TMZ Sports - Page 50

"Devin Booker is the most disrespected player in our league!!! Simple as that."

LeBron James is FURIOUS about Devin Booker's snub from the All-Star Game ... saying the Phoenix Suns star was more than deserving to make the team in 2021.

The Western Conference reserves were just announced Tuesday ... and while huge names like Damian Lillard, Anthony Davis, Chris Paul and Zion Williamson were picked, 24-year-old Booker didn't make the cut.

Of course, Booker is averaging nearly 25 points, 4 rebounds and 4 assists a game ... with the red-hot Suns sitting at 4th place in the conference standings with a 20-10 record so far this season.

Apparently, that wasn't enough for the NBA coaches ... who each voted for 7 reserves to rep their conference in the game.

King James fired off about the snub on Twitter ... and he wasn't the only one.

Blazers guard CJ McCollum also expressed his dissatisfaction with Book getting left out ... saying, Damn @DevinBook really didn’t make it ? That’s craxy . Bruh really cold too smh. Sick world"

LBJ also weighed in on Lillard not being named a starter for the ASG ... saying he's the second most disrespected player behind Booker.

Now, there's still hope Booker sneaks into the festivities and becomes a replacement for AD, who is dealing with a calf and Achilles injury.

THE KING IS BACK!!

NHL superstar Henrik Lundqvist has made his return to the ice ... less than 2 MONTHS after undergoing a serious open-heart surgery.

As we previously reported, the 38-year-old Washington Capitals goalie opted out of the upcoming NHL season last month ... citing an existing heart condition that would prevent him from playing.

Lundqvist underwent a 5-hour procedure -- an aortic valve, aortic root, and ascending aortic replacement -- and has been on the road to recovery ever since.

Now, the future Hall of Famer has resumed his position between the pipes ... and judging by the vid he posted Tuesday morning, the dude looks GREAT!!

"The best type of workday!" Lundqvist captioned the vid as he makes a quick save.

It's a huge step in the right direction for Lundqvist, who said Tuesday also marked the first time he was allowed to drive since the surgery.

Antoine Winfield Jr. wasted NO time immortalizing the Bucs' Super Bowl win ... the Tampa Bay star just got a Lombardi Trophy tatted on his arm -- and it's awesome.

The rookie safety, who balled out in TB's victory over the K.C. Chiefs on Feb. 7, went under the needle to commemorate the big game this week and showed off the incredible artwork Monday.

The tat goes from Winfield's wrist up to the start of his bicep ... and it features the Bucs' emblem, praying hands and the Super Bowl LV logo.

Winfield Jr. was clearly happy with how it all turned out ... posting vids of the finished piece with a fire emoji.

FYI -- Winfield Jr. might not be the last Bucs star to permanently rock the Lombardi on his skin ... wide receiver Mike Evans promised before the game he'd get inked if Tampa secured the trophy.

George Clooney is so disgusted by the former Ohio State University sports doctor who allegedly committed rape at least 47 times ... he's producing a docuseries about the scandal.

Here's the backstory ... scumbag Richard Strauss was a doctor who was employed by the OSU athletics dept. from 1978 to 1998 and allegedly committed more than 1,400 sexual assaults in those 2 decades.

In fact, OSU commissioned an independent investigation to look into the allegations in 2018 -- which concluded Strauss committed at least 47 rapes and 1,429 sexual assaults on mostly male victims. A large number of victims were members of the OSU wrestling team.

Several athletes reported unnecessary genital and rectal probes under the guise of a typical medical examination -- it's all very similar to the allegations against ex-Team USA gymnastics doctor Larry Nassar.

Strauss died in 2005 by suicide. He left a note, but it did not reference the allegations against him.

There are claims several OSU officials knew about Strauss' conduct -- including Rep. Jim Jordan, who was an asst. wrestling coach at OSU at the time -- but they didn't take proper action.

For the record, Rep. Jordan is adamant he was not aware of Strauss' conduct and did NOT try to protect him in any way shape or form.

As for Clooney, he was inspired to make the docuseries after reading an article about it in Sports Illustrated. His company, Smokehouse Pictures, is teaming up with S.I. and 1010 Studios to make the series.

BARTOLO COLON'S STILL GOT IT!!!

The legendary pitcher -- owner of 1 career home run in his 21 MLB seasons -- showed he actually really does have pop in his bat ... cranking a softball roughly 400 feet in the D.R. on Sunday!!!

Check out the footage of the dinger filmed by MLB insider Hector Gomez ... 47-year-old Colon took a fastball DEEEEEEEEEP to center field before casually rounding the bases.

Of course, Bart was never known for his hitting prowess ... his lone home run in his career in 2016 is still one of the most fun moments in baseball history -- but it's clear the dude can rake if needed.

What isn't clear, though, is if Colon's homer helped his team win over the weekend ... according to Gomez, the game was nothing more than a pickup contest with some buds in his hometown.

Forget the Hall of Fame, Colin Kaepernick deserves much higher praise -- so says his ex-teammate, Takeo Spikes, who believes Kap should have his own statue inside the Smithsonian in Washington, D.C.

"I truly believe that he deserves some type of monument, a statue in the Smithsonian in D.C," Spikes said during an interview with NBC Sports Bay Area.

Spikes played 2 seasons with Kap and the San Francisco 49ers in 2011 and 2012 ... and while he wasn't on the squad with the QB during his national anthem protests, the linebacker says he certainly appreciates what Kap did.

"The reason why I say this is because this man put everything on the line," Spikes continued.

"But I applaud him simply because he decided to take a stand. He decided to draw a line in the sand and say look, 'I can make the money, I can live a carefree life for the most part and get paid handsomely and never say a thing because I'm not affected.'"

"But he took time to look back and really just see the big picture, the spectrum when we talk about the inequalities. He decided to not only call it out, but take a stand for it."

Kaepernick began his kneeling demonstration during the national anthem in 2016 to put a spotlight on police brutality and racial injustice in America.

He parted ways with the SF 49ers after that season -- but hasn't had a legit opportunity with another NFL team since then.

Kap believes there was a concentrated effort to blackball him from the NFL because of his demonstration -- and has said for YEARS that he wants to get back in the league and play.

The NFL has since admitted it bungled the way it handled the kneeling demonstrations -- with Roger Goodell straight up saying, "We were wrong for not listening to NFL players earlier and encourage all to speak out and peacefully protest."

NASCAR is clearly NOT playing around about its COVID safety rules ... it just dropped the hammer on Chip Ganassi for a violation, hitting the famed team owner with both a ban and a fine.

NASCAR officials say at a race at Daytona International Speedway last weekend, Ganassi brought "a non-essential individual that was restricted from the footprint" into the competition area.

Obviously, it's a huge no-no during the pandemic ... the org is trying like hell to limit any potential spread of the coronavirus, and unauthorized guests certainly compromise that.

So, to send a stern message, NASCAR slapped Ganassi with a one-race suspension as well as a $30,000 fine.

Ganassi will have the opportunity to appeal ... but, for now, he's barred from this weekend's races at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

UCLA has dismissed runner Chris Weiland from its track and cross country teams over video and text messages featuring racist and homophobic slurs.

Unclear exactly when the video was shot -- but it's bad. During the footage, which has gone viral, Weiland can be seen and heard griping to a woman about a girl he believes cheated on him.

During the conversation, which takes place at night inside of a car, Weiland bashes his lover's other man ... calling him the n-word and the homophobic f-word.

When complaining to the woman on the call, Weiland says his lover "wants to be with this f**king f****t who has no future. She's going to be with a stupid n****r who's going to be in community college all his life."

When the woman on the call urges Weiland to calm down and control his emotions, Weiland threatens to "beat the f**k" out of the other guy.

Video of the conversation was posted on Instagram this week and it BLEW UP quick -- with star UCLA athletes including gymnast Margzetta Frazier calling for the University to take swift action.

Weiland allegedly sent text messages to his ex-lover using similar offensive language. Those text messages were also posted to social media.

UCLA track coach Avery Anderson issued a statement Monday saying Weiland has been dismissed from the program.

But, Avery also confirms he was aware of the video months ago -- and suspended him -- before eventually allowing Weiland back on the track and cross country teams.

"When first learning of this a few months ago, I was disgusted and immediately suspended him indefinitely from the team," Anderson said.

So, why was he reinstated? Anderson says he wanted to give Weiland an opportunity to learn and grow from his mistakes.

"Even in my disgust, as a coach, my intentions are always to lead and educate and make the change happen that I want to see in this world. I can talk about changing the world, or I can put in the work to do so. And that is what I have done over the last few months with this individual. In January, I decided to reinstate him to the team."

Now, Anderson says he's had a change of heart.

"After team members and the athletic community expressed concern, it became clear that his continued involvement with the team is incompatible with the culture of mutual support and respect we’re fostering. I now realize that the decision to reinstate him was not the right decision, and that the action today is best for the well-being of our team."

No bikini? No deal.

Two world-class beach volleyball pros from Germany say they will boycott an upcoming tournament in Qatar over a policy that prohibits women from wearing skimpy bikinis on the court.

The women behind the boycott are 32-year-old Karla Borger and 33-year-old Julia Sude -- two respected veterans in the sport who compete for the German national team.

The two were set to play in an FIVB World Tour event in Qatar in March -- where the weather is expected to be a searing 85 degrees -- but they're bailing over the uniform policy for women in the Muslim country.

According to reports, female volleyball players have been asked to wear shirts and long pants instead of bikinis out of respect for the host country.

The Qatar Volleyball Association is making it seem like it's more of a request than a rule. It's also issued a statement saying athletes are allowed to compete in their international uniforms ... which are basically less-skimpy bikinis.

Check out the FIVB uniform guide from Oct. 2019 -- which would apply to the tourney in Qatar. It's basically a bikini with a little more coverage.

Still, the Germans aren't happy and don't want to compromise.

"We are there to do our job, but are being prevented from wearing our work clothes,” Borger reportedly told German radio station Deutschlandfunk on Sunday.

"This is really the only country and the only tournament where a government tells us how to do our job -- we are criticizing that."

There seem to be bigger issues bothering the woman than the uniform rules -- including alleged human rights violations in the country.

Meek Mill says he has apologized to Vanessa.

"I apologized to her in private earlier today not to the public," Meek early Tuesday morning. "Nothing I say on my page directed to a internet viral moment or the family of a grieving woman! If you care about someone grieving change the subject!"

Vanessa Bryant is NOT HAPPY with Meek Mill over a lyric referencing Kobe's helicopter crash ... calling it straight-up "disrespectful."

The Philadelphia rapper has been under serious fire over the past week for one particular lyric in his new collab with Lil Baby which says:

"This b**ch I'm f**kin' always tell me that she love me, but she ain't ever showed me // Yeah, and if I ever lack, I'm goin' out with my chopper, it be another Kobe."

The clip ultimately got to Vanessa Bryant who sounded off on Meek -- and explained why she's so offended.

"Dear @meekmill, I find this line to be extremely insensitive and disrespectful. Period," Vanessa posted on IG ... "I am not familiar with any of your music, but I believe you can do better than this."

Bryant continued, "If you are a fan, fine, there's a better way to show your admiration for my husband. This lacks respect and tact."

WNBA star Candace Parker -- who's extremely close with the Bryant family -- immediately posted a statement supporting Vanessa.

"I'm sorry YOU and your GIRLS have to continually deal; with S**T like this," Parker said ... "It's not fair and it's not right."

"We love you and I am continually in awe in your ability to take the high [road]."

Vanessa lost her husband and her daughter, Gianna, in the Jan. 26, 2020 helicopter crash in Calabasas, CA. Seven other people also perished in the crash, all of whom had a close connection to the Bryant family.

RIP

Shailene Woodley says she and NFL star Aaron Rodgers have been engaged for "a while" ... revealing she's smitten with the quarterback who she believes is just a big "nerd."

"I don't know him as a football guy," the 29-year-old "Big Little Lies" actress told Jimmy Fallon on "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon" this week. "I know him as the nerd who wants to host 'Jeopardy!'"

"That's the dude I know. He just happens to also be very good at sports."

Woodley did not say when or how she and Rodgers first met ... but she revealed everything kicked off at some point during the pandemic.

"We met during this wacky, wacky time," Woodley said.

The surprising part about their relationship, though, is Woodley says she truly had no idea how good the 37-year-old NFL MVP is at football when she was first introduced to him.

Woodley says she had never seen a football game -- let alone been to one in person -- explaining, "I didn't really grow up with sports. Especially American sports."

But, Woodley appeared very happy with how things were going with the Packers star nonetheless ... explaining Aaron is "a wonderful, incredible human being."

By the way, Woodley says her dog is also happy the engagement is happening ... saying her future hubby is an ELITE fetch player!!

If the WWE decides to carve 4 heads into the side of a giant mountain to honor the greatest pro wrestlers in company history, The Miz says his face better be on there.

... right along with Hulk Hogan and John Cena.

And, yeah, Miz is dead serious about this -- claiming he's got the resume to back it up.

"I am the first-ever 2-time Grand Slam champion," Miz tells TMZ Sports ... "That means I've held [the WWE Championship] title twice. The Intercontinental more than twice. The United States champion twice and Tag Team Championships twice."

"I am the only one in the history of this business to be a 2-time Grand Slam champion. So in my opinion, I'm on the Mount Rushmore of WWE."

In all seriousness, Miz has had a pretty epic career since first appearing on WWE's reality show competition "Tough Enough" in 2004 ... busting his ass to become one of the top wrestlers in the world.

So, who gets the 4th spot on WWE's Mount Rushmore??

"You can select between The Rock and [Stone Cold Steve Austin] … and Ric Flair," Miz says.

Of course, there's a solid argument for a handful of other WWE legends ... from Andre the Giant to The Undertaker to The Ultimate Warrior, Randy Savage and more.

The Babe Ruth baseball card market is still ON FIRE!!!

Check out this rare 1933 Goudey #149 card-- signed by The Bambino himself -- that just sold for $761,100 at auction Sunday night ... more than DOUBLE the highest price ever fetched for this particular card!!!

The item was part of the legendary "Uncle Jimmy" collection -- an insane collection of ultra-rare cards that Jimmy Micioni had stashed away at his home in New Jersey since he was a kid.

Experts say Uncle Jimmy did such an amazing job preserving the cards, it's like they were printed yesterday!!

Micioni died in March 2020 at the age of 97 -- but his family has gone public with the incredibly valuable treasure trove of cards ... and they've been getting record prices at auction.

In fact, Jimmy had a SECOND signed Babe Ruth 1933 Goudey #149 that sold in 2020 for $325,000 -- which was a record at the time.

The 2020 card quality was graded at a 4.5 (very good to excellent condition) and the Ruth signature on the card got a 6 grading.

The card that sold Sunday night was PSA graded 4 with an 8 on the autograph.

Final gavel price ... $761,100 -- a record for that particular card and proof the sports card market is still as hot as ever!!

The card sold through Wheatland Auctions -- which only expected the card to fetch somewhere between $300k and $600k.

Memorabilia collectors have always been fond of Babe Ruth -- remember, in 2019 someone forked over $1 MILLION for the bat he used to smack his 500th home run in 1929.

Andy Reid’s iconic face shield just reached Hall of Fame status ... 'cause the Pro Football H.O.F. just announced the Chiefs coach's COVID-19-friendly look is getting put on display in Canton!!

The Hall of Fame announced the newest addition to its "Pro Football Today Gallery" on Monday ... which will now feature the same hat and face mask the legendary coach wore throughout part of the 2020 season.

Of course, Reid became an instant meme when his shield fogged up like crazy during Week 1 of the NFL season ... which Coach later referred to as "brutal."

After the game, Reid had their equipment director, Allen Wright, fix the issue with an anti-fogging product. He eventually switched to wearing a face mask in order to meet newly introduced league protocols.

The Hall points out it's the same mask Reid wore as he secured his 230th win as a coach during Week 9 ... when he moved into 5th place all time.

Julio Urias' dad just made sure he'll NEVER forget his son's World Series win ... the star pitcher's pops just commemorated the Dodgers' title with a HUGE tat -- and it's awesome!

The artist who did the work -- Andres Ortega Rojas -- revealed the piece Sunday night ... showing off the new, incredible ink that runs from the top of Julio's dad's shoulder to just above his elbow.

The artwork features 24-year-old Julio celebrating inside the World Series trophy ... with "World Series Champions" inscribed at the bottom.

Of course, the depiction of Julio is now a famous image ... it's the pose he struck after closing out the Tampa Bay Rays in the 9th inning of Game 6 back in October.

"It was a pleasure to tattoo the dad of Julio Urias," Ortega Rojas wrote on social media.

Urias clearly approved of the ink ... he posed for a thumbs-up pic with his dad and Ortega Rojas after the tattoo was completed.

The thing is ... Urias and the Dodgers are the favorites to win this year's championship as well -- and it's got us all wondering, is there space on the other arm for portrait #2?!

Mariners president Kevin Mather is OUT in Seattle ... the org.'s honcho has just resigned after MLB and MLBPA officials say he made "inappropriate" and "disturbing" comments about his team.

Mather joined a call with a Rotary Club earlier this month and spoke at length about his team ... and in parts of the conversation -- which surfaced on video over the weekend -- he made cracks about some of his players' and staffers' abilities to speak English.

When talking about Hisashi Iwakuma -- a former M's pitcher who just signed on to be a part of the Mariners' coaching staff -- Mather said, "Wonderful human being; his English was terrible."

Mather then brought up English-speaking abilities again later when discussing top minor league prospect Julio Rodriguez.

"Julio Rodriguez has got a personality bigger than all of you combined," Mather said. "He is loud. His English is not tremendous."

The MLBPA ripped Mather for the remarks ... saying in a scathing statement Monday the words were "highly disturbing" and "offensive."

For his part, Mather apologized vehemently in a statement of his own, saying, "There is no excuse for my behavior, and I take full responsibility for my terrible lapse in judgment."

Clearly, though, the mea culpa wasn't enough to save his job ... Mather resigned shortly after saying sorry -- with Mariners chairman John Stanton calling Mather's words inexcusable.

"There is no excuse for what was said," Stanton said, "and I won't try to make one. I offer my sincere apology on behalf of the club and my partners to our players and fans. We must be, and do, better."