TMZ Sports - Page 50

Former Patriots QB Scott Zolak says his former team should turn off the rap music at practice ... explaining he believes the tunes are hurting Cam Newton's game.

Seriously.

Zolak -- who played for New England from 1992 through 1998 -- was reporting from Pats practice Thursday ... when he made the wild claim, saying he believes Cam is straight-up "distracted" by rap songs that blare over the team's speakers during workouts.

"I'd turn off the rap music first of all," Zolak said on 98.5 "The Sports Hub." "Because I think it's distracting for Cam here. Because in between every throw he's dancing."

Zolak continued, "He can't help himself."

The 53-year-old former signal-caller then said it's a stark difference when compared to Patriots backup QB Mac Jones, who he said "looks like he came to work again."

"Like, he's here to work. And everything is attention to detail."

"But, again," Zolak added, "that's Cam's style."

Newton has been known to bust a move during Patriots practice ... cameras catch him often bouncing around to hip-hop while on the field.

But, Cam has noted Jones has a similar love for the music ... explaining last month he was "surprised" by Mac's knowledge of rap.

"You catch him in the locker room every time quoting some Future, some Baby," Cam said.

Hard to fathom the tunes are playing any role whatsoever in the Pats' QB competition ... but Zolak clearly believes that's the case.

Adam "Pacman" Jones is ready to whoop some serious ass in his boxing debut ... telling TMZ Sports he expects to have his hand raised at Rough N' Rowdy Friday night!!

The 37-year-old ex-NFL star has taken his talents to fighting after retiring from football in 2019 ... and is set to face off against 5-0 (amateur record) boxer Bobby Laing at the Barstool Sports event in West Virginia.

Jones says he's been training on and off for about 10 years now ... and beating the brakes off someone in the ring has always been on his bucket list.

Pacman says he's truly addicted to the sport ... and has been training with world-class professionals over the past few months to prepare for his debut.

So, how's he expect it to go??

"With my hand raised as the new motherf***ing RNR champ," Jones tells us ... adding one last warning to his opponent.

"Bobby Laing, your goddamn winning is over with. The honeymoon has officially ended today. I'm ready to f***ing go. Let's go."

We also spoke with Barstool's Chef Donny -- who's set to face off against TikTok star QCP on the same card -- and he tells us he's ready to humble the influencer who's got more than 8 MILLION followers on the platform.

Donny says he's been doing 2-a-days every day for more than a month leading up to the big matchup ... and has been in "war mode" to mentally prepare himself for battle.

"The kid's got a pretty face, so I've really wanted to just destroy something beautiful," he tells us. "It's gonna be a pretty bad moment for him."

"I guarantee you, it's going to be an action-packed fight."

Interesting conversation with Jake Paul ... who did his best to channel Mike Tyson when talking to TMZ Sports, threatening to eat Tyron Woodley when they fight this Sunday.

"I might eat this man. I might eat this man on television."

Yes ... serious shades of Tyson vs. Lennox Lewis and Evander Holyfield.

Lucky us, there's more ... 24-year-old Paul sent a message to the 39-year-old future UFC Hall of Famer.

"Hey Tyron, hope you're not afraid of hippo tigers, because I'm a hippo tiger and you just pissed me off. And, when a hippo tiger is pissed off, he does crazy s**t."

It's reminiscent of Iron Mike's epic tirade in 2000 ... when Tyson, talking about Lewis, uttered the now-infamous phrase ... "I want your heart. I want to eat his children."

We also talked to Jake about the verbal altercation between his squad and Woodley's mom, Deborah ... and The Problem Child told us there's plenty of blame to go around.

Bottom line -- Paul and Tyson finally get to put hands on each other this Sunday ... when they square off on Showtime PPV.

Jay Cutler admitted he hasn't had much fun dating since his split with Kristin Cavallari ... explaining that getting back into the scene has been "hard as hell."

The ex-NFL star made the revelation on his "Uncut with Jay Cutler" podcast this week ... saying straight-up that "meeting people is hard."

The 38-year-old was comparing dating to his former Chicago Bears team finding a new quarterback ... when he broke off on a tangent about how searching for love again has not been easy.

"I think finding out what people really, really want from you, I think that's probably an issue," Cutler said when he was asked why it's been tough.

"I'm at a different phase of my life now with kids and priorities are just changed," Jay added.

"Like, it isn't just a purely selfish play by my part. Like, there's a lot of other aspects that have to be taken into consideration whenever you get back out into that world."

Cutler said dealing with apps and social media platforms to court women has also been a big change.

"Like, it's a whole different ball game," he said. "You're not just walking into a restaurant or bar and talking to somebody. That doesn't exist anymore."

Cutler and Cavallari officially called it quits back in April 2020 ... and Jay has been spotted with a few women over the past year, most notably in January with a mystery blonde in Mexico.

Jay, though, made it clear he hasn't found anything too worthwhile ... saying he's not even sure what he wants in his next flame.

"I, honestly, I don't know that," Cutler said. "I wish I knew -- I think I'm trying to figure that out throughout this process, but I will [figure it out]. It's not a rush for me at this point."

Absolute chaos broke out at the Jake Paul and Tyron Woodley press conference just now ... with the UFC star's own MOTHER getting into it with the YouTuber's camp!!!

It all went down after the two fighters faced off and posed for pictures ... with everything seemingly going according to plan.

But, as the cameras cut back to commentators Luke Thomas and Brian Campbell, a verbal scuffle broke out behind them ... and it was none other than Deborah Woodley in the middle of it.

There were chairs knocked over as a crowd formed around DW ... and security and police worked their way in to try and calm down the crowd.

As all this was going down, Jake was spotted steering clear of the area and appearing to head back to his spot.

The announcers broke down what they heard ... claiming Tyron demanded "a f***ing apology" and was shouting "you think it's a game."

Tyron was clearly LIVID over Jake's camp confronting his beloved mom ... and the guy had to be escorted out of the room.

The whole ordeal went down for several minutes ... and Thomas even called for security to step in and get everyone out of the area.

Once Tyron left the room, he was spotted yelling at pro boxer and Jake's training partner, J'Leon Love ... who denied ever saying anything to his mother.

Jake and Tyron are set to fight at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in Cleveland on Sunday night ... and yeah, it just got personal.

Olympics star Suni Lee showed she can win with her moves on the beams, uneven bars and gym mat ... but can she do the same on the dance floor???

Well, we're about to find out ... 'cause the Team USA gold medalist announced Monday she's going to compete in the upcoming season of "Dancing With The Stars!"

"I'm so excited," the 18-year-old gymnast said. "See you all on the dance floor!"

Unclear who will be in the rest of the field dancing against the Olympian -- the full lineup is expected to be announced next month -- but ya gotta figure the gymnast will be a big favorite to win The Mirrorball Trophy.

After all, she KILLED IT in Tokyo ... winning the gold medal in the all-around competition, silver in the women’s team competition and bronze in the uneven bars.

Not sure how well that all translates to the salsa or the waltz -- but, hey, it can't hurt!!

FYI, this won't be the first time a gymnast competes on "DWTS" --- in 2016, Laurie Hernandez won the competition ... and, in 2017, Simone Biles finished fourth.

Several San Diego Padres fans got into a wild brawl at Wednesday's game -- throwing haymakers and kicks -- and all of the violence was caught on video.

The scrap happened at some point during the Padres' tilt with the Dodgers at Petco Park ... and while it's unclear what started it all -- you can see in the footage, the combatants landed several punches and kicks in the melee.

At one point, one of the fighters was shoved down a row of seats ... and then was punched and kicked in the face repeatedly.

The fighting then briefly stopped ... but it continued as more haymakers were thrown.

A man was eventually pushed down a row of stairs again -- before, finally, all of the action was broken up.

It's not clear if police are investigating ... we've reached out to cops, but so far, no word back yet.

As for the game, the Padres -- like the fighting fans in the stands -- took the L ... falling in extra innings to L.A., 5-3.

Actress Allyssa Brooke's teenage son was viciously attacked on a basketball court ... and it was all filmed by other kids who just stood by and laughed.

You see Allyssa's son, Nick, driving the lane before he's shoved to the ground. Nick quickly gets up to confront the guy who committed the flagrant foul but he's pushed ... and then, someone comes out of nowhere and punches him in the face.

Nick suffered a broken jaw in 3 places, a severe concussion and whiplash. When he got to the hospital, a baseball-sized lump had formed on the back of his head ... prompting concerns from doctors that there might be internal bleeding in his brain.

Allyssa -- whose acting credits include "Stranger Things," "Ozark" and "Queen of the South" -- told 11Alive she spent Nick's 17th birthday feeding him liquids through a syringe because his jaw's been wired shut for 6 weeks.

Allyssa's angry at those who found joy in the beatdown. She said, "I don't expect everybody to be a hero and run in to save the day if that's not your style. But, to laugh and applaud, and cheer, that's not humanity."

Nick's got a long road of recovery ahead. Once his jaw's unwired, Allyssa says he'll need additional weeks of bands to strengthen and retrain his bite. He also faces 6 months to a year of wearing braces to realign his teeth ... several of which she says were twisted out of place.

As for the attackers ... the kid who broke Nick's jaw has been charged with assault as a juvenile. But, Allyssa says the kids who filmed the incident should also be brought to justice. She has since started a Change.org petition toward that end.

Manchester City soccer player Benjamin Mendy has been suspended from his team after he was charged with four counts of rape and one count of sexual assault.

The Cheshire Police announced the charges against the 27-year-old on Thursday ... saying three complainants accused the soccer player of sexually assaulting them between Oct. 2020 and Aug. 2021.

The police said Mendy will remain in custody ... and appear at Chester Magistrates' Court on Friday.

After the shocking arrest, Man City released a statement ... explaining Mendy has been suspended indefinitely.

"Manchester City can confirm that following his being charged by police today, Benjamin Mendy has been suspended pending an investigation," club officials said.

"The matter is subject to a legal process and the club is therefore unable to make further comment until that process is complete."

Mendy signed with Man City in 2017 -- winning the English League Club twice and the Premier League three times.

Kendall Jenner and Devin Booker are giving Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck a run for their money ... because there's no shortage of PDA with this famous couple either.

The supermodel and the NBA star are continuing their romantic trek through Italy, and Kendall couldn't seem to keep her hands -- or her lips -- to herself as she and her boyfriend grabbed a bite to eat at a restaurant in Salerno.

No doubt about it ... the 2 are undeniably into each other ... keeping the romance going after their meal by hopping back on their yacht and enjoying the sunshine and scenery.

As we reported ... K & D have been inseparable lately, starting with a lake boat trip in the States, followed by their European getaway that includes floating around in Sardinia and of course, showing off their hot bods.

This is amazing/inspiring/uplifting ... you pick the word.

Egyptian Paralympian Ibrahim Hamadtou lost both his arms after a terrible childhood accident, but the 48-year-old table tennis player didn't let the tragedy stop him from achieving incredible athletic feats competing in the Paralympics.

The way Hamadtou plays would be unbelievable if it weren't on video. He serves the ball by holding it with his right foot, flinging it in the air ... he then uses his mouth to hold the bat (paddle).

Spin, power ... Hamadtou's game has it all.

FYI, Ibrahim competes in Class 6 ... made up of athletes with severe impairments to arms and legs.

He played South Korean Park Hong Kyu on Wednesday in Tokyo ... and lost in straight sets. But, that doesn't begin to tell the story ... his will and determination inspired people across the world.

The Egyptian -- who also competed in Rio in 2016 -- lost both his arms in a train accident when he was 10 years old.

Last year, Hamadtou explained why he was initially motivated to start playing ping pong.

"I was in the club where I was officiating a match between two of my friends," Hamadtou told the International Table Tennis Federation.

"They disagreed on a point when I counted the point in favor of one of them the other player told me, do not interfere as you will never be able to play. It was that statement that fired me up to decide to play table tennis."

Time heals all wounds -- that is unless you're Charles Barkley, who's STILL beefing with Scottie Pippen after 22 years ... with Chuck now proclaiming he's "damn sure tougher" than the 6-time champ.

Of course, Chuck and Pip's beef dates back to their disaster of a season as teammates on the Houston Rockets in 1999 ... when Scottie called him fat and Barkley fired back, saying he'd "get arrested for murder" if Pippen didn't apologize for his comments.

The Bulls legend reignited the feud in June 2021 ... claiming, "I ain’t never seen him fight a Black man unless there were referees around."

Barkley is now getting his response in ... saying, "I’m DAMN sure tougher than Scottie Pippen."

"I don’t walk around saying I’m Billy Badass, but I can promise you one thing -- I’m tougher than Scottie Pippen," Barkley told ESPN 1000's "Waddle and Silvy"

"Let me put that to rest right now."

So ... will we see Chuck and Pippen get in the ring as the newest celebrity boxing match?? Don't hold your breath, 'cause Barkley says he doesn't need the money, but claims Scottie might.

"I’m not no fake tough guy, I don’t pretend to be a tough guy but I am tougher than Scottie Pippen."

A Florida kite surfer was killed after high winds swept him into the air and launched him into the side of a building.

The tragic moment happened Wednesday at around 10 AM in Ft. Lauderdale, Fire Rescue Battalion Chief Stephen Gollan said.

Surveillance footage, obtained by WTVJ, shows the man struggled with his kite on the beach as winds kicked up ... before the gusts eventually lifted him into the air and took him from the sand through some palm trees.

The wind eventually carried the man -- later ID'ed as 61-year-old Fred Salter -- into the side of a home ... where he crashed to the ground and suffered major injuries, Gollan said.

Gollan added that Salter was rushed to the Broward Health Medical Center in critical condition ... but died hours later.

"He was attempting to kitesurf in the ocean behind the address here, actually, just two doors down, when strong winds came into the area unexpectedly, and he was not able to release from the kite in a timely manner," Gollan said, according to WSVN.

"So we went from relatively calm conditions to extremely dangerous conditions in a short period of time."

Gollan later said he believed the wind gusts that carried Salter away kicked up to over 40 MPH.

According to Salter's friends, he was a father, grandfather, cancer survivor and an experienced kite surfer.

From the top rope ... it's THE GREEK FREAK!!!

Okay, so Giannis Antetokounmpo wasn't frog splashing anyone, but the Bucks champion DID make a surprise appearance at an AEW event at Milwaukee's American Family Field on Wednesday ... and the crowd lost their damn minds!!

The MVP brought his son, Liam, to the "Dynamite" event ... getting a front-row seat and having an absolute blast, according to Todd Rosiak.

But, Giannis wasn't just there to sit and watch all the stars get all the action -- the 6'11", 242-lb. basketball player channeled his inner wrestler by stepping into the ring with a championship belt and climbing up on the ropes!!

Giannis is seen smiling from ear to ear... basking in all the glory as fans chanted "MVP!!!"

There was one *gasp* moment -- Giannis' foot slightly slipped as he left the ring ... and some folks in the crowd held their breath before their beloved superstar regained his balance. So don't worry, Bucks fans. Your guy is totally fine.

There are rumors the appearance will air on AEW's "Rampage" on Friday ... and we're sure it's gonna be epic.

Giannis even got to hang out with some of his favorite wrestlers -- Chris Jericho and Sting -- afterward ... posing for a pic and chatting it up!!

Miguel Sano obliterated a ball into outer space on Wednesday -- crushing the piece of cowhide nearly 500 feet -- and afterward, he dedicated the moon shot to a fan he had drilled in the head earlier in the night.

The story is pretty heartwarming ... before the Twins' game against the Red Sox at Fenway Park -- Sano felt awful after he hit a batting practice homer that cracked a young fan in the head.

28-year-old Miguel felt so bad ... he actually signed a bat for the boy -- and then later, he said he'd get a big hit for him.

And, in the third inning, Sano did just that ... destroying a ball that completely left the stadium!!!

As Sano crossed home plate, he pointed to the fan ... and then gave the kid his jersey after the game as well!

"[The kid] told me to, 'Hit a homer for me and give me your jersey,'" Sano said. "And I said, 'Hey, I'm going to do it and I'm going to try to hit a longer one here and I'm going to give you the jersey.'"

The tape-measure shot was majestic ... and, at 495 feet, it ended up being the longest home run recorded in the MLB this season.

Somehow, though, it was NOT Sano's career longest -- he has a 496-footer on his resume.

With the first pick in the 2021 Fantasy Football Draft, Austin Ekeler selects ... AUSTIN EKELER!!!! -- 'cause the Chargers star tells TMZ Sports he's betting on himself to lead his team to victory this year.

26-year-old Ekeler has been a fantasy weapon for years as a dual-threat running back ... but unfortunately, went down with a tough hamstring injury during week 4 of the 2020 season.

While AE was able to return to the action, he says he was never back at 100% for the rest of the year ... leaving folks wondering what to do when the new fantasy season ramps up in 2021.

But, rest assured all you fantasy nuts -- Ekeler says he's feeling great and ready to dominate this season ... and is SO confident in what he'll be able to do, he's taking himself right at the top of his draft!!

"I would definitely be skeptical, too, absolutely," Ekeler tells us. "I'm picking myself #1 overall because I'm betting on myself. Feeling great, feeling explosive. Ready for these preseason games to be over with so we can get on the dang field."

Austin even makes a pitch to those who may be timid about drafting him ... saying he's just as dominant as he's always been and will have plenty of opportunities to rack up the points for his fantasy owners!!

Ekeler knows what he's talking about -- he's become a huge fantasy nut over the past few years ... and he's even hosting a weekly show with Yahoo Sports on the topic called "Ekeler's Edge."

But, if you needed any more incentive to get AE for your team, the dude is giving back to his supporters with an awesome giveaway ... by gifting an autographed jersey each week of the season to one lucky FF player who wins their matchup with Ekeler in the lineup.