to remaining a part of the Crossfit community, I just won't be doing it from the competition floor any longer."

Fraser -- who grew up a weight lifter with goals of winning Olympic gold -- jumped into the Crossfit world in 2012 and eventually overtook Rich Froning as the sport's GOAT.

But Tuesday, Fraser said that journey took a massive toll on him ... explaining he was so obsessed with dominating the sport, it sucked most of the joy out of his life.

"I’ve passed up vacations, bachelor parties, and more dates with [my wife] Sammy than I can count," Fraser said, "all so I wouldn’t miss a single training session or a full night of sleep."

Fraser says he's not sure where his future lies from here ... but he did say he'll likely begin revealing some of his training techniques to help others grow in the sport.

"Thank you for allowing me this opportunity," Fraser said, "and a special thanks to everyone who’s helped me as a sponsor, training partner, coach, or friend."

It's 26 degrees and snowing like crazy in Montreal.

... or as Georges St-Pierre calls it -- PERFECT TRAINING WEATHER!!

"Training in a snowstorm today has reminded me of something very important," GSP said ... "There’s nothing like getting out of your comfort zone in order to improve!"

The 39-year-old UFC legend has been busting his ass in the freezing cold (running, jumping, strength training) but the big question on everyone's mind ... what's he training for?!!?

There are rumbling GSP could come out of retirement to fight Khabib Nurmagomedov in one final UFC super-fight ... despite the fact Georges recently told us he's happily retired.

"I think for me it's better if I stay retired," GSP told TMZ Sports back in July ... "It's not worth it for me."

GSP formally retired back in 2019 -- saying he wanted to leave while still on top (his last fight was a '17 victory over Michael Bisping).

But, ex-UFC fighter Kenny Florian -- now a broadcaster who's still super plugged in to all things UFC --  recently said he's heard from a solid source that both GSP and Khabib are preparing for a scrap.

So far, nothing has been announced ... but if they do fight, it would be HUUUUUUGE.

She came. She saw. She got ejected for cussing out LeBron James!!!!

A woman and her husband were removed from the Lakers vs. Hawks game in Atlanta on Monday night for going absolutely nuclear on LeBron from the sideline ... and man, it's insane!!

The woman is Juliana Carlos -- an Instagram model who attended the game with her husband, Chris Carlos.

The couple was sitting courtside -- when the woman claims her husband got into a heated verbal argument with LeBron (which Bron confirmed after the game).

Juliana decided to get involved ... and began screaming, cussing and flipping off James from her insanely expensive seats causing a huge scene!

Worth noting ... the woman was initially wearing a COVID mask, but removed it to yell at LeBron.

In fact, the scene got so wild the refs stopped the game and the woman -- along with her husband and 2 others -- were all ejected from the building.

While she was getting the boot, Juliana flipped on her IG Live and gave her side of the story ... complete with threats and LOTS of F-bombs!!

"So, I'm minding my own business, and Chris has been a Hawks fan forever," Juliana explained ...  "He has this issue with LeBron. I don't have an issue with LeBron. I don't give a f**k about LeBron."

"Anyway, I'm minding my own business, drinking, having fun. All of the sudden, LeBron says something to my husband, and I see this and I stand up. And, I go, 'Don't f***ing talk to my husband.' And, he looks at me and he goes, 'Sit the f**k down, b*tch.'"

"And I go, 'Don't f**king call me a b*tch. You sit the f**k down. Get the f**k out of here. Don't f**king talk to my husband like that.'"

She was FIRED UP!!!!

After the game -- which the Lakers won 107 to 99 -- Bron was asked about the incident.

"At the end of the day, I'm happy fans are back in the building," Bron said with a straight face ... "I miss that interaction. I need that interaction."

As for the couple, Bron thinks booze may have been a factor -- "They might have had a couple drinks, maybe."

"I don't think taking down the mask harmed anybody," Bron added ... "I wasn't close enough to her."

Bron expressed concern for a few of the refs who got close to the woman -- "I hope they're okay. Safety first."

The NBA legend then dropped a tweet -- saying, "Courtside Karen was MAD MAD!!"

She sure was.

Since the Patriots won't be using the team jet during Super Bowl weekend (for once), Robert Kraft is packing it with health care heroes and flying them to the big game!!

The 79-year-old billionaire just surprised 76 frontline health care workers from the New England-area and invited them to be his special VIP guests for Super Bowl 55.

... and guess what, THEY ALL SAID YES!!!

"As guests of the Kraft family, these healthcare 'superheroes' will be granted an all-expenses paid trip to Super Bowl LV in Tampa, Fla., including roundtrip travel on the Patriots team plane," the team announced.

All 76 of the heroes have already been vaccinated, according to the Patriots. The team hopes to inspire others to get their vaccinations as soon as possible.

It's not the first time Kraft has used the Patriots team jet to fight COVID -- he famously sent it to China back in April to bring back more than 1 MILLION n95 masks.

"Last April, when our plane returned with masks from China, we never could have imagined the devastation this pandemic would cause, nor could we have dreamed of the heroic stories and achievements that have come to be as a result, especially the dedication of healthcare workers on the front lines and the creation of safe and effective vaccines," Kraft said.

"10 months later, it's an honor for us to celebrate these healthcare workers by giving them a well-deserved break for a day and an opportunity to enjoy the Super Bowl, a reality that is only made possible because of the vaccines."

"Once again, we want to say thank you from the bottom of our hearts to all of the healthcare heroes who have risked their well-being to ensure ours. They are truly superheroes to us."

Five women in the sports media industry say former Mets manager Mickey Callaway is a scumbag who "preyed on women" with inappropriate messages and sexual advances.

Callaway, though, said in a statement all of his actions were "consensual" and added, "my conduct was in no way intended to be disrespectful to any women involved."

The five women came forward with the allegations under the condition of anonymity to The Athletic ... detailing how the 45-year-old -- who's currently the Los Angeles Angels' pitching coach -- made them incredibly uncomfortable with calls, emails, texts and in-person advances.

One of the women, using the pseudonym Samantha, says when she was covering the Mets in 2018 ... Callaway got her phone number and proceeded to send her multiple shirtless selfies.

Samantha says at one point Callaway told her, "Now you send me one of you." The woman says she never did.

Samantha claims Callaway inappropriately massaged her shoulders while she was in the Mets' clubhouse when no one was looking ... and says for an entire month, Callaway "would text me asking for nude pics."

"He was completely unrelenting," Samantha said.

Four other women shared similar stories with The Athletic ... a New York-based reporter using the pseudonym Anne says Callaway pressured her to go on dates and often commented inappropriately on her appearance.

A reporter using the pseudonym Lauren says in a 1-on-1 interview with Callaway shortly after he was hired as Mets manager, he thrust his crotch near her face and had tried to "peacock her" by putting his leg up on a railing during the interaction.

"I got warned he was gross (beforehand)," Lauren said ... before adding, "He just preyed on women."

The three teams Callaway has worked for since 2013 all released statements regarding the allegations ... with Mets owner Steve Cohen saying, "The conduct reported in The Athletic story today is completely unacceptable and would never be tolerated under my ownership."

The Angels, who hired Callaway before the 2020 season, said, "The behavior being reported violates the Angels Organization’s values and policies. We take this very seriously and will conduct a full investigation with MLB."

The Indians, where Callaway worked as a coach from 2013-2017, added, "We were made aware for the first time tonight of the allegations in The Athletic regarding Mickey Callaway’s behavior towards women."

"We are currently reviewing the matter internally and in consultation with Major League Baseball to determine appropriate next steps. Our organization unequivocally does not condone this type of behavior. We seek to create an inclusive work environment where everyone, regardless of gender, can feel safe and comfortable to do their jobs."

MLB officials say they hadn't previously been made aware of the allegations prior to Monday's report.

For his part, Callaway's entire statement on the claims read, "Rather than rush to respond to these general allegations of which I have just been made aware, I look forward to an opportunity to provide more specific responses."

"Any relationship in which I was engaged has been consensual, and my conduct was in no way intended to be disrespectful to any women involved. I am married and my wife has been made aware of these general allegations."

Here's a shocker ... the Indiana high school basketball coach who went viral for throwing a chair on the court during a game last week has just been fired.

The wannabe Bobby Knight is Gary Lighthouse College Prep Academy coach Nick Moore -- who lost his mind Friday during a game against Bowman Academy in Gary Indiana.

Moore's team was down by 8 with 6:41 left in the game -- and in their comeback attempt, one of his players was called for a travel ... which set off the coach, who obviously disagreed with the call.

In the vid, you can see Moore's coaching staff TRIED to restrain the guy as he reached for a chair ... but he eventually got his hands on one and LAUNCHED IT on the court!

The tantrum continued and Moore tried throwing yet another chair -- but he was thwarted again. So, he grabbed a ball and hurled that instead -- forcing the refs to eject him from the game.

The incident triggered the Indiana High School Athletic Association to launch an investigation into the incident ... and on Monday, Moore revealed he'd been fired.

"I have been relieved of my duties by LCPA as boys coach," Moore said on Facebook ... "I would also like to thank the parents and players for letting me lead them day in and out it was a pleasure and great ride."

Over the weekend, Moore told the NWI Times he "had a chance to reflect" on the incident and admits he could have handled the situation better.

"We talk to our kids about sportsmanship, and we don't condone technical fouls and the type of acts that I displayed. I never want any of my players to display that kind of behavior, so I probably could've found a better way."

FYI, Bobby Knight was only suspended for ONE GAME when he threw a chair onto the court during an Indiana vs. Purdue game in 1985.

NFL running back Mark Walton has been arrested again ... and this time, cops say it's all 'cause the 23-year-old lost his mind over a failed Pizza Hut order.

Walton allegedly tried to smash a glass window at a Pizza Hut in Miami at around 11 P.M. on Jan. 31, before getting into a fight with his cousin, who was trying to restrain the NFL player, according to the police report obtained by TMZ Sports.

So, what triggered the alleged pizza shop meltdown? This is where things get even more bizarre.

Walton told cops he was "disrespected over the phone by one of the employees" -- so he apparently went to the shop in person to confront the staff.

Once Walton arrived to the eatery, a witness says he flipped out because his order was canceled -- "and started banging on the windows trying to pull on the door to gain entry to the business to confront one of the employees."

At one point during the madness, witnesses say Walton's cousin tried to physically remove the running back from the premises ... but Walton refused to go and attacked the guy instead.

Cops noticed Walton's cousin had obvious injuries -- so they called for paramedics. Walton's cousin refused to explain exactly how he was injured.

Walton was eventually arrested and booked on charges of trespassing and disorderly conduct. At the station, he took a smiling mug shot.

Of course, this is far from Walton's first brush with the law ... he's been arrested several times in the last couple years, including once in 2019 when a pregnant woman accused him of punching her.

Walton -- who was drafted by the Bengals in the 4th round of the 2018 NFL Draft -- was waived by Cincy in 2019 after an arrest.

The Miami Dolphins signed him a short time later ... but they too released him after an arrest.

IT'S HAPPENING!!!

EA Sports just made every sports gamer's dream come true -- by officially announcing a reboot of its beloved college football franchise!!!

Of course, the "NCAA Football" series was a huge hit with fans for years -- but the game was discontinued in 2014 due to issues regarding using NCAA player likenesses.

A return was made possible in October 2019, however, when the NCAA board of governors voted to allow athletes to profit off their name/likeness ... with changes to be implemented as early as January 2021.

The video game company randomly dropped the major announcement Tuesday ... saying, "For those who never stopped believing ... College Football is coming back."

FYI -- the beloved series started off as "Bill Walsh Football" in 1994 and 1995 ... before taking on the College Football/NCAA Football name from 1996-2014.

Details have not been made available just yet ... but it's enough to get even the casual NCAA Football gamer pumped for the return.

No word on who the cover athlete will be -- or if there will even be one -- but Cincinnati Bengals star QB Joe Burrow is sad he won't be able to fulfil his lifelong dream.

"All I ever wanted was to be on the cover of this game and as soon as I graduate they bring it back," Burrow tweeted Tuesday.