TMZ Sports - Page 50

Here's a comically awful take from Baylor women's basketball coach Kim Mulkey ...

The 58-year-old said Monday night she thinks the NCAA should STOP coronavirus testing at both the men's and women's Final 4s this month ... all to ensure players' availability.

Yeah, it's bad.

Mulkey dropped the terrible opinion unprompted following her team's 69-67 loss to UConn ... explaining she believes players playing in the championship games is more important than the idea of preventing the spread of COVID.

"I don't think my words will matter," said Mulkey, who's an NCAA coaching legend. "But after the games today and tomorrow, there's four teams left, I think, on the men's side and the women's side."

"They need to dump the COVID testing. Wouldn't it be a shame to keep COVID testing and then you got kids that test positive or something and they don't get to play in the Final Four?"

Players, coaches and staffers at both the men's and women's tournaments this year have been COVID tested daily ... with only one tournament game -- the men's VCU vs. Oregon game -- canceled over the testing.

But, Mulkey believes the NCAA shouldn't even risk the chance of a positive test affecting the final games of the tournaments ... continuing, "You just need to forget the COVID tests and get the four teams playing in each Final Four and go battle it out."

The craziest part about the statement ... Mulkey actually contracted coronavirus last year and seemed to clearly understand the dangers of it, telling reporters a short time after she recovered, "COVID is real. I've had it -- come talk to me some time."

The men's Final 4 action is set to begin Saturday. The women's meanwhile is slated to tip-off on Friday.

The kneeling ban for athletes at the U.S. Olympic trials is over.

The U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee has decided it will NOT punish athletes who take a knee -- or engage in any other sort of peaceful protest -- at the Olympic trials.

In other words, American athletes hoping to use the platform to shine a spotlight on police brutality and racial injustice are now allowed to follow Colin Kaepernick's lead without fear of sanctions.

The USOPC issued a 9-page explanation -- acknowledging it decided to implement the new policy after conferring with its new Council on Racial and Social Justice.

The org. spells out several forms of peaceful protests that will be allowed at the U.S. Olympic trails -- from kneeling to raised fists to wearing clothing items with statements like "Black Lives Matter" and "justice."

It won't be a free for all -- there are still limits regarding how athletes can demonstrate. For example, athletes are not allowed to do anything that could affect competition -- like forming a human wall that would prevent opponents from completing a race, etc.

Also, hate symbols such as swastikas and nooses are also not allowed.

So, how will the new policy affect the Olympic Games in Tokyo?

That's where things get a little tricky ...

The USOPC says its new policy will extend to the 2020 Games -- but notes this caveat ... it cannot prevent a "third party" from taking action.

USOPC is obviously referring to the International Olympic Committee -- which oversees the 2020 Games.

Just because kneeling is cool with the USOPC doesn't mean the IOC will sign off as well.

Bruce Arians' momma clearly didn't raise a quitter ... 'cause the Bucs coach stuck to his word this month and got a HUGE tattoo to commemorate Tampa Bay's Super Bowl win!!!

The 68-year-old head coach had promised to get the ink if his team scored the victory over the Chiefs ... and just a few weeks after the Bucs' big win, Arians went under the needle.

The tat is big as hell ... it appears to be centered up on the top of his left shoulder blade -- and it's AWESOME.

The piece features the SB LV emblem, the 31-9 score of the Bucs-Chiefs game, and it also has the Buccaneers' logos.

"I’m a man of my word," Arians said, revealing the art on Tuesday. "'When we win the Super Bowl, I will get a tattoo' well I got mine and I love it!!"

Of course, Arians now joins an ever-growing list of Bucs who got Super Bowl tattoos after securing the ring ... Mike Evans and Antoine Winfield both got theirs done a few weeks ago.

You name a song after Tyler Herro, you get a Tyler Herro game-worn jersey!!

That's exactly what happened to Jack Harlow Monday night -- the rapper linked up with the Miami Heat star after they took on the Knicks ... and was gifted Herro's sweaty threads right off his back.

Of course, Harlow gave the 21-year-old sharp-shooter the ultimate shoutout in October 2020 with his single titled -- you guessed it -- "Tyler Herro."

In fact, Herro made a guest appearance in the music vid ... when Harlow says, "My homeboy, Tyler, he play in South Beach. He told me this summer he gon' fix my jumper."

Harlow -- who's fresh off performing the hit track on "Saturday Night Live" this past weekend -- decided to stay in town a few extra days to watch his buddy play at MSG ... all while mingling a bit more with 'SNL' star Pete Davidson.

Harlow and Herro got to chat after the game ... and posed for a pic on the court while Harlow held up his new gift.

BTW, Harlow picked a solid game to attend -- Herro racked up 18 points, 4 assists and 3 rebounds in the 98-88 win for the Heat.

No word on whether Herro ever helped Harlow with his jumper ... but the rapper DID team up with Quavo to beat Lil Baby and 2 Chainz in a celeb game during All-Star weekend.

It's all about the Benjamins when Lil Kim's on stage ...  which is why the rap legend made it rain with suitcases full of cash during her amazing performance Monday night at the Brooklyn Nets game!

The Nets booked Lil Kim to perform as part of the team's annual Women’s Empowerment Game -- which celebrated the "achievements, contributions, and overall impact women have had on our society."

Well, Kim has contributed to the world of hip-hop and fashion in a big way -- and when she hit the stage, she rocked Barclay's Center with some of her biggest hits.

The Queen B came through heavy in shiny Nets gear -- she had a role in the costume design -- and performed classics like "Ladies Night" and "Lighters Up" while the Brooklynettes danced beside her.

But, when "All About the Benjamins" came on, ya know Lil Kim had to make it rain with some dolla bills -- so the dance team busted out suitcases full of green!

Afterward, the team presented Kim with a special custom Nets jersey ... and her reaction was PRICELESS!

"Oh my God, I'm about to cry!" she screamed holding up the jersey ... "I always wanted my own jersey!".

FYI, Lil Kim was put on to the rap game back in the early '90s by late rapper Notorious B.I.G.

She's sold more than 15 million albums worldwide, won over 41 awards .. and is considered one of the best female rappers of all time.

"It's crazy seeing my dad. I'm like, 'Where's my mom? She's gonna come. And, obviously, she's not gonna show up. That affected me, but I go out there and play the best I can for this team."

Karl-Anthony Towns admits it was extremely emotional to have his father back in the stands at his NBA game on Monday -- the first time he's attended a game in person since the death of Karl's mom.

As we previously reported, Jackie Cruz-Towns passed from COVID-19 complications on April 13, 2020.

Jackie and her husband, Karl Towns Sr., were staples at their son's basketball games from the youth level all the way to the pros ... but Karl Sr. hadn't been to a game in person since her death.

That changed on Monday when Karl Sr. strutted into the Barclay's Center in Brooklyn to watch his son's Minnesota Timberwolves take on the Nets.

"Gonna do it for his mom tonight," Karl Sr. said on his way to his seat ... "Wolves, let's go!"

Unfortunately, Minnesota couldn't overcome that insane Nets offense and lost 112 to 107 -- but Karl Jr. played REALLY WELL, finishing with 31 points, 12 rebounds and 5 assists.

After the game, KAT opened up about what it meant to have his father back in the building.

"It was really the first time having family watch me playing in person,"  Towns said.

"He understood how upset I was after the loss ... But he came to me, and he told me something I don't know if he should've told me. It got me a little emotional. He told me my mom would've been proud with how I played tonight."

KAT said he also shared an emotional moment with his dad BEFORE tip-off.

"Me and my dad got emotional before the game. Because he made his presence known. It affected me because my mom always did that.”

“My mom would be the one to go to the stanchion or be there and wave at me until I said hi to her or came and hugged her.”

Nick Caserio -- the Houston Texans new GM -- is finally weighing in on the Deshaun Watson sexual misconduct allegations ... and he's making it clear, if they're true, his team won't stand for it.

"The allegations, what’s been discussed, are certainly troubling," Caserio said on the team's "Texans All Access" podcast this week.

"Organizationally that’s not something that we can condone, those types of actions."

Caserio was careful with his words and was obviously not trying to insinuate Watson is either guilty or innocent -- but made it clear if there's any truth to the allegations, the team will be compelled to take some sort of action.

Caserio, though, insists his team will let the case play out in the courts before making any decisions on Watson's future ... explaining, "It’s a legal process so we’re certainly respectful of that."

Nineteen female masseuses have filed lawsuits against Watson ... alleging the Houston quarterback was sexually inappropriate with them during massage sessions.

And, Tony Buzbee, the attorney representing the women -- all using the pseudonyms "Jane Doe" to protect their identities -- says there's AT LEAST one more lawsuit coming this week as well.

Watson -- who had demanded a trade before the allegations hit the court system -- has denied any wrongdoing ... claiming he's the victim of an attempted shakedown.

Deshaun's attorney, Rusty Hardin, has backed the NFL star ... saying in a statement earlier this month, "I believe that any allegation that Deshaun forced a woman to commit a sexual act is completely false."

Add Jon Jones to the list of athletes who have a major problem with the Lil Nas X "Satan" shoes ... with the UFC superstar calling them absolute "bulls**t."

The quick background ... Lil Nas X collaborated with a company called MSCHF to produce the Satan Shoe, AKA the "blood shoes."

The kicks are essentially customized Nike Air Max 97 shoes -- with each pair featuring the pentagram symbol, a Bible verse that references Satan, and allegedly a drop of blood from one of MSCHF's employees.

There are also only 666 pairs being made -- and came with a $1,018 price tag ... a number which happens to be a not to the Bible verse Luke 10:18, which references Satan's banishment from heaven.

Enter Jon Jones -- a religious man who famously sports a "Philippians 4:13" tattoo on his chest (a bible passage that says "I can do all this through him who gives me strength").

When Jones heard about the shoes Monday evening -- he incorrectly believed Nike was involved with the sale (which it is not) and threatened to set all of his Swoosh apparel on fire as a result.

"Tomorrow morning I’m going to burn all my Nike shoes, you will never catch me in that sh*t again," Jones tweeted.

Don't worry, one of his followers quickly informed the UFC legend Nike isn't involved -- and that the company has already taken legal action to stop the sale of the shoes.

"OK, now I’m seeing there is a lawsuit," Jones added a short time later ... "Glad to know Nike isn’t behind this bulls**t."

The Nike lawsuit might have caught Lil Nas X by surprise, but he had to see this coming -- the Church of Satan is throwing its support behind his new limited edition "Satan Shoes."

David Harris, magister for the Church of Satan, tells TMZ ... the shoes, which feature an inverted cross, bronze pentagram and a drop of human blood, are getting a ton of love from the Church because they embrace the essence of Satanism.

For the uninitiated ... Satanists do not actually worship Satan, nor do they believe in God or the Devil. They are opposed to all spirituality and anything supernatural, and with no belief in the afterlife, Satanists emphasize being your true self, living life to the fullest and personal achievement ... values it says LNX is following with his new kicks.

Harris, who's pretty high up in the Church of Satan (kinda like a cardinal), says Satanists are digging the way Lil Nas X is turning against religion to market his customized Nike Air Max 97 shoes.

The shoe's Monday release came on the heels of Lil Nas X's polarizing "MONTERO" music vid featuring the Prince of Darkness -- a brilliant marketing plan, apparently, because all 666 pairs sold out within minutes, with folks shelling out $1,018 a pop for the limited-edition kicks. BTW, that price tag is an ode to the bible scripture emblazoned on the side, Luke 10:18, which references Satan's banishment from heaven.

Between the shoes and the "breathtaking" music vid, Harris says LNX is clearly extending a middle finger to folks who told him he'd burn in hell for his sexuality. However, the Church of Satan applauds Lil Nas X for living life on his own terms and being his honest self ... which will, no doubt, infuriate his critics even more.

Anderson Silva is back ... to boxing!!!

The 45-year-old MMA legend has signed a contract to fight 35-year-old Julio César Chávez Jr. on June 19, TMZ Sports has confirmed.

Silva was released from UFC contract back in Nov. 2020 following a loss to Uriah Hall -- but he was adamant he wanted to continue his combat sports career elsewhere ... and now, he's making it happen in a boxing ring.

"When I look back at my journey, I see that nothing has been in vain," Silva says ... "I am extremely happy for the opportunity to test my boxing skills with Julio César Chávez Jr."

"I train continuously, always striving for resilience and to overcome obstacles. Fighting is my everlasting breath."

We're told the event -- titled "Tribute to the Kings" -- will take place at Jalisco Stadium in  Guadalajara, Mexico and will be available live on Pay-Per-View.

The event will also include a special exhibition match featuring Julio's legendary father, Julio César Chávez Sr. -- widely considered one of the greatest boxers of all time.

The 58-year-old Hall of Famer will take on Hector Camacho Jr. -- son of his former opponent Hector "Macho" Camacho, who passed away in 2012.

42-year-old Hector Jr. is also a pro boxer with a record of 58-6-1.

Julio Jr. issued a statement about the fight with Silva -- saying, "I have rededicated myself to the sport that I love and I will be ready to face anyone in the Light Heavyweight division starting with Silva"

"I will be prepared to be victorious on June 19."

The fight was put together by Keith Schoen of Schoen Entertainment along with Armando Bareno of Global Sports Streaming -- with Jorge Toscano and Saul Rios serving as the official fight promoters.

"This promises to be an epic battle between two superior fighters with a global fan base," Schoen tells us ... "Everyone associated with this Pay-Per-View promotion and fighting fans around the globe are super enthusiastic to see these two great fighters meet in the ring."

Chavez Jr. is 52-5-1 as a pro and coming off a 4th round TKO victory over Jeyson Minda in Nov. 2020.

Silva -- repped by ICM Partners and managed by Talize Sayegh -- is a former UFC Middleweight champ with wins over guys like Dan Henderson, Forrest Griffin, Vitor Belfort, Rich Franklin and more.

The Spider has also dabbled in boxing -- he's 1-1 as a pro -- and was known during his heyday for being one of the best strikers in MMA.

A trained MMA fighter who personally witnessed the death of George Floyd testified that officer Derek Chauvin used a "blood choke" during the arrest ... referring to the move as "torture."

33-year-old Donald Williams is a fighter out of the Minnesota Martial Arts Academy in Brooklyn Center ... and has a 6-6 record, according to Tapology.

Williams appeared on the stand in a Minnesota courtroom to testify about what he saw on the day Floyd died ... and his explanation was almost identical to the analysis of UFC superstar Jon Jones, who spoke out in the days following the incident.

"One, the neck was diagonal across the throat, which on a blood choke you attack the side of the neck," Williams said.

"To get the choke tighter, you hit different shimmies, which I felt the officer on top was shimmying to actually get the final choke in while he was on top to get the kill choke."

"Because a side choke or a blood choke can ultimately turn into death, which is what we've seen here."

In fact, Williams is shown in body cam footage of Tou Thao -- one of the other officers involved in the incident -- where he begs them to check Floyd's pulse ... and says point-blank Chauvin is using a "blood choke."

As we previously reported, Jones described the move in detail ... saying, "I wouldn't wish the way George Floyd was murdered on my worst enemy. That officer applied just enough pressure to keep him alive for almost six minutes in that chokehold."

"In all my years of fighting, I can honestly say I’ve never experienced anything close to that level of torture."

Here it is ... Aaron Rodgers and Shailene Woodley in the same place at the same time, for the first time since they got engaged -- which might be what they were celebrating down in Mexico.

The happy couple was on the tarmac Monday in Costa Careyes ... moments before boarding a private jet. The Green Bay Packers QB and "Big Little Lies" star were with a group of friends getting ready for takeoff. It's unclear if they're continuing the vacay somewhere else or heading home.

We know what fans desperately wanna see -- Shailene's engagement ring, so here's the best we can do. Even zooming in, it's hard to tell if she's wearing one on that left hand.

We do know the ring exists, but up to this point, the only time we've seen it was when Shailene was on the 'Tonight Show' in February, talking to Jimmy Fallon about the engagement.

Still, looks like they enjoyed the warmer weather down south after they were together earlier this month in freezing Montreal ... where Shailene was shooting the cop thriller "Misanthrope" and sending Aaron out to walk her dog.

As we reported ... Aaron announced his engagement to Shailene back in February after winning the NFL's MVP award for the 2020 season, and he's since gushed about their relationship and set his sights on having a kid with her.

A pro boxer's face swelled up in terrifying fashion after she was hit by an accidental head-butt during a fight Saturday night ... but fortunately, she says she's now recovering well.

Cheyenne Hanson, a 23-year-old German fighter, suffered the horrific battle wounds during her tilt with Alina Zaitseva in Germany ... with her face ballooning in size after the two women inadvertently clashed heads.

The post-fight pics of the damage to Hanson's face were insane ... the left side of the fighter's face BLEW UP -- and she had bruising all over.

In fact, Hanson showed off a before-and-after, side-by-side photo -- and she was damn-near unrecognizable!!!

But, Hanson on Monday revealed the swelling has gone down significantly ... though the bruising is still BAD.

Hanson was at least given a victory for her troubles ... the judges had her ahead in the fight at the time of the head-butt and awarded her the eighth win of her pro career.

Good news ... Ryan Switzer's infant son has undergone another major surgery ... and the NFL receiver says he's expected to make a full recovery.

Remember, Ryan's 10-month-old son Christian was hospitalized earlier this month after his parents found him in a pool of blood.

Doctors had performed surgery on Christian back on March 7 in order to track the cause of bleeding, but were not able to identify the issue with 100% certainty.

Ryan and his wife, Gabie, said doctors have made progress in the past few weeks and became certain they found the root of the problem ... and advised another surgery to address the issue once and for all.

Doctors at the famous Boston Children's hospital identified the issue as a "vascular anomaly" somewhere in his gastrointestinal tract.

Baby Christian underwent the procedure on Monday ... and his parents report everything appears to have gone well.

"Our sweet baby boy is stable and out of surgery," Switzer tweeted Monday. "This nightmare is over with. These wonderful people in Boston fixed our son. He’s going to make a full recovery. Praise God."

Lil Nas X is in the middle of a holy war now -- legally speaking -- because Nike's going after the company making his controversial "Satan Shoes" ... a devilish connection Nike wants no part of.

The shoe giant is suing MSCHF Product Studio ... the company that collaborated with the rapper to produce the Satan Shoe, aka the "blood shoes."

If you haven't heard ... Lil Nas has been hyping the customized Nike Air Max 97 shoes which feature the pentagram symbol, a Bible verse that references Satan, and allegedly a drop of blood from one of MSCHF's employees. There are also only 666 pairs being made, and they're selling for over a grand.

According to the docs, obtained by TMZ, Nike claims the company's tricking consumers into thinking it approved the Satan-themed shoes, but Nike insists it didn't authorize it and "is in no way connected with this project."

Nike claims MSCHF buys the shoes from Nike, then the artists it works with make their own creative modifications before selling them at a higher price.

Nike's suing for trademark infringement because the famous Swoosh logo is still prominently featured on X's shoes. It wants damages, and perhaps more importantly for Nas X ... Nike wants the judge to block all sales of the Satan Shoe.

The Satan Shoe sparked outrage within the sports world ... with stars like Trevor Lawrence and Nick Young voicing their disgust with the product.

"Line has to be drawn somewhere. Smh," the future first-overall pick in the NFL Draft said.

Young added ... "My kids will never play Old Town road again.. I’m still debating about wearing @Nike after this come [on] nike a drop of blood for real."

Young later apologized after finding out the Swoosh did NOT approve of the shoe.

Pro-wrestling star Chris Jericho donated $2,500 to the family of an Uber Eats driver who was killed last week during an alleged botched carjacking ... telling TMZ Sports he was extremely saddened by the story and felt compelled to help.

"Just the feeling of terror he must’ve had being stuck halfway out of the car as the thieves ... mere children ... hit the gas. Something out of a horror movie," Jericho tells us.

If you're not familiar with the situation ... Mohammad Anwar -- a 66-year-old food delivery driver who immigrated from Pakistan in 2014 -- tragically died Tuesday in Washington D.C. after officials say two girls -- ages 13 and 15 -- allegedly deployed a Taser on the driver in an apparent attempt to steal the vehicle.

The incident was captured on cell phone video and appears to Anwar attempting to re-enter his vehicle while at least one of the girls is inside the car.

At one point, Anwar can be heard yelling, "This is my car" -- and that's when someone inside the vehicle punches the gas, which sends the car down the block for 9 full seconds before it eventually crashes.

The car flipped over on its side -- and Anwar was killed.

In light of the devastating tragedy, the Anwar family -- which says Mohammed was their financial provider -- started a GoFundMe to help ease the monetary burden in the wake of his death.

The fund has already raised over $808k (the initial goal was $100k) ... thanks to Jericho and over 23k other donors.

The former WWE and current AEW star tells us he knows his donation can't fix everything ... but he just wanted to help and show the family that people care.

"I just thought the whole situation was terrible and it really hit me hard."

Jericho added ... "It's not much, but it's the most I could do to try and bring some light into a dark situation."