TMZ Sports - Page 50

Brittany Mahomes says she's seeing a surge in trolls on her Instagram amid her budding friendship with Taylor Swift ... revealing Tuesday there's "A LOT more rude ass people" bothering her on the app these days.

The 28-year-old mother of two has unfortunately grown used to critics on her social media pages as the wife of Patrick Mahomes ... but she took to her IG stories this week to announce it's all gotten much worse -- all while she's becoming good pals with Travis Kelce's new flame.

"Recently there has been ALOT more rude ass people on here," she wrote, "waaaay more then normal."

"I'm not sure where yall came from," she continued, "but you should probably go back to where you came from .... please."

Brittany never specifically mentioned her relationship with Swift in her statement ... though it certainly seems it's all connected -- as the gals have been pretty much inseparable since September, when the pop star and Kelce went public with their relationship.

Of course, Brittany is sadly more than used to the online hate ... as the most outspoken fan of Patrick, she's been a lightning rod for criticism.

In fact, at one point last year, she even had to call out a commenter for their inappropriate response to a pic of her and her family.

For his part, Patrick has been to known come to her defense ... saying of her haters  following an incident in 2022, "Man people are weird."

After 235 days away from the NBA hardwood, Ja Morant apparently still knows his way around the hoop -- scoring the winning shot in his first game back!!

The Grizzlies superstar had been barred from the court to start this season while serving a 25-game suspension for a string of incidents involving gun-related social media videos ... but in his return against the Pelicans on Tuesday night, his presence was felt right away.

He logged 34 points and 8 assists on the road game in New Orleans -- but, most importantly, he nailed a floater in the lane with no time left in regulation to win the game for Memphis, 115-113.

And, afterward, he had a big-time message for his haters ... saying simply as he ran into the locker room, "I kept receipts!"

Morant, of course, had developed a bevy of critics after he was seen on social media waving around a gun not once, but twice. He had also been accused last year of attacking a teenager during a pickup game at his home. It all eventually led to NBA commish Adam Silver sidelining him.

But, Morant took all the steps the NBA and the Grizzlies required for him to rejoin the team ... and after his big night against the Pels, he said there were certainly some low points while he was away from his teammates.

"I haven't played a game in eight months," he said. "I had a lot of time to learn myself, a lot of hard days where I went through it. But, you know, basketball is my life, what I love. It’s therapeutic for me and I'm just excited to be back."

Dmitry Bivol -- one of the biggest names in boxing -- is giving Jake Paul his flowers ... telling TMZ Sports the internet star's fighting career is impressing the hell out of him.

"To be honest," Bivol told us just days after Paul scored a violent knockout win over Andre August, "I like that the guy who's not boxer, he really loves the sport."

"We see he's training hard. I respect him for this."

Of course, when Paul first got into the boxing biz, many saw it as a gimmick -- as he was fighting social media personalities and former professional athletes. In fact, Canelo Alvarez said back in 2020 that Jake and his brother, Logan, were displaying a "lack of respect" for the fight game with their choices of matchups (an opinion he later changed his tune on).

But, Bivol made it clear to us he's loving what he's seeing from Jake -- saying the 26-year-old is taking all the right steps when it comes to being a real-deal pugilist.

"He's going and doing his fighting," said Bivol, who beat Canelo back in May 2022. "He's not just like, 'I will beat everyone' and think like this."

Paul is currently 8-1 in his career with five knockouts -- and he's made such an impact on the sport through his nine fights so far, Team USA boxing just partnered with him so he can help promote Olympic fighters as they get ready for the Paris Games in 2024.

As for Bivol's own boxing career -- he's got a big tilt coming up this weekend against Lyndon Arthur on DAZN's Day of Reckoning card ... but, if he gets by that matchup, don't expect him to get in between the ropes with Paul anytime soon.

Logan Paul and KSI are rivals-turned-business partners, but they got back to beating each other up during a backyard football game with Patrick Mahomes this week ... when the WWE Superstar went all Ray Lewis on his buddy's ass!!

The two Prime entrepreneurs suited up in pads and helmets to run some routes with the Kansas City Chiefs superstar ... and when the two-time Super Bowl champ told J.J. to run a "Corndog left," Logan was there waiting to make the punishing tackle.

Logan's hit was so fierce, it made both their helmets come off ... and he was super hyped about drilling KSI into the ground.

In fact, Mahomes' pass was off target ... but if his route running is any indication of his ability on the football field, it probably wouldn't have made a difference if the pass hit him in the hands!

Of course, the trio were together as part of their new Prime partnership ... with Mahomes joining the company as its newest sponsored athlete.

Deep breath paisanos, PR crisis averted for Tommy DeVito! 😰

Just hours after the NYG signal caller caught grief online, DeVito made things right with a local Jersey restaurant owner and fans by showing up and hanging out with a gang of Big Blue fans ... where he took photos, signed autographs, and ate!

The controversy started this week when the owners of Coniglio's Old Fashioned pizzeria in Morristown (NJ) accused the 25-year-old rookie of going back on his word, alleging Tommy agreed to a $10k appearance fee, only to double his rate after the Giants' big MNF win over the Packers on December 11.

But, we're told the whole thing was just a big misunderstanding.

Sean Salci, DeVito's marketing agent and attorney, told us his client wasn't aware of what was going on, and there was never a concrete deal in place.

Still, DeVito was criticized, and the young signal caller wanted to make everyone happy ... so he made a surprise appearance at the pizza parlor.

"DeVito and the owner made good," Salci said. "He got the full experience today."

There hasn't been a more popular player across the league over the last month than DeVito -- an undrafted rookie (2023) -- who took over the starting job when Daniel Jones and Tyrod Taylor went down with injuries.

Kim Zolciak and Kroy Biermann are desperate to unload their Georgia mansion to mitigate their money woes ... evidenced by the fact they just dropped their asking price by a serious chunk of change.

The on-and-off couple -- who are still in the middle of a divorce -- are now asking $5,500,000 for their Milton, GA estate ... after initially listing it for $6 mil in October.

Not the biggest slash in the world, but it is substantial ... and obviously, they hope the move will get someone to bite. Time will tell if it works -- fact is, the housing market is a bit sluggish right now, and interest rates are quite high.

The other thing to consider here, comparable houses in their immediate area -- in some cases, on the same street -- are going for considerably less money ... so they might need to go even lower than this.

Remember, Kroy was recently begging a judge to allow him to put the house up for sale as a way to deal with the mounting debt they find themselves in ... and it looks like he and Kim finally got on the same page, despite their ongoing back-and-forth feuding/making up.

Whether they end up sticking at $5.5M or dropping their price to a bit less, they'll still clean up compared to what they bought this crib for back in 2012 ... just $880,000 at the time.

Bray Wyatt's dad, Mike Rotunda, is opening up on his constant grief following the late WWE Superstar's tragic death ... saying life without his son has been nothing short of a "nightmare."

Rotunda -- who was famous in his own right as a wrestler for decades, most notably as Irwin R. Schuster -- joined the "Wrasslin Talk with Mayor McCall" podcast to discuss Wyatt (real name Windham Rotunda) ... and, understandably, he's still struggling to come to terms with the loss.

"It's been really hard," Rotunda said. "We miss him every day."

"[My kids] would come with me and stay on the road, wherever I was wrestling ... and it's so hard to wake up out of this nightmare and he's still not there."

Rotunda explained Windham was supposed to get married to his partner, Jojo, recently ... making it an especially challenging time for his family.

Rotunda praised WWE for helping his family by giving Windham a Legends contract among other gestures ... which will allow his four children to receive financial help from merchandise sales.

"He was a jolly fellow," Rotunda continued. "He loved to laugh, he was loud, always laughing and he lit up a room. He lit up the wrestling business. People come up to me and have a story with Windham and say, 'He took the time to sit there and bulls*** with me for 10 or 15 minutes when he's supposed to be signing autographs.' So many people come up and support him by wearing Windham's stuff, and they have a story about him. He was that kind of person."

As we previously reported, Windham -- who experienced heart complications leading up to his death -- passed away while taking a nap at his home in August.

Insomniac, one of the most successful video game makers in the world, was recently the victim of a massive hack ... and parts of the highly anticipated Wolverine game were among the troves of material leaked in the breach.

According to multiple reports, hackers from the ransomware group Rhysida were able to gain access to over 1.3 million files accounting for nearly 1.7 terabytes of data, which included maps and even gameplay from the Marvel-inspired game. Dates for future releases, including Spider-Man 3, were also amid the leaks ... which even exposed the personal information of some Insomniac employees.

Hackers reportedly demanded a healthy ransom as a trade for not making the material public ... but Insomniac opted not to pay the nearly $2.1 million (50 bitcoins).

When the clock struck midnight on Tuesday, Rhysida pushed publish and the internet was flooded with the leaked, albeit mostly incomplete footage ... which revealed massive spoilers.

Gamers have been (somewhat) patiently waiting for Wolverine since Insomniac first dropped an animated preview in 2021 at a Playstation Showcase event ... however, no actual gameplay had been seen before the leak.

Aside from Wolverine, information on SM3, Venom, and an X-Men game was also made public.

The hack represents the second major breach for Sony ... which has owned Insomniac since mid-2019. Remember, Sony Pictures was the victim of a massive hack in late 2014, resulting in substantial losses for the company.

As for Tuesday's leak, a spokesperson for Sony says none of their other subsidiaries were affected by the hack.

Jake Paul is using his massive social media presence to give exposure to some rising stars in boxing ... joining forces with Team USA to help promote fighters ahead of the Olympics.

The Problem Child -- who has millions of followers and subscribers on the internet -- will spend time at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado as well as the Paris Games in 2024 through the partnership ... documenting their journey on his accounts.

Jake has already been spending time with Olympian boxers like Joshua Edwards and Morelle McCane, who recently attended his first-round K.O. victory over Andre August this past weekend.

The 26-year-old spoke about the decision to work with Team USA ... telling TMZ Sports, "It has always been my goal to shine a spotlight not just on boxing as a sport, but on the people who work so hard to be the best within it."

"The mindset of pursuing greatness is one I both see and personally share with Mo McCane, Joshua Edwards, and the rest of Team USA's boxing talent. The Olympics are the greatest stage in the world, and I'm honored to help bring awareness to USA Boxing and mentor these young, inspiring athletes as they fight for gold. Anyone who works hard enough to receive the honor to represent Team USA at the Olympics deserves a platform, so I'm looking forward to getting down to business in Colorado Springs with Coach [Billy] Walsh and the rest of Team USA."

Of course, USA Boxing has been home to some massive names in the sport ... including Oscar De La Hoya, Muhammad Ali, Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Evander Holyfield.

Xmas came early for Victoria Beckham's loyal IG followers ... as she treated them to an up-close and personal clip of David Beckham working out in little tight shorts.

In a clip shared Tuesday, David pants his way through a set of yoga push-ups ... while Vic ensures fans get an eyeful -- anglin' the camera from behind and honing in on his butt as he thrusts up and down.

"Morning work out with this Love Machine 🔊😂 @davidbeckham," she quips in the caption -- and as expected, fans were overcome with delight.

Some thanked VB for her service in the comments ... while others saying she was a gift that kept on giving.

The L.A. Lakers got a visit Monday night from a fan that was so furry and so cute -- even the game's broadcasters just had to take a paws to stop and recognize him!!

The Lake Show's No. 1 K9 supporter was none other than Brodie The Goldendoodle -- a doggo who's gained so much notoriety over the past few years, he's garnered 1 million followers on Instagram.

Somehow, the pup scored one of the best seats in the house for L.A.'s contest against the Knicks at Crypto.com Arena -- snagging a chair that was actually so good, it might have been better than Timothée Chalamet's.

And, the ball of fuzz certainly took advantage of the center-court spotlight ... dancing his tail off so hard during a break in the action, he actually caught the attention of ESPN play-by-play man Mike Breen.

"That's Brodie," Breen said on live television as the dog waved its legs in the air. "I've never seen this in 30-plus years!!"

Brodie, of course, is used to the limelight by now ... the 3-year-old's owner and he have trekked all over the country together while hitting sporting events sporadically.

In fact, he's been a star at Marlins games and Heats games in the past -- though apparently he's big into L.A. too ... 'cause he rocked an Austin Reaves shirt for most of the Lakers' contest vs. NY.

But, Monday did have a bit of a ruff ending for Brodie ... as LeBron James and co. couldn't get him a win, falling to the Knicks, 114-109.

AEW star CJ Perry has been hospitalized for several days with a gruesome infection in her finger that has since spread up her arm ... a complication that has required surgery.

The 38-year-old shared photos with her millions of social media followers this week ... initially saying on Saturday she went to the ER after realizing a problem with her middle finger and arm.

"Please keep me in your prayers I’m at the ER @vphcares," Perry said on X ... explaining the medical emergency is the reason why she has not been competing recently.

"The infection from my small finger has gone up my arm. I am so sorry I had to miss last night and @AEW tonight. I look forward to debuting in Mexico with @AndradeElIdolo. Good luck @ToBeMiro and my client."

Perry -- who went by the ring name Lana during her WWE tenure -- provided an update on Monday ... revealing she had to undergo a procedure to address the ailment.

"The infection has gotten worse and I'm going into surgery tonight," Perry said. "Please keep me in your thoughts and prayers. I love you all."

Perry joined AEW this year ... making her debut with her husband and fellow wrestler Miro, on September 3 at the All Out PPV event. She's also an AEW manager and signed El Idolo as her first client.

Before All Elite, Perry was a WWE Superstar who also managed other wrestlers like Rusev.

Derrick Ward, a former NFL running back and Super Bowl champion, was arrested this week in Los Angeles for allegedly committing multiple robberies around the city, TMZ Sports has learned.

43-year-old Ward, an L.A. native, is accused of robbing several businesses, including gas stations, over a recent period of time.

Law enforcement tells us ... Ward did not use a gun during the alleged robberies -- but officers say he did use force and fear to get money from the stores.

Ward was taken into custody on Monday afternoon and booked into jail around 6:30 PM. His booking information lists him at 6 feet tall, and 230 lbs.

DW was a 7th-round pick (NY Jets) in 2004 ... and also spent time with the NY Giants, Tampa Bay Bucs and Houston Texans over his 8-year professional football career.

Derrick -- who at one point signed a $17 million contract -- was a member of the NYG Super Bowl-winning squad that beat Tom Brady's undefeated New England Patriots to cap the 2007 season.

Ward played in 93 NFL games, carrying the rock 551 times for 2,628 yards. He had 15 total touchdowns ... 12 of them rushing.

Derrick is still in custody, according to jail records ... and bail has been set at $250K.

Drew Lock was rightfully feeling himself after leading the Seattle Seahawks to a comeback win over the Philadelphia Eagles on "Monday Night Football" ... turning up right in front of the cameras and appearing to let the expletives fly!!

The backup quarterback threw an absolute dime to Jaxon Smith-Njigba in the final minute of Seattle's 20-17 win ... and the guy couldn't contain his emotions as he celebrated the 29-yard tuddy.

"Put that f***ing s*** on, motherf***er!!" the lip readers over at The Sporting News believe Lock said during the broadcast ... although mics didn't exactly pick up the message.

Lock was filling in for starter Geno Smith, who has missed the past two games due to a groin injury.

Many didn't expect Lock to lead his team down the field to hand the Eagles their third-straight loss and fourth on the season ... and after the game, he gave an emotional interview on what the accomplishment meant to him.

"I'll remember that play call for the rest of my life," Lock said.

"It's so hard to describe the feeling of not playing for so long -- or at least what feels like a really long time to me -- and then you sit there and watch games, you wonder, 'Can I do this still?' I haven't been out there on the field. That's the human nature of it."

The Los Angeles Lakers have officially hung up a banner to celebrate their In-Season Tournament Championship ... and, as expected, it was met with some serious mixed reviews.

The team revealed Monday night the flag will stay in the rafters at Crypto.com Arena for the foreseeable future ... something that ain't exactly sitting right with plenty of fans of the storied NBA franchise.

After all, the team's won SEVENTEEN world championships -- and as you can hear in video from the pregame banner-raising ceremony prior to the contest against the Knicks, when L.A. officially hung the IST title keepsake, Lakers supporters didn't seem thrilled.

There was merely a smattering of applause ... and even LeBron James and his teammates didn't look all that pumped while watching the festivities from the court.

Of course, there were some who liked it, including Metta World Peace -- who told TMZ Sports last week he was definitely in favor of keeping the memento at the Lakers' home facility.

Several celebs in attendance at the game didn't seem to mind it much either ... Timothee Chalamet was all smiles in his courtside seat -- although his New York ballcap showed he probably could care less what L.A. does when it comes to decorating its arena.

Kevin Bacon, Dustin Hoffman, Mookie Betts and several other A-listers were there too ... and while it's not entirely clear what their stances were on the banner -- we take it they probably don't care much either way.

"Mob Wives" star Renee Graziano is 40 days sober following a stint at a Texas rehab ... and is now continuing to receive treatment thanks to the assistance of Lamar Odom.

A rep for Renee tells TMZ she's now focusing on trauma therapy at Lamar's wellness facility -- which aims to fight substance abuse, a cause near and dear to Lamar following his own near-fatal overdose in 2015.

A rep for Lamar says he actually reached out to Renee via IG when she made headlines for her rehab stay in November ... telling her if she needed anything while in treatment, to just let him know.

We're told the ex-NBA star also informed her of the services offered at Vanity Wellness Treatment Center, his facility in Sherman Oaks, CA.

Two weeks ago, Renee reached back out to Lamar ... saying she needed treatment for extensive trauma, and the program she currently was in at that time didn't offer that type of care.

Lamar immediately put the gears in motion ... connecting Renee with admissions for his facility -- and she checked in last Thursday after flying to Cali from Texas.

So far, so good ... Renee is loving the program and plans on staying for another 60+ days while working on her mental health, sobriety and physical health.