TMZ Sports - Page 50

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.

Rachel Nichols is out of a TV hosting gig, but not the big paycheck that comes with it -- 'cause TMZ Sports has learned the network will honor Nichols' deal, and continue to pay her.

Nichols -- who's been with ESPN since 2004 -- was removed from the network's NBA coverage on Wednesday ... and saw her show, "The Jump" canceled.

Question is, with all her current responsibilities taken away, what's the veteran TV host and reporter's future with ESPN?

The answer ... well, no decision has been made.

Our ESPN sources tell us that while Nichols was solely concentrating on the NBA, the network has not yet decided whether they will use her in another capacity.

We're told Nichols' contract doesn't expire anytime in the near future -- and rather than try and find a way out from underneath the lucrative deal -- ESPN has decided to continue to pay the star TV anchor.

Of course, Nichols was at the center of an explosive controversy back in June ... when the NY Times released audio of Rachel venting to a top PR consultant about fellow ESPN employee, Maria Taylor.

Nichols was heard blasting ESPN for attempting to move her aside to make way for Taylor -- a Black woman -- in light of the current racial climate and the network's "crappy longtime record on diversity," as Nichols phrased it on the recording.

As for Taylor, she turned down a big-money offer from ESPN, and left for NBC.

Nichols acknowledged the move on social media, writing ... "Got to create a whole show and spend five years hanging out with some of my favorite people, talking about one my favorite things."

"An eternal thank you to our amazing producers & crew — The Jump was never built to last forever but it sure was fun. More to come..."

ESPN recently charged Senior VP Dave Roberts with overseeing their NBA coverage. We're told the decision was ultimately made by Roberts.

On Wednesday, Roberts issued a short statement on the shakeup, saying both sides "mutually agreed that this approach regarding our NBA coverage was best for all concerned."

Roberts continued ... "Rachel is an excellent reporter, host and journalist, and we thank her for her many contributions to our NBA content."

Nichols reportedly has about a year remaining on the deal ... and will likely have no trouble finding work when her current deal expires.

Rutgers football player Peyton Powell says he's transferring ... claiming it's all 'cause the university has made it mandatory for students to get the COVID vaccine.

The school announced back in March if students wanted to attend classes and play football for the university, they'd have to get the shots.

"We are committed to health and safety for all members of our community," Rutgers president Jonathan Holloway said when announcing the decision.

"Adding COVID-19 vaccination to our student immunization requirements will help provide a safer and more robust college experience for our students."

Powell says after considering the school's choice ... he's now decided to leave the university in search of one that will not make the vaccine mandatory.

"The University of Rutgers has made the COVID vaccine mandatory to attend school and play football," Powell said Tuesday on his social media page.

"Therefore I have no other choice but to enter my name into the transfer portal."

The move will mark the second time in Powell's college football career that he's transferred ... the 6-foot-2, 185-pound DB was at Baylor during his freshman season in 2019 before switching to the Scarlet Knights.

Before that, Powell was a touted 4-star recruit from Permian High School in Texas.

FYI -- Rutgers head coach Greg Schiano said earlier this month that 90% of the football team had been vaccinated.

The team is slated to begin its season on Sept. 2.

Just 1 day after signing with the Seattle Seahawks, tight end Luke Willson announced he's walking away from football for good ... revealing he was hospitalized with a severe heart condition earlier this year.

31-year-old Willson -- a 2013 5th-round draft pick who won a Super Bowl with the Seahawks in 2014 -- resigned with his old squad on Tuesday.

But, just a day later, the team said they were parting ways with Luke ... without explaining why.

On Wednesday, Willson provided some answers ... explaining he dealt with a serious heart issue a few months ago.

"After signing with the Seahawks yesterday, I have decided to walk away from the game of football," Willson wrote.

"This off-season I went through some health issues and spent numerous days in the hospital with a severe pericardial effusion."

FYI, the Mayo Clinic describes the condition as "the buildup of excess fluid in the sac-like structure around the heart (pericardium)."

If untreated, Pericardial effusion "can lead to heart failure or death," according to Mayo Clinic.

Luke says the medical scare changed the way he views football and life.

"That situation has really challenged me as an individual and changed my perspective on a lot of things with regards to my life. After reflecting on everything yesterday and being in the building, I have decided that it's time for me to begin with the next chapter of my life."

Luke's adult life has been all about football ... so, what's next for the Canadian?

Aaron Boone no longer has to worry about being fired ... so says Yanks legend Tino Martinez, who tells TMZ Sports NY's latest surge is more than enough to keep the manager safe.

"I think he's done a great job," Martinez said out in NYC this week. "He's great for the team, the organization -- so I think he deserves to be here as long as he wants."

Of course, Yankees fans and perhaps even ex-NY players didn't always feel that way this season ... 'cause for a while, the Pinstripes were REALLY struggling under Boone.

But, the Yankees have turned the ship around in a big way -- winning 11 in a row ... and vaulting to just 4 games out of first place in the AL East.

Martinez says it's all been impressive to watch ... and should keep Boone around well into next season and beyond.

"The ups and downs of a season make a great manager," Tino told us, "and he's been even keeled the whole time."

For as good as Boone has been in turning around the Yankees ... Martinez clearly feels the manager owes Anthony Rizzo a bit of praise for the recent win streak as well.

Tino tells us the first baseman "changed the culture of the team" after his trade from Chicago to New York -- and is "one of the best ever."

Kendall Jenner was having some fun in the sun with her favorite Sun on Tuesday ... cruising on a yacht with her BF, Devin Booker, in Italy -- and the pics are piccante!!

As we previously reported, KJ and the Phoenix Suns star hopped on a private jet and flew to their romantic getaway last week ... and they've been spending the majority of their time lounging around in some barely-there swimwear ever since.

When we saw Kendall and Devin on Friday, they were floating around in Sardinia ... but now, they've made their way over towards Capri.

The couple cranked up the heat while working on their tans yesterday afternoon ... showing off their incredibly fit figures and chatting it up on the deck of the yacht.

24-year-old Booker -- who's fresh off winning a gold medal at the 2020 Olympics with Team USA -- had to cool off for a bit by hopping in the pool ... and yeah, he looks shredded as ever.