TMZ Sports - Page 2

Bryce Harper in Banana Ball??? If Party Animals star Tanner Thomas had things his way, that'd be a reality sometime in the near future!

TMZ Sports caught up with the former Virginia Tech outfielder while he was working a ceremonial shift at a Raising Cane's ... and he made it clear, out of all the Big Leaguers he could choose from, he'd want Harper on his squad the most.

"Just a Party Animal," Thomas said of the Phillies first baseman. "He just seems like he's got the mullet, the facial hair, hits bombs. That's definitely a Party Animal."

Fantasy basketball players searching for a breakout NBAer in 2025-26, look no further ... Scotty Pippen Jr. just guaranteed to TMZ Sports "this year is going to be big for me!"

The Grizzlies guard -- who's the son of Scottie Pippen -- chopped it up with us out at LAX this week ... and he made it clear, his third season in the NBA will be his best.

He told us he's been training out in Los Angeles ... and while there's still a few months left until Memphis' first game, he's "confident."

Jeffrey Louis Starr -- a former child actor -- has died ... TMZ has confirmed with multiple family members.

Starr passed away last month ... with a family source telling us he took his last breath in a hospital in Carbondale, Illinois surrounded by loved ones. We're told he dealing with an illness before he died.

Jeffrey's brother, Kevin, and sister-in-law, Michele, posted on social media after he passed ... remembering Jeffrey as someone who gave great hugs, had a big heart and seemed to make and have friends at just about every place he walked into.

Alexa Bliss is a champ in the ring -- both for her wrestling performance and for how she looks in the outfits, too.

The WWE star turned 34 on Saturday ... and, we've put together all of her heavyweight hot shots from inside and outside the ring.

Bliss knows how to excite a crowd ... hopping up on the ropes and bending over to give everyone a look at her tight spandex shorts.

Jordon Hudson apparently thinks she's a public relations pro, as good as some of the best in the field ... but then broke down in tears on a call with reporters.

Here's the deal ... Charlotte Wilder and Madeline Hill -- hosts of "The Sports Gossip Show," which was just acquired by The Athletic -- dished on a few late-night phone calls they had with Jordon.

During the call, Charlotte and Madeline say Jordon agreed with their assessment that she's Bill Belichick's version of Tree Paine. For those of you who don't know, Tree is Taylor Swift's PR point person -- highly regarded and respected in her field.

Piers Morgan is throwing in the white towel ... after calling Jake Paul's fights "boring, staged bulls***," and prompting "The Problem Child" to hire an attorney, the media personality has clarified his comment online.

"What I meant is that his fights have been predominantly against older, past-their-prime opponents, which may be lucrative for both sides, and may have entertainment value, but don’t reveal how he stacks up against currently ranked boxers and therefore are not a good look for the sport."

Morgan continued on X ... "I did not intend to suggest that the outcome was predetermined and certainly didn’t mean to suggest anything illegal."

Patrick Mahomes is opening up about his father's 2024 DWI arrest -- which happened days before the Super Bowl -- like never before.

The Kansas City Chiefs quarterback admits his dad, Patrick Mahomes Sr., "hurt" him when he was caught up in the law again during an interview for the upcoming ESPN docuseries "The Kingdom," the New York Post reports.

But -- he says things are on the up with Pat Sr., noting ... "I think just knowing that it hurt me, woke him up to know that like you can’t keep doing the same things."

Japanese boxer Shigetoshi Kotari has tragically passed away following a serious injury he sustained in a title fight just 1 week ago.

The World Boxing Organization (WBO) announced on X Kotari died on Friday after his August 2 match in Tokyo against Yamato Hata ... and remembered him as a "warrior in the ring" and a "fighter in spirit."

The super-featherweight underwent emergency brain surgery to treat a subdural hematoma following the fight, per a translated press release shared by the Japan Boxing Commission. A subdural hematoma is a type of bleeding that occurs between the brain and skull, per Cleveland Clinic, and can be fatal if not attended to.

Forget Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson, the man who created "The Match" tells TMZ Sports he wants the next iteration of the famed golf event to feature the Backstreet Boys vs. *NSYNC!

Bryan Zuriff -- a film and TV producer who brought "The Match" to life in 2018 -- said on Friday he's all in on the idea of the boy band battle on the links ... after he heard BSB issue Justin Timberlake and Co. the challenge on TMZ Sports this week.

Zuriff said he's got a big vision for the potential event ... explaining he wants it to go down at the Wynn Golf Club in Las Vegas -- with the Sphere (where BSB are currently performing) in the backdrop!

Aaron Rodgers hasn't made a Pro Bowl in three seasons, but Brett Favre is adamant the quarterback isn't washed ... telling TMZ Sports his former teammate "still has the potential to lead a team to the Super Bowl."

"He can still play," Favre insisted during a recent sitdown. "There's no question."

If Rodgers can still be elite, he'll have to prove it in a different uniform this year ... as he left the Jets this offseason to sign with the Steelers.

Lance Stephenson is demanding an end to the sex toy-throwing chaos at WNBA games -- not just out of respect for the players, but also for the young fans in the crowd.

The longtime NBA star made things crystal clear to TMZ Sports this week ... following a fourth incident where a dildo was launched onto the court during a W contest.

"I got kids," Stephenson said. "For them to see that on the floor, man, I mean like, I'd be devastated."

Olympic boxer Omari Jones is taking the underdog in the Terence Crawford vs. Canelo Alvarez matchup ... telling TMZ Sports he's predicting Bud will pull off the upset.

Crawford (41-0) and Alvarez (63-2) will throw hands on September 13 at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas ... and even though Terence is moving up several weight divisions to meet Canelo at 168 pounds, Jones still likes the boxing star's chances.

"It looks like he put it on the right way," Jones said of Crawford's weight gain. "The nutrition, the training -- Crawford, he trains hard."

Brandon Blackstock’s brother is pouring his heart out on IG the day after Brandon's death -- and it’s a gut-wrenching tribute that’ll hit you right in the feels.

Alongside an IG collage of family pics, Shelby Blackstock shared that words couldn't even begin to capture the huge hole left by Brandon's passing -- as an irreplaceable part of their family as a brother, father, grandfather, and son.

Shelby -- a racecar driver -- opened up about how much his late brother had taught him and the countless memories he'd carry forever, especially now that they won’t get to make any more.

Tom Brady's statue has finally touched down at Gillette Stadium.

The seven-time Super Bowl champion was honored with the sculpture outside the Patriots Hall of Fame in the Patriot Place Plaza at a star-studded ceremony on Friday, just months after Robert Kraft announced the tribute was incoming.

Brady had the best seat in the house for its unveiling ... and when the tarp was pulled off of it, he was all smiles and gave Kraft a big hug.

Pro wrestling’s self-proclaimed "Indy God" Matt Cardona is picking a new kind of fight – one with Grand Tank Auto ... and paperwork!

The Deathmatch King joined the premiere episode of TMZ’s "Inside The Ring" to discuss his growing empire in life after WWE -- including a growing toy line that now features MLB stars ... and told us his longstanding feud ends this month in a one-on-one match with the new self-proclaimed "Indy God," Shotzi Blackheart, at GCW’s Homecoming episode August 23rd in Dallas.

At the center of this feud -- the copyright ownership of the title "Indy God." Cardona told us he outright owns the copyright of the moniker, and he wishes to protect that for any incoming wrestlers entering the Indie scene.

9:04 PM PT -- Terrell Suggs' rep, Denise White, said in a statement to TMZ Sports on Friday ... "There was an incident at a Starbucks drive-through in which Terrell attempted to safely back out of the lane when the individual behind him became hostile and falsely accused Terrell of making contact with his vehicle, which did not occur."

"The situation escalated when the individual exited his car and approached Terrell in a confrontational manner. Notably, the individual had not placed an order in the Starbucks line, which led Terrell to believe he might continue to follow him, causing Terrell to feel threatened."

"At no point," she continued, "did Terrell point a firearm at the individual. He made it clear that he was prepared to protect himself if necessary. Arizona is an open carry state, and Terrell is aware of the responsibilities that come with firearm ownership. He recognizes that he should not have displayed his weapon, but his actions were solely in response to feeling threatened and were not intended to escalate the situation further."

TMZ Sports has obtained the video of the Starbucks dispute that led to Terrell Suggs' arrest last year ... and in the footage, you can see the ex-NFL superstar did indeed brandish a gun during the tiff.